Category: News

Yesterday, Britney Spears appeared in court (virtually) and spoke at length about her conservatorship. She gave a long and detailed statement, one of the big takeaways of which was Spears’ claim that her team won’t allow her to get an IUD removed. On that front, Spears said (per Variety), “I want to be able to get married and have a baby. I was told right now in the conservatorship, I’m not able to get married or have a baby. I have a [IUD] inside of myself right now so I don’t get pregnant. I wanted to take the [IUD] out so I could start trying to have another baby. But this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out because they don’t want me to have […] any more children.”

Following that allegation, Spears got some support from Planned Parenthood Federation Of America president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson. In a statement, Johnson said (according to Billboard):

“It is incredibly distressing to hear the trauma that Britney Spears has been through — including the appalling news that she has not been able to remove her own IUD. We stand in solidarity with Britney and all women who face reproductive coercion. Your reproductive health is your own — and no one should make decisions about it for you. Every person should have the ability to make their own decisions about their bodies and exercise bodily autonomy.”

Check out some reactions to Spears’ court appearance from her peers in music here.

Carl Lewis is known by a lot of people for a lot of things. He’s one of the most decorated American athletes in Olympic history with nine gold medals to his name, including four straight medals in the long jump. Lewis coaches track at the University of Houston, where he once ran on his way to being named Olympian of the Century by Sports Illustrated. He’s also something of a meme online, especially when things go sideways at sporting events.

To talk to Lewis, though, is to get a glimpse of a worldview much different than that meme. He’s all about progress, a positive and enthusiastic man now teaching athletes rather than competing with them. Lewis is active on social media, critiquing inequality everywhere, especially in sports. Which perhaps is why he’s advocating for Silk’s Team Protein initiative to help five Historically Black Colleges and Universities with $10,000 donations to their track and field programs. Whichever programs win will be rivals to his school at meets and events, but for Lewis the larger picture matters much more.

“I just hope that whenever I pass through something,” Lewis said. “That I’ve left it better — and helped to do that — than when it was when I got there.”

Lewis spoke with Uproxx by phone ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Games to talk about preparing for the Olympics, his role in track and field today and what kind of legacy he’d like to leave behind in sports. He also gave me some very good running advice.

First of all we should talk about the Olympics. This is definitely one of the weirdest leadups to the Olympics in modern history. Are you still looking forward to the Games? I wanted to get your perspective on the games and how you prepare for something that’s been delayed and there’s a lot of uncertainty about what it’s going to look like.

Well basically, for me, it’s unique because I started coaching at the University of Houston in 2015 and now I have athletes in the Olympics. Of course I competed for many years and then went from a business standpoint, and now I’ll be catching. So it’s a whole new world for me in regard to that.

I think it’s interesting when athletes start coaching and move into that sphere, a lot of times there’s a disconnect. You’ve done incredible things in your career, but sometimes athletes understand their bodies differently. How long did it take you to find your groove as a coach and sort of understand how other people train and learn and grow?

The way I looked at it, instead of coaching I just thought of it as teaching. I’m basically at the same university I went to using the same system that the coach that coached me did. So I just take it as a teacher. My parents were both teachers, so I saw that happen.

And the biggest thing is that you’re dealing with kids, young people, who are between 17 and 23. So my thought is I’m not just here to coach them and win off of them, because I’ve had my own success, but to teach them to grow and live and be a better person in this world. So my focus is on the total person, especially coaching a lot of young African-American young men because they’re sprinters. So that’s the way I’ve looked at it, and fortunately we’ve had success. But it’s really about development. Develop athletically, we take kids, not the best, No. 1 kids in the country in most cases, and we develop them to be the best. And that comes not just as an athlete, but as a person.

That’s really refreshing to hear because there’s so much specialization in athletics now. So many people for so long say you have to choose early what you want to do. And to think about it as just a human being who’s learning and growing and figuring themselves out while they’re trying to excel athletically, I think that’s a really important perspective.

Yeah, you know what’s interesting that I see now is my parents were coaches, teachers and all of that. And strangely enough you grow up saying ‘Oh, my god, I can’t wait to get out of the house.’ And then you get out of the house and I become one of them. [laughs]

But it’s something I’m proud of, I had wonderful parents and wonderful opportunity. And I see the value in support in a young person, because I had support from every direction and I know it had impact in my life.

I wanted to ask about what you’re doing with Silk. It’s a really cool idea and obviously HBCUs are historically underfunded. And you’re very passionate about systemic issues in society and helping young people, so this seems like a perfect fit. Why was it so important for you to do?

Well, to be honest a number of reasons. Number one, my relationship with Silk. Because I started with Silk and soy milk products since the 1980s. And I’ve had a plant-based diet since then. So there’s definitely a connection to that point.

And then the HBCU initiative because I, basically, as a track coach I see HBCU programs and I see some of the challenges. Whether it’s Texas Southern down here or Prairie View, which I know very well, or my parents who actually met when they were attending Tuskegee Institute. So there’s a number of reasons why I think this initiative is so important.

And me being able to join the Silk Pro Team initiative, you just nominate your friend or someone you want and they get selected, that $10,000 goes a long way, a lot longer than what people think.

It’s amazing how much even a little bit of funding helps, and even just more visibility for it. I saw a story last year that really gave me perspective about how there had never been a five-star athlete officially committing to an HBCU in basketball. It’s such a staggering thing to think about and how far we still have to go to make things a little more equitable.

What’s happening is, well I coach at the University of Houston, we’re technically a Group of Five school, in the American Conference. I hear people all the time talk about ‘You have to go to a Power Five conference, look at all the facilities.’

When I try to talk to people, a couple things I say is it’s not about the conference, it’s about the schools and the coach and the system. So often we’re just caught up in stuff — look at all these great uniforms and equipment and facilities — and what I tell my young people, I say I’m not concerned about the facilities they have, I’m trying to get you to the facilities you can buy. You know? I’m teaching you how to buy your own instead of you being impressed with theirs.

But it’s because we’re told you can’t be successful at that level. The reality is that you can be successful at any level if you have the right system, people that care and if you are given access. No question.

Beyond initiatives like this, what’s something that someone who wants to help fix these inequalities can do or find ways to help make these things better? Where’s the best place to start?

The biggest thing is just clearing your mind and looking at the records and opportunity. Right now we’re starting to get players and athletes thinking about trying an HBCU. I’ve definitely seen interest in track and field and we’re starting to see it in ball players, I know people are looking at these schools.

I think the biggest thing is to open your mind and not think automatically that there’s one way to the NBA or to the NFL or post-collegiate track and field. So just open your mind. And check out these schools, because academically they have a lot of great programs, they’re going to have diversity. Because we automatically think an HBCU is for Black students, no, they have all kinds of diversity in a lot of cases — they just gave access to African-Americans. And your’e going to see that many of the important teachers and other people in this school came from there. So just open your mind to what the possibility is.

You’re known for a lot of things in a lot of different spheres. I just talked to my mom before this and she said ‘Oh, my god. He’s a legend.’ So pressure’s on me here. But I wanted to know with you doing so much and being involved in a lot of areas in your career, what is it you want to be known for at the end of the day? I know a legacy isn’t something you can really control, but what’s something you want people to know about you first and foremost?

I’ll put it in this perspective: When I talk to the athletes that come in, I say, ‘Leave something better than when you came in.’ I was raised in an area where all I saw was my parents in service. They were public school teachers, they ran the track club. So I just saw service. And I hope I can educate people and leave track better.

In track and field, we came in and fought against drugs and wanted to make sure there was professionalism. So we hoped we left it better. Now with college and students and athletes, I want them to leave the program better and be a leader, to get their education and be the best they can be. Enough so that they want to come back, just like I was raised to be.

And so you look at what in some cases is such a small little thing that some of these people need. What if a program needs to go to a track meet but they can’t afford to. And they win this initiative and get the donation. Well all of a sudden they can go to that. And what if someone is there watching, or someone runs that race and gets into the Olympic trials like we had some kids do last weekend? That’s the way I look at it.

That’s great, and I’m going to give you one last opportunity to do that on a very small scale. I desperately want to be someone who likes running, and I have just never figured out a way to get into it and stick with it. What’s a tip you have for someone who wants to start training and just can’t get out of their own way?

Well, I’m not a big runner-runner either. I ride bikes a lot. But what I’d say is to start with a friend and walking. So pick a distance that’s comfortable, start walking and then as you walk together maybe go a week or two, then time it. Keep it the same distance but time it. And then next thing you know, if you have any competitive bone in your body, and it seems like you do, you’re going to want to beat that time. [laughs]

So then that slow walk becomes a fast walk, becomes a jog and then you’ll say ‘well that was easy. That’s not long enough.’ And then next thing you know you’re joining a running club. But do it at a pace that, it may take a year until you join a running club but you start by maybe walking a mile. Then you say ‘this isn’t long enough’ and then you go to two miles or three miles. So that’s what I’d say. Get a partner that’s going to inspire you and start walking.

There’s a good chance one of your favorite performers is in The Harder They Fall. Netflix’s “new school Western” stars Lovecraft Country‘s Jonathan Majors as Nat Love, an outlaw “who hunts down those who trespass against him with no mercy.” He discovers that his enemy, Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), is “being released from prison [so] he rounds up his gang to track Rufus down and seek revenge,” according to the official plot summary. His crew includes Zazie Beetz, Edi Gathegi, and R.J. Cyler.

Elba’s Rufus Buck has a team of his own, including LaKeith Stanfield as Cherokee Bill and Regina King as “Treacherous” Trudy King, who “ain’t no nincompoop.” Rounding out the incredible cast is Danielle Deadwyler, Damon Wayans Jr., Deon Cole, and Delroy Lindo, who played Majors’ father in an Oscar-worthy performance in Da 5 Bloods.

Here’s more:

Directed by Jeymes Samuel, written by Samuel and Boaz Yakin, produced by Shawn Carter, James Lassiter, Lawrence Bender, and Jeymes Samuel, and featuring a red hot soundtrack and a stunning all-star cast, including Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, LaKeith Stanfield, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Damon Wayans Jr., Deon Cole with Regina King and Idris Elba revenge has never been served colder.

The Harder They Fall premieres on Netflix and in theaters later this year.

The NBA Draft Combine is a far lesser spectacle to the NFL’s version, if for no other reason than there is no 40-yard dash, which tends to produce the most eye-popping visuals of athleticism, and the best prospects often choose to do nothing more than get measured and meet with teams — whereas, most NFL prospects will run and jump even if they pass on the on-field drill portion.

Still, the Draft Combine is an important opportunity for those who aren’t those very top prospects to show their skills and athleticism in front of a captive audience of the top decision-makers for most every team around the league. Some players can improve their draft stock by showing out in on-court drills and scrimmages, while others will put up eye-popping numbers in the athletic testing. Our first great example of the latter happening came on Wednesday, when Tennessee’s Keon Johnson broke the Draft Combine’s max vert record with an outrageous 48-inch leap.

That is the definition of bunnies, and while Johnson’s athleticism wasn’t a secret, this is not just confirmation of what he can do as an athlete, but an eye-popping figure that turned a lot of heads in the Draft community. Johnson was already a fringe lottery prospect, and certainly didn’t hurt his chances of going in the lotto with this leap. There’s obviously plenty for teams to consider beyond those hops, but as we’ve seen many times, it’s not hard for teams to fall in love with the intrigue of a hyper-athletic player and Johnson certainly put that on full display.

After taking a couple of years longer than expected to release his 2020 debut album, ADHD, Joyner Lucas kept his foot on the gas and closed out the year with another project, Evolution. The Massachusetts native dropped the 12-track effort with features from The Game, Ashanti, Rick Ross, Elijah James, and more. Now, nearly a year after it was released, Lucas reappears with a video for “Legend” with Rick Ross. The new visual captures Lucas’ growth from a young man with hopes of thriving in music to an adult living out his dreams as a prospering rapper. Ross joins him later on in the video as they both enjoy the fruits of their labors.

The new visual, which also boasts cameos from T.I. and his son Domani, comes after was joined by fellow Massachusetts native Mark Wahlberg in the video for “Zim Zimma.” In that effort, which also featured appearances from Diddy and George Lopez, Walhberg crashed the rapper’s car during a high-speed cruise. Prior to that, Lucas connected with Lil Baby to celebrate their rise to fame in the video for “Ramen & OJ.”

As for Rick Ross, the Maybach Music head honcho has been teasing a joint project with Drake for some time now. During an interview with Complex, he gave somewhat of an update on the potential effort. “He’s wrapping up his project and I’m in the same space. So the timing and everything is aligning,” he said. “It’s something that we really want to give to the streets, on some real sh*t.”

You can watch the video for “Legend” above.

On Wednesday, Britney Spears appeared at a court hearing on the subject of her conservatorship, which is now in its 13th year. The singer asked a judge to terminate it, deeming it “abusive” as well as restrictive on her desired lifestyle. “I’ve been in denial,” she admitted. “I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized. I just want my life back.” A number of stars from the music world stepped forward to show their support — including her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake.

“After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time,” he wrote on Twitter. “Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was… what’s happening to her is just not right. No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body.” He added, “No one should EVER be held against their will… or ever have to ask permission to access everything they’ve worked so hard for.”

To conclude, Timberlake added that his wife, Jessica Biel, is also in support of the singer’s freedom from the conservatorship. “Jess and I send our love, and our absolute support to Britney during this time,” he wrote. “We hope the courts, and her family make this right and let her live however she wants to live.”

The Bucks and Hawks met in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday night and produced a thriller. For all of the hand-wringing about whether the four markets in the conference finals were what the NBA would want, the basketball through three games (including the first two Suns-Clippers games) have been spectacular.

Early on, the Bucks took the advantage thanks to great early ball movement and stellar play from Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo, as they were able to go up by as many as nine in the first half and held a five-point advantage at the break.

Trae Young held the Hawks in it with 25 points in the first half as he was able to get to his spots early and often, shaking off a rough Game 7 shooting night with a tremendous effort in Game 1.

The third quarter was more of the Trae Young show, but most importantly he started getting everyone else involved and the Hawks offense began to hum, outscoring Milwaukee 34-26 to take a three-point lead to the fourth. The highlights of the game came from that third quarter explosion, as Young hit John Collins on a wild off-the-backboard lob and then shook Holiday to get wide open for a three, drilling it after a shimmy before the shot to the delight of everyone, including LeBron James.

The Bucks would have an answer though in a big run in the fourth quarter to retake the lead and suddenly it seemed like they might take control of the game as Giannis woke up and they were able to get him consistent looks at the rim.

Young didn’t score much to open the fourth quarter, but got to 40 points with this and-1 bucket to close the gap back down to one possession, and set up a thrilling finish.

The two teams would trade buckets for much of the rest of the way, with the Bucks never able to get separation but the Hawks struggling to close the gap completely. That was until there were 30 seconds to play and, after a rare stop, Atlanta got a massive putback bucket from Clint Capela off a Young miss that gave Atlanta the lead again at 112-111.

The Bucks then got the ball with a chance to take the lead and Khris Middleton, who had been dreadful all night offensively, was able to get baseline and draw the help, kicking it out to Pat Connaughton who fired up an airball that then got tipped around and eventually into the hands of Young.

Trae would hit both of his free throws and then, for some reason, the Bucks with under 10 seconds to play threw the ball inside to Giannis who got fouled without being able to get the ball up for a possible and-1. Antetokounmpo managed to hit both of his free throws in a bit of a surprise to cut the lead back down to one with 5.3 seconds to go. Young then got the ball and was fouled with 4.6 seconds on the clock, hitting both to get himself to 48 points and 11 assists on the night and, once again, set up a scenario for the Bucks to need a three to tie the game.

That was a challenge the Bucks were not up to, as Middleton launched a three that went begging to finish his night with 15 points on 6-of-23 shooting.

That meant the Hawks picked up yet another road win in these playoffs, as they have been sensational away from Atlanta so far this postseason, to steal homecourt advantage. Young’s performance made NBA history, becoming the first player with a 48/11 stat line as he continues to be an absolutely dominant force for the Hawks, carving up the Milwaukee defense as he has with every defense thus far.

As for support for Young, John Collins continues to be spectacular for Atlanta, scoring 23 points and piling up 15 rebounds on 11-of-16 shooting. Game 7 hero Kevin Huerter had 13 points and Clint Capela had 12, but it was the Young and Collins show that drove the Hawks to this big win.

For Milwaukee, they got everything they could’ve asked for from Antetokounmpo and Holiday, who combined for 67 points (with both going 14-of-25 from the field), but Middleton’s disastrous shooting night, coupled with their role players likewise being ice cold from three (8-for-36 from deep as a team) was just too much for them to overcome on a night where Young had it all working. They’ll have plenty to go over in the film room with regards to their coverage on Young, but that’s a code no one has cracked all postseason.

Trae Young had his worst shooting performance of the postseason in Game 7 of the conference semifinals against the Sixers, but it didn’t matter as the Hawks still pulled out a victory to reach the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bucks. In Game 1 in Milwaukee, Young shook off that Game 7 shooting night to light up the Bucks, scoring 37 points in the first three quarters of the game, absolutely taking over in the third to lead the Hawks from a five-point deficit at the half to a three-point lead going to the fourth.

Not only was Young scoring — something he did in the first half as well with 25 points — but he was starting to get his teammates involved and that is a combination that makes the Hawks nearly unstoppable. The Bucks seemed content to let Young shoot early in the game, but he also started to break down their defense and get everyone else involved in the third, which led to a 34-point explosion for Atlanta.

It was a quarter that will live on the Young highlight reel for a long time, as he broke out two plays you’d expect to see more on the And-1 Mixtape Tour than the Eastern Conference Finals. First, he tossed an off-the-backboard lob in a halfcourt set to John Collins that was absolutely ludicrous.

Former Hawk Kent Bazemore offered some insight that he’d seen them do that in practice but had told them it’d never work in a game.

After that, Young shook free of Jrue Holiday on a screen and found himself uncovered at the three-point line and couldn’t help but offer a full shimmy before lining up the shot and knocking it down.

That’s a move that requires supreme confidence and the knowledge that missing it there will get you on Shaqtin A Fool and lit up by the opposing crowd, but he drilled it and it became a second incredible highlight in as many minutes. After those two plays from Young, LeBron James was beside himself on Twitter.

It was truly an exceptional sequence from Young and one that shows why he has become one of the game’s great players (and heels).

Time was the GOP would sing the praises of the U.S. military — or at least use them as a cudgel with which to beat Democrats. Those days, apparently, are over. Donald Trump made anyone fair game, and his minions have no trouble throwing soldiers — who the former president reportedly once called “losers and suckers” — under the bus. So when Matt Gaetz dared attack a decorated general, people weren’t having it.

Earlier Wednesday, Gaetz made waves when he got owned by General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, after claiming teaching Critical Race Theory — or the idea that the nation has deeply racist roots, which is undeniable — is somehow making soldiers “woke.” Milley responded that teaching it is a good thing, and that he found Gaetz’s accusation “personally offensive.” The congressman’s petulant response quickly became a social media meme, and rightly so.

Gaetz didn’t raise his voice to the general. But later, in safety on Twitter, he blasted Milley, writing, “With Generals like this it’s no wonder we’ve fought considerably more wars than we’ve won.”

A guy who’s never served who has mounting legal debt and ties to a sex trafficking ring talking down to a respected military leader? It didn’t go over so well. There were many parts of Gaetz’s personal life to dredge up, and some went for his DUIs.

Others chose his more recent legal woes.

Or his lack of military service.

Or his lack of military service and his more recent legal woes.

Some intimated that he might be a coward.

Others saw him as emblematic of the new GOP.

Anyway, next time Republicans try to hector Democrats for insufficient patriotism, show them Matt Gaetz’s tweet. Perhaps by then he’ll already be in jail.

On Wednesday, the music world turned their attention to the latest hearing in Britney Spears’ conservatorship trial, where the pop sensation pled for her freedom, asking a judge to terminate the court-ordered arrangement. “I am traumatized. I’m not happy, I can’t sleep. I’m so angry I’m insane,” she told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny. “It’s my wish and my dream for this to end.” Britney also detailed how restrictive the conservatorship has become on her life.

“All I want is to own my money … and for this to end … and for my boyfriend to be able to fucking drive me in his car,” she added. “And honestly … I want to be able to sue my family … I have an IUD in my body right now that won’t let me have a baby and my conservators won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out. I wanna be able to get married and have a baby.”

After hearing the singer speak, a number of acts from the music world hopped on Twitter to express their support for Britney. In a pair of tweets, Halsey wrote, “I admire her courage speaking up for herself today.” Mariah Carey chimed in with her own words of encouragement, writing, “We love you Britney!!! Stay strong [heart emojis].”

You can read more tweets in support of Britney from the music world below.

Cher is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.