Celebrity News category, Page 3
Defense concedes Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs had violent outbursts, but say no federal crimes occurred
NEW YORK — The public knew Sean “Diddy” Combs as a larger-than-life cultural icon and business mogul, but in private he used violence and threats to coerce women into drug-fueled sexual encounters that he recorded, a prosecutor said Monday in opening statements at Combs’ sex trafficking trial. “This is Sean...
3 Doors Down singer Brad Arnold reveals Stage 4 cancer diagnosis
3 Doors Down singer Brad Arnold announced he was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer in a video posted on the band’s social media accounts on Wednesday. “Hey, everybody, it’s Brad from 3 Doors Down. I hope you’re having a great day today,” the “Kryptonite” singer said in the video....
Smokey Robinson accused by former housekeepers of sexual assault and rape
LOS ANGELES — Four former housekeepers of Smokey Robinson allege in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that the Motown music luminary repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped them while they worked for him. The suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court seeks at least $50 million in damages over the alleged assaults,...
Met Gala pays tribute to Black fashion, designers and includes Rihanna pregnancy surprise
NEW YORK — A rainy Met Gala on Monday included a Rihanna pregnancy announcement, a tuxedoed choir and a trend true to the menswear theme: Emma Chamberlain, Zendaya, Teyana Taylor and many other women in pinstripes and other traditional men’s detailing. Chamberlain and Zuri Hall were among those who wore...
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs rejects plea deal in sex trafficking trial
LOS ANGELES — Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has rejected a plea deal in his upcoming trial on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. At a Thursday hearing, Judge Arun Subramanian asked Combs whether he rejected the plea deal from federal prosecutors that could have shortened his...
Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter known for ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ dies in a fire
Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing first attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song “I Kissed a Girl,” died in a house fire Thursday. She was 66. Her death was confirmed by her publicist, David Elkin, in an email Thursday afternoon. It was not immediately clear...
Sheryl Crow says she was frightened by armed man on her property after she dumped her Tesla
In February, singer Sheryl Crow celebrated Valentine’s Day by dumping her Tesla in a video she posted to Instagram. Soon after, a man with a gun showed up on her Nashville property. But Crow told Variety in an interview published Wednesday she has no problem voicing her left-leaning beliefs in...
Trial begins in Paris over 2016 jewel heist aimed at Kim Kardashian
PARIS — A trial began Monday in Paris over the 2016 heist in which armed robbers tied up Kim Kardashian in her bedroom and stole millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry during Fashion Week. The robbery was considered the biggest heist targeting an individual that Paris had seen in decades....
Chicago Bears great Steve McMichael dies at 67 after battle with ALS
CHICAGO — Steve McMichael, a star defensive tackle on the Chicago Bears’ famed 1985 Super Bowl championship team whose larger-than-life personality made him a fixture in the Windy City for decades and a natural for professional wrestling, has died following a battle with ALS. He was 67. McMichael died Wednesday...
Ex-NFL player Shannon Sharpe accused of rape in $50 million civil lawsuit
LAS VEGAS — A young woman who says she was raped and threatened by retired NFL player Shannon Sharpe during a “rocky consensual relationship” has filed a civil lawsuit against him seeking $50 million in damages. Attorneys filed the lawsuit Sunday in Clark County, Nevada, for a woman listed in...
Actor Michelle Trachtenberg died of complications from diabetes, says NYC medical examiner
NEW YORK — Actor Michelle Trachtenberg died as a result of complications from diabetes, New York City’s medical examiner said Wednesday. The office said in a statement that it amended the cause and manner of death for the 39-year-old New York City native following a review of laboratory test results....
Records show Gene Hackman’s wife researched symptoms of illness days before her death
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Authorities on Tuesday released a lengthy investigation report detailing some of the last emails, phone calls and internet searches by Gene Hackman’s wife in the days before her death, indicating that she was scouring for information on flu-like symptoms and breathing techniques. Betsy Arakawa died in February...
Kim Kardashian will testify in a trial over a 2016 robbery that targeted her in Paris
PARIS — Kim Kardashian will testify in person at an upcoming trial over a 2016 heist in Paris in which armed robbers allegedly tied her up and locked her in a bathroom while they stole millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry, her lawyer said Tuesday. Ten suspects accused of armed...
Jury begins in Harvey Weinstein’s retrial, a year after court overturned landmark #MeToo verdict
NEW YORK — The last time a New York City jury sat in judgment of Harvey Weinstein, the ex-movie studio boss was convicted of rape and sentenced to 23 years in prison. Five years later, that landmark #MeToo verdict is gone — wiped away on appeal — and Weinstein is...
Surprise Kevin Spacey appearance at Steel City Con draws social media ire
Many Western Pennsylvania comic enthusiasts reacted with disappointment to Steel City Con’s last-minute announcement that controversial actor Kevin Spacey would attend this past weekend’s event. CJ Gatsby, a loyal customer of Steel City Con, said he waffled on whether to attend this past weekend, but the Spacey announcement solidified it...
CBS host Gayle King criticized for quoting gay slur in interview
After a wild moment on air, long-time CBS anchor Gayle King is under fire from fans. On an April 3 episode of “CBS Mornings,” Matteo Lane, an openly gay comedian, appeared on the show. During the segment with King, the host repeated a joke from Lane’s comedy routine. “Let’s talk...
‘Narcos: Mexico’ actor Manuel Masalva in coma after bacterial infection
Actor Manuel Masalva, known for his work in Netflix’s “Narcos: Mexico,” is hospitalized in a medically induced coma in Dubai after contracting a highly infectious bacteria while vacationing. Manager Jaime Jaramillo Espinosa confirmed to the Los Angeles Times the 43-year-old had been in the Philippines but arrived in the United...
Jay North, TV’s mischievous Dennis the Menace, dies at 73
LAKE BUTLER, Fla. — Jay North, who starred as the towheaded mischief maker on TV’s “Dennis the Menace” for four seasons starting in 1959, has died. He was 73. North died Sunday at his home in Lake Butler, Florida, after battling colon cancer, said Laurie Jacobson, a longtime friend, and...
British police charge comedian Russell Brand with rape and sexual assault
LONDON — British police on Friday charged Russell Brand with rape and sexual assault following an 18-month investigation sparked when four women alleged they had been assaulted by the controversial comedian. London’s Metropolitan Police force said Brand, 50, faces one count of rape, one of indecent assault, one of oral...
Will Ferrell makes stop at Pittsburgh’s Alla Famiglia
Actor Will Ferrell tasted some of Pittsburgh’s Italian heritage this week when he visited Alla Famiglia restaurant. Restaurant officials said Ferrell visited the Allentown restaurant Tuesday and posed for a photo afterward. “We were honored to host Will Ferrell for an unforgettable meal,” owner Jonathan Vlasic said in a statement....
GQ shows off baseball’s power couple: Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne
The same day a GQ magazine profile is published, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes led his team to its second win of the season. Coincidence? If Skenes has any say in it, he will propel the team to the post-season, he told GQ. Then, he will get to once again...
Val Kilmer, ‘Top Gun’ and Batman star with an intense approach, dies at 65
LOS ANGELES — Val Kilmer, the brooding, versatile actor who played fan favorite Iceman in “Top Gun,” donned a voluminous cape as Batman in “Batman Forever” and portrayed Jim Morrison in “The Doors,” has died. He was 65. Kilmer died Tuesday night in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends,...
Comic Amber Ruffin cut from White House correspondents’ event after angering Trump team
When comic Amber Ruffin was announced as the featured entertainer at this year’s White House Correspondents Association dinner, the group’s president said she’d be “roasting the most powerful people on all sides of the aisle and the journalists who cover them.” But after Ruffin referred to the Trump administration as...
Judge blocks release of public records that show the bodies of Gene Hackman, wife
SANTA FE, N.M. — A court on Monday blocked the release of any public records that show the bodies of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, but said other images and documents can be disclosed. A representative for the Hackman family estate had urged a New Mexico judge to...
The woman who killed Tejano music icon Selena in 1995 has been denied parole
HOUSTON — The woman convicted of killing Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla-Perez has been denied parole after spending decades behind bars for fatally shooting the young singer at a Texas motel in 1995, the state’s parole board announced Thursday. Yolanda Saldívar is serving a life sentence at the Patrick L....

