LionsgateOmar Sy stars in Shadow Force as a secret agent who briefly separates from his wife Kyrah, played by Kerry Washington, to protect their son Ky. He and Ky bond over their love for Lionel Richie’s “Truly in Love with You,” which viewers later learn is his and Kyrah’s wedding song. Kerry tells ABC Audio she and Omar love Lionel’s music in real-life.”We are both Lionel Richie fans, which is so great. It was organic…I don’t know that Lionel is the soundtrack of my life the way he’s the soundtrack of their life, it’s so special. But I’ve always been a huge Lionel Richie fan,” she explains. She joked that he’s the fourth member of Kyrah’s family in the film, calling him “cousin” Lionel.Shadow Force also makes other musical mentions, including a scene where Clifford “Method Man” Smith’s Unc asks Ky if he listens to Wu-Tang Clan.”I think it’s really great how much music plays a role in the movie. And I think its part of why you wanna see it in a theater, like in the surround sound, where you can really be taken by the music,” Kerry says.She also praises Method Man’s performance, telling ABC Audio, “Cliff is so good in the films. He’s so funny and smart.” She adds that the levity he and Da’Vine Joy Randolph “bring to the film is so spectacular and needed.” (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)Method Man plays alongside Da’Vine’s Auntie as secret agents recruited by Kyrah to help keep their family safe. Shadow Force is currently in theaters.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Doug Peters/PA Images via Getty ImagesDenzel Washington has been awarded a surprise honorary Palme d’Or.The honor was given to Washington during the world premiere of his newest film, Highest 2 Lowest, at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The Hollywood Reporter shared a video of Washington accepting his career achievement award on Monday. The honorary Palme d’Or has only been presented 21 previous times.Highest 2 Lowest marks Washington’s fifth collaboration with director Spike Lee. The film is a reinterpretation of the 1963 Akira Kurosawa thriller High and Low.Ahead of the film’s screening, festival director Thierry Fremaux introduced a montage of scenes from Washington’s films. Clips from Malcolm X, Mo’ Better Blues, Glory and Training Day were shown before Lee took to the stage to present Washington with his honorary Palme d’Or.Washington said the honor was a complete surprise as he accepted his trophy. This marks the first time Washington has attended the Cannes Film Festival over the course of his acting career.Highest 2 Lowest comes from A24. It follows a titan music mogul, played by Washington, who is “widely known as having the ‘best ears in the business,’” according to the film’s official synopsis. After he’s targeted with a ransom plot, “he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.”A$AP Rocky, Jeffrey Wright and Ice Spice in her film debut star alongside Washington in the movie.Highest 2 Lowest arrives in theaters on Aug. 22 and will be available to stream Sept. 5 on Apple TV+.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty ImagesBobby Brown has dealt some tough losses in his life, including the deaths of two of his children, Bobbi Kristina and Bobby Brown Jr., and former wife Whitney Houston. Speaking with Jennifer Hudson on her daytime talk show, he credits therapy and his family for helping him navigate his grief.“Lots of prayer, first and foremost, that absolutely took me to the point where I accepted therapy in my life. I accepted going to a therapist and really working out all of the issues that I had within me,” Brown said.“Also, just family … being there for me when I was down and when I wasn’t feeling right and when times get hard. They’re still there because it doesn’t stop. It’s not like it just goes away,” he said. “It’s gonna be with you forever, but it’s about dealing with it and really paying attention to yourself.”Houston passed away on Feb. 11, 2012, at 48 years old. “She taught me a lot, about life and love and about living right … she is definitely loved and missed in my heart,” Bobby told JHud of the singer. Their daughter, Bobbi Kristina, died on July 26, 2015, and Brown’s namesake son passed away in November 2020 at age 28.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images for AfroTechThis story may contain accounts and descriptions of actual or alleged events that some readers may find disturbing.Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty Money member Dawn Richard has returned to the witness stand to continue her testimony from last week in the trial against Sean “Diddy” Combs.Dawn Richard testified that, before a festival in Central Park in 2009 when Diddy – Dirty Money announced their formation, she and fellow member Kaleena Harper, along with Cassie Ventura, were in Combs’ apartment getting ready.“Puff and Cassie were in the hallway arguing. He punched her in the face. Sean Combs punched her in the face,” Richard testified. It was the latest in a number of times that Richard told the jury that she witnessed Combs physically injure Ventura.This alleged assault “was a closed fist,” Richard testified.Richard told the court that Ventura “came into the bathroom crying” and said Ventura’s “eye was swelling.” Richard testified that Ventura “started doing her makeup” to, Richard said, try to hide the injury.The jury then saw a photo of Richard, Harper and Ventura at the festival wearing sunglasses.“Why were you wearing sunglasses?” prosecutor Mitzi Steiner asked.“To have solidarity. To be a friend. To be a support system for someone who needed it,” Richard answered, adding she advised Ventura to leave Combs.“He didn’t like it when Kaleena and I would talk to Cass,” Richard testified, adding that Combs would allegedly tell them to “stay the f*** out of my relationship.”Richard also testified that she felt threatened by Combs, telling the jury, “It was always, or else something bad was going to happen to you if you didn’t stay in line.” She told the court that an associate of Combs’ allegedly told her “It is dark and lonely” if she failed to listen to Combs.On cross-examination, defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland said Richard’s account of his alleged assault on Ventura changed several times.Westmoreland also challenged a statement Richard had attributed to Combs following the alleged assault on Ventura.“He said that she was OK and that it would be in our best interests if we didn’t say anything. He was trying to take us to the top, and that, where he comes from, people go missing if they say things like that, like, if people talk,” Richard testified.“You didn’t tell the federal government that Mr. Combs told you ‘people go missing,’” Westmoreland said, citing several interviews Richard conducted with federal prosecutors.Richard responded that she “spoke as best as she could remember.”Richard also testified that she saw Combs carrying guns several times at the studio or “sometimes the club.”“You never saw Mr. Combs pull a gun out and wave it around, right?” Westmoreland asked.“No,” Richard answered.“You never saw Mr. Combs pull a gun out and cock it back or anything like that?” Westmoreland asked.“No,” Richard responded.“Matter of fact, you’ve never seen Mr. Combs pull a gun out, period,” Westmoreland said.“Just had it on him,” Richard testified.Tune in to Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy twice weekly for real-time updates on the trial.If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Greenback RecordsXzibit has a new album, titled Kingmaker, coming out Friday. Marking his first album since 2012, he says that his years of experience in the game eliminated any form of self-doubt about releasing new music.”I think the benefit of being able to have had a career spanning from 1996 to now, the self-doubt kinda [goes] out the window,” he tells Billboard. “I’m coming into the energy of where music is right now — and not necessarily ignoring what’s happening in music, but just realizing I need to do what I need to do extremely well. I don’t need to chase a trend or follow a sound, I just need to do Xzibit music really well.”He adds he also doesn’t feel pressure to cater to the youth or the algorithms, because he believes his true fans will gravitate toward him and his music, which he’s excited to return to.”People will find me if they find me, but you can’t perform an algorithm. My audience is in front of me at that stage. My algorithm is in live performances, but whatever this album does, I feel really good about getting back in front of my people. I feel really good about the music I’ve created, and let’s let this thing be a good time, man,” said Xzibit. “This is gonna be a really big moment for me. I worked really hard on this record. Still being able to do it at this level is a blessing, I can’t tell you enough how excited I am.”Kingmaker features 20 songs, including “Leave Me Alone” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Dr. Dre. Xzibit said of the “really exciting” connection, “To have Dre on the album after all this time means the world to me. He’s my brother, he’s coach.”Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jamie McCarthy/WireImageThe Weeknd appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon May 15 and spoke about what a huge Tom Cruise fan he was, but said he’d never met the actor. Well, that changed just days later, when the singer met Cruise at the premiere of Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.While on Fallon, The Weeknd credited Cruise’s 2015 Lip Sync Battle performance of his song “Can’t Feel My Face” on The Tonight Show with helping the track hit #1. He added, “I’m a huge Tom Cruise guy,” and jokingly plugged Final Reckoning to pay Cruise back for his support.Then late Sunday night, Weeknd posted footage of himself enthusiastically greeting Cruise at the premiere of Final Reckoning in New York City, soundtracked to the Mission: Impossible theme. The two men embraced and posed for photos. The video overlay text read, “Can’t feel my face with this crossover.” “Had to pull up for the greatest to ever do it @tomcruise FINAL RECKONING! DON’T MISS IT,” Weeknd captioned the moment. “just saw it on the biggest screen in the east coast.”Meanwhile, The Weeknd’s own film, Hurry Up Tomorrow, which premiered on May 16, debuted at #6 at the box office with $3.3 million. He just dropped a music video for the song of the same name.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Chrris Lowe/Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEHannaha Hall is back for another season of The Chi. Season 7 premiered Friday, capturing her character, Tiffany, learning her boyfriend, Rob (Iman Shumpert), had been shot to death. Knowing the grief Tiff would go through in this new season, she tells ABC Audio she had to unplug from the rest of the cast while on set in order to prepare for her scenes.”I know with Tiff and her emotional scenes this season, I had to kind of isolate myself. I’m always cracking jokes. I’m always talking stuff to my co-stars in a good way, but I had to kind of isolate just so I can make sure I’m grounded in this performance or in this feeling, this moment,” she says.Having never experienced grief in that capacity, Hannaha says she tapped into multiple experiences as she prepared for the role.”I was like, ‘You know what? Let think about this, let me think about this’ … and even in those moments, you don’t know how that feels unless you genuinely experienced it,” she says. Still, she tried “to understand and create that hypothetical of what it would look like, what it would feel like, also thinking about the words and the dialogue” to make sure she understood where they were in the story.Hannaha said she also listened to music as she put herself in Tiff’s shoes and received some help from co-star Lynn Whitfield, who helped her tap into the character.Jason Weaver, who plays Rashaad on the show, says the hard work paid off, as Hannaha “really did do some amazing work. He says, “Because she took that time as an actor to really prepare herself … the audience is gonna love her performance this season.”Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Johnny Nunez/WireImageThis story may contain accounts and descriptions of actual or alleged events that some readers may find disturbing.After four days on the witness stand, Cassie Ventura concluded her testimony Friday at the trial of her ex-boyfriend Sean Combs.Ventura, through a statement read by her attorney Douglas Wigdor outside court, thanked her supporters for their kindness and vowed to never forget what she says Combs did to her.”I hope that my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors and can help others who have suffered to speak up and also heal from abuse and fear. For me, the more I heal, the more I can remember, and the more I can remember, the more I will never forget,” she said in a statement.Her husband, Alex Fine, in a statement read by Wigdor, commended Ventura for her bravery testifying for four days in front of “a person who tried to break her.””So to him and all of those who helped him along the way, please know this: You did not break her spirit nor her smile that lights up every room. You did not break the souls of her mother, who gives the best hugs and plays the silliest games with our little girls,” Fine said in the statement, calling Combs a “demon.”He also rejected the notion that he was the one who helped Ventura escape Combs, saying such a suggestion is an “insult to the years of painful work my wife has done to save herself.””Cassie saved Cassie. She alone broke free from abuse, coercion, violence and threats. She did the work of fighting the demons that only a demon himself could have done to her. All I have done is love her as she has loved me. Her life is now surrounded by love, laughter and our family. This horrific chapter is forever put behind us,” he said.Dawn Richard, a member of Diddy Dirty Money and Danity Kane, was then called to the stand, where she told the jury she “observed Cassie being attacked” by Combs in his Los Angeles hotel in 2009. “She was attacked by Sean Combs,” Richard said. “He came downstairs screaming, belligerent, asking where his phone was, and proceeded to hit her in the head and beat her on the ground.”At the time, Richard said she was in the residence recording.“He came downstairs angry. He said ‘where the f*** is his eggs,’” Richard testified. “He took the skillet with the eggs” and took a swing at Ventura.She said Ventura dropped to the ground, “literally trying to hide her face or her head.”The defense objected to many of the questions put to Richard, so the judge called it a day and instructed the jury to return 8:30 a.m. Monday. Court is scheduled to adjourn each day next week at 3 p.m. ET.Tune in to Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy twice weekly for real-time updates on the trial.If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Photo by JP Yim/Getty ImagesYG is entering a new era of maturation, as heard in his new song “2004.” He uses his platform as a rapper to open up about an experience he’s learned is quite common for men in the Black community: being a victim of sexual abuse.YG tells ABC News Live he was sexually assaulted by a 30-year-old when he was just 15 years old, but hadn’t realized what happened until years later. “You go through life and you see stuff and you learn stuff and it’s like, ‘I got raped,’” he says. He says he kept the information from his family, who learned of the experience when they heard the song.YG credits producer J.LBS (J Pounds) for giving him the push to “dig deep” during their recording session and  “talk about something you ain’t never talked about.”He says he was surprised that “90 percent of the people that I played it for — the men, the males — they all got similar stories.””That was the conversation everyone was having,” he says. “It was like, ‘Yeah, I was sexually abused.’”With “2004,” YG hopes that he can inspire people to tell their own stories, adding he may go deeper into his journey on the upcoming album The Gentleman’s Club.He says, “Seeing people reaction, it’s been good for me because it got me going deeper on the album like with records cuz I’m like, ‘Damn. They respond to it like that. Alright bet. I got some more stuff I can talk about.'”“People say I live a dangerous life — I talk about that and I give it to you straight like that,” YG says. “Now me going through this growing stage of my life, it ain’t hard for me because I’m telling my truth.”If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Tee Grizzley released a new album, Forever My Moment, a sonic and thematic continuation of his 2024 album Post Traumatic about survival, trauma and transformation. It boasts 14 new tracks that each blend “raw emotion with hard-earned perspective,” a press release says. The record is accompanied by an interactive video game, Robbery Da Game, which unlocks pieces of the music video for album cut “Robbery 9.”Rico Nasty is celebrating her new album, LETHAL, with the release of the music video for “CRASH.” “It feels so good to be releasing LETHAL finally…It’s one that showcases all sides of myself, sides the fans may not have seen yet. And somehow it still feels like my most cohesive (and authentic) body of work to date. I hope you guys love it. I know I do,” she says in a statement.Chuck D Presents Enemy Radio: Radio Armageddon is new solo work from the rapper, who brings hip-hop’s pioneers and new gens together for the project. “Radio Armageddon is not just an album, it’s a frequency,” says Chuck D. “This project is a broadcast of resistance, revolution and rhythm. I’m proud to have these warriors alongside me on the dial.”Giveon says he would “rather be a fool than believe in someone new” on his latest single, “Rather Be.” “I’d rather be with you,” he continues. “Any other half with someone who is not even half of you.” The song is accompanied by a music video.Latto’s teases have come to an end with the release of “Somebody,” which interpolates Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody?” Her sister, Brooklyn Nikole, directed the music video, which sees Latto on a bamboo raft, washing her hair and having fun with Popcaan in Jamaica.Other releases:2 Chainz, Lil Yachty — “Sista Wives (Official Video)”Xzibit, Kingmaker Aminé, 13 Months of SunshineCopyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

7 WallaceLa di da Di. Slick Rick likes to party, but he apparently also likes to make some music. Twenty-six years after releasing his last album, The Ruler will make his return with Victory, a visual album set to arrive on June 13.Slick worked on the album for four years, writing and recording it across Europe, North America and Africa. Idris Elba serves as “visionary” for the album, Nas and Giggs appear as features, and Estelle makes a special contribution.“Victory is all about perseverance, storytelling, imagination and evolution. A visual blend of art and heart — a sonic journey that reflects where I’ve been and where I’m going. Victory isn’t just music — it’s a bold in your face statement, showcasing British artistry at its finest!” says Slick, who also executive produced the album.”Working with Slick Rick … back home in the UK, and then offering the world of hip hop something amazing has been a blessing. It’s literally a gift!” Idris says.Nas adds, “Slick Rick and I have a long history of working together so it was great to get back in the studio with him to create this new record. He has been such an influential figure in Hip Hop culture and I look forward to him sharing this project with the next generation of fans.”Slick’s Victory album will be accompanied by the release of its 30-minute film premiering June 7 at the inaugural SXSW London. Slick will chat with Idris and the film’s director, Meji Alabi, before heading to New York for the Tribeca Festival for the film’s premiere and a Q&A. The Tribeca Festival will take place June 13, the day Victory will be available to watch worldwide and the album will release on DSPs. Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Johnny Nunez/WireImageThis story may contain accounts and descriptions of actual or alleged events that some readers may find disturbing.(NOTE LANGUAGE) Cassie Ventura has taken the witness stand for the fourth consecutive day to continue her cross-examination in the trial against her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs.The testimony picked up where it left off Thursday, with defense attorney Anna Estevao asking about more instances of jealousy. The jury then heard a dramatic recording of a March 2014 conversation in Atlantic City between Ventura and a man called Sugit, who claimed he had seen her in a sexually explicit video taken during a “freak off.”“Tell me what exactly you saw,” Ventura is heard telling Sugit. “You told me somebody else was in there f****** me.”A moment later her voice is heard rising.“You have it? Why didn’t you show me?” Ventura said. “Because I’m not disrespectful,” Sugit is heard answering.“You’ve had it the whole time?” Ventura said. “It’s my f****** life and I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you if you don’t show me. Pull it up. If you have it pull that s*** up or I’m going to kill you!”Ventura is heard telling Sugit, “We’re staying here until you show me that s***. I’m going to kill you, I don’t give a f***. I’ll kill you because you’re f****** with me!”Ventura testified about another time she said she became concerned about a sex tape, one taken by one of the male escorts who participated in a “freak off.”“I was in the room with him and I saw the phone up so I told Sean about it after,” Ventura testified.“You were concerned he was recording?” Estevao asked. “Yes,” Ventura answered.“What happened when you told Mr. Combs your suspicion?” Estevao asked. “He said, ‘I’ll take care of it,’” Ventura responded.Ventura testified she also grew concerned that some of the male escorts hired for “freak offs” were participating in a reality television show featuring the escort service she said she and Combs used.She then testified she has been taking Suboxone, a treatment for opiate addiction, since 2022.In 2023, Ventura attended a 45-day in-patient treatment program in Arizona that included neuro-feedback therapy and EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a psychotherapy technique meant to help process distressing memories, according to her testimony.“You understood that you were being treated for PTSD?” Estevao asked. “Yes,” Ventura testified. She denied being treated for sex or love addiction, which the facility also offers.The testimony has been interrupted by calls for conferrals between the parties.The judge called a recess to remind the defense of his rules and to impose new ones.Tune in to Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy twice weekly for real-time updates on the trial.If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively. Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

StarzDevout fans of the Power universe who have tuned into the long-running Starz series may have heard of the character name Breeze. But now, more than 10 years and a few spinoff shows later, Breeze is finally getting a face to match his infamous name.  Spider-Verse star Shameik Moore will take on the role of Breeze, a drug kingpin from Jamaica, Queens, Starz announced Friday. He’s the newest addition to the season 5 cast of Power Book III: Raising Kanan, the third iteration in the Power series. The show chronicles the early years of Kanan Stark, a main character played by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in the original show.  “The Power Universe fans have been patiently anticipating this moment and I’m honored to step into the iconic role of Breeze,” Moore said. “I jumped into a story that is already alive with such strong characters, but it was a fun challenge to find Breeze’s unique identity, and I can’t wait for fans to see how Breeze will shift dynamics in the story. It’s gonna be a wild ride.””It was always my intention that Raising Kanan would run for five seasons, and … I’ve been able to tell the entirety of the story I set out to tell way back in 2019,” Sascha Penn, executive producer, writer and showrunner, said. “Having said that, with the table we’ve set in this season finale and the inevitable introduction of Breeze, there is still an exceptionally intense and action-packed season left for the viewers to experience.”Moore will make his debut as Breeze during Friday night’s season 4 finale on Starz. Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Todd Owyoung/NBCThe Weeknd sat for his first-ever interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Thursday night and credited Tom Cruise’s appearance on the show back in 2015 with boosting his career.Cruise took part in the ongoing “Lip-Sync Battle” segment of the program, performing Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” and calling the singer “enormously talented.””It actually helped the song,” Weeknd told Fallon. “It helped it peak to the record-breaking top, thanks to him, obviously. The biggest movie star in the world.”The singer may actually be correct: Cruise performed the song on July 27, 2015, and “Can’t Feel My Face” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on Aug. 22, 2015.Weeknd noted that, while he’s never met the actor, “I’m a huge Tom Cruise guy. I love The Color Of Money, love Vanilla Sky, Eyes Wide Shut, Magnolia, Rain Man and Mission: Impossible.”He continued, “He did that for me, it wasn’t a favor … so I thought that maybe, to return the favor, I thought that I’d promote Mission: Impossible.” He then donned a Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning ball cap and excitedly read a description of the film off a card.Also during his Tonight Show appearance, Jimmy and The Weeknd surprised graduating seniors at a party at Fordham University. Jimmy was announced as the special guest, and then he brought out The Weeknd, who sang “Blinding Lights” and “Can’t Feel My Face” for the kids.Weeknd’s appearance came as part of the promotion for his new film, Hurry Up Tomorrow.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Parkwood EntertainmentReports of severe weather threatened Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter stop at Chicago’s Soldier Field Thursday evening, but it certainly didn’t stop the show. Soldier Field first announced the nearly two-hour delay in a statement to ABC, and Live Nation followed with one on social media. “Due to weather in the area, the COWBOY CARTER TOUR show at @SoldierField tonight will not begin before 9pm,” Live Nation wrote, adding the doors for the venue still opened at 5 p.m.ABC7 reports fans sheltered in place, dressed in their best Western and rodeo fits, waiting for Bey to make her way to the stage.”We’ve been planning for months, so no weather, nothing is going to stop us,” concertgoer Kesha Marshall said.”I brought my rain coat, I’m prepared … the Beyhive is always prepared for everything,” added Saulo Alencar.”If she can perform in the rain … us sitting in the rain and watching it is nothing,” Ky Thomas said.The show, initially scheduled to start at 7 p.m. CT, officially kicked off at 10:15 p.m. CT, per USA Today.”I’m so happy to be on the stage seeing all of your beautiful faces,” she said, according to the publication. “Thank you for all your love even throughout the storm. Y’all are here. I am here, and we’re going to have a good ol’ time.” Bey has two more shows in Chicago slated for Saturday and Sunday night.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Aaron J. Thornton/WireImage via Getty ImagesSinger Chris Brown is in custody after being arrested Thursday in connection with an assault charge from 2023 in London, according to the Metropolitan Police.Brown, 36, was served with the arrest warrant in Manchester, England, over an allegation of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and was ordered by a Manchester judge to be held until June 13.Brown is scheduled to kick off his Breezy Bowl XX world tour in the Netherlands on June 8, according to an April 23 post on his Instagram page.He is scheduled to perform throughout Europe and the U.K. — including several performances in Manchester and London — before starting the U.S. leg of his tour in Miami on July 30.The singer and dancer has had multiple run-ins with law enforcement over the years.In 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault of his then-girlfriend, Rihanna. His probation period in that case lasted until 2015.ABC News has reached out to Brown’s representatives for comment.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Roc Nation DistributionRihanna returns with her first new song and video since 2022’s “Lift Me Up,” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Like that song, the new one, “Friend of Mine,” is also from a movie soundtrack: Smurfs, the upcoming live-action/animated hybrid film in which Rihanna plays Smurfette.The video starts with Rihanna walking through Smurf Village holding a giant flower as a parasol. As she pushes open a door to one of the houses, the video switches to the animated version of Smurf Village; we see Smurfette and all the other Smurfs dancing to the dance track. There are more trippy dance sequences, intercut with action sequences from the film, which is out July 18.There’s not actually much to the song, in terms of lyrics, and Rihanna’s voice is heavily processed. The only lyrics are, “Ooh, I think the word here is ‘déjà-vu’/ Just met you tonight, but you feel like a friend of mine/ How can so familiar be so brand new?/ Just met you tonight, but you feel like a friend of mine.”The soundtrack from the film is out June 13, and it’ll also feature a new song from Tyla.In addition to Rihanna, the movie features the voices of Nick Offerman, James Corden, Sandra Oh, Natasha Lyonne, Dan Levy, Octavia Spencer and John Goodman, among others.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Chrris Lowe/Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEThe Chi is back for season 7, and so is Jason Weaver. He joined the show as Rashaad, an ex-con looking to find his way after being released from prison. Now that he’s employed, his character is challenged to continue on the right path amid a budding relationship with matriarch/businesswoman Alicia, played by Lynn Whitfield.”We’ve seen [Shaad] go through a number of different changes and chapters since being released from prison. He’s had his fair share of ups and downs. And for the first time, it seems like, Shaad is finally firmly planting his feet on some solid ground. But at the same time, Shaad also has the tendency to kind of like sabotage himself at times,” Jason tells ABC Audio.”I think what’s going to be interesting for the audience to see is how he continues to stay on this straight and narrow path … staying employed and out of prison,” he continues, noting viewers will see his character “struggle with insecurities … past trauma and things that he is just dealing with internally that he hasn’t come to grips with.””You’ll see him have a moment where he has to really look in the mirror and begin to pinpoint what the actual issue is with him internally,” he adds.Having joined the cast of The Chi in season 4, Jason says he feels “a very deep sense of gratitude” that Shaad made it this far in the show. He describes it as “one of the more rewarding experiences” of his 40-year career.Asked what he hopes fans will take away from the new season, he says, “I want the audience to always feel like they’re never going to know what’s coming around the corner.” (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)The Chi will air Fridays on Showtime and stream for subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jenna Ortega, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Barry Keoghan; Marion Curtis / Starpix for LionsgateThe psychological thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow, starring Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, is in theaters now. While Abel starred in the 2023 HBO series The Idol, this marks the first time that he’s carried an entire film by himself. But as director Trey Edward Shults revealed, he didn’t see the series before he started working with Abel.”When we shot this, we shot it before The Idol was even out,” Shults told ABC Audio at the film’s New York City premiere. “The only thing I had seen him act in were his music videos. But I connected with him.”And Abel says that connection made it easy for him to play a character on the verge of a mental breakdown.”I mean, once I got to work with Trey … I’ve been a huge fan of his work,” the singer told ABC Audio on the red carpet. “So all I needed to do was trust him and connect with the material. And at that [point], it wasn’t too challenging, I think, being vulnerable.” He then turned to Trey and told him, “You created a safe space.”Hurry Up Tomorrow is a companion piece to The Weeknd’s #1 album of the same name. But as he told ABC Audio, the album was the most challenging part of the whole project.”We made the film first, and we had a few songs that we had recorded, ideas that we needed to see on the screen. But aside from that, everything else was up in the air,” Abel explained. “So, kind of replacing material with brand-new music was really tough for me.””And never wanting to settle,” Shults added. “We always wanted to push something sonically to a place that was fresh and singular and new.””That was really important,” agreed Abel.The film also stars Barry Keoghan and Jenna Ortega.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImagedisturbing.The defense cross-examination of Cassie Ventura in Sean Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial continued Thursday afternoon. The defense continued their strategy of showing messages in an attempt to highlight what the defense contends is Ventura’s willingness, eagerness and agency to participate in “freak off” sex sessions, seeking to bolster Combs’ assertion that he did not commit sex trafficking.In one, from March 18, 2017, Ventura told Combs, “I love our f.o.’s when we both want it,” referring to the “freak offs.”“I would say loving f.o.’s were just words at that point,” Ventura testified in response.“Those were words you said to Mr. Combs, correct?” defense attorney Anna Estevao asked. Ventura affirmed that they were.In another message to Combs, sent ahead of a “freak off,” Ventura said she was at a sex shop “trying to find something to impress you.”Ventura also testified under cross-examination there was infidelity and jealousy on both sides in her tumultuous relationship with Combs, admitting she “had some jealousy” of Kim Porter, mother of four of Combs’ children.She conceded that she became upset when she learned Combs had not broken off a relationship with a woman he had previously dated.“Spending time with other women prompted arguments?” Estevao asked.“Yeah,” Ventura responded.“And Mr. Combs had suspicions you were not faithful to him, correct?” Estevao followed up.“Yeah,” Ventura responded, adding that it could be “a little scary” when Combs suspected she had been unfaithful.Ventura was also questioned about whether she had really witnessed Combs dangle one of her friends over a balcony, and the time when she alleged Combs and others went to confront record executive Suge Knight at a diner, as she previously testified.Estevao elicited testimony from Ventura about Combs’ alleged drug use and its effect on his moods. Ventura testified that Combs could be “pretty explosive.”The defense also attempted to establish instances when Combs in turn worried about Ventura’s drug use.“He wanted you to stop doing drugs,” Estevao said.“He wanted me to stop doing drugs with other people,” Ventura responded.The cross-examination at times became disjointed and meandering such that at one point, Estevao declared, “I know I’m all over the place.”Tune in to Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy twice weekly for real-time updates on the trial.If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.