Month: September 2024

September 12, 2024, marked the second death anniversary of the late rapper PnB Rock. Back in August, two men alleged to have been involved with the “Zaza” rapper’s tragic death were found guilty of murder, robbery, and conspiracy. Now, according to TMZ, each have formally been sentenced.

The outlet reports that Freddie Trone was sentenced to 31 years to life in prison. Trone’s sentencing factors in his one count of murder, two counts of robbery, and one of conspiracy conviction. Trone allegedly spearheaded the fatal shooting, provided his then armed his 17-year-old son with a gun, and sent him into the restaurant where PnB Rock was to rob him. While Tremont Jones received a sentence of 12 years after being found guilty of two counts of robbery and one of conspiracy for altering Trone to PnB Rock’s location.

Sadly, this devastating fight for justice isn’t quite over yet for PnB Rock’s family. In July, Trone’s son, the last suspect allegedly involved in the shooting reportedly lacked competency to stand trial.

Stephanie Sibounheuang, PnB Rock’s girlfriend, witnessed the heartbreaking incident. Weeks after his death, penned a note on Instagram about the ordeal, writing: “I am 100% not ok… It takes so much prayer and spiritual therapy to gain the strength to do the simple things in life now… I will never understand a loss so close. I feel so empty. My world is dark now. My heart is broken for the kids.”

As if Sabrina Carpenter didn’t spend enough time on the road last year, the “Nonsense” singer has just launched her Short N’ Sweet Tour. Today (September 23), is slated to takeover Columbus, Ohio’s Nationwide Arena with special guest Amaarae.

For those lucky enough to secure tickets to any stop on the tour, they will have the chance to snag merch without paying the shipping fees and wait time. Continue below to get a sneak peek of the items up for grabs.

Here Is The Merch Available At Sabrina Carpenter ‘Short N’ Sweet Tour’

Based on photographs captured by concertgoers, there are a total of seven graphic t-shirt options (ranging from $45-$50) for sale on-site, one Short N’ Sweet soccer Jersey ($80), one commemorative tote bag ($30), one hat ($40), one customized pair of socks ($20), one pullover hoodie ($85), and two album editions (alternative Sweet N Sour cover CD for $15 and vinyl for $35). View the designs below. Other items including a pillow and more can be purchased on Sabrina Carpenter’s website. Find more information here.

Sabrina Carpenter 2024 Tour Dates: The Short N’ Sweet Tour

09/23 — Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
09/25 — Toronto, Ontario @ Scotiabank Arena
09/26 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
09/29 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/02 — Hartford, CT @ XL Center
10/03 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/05 — Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
10/08 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
10/11 — Montreal, QC @ Centre Ball
10/13 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
10/14 — Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
10/16 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
10/17 — Saint Louis, MO @ Chaifetz Arena
10/19 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
10/20 — Charlottesville, VA @ John Paul Jones Arena
10/22 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
10/24 — Orlando, FL @ Kia Center
10/25 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
10/28 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
10/30 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
11/01 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
11/02 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Center
11/04 — Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum
11/06 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
11/07 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
11/09 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
11/10 — San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena
11/13 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
11/15 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena

Short N’ Sweet is out now via Island Records. Find more information here.

Marvel Studios isn’t treading sparingly with a new Thunderbolts* teaser trailer that eclipses the 3:00 minute mark. The post-Deadpool and Wolverine film, which hopes to reinvigorate MCU ensemble pictures, features a group of ex-villains who we have mostly seen in other Disney movies. The ensemble is led by Yelena Belova/White Widow (Florence Pugh) and includes Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan, who is definitely pulling that arm out of a dishwasher), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker/US Agent (Wyatt Russell), organizer Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Red Hulk/Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford), and more.

That “more” includes “Bob,” seen above at the 1:45 mark, who is portrayed by Lewis Pullman (also a Bob in Top Gun: Maverick) and must have more to his identity, right? You know it. Bob is short for Robert Reynolds, a.k.a. the Sentry. He was reportedly going to be portrayed by Steven Yeun, who later exited due to scheduling conflicts.

Do not be deceived by Bob’s relatively weak looking appearance upon discovery in the trailer. Marvel holds the Sentry out as possessing practically unlimited power adding up to “a million exploding suns.” As a result, he can be a powerful hero, but he has a dark side and a precarious mental state that can drag him down into the most powerful villainy as well:

The Sentry battles many foes, but none as powerful as his arch-nemesis and darker half, the Void, a malevolent persona who dedicates his life to killing as many people as the Sentry rescues. For a long time, the two do not realize they are aspects of the same person and the Sentry goes to great lengths to defeating the Void, even altering his memories and that of the worlds’ memories as well.

In the comics, the Sentry was recruited into the Thunderbolts group by Green Goblin/Norman Osborn, who offered the struggling hero help for his psychological ills. As of now, there’s been no indication that Green Goblin will surface in this film, and Disney/Marvel Studios is keeping the actual plot of this movie under the cloak of secrecy other than to offer this description: “Marvel Studios and a crew of indie veterans who sold out present ‘Thunderbolts*,’ an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits.”

Please enjoy this poster, which sure does resemble a Sons Of Anarchy image. Bob is clearly not enjoying himself here:

Thunderbolts* (which will presumably be distinguishable from Suicide Squad in several ways) will be released on May 2, 2025.

Earlier this month, Victoria Monét fans were ecstatic to learn that the “On My Mama” singer is preparing to release a deluxe edition of her Grammy-winning album, Jaguar II. But while that news was welcome, today, she followed it with some less pleasant news, confirming her breakup with longtime boyfriend John Gaines, with whom she shares one child.

In a statement posted to her social media, she explained why she waited nearly ten months before making the announcement, while also asking fans to “be gentle” with the former couple and their daughter. You can read the full statement below.

With good intentions, we honestly have been avoiding a formal statement about something as natural and as personal as love. We originally preferred to keep this out of the public (as announcing this publicly is sure to make pain resurface) but it is becoming more and more difficult to suppress. Yes, we have seen all of the questions and extremely false accusations of our origin story and we have thought long and hard about whether we owed it to anyone to explain where we are as we heal, since we understand how social media can magnify the truth or run far with untruths. Ultimately we decided to be open and address it in hopes to put a period on the question marks for the sake of our healing process.
We spent the last 10 months trying to respectfully and privately navigate the fact that we are no longer in a relationship. Though we still completely adore and respect each other, we are not a couple anymore. There was no infidelity, toxic behavior nor drama. We both just have some fundamental growing to do that would be best done apart so we can remain the best versions of ourselves for our daughter. It simply didn’t work out and that’s okay. We still think the world of each other and operate with love in every interaction for our family. We have an incredible daughter to raise for life and that is undoubtedly our number 1 priority forever. No relationship status can remove or replace that fact. We are committed to doing the inner work and trust that God will place us both where we belong in due time.
To all of our supporters, friends and family, thank you for your love, care and concern. Please allow us the peace and space to maintain a safe and happy environment to continue to co-parent to the best of our ability for Hazel! We plan to remain a family regardless of our public facing title, so please when you see us together with Hazel, be understanding and gentle. We appreciate you all for hearing us out and hope to be kept in your well intentioned prayers. Thank you
Sincerely Victoria and John

Multiple Neil Gaiman projects have received bad news lately, including the cancelled Dead Boy Detectives Netflix series and the paused Graveyard Book film from Disney with Good Omens‘ third season not exactly declared safe, either. The future of that Prime Video/Amazon series, for which Gaiman serves as showrunner and screenwriter, hasn’t recently been clarified amid sexual assault allegations (which Gaiman has denied) reported reported by Tortoise Media, who detailed allegations from five women in a podcast series.

Meanwhile, Netflix’s The Sandman, which Gaiman executive produces, continues post-production for the fantasy series’ second season, and although Netflix hasn’t issued a statement about the allegations, the author might have been sidelined from promotional duties. During the streaming service’s Geeked Week, a three-minute behind-the-scenes video surfaced from Netflix, and nowhere is Neil Gaiman seen, heard, or even mentioned by name:

Under normal circumstances, this would be highly unusual because of course Gaiman was front and center in the first season BTS video three years ago:

Has Gaiman been formally sidelined, by the streamer or by his own hand, as he has offered to do for Good Omens? Netflix simply has not commented on the subject, but the omission feels awkward at best.

Then again, Netflix hasn’t commented at all on the allegations against Gaiman, not even when the service cancelled Dead Boy Detectives, likely because the series wasn’t hitting the mark on viewership, despite the enthused fanbase that does exist. You can still see those viewers everywhere on social media and in YouTube comment sections where they ask Netflix to reconsider. Meanwhile, The Sandman doesn’t yet have a precise return date, other than Netflix recently specifying “in 2025.”

It’s a new week, which means the Crumbl Cookie report is back! Every week we set out to bring down every new cookie dropping at Crumbl and rank them from least essential to most. Everybody deserves a little treat from time to time, but we want you to spend your money only on the very best. Unless you want to be a crazy person like me and just buy all six, which, after over a month of doing this, I don’t recommend.

Don’t get me wrong, more cookies are always a good thing, but let’s face it, some of these cookies can be duds. After being a bit disappointed in last week’s lineup, I’m not quite sure how to feel about the cookies dropping this week.

Aside from the Confetti Cake, which is getting its Crumbl debut, we’ve got a Birthday Cake cookie with Oreos, a Peanut Butter cookie made with Snickers, a Caramel Shortbread cookie with Twix, and the return of the OG Pink Sugar cookie. In the Crumbl world, I’m not the biggest fan of big brand collaboration, they always taste too safe and unimaginative to me. I do however love Twix, Snickers, and Oreo, so I’m at least curious about how Crumbl is going to utilize these ingredients.

But, enough talking about it. Let’s dive into the best cookies dropping at Crumbl for the week of September 23-28.

A Quick Note On Mini Cookies

This week I opted for the mini cookies instead of the full size just because I’ve been curious about them for a while. If you’ve never been to Crumbl, the mini cookies can be very appealing — they’re smaller, less indulgent, cheaper, and ideal for a person who wants a little bit of everything but doesn’t want to eat six giant cookies by themselves.

But if this is your first time at Crumbl, I’m going to go ahead and suggest against them. Crumbl cookies are at their best when they are decadent — people say Crumbl cookies can be too sweet, well, that’s kind of the point. These cookies are designed to be treats, and the full-size cookie packs way more flavor — the ratio of ingredients to toppings to cookie base is much better.

Yes, you’ll save some money by getting a six-pack of minis vs the full size, but only about $5, and for cookies that aren’t even half as big as the full size. So if you want the most bang for your buck, just get the full size. If you can’t decide which of the six deserves your money (that’s what we’re here for) go ahead and get the minis. Alright, let’s eat.

6. Birthday Cake ft. Oreo

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

In the intro to this piece, I mentioned that I feel like the big brand collaborations are safe and unimaginative, and the Birthday Cake cookie ft. Oreo is just that. This is the third week in a row that Crumbl has had some kind of Oreo cookie and they are all essentially interchangeable.

This cookie tastes like an Oreo, topped with cake batter cream cheese instead of the usual cream. That gives the cookie this weird sort of tang to it that tastes less like and elevated Oreo and more like something off-brand. Honestly, a pack of Oreos will serve you better than this cookie.

The cookie is supposed to come with rainbow sprinkles on top of the creme cheese topping, for whatever reason mine didn’t (I blame the minis), though I doubt the inclusion of sprinkles would’ve done anything to win me over.

The Bottom Line:

A straight-up skip.

5. Milk Chocolate Chip

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

This is another flavor that suffers from the mini form factor. The full size will give you big chunks of chocolate chip, with the mini you’re getting significantly less chocolate chips. But I’ve had this cookie enough times to know its good, that’s not why it’s ranked low on this list.

The other cookies at Crumbl are just better than this simple, albeit delicious, milk chocolate chip cookie.

The Bottom Line:

Just save your money and pick up next week’s semi-sweet chocolate chip. It’s the superior cookie. Or, if you love Milk Chocolate Chip so much that you can’t pass up on this, make sure you get the full size.

4. Caramel Shortbread ft. TWIX

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

What I like about the Caramel Shortbread ft. TWIX is that it doesn’t rely too heavily on TWIX, using the candy as a feature rather than a focal point. This cookie is great, the base is buttery and decadent, while the mix of caramel and milk chocolate topping offers a lot of richness that pairs well with the buttery base.

The crushed TWIX adds a nice amount of texture to this otherwise soft-chew cookie. Crumbl says that the cookie is filled with pieces of TWIX, and while I can confirm, I don’t feel like there were enough to impact the flavor in any way.

The Bottom Line:

A wonderfully tasty and indulgent cookie, recommended especially for fans of TWIX.

3. The Original Pink Sugar

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

It pains me to rank this one in third place because if it dropped among last week’s lineup, it would’ve easily taken the top spot. But the Pink Sugar is facing some stiff competition this week, and as delicious as this cookie is, there are a few better options.

This deceptively simple cookie looks like your average sugar cookie, but it’s elevated thanks to an almond base and almond frosting. There is a lot of subtlety and nuance here that the average sugar cookie lacks.

The almond adds a semi-bitter counterbalance, which tamps down some of the sweetness but also adds in light echoes of cherry. The way the flavors sit on the tongue are a truly enjoyable experience.

The Bottom Line:

Probably one of the best sugar cookies you’ll ever eat. Don’t write it off because of its simplicity.

2. Confetti Cake

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Wonderfully fluffy and moist, the Confetti Cake is a true treat for fans looking to get their cake fix at Crumbl this week. The cake features two layers of confetti yellow cake topped with a sweet and rich vanilla buttercream frosting, with some rainbow sprinkles for a bit of texture, but let’s face it, the sprinkles are mostly just a visual thing.

This cake is incredibly sweet and rich, so be warned, you’re going to want some help if you want to eat this one in one sitting.

The Bottom Line:

An elevated, tasty, confetti cake. Better than any box cake we’ve ever had.

1. Peanut Butter ft. Snickers

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

It finally happened people, after four weeks in a row where the top spot was taken by a cake, a cookie has finally managed to score first place. And we have Snickers to thank for that!

This cookie features a nutty peanut butter cookie base topped with toasty caramel buttercream, a milk chocolate drizzle, and pieces of chopped-up Snickers. It has this wonderful earthy toasted flavor that is well-balanced with rich chocolate notes.

There isn’t a single cookie in this lineup that made me more mad that I opted for the mini cookies this time around than this one. In fact, I’m planning on hitting up Crumbl again this week just so I can get the full-size version. While I like most Crumbl Cookies, no single cookie has made me want to visit twice in one week like this one.

The Bottom Line:

Delicious, toasty, nutty and rich. This is the best cookie at Crumbl this week.

Find your nearest Crumbl Cookie here.

Last week, Sabrina Carpenter and Christina Aguilera had people talking. They linked up for a TikTok video, in which the two lip-synced to audio of Kylie Jenner from The Kardashians. Carpenter says she’s “obsessed with my mom” and turns the camera to Aguilera before confirming she is indeed her mother’s favorite.

All jokes aside, it turns out there was a reason the two were together: Today (September 23), Aguilera released The 25th Anniversary Of Christina Aguilera | Spotify Anniversaries Live, which features live renditions of some of her classic songs. Most notably, she teams up with Carpenter on a new recording of “What A Girl Wants.” Also of note is the version of “Genie In A Bottle” with Machine Gun Kelly.

This comes amid a particularly highlight-filled September for Carpenter. Short N’ Sweet became her first album to top the Billboard 200 chart (but just barely). Billboard also named “Espresso” the “song of the summer.” Then, Carpenter performed a medley of “Please Please Please,” “Taste,” and “Espresso” at the 2024 MTV VMAs. Most recently, it was announced last week that Carpenter is releasing A Nonsense Christmas With Sabrina Carpenter, her first holiday special, on Netflix, and she promised, “This is really gonna jingle your bells.”

Stream the project below.

Since she left Cherry Glazerr to pursue a solo career, Sasami has released two genre-defying albums, 2019’s Sasami and 2022’s Squeeze. Soon, she’ll put out a third. Sasami’s new pop-heavy album is called Blood On The Silver Screen, and it comes out on March 5, 2025. You can watch the baseball field-set music video for second single “Slugger” above (Field Of Dreams, it ain’t).

Sasami described Blood On The Silver Screen as being “all about learning and respecting the craft of pop songwriting, about relenting to illogical passion, obsession, and guiltless pleasure. It’s about leaning into the chaos of romance and sweeping devotion — romanticism to the point of self-destruction.”

She continued, “This album for me is about having deep, meaningful relationships within a new definition of what is good, what is right, and what is powerful… I wanted to go all out with this album. I wanted to, in my tenderness and emotionality, have the bravery to undertake something as epic as making a pop record about love. I hope it makes people feel empowered and embodied, too. It’s important to not box yourself in.”

You can check out the tracklist, as well as Sasami’s fall tour dates, below.

Sasami’s Blood On The Silver Screen Tracklist

1. “Slugger”
2. “Just Be Friends”
3. “I’ll Be Gone”
4. “Love Makes You Do Crazy Things”
5. “In Love With A Memory” Feat. Clairo
6. “Possessed”
7. “Figure It Out”
8. “For The Weekend”
9. “Honeycrash”
10. “Smoke (Banished From Eden)”
11. “Nothing But A Sad Face On”
12. “Lose It All”
13. “The Seed”

Sasami’s 2024 Tour Dates: Blood On The Silver Screen

10/22 – Belin, DE @ Urban Spree
10/23 – Paris, FR @ Le Pop-Up Du Label
10/26 – Amsterdam, NE @ London Calling
10/29 – London, UK @ The Lower Third
10/30 – Manchester, UK @ Yes
11/06 – Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
11/07 – Columbus, OH @ The King of Clubs
11/08 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall
11/09 – Detroit, MI @ The Eastern
11/10 – Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
11/12 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount
11/14 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
11/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
11/16 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
11/17 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
11/18 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
11/20 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
11/22 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Midtown
11/23 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
11/24 – McAllen, TX @ Cine El Rey

Blood On The Silver Screen is out 3/7/2025 via Domino. You can find more information here.

CBS recently put NCIS: Hawai’i to sleep, but better news was on the horizon. This procedural world will yield two new spin offs without locations in the title, one of which will bring back beloved characters like Tony & Ziva for extended adventures. Additionally, the often emotionally airtight (at least at the beginning of NCIS) Leroy Jethro Gibbs will receive an origin story to keep Mark Harmon’s character in the mix, years after he left the show in Season 19.

As viewers are aware, the ex-Marine sniper suffered a nearly unspeakable tragedy when his wife and daughter were murdered. Gibbs was shown taking vengeance in NCIS, but generally speaking, the man kept most details about himself close to his sleeve. Fans will learn more about the enigmatic leader, however, in the upcoming NCIS: Origins, so let’s get down to business:

Cast

Mark Harmon’s son, Sean Harmon, chose not to reprise his role as the younger Gibbs that he portrayed during periodic NCIS flashback scenes. Both Mark and Sean, however, are producing, and Austin Stowell ^^^ is doing the acting honors. You can see Stowell in action in a full trailer, and man, these Dad TV shows really love to use Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” to promote.

Also, Mark Harmon will be very present, both in narrating the series and making a brief physical appearance to be revealed.

Additionally, younger Special Agent Mike Franks will portrayed by Kyle Schmid, who will be giving Muse Watson vibes. Variety further reports that Bobby Moynihan is onboard as Woody Browne, who is Definitely Not Abby Sciuto but is “the wildly overworked senior chemist and director of the NIS Forensic Lab, who compensates for his lack of sleep with an offbeat sense of humor.” And Lori Petty will step in as Dr. Lenora Friedman, “a seasoned pathologist at the San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office.”

Plot

As procedural devotees know, NCIS is actually a spin off to JAG, which initially introduced Mark Harmon as Gibbs and the late David McCallum as Dr. Ducky Mallard. As far as CBS has indicated, we won’t be seeing a younger Ducky in Origins yet, although that time could come. Instead, the first season will zero in on the complicated personal history (and professional life) of Gibbs after he came home from Operation Desert Storm. Surely, that would be the reason why the first episode’s title has been revealed as “Enter Sandman.” It ain’t because Gibbs happens to be a secret Metallica fan, although that probably wouldn’t make anybody mad if a reference slipped into the show.

NCIS: Origins will launch in 1991, more than a decade before the main series introduced Gibbs in his leadership position over Tony, Abby, Ziva, Tim, Kate, and many more rotating characters. Not only will the show dive deep into Gibbs’ turmoil over the loss of his wife and daughter, but we will also see his dad, now portrayed in the 1990s setting by Robert Taylor. According to co-star Kyle Schmid, the cast as a whole will make Origins “an edgier show” than viewers are accustomed to seeing in the NCIS realm.

Well, the series’ trailer does describe Gibbs as fitting into “the definition of crazy” after his traumatic loss. This show will seek to present “[t]he story he never told,” according to the series description, and viewers will see Gibbs “as a new special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office” on Special Agent Franks’ “ragtag team.” Get ready for to need some tissues, too? Maybe.

Release Date

CBS’ NCIS: Origins debuts on October 14 with a two-hour premiere and will stream on Paramount+.

Trailer

A full trailer really exists, so here is an intense look at Younger Gibbs and Special Agent Franks:

Among the highlights on Beyoncé’s hit album Cowboy Carter is the Post Malone collaboration “Levii’s Jeans.” Not long after the track’s release, denim company Levi’s had a significant stock jump, so much so that Levi Strauss CEO Michelle Gass said the following: “I would just say that denim is having a moment and the Levi’s brand is having a powerful moment around the world. One of the things that really is significant about the Levi’s brand and we place a lot of emphasis and investment is making sure that Levi’s brand remains in the center of culture. And I don’t think there’s any better evidence or proof point than having someone like Beyoncé, who is a culture shaper, to actually name a song after us.”

Well, it appears Gass figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to formally get into the Beyoncé business.

On Instagram today (September 23), Levi’s shared an illustration of Beyoncé riding a horse in silhouette. (They tagged Beyoncé in the post, so that’s how we know for sure it’s her.) The post is captioned, “INTRODUCING: A New Chapter.” Furthermore, the Levi’s Instagram now features a highlight titled “Levii’s.”

It’s not currently clear what’s going on here, as the aforementioned is so far all the publicly available information about the situation.