The rapper dropped his highly anticipated 12th studio album “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)” on Friday. The songs feature lines about Megan Thee Stallion, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Kanye West, as well as the “Rust” shooting to describe how quickly he could choose violence if prompted.

“F–k around and get popped like Halyna Hutchins. Like I’m Alec Baldwin, what I mean is buckin’ you down, coup de grâce then,” Eminem raps on the ninth track, with JID. The Detroit native is referring to Baldwin’s fatal shooting of Hutchins in 2021 on the set of their film “Rust,” for which the actor is currently on trial.

Eminem queued the line up with the lyrics, “Clutchin’ the nine millimeter, tuckin’ the heat. Got the toaster like an English muffin. No, I mean, ‘Toast to’ like you drink to somethin’. But it’s in a holster, I proceed to bust it.”

True to Eminem’s nature as a rapper, pop culture events are often featured in his music, this time debuting his album on the third day of Baldwin’s trial. Some of his past targets over the years include Paul “Pee-Wee” Herman, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Vanilla Ice, Christina Aguilera and many more.

Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter over the death of Hutchins. In October 2021, Hutchins and “Rust” director Joel Souza were struck by a firearm held by the actor/producer while rehearsing a scene. Baldwin has long maintained his innocence, while armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is serving 18 months in prison for her role in the shooting.

Baldwin also faces up to 18 months in prison, and his trial will resume Monday.

The post Eminem References Alec Baldwin’s Fatal ‘Rust’ Shooting in New Song: ‘Get Popped Like Halyna Hutchins’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Within the lengthy contribution, published Friday, Smith detailed her interactions with the embattled rapper and hip-hop mogul, who has been accused of numerous sexual assaults and documented on a 2016 surveillance tape beating his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Smith recalled how in 1997 Diddy — then known as Puff Daddy — demanded to see dual covers of Vibe depicting him as alternately an angel and a devil. She refused and he allegedly called to tell her he would see her “dead in the trunk of a car” if she didn’t comply. When she asked him to “take it back,” he swore at her and told her he knew her exact location at that moment.

Smith did not show him the covers, and the servers that contained the final version of the magazine were stolen from the office before its scheduled print time. An art director had a copy of the issue on CD, so the magazine came out as planned, despite the theft.

Smith also shared a troubling incident in which she and other female friends were having cocktails with Combs’ wife Kim Porter when the rapper burst in and demanded she return home immediately, dumping out the contents of her purse on the table.

“He snatched up her bank cards to the beat of: You ain’t got. No business. In here. You need. To be. At home. With. Those. Kids. Combs yelled something like, ‘Get home as best you can.’ From the sidewalk, I saw Porter being hustled into the limo in which we arrived. One of the friends, more tired than terrified, shot me a look: You good? And they were gone,” Smith wrote.

She recalled another time at a party thrown by Epic Records when Ventura, best known by the mononym Cassie, was “uncharacteristically alone,” and asked her how she was doing. Smith sensed the singer was on the verge of telling her something important. “We each wanted to say something. It seemed that neither of us could find the words,” Smith said. (Cassie refused to comment for the article.)

It wasn’t just Combs who made things difficult for Smith. “There’s no safe space for an ambitious woman. Not anywhere, and definitely not in the entertainment business. Men keep it dangerous so they can keep it theirs,” she wrote.

She described an incident where a media executive bullied her at a bar: “[He] made it clear he was going to walk me to my hotel room. It was obvious that he wanted sex. In his pulsing nostril was resentment about the job I had. He had the focused look of a person who believes you have stolen something from him, and that something is actually you.”

You can read the entire essay here.

The post Former Vibe Editor Says Diddy Threatened Her Life Over a Cover Dispute, Would See Her ‘Dead in the Trunk of a Car’ appeared first on TheWrap.

“So I made a post condemning abusers and supporting an artist I love… and apparently that means receiving death threats… cool,” the actress said following her initial post.

Breslin’s Wednesday evening X post read, “Working with known abusers in any industry just contributes to the narrative that men can do abhorrent s–t and get away with it. On another note, I love @KeshaRose and she gave one of the best shows I’ve ever been to last year. Stream Kesha!”

Many took the post as a not-so-subtle nod to the continued industry success of Dr. Luke (née Lukasz Gottwald), who most recently collaborated on the production of Perry’s new single, “Woman’s World.”

As a producer, Gottwald notably helped steer the early career of Kesha, but their working relationship disintegrated around a 2014 lawsuit alleging he drugged, raped and abused her, which itself sparked a nine-year legal battle. (The two reached a settlement in 2023.) Perry was additionally brought into the proceedings after Gottwald named her in his defamation lawsuit against Kesha over the allegations.

Since the announcement of “Woman’s World,” Perry has taken quite a bit of heat online for collaborating with Gottwald, despite his sordid reputation — and on a song called “Woman’s World,” no less, itself meant to be an anthem for women’s empowerment.

That was the water Breslin waded into Wednesday when she voiced her support for Kesha on X. The Ryan Murphy regular first followed up her post expressing surprise that it got under any fandom’s skin — “Really…? I didn’t say anything awful, everyone calm down. I said I don’t support abusers. Crucify me.” But she soon went on the defensive, quote tweeting those attacking her career, calling her a hypocrite and saying she only posted her statement for “clout” with kiss-off responses.

“Ya bb you saw right through me. I just knew this would be the comeback I needed,” she wrote one user who accused her of clout-chasing by denouncing abusers.

“Aww we love threatening violence. You’re adorable,” she wrote in response to a gif punching her in the face.

In another, she laughed off a Perry fan who said “Scream Queens” was her “biggest gig”: “Oh s–t, I thought my biggest gig was the one I got nominated for an Oscar for but … OK!”

Breslin also retweeted messages of support and understanding while being inundated with the negative messages. She appeared unaffected by the comments. She then wrapped up her posting spree a few hours later by defending her statement one last time.

“Alright. Goodnight everybody. I’m not going to stop speaking out against abuse. I never said a negative thing about your fave. Please relax. I’m allowed to have a perspective. You’re allowed to roast my career and treat me horribly, but I don’t know why you would. I stand by what I said,” she said.

alright. goodnight everybody. im not gonna stop speaking out against abuse. I never said a negative thing about your fave. please relax. im allowed to have a perspective. youre allowed to roast my career and treat me horribly but idk why you would. I stand by what I said. gn

— Abigail Breslin (SOPHOMORE) (@yoabbaabba) July 11, 2024

It’s worth noting that Breslin never mentioned Dr. Luke or Perry by name, only denounced abusers “in any industry” and shouted out support for Kesha, whose new song “Joyride” is out now.

Representatives for Perry did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

The post Abigail Breslin Shuts Down Katy Perry Fan ‘Death Threats’ After Saying Artists Shouldn’t ‘Work With Known Abusers’ appeared first on TheWrap.

The 2024 festival, which runs from July 26-28 at the L.A. Convention Center, Gilbert Lindsay Plaza and Crypto.com Arena, holds a variety of fan activities and live performances before culminating with three nights of concerts that are presented under the M COUNTDOWN name, a popular weekly live performance program in South Korea run by CJ ENM’s music channel Mnet. This year’s event features Samsung Galaxy as the title sponsor. 

“We are beyond excited to partner with The CW to bring the electrifying M COUNTDOWN at KCON LA 2024 live to national primetime television,” CJ ENM head of music entertainment Harry H.K. Shin said in a Thursday statement. “This historic broadcast is a testament to the incredible community of K-pop fans who have made these groups global sensations.”

The 2024 flagship event in Los Angeles will be hosted by Rowoon, Jeon Somi and Kim Soo-hyun.

Additional KCON performers include AleXa, A.C.E., Apoki, Bibi, BoyNextDoor, Craxy, Drippin, DXMON, ENHYPEN, god, HYOLYN, I-Land2:N/a, INI, Isaac Hong, Jo Yuri, Kepler, Katseye, ME:I, NCT127, NMIXX, P1Harmony, Park Min Young, POW, STAYC, Taemin, TWS, TigerJK, ZeroBaseOne and Zico.

KCON, which initially launched as a single-day event in Irvine back in 2012, has expanded to New York, Tokyo, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi and more, welcoming over 1.8 million fans in the time since. The 2024 series has already visited Hong Kong this year and will take place for the first time in Germany from Sept. 28-29. 

The post KCON LA 2024 to Air Main Stage Concert on the CW appeared first on TheWrap.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court alleges that “Defendant Danny Elfman peddled appalling lies for publication to Rolling Stone about Nomi, who had previously in an earlier lawsuit truthfully relayed facts corroborating his penchant to sexually abuse women. Why? As part of a harebrained ‘zero sum’ scheme by Elfman to prop up his checkered reputation by destroying Nomi’s credibility.”

“Defendant Elfman lied about Nomi, branding her as a scorned woman attempting to break up his marriage, and as someone who initiated nude photography,” the document also states. “As a result of Elfman and his representatives’ defamations, Nomi has suffered humiliation, both personally and professionally, within their shared composing industry, and online, and harm to her professional reputation and her occupation as a composer, musician, and educator.”

The lawsuit also states, “Elfman’s scheme involved him and his representatives communicating the following lies, among others, to Rolling Stone: (i) that Elfman did not engage in sexual misconduct towards Nomi; (ii) that Elfman never masturbated in front of her; (iii) that Elfman never inappropriately touched Nomi; (iv) that Elfman never placed his bodily fluids in a martini glass he presented to Nomi; (v) that Nomi is a scorned woman seeking revenge and money to make Elfman ‘pay for having rejected her’; and (vi) that Nomi invited Elfman’s misconduct, including by requesting that he take nude pictures of her.”

Abadi’s initial suit was first covered by Rolling Stone after she filed it in 2018. The outlet found that Abadi had told several friends about Elfman’s conduct and also filed an extensive police report.

Elfman denied the claims at the time and said in a statement that he “allowed someone to get close to me without knowing that I was her ‘childhood crush’ and that her intention was to break up my marriage and replace my wife. When this person realized that I wanted distance from her, she made it clear that I would pay for having rejected her.”

She and Elfman ultimately reached a settlement of $830,000 and an NDA. In 2023, Abadi sued Elfman for failing to make a payment toward that settlement amount.

Abadi’s newest lawsuit was filed by Amber Heard’s former lawyer Eric George. Elfman has hired Camille Vasquez, who famously worked for Johnny Depp in Heard and Depp’s televised 2022 Virginia trial.

Elfman was sued for sexual harassment by a second woman last October. The woman, identified as Jane Doe XX, accused Elfman of walking around nude while with her and against her wishes and masturbating without her consent as she lay sleeping full clothed in the same bed.

The post Danny Elfman Sued for Defamation by Composer Who Accused Him of Sexual Misconduct appeared first on TheWrap.

First, on Friday, July 26, the Crunchyroll Concert Series will bring J-Pop artist LiSA for a free show open to all SDCC badge holders on a first come, first served basis. Details may change; more information can be found on Crunchyroll News.

Where: Radley Shell at Jacob Park, 222 Marina Park Way.
When: Friday, July 26; doors open at 5 p.m. but fans are encouraged to line up anytime before that.

Best known for several hit anime theme songs — including “Gurenge” from “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” and “Crossing Field” from “Sword Art Online,” LiSa is one of the most-streamed Japanese artists in the United States. Her upcoming concert film, “LiVE is SMiLE ALWAYS -LANDER-,” will come to the U.S. on Aug. 17.

Then on Saturday July 26, it’s the “‘One Piece 25th Anniversary: Symphonic Voyage,” a live outdoor concert performed by the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and produced especially for Comic-Con 2024 to celebrate the worldwide hit from Toei Animation and the franchise’s global 25th anniversary.

Where: Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, 222 Marina Park Way.
When: Saturday July 27 at 7:00 p.m.; doors open at 5:00 p.m. but fans are encouraged to line up starting at 4:00.

The show is also free with limited open seating for all San Diego Comic-Con badge holders, once again on a first come, first served basis.

Accompanying the show from 5:00 p.m. until 9:30, attendees can check out “One Piece”-inspired activations such as the “Gum-Gum Punch Challenge with Luffy”, a photo op with Nami, and a chance, per Crunchyroll, to “tickle the ivories with Brook and his piano.” 

Toei Animation and Crunchyroll also have booths on the convention floor. Visit Toei at booth #3635 and see Crunchyroll at #4135. If fans aren’t able to make it to Crunchyroll’s events this year, worry not. They’ll be posting highlights on their social media channels.

Head here for all of TheWrap’s San Diego Comic-Con 2024 coverage.

The post Crunchyroll Sets SDCC Concerts With J-Pop Star LiSA and a ‘One Piece’ Tribute appeared first on TheWrap.

The nature of the investigation is unknown, but according to NBC, Combs is not at the moment a specific target; as a subject he is considered within the scope of the investigation in some fashion.

It’s not known if this case is related to the report in May that federal investigators are preparing to bring various women who have accused Combs of misconduct before a federal grand jury

The report comes as the rap mogul faces multiple lawsuits and accusations of sexual assault and other misconduct. Among them, in November Diddy’s longtime girlfriend Cassie alleged in a federal civil lawsuit that she was repeatedly physically and sexually abused. Combs denied it but settled the lawsuit the next day. The next week, two different women filed lawsuits accusing him of rape and abuse decades earlier.

In May, hotel surveillance video from 2016 was leaked that showed Combs viciously assaulting Cassie.

On June 4, Combs sold his majority stake in Revolt, his hip hip and youth culture-focused media company; he had stepped down as Chairman in November after the lawsuit filed by Cassie. The company didn’t cite the footage from the previous month, but three days later, Howard University rescinded the honorary doctorate it bestowed on Combs in 2014 specifically citing that video.

The post Sean Combs Under Federal Grand Jury Investigation in New York | Report appeared first on TheWrap.

“The city of Gelsenkirchen is looking forward to welcoming U.S. mega-star Taylor Swift and the tens of thousands of Swifties who are expected to attend the three concerts in the arena from July 17th to 19th,” mayor Karin Welge wrote in a Tuesday statement, translated by Google. Swift’s trio of Gelsenkirchen concerts are set for July 17-19.

The city’s name change was the result of a suggestion from a fan named Aleshanee Westhoff after they started a petition and reached out to the mayor.

“It’s a great idea to temporarily rename Gelsenkirchen to ‘Swiftkirchen’, so I’m particularly pleased that you can experience the short-term ‘renaming’ of Gelsenkirchen live and up close in Gelsenkirchen today,” Welge said in her response letter to Westhoff.

On top of the new name, the city’s public relations department shared that it will be “installing many more signs in highly frequented places in Gelsenkirchen in the coming days.”

On the Gelsenkirchen public website, Welge said she’s overjoyed by the idea.

“As mayor, I am of course very happy that Taylor Swift, currently the most successful singer in the world, will be performing three times in Gelsenkirchen,” she said. “International attention will therefore be back on our city.”

Other amendments around the city include a “Taylor Swift tram,” a “Taylor Town” party and a stone for Swift on Gelsenkirchen’s Walk of Fame.

People was first to report the news.

The post Taylor Swift Gets German City Gelsenkirchen Renamed Ahead of Eras Tour Stop: ‘Swiftkirchen’ appeared first on TheWrap.

In case you missed it, Kelce surprised fans at Swift’s final London tour stop at the end of June when he popped up on stage in a full suit (complete with top hat) with the men who typically carry Swift across the stage to help her change into a new outfit for “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”

Of course, being who he is, Kelce carried his girlfriend all by himself. And while discussing the moment with his brother Jason in the latest episode of their “New Heights” podcast, the NFL star admitted that his sole focus was making sure he kept his balance and strength up.

“The one thing I told myself is ‘Do not drop the baby,'” he said. “‘Do not drop Taylor on your way over to this damn couch.'”

Fortunately, he did not, and the moment caused Swifties to erupt when they realized exactly who it was carrying the songwriter. In the same podcast conversation, Kelce also revealed that it was his idea to be part of the show.

Apparently, he suggested joining her on stage, and when she asked if he was serious, Kelce assured her he was.

“I’ve seen the show enough. Might as well put me to work here,” he said. “Sure enough, she found the perfect part of the show for me to come in.” 

You can watch the Kelce brothers’ full podcast episode, here.

The post Travis Kelce Reveals the ‘Golden Rule’ He Had for Himself During Taylor Swift Stage Appearance appeared first on TheWrap.

“I recently underwent an operation to remove something that, as it turns out, was cancerous,” Wilson wrote Tuesday on X. “The operation was successful & I’m feeling great but my doctors are now advising me to undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy & I’ve decided to do it … And so my doctors are instructing me to take the rest of the year away from the stage in order to fully recover.”

Heart had some 50 U.S. tour dates on the schedule for the year, from a June 30 show in Birmingham to a Dec. 15 tour finale in Las Vegas.

“To the ticket buyers, I really do wish we could do these gigs,” Wilson added. “Please know that I absolutely plan to be back on stage in 2025. My team is getting those details sorted & we’ll let you know the plan as soon as we can. Thank you all for the support. This is merely a pause. I’ve much more to sing.”

The post Heart Lead Singer Ann Wilson Reveals Cancer Diagnosis, Cancels 2024 Tour Dates appeared first on TheWrap.