Category: 5. Entertainment

Raekwon took to Instagram Live recently to address rumors that Nas was dissing Jim Jones in an alternate verse from their new song “The Omerta” from the Wu-Tang legend’s latest album The Emperor’s New Clothes that surfaced online.

“Nas did not write that verse for Jim. That was a stray shot Jim got hit with,” The Chef told fans on IG Live. “Y’all made it seem like that was for Jim. Nas wasn’t dissing Jim. He wasn’t dissing him. And the reason why he changed it? Because he knew that at the end of the day, ‘Damn, Chef I gave you this verse months ago, and now all this sh—t is popping up.’”

He then revealed that the Queensbridge rapper decided to switch up his verse last minute because he wanted to avoid this very conversation.

“When I’m getting ready to drop my album,” he began to explain. “Nas hits me and says, ‘Yo, Chef, I’ma do another verse, my n—a, because I don’t know for some reason I think that this rhyme right here is gonna make n—as feel like I’m dissin’ Jim and I’m not. This rhyme I made way before all this sh—t ever came.’”

He added that he would never put a diss song on one of his albums about a person that he’s cool with. “And this is real sh—t, I don’t have to lie to ya n—as, man. I promise ya n—as, he wasn’t dissing Jim,” he again reiterated. “This ain’t no diss record. And if it was a diss record, why would he put it on my record? ‘Cause guess what? I f—k with Jim. He know I f—k with Jim.”

The leaked verse in question is somewhat similar to the verse that eventually made the cut aside from the lines below where Nas addresses his haters: “Got smoke with me? Beef with yourself/ I be chiefin’ too hard to notice every week it’s somebody else/ Soon as my name’s mentioned lames are offended/ If words hurt you, it wasn’t intended/ But when it comes to my words if I said it I meant it/ If the shoe fits, this one is for you b—tch/ You got me confused with your fabricated false form of delusion/ You’re dusty, need to be b—tch-smacked, face under stomped feet on concrete.”

The Jim Jones versus Nas discussion began when a clip of a 22-year-old college student from New Jersey stated on a podcast that he was influenced more by Jim Jones than by Nas. Jones then predictably defended himself on the Joe and Jada podcast.

“When it came to dressin’, the wordplay, the music, everything,” he said. “I was a superior Nas fan, period. I’ll never take that away from him.  But then, as I got in the game, you gotta realize, your idols become rivals. Not to take away anything from that. I developed my own style and my own lane that these kids started to gravitate towards to, the same way I gravitated towards Nas when I younger.”

He also told Angie Martinez that he didn’t realize defending himself would make everybody so upset and underestimated Nas’ standing within the rap community.

“Man, I didn’t know how many people loved Nas, though,” he admitted. “I’m watching people go absolutely batsh–t crazy, like goddamn. But that’s hip-hop. There’s people that I adored as a fan too that I’ll probably go batsh–t crazy for in the same situation, I love it, that’s what the game was built on. Let’s not make no mistake, I put in a lot of work and I did a lot of incredible things that a lot of people have not gotten to do in this industry.”

Erik Menendez remains in fair condition Tuesday after he was transported from prison to a hospital about a month before a high-stakes parole hearing, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

In a statement, the department did not include details about the health issue, but said Erik Menendez, 54, was transported last week from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego to the hospital

“Erik Menendez was transported to an outside medical facility on July 18,” the department said in a statement to NBCLA. “While medical privacy laws restrict us from providing more details, he remains there in fair condition.”

Family members confirmed to NBC News that Menendez was hospitalized with a “serious medical condition.”

TMZ, citing sources with direct knowledge, reported that he is at a hospital nearby the prison and being treated for kidney stones.

Although painful, prompt treatment for kidney stones usually helps prevent lasting damage. Stones often form when urine has less water content and minerals form crystals that stick together. Treatment may only require pain medication and drinking water to help pass the stones through the urinary tract. Surgery and other treatments might be needed in some cases, depending on the size, location and type of stone.

Attorney Mark Geragos told TMZ he is requesting Erik Menendez’s immediate release from prison due to the health condition.

“He is being treated, right now,” Geragos told TMZ. “I’m calling the governor. He’s done this in the past in the Covid and post-Covid era. I would ask that he furlough Erik in advance of the (parole) hearing.”

Erik and brother Lyle were convicted in the shotgun murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at the family’s Beverly Hills home in 1989.

The show creator had lunch with Newsom before the show came out, saying he’s making a series about the Menendez brothers.

In May, a judge reduced the brothers’ life sentences without parole to 50 years to life in response to a resentencing petition, making them eligible for parole. They will appear before the state parole board in August.

Defense attorneys have argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father. Prosecutors claim the brothers killed their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance.

In another recent development, a judge earlier this month ordered Los Angeles prosecutors to explain why the murder convictions should not be re-examined in light of new evidence supporting their claims of sexual abuse by their father. The July 7 order by LA County Superior Court Judge William Ryan was in response to a habeas corpus petition filed by the Menendez brothers in May 2023 seeking a review of their 1996 convictions for the killings of their parents based on new evidence.

The brothers’ first trials resulted in hung juries. At the second trial, the judge excluded a substantial amount of evidence, including testimony from several family members who witnessed or heard about the abuse.

The case for resentencing gained traction late last year when Los Angeles County’s top prosecutor George Gascón said he would support the move. Gascón was defeated in the November election by Nathan Hochman, who has opposed resentencing.

Stephen Colbert shared a pointed message for President Trump days after the latter rejoiced on social media that “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired.”

“Go f— yourself,” the late-night veteran said Monday during his opening monologue. Monday’s episode was Colbert’s first time behind the desk after he announced last week that CBS had decided to cancel “The Late Show,” bringing the franchise to an end after more than 30 years.

The network’s stunning decision — apparently “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” — was met with disappointment and shock from Colbert’s loyal viewers, concern from his late-night cohorts and delight from his critics, notably President Trump. On his Truth Social app, Trump wrote that Colbert’s “talent was even less than his ratings” and took an additional swipe at Jimmy Kimmel, who he claimed “has even less talent than Colbert.”

Earlier in his monologue, Colbert, 61, told his in-studio audience and viewers that until the “Late Show” goes dark in May, the gloves are officially off and “he can finally speak unvarnished truth to power and say what I really think about Donald Trump.” Colbert, who took over the “Late Show” from original host David Letterman in 2015, has long been critical of Trump, even before the former reality TV star and businessman took office. Since becoming president, Trump has given Colbert and his late-night cohorts plenty of material to work with.

In recent weeks, Colbert chided his own bosses for their decision to cave to Trump by settling the president’s lawsuit over “60 Minutes” edits, a case that most 1st Amendment experts called frivolous. Paramount agreed to pay $16 million, with most of that going to Trump’s future presidential library.

Though Colbert kept things mostly light in his monologue, he questioned CBS’ justification for canceling his show. “How could it be a ‘purely financial decision’ if ‘The Late Show’ is number one in ratings? It’s confusing,” he said, echoing concerns that fans have also voiced on social media. He continued his segment, citing reports that specified the alleged losses were somewhere between $40 million and $50 million.

“$40 million’s a big number. I could see us losing $24 million, but where would Paramount have possibly spent the other $16 million — oh yeah,” he said, alluding to the settlement.

Mulling on Trump’s diss on Truth Social, Colbert joked about the president’s desire to see Kimmel’s program go dark: “I’m the martyr. There’s only room for one on this cross and I gotta tell you the view is fantastic up here.”

Amid the cancellation news, Colbert has found support in his fellow late-night peers including “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart (“The Daily Show” airs on Comedy Central, also owned by Paramount) and “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver, among others. On Monday, the late-night personalities took their support to the Ed Sullivan Theater, which Colbert has called home for the majority of the past decade.

In a segment spoofing that viral kiss-cam fiasco at a recent Coldplay concert, guests Lin Manuel-Miranda and “Weird Al” Yankovic perform a version of “Viva La Vida,” and the camera pans to the audience where Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Stewart and Oliver are spotted in the crowd. The hush-hush pair exposed by the kiss-cam? An animated Trump lovingly cuddling the Paramount logo.

Though Letterman didn’t return to his old stomping grounds to join the other late-night stars on Monday, his YouTube account shared a 20-minute compilation of him throwing shade at CBS throughout his “Late Show” tenure. “You can’t spell CBS without BS,” says the description for the video.

Over on Comedy Central on Monday, Stewart dedicated a portion of his latest episode to discuss the “Late Show” cancellation. Stewart reminded audiences that he and Colbert were both “Daily Show” alumni, recalled watching his colleague “exceed all expectations in the role” over the years and skewered CBS for “killing a show you know wrinkled a fragile and vengeful president.” Stewart ended his opening segment dancing and singing along with a choir to a familiar phrase.

“If you’re afraid and you protect your bottom line, I’ve got but one thing to say. Just one little phrase: ‘Go f— yourself.’”

Amid the uncertainty at Paramount, Stewart contemplated the future of the “Daily Show” in a podcast interview published before the “Late Show” cancellation. Speaking to the “Weekly Show” podcast, Stewart said he had not gotten any word about his series getting the ax.

“They haven’t called me and said like, ‘Don’t get too comfortable in that office, Stewart!’” he said, adding, “I’ve been kicked out of [more] s— establishments than that. We’ll land on our feet.”

This week “The Daily Show” will push forward with former writer and current on-air correspondent Josh Johnson set to make his anchoring debut, starting Tuesday through Thursday. He joins a host rotation that also includes “Daily Show” personalities Ronny Chieng, Jordan Klepper, Michael Kosta and Desi Lydic.

Times staff writer Meg James contributed to this report.

In Tenerife, Palmer learns he is wanted by the police. Cooper and Parry’s plan to move cash across Europe is a success. Noye’s murder trial comes to a dramatic conclusion.

The critically acclaimed crime drama, The Gold, features a star-studded cast including Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington in Peru), Jack Lowden (Slow Horses), Dominic Cooper (The Devil’s Double), Charlotte Spencer (The Duke), Emun Elliott (Guilt), Tom Cullen (Becoming Elizabeth), Stefanie Martini (The Last Kingdom) and Amanda Drew (Ellis).

Palmer is finally caught after attempting to escape to Brazil. The police learn that Cooper and Parry have been laundering the Brink’s-Mat millions. Cooper is arrested but Parry escapes.

The critically acclaimed crime drama, The Gold, features a star-studded cast including Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington in Peru), Jack Lowden (Slow Horses), Dominic Cooper (The Devil’s Double), Charlotte Spencer (The Duke), Emun Elliott (Guilt), Tom Cullen (Becoming Elizabeth), Stefanie Martini (The Last Kingdom) and Amanda Drew (Ellis).

Tragedy strikes in Saint-Fiacre, shocking Maigret to the core. Maigret begins to peel back the deceit and corruption that ruined Sophie’s life. He enlists her son Maurice to expose the villains who have plundered the Saint-Fiacre estate for years. Back in Paris, Maigret’s conversations with the killer have unintended and terrifying consequences, and it’s Madame Maigret who is most at risk.

Benjamin Wainwright (Belgravia: The Next Chapter, Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim) and Stefanie Martini (The Gold, Last Kingdom, Emerald City) star in the first contemporary television adaptation of Georges Simenon’s beloved novels about the streetwise Parisian Chief Inspector Jules Maigret.

The pressure to unravel the mystery surrounding Sir Peter’s death intensifies. Meanwhile, Judith’s intrigue about a set of coded crossword puzzles sends her on a journey that could very well give her the inspiration and tools to unravel the whole mystery. But Judith, Becks and Suzie will have to act fast, because as relationships within the Bailey family worsen, Sir Peter might not be the only target.

This all-new adaptation of Robert Thorogood’s novel The Marlow Murder Club stars Samantha Bond (Downton Abbey, Home Fires) as Judith Potts, who is joined by Jo Martin (Doctor Who, Back to Life) as Suzie Harris, Cara Horgan (The Sandman, Traitors) as Becks Starling and Natalie Dew (Sandylands, The Capture) as DS Tanika Malik.

The task force set up surveillance on Noye and are led to Palmer and more of the suspects. A police raid ends in tragedy in Noye’s garden.

The critically acclaimed crime drama, The Gold, features a star-studded cast including Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington in Peru), Jack Lowden (Slow Horses), Dominic Cooper (The Devil’s Double), Charlotte Spencer (The Duke), Emun Elliott (Guilt), Tom Cullen (Becoming Elizabeth), Stefanie Martini (The Last Kingdom) and Amanda Drew (Ellis).

As the story of the Coldplay kiss-cam couple ducks out of camera range and into history, and we ride that dead horse into the sunset, let us take a moment to examine what the internet hath wrought.

First off, singer Chris Martin may have added a new riff to his concert script, post-kerfuffle, warning people at Saturday’s Coldplay show in Wisconsin about the kiss-cam to come. Or has he?

Folks on Reddit who seem to know many things say no, he definitely has not. The “fan cam” — turns out it’s not a kiss-cam at all, go figure — is a gimmick the band has been using for quite a while. Martin picks out some people in the crowd and spins up a little original song about them.

“[T]hey’ve been doing this at their concerts for yearrrrrrrrrs. First time this has really happened,” one Redditor said.

“We’d like to say hello to some of you in the crowd. How we’re gonna do that is we’re gonna use our cameras and put some of you on the big screen,” Martin said Saturday, as seen in video taken at the show, which some may notice is followed by comments from many media outlets requesting permission to post the video. “So please, if you haven’t done your makeup,” Martin continued, “do your makeup now.”

Sounds like a fairly anodyne introduction that could easily be followed by, “Oh, look at these two. All right, c’mon. You’re OK. Oh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” But hey, that’s been done, amirite?

Grace Springer, the concert-goer who posted the video of the alleged cheaters in the first place, reassured viewers of a U.K. morning show that her TikTok was “not monetized,” so she made exactly zero dollars from kicking off the dust-up.

Then again, Springer is the same person who said, “A part of me feels bad for turning these people’s lives upside down, but, play stupid games … win stupid prizes,” so it would have been kinda perfect if she got rich off the viral moment.

She also revealed on “This Morning” that the moment almost didn’t happen, because she didn’t think much of the video when she shot it, she said.

“It wasn’t until after the concert, where I was debriefing with my friends and I said, ‘Let’s review the footage, let’s see if it really looks that bad.’ And I think it does,” Springer explained. So of course, she had to post it. Because of course, she did.

Clearly, her friends should bear some of the blame. Someone get on that.

Now, over at the Free Press, writer Kat Rosenfield had thoughts about all of this bad behavior.

“It was a full-bore public shaming, imbued with an unhinged and vicious glee that we hadn’t experienced since, well, the last time millions of strangers rallied to the cause of destroying someone’s life — but magnified by the fact that everything and everyone involved was a standard menu item at the Things You Love to Hate buffet,” she wrote. “Adultery. CEOs. HR representatives. Rich people with linen shirts and expensive highlights. Coldplay, for that matter.”

And she was right. The guy tendered his resignation as chief exec at software development firm Astronomer, and the company announced it was launching an investigation into the situation.

The original function of public shaming, she wrote, was to keep community bonds strong and hold people who would weaken them accountable. But, Rosenfield said, “When we take joy in the distress and ruination of other people, we make monsters of ourselves,” in that the internet has turned public shaming into a gleeful, global spectator sport.

Excellent point. That said, the video really was entertaining. Irresistible, perhaps, if only because the man in question was married and the woman in question was his human resources subordinate who got caught breaking all the rules that are usually laid out by our friends in, well, human resources.

That aside, Astronomer’s interim chief executive, co-founder Pete DeJoy, did take a moment to put things in perspective for the business itself, which was somewhat of a non-player character in this twisted game.

“The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies — let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world — ever encounter,” DeJoy wrote Monday as part of a larger post on LinkedIn. “The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name.”

A household name. We ask again — is it, really? The internet jury remains out on that one.

Also, speaking of human resources, remember Alyssa Stoddard, the senior director of HR that Astronomer felt compelled to announce as NOT at the concert with former chief exec Andy Byron and top HR honcho Kristin Cabot?

That was because numerous stories were written claiming Stoddard was the “other” woman on the kiss-cam/fan-cam/video, the one who was laughing and smiling and looking forward the entire time. Then there were stories saying that the first stories — some of which reportedly said she had been fired? — were mistaken. And it was all somehow blamed on a rumor that started on the social media platform now known by the very silly name X.

“As confirmed, I was not at the Coldplay concert on Wednesday night and I am not the brunette woman in the circulating videos. I am not involved in this,” Stoddard wrote on LinkedIn, sounding like she was neither laughing nor smiling. “Being wrongly identified and then publicly harassed has been unnerving to say the least and incredibly difficult, both personally and professionally.

“I kindly ask that my privacy be respected, and that I be left out of this.”

If only it were that easy, Ms. Stoddard. If only it were that easy.