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Category: Entertainment

  • Kanye West Offers to Meet U.K. Jewish Community as Wireless Festival Backlash Grows

    Kanye West Offers to Meet U.K. Jewish Community as Wireless Festival Backlash Grows

    Kanye West has offered to meet members of the Jewish community in the U.K. following the furore over his headline booking at this year’s Wireless Festival, as sponsors continued to flee and politicians maintained their pressure on the government to bar his entry.

    In a statement obtained by Variety, the rapper – who also goes by Ye – said he had been “following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly.” He said his “only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through my music,” and offered to meet community members in person “to listen,” adding: “I know words aren’t enough – I’ll have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here.”

    The U.K. government is reviewing whether West should be permitted to enter the country at all. The offer of dialogue came as the commercial fallout from his July 10–12 booking at Finsbury Park showed no sign of slowing. Presenting partner Pepsi – which had co-branded the event as “Pepsi MAX Presents Wireless” for over a decade – confirmed its withdrawal, followed by Diageo, Rockstar Energy and PayPal, which will no longer allow its branding in the festival’s promotional materials.

    West published a full-page apology in the Wall Street Journal in January, attributing his behavior to manic episodes caused by bipolar disorder. But the gesture has not satisfied critics. Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said that a statement from Wireless managing director Melvin Benn defending the booking “will not reassure many within the Jewish or other communities.” Benn, who issued his defense to Variety, described himself as a “deeply committed anti-fascist” and urged the public to offer West “forgiveness and hope” – a stance the Campaign Against Antisemitism rejected, accusing the promoter of “profiteering from racism.”

    Actor David Schwimmer also weighed in, thanking Pepsi, PayPal and Diageo on Instagram for withdrawing and urging remaining sponsors to follow. “I believe in forgiveness, but it takes much more than this,” he told Variety in a follow-up email.

    Separately, Jonah Hill told “The Zane Lowe Show” it was “bizarre” when West posted in 2023 that watching Hill’s performance in “21 Jump Street” had made him “like Jewish people again” – while also calling West “the greatest artist to ever live.”

  • Universal Music Group Gets $63.5 Billion Takeover Offer From Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square

    Universal Music Group Gets $63.5 Billion Takeover Offer From Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square

    Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management unveiled a non-binding proposal to the board of directors of music giant Universal Music Group (UMG), the musical home of such stars as Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar, to acquire all of its outstanding shares in a mega-transaction valued at around $63.5 billion, “together with a value creation plan designed to deliver significant benefits to UMG stakeholders.”

    Pershing, which has owned a stake in the music major since 2021, said its offer values each share of UMG at €30.40, putting the total value of UMG under the overall deal at about €55 billion, or $63.5 billion.

    “Since UMG’s [stock market] listing, [UMG chairman and CEO] Sir Lucian Grainge and the company’s management have done an excellent job nurturing and continuing to build a world-class artist roster and generating strong business performance,” said Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman. “However, UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business and importantly, all of them can be addressed with this transaction.”

    Pershing Square said it “believes that UMG’s stock price underperformance is principally due to the following factors”: Uncertainty concerning the Bolloré Group’s 18 percent stake in the company, the postponement of UMG’s U.S. [stock market] listing, the underutilization of UMG’s balance sheet, which has led to reduced returns on equity, the absence of a publicly disclosed capital allocation plan and earnings algorithm, the lack of investor credit in UMG’s valuation for its €2.7 billion ($3.1 billion0 stake in Spotify, suboptimal shareholder investor relations, communications, and engagement.

    In the proposed transaction, UMG would merge with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings, and the newly merged company will become a Nevada corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange. “We expect the transaction to close by year-end,” the firm said. “Shareholders will receive a total of €9.4 billion in cash (or €5.05 per share) and 0.77 shares of New UMG stock for each share of UMG held. New UMG will publish financial statements under U.S. GAAP and be eligible for S&P 500 and other index inclusion. The transaction will enable the cancellation of 17 percent of UMG outstanding shares while preserving the company’s investment-grade balance sheet and its long-term financial and strategic flexibility.”

    All equity financing will be backstopped by Pershing Square and its affiliates, with all debt financing to be committed at signing.

  • Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty Breaks New Records

    Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty Breaks New Records

    In six short years, Rare Beauty, Selena Gomez‘s beauty brand, has raised $30 million toward the star’s philanthropic goal of giving $100 million to mental health causes. When it comes to market share, the line (named after her 2020 album Rare) occupies a bigger slice of the sales pie than Hailey Bieber’s Rhode (sold last year for $1 billion to e.l.f. cosmetics), Lady Gaga’s Haus Labs and Kylie Cosmetics, and is only outsold by Rihanna’s Fenty brand — which Rare Beauty surpasses in relevance, if you consider being the most Googled brand this past year a measure of that ineffable quality.

    Much like O.G. pioneer Fenty, Rare Beauty has crossed the Rubicon of being carried in both Sephora — where it was the first brand to be exclusively stocked in 2,700 stores internationally — and Ulta, where it entered over 1500 stores on Feb. 1. The two arch frenemies of the beauty retail world will together drive sales as well as the 33-year-old actress’ philanthropic goal. “It’s important we continue to expand our mission and vision,” Gomez tells The Hollywood Reporter, about her commitment from launch to donate one percent of Rare Beauty earnings to mental health and wellness organizations. “The Ulta funds donated by customers are split evenly between the Ulta Beauty Foundation and Rare Impact Fund. Together we’ve already raised over $2 million in support of youth mental health. We’ve been able to reach over 3.5 young people annually to help young people get more access to mental health support.”

    Certainly, Gomez’s 425 million Instagram followers, who have hung on every twist and turn in the star’s overall wellness and beauty journey, have helped push Rare Beauty toward its purpose. “I’ve been in a makeup chair since I was seven,” says Gomez. “That gave me perspective on what was missing in the market. I wanted to create a welcoming space in beauty, where people can feel good about themselves. But I knew from the beginning I wanted the business to be built around a mission personal to me, hence the Rare Impact Fund. I didn’t see mental health being talked about in the beauty/wellness space. I want people to celebrate their imperfections, that’s exactly why we do what we do. I believe makeup is something to enjoy, not something you need. It’s always been important to me to build a legacy that makes a difference.”

    This past week — in the same time frame that Rare Beauty, known for its viral liquid blush, released its first foundation, True to Myself Natural Matte Longwear Foundation, in 48 inclusive shades — Gomez was awarded the first Excellence in Beauty Philanthropy Award by Craig Cichy, executive director of The Social Impact Fund. The awards and subsequent summit were held at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, where Cichy explained what the organization does for partners that embrace both artistry and charity like Gomez and her Rare Impact Fund in his opening remarks: “We’re a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to making philanthropic access be efficient. We are the home base for nonprofits that need tax structure. And, as the great Robert Redford once said, ‘The glory of art is that it cannot only survive, it can lead.’ He knew style can never survive without substance.”

  • Jack White Added as Surprise Performer For Coachella Weekend One

    Jack White Added as Surprise Performer For Coachella Weekend One

    Jack White is coming back to the desert.

    The rock star was added as a surprise act for Coachella for this weekend, with the music festival announcing White’s set in a post revealing the performance times for weekend one.

    White’s not the first veteran star to get added to Coachella’s lineup for a surprise set in the past few years. Last year, both Weezer and Ed Sheeran were brought onto the bill to play the Mojave stage at 3 p.m. for weekend one and two, respectively, the same stage and time slot White will take on this year. Arcade Fire was a last-minute addition back in 2022.

    White is a Coachella veteran, with his band, The White Stripes, playing the festival back in 2003, while he headlined as a solo artist back in 2015 as well.

    White’s set comes a week after he released a pair of singles — “G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs” and “Derecho Demonico”— on Friday, a day before he served as musical guest on Saturday Night Live while Jack Black was the host. He also took to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday.

    Given the new music and the sudden blitz of high-profile performances, fans are hoping this could be the first sign of a new album on the way, though as of now it’s unclear what else is on the horizon. White’s last album was the surprise release No Name, which marked one of White’s hardest-rocking albums in years and earned a Grammy nomination for best rock album. The White Stripes were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year.

    Outside of White, this year’s Coachella lineup is led by headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G, with other notable performances from Young Thug, Devo, Addison Rae, Sombr, David Byrne and many more. Fellow modern garage rock heroes The Strokes will also play Saturday, with their set coming that night on the main stage.

  • Why Jonah Hill Included Joke About Kanye West and Jews in New Movie ‘Outcome’

    Why Jonah Hill Included Joke About Kanye West and Jews in New Movie ‘Outcome’

    Jonah Hill included a Kanye “Ye” West joke in his new movie Outcome and it all stemmed from a 2023 Instagram post from the rapper, where he said the actor’s performance in 21 Jump Street made him “like Jewish people again.”

    The actor, who is Jewish, opened up about the controversial rapper’s “bizarre public thing” during a recent appearance on Apple Music’s The Zane Lowe Show. West has faced widespread backlash over the last few years for making several antisemitic remarks and releasing a song called “Heil Hitler.”

    “I felt that he did this bizarre public thing to kind of make up, like, ‘It’s all good cause I love Jonah,’” Hill said of the rapper’s 2023 social media post. “[It] just sat with me in a way that it’s, like, all good. I love him still, and I hope whatever happens, he can heal or whatever, and everyone can heal from all that stuff. … I hope he can heal and make it right with the people he needs to make it right [with] in the Jewish community. Me and him got no beef.”

    Earlier during his chat with Lowe, The Wolf of Wall Street actor revealed that the joke in Outcome was his character’s assistant says, “We did the research and it turns out hating Jews doesn’t hurt your career, it helps it,” and then it cuts to a photo of West.

    “The reason why I put that in there was not just to take a shot at Kanye. I love the Kanye that I’ve met over the years. I love the artist. I think there is no artist I probably love more across any genre ever. I think he is probably the greatest artist ever to live. And he thinks that,” Hill explained with a laugh. “He’s a genius, and the stuff with the hate stuff sucks. What are you going to say? It sucks, no matter who you are, to hear that. Now, do I know what’s going on? No. Am I going to punch someone while they’re down? No, of course not.”

    He added, “I just put that in there like, yo, you’re going to put the 21 Jump Street poster up there and say you don’t hate Jews anymore? That’s pretty wild. I’m gonna put a picture of you saying that hating Jews helps your career. Obviously, that’s a joke on my part. It doesn’t help your career, but it’s me just having fun. I’m a comedian.”

    Elsewhere, Hill also said during a separate interview with SiriusXM’s Julia Cunningham that the joke is also meant to point out how “culture’s fucking weird and it always has been and it always will be. And one of the funny things about it is like you can go on a Jew-hating tour and then sell out [SoFi Stadium].”

    West recently sold out two nights at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, for concerts supporting his album Bully. He’s also set to headline the U.K. Wireless Festival, despite several companies pulling their sponsorships over his booking. The festival’s managing director has since defended West as a headliner, telling people to “offer some forgiveness and hope to him.”

    In addition to his antisemitic rhetoric and “Heil Hitler” song, the “Heartless” artist also used a Super Bowl ad in 2025 to direct viewers to his Yeezy website that had swastika-emblazoned t-shirts. West has since apologized for his antisemitic statements in an ad in the Wall Street Journal earlier this year, but hasn’t addressed the controversy any further.

  • Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Unveils Takeover Bid for Universal Music Group

    Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Unveils Takeover Bid for Universal Music Group

    Bill Ackman‘s Pershing Square Capital Management disclosed early Tuesday that a takeover bid for Universal Music Group has been submitted to UMG’s board. The offer includes about $10.9 billion in cash, plus additional stock that pushes the total consideration to about $35 a share.

    Pershing Square said that UMG’s stock has been undervalued because of uncertainty around the company’s ownership structure and around UMG’s stake in Spotify, and by the company’s delay of its planned stock listing in the U.S. Ackman previously struck an agreement with the company last year to establish a secondary listing in the U.S. in addition to its primary home on the Euronext Amsterdam listing.

    The Wall Street Journal pegged the total value of the offer at more than $63 billion.

    Ackman praised UMG’s current regime led by Lucian Grainge for cultivated an unparalleled artist roster. But the financial performance has been lacking. Ackman is one of the loudest hedge fund investors out there, exerting enormous influence through social media, podcasts and media interviews.

    “Since UMG’s listing, Sir Lucian Grainge and the company’s management have done an excellent job nurturing and continuing to build a world-class artist roster and generating strong business performance,” Ackman said in a statement. “However, UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business and importantly, all of them can be addressed with this transaction.”

    Ackman, who has been sparring with UMG management, asserted that “all Transaction equity financing will be backstopped by Pershing Square and affiliates, and all debt financing will be committed at signing.”

    Pershing Square asserted that the offer is a 78% premium to UMG’s recent trading price in the $19.60 range. In addition to cash, shareholders would receive 0.77 shares of New UMG stock for each share of UMG held. Per Pershing Square, the deal “will enable the cancellation of 17% of UMG outstanding shares while preserving the company’s investment grade balance sheet and its long-term financial and strategic flexibility. New UMG will have 1.541 billion shares outstanding.”

    Pershing Square’s statement included a bullet point list of reasons why UMG’s board should embrace the takeover offer, including “uncertainty concerning the Bolloré Group’s 18% stake in the company,” what it described as the “underutilization of UMG’s balance sheet, which has led to reduced returns on equity” and “the absence of a publicly disclosed capital allocation plan and earnings algorithm.”

    Representatives for Universal Music Group did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

  • ‘Beef’ Actor Hong Dao Leads Vietnamese Folklore Dark Comedy ‘A “Good” Best Luck’ (EXCLUSIVE)

    ‘Beef’ Actor Hong Dao Leads Vietnamese Folklore Dark Comedy ‘A “Good” Best Luck’ (EXCLUSIVE)

    Vietnam’s Mockingbird Pictures is heading to the Beijing International Film Festival with “A ‘Good’ Best Luck,” a dark comedy drama drawing on local spiritual folk traditions.

    Directed by Khương Ngọc and Tấn Hoàng Thông for VIC.N Studio, the film centers on Tâm, a young delivery worker whose heart condition from birth leads him into a strange folk ritual called “lying in a coffin” – a practice held to transform one’s destiny through the symbolic act of death. Dương Hải Yến serves as executive producer.

    The cast is led by Hồng Đào, one of Vietnam’s most widely recognised performers, whose turn in Netflix’s “Beef” brought her to a global audience. She also appeared in “Mai” (2023), among the biggest box office draws in Vietnamese film history. Khương Ngọc and Hồng Đào have worked together before, on dramas “The Real Sister” and “My Little Grandma.” Võ Tấn Phát plays the lead role.

    “A ‘Good’ Best Luck is a deeply local story, but one that speaks to universal questions about fate and responsibility,” said Dương Hải Yến. “It reflects how people turn to belief systems when pushed to the edge and how real change ultimately comes from within.”

    Mockingbird Pictures holds worldwide distribution rights and is pursuing both theatrical openings across the region and deals with international streaming platforms. Talks with prospective buyers are ongoing.

    “As global audiences continue to embrace authentic, culturally rooted storytelling, we see ‘A “Good” Best Luck’ as a film with strong potential to travel and connect with audiences beyond Vietnam,” said Phong Duong, business director of Mockingbird Pictures.

    The film, whose Vietnamese title is “Lên Hương,” is in its final production phase and is pencilled in for a Vietnam release in the final quarter of 2026. Mockingbird plans to take the project to further festivals and markets in the months ahead.

  • Shaquille O’Neal, Warner Launch ‘Dunkman’ Professional Dunk League

    Shaquille O’Neal, Warner Launch ‘Dunkman’ Professional Dunk League

    Warner Bros. Discovery may no longer show NBA games on TNT each week, but that doesn’t mean the company is no longer playing basketball.

    Shaquille O’Neal, Authentic Brands Group and Warner’s TNT Sports will launch “Dunkman,” the first professional league tied to dunking, in summer of 2026. The inaugural season will feature 24 skilled dunkers competing live across four events. Finalists will compete for a world championship title and a grand prize of $500,000. Eli Lilly & Co., the pharmaceutical giant, will also work as a partner with the league.

    “The NBA’s dunking contest over the last ten to fifteen years has been terrible,” O’Neal told Variety during an interview on Monday. “We want the best dunkers around the world, and we know there are a lot of great dunkers out there.”

    O’Neal will serve as commissioner of the new league.

    The launch of Dunkman — which got its start as a six-episode competition late last year — is the latest in a a new series of efforts by media companies to take more control over the sports rights that fill up so much more of their programming schedules. The cost to show top tier games from the NFL and NBA, among others, continues to rise. With that in mind, many of the nation’s big media companies have tried to launch their own entities. Warner also works with the three-on-three Unrivaled women’s basketball league and manages “The Match” celebrity golf tournament. Fox Corp, is a major owner of the UFL spring football league.

    “We’ve kind of come to the conclusion that these guys are professional athletes that need to be organized” says Craig Barry, executive vice president and chief content officer of Warner’s TNT Sports, during an interview. “We believe there’s an opportunity to bring a league to the fans,” who have already shown interest in seeing great dunks playing on digital and social media

    Live league events will air across TNT, TBS, truTV and HBO Max, with additional content streamed across “Dunkman,” social channels, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and YouTube. 

    O’Neal is passionate about the concept, says Lee White, head of sports content at WME, which represents the basketball legend. “Shaq has been outspoken about the state of the dunk contest and how it’s lost relevance in recent years. The star power isn’t there, but more importantly, the innovation and creativity has fallen off,” he says. “But rather than just complaining about a problem and waiting for someone else to fix it, Shaq and the team have built something entirely new with ‘Dunkman.’  We feel this is truly a groundbreaking competition that brings together the best viral dunk artists from around the world and appeals to an audience that is underserved.”

    O’Neal says fans will get to meet some new athletes. He cites the example of a Polish doctor who took part in the initial contest and displayed some surprising skills. “This is a new professional league, not a dunking contest,” he says, “We are calling all dunkers.”

    .

  • Fox Renews ‘Memory of a Killer,’ Starring Michael Imperioli and Patrick Dempsey, for Season 2

    Fox Renews ‘Memory of a Killer,’ Starring Michael Imperioli and Patrick Dempsey, for Season 2

    Fox has just unearthed more killer memories. The network has given a Season 2 order to “Memory of a Killer,” its freshman drama starring Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli. This brings the series, which just wrapped its Season 1 on Monday night, through the 2026-2027 TV season.

    “‘Memory of a Killer’ has become a true standout with visceral performances from Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli,” said Fox TV Network prexy Michael Thorn. “Aaron Zelman, Glenn Kessler, and our partners at Warner Bros. Television have delivered a sharp, emotional character-driven thriller that’s clearly landed with viewers, and we’re excited to continue that success together in Season Two.”

    The 10-episode Season 1 premiered on Jan. 25 behind the NFL’s NFC championship game, which helped make it broadcast’s highest-rated drama telecast this season, Fox said. The network said it’s also Fox’s most-streamed series to date.

    The series is inspired by the book and 2003 Belgian film “De Zaak Alzheimer.” Warner Bros. Television and Fox Entertainment are behind the show, with executive producers including showrunners Aaron Zelman and Glenn Kessler, and series star Dempsey. Arthur Sarkissian and Martin Campbell are also executive producers, along with Peter Bouckaert of Eyeworks.

    “We’re thrilled Fox has renewed ‘Memory of a Killer’ for a second season, a richly deserved renewal given the show’s great critical, creative, and commercial success,” said Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Television Group and WBD US Networks. “The performances of Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli have been powerful and compelling, and we can’t wait to see what the show’s brilliant creative team has in store for Angelo’s next chapter.”

    Richard Harmon, Odeya Rush, Daniel Davis Stewart and Peter Gadiot also star. Here’s the logline for Season 1: “‘Memory of A Killer’ is a dramatic thriller starring Emmy nominee Patrick Dempsey as a hitman, Angelo Doyle, leading a dangerous double life while hiding an even deadlier personal secret. Emmy winner Michael Imperioli stars opposite Dempsey in the role of Dutch, Angelo’s oldest friend and an accomplished chef whose restaurant is a front for criminal enterprise.”

  • Patrick Dempsey’s ‘Memory of a Killer’ Renewed for Second Season at Fox

    Fox will continue to probe the Memory of a Killer.

    The network has renewed its first-year drama starring Patrick Dempsey for a second season in 2026-27. Memory of a Killer joins fellow rookie Best Medicine in earning a spot on next season’s schedule; Fox has also renewed Doc for a third season and has yet to make a decision on its other drama series, Murder in a Small Town.

    The renewal comes as Memory of a Killer, a co-production between Fox and Warner Bros. TV, airs its season finale Monday night.

    “Memory of a Killer has become a true standout with visceral performances from Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli,” said Fox Television Network president Michael Thorn. “[Showrunners] Aaron Zelman, Glenn Kessler, and our partners at Warner Bros. Television have delivered a sharp, emotional character-driven thriller that’s clearly landed with viewers, and we’re excited to continue that success together in season two.”

    Zelman and Kessler will remain as showrunners in season two. They took the reins midway through production on the season, stepping in for Ed Whitmore, Tracey Malone and David Schulner, who developed the series.

    Based on a novel and 2003 Belgian film titled De Zaak Alzheimer, Memory of a Killer stars Patrick Dempsey as Angelo, a hitman who leads a double life, hiding his deadly job from his loved ones. He is also losing his memory, a secret he tries to keep from everyone he knows.

    Michael Imperioli, Richard Harmon, Odeya Rush, Daniel David Stewart and Peter Gadiot also star, and Gina Torres has a recurring role.

    The series had a strong premiere after the NFC Championship game in January and has since grown to 16.2 million cross-platform viewers. Subsequent episodes in its regular home on Mondays haven’t been that big (unsurprisingly), but it has had solid returns streaming on Hulu.

    “We’re thrilled Fox has renewed Memory of a Killer for a second season, a richly deserved renewal given the show’s great critical, creative, and commercial success,” said Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group and WBD U.S. Networks. “The performances of Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli have been powerful and compelling, and we can’t wait to see what the show’s brilliant creative team has in store for Angelo’s next chapter.” 

    Zelman and Kessler executive produce with Dempsey, Arthur Sarkissian, Martin Campbell and Peter Bouckaert of Eyeworks.

    Stay up to date with all the network renewals, cancellations and new series orders with THR’s broadcast scorecard.