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Entertainment A judge awarded the money in a tentative ruling expected to become final in 10 days Katy Perry performs at Unipol Arena on November 02, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. Sergione Infuso/Corbis/Getty Images Katy Perry is due to recoup $1.8 million from the price of the $15 million Montecito mansion that plunged her into a headline-grabbing real estate war with 86-year-old Texas millionaire Carl Westcott, who also happens to be the father-in-law of Real Housewives of Dallas cast member Kameron Westcott. A judge signed a proposed order Tuesday that will award Perry the $1.8 million so long as neither party files a viable objection in the next ten days. The money represents the damages Perry suffered when Westcott bailed on their $15 million purchase agreement in 2020, claiming he lacked capacity when he signed it. Westcott sued Perry through her business manager, trying to overturn the sale, but he lost at a bench trial during the first phase of the legal battle. Perry had asked for an award of $4.7 million in damages during phase two of the trial. Westcott argued her damages should be limited to only $260,000. In his proposed ruling, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Lipner found a middle ground. He said Perry deserved $2.8 million for lost rental value while the property was in limbo, and $260,000 for repairs for things like a fallen tree and water damage. But he then deducted $1 million because Perry was able to invest her money elsewhere during the fight, and because Westcott lost interest on that amount. Rolling Stone‘s attempts to reach lawyers on both sides were not immediately successful on Wednesday. The battle over the luxury property started soon after Westcott signed the sales contract with Perry in July 2020. Within weeks, the businessman sought to undo the deal. He, his family, and his lawyers would go on to claim he was suffering from a degenerative brain disease, symptoms of dementia, post-operative delirium, and the effects of heavy painkillers following a lengthy back surgery when he finalized the contract. At the liability trial in 2023, Perry and her lawyers brought in text messages, emails, and witness testimony showing Westcott was alert and cognizant during his sale of the Montecito estate. They showed Westcott was so engaged, he even courted a rival bid from yet another high-profile interested buyer, Maria Shriver, before going with Perry. Though Perry initially faced public backlash over allegations she tried to push an elderly, ailing veteran out of his home against his wishes, the trial revealed that Westcott purchased the coastal estate on May 29, 2020, just six weeks before signing his deal with Perry’s representative, Bernie Gudvi. Lawyers for Gudvi argued that Westcott badgered his broker about when Perry’s initial offer was expected to land, rejected her initial $13.5 million bid, signed a counteroffer for $15 million on July 15, 2020, actively organized Perry’s tour of his property on July 17, 2020, agreed to extend the deadline on his counteroffer when the initial deadline lapsed, and criticized his agent for requesting a five percent commission. In his 2023 ruling siding with Perry and ratifying the deal, the judge noted that Westcott’s own medical expert failed to “offer a cogent explanation” that would allow the court to find Westcott “lacked competence” to sign the sales contract. After Perry prevailed, she placed $9 million in escrow and took control of the property in April 2024, leaving the remaining $6 million of the purchase price unpaid pending the outcome of the damages phase. She alleged the four years she had to wait to take control of the property caused her to lose more than $3 million in fair-market rental income, and that Westcott’s “lack of maintenance” while the litigation was pending caused $2.29 million in necessary repairs to get the property back up to the condition it was in 2020. (The estate includes a main house, a three-bedroom guest house, a one-bedroom pool house, a gym building, a pool, and an equipment building.) In court filings, Perry and her reps alleged the house suffered “pervasive flood damage” in early 2024 and had a large tree fall on a structure, cracking its foundation. Westcott claimed Perry only produced estimates for the repair work, not final contracts or receipts. At the hearing earlier this year, Westcott’s lawyer, Andrew J. Thomas, said that after Perry took control of the house, she rented it to actor Chris Pratt and his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, Shriver’s daughter. He argued the house had to have been in good shape for Perry to attract such high-profile tenants. Perry’s lawyer said the singer wasn’t seeking “reimbursement” for her completed work because she wasn’t obligated to restore the house and ultimately made some changes. He claimed the onus was on Westcott to hand over the house in its purchase agreement condition, and for that reason, the estimates Perry submitted reflected what it would have cost to get the property back to the original condition. Perry has been in the news repeatedly this year. She took an 11-minute trip to sub-orbital space aboard one of billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rockets in April, shortly before news of her split from longtime partner Orlando Bloom surfaced in June. She was later spotted dining out with Justin Trudeau, the former prime minister of Canada. He later popped up at one of her concerts, fueling ongoing speculation that the two are dating. From Rolling Stone US. Read More

Entertainment From AI boyfriends and celebrity engagements, a break down of how 2025 steadily reigned as a culmination of parasocial extremes When it comes to the year that was 2025, it’s hard to find a word that sums it up. Yet, the Cambridge Dictionary did it anyway. Contending against AI-brainrot like “slop,” and “clanker,” Gen Alpha slang like “67”,  and wildcards like “pseudonymization” and “memeify,” this year’s winner was “parasocial.” Translation: that one-sided “relationship” you swear you don’t have with your favorite celebrity, fictional character, or whatever AI you’ve been trauma-dumping on at 2AM. Cambridge notes the term now spans everything from wholesome “crushes” to darker corners like “delusion,” “grief,” and the final boss of manipulation: “marketing.” Coined in 1956 to describe TV viewer attachments, the word slipped into mainstream vocabulary around 2023 and now perfectly captures the 2025 zeitgeist. Because today, parasocial chaos is everywhere. Swiftie devotion and K-pop sasaeng antics blur into extremism, fans chase journalists off the internet for offering critique, people keep marrying AI chatbots, artists like Lily Allen live-blogs heartbreak, and AI therapists disconcertingly listen in on secrets you wouldn’t tell your closest friends. In the loneliness economy, where creators, celebrities, streamers, and even sexualized bots capitalize on intimacy, that false sense of closeness becomes currency. Here are just a few reasons why parasocial ended up defining our collective chaos this year, and let’s just say it’s not pretty.   iShowSpeed’s “No.1 parasocial” Incident. To Darren Watkins: a thread of the girl who truly liked you 🇱🇦💔💌 It’s over now, but you should know Vanessa had feelings for you all along. She never stopped. For months, she dropped hint after hint, hoping you’d notice, but you never did. I’ve gathered them all here for you. pic.twitter.com/1n9KPlgYUk — ۟ (@wynzmanz) June 29, 2025 In one of 2025’s peak parasocial moments, a fan of American streamer iShowSpeed who went by the username @wynzmanz posted an impassioned, near-diary-length thread on X dissecting his relationship with ex-girlfriend Vanessa Anne. (“For months, she dropped hint after hint, hoping you’d notice, but you never did. I’ve gathered them all here for you.”) Declaring themselves Speed’s “No. 1 parasocial,” the user went beyond chronicling their relationship to analyze why the “cracks” formed. Speed promptly blocked them, but not before the thread racked up 11.2 million views, unleashing an onslaught of memes, debates, and a renewed fascination with what parasocial devotion can look like. Taylor Swift’s Engagement Crashout The global pop star’s fairytale engagement with NFL star Travis Kelce went on to take over even the farthest corners of the internet. From global media coverage to fans posting hysterical breakdowns, everyone was beaming with joy about their “close and personal friend,” Mrs. Blondie. The frenzy triggered a spike in searches for “parasocial,” as commentators dissected the moment as a masterclass in stan-culture overidentification: a celebrity milestone transformed into a collective catharsis, complete with entitlement, imagined proximity, and the insistence that her happiness somehow validated their own. Jungkook’s “Girlfriend” Backlash It came as no surprise when an alleged image of Jungkook of BTS and Winter, a member of AESPA, went viral for all the wrong reasons, leading to a Chinese whisper of alleged link-up rumors. On this “supposed” roster, names of women from the Korean entertainment industry, including Lee Yubi and Hyun Shin Ji, were thrown around carelessly. This mere suspicion snowballed into a vitriolic character assassination, with fans not only accusing the maknae of being a womanizer, but also of undergoing plastic surgery to hide his actual age. Since the onslaught of these vicious rumors, the singer’s security was also compromised when a Japanese woman attempted to trespass on his private property. KATSEYE’s EYEKONS Breaking Boundaries KATSEYE’s Manon recently came under fire after old pictures of her smoking resurfaced online. Given the conservative state of Korean stan culture, which places their idols on a pedestal of purity, these images ignited a flurry of discussions. While some dismissed this as unpardonable, other fans were quick to point out that the same claustrophobic rules can’t bind a multinational girl group. KATSEYE has also been vocal about the parasocial undercurrents in their lives, right from dating speculations and secret boyfriends to facing racism, death threats, and online hatred. In an interview with BBC, member Sophia Laforteza candidly opened up about navigating the murky aspects of fame, stating “We have to warn them that the internet and like the whole buzz is a big part of our lives. If it does end up happening and you get clipped, it’s inevitable.”  Dan And Phil Call Out “Phandom” Conspiracies In a 46-minute long video, British YouTubers Dan and Phil finally confirmed their 16-year relationship. Probably the oldest victims of parasocial conspiracy theories surrounding their relationship, the internet personalities have not only been under immense scrutiny, about their sexuality and bond, but also stalked and doxxed to the extent that a fan eerily recreated a replica of their bedroom on Roblox. Everything, from subtle glances to their housing situation was blown completely out of proportion, all in the name of confirming “Phan,” their encompassing ship name that dominated 2010s internet culture. Gently addressing the years of suppressed trauma, the YouTubers acknowledged the impact of toxic fandoms, both on their professional and personal lives, such as pretending to be straight during press interviews, or having their privacy be repeatedly invaded. Billie Eilish’s Fan Manhandling Encounter TikTok user @/ms.gingerale was identified to be the red bandana who confronted the man who forcibly grabbed BILLIE EILISH at her Miami show last night. FINNEAS thanked the user for defending BILLIE in new story. pic.twitter.com/FMvEEaWzSm — FLAMIN’ POP! (@FlaminPop) October 10, 2025 Videos from Billie Eilish’s sold-out Miami leg of her “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” tour went viral for all the wrong reasons. As the singer-songwriter interacted with the audience, a fan aggressively yanked her arm, dragging her towards the crowded barricade. While security personnel promptly jumped in to protect her, a fan in the pit also defended Eilish, who later attacked the perpetrator,

Entertainment Palash Muchhal and Smriti Mandhana’s wedding – which was scheduled for November 24 – has now been postponed. Amid cheating and kissing scandal, Palash’s old viral has resurfaced and revealed…. Smriti Mandhana-Palash Muchhal’s wedding controversy: Filmmaker–composer Palash Muchhal and Indian women’s cricket team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana continue to make headlines for the postponement of their much-awaited wedding, and the multiple social media posts around the popular composer. For the unversed, their wedding was scheduled November 23. But it had to be postponed after Smriti’s father experienced heart attack-like symptoms. He had to be rushed to a hospital in Sangli, her hometown. Entertainment Why is Mary D’Costa trending? Mary D’Costa, a choreographer, has grabbed everyone’s attention amid the ongoing controversy around Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana and fiancé Palash Muchhal. Several screenshots of flirty texts between Palash Muchhal and Mary D’Costa have gone viral on social media and allegedly sparked speculation about the reason for the cancellation of their wedding. Entertainment Palash Muchhal’s Old Video With Natasa Stankovic goes VIRAL Amid the ongoing wedding controversy, an old video of Palash is going viral with Hardik Pandya’s ex-wife Natasa Stankovic. As evident from the clip, Natasa can be seen enjoying her track DJ Waley Babu, which was originally crooned by Badshah. Natasa had appeared in his music video and gained massive popularity. Entertainment Watch the video here: Kudiya rakhu jooto ke niche ft palash Muchhal byu/priyansh_gif inDesiVideoMemes Entertainment How is Smriti Mandhana’s father doing? Srinivas Mandhana, father of Indian women’s cricket team star Smriti Mandhana, has been discharged from the hospital. Smriti’s father was rushed to the hospital on Sunday following a heart attack. While Srinivas has been called ‘out of danger’ and in stable condition, the family is yet to share the new wedding date. The doctors have performed angiography on Srinivas, and fortunately, no blockages were found. The update from the hospital has come as a huge relief to Smriti’s family. Entertainment Why did Smriti Mandhana delete wedding posts? Smriti Mandhana has removed all wedding-related post from her social media accounts a day after her wedding was postponed. The shocking development has left her fans confused. Social media i also flooded with speculations, and many have shown concern over Smriti Mandhana-Palash Muchhal’s relationship status. Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today! Read More

Entertainment Home Photos Palash Muchhal-Smriti Mandhana Controversy: Amid SHOCKING kissing controversy, composer’s ex Birva Shah is being compared with… Palash Muchhal-Smriti Mandhana controversy: Amid ongoing controversy, Palash Muchhal’s ex-girlfriend Birva Shah has garnered massive attention. Read on to know who she is being compared with… 1/8 Entertainment Smriti Mandhana-Palash Muchhal wedding controversy is about… Smriti Mandhana-Palash Muchhal’s wedding postponement has come as a shock to many. For the unversed, Smriti Mandhana and music composer Palash Muchhal were to get married on Sunday, November 23, But it had to be called off. 2/8 Entertainment Why were Smrithi’s father Shrinivas Mandhana and Palash Muchhal hospitalised? The news of Smriti Mandhana-Palash Muchhal’s wedding postponement surfaced after her father, Shrinivas Mandhana fell ill. According to reports, he suffered a heart attack. 3/8 Entertainment Palash Muchhal’s flirty chats with a woman EXPOSED his… Amid the ongoing drama, a woman named Mary D’Costa put out screengrabs of her chat allegedly with Palash on her Instagram stories. The screenshots allegedly shows that Palash invites her for a swim and is talking about the long-distance relationship status. 4/8 Entertainment Why is Palash Muchhal’s ex girlfriend Birva Shah trending? In a tweet that has gone viral, Palash Mucchal had proposed to Birva Shah against a romantic setting. It was adorned with flowers, balloons and lights. They had met when she was pursuing medicine. 5/8 Entertainment Why is Palash Muchhal’s ex girlfriend Birva Shah compared to Smriti Mandhana? Palash Muchhal’s ex girlfriend Birva Shah is pitted against Smriti Mandhana because his last proposal is being compared to his present relationship. This has left many curious about Birva. 6/8 Entertainment Smriti Mandhana’s father has been discharged Amid doubts over the postponement of the wedding of cricket star Smriti Mandhana and music composer Palash Muchhal, it has been reported that cricketer’s father had been discharged from the hospital. Smriti’s father Shrinivas was discharged from the Sarvhit Hospital and Medical Research Centre on November 25. 7/8 Entertainment How is Smriti Mandhana’s father doing now? According to reports, Smriti Mandhana’s father is completely stable and out of danger. Doctors have reportedly found no blockages after an angiography. 8/8 Entertainment What is the update on Palash Muchhal’s health? While speaking to Hindustan Times, Palash’s mother Amita mentioned that it was Palash who decided not to tie the knot until Smriti’s father recovers. “Palash ko uncle se bahut zyada attachment hai… Smriti se zyada yeh dono close hain. Jab unko hogaya toh Smriti se phele Palash ne decision liya ke usko abhi phere nahi karne jab tak uncle thik nahi ho jaate, she said. Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today! Entertainment Subscribe Now Read More

Entertainment Home Bigg Boss Bigg Boss 19 Finale Week: Cricketers to comedians, voting war HEATS UP as celeb communities rally be… As Bigg Boss 19’s finale week begins, the voting wars of the season experience their peak. Read ahead to see the support all the contestants are getting from outside of the house. Bigg Boss 19 is approaching its end pretty soon, and speculations about the winner of the season are already being made. In the latest update, Gaurav Khanna has been saved from the elimination as he wins the ticket to the finale. He has also become the last captain of the house of Bigg Boss 19. Netizens and fans have been sharing support for their favorite contestants, wishing for their victory. Amid these, the famous social media account BBTak, which regularly shares exclusive updates, breaking news, and analysis about Bigg Boss, retweeted a post on X (formerly Twitter), which analyzed voting trends of the season, talking about the communities that are supporting all the contestants. Entertainment Bigg boss 19 voting war begins The X post shared by a user, which was posted on Nov 25, 2025, analyzed the voting trends of the season. The post was reshared by BBTak as well, which is a social media account that shares exclusive updates, breaking news, and analysis about Bigg Boss. Bigg Boss 19 voting ? ☆ Malti Chahar – all cricketers community to support her ☆ Gaurav Khanna – ITV family and Mridul Army ☆ Amaal Mallik – all music composers and singer fraternity, plus Bollywood? ☆ Pranit More – stand-up comedian gang and Maharashtra community ☆… — ANKIT (@AKitOfTweets) November 25, 2025 Entertainment Who will be supporting Malti Chahar? Malti Chahar is being supported by the Indian cricket community. For the unversed, Malti Chahar is the sister of Deepak Chahar, the famous Indian cricketer. In fact, on Tuesday, Indian cricketers like Suresh Raina, Tilak Varma, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, Naman Dhir, Venkatesh Iyer, Umran Malik, Deepak Hooda, Khaleel Ahmed, and Ravi Bishnoi took to Instagram to share their support for Malti as well. Entertainment Who will be supporting Gaurav Khanna? Gaurav Khanna, the Indian television actor famous for roles in Indian TV shows, especially as Anuj Kapadia in Anupama, has won the ticket to the finale. As per the post, he is being supported by the Indian television industry, especially co-stars and actors. Fans of Mridul are also voting for him. Speaking to TOI, Dalljiet Kaur, the Indian television actress, also shared her support for Gaurav Khanna and said, “Some people stay on in your memory, and he is one of them.” I am wholeheartedly rooting for Gaurav and sincerely hope he lifts the Bigg Boss trophy this season.” Entertainment Who will be supporting Amaal Mallik? Amaal Mallik is being supported by the music industry, as well as the Bollywood industry, pertaining to his connection to Bollywood. Entertainment Who will be supporting Pranit More? Pranit More is being supported by the stand-up comedian circuit, as well as the Maharashtra community. For the unversed, Pranit is a famous stand-up comedian from Maharashtra. Sahil Inamdar, another famous comedian, extended his support towards More on Instagram stories. Entertainment Ashnoor Kaur gets the backing of… Ashnoor Kaur is being supported by Abhishek Bajaj due to her close bond with the actor. Other than that, she is also being supported by the Indian television world. Entertainment Team Bhaskar backs Farrhana Bhatt Farrhana Bhatt is being supported by Bhaskat Bhatt, the former creative director of Endemol Shine. He has openly talked about his friendship with Farrhana Bhatt and also extended his support towards her on Instagram. Entertainment Who will be supporting Shehbaz Badesha? And finally, Shehbaz Badesha is being supported by Shehnaz Gill and the Punjabi community. For the unversed, Bigg Boss 13 fame Shehnaaz Gill is the older sister of Shehbaz Badesha. She has openly shared her support for his brother and asked her fans to vote for him. Entertainment More about Bigg Boss 19 finale Speculation about Bigg Boss 19’s winner does not see an end. Various celebrities have already come forward to show their support to their friends and co-workers. As the show is about to end, only time can tell who will be crowned the winner of this season. Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today! Read More

Entertainment Home TV Kaun Banega Crorepati WELCOMES Women’s World Cup Champions, but Smriti Mandhana to SKIP episode? The Women’s Cricket World Cup winners will celebrate their historic victory with host Amitabh Bachchan on Kaun Banega Crorepati. Top players will appear in the show, but Smriti Mandhana is notably missing. Kaun Banega Crorepati: The players of the Indian Women’s Cricket team that won the World Cup will appear in the next episode of Amitabh Bachchan’s quiz-based reality program Kaun Banega Crorepati. Earlier this month, the squad made history by winning the World Cup in Mumbai. The captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Kaur Deol, Richa Ghosh, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, and India Women’s Team Head Coach Amol Muzumdar will all be included in the episode. Smriti Mandhana, the powerful opener for team India, seemed to have missed the episode. Entertainment Episode to honour India’s Women in Blue Cricket and quizzing, two of the country’s major loves, are combined in this episode. Fans may anticipate lighthearted moments, team spirit, tales from the field, and a lively conversation between the players and Amitabh Bachchan, the show host. Additionally, the show will highlight the strength and pride of India’s Women in Blue. Earlier this month, team India defeated South Africa in a repeat of what the Men’s cricket team did to them in the T20 World Cup 2024 Final. Entertainment Laura’s ton, India shines After winning the toss, South Africa’s captain, Laura Wolvaardt, decided to bowl first. The Indian squad nearly reached 300 with a score of 298 runs. The Indian spectators were terrified when Laura Wolvaardt smashed an amazing 101 off 98 balls when the Proteas came, but Deepti Sharma banished her to the pavilion. But Laura ended up being South Africa’s only high scorer, and the Proteas choked once more in the finals as team India triumphed by 52 runs following a set innings. Shafali Verma was praised as Player of the Match, while Deepti Sharma was crowned Player of the Tournament. Entertainment Smriti Mandhana skips KBC episode? Since the start of the month, Smriti has dominated the news. She made headlines for her marriage to singer Palash Muchhal following the spectacular victory. But hours before the November 23 ceremony, Smriti’s father became ill and required hospitalisation, thus the wedding was put on hold indefinitely. Unverified social media reports, however, say that Palash Muchhal cheated on Smriti, leading the cricket player to put off the wedding. Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today! Read More

Entertainment Home Videos Amol Parashar gets candid on his show Besharam Aadmi, fan reactions, memes and more [Exclusive] Actor Amol Parashar opens up about his experience working on his show Besharam Aadmi, his favourite OTT character and more. By: Video Desk  |  Published: November 26, 2025 1:06 PM IST In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Life, popular actor Amol Parashar talks about his show Besharam Aadmi. He also talks about his upcoming projects, his take on viral memes, and more. Amol shares the inspiration behind his solo live storytelling performance and what his fans can expect from the show. From his experiences working on Gram Chikitsalay to his thoughts on social media trends, our favourite Amol Parashar gets candid about his life and career. Get ready for an unfiltered look at Amol Parashar’s world, filled with humour, insights, and behind-the-scenes stories. Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today! Read More

Entertainment As the final season’s first batch of episodes drop, a quick refresher on what went down in Season Four Millie Bobby Brown in ‘Stranger Things.’ Netflix So much has happened in the real world since we last saw Stranger Things back in the summer of 2023, you can be forgiven for not remembering where things left off with the kids of Hawkins and the demons that stalk them. With Season Five Volume 1 (four episodes) releasing Nov. 26 on Netflix, we’re here to help. Vecna Opened the Door to the Upside Down The fourth season centered the backstory of the villainous Vecna, a.k.a. Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower). Revealed to be “One” to Millie Bobby Brown’s “Eleven,” Henry was one of Dr. Brenner’s (Matthew Modine) experiments, a child with telepathic powers who became the Pinhead of the Upside Down, and, as revealed in the prologue to the new season, the big bad behind everything that’s happened since the series premiere. Vecna sought the sacrifice of four victims he could traumatize into crashing open the barrier between the real world and the Upside Down, and that’s exactly what happened right down the middle of Hawkins. The fourth season ends with the trademark UD particles floating into the “real” Hawkins. It should also be noted that the Hawkins Heroes probably left Vecna weakened. He was set on fire, shot, and fell before he disappeared into the night, so he’s likely recuperating for his endgame to start Season Five. Hopper Made It Home to Eleven So much of Season Four was about Hopper (David Harbour), who was perceived to be dead what feels like a lifetime ago at the end of the pre-Covid (seriously) third season, getting back from Russia with a little help from Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Murray (Brett Gelman). Despite tabloid rumors about on-set difficulties between the real-life actors, the onscreen dynamic between Hopper and his surrogate daughter Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has been key to the success of the show, and will almost certainly play a crucial role in the final episodes. Will Has Always Been Connected to the Upside Down The reveal about Vecna playing a role in Will’s (Noah Schnapp) disappearance in Season One may be shocking, but young Mr. Byers has always had a connection to the other side, whether it was in Season Two’s plot with the Mind Flayer or the goosebumps that rise on the back of his neck when something is about to go down. That unique tie to the Upside Down, and possibly Vecna himself, along with the role that the bad guy intends for him to play in his master scheme, will surely propel the final season. Dustin Lost His Best Hellfire Buddy Remember Eddie Munson? Joseph Quinn played the Hellfire Club badass, but he died in the Season Four plot to defeat Vecna when he played “Master of Puppets” to get the attention of the creatures blocking the villain’s lair. We’ll miss Eddie, but what feels important to Season Five is that Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) watched his new BFF die in his arms. For a long time, Dustin seemed like the comic relief for this show’s version of the Losers’ Club, but trauma will shape his final arc, at least in the first chunk of episodes released. Max Mayfield Is Not Running Up Any Hills Sadie Sink’s Max played a huge role in Season Four, and not just in making Kate Bush a star for a new generation. Vecna needed her to open the portal to the Upside Down, employing her trauma against her, but Eleven saved Max by using her powers to do a sort of telepathic CPR. The season ended with Max in a coma, her beau Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) by her side. The big question at the start of Season Five is if Max’s consciousness might be somewhere else entirely, and when she’ll be back. From Rolling Stone US. Read More

Entertainment One of the three major labels is officially done fighting AI music — Warner Music Group is instead partnering with Suno, the biggest AI-music platform Warner Music Group didn’t just end its lawsuit against Suno — it’s teaming up with the AI-music giant Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/Getty Images In the strongest sign yet that the world’s biggest record labels are embracing AI, leading AI-music platform Suno announced Tuesday that it has settled Warner Music Group‘s lawsuit over the use of its songs in Suno’s training data, and Suno and WMG are partnering on “next-generation licensed AI music.” “This landmark pact with Suno is a victory for the creative community that benefits everyone,” Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music Group, said in a statement. “With Suno rapidly scaling, both in users and monetization, we’ve seized this opportunity to shape models that expand revenue and deliver new fan experiences. AI becomes pro-artist when it adheres to our principles: committing to licensed models, reflecting the value of music on and off platform, and providing artists and songwriters with an opt-in for the use of their name, image, likeness, voice and compositions in new AI songs.” The deal follows Suno’s announcement last week of a $250 million funding round. Suno CEO Mikey Shulman — whose company says it’s attracted 100 million users, and is the engine behind most viral AI music — called the deal “a paradigm shift in how music is made, consumed, experienced and shared.” In a blog post addressed to Suno’s user community, he emphasized that Suno’s existing functioning — which includes the creation of songs from written prompts and uploaded audio — will continue. “You’ll still be able to create original songs the way you love today,” he wrote. “Our core experience remains focused on giving everyone access to powerful music creation.” He promised that even higher quality music-creation models are coming, trained on licensed music from WMG — it’s unclear whether artists will be allowed to opt out of inclusion in that training data. In June 2024, Warner Music Group joined Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment in filing lawsuits against both Suno and its much smaller rival Udio, accusing the AI companies of mass copyright infringement. The labels alleged that both platforms had trained their models on vast troves of copyrighted recordings without permission — a practice the AI companies defended as fair use. Universal Music Group settled with Udio in late October, followed by Warner’s own settlement with Udio last week. The Music Artists Coalition, a nonprofit founded by legendary artist manager Irving Azoff, has cautiously welcomed the recent wave of AI deals while raising pointed questions about their terms. “We’ve seen this before — everyone talks about ‘partnership,’ but artists end up on the sidelines with scraps,” Azoff said in a statement following the Universal-Udio settlement last month. “Artists must have creative control, fair compensation, and clarity about deals being done based on their catalogs.” (The Music Artists Coalition did not immediately return Rolling Stone‘s request for comment on the Suno-WMG deal.) Udio’s deal with Universal meant that users would no longer be able to download their creations from the platform — which led to an outcry from users — but Suno reached more favorable terms with WMG: Downloads will continue for paid users, subject to a monthly limit to be announced. (Suno Studio, aimed at power users, will continue to have unlimited downloads.) “We know being able to download the songs you make in Suno is very important to the Suno community, and that functionality isn’t going away,” Shulman wrote.  The Suno-WMG deal will also introduce what Suno describes as “new experiences for fan engagement,” allowing users to create content featuring participating Warner artists’ voices, compositions, and likenesses. Artists and songwriters will be able to decide whether to opt in, according to both companies. As part of the deal, Suno acquired the concert-discovery platform Songkick from WMG — the idea, the company’s press release says, is to bring “together the power of interactive music with live performance.” Neither company disclosed financial terms of the settlement or the ongoing partnership.   In the end, Shulman promised Suno users, “We’re heading towards a world where people don’t just press play — they play with their music.” From Rolling Stone US. Read More

Entertainment Executive produced by the rapper and directed by Alexandria Stapleton, Sean Combs: The Reckoning, will premiere early next month Sean Combs and 50 Cent at a party in 2007. Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images One of Sean Combs’ longtime foes, 50 Cent, has executive produced a new four-part documentary about the imprisoned music mogul, which is set to arrive early next month. Sean Combs: The Reckoning will premiere on Netflix, Dec. 2, with four 60-minute episodes. Directed by Alexandria Stapleton, the project will reportedly dig into Combs’ life and career, his myriad successes in the music industry, the underbelly of his ambition, and how abuse allegations leveled by his ex, Cassie, led to a wave of accusations and a criminal trial that landed Combs in prison.  “You can’t continue to keep hurting people, and nothing ever happens,” an unidentified person says in the short, but dramatic teaser for The Reckoning.  For the film, Stapleton features never-before-seen material and new interviews with some of Combs’ former associates, childhood friends, artists, and employees, per a press release. In a statement, Stapleton said the documentary wasn’t just about Combs, Cassie, “any of the victims, or the allegations against him, or the trial.” She continued: “Ultimately, this story is a mirror [reflecting us] as the public, and what we are saying when we put our celebrities on such a high pedestal. I hope [this documentary] is a wake-up call for how we idolize people, and to understand that everybody is a human being.” 50 Cent — who’s feuded with Combs over a variety of things, dating back to the mid-2000s — added, “I’m grateful to everyone who came forward and trusted us with their stories, and proud to have Alexandria Stapleton as the director on the project to bring this important story to the screen.” Combs is currently serving a four-year and two-month prison sentence after being convicted on two prostitution charges tied to claims he transported his ex-girlfriends and male escorts across state lines for commercial sex. He was acquitted on the more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges, and is currently appealing his conviction and prison sentence.  According to reports, Combs and his allies have been looking into the possibility of securing a pardon from President Donald Trump. Even before the verdict in Combs’ case came in, his team was maneuvering to woo Trump, prompting 50 Cent to pledge that he would do everything he could to prevent a pardon.  From Rolling Stone US. Read More