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Drake says ‘I feel disgusted’ by allegations, as enmity between rap superstars deepens following weekend flurry of diss tracksDrake has denied allegations of child sex offences and of him harbouring a secret child, both levelled at him by Kendrick Lamar in recent days.The enmity between the rap superstars has escalated over a series of diss tracks in the past few weeks, culminating in a...

The writer of The New York Trilogy, Leviathan and 4 3 2 1 – known for his stylised postmodernist fiction – has died from complications of lung cancerPaul Auster, the author of 34 books including the acclaimed New York Trilogy, has died aged 77.The author died on Tuesday due to complications from lung cancer, his friend and fellow author Jacki Lyden confirmed to the...

Euphoria is the latest in the hip-hop heavyweights’ fight via songs, which has now drawn in some of the biggest names in rapKendrick Lamar has released a new diss track against Drake titled Euphoria – the latest in a long-running feud between the two hip-hop heavyweights which was reignited earlier this year and has since ballooned into a “civil war” among rap’s upper echelons.The...

Cher finally recognised 60 years after her first recordings, while Mary J Blige, Peter Frampton and Dave Matthews Band are among the other inducteesCher, Ozzy Osbourne, Mary J Blige and A Tribe Called Quest are among the stars to be added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year – many of them rather overdue.Artists can be added to the US institution...

Actors Rei Hance, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams – who improvised most of horror film’s dialogue – claim they didn’t have proper union representation in 1999 and seek residualsThe stars of The Blair Witch Project have called for more compensation for their work in the original film, as well as “meaningful consultation” on any reboots and sequels, after it was announced that the horror...

Climbable sculpture in Hudson Yards in Manhattan closed in 2021 after four people died by suicideThe Vessel, the huge climbable centerpiece of New York’s upmarket Hudson Yards development that saw a number of suicides, is set to reopen later this year with new safety features, according to developers.The 150ft sculpture, designed by Thomas Heatherwick and built at a cost of $260m, was closed three...

Tributes paid to music producer who helped write TLC’s Waterfalls and worked on albums by OutKast and CeeLo GreenRico Wade, one of the architects of Atlanta’s “dirty south” hip-hop sound, who co-produced albums by OutKast, Goodie Mob and CeeLo Green and who co-wrote TLC’s 1994 hit Waterfalls, has died. He was 52.Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens paid tribute to Wade, saying he had “led in...

Despite his lack of faith, the author believes ‘something happened that was not supposed to happen’ on the day he was attackedSalman Rushdie has revealed an abiding sense that his survival after a brutal knife attack two years ago was a miracle, in spite of his lack of spiritual faith. “I do feel that something happened that was not supposed to happen and I...

Star Wars actor says he believes actors should be free to ‘do anything you want to do’, in a discussion about Laurence Olivier’s performance in OthelloBilly Dee Williams has said that actors should be able to perform in blackface, with the Star Wars actor revealing that he believes, “If you’re an actor, you should do anything you want to do”.Speaking to Bill Maher on...

The 88-year-old director says he is ‘on the fence’ about making another film due to the work needed to get distribution and financial backingWoody Allen has once again hinted at his retirement from film-making, saying that he is “on the fence” about making another film after the US release of his latest, Coup de Chance.In an interview with Air Mail, the 88-year-old director was...

The author of Giles Goat-Boy and The Sot-Weed Factor was part of a wave of writers in the 1960s who challenged standards of language and plotJohn Barth, the playfully erudite author whose darkly comic and complicated novels revolved around the art of literature and launched countless debates over the art of fiction, has died aged 93.Johns Hopkins University, where Barth was an emeritus professor...

Federal investigation comes amid multiple lawsuits including singer Cassie accusing him of rape and physical abuseThe rapper and mogul Sean Combs is facing mounting legal troubles after federal agents searched his properties in Los Angeles and Miami as part of a sex-trafficking investigation.On Monday morning, US Department of Homeland Security agents in tactical gear and armored vehicles raided two of Combs’ mansions as part...

Character actor, who appeared in more than 220 roles across seven decades, died in Vermont on TuesdayM Emmet Walsh, the character actor who appeared in more than 220 film and television roles including Blade Runner, Knives Out and the Coen brothers’ films Blood Simple and Raising Arizona, has died aged 88.Walsh’s manager, Sandy Joseph, confirmed to the industry publication Variety that he had died...

Singer was praised for earlier allowing distribution of Plan B at her shows, but is now stepping back citing the presence of childrenOlivia Rodrigo has reportedly stepped in to halt the distribution of free contraceptives and the morning-after pill at her concerts, days after the American singer was praised for encouraging young people to take responsibility for their sexual health.According to abortion organizations cited...

Actor’s lawyers call the charge ‘an abuse of the system’ and accuse prosecutors of ‘violating nearly every rule in the book’ ahead of July trialAlec Baldwin’s lawyers have asked a judge to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor, accusing prosecutors of “violating nearly every rule in the book” in acquiring the indictment.Among the claims, it is alleged the state prosecutors violated court...

From Billie to Barbie and Pacino to the pins, here’s where to get up to speed with the winners, the losers, the talking points and the dud momentsJust want to know who won? Here’s our list of winners and all those nominated, or you can relive every minute of the ceremony in our live blog. Continue reading...

The hugely successful beach-set drama is returning to television after an underwhelming response to 2017 movieA reboot of the highly successful drama Baywatch is heading to television.The original series became one of the most watched shows in the world running for 11 seasons in the late 80s and 90s. The new version will again follow a group of Los Angeles county lifeguards as they...

Fashion personality who found fame in her 80s went from copywriter at Women’s Wear Daily to design authority whose projects included the White HouseIris Apfel – a life in picturesIris Apfel, the interior designer and fashion tastemaker who found fame as an octogenarian, has died aged 102.Apfel’s agent, Lori Sale, confirmed her death on Friday, and said “working alongside her was the honour of...

Allegations, which rapper and mogul denies, is the latest in a series of lawsuits accusing him of sexual assaultSean Combs, the rapper and mogul known as Diddy, was sued Monday by a music producer who accused the hip-hop mogul of sexually assaulting him and forcing him to have sex with prostitutes.The suit, filed in federal court in New York, accuses Combs of repeated instances...

Christopher Nolan’s historical epic picked up three major acting awards while The Bear and Succession shared the big TV winsChristopher Nolan’s hit biopic Oppenheimer has dominated this year’s Screen Actors Guild awards.The cast of the biographical epic won for best ensemble, ahead of Barbie and Killers of the Flower Moon. Cillian Murphy picked up male actor in a leading role, which was also contested...

Rapper and mogul disputes ‘genuineness’ of alleged photo of him with plaintiff, and complains over timing of lawsuitSean Combs, the rapper and mogul known as Diddy, has filed a defence against allegations that he and two others sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl at a recording studio in 2003.New paperwork filed on Tuesday, reported by Rolling Stone, wholly denied the allegations from the unnamed plaintiff,...

New conservatorship is being proposed for the musician, following the death of his wife Melinda in January, according to court documentsIt has been announced that the Beach Boys co-founder and musical mastermind Brian Wilson has dementia, as his family move to appoint new conservators to help him following the death of his wife.A statement on Wilson’s website reads: “Following the passing of Brian’s beloved...

Oklahoma’s KYKC initially refused to play the song, but later added it to its rotation after saying it had not been aware of the star’s new singleA country music radio station in the US that initially refused to play a listener’s Beyoncé request has now added the artist’s new tracks to rotation after an online firestorm.On Tuesday, a Beyoncé fan contacted the station to...

Announcing her untitled book, set to be published in 2025, Emma Heming Willis recalls having ‘close to no resources or support’ after her husband’s diagnosisBruce Willis’ wife Emma Heming Willis is set to publish a book about her experience as a caregiver to her husband after he was disagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.The untitled book, which will be published in 2025 by Maria Shriver’s publishing...