TV/Film
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Eminem’s epic 8 Mile rap battles have long been part of hip-hop movie lore. Anthony Mackie, who played Papa Doc and lost the final battle to Em’s B-Rabbit character, revealed that Em actually used part of the actor’s real life story to diss him in the 2002 film.
Mackie joined The Pivot Podcast on Tuesday (March 11), during which he recalled confiding details of his life to the Grammy-winning rapper, such as growing up in a two-person household and attending The Juilliard School, which ended up backfiring.
“Eminem is such a brilliant dude,” he said. “We’re on set one day and he’s like, ‘Yo, it doesn’t make sense that we’re beefing.’ I was like, ‘Right!’ He says, ‘I need something on you.’ So we talked for, like, two hours, chilling.”
Mackie continued: “I go to the casino. The next day we’re shooting the battle scene, and that’s why I’m standing there like, ‘You’re talking about me, you’re not talking about Clarence. That has nothing to do with the character. ‘You’re an a–hole, Eminem!’ I’m like, ‘I wanna fight this motherf—-r!’ I’m like, ‘Yes, my parents are still married.’”
8 Mile arrived in 2002 and served as the first credited acting roles for both Eminem and Mackie. Em went on to win a best original song Oscar for the film’s “Lose Yourself,” while the actor went on to star in multiple Marvel films.
In an interview earlier this year with Esquire, the actor evealed his role was originally supposed to be much smaller as Papa Doc, and he pitched the idea of his character delivering a better performance in the final battle.
“When we’re doing the scene, it was like everybody there was a rapper, so everybody was kind of talking trash cause they knew I wasn’t a rapper,” he told the magazine. “And I was like, ‘Yo, I’m tired of this, man.’”
Mackie added: “This was nothing about Papa Doc — this was Anthony Mackie had to live with being murdered this awfully forever. So yeah, it was an awful moment in my life.”
Watch Anthony Mackie’s full interview with Pivot below.
The teachers down at Abbott Elementary are ready to sing their hearts out on tonight’s (March 12) episode, as seen in a brand new preview video.
In the minute-and-a-half clip shared exclusively with Billboard, the teachers are seen hanging out in the break room as Barbara Howard, portrayed by Sheryl Lee Ralph, walks in requesting a “final head count” for an upcoming karaoke night.
“I’ll be there,” Mr. Johnson, played by William Stanford Davis, says, before making a reference to his karaoke song of choice: “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-a-Lot. “I like big butts, but someone out there thinks I’m lying about it and I’ve got to set the record straight,” he explains.
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Janine Teagues, played by Quinta Brunson, then asks if she can bring her newly heartbroken friend Erika to the karaoke event. Howard agrees, only if she agrees not to “throw it back, forward or to the side.”
The scene wraps up with Ava Coleman, portrayed by Janelle James, explaining that she’ll miss out on the karaoke fun because she has a date planned — leading to a slew of music-themed puns by her co-workers.
Abbott Elementary has been a massive success since its premiere in 2021. The series stars Brunson as a second-grade teacher at the underfunded public school in West Philadelphia. The star-studded cast includes Ralph, Davis, James, Tyler James Williams, Lisa Ann Walter and Chris Perfetti.
Throughout the years, the ABC series has been nominated for 24 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning four in the comedy categories including outstanding lead actress for Brunson and supporting actress for Ralph. Abbott Elementary has also won three Golden Globe Awards. The show has already been renewed for a fifth season, set to premiere in the 2025-26 television season.
Abbott Elementary airs on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC and is also available to stream on Hulu. Watch the sneak peek below.
Director Dan Reed is planning a third chapter in his ongoing Leaving Neverland series about allegations of sexual abuse against late pop icon Michael Jackson by dancer/choreographer Wade Robson and James Safechuck.
According to Variety, the second sequel will focus on the upcoming trial pitting Robson and Safechuck against Jackson’s companies over their allegations that the organizations neglected to protect them from the alleged abuse detailed in the bombshell 2019 two-part doc. In the original film, the men described in graphic detail how the late King of Pop allegedly molested them at his Neverland Ranch in California when they were both minors; Jackson’s estate has continuously and emphatically denied the allegations.
The reported third film will serve as the follow-up to the upcoming Leaving Neverland 2: Surviving Michael Jackson, which will premiere on Channel 4 in the U.K. on March 18 and on YouTube in the United States. The 50-minute movie will primarily focus on Robson and Safechuck fighting to have their lawsuit against Jackson’s estate go forward; the case is slated to go to trial next year.
“It’s taken an awful long time just to get to a trial date that looks as though it could actually happen,” Reed told Variety about his plan to have cameras in the courtroom, despite his belief that the Jackson estate will “find a way to try and sideswipe this whole thing and make sure it never goes to court… But who knows. Maybe justice will prevail and there’ll be a trial. And if there is a trial, I want to be there.”
While we will have to wait to see what will happen when the men have their day in court, Reed is aware that it’s possible that the judge in the case might not let cameras in their courtroom. “It’s really the judge’s discretion,” he said. Reed was allowed to film inside the Santa Monica Courthouse for several hearings depicted in Leaving Neverland 2, which mainly focuses on the legal back-and-forth leading up to Robson and Safechuck being granted a trial.
“It’s a bridge film in between what was a pretty high-profile start and what I hope will be a very dramatic ending,” Reed said. “We could have kept it to include all this material and the trial. But I think the trial will be so dramatic, and you won’t have time for all the stuff in between.”
The original Leaving Neverland won an Emmy for outstanding documentary or nonfiction special, even as it drew fire from Jackson’s family and estate and, in 2019, resulted in a $100 million lawsuit by the estate against HBO over claims that the documentary violated a 27-year-old non-disparagement clause the network signed to air a 1992 concert film for Jackson’s Dangerous World Tour; the case was sent to private arbitration that year and is still pending.
Jackson’s estate has consistently denied a series of allegations of sexual abuse against the singer who died in 2009, often noting that Jackson was acquitted in a 2005 criminal trial and has never been convicted or held liable for any such claims. The estate has also claimed that accusers are looking for a payday from an artist who cannot defend himself because defamation laws do not cover dead people.
As for why he’s planning the third chapter, Reed said that he hopes to keep telling Robson and Safechuck’s story because he thinks it will help viewers “realize that these are real people, with a real story, with real families who are doing this… They’re not just a couple of people who popped up because they saw a pot of gold. These are people who have really dedicated a decade, at least, of their lives to getting justice.”
On The Tonight Show Tuesday (March 11), Sting and Shaggy explained the current tumultuous state of the United States economy the best way they know how: through song. In a hilarious segment on the episode, the duo answered host Jimmy Fallon’s questions about the Donald Trump administration’s financial policies with lyrics from their own songs. […]
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The defending NBA champs, Boston Celtics, will face off against the Western Conference juggernauts Oklahoma City Thunder in a must-watch clash of titans. Tipping off at TD Garden in Boston on March 12, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will defend their home court against the season MVP frontrunner, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Starting at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, don’t miss this potential NBA Finals matchup airing live on ESPN and streaming on Fubo, Sling TV and ESPN+.
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Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s currently favored to win MVP, is having quite the season. He’s leading the league in scoring (32.7 points per game) while dominating teams on defense by accumulating the second highest average in steals (1.8 steals per game). The OKC Thunder are sitting atop the Western Conference with a comfortable 11 game lead over the second place Denver Nuggets, and are favored to make their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2012. Shai and the Thunder look to ride this momentum into TD Garden to face their biggest Eastern Conference threat.
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On the other hand, the Celtics haven’t shown any signs of slowing down since winning the NBA Finals last season. Tatum and Brown continue to prove that they’re one of the best duo’s in league history, alongside an extensive roster of weapons including Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis, and veteran Al Horford. Behind the three-point line, there’s no team better than the Celtics right now. They have the most team threes in the season with 1,157 so far, and hold the record for most threes made in a game with 29.
Want to watch or attend the Thunder vs Celtics game? Keep reading to learn how to stream the game online, as well as how to secure last-minute tickets.
When and Where Is the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Boston Celtics Game?
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics will square off on Wednesday, March 12, at TD Garden Arena in Boston at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. The game will broadcast live on ESPN and available to stream on Fubo TV, Sling TV and ESPN+.
How to Watch the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Boston Celtics Game Online
To watch the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Boston Celtics game online, Fubo TV offers a seven-day free trial to new users. With the streaming service, subscribers can stream hundreds of cable, network and sports channels with Fubo’s Pro package, which is $84.99 a month for 145 channels such as CBS, ABC, Fox, NBC, FX, TLC, AMC, MSNBC, ESPN, FS1 and Nickelodeon. But you don’t have to sign up right away: Try it out with a weeklong free trial with no commitment to livestream the NBA game online free.
Sling Orange is another affordable streaming choice, especially for sports fans. Watch TNT, ESPN and other sports, news and entertainment channels for just $23 for the first month ($45.99/month afterward). You can also watch local networks such as ABC and NBC, as well as many cable networks, including Lifetime AMC, A&E, BET, Cartoon Network, Fuse, CNN, Food Network and many others.
ESPN+ is the official streaming platform for ESPN, and a subscription includes instant access to games and more exclusive content for $11.99/month. You can save 17% off by purchasing an annual subscription for $119.99/year. There is no free ESPN+ trial, but it does include exclusive on-demand videos and access to content from what was formerly known as ESPN Insider.
A subscription to DirecTV Stream — which comes with ESPN — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $74.99 per month. The service even offers a five-day free trial if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as NBC, ABC, Fox and PBS, as well as many cable networks, including FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others.
How to Get Last-Minute Tickets to the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Boston Celtics Game
Want last-minute tickets to the Thunder vs Celtics game? There are plenty of affordable tickets available on Vivid Seats (get $20 off purchases of $200 and over with code BB30), SeatGeek (your first purchases can get $10 off ticket order $250 and with code BILLBOARD10), StubHub and GameTime (score $20 off ticket orders of $150 and over with code SAVE20). Prices vary depending on the city and seats available.
Moreover, you can save $150 off when you spend $500 with promo code BILLBOARD150, or $300 off when you spend $1,000 with promo code BILLBOARD300 at TicketNetwork.com.
Beyoncé has starred in a number of films, but according to Tina Knowles, the 35-time Grammy winner’s big screen days are behind her.
The businesswoman revealed on Instagram March 7 that her superstar daughter has no plans to return to the big screen. Sharing a clip of Bey singing “I’d Rather Go Blind” while portraying Etta James in 2008’s Cadillac Records, Ms. Knowles wrote, “This is still one of my favorite movies, and it makes me miss the fact that my child decided not to continue with movies.”
“She killed it in this movie,” the designer added. “And she so unselfishly donated her salary to the Phoenix house.”
Phoenix House is a nonprofit that offers recovery treatment for individuals struggling with substance abuse. Bey reportedly gave $4 million in earnings from Cadillac Records to the foundation.
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The Darnell Martin-directed musical biography is just one of several films the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer has starred in, though it’s been many years since she last appeared on screen. She made her acting debut in the 2001 TV film Carmen: A Hip Hopera, after which she had roles in 2002’s Austin Powers in Goldmember, 2003’s The Fighting Temptations, 2006’s The Pink Panther and Dreamgirls, and 2009’s Obsessed.
Since then, Bey has stuck to voice roles in animated projects. In 2013, she voiced Queen Tara in Epic, and she also played Nala in 2019’s The Lion King remake and 2024’s Mufasa: The Lion King.
But while fans may miss seeing her on the big screen, the Ivy Park founder definitely has a lot of other projects on her plate. She’s currently gearing up to embark on her Cowboy Carter Tour supporting her Billboard 200-topping LP of the same name, which won best country album and album of the year at the 2025 Grammys. Last year, she also launched a new haircare brand called Cécred.
The musician still took time to honor one of her former costars, though, after Angie Stone — whom she appeared alongside in The Fighting Temptations — died in a car crash earlier this month. “Thank you for your voice, your strength and your artistry,” read a message dedicated to the R&B icon on Bey’s website. “Your incredible legacy will live on forever.”
When we say j-hope is comfortable on the stage, we mean from his head all the way down to his fuzzy feet. On Monday night’s (March 10) episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the BTS star will make his solo debut performance on the late-night show, joined by R&B singer Miguel for their […]
Lady Gaga is joining the ghoulish world of Wednesday for its second season, and the Netflix series’ star Jenna Ortega opened up about working with Mother Monster. “I love working with Gaga,” she told Access Hollywood at SXSW on Monday (March 10). “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing her a couple of times now, and […]
LISA lets her Swiftie flag fly whenever she does karaoke, with the BLACKPINK star revealing in a new video that her go-to song for the occasion is one of Taylor Swift‘s early hits.
While recounting some of her “firsts” with White Lotus costar Tayme Thapthimthong in a recent Teen Vogue video, LISA had an immediate answer to a question asking which song she’s first to queue up during karaoke. “For me, I’ll go for Taylor Swift,” she said. “‘You Belong With Me.’”
Even so, LISA recently told Jimmy Kimmel that she preferred to watch from the sidelines during the cast’s frequent karaoke sessions on set. “I’m just sitting in the corner of the room cheering them, hyping them up,” she said March 4 on the comedian’s late-night show, noting that she didn’t ever partake in singing while filming and instead preferred to dance. “I feel weird for me to grab the mic and sing karaoke. [There’s] a lot of pressure.”
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The Thai rapper has long been a fan of the “Karma” artist. In March 2024, she attended one of Swift’s Eras Tour shows in Singapore and posed with the 14-time Grammy winner backstage. “Had such a blast at The Eras Tour! Amazing performance💘 @taylorswift,” LISA wrote on Instagram at the time, sharing photos of her friendship bracelets.
A few months later, LISA raved again about the show. “She’s incredible!” the K-pop star told Elle of Swift in August. “Singing alone on a stage for three and a half hours is crazy … I maybe could do it with a lot of practice.”
The “Rockstar” singer makes her acting debut in the third season of HBO Max’s The White Lotus, which premiered in February. While LISA plays Mook, an employee at the titular fictional hotel chain’s Thailand location, Thapthimthong portrays Gaitok.
While speaking to Teen Vogue with the English actor, LISA also revealed what she bought with her first-ever paycheck — “I think it was a pair of sneakers or something” — as well as recounted the first time she was ever recognized in public. “After I debuted with BLACKPINK, we all went to Thailand for a trip or something,” she said. “We had like a fan waiting for us at the airport. I was like, ‘Oh wow. They love us!’”
Plus, the performer shared the first K-pop idol she ever looked up to and admitted to being a little bit “shy to answer.” “I love BIGBANG,” she said, covering her face. “I can’t pick one because I love them all.”
Watch LISA reveal her “firsts” with Tayme above.
With RuPaul’s Drag Race bringing back their Rate-a-Queen system for season 17, Billboard decided to rate each of the new queens every week based on their performance. Below, we take a look at the roast challenge to see which queens delivered the best jabs. Spoilers ahead for episode 10.
Even seasoned comedians will tell you that the format of a roast is inherently hard. But RuPaul’s Drag Race has never shied away from giving their queens a tough challenge. So, in the infamous words of Farrah Moan: “Let’s get this roast a-cookin’!”
On last week’s episode (aired Friday, March 7), RuPaul invited the eight remaining queens of the season to perform in the show’s inaugural Villains Roast. Bringing back recent alums Kandy Muse, Mistress Isabelle Brooks and Plane Jane as the guests of dishonor on the show’s format, Ru tasked the queens with writing up their rudest (and funniest) material to lampoon the villains of seasons past.
You would expect comedy killers like Onya Nurve and Suzie Toot to be the shining stars of this episode, but Lana Ja’Rae and Lydia Butthole Kollins proved that, even at this late stage of the competition, big swings can pay off. Both queens skewered the villains dais with ease, surprising both the judges and the audience at home with their quick-witted jokes on the main stage, where Lydia ultimately took home the win.
Yet even in an episode where two previously faltering queens proved themselves, all eyes were fixed on the drama of the week between Jewels Sparkles, Arrietty and Lexi Love. After Jewels gave both of the queens starting positions in the performance lineup that they didn’t appreciate, both Lexi and Arrietty took two different approaches to their performances. Lexi, ever the victim of her inner saboteur, spent the entirety of this episode wrapped up in her head, failing to deliver on her jokes on the main stage.
Arrietty, meanwhile, leaned hard into her derailment by stealing Jewels’ jokes, effectively dragging her former friend down with her into the bottom two. In a fiery Lip Sync For Your Life to “YA YA” off Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, Jewels stormed the stage, channeling all her fury into her stellar performance and leaving Arrietty as the latest queen to get the chop.
Below, Billboard takes a look back at episode 10 and ranks where our remaining contestants lie based on this episode and the season as a whole:
ELIMINATED: Arrietty
Image Credit: Courtesy of MTV