AP National Entertainment News

By GARY GERARD HAMILTON Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Leon Thomas is such a believer of speaking dreams into existence that the artist-producer has been patiently awaiting — yet expecting — his current moment of musical appreciation. “I feel like this is like a 20-year-long, overnight success, and I’m really enjoying just the process.

NEW YORK (AP) — E.l.f. Beauty has acquired Hailey Bieber’s Rhode skincare brand in a $1 billion deal, the companies said. Bieber’s Rhode had $212 million in net sales in the 12 months that ended March 31. The company’s products are only available online, but by the end of this year it plans to begin

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The special Tony Award that honors educators is going to a New York public high school teacher who shows how theater skills can apply to a career in the arts — and also far away from it. “My platform is career focused,” says Gary Edwin

By HILARY FOX Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Being a leading man? Matthew Goode quite likes it. He’s the star of “Dept. Q,” based on the books by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen and set in the cold case division of an Edinburgh police station. From “The Queen’s Gambit” showrunner Scott Frank, the nine-part miniseries launches

By HOLLY MEYER and JESSIE WARDARSKI Associated Press BREMEN, Ga. (AP) — “The Sacred Harp” hymnal is beloved by those who sing from it, carrying on the Christian songbook’s more than 180-year-old legacy. They are young and old — and all ages in between. Some have been singing from the hymnal all their lives, just

By HOLLY MEYER Associated Press BREMEN, Ga. (AP) — “The Sacred Harp” is a pre-Civil War compilation of sacred songs that uses music notes shaped like triangles, ovals, squares and diamonds, and it is getting an update. Sung in four-part harmony, “The Sacred Harp” is central to its more than 180-year-old American folk a cappella

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI and CHINEDU ASADU Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — In a bookstore in Kenya’s capital, the proprietor arranged a shelf exclusively carrying books by Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, who died Wednesday in the United States. Bennet Mbata, who has sold African literature at the Nuria Bookstore for more than 30 years

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian comedian and actor Magda Szubanski, best known for roles in the television sitcom “Kath and Kim” and the movie “Babe,” announced on Thursday she had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer. The 64-year-old Melbourne resident posted on social media that

By HALLIE GOLDEN Associated Press Louisiana rap artist NBA YoungBoy, who was sentenced to just under two years in prison on gun-related charges, was pardoned by President Donald Trump on Wednesday. The rapper is among a number of high-profile people Trump pardoned this week, including a former New York congressman, a labor union leader and

WASHINGTON (AP) — Reality TV stars Julie and Todd Chrisley, who were in prison after being convicted on federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion, were pardoned by President Donald Trump and walked free Wednesday. The couple is best known for the long-running TV series “Chrisley Knows Best,” which followed their family and luxurious

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia’s mayor honored actor and producer Quinta Brunson with a key to the city Wednesday in a ceremony dedicating a separate mural at Brunson’s alma mater, which was the inspiration for her show “Abbott Elementary.” The producer, writer and comedian gazed at the shiny key handed to her by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, the revered Kenyan man of letters and voice of dissent who in dozens of fiction and nonfiction books traced his country’s history from British imperialism to home-ruled tyranny and challenged not only the stories told but the language used to tell them,

By DAVE COLLINS Associated Press A former WWE executive who had been fighting sexual abuse allegations in a lawsuit by an ex-employee has agreed to a confidential settlement and will now help the accuser as she continues suing the company and former leader Vince McMahon, representatives and lawyers said Wednesday. John Laurinaitis, WWE’s former head

By MARIA SHERMAN Associated Press Casandra Ventura, the R&B singer and actor known simply as Cassie, has welcomed her third child, a son. The news arrived Wednesday in the midst of the ongoing Sean “Diddy” Combs sex trafficking trial, at which Cassie is an essential witness. She finished testifying earlier this month while visibly pregnant

By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer A stunt performer has sued Kevin Costner, alleging she was subjected to an unscripted rape scene without proper warning, consent or protocols while shooting his film “Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 2.” Devyn LaBella filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. It names Costner — the director,

By STEPHEN SMITH and RUSS BYNUM Associated Press PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump signed pardons Wednesday for reality TV stars Julie and Todd Chrisley, who were serving federal prison sentences after being convicted three years ago of bank fraud and tax evasion. The pardons paved the way for the couple, best known for

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The beloved cartoon duo Phineas and Ferb are returning for new episodes this summer after a decade away and pretty much nothing has changed. Except maybe one thing. “The more observant of you will notice Phineas’ shirt has one extra stripe,” says co-creator Jeff “Swampy”

By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer CANNES, France (AP) — When Michael Cera was announced as joining the cast of a Wes Anderson movie for the first time, the prevailing response was: Hadn’t he already been in a Wes Anderson movie? So seemingly aligned in sensibility and style are Cera and Anderson that you could

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The singer Cassie was content celebrating her 29th birthday with drinks, drugs and karaoke with friends, but her boyfriend, Sean “Diddy” Combs, had a different idea. The hip-hop mogul insisted on taking Cassie, his R&B protégé, to a Los Angeles hotel for

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Sen. Cory Booker has expanded upon his historic Senate floor speech from last month into an upcoming book. “Stand” will be published Nov. 11, St. Martin’s Press announced Wednesday. In April, the New Jersey Democrat made headlines by delivering the country’s longest continuous Senate floor

By The Associated Press Guitarist and singer Rick Derringer, who shot to fame at 17 when his band The McCoys recorded “Hang On Sloopy,” had a hit with “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” and earned a Grammy Award for producing “Weird Al ” Yankovic’s debut album, has died. He was 77. Derringer died Monday in

By WILL WEISSERT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he’s planning to pardon TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, famous for “Chrisley Knows Best,” a reality show that followed their tight-knit family and extravagant lifestyle that prosecutors said was boosted by bank fraud and hiding earnings from tax authorities. The

By JOHN WAWROW AP Sports Writer ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — If Josh Allen is experiencing any pre-wedding jitters, they weren’t evident when the Buffalo Bills opened voluntary practices on Tuesday. The quarterback, who is engaged to actor and singer Hailee Steinfeld, looked his usual, outgoing self. He danced in the huddle to the music

By BEN NUCKOLS Associated Press OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Rudveep Randhawa’s three kids competed in eight consecutive Scripps National Spelling Bees from 2016 to 2024, with four appearances by daughter Aisha and two each by daughter Lara and son Avi. Yet when Avi’s spelling journey concluded in last year’s semifinals, Randhawa, a pediatric endocrinologist

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A former top aide to Sean “Diddy” Combs testified Tuesday that the hip-hop mogul threatened to kill her during her first day on the job and waved a gun as he kidnapped her years later in an angry rush to find and

By MICHELLE GUMEDE Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Presley Chweneyagae, the South African actor who gained international recognition for his leading role in the 2005 film “Tsotsi”, which won South Africa’s first ever Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, has died. He was 40 years old. His talent agency MLA on Tuesday confirmed Chweneyagae’s