Category: Worldwide

Megan Thee Stallion, as part of a cover story for Elle Magazine, shared a powerful new personal essay that finds her reflecting on the Tory Lanez assault trial. (He was found guilty last year following the 2020 incident.)

In the piece, she spoke about the implications of the trial and how not being believed affected her:

“It never crossed my mind that people wouldn’t believe me. Still, I knew the truth and the indisputable facts would prevail. I had worked way too hard to reach this point in my career to let taunts deter me. When the guilty verdict came on Dec. 23, 2022, it was more than just vindication for me, it was a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, dismissed, and blamed for a violent crime committed against them.

But my heart hurts for all the women around the world who are suffering in silence, especially if you’re a Black woman who doesn’t appear as if she needs help. So many times, people looked at me and thought, ‘You look strong. You’re outspoken. You’re tall. You don’t look like somebody who needs to be saved.’ They assumed that, per preconceived stigmas, ‘I didn’t fit the profile of a victim,’ and that I didn’t need support or protection.

Time after time, women are bullied with backlash for speaking out against their attackers, especially when they’re accusing someone who is famous and wealthy. They’re often accused of lying or attempting to make money from their trauma. From firsthand experience, I know why a lot of women don’t come forward. Any support and empathy that I received was drowned out by overwhelming doubt and criticism from so many others.”

Toward the end, she notes that she’s trying her best to heal by taking time off social media and instead hanging out with her dogs (or popping up at baseball games.) Megan has also turned to journaling and prayer. And that, with this piece, it will be the last time she speaks about the incident.

“My purpose is for these words to serve as the final time that I’ll address anything regarding this case in the press,” she wrote. “I understand the public intrigue, but for the sake of my mental health, I don’t plan to keep reliving the most traumatic experience of my life over and over again. I’m choosing to change the narrative because I’m more than just my trauma.”

Read Megan’s full essay here.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Exactly a year after it premiered on AMC, the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul is at last on Netflix.

The 13 episodes of the Emmy-winning Breaking Bad prequel were added to the streaming service in the wee small hours of the morning, so if you haven’t watched the (incredible) final season or want to rewatch it, now you have plans for tonight. Maybe grab a Cinnabon on the way home from work for a mid-marathon treat? Just head to the nearest mall. You can’t miss it.

“I can definitely imagine revisiting it,” co-creator Vince Gilligan told Rolling Stone about whether he’d return to the Breaking Bad/Saul universe. “Selfishly, I’d like to do so, to keep this thing going. But without naming any names, I look around at some of the worlds, the universes, the stories that I love, whether they’re on TV or in the movies. And I think there’s a certain point, and it’s hard to define, where you’ve done too much in the same universe.”

Gilligan also discussed how he felt about saying goodbye to Saul, Kim, and the rest of the gang (mostly this fish). “I hope it won’t be quite as intense and quite as public as what Kim goes through on that rental-car shuttle. But maybe it’s like the reaction [REDACTED SPOILER]. I hope I’m home alone if that happens,” he said. Someone check in with Vince to see if it’s happened yet.

(Via Rolling Stone)

Over the course of the pandemic, Nicki Minaj caused quite a stir with her opinion on vaccines. In fact, she was even locked out of Twitter due to this. The rapper shared that her cousin’s friend became “impotent” and their “testicles became swollen” after their dose, and Dr. Anthony Fauci had to go on CNN to debunk this.

Now, notorious New York congressman George Santos is introducing The Minaj Act, which, according to Semafor political reporter Kadia Goba, “establishes a development period for new vaccines in order to generate public confidence.”

In September 2021, the “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” performer went on a Twitter tirade upon catching COVID yet still refusing to get vaccinated. “They want you to get vaccinated for the Met,” she wrote. “If I get vaccinated it won’t for the Met. It’ll be once I feel I’ve done enough research. I’m working on that now. In the meantime my loves, be safe. Wear the mask with 2 strings that grips your head & face. Not that loose one.”

That same month, a CNN reporter also received word from a source that The White House offered to explain the vaccine to her. Don Lemon wrote, “A White House official tells @cnn’s Jeff Zeleny that ‘As we have with others, we offered a call with Nicki Minaj and one of our doctors to answer questions she has about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.’”

Every now and then, Seth Meyers and a guest do a Late Night segment where they go day drinking. The 2019 segment with Rihanna was a particular hit and is the show’s most-viewed YouTube video. It turns out that segment was the most intoxicated Meyers has ever been on the show.

In a Late Late Show interview yesterday (April 17), James Corden asked Meyers what was the most drunk he’s ever gotten doing that segment, and Meyers responded, “We have to edit out some of the drinking just for time, so whatever you see, it’s like 40 percent more than that. Rihanna was the drunkest I’ve ever been, I think, and it was worth every second of it.”

The host then asked how drunk he got and Meyers responded:

“Well, first of all, I should note that… I hate to break the news here: she’s younger than me. We drank the same amount and then she definitely went out. Like, she was fine. She walked out, she looked as good as she did when we started. I went home, immediately fell asleep in the hallway of my apartment. Got in the door, fell asleep. My wife — passive-aggressively, James — put a water next to my head and went to bed.”

Check out the interview above and revisit the Rihanna day drinking segment below.

I recently wondered aloud how wild the May grand reopening of Casa Bonita would be in Lakewood, Colorado, and I’m definitely not the only one feeling it.

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have been planning accordingly, too, as revealed in an email read by the Local 9 news station. They darn well know that the “eatertainment” venue will be the place to be, given the nostalgia factor in addition to bringing “good food” (via Chef Dana “Loca” Rodriguez) to the table. Additionally, they must consider vast numbers of clientele, their more than 500 employees, and the enthusiasts who plan to camp out like it’s Black Friday but for those notorious sopapillas.

As such, the new Casa Bonita — and sadly, this is necessary — is investing in “active shooter training,” and management also plans to find overflow parking because, yeah, that is gonna be a thing. Through an email from the restaurant’s HR manager to the Lakewood mayor, those sentiments are on display because they expect sustained, enormous turnout:

“We still hope to connect with our neighbors about parking as we want to only have a positive impact on the neighborhood as we bring 500 new employees, and millions of guests a year,” reads part of an email by sent by Casa Bonita Human Resources manager Elisabeth Nietch to Lakewood Mayor Adam Paul.

The message, obtained by 9NEWS through a records request, was sent to address concerns the restaurant wasn’t communicating enough with the city.

The May reopening will take place roughly 49 years after the Lakewood location first opened in 1974. Following a decline in business and the pandemic nails in the coffin, the South Park pair decided to make Cartman’s dreams come true by resurrecting the landmark. They have since endured two years of nightmare renovations, and soon, they’ll be welcoming crowds. The email also outlined plans for SWAT and police teams to tour the venue, which is a wise move on everyone’s parts. Gotta be safe while enjoying sopapillas.

(Via 9 News in Denver)

Frank Ocean wrapped up the first weekend of Coachella this past Sunday (April 16) with his first live performance in years. Most people seem to agree that his set did not go well. An injury and last-minute changes to the stage setup appear to have been at play, but regardless, the show was what it was. If you ask Justin Bieber, though, what it was was pretty terrific.

Bieber was apparently in attendance, as she shared a photo from the set on Instagram. He also praised Ocean’s performance in the caption, writing, “I was blown away by Frank Oceans Coachella performance. His artistry is simply unmatched, his style, his taste, his voice, his attention to detail.. I was deeply moved. It made me want to keep going and get better as an artist. He continues to set the bar high and gave me a night I will never forget! Thanks Frank.”

Before this, Bieber and Ocean had some shared history. Ocean (credited as Lonnie Breaux) co-wrote “Bigger” from Bieber’s 2009 debut EP, My World. Ocean and Tyler The Creator also apparently wrote a song for Bieber’s 2012 album Believe that ultimately didn’t make the cut, Tyler revealed in 2013. Bieber and Jaden Smith also covered Ocean’s “Thinking About You” in 2011.

Monday night’s Game 2 between the Kings and Warriors in Sacramento ended with a 114-106 win for the home team to give them a 2-0 series lead. The fourth quarter was tense, with both teams trading leads and runs, but the Kings made their best push late, thanks in part to a mid-quarter ejection that saw Draymond Green get tossed for stomping on Domantas Sabonis’ chest after the Kings’ big man grabbed at Green’s ankle.

Green was hit with a Flagrant 2 while Sabonis got a technical, and without Green on the floor, the Kings could seemingly get just about anything they wanted offensively. After the game, Green explained that his frustration with getting grabbed in back-to-back games, noting Monk grabbed him in Game 1, and said “my foot has to land somewhere.”

On Inside the NBA, Shaq empathized with Green with an all-time quote, saying “I’d do the same thing,” before willingly admitting it was a “dirty play.”

“One bad play begets another,” Shaq said. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not gonna sit up here and be a hypocrite, I’d do the same thing. Don’t be grabbin at me, because, what am I going to do? Like if I stay there and just try to run forward, I fall. You gotta get em up off you. And if you’re up off of you and you’re in the way, you might get stomped on. Was it a dirty play? Of course it was a dirty play. … Just don’t grab me, and that wouldn’t happen.”

Kenny Smith then delivered a great line with “If I grab you and you hit me with a chair…it’s just excessive,” as he tried to explain that this wasn’t simply and eye for an eye situation. Meanwhile Chuck egged Shaq on as the big fella tried to get someone to grab his leg for an on-set demonstration of all his options, with Barkley asking if he can stomp Shaquille.

After a thriller in the opener, Game 2 of the Warriors-Kings series was more of the same as the two teams once again found themselves locked in a tight game in the fourth quarter. With Sacramento up four, Draymond Green and Domantas Sabonis got tangled up for what felt like the 100th time on the night, as the Kings All-Star big man grabbed Green’s leg while Draymond stepped over him. Green responded by stomping on Sabonis, who stayed down on the floor for some time.

It was a wild scene, and after a lengthy review during which Green egged on the Sacramento crowd and got into it with some fans behind the bench, the officials handed out punishment to both players.

Green was ejected for a Flagrant 2 for the stomp, which was unsurprising and deserved, while Sabonis was rightfully given a technical for instigating the altercation by grabbing Green’s foot.

Both players had spent much of the game trying to bait each other into fouls, crashing into one another and flopping to the ground throughout the first three quarters. As such, it wasn’t all that surprising to see them end up going too far, with Green forcing the Warriors to play the final seven minutes without him.

Latto may have taken subliminal shots at Nicki Minaj during her set at Coachella, but the “Princess Diana (Remix)” rapper has received love elsewhere. During a sit-down interview with The Shade Room, “Clap Back” rapper Ja Rule had no problem giving his fellow Queens native her flowers.

When asked about his thoughts on the “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” rapper’s impact on hip-hop, he made it clear that “Minaj’s place in hip-hop is [solidified].” However, he didn’t have a problem shading other ‘female MCs’ in the process.

“No female MCs out and about before Nicki came out. Before her, the last one was like, Lauryn Hill. And then before her, it was, like, Queen Latifah and Salt-N-Pepa and artists like this, MC Lyte,” said the rapper.

Rule doubled down on his statement, adding, “The female MCs they’re having a run like they’ve never had before, and to me, in my opinion, I would say Nicki re-opened that door.”

In the video’s comment section, fans called Ja Rule out for leaving out other women rappers like Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Missy Elliott, Eve, and Trina, to name a few.

But Minaj’s fans came to his defense, writing, “She’s had an amazing career in rap that the other ladies don’t,” continuing, “That’s commendable and needs to be studied.”

Watch the full interview above.

Bad Bunny was an invigorating headliner at Coachella on Friday, April 14. The Un Verano Sin Ti artist brought out plenty of exciting artists, including Post Malone, Jhay Cortez, and Ñengo Flow. However, there was one particular thing that sparked drama online.

The screen behind Bad Bunny flashed with fans’ tweets, and one shaded beloved pop star Harry Styles: “Good night, Benito could do as it was, but Harry could never do el apagon.”

However, Rolling Stone has reported that a representative for Bad Bunny confirmed to the publication that he did not approve of that image. In addition, the company that provides the background visuals for Bad Bunny’s set, Sturdy.Co, shared a statement in an Instagram Story addressing the situation. Read it below.

“Our intention is to create light hearted designs that embody Bad Bunny’s personality and amplify the experience he presents as a performer. The request from the artist during the visuals for ‘El Apagón’ performance was to use the image only and not text from the tweet, which we take responsibility for and correct it for Friday’s performance. These visuals are a celebration of Bad Bunny and his dedication to empowering his native island, Puerto Rico.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.