GoneTrending

Chris Rock was supposed to present the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 94th Academy Awards last night. He did do that, but that wasn’t the takeaway from his time on stage, given that after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith got on stage and slapped him.

After the incident, though, Rock did manage to present the award, giving it to Questlove’s film Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised). In an already emotionally charged atmosphere, Questlove (who shook Smith’s hand and hugged him on his way to the stage) gave an acceptance speech, in which he too got emotional.

Pausing on multiple occasions, Questlove said:

“It’s not lost on me that the Harlem Cultural Festival should have been something that my beautiful mother… and my dad… should have taken me to when I was 5 years old, and… This is such a stunning moment for me right now. But this is not about me. This is about marginalized people in Harlem that needed to heal from pain. And just know that in 2022, this is not just a 1969 story about marginalized people in Harlem. This is a story of… I’m sorry, I’m just overwhelmed right now. I’m going to get myself together and thank everyone properly when I get off stage. […] I’m so happy right now, I could cry. Thank you.”

During a recent Late Night With Seth Meyers interview, Questlove noted the success of the movie has exceeded his expectations, saying, “At least I know with music what a goal is, but with the movie world, I just had no clue. I just wanted to make something really cool and hopefully they were gonna show it in a few classrooms, and then maybe discover it 20 years from now, like, ‘Yo, you know Questlove did this thing?’”

Watch Questlove’s acceptance speech above and find the full list of this year’s Academy Award winners here.

After what seemed like a scripted moment at the Oscars turned out to be an actual altercation that immediately overshadowed the rest of the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has issued a statement addressing Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the ceremony. In theory, the short tweet chastises Smith for his actions, but the statement also focuses attention upon the winners who may have missed out on Oscar glory over the now-viral attack.

“The Academy does not condone violence of any form,” the official Academy Twitter account wrote roughly two hours after the broadcast. “Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.”

According to Deadline, the Academy may have more work to do beyond a tweet. While Rock may have declined to press charges at least one member (Marshall Herskovitz, producer of The Last Samauri) is calling for disciplinary action against Smith. That position is shared by many social media users, who noted that the Academy still allowed Smith to give an emotional speech after winning the award for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard.

You can see some of the reactions below:

(Via Deadline)

A couple of weeks ago, rap prodigy Vince Staples released the music video for “Magic,” the first single from his forthcoming album Ramona Park Broke My Heart, which he first began teasing even before unveiling last year’s critically-acclaimed Vince Staples. Today, he’s back with a new single, “Rose Street,” and another music video.

The first 45 seconds of the song is a sample, leaving only a little over a minute for Staples to break into a flow. Against a trap beat and booming bass, he spews quips about his devotion to his friends over his romantic relationships: “I’m married to the gang, don’t be playing games / Only bringing flowers to the homie’s grave.” It ends abruptly.

The video is much less chaotic than the one for “Magic”; instead of getting jumped at a house party, he’s sitting solemnly on graffiti-adorned rocks at a beach looking at the crashing waves introspectively.

Before releasing the song at midnight, Staples took to Twitter to generate some hype: “Will Smith inspired me man let me drop this video,” he wrote, referring, of course, to Smith smacking Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith at the Oscars.

Watch the video for “Rose Street” above.

In case you haven’t been online for the past 12 hours, what will certainly go down as one of the year’s defining pop culture events happened last night. While on stage to present the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 94th Academy Awards last night, Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. Will Smith, her husband, didn’t take kindly to the jab, so he got on stage, slapped Rock in the face pretty hard on live television, returned to his seat, and screamed twice, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f*cking mouth!”

It was a surreal moment and now we’re left with the aftermath. On that note, it appears Rock and Smith have settled their differences and moved on: Diddy, who was in attendance, told Page Six, “That’s not a problem. That’s over. I can confirm that.” The publication noted he did not elaborate on how the two had reconciled but continued, “It’s all love. They’re brothers.”

This comes after Page Six reported, citing “sources at the Academy Awards,” that Diddy talked to both Rock and Smith and that the two had “agreed to make amends later in the evening.” Later, Smith showed up to Vanity Fair‘s Oscars party, while Rock did not, as Page Six notes. They also said of the scene, “Smith arrived after midnight and headed to the dance floor. DJ D-Nice was spinning tunes and played a number of songs by Smith as a tribute when the star and his family arrived. Smith, 53, danced and rapped along to his ’90s hits ‘Summertime,’ Miami,’ and ‘Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It.’ Jada, 50, was by his side grooving on the dance floor, along with their kids Jaden, 23, and Willow, 21.”

In his teary Best Actor acceptance speech at the 2022 Oscars, King Richard star Will Smith said, “To do what we do, you gotta be able to take abuse. You gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you gotta be able to have people disrespecting you and you gotta smile and pretend like that’s OK.” But Smith was not reacting that way when he smacked presenter Chris Rock during the live telecast for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

It was the most shocking Oscars moment since the Moonlight vs. La La Land incident (and maybe ever), and there will be plenty of hot takes in the days to come. But Rock has reportedly threatened to decline a police report against Smith, according to Variety.

A full statement from the Los Angeles Police Department reads: “LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program. The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”

A “highly placed Hollywood source” told the New York Post that while it’s extremely unlikely that Smith will be forced to return his Oscar for breaking the Academy’s conduct code, they added, “It’s basically assault. Everyone was just so shocked in the room, it was so uncomfortable… Who knows what will happen now.” Smith was seen dancing at the Vanity Fair Oscar party following his win (and the slap).

(Via Variety)

By now, you are well aware (even if you didn’t watch The Oscars) what happened at The Oscars. Will Smith smacked Chris Rock, onstage, after he made a G.I. Jane joke about Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Then Chris carried on with the show, and Will pretty clearly referenced the moment while winning Best Actor (his weepy speech included, “Love will make you do crazy things”). By then, the show was in chaos mode with some viewers still wondering if the moment was real, but it certainly sounded real and, in the light of day, is being seen as such with the Academy denouncing violence in a pointed statement.

The fallout is enormous, with a little bit of that (initially) landing on the verified Will Smith Twitter account (not owned by Will Smith, the actor). A larger discussion about violence is now taking place, and (just for some context, not as anything close to an excuse), it’s worth looking at the history. This wasn’t the first time that Rock told jokes about Jada (and Will) at the Oscars. In 2016, Rock hosted the show and made light of Jada boycotting the Oscars (over a lack of diversity), which Rock likened to “me boycotting Rihanna’s panties–I wasn’t invited!” In the below clip, Rock also spoke to those who believed that Will should have been nominated (for Concussion), and Rock reacted with this: “It’s also not fair that Will was paid $20 million for Wild Wild West.”

It’s a clip worth noting for some historical context, for sure, yet it doesn’t erase the reality that Will Smith reacted to a joke in the way that he did. Yes, Jada has spoken openly about being afflicted with alopecia, and the GI Jane joke wasn’t fantastic (whether or not Rock was aware of the reason for Jada’s hairstyle), but yeah, boy, what a mess. The fallout will continue, and people sure are remembering the 2016 jokes.

If you need something a little less tension-filled, remember how Timothée Chalamet tried to start the show off in a less controversial way? Man, what a night.

The music world faced tragic news over the weekend when it was revealed Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died at 50 years old. In light of that, Rolling Stone shared the full transcript of their last in-person interview with Hawkins, which took place in June 2021. Portions of the conversation were included in a September 2021 cover story on Foo Fighters.

During the interview, Hawkins tells a story of Grohl encouraging him shortly after he joined the band, when Hawkins wasn’t confident he was good enough to be in the group; Hawkins’ first album with the band was 1999’s There Is Nothing Left To Lose, as he replaced previous drummer William Goldsmith. Part of this story was included in the aforementioned Rolling Stone feature, but Hawkins’ newly shared full quote offers more context.

Hawkins started the story by discussing Goldsmith’s departure and expressing the lack of faith in himself he was feeling, saying:

“William [Goldsmith] tried to record drums for that second record. We all know it didn’t work out for various reasons. He just wasn’t really ready. But Dave didn’t fire him. Dave said, ‘I want you to stay in the band.’ And he didn’t, and that’s all on him. Dave feels bad about the way it happened. He’s expressed it plenty of f*cking times. But I feel bad that Dave gets the… Dave, he shouldn’t be demonized for that, because all he was trying to do was make sure his band could still exist. And the version that they had, he knew it wasn’t good enough. And I was so scared when we went to go do Nothing Left To Lose. I had red light fever so bad. […] Because the last guy f*cking… So how am I going to make it through this? And I didn’t know how to.

And the producer, Adam Kasper, was like, ‘Oh, can Dave just play drums?’ I could just hear it in his face. I mean, he was a nice guy, but he had Dave Grohl. He’s like, ‘Why is this kid trying to learn to play to a click track right now in front of me? Let’s get this record done.’”

Hawkins continued by describing an emotional and meaningful conversation he and Grohl had:

“And at one point I just said to Dave, ‘Listen, dude, I just don’t think I can do this.’ And I was battling the demons a bit back then as well. I was just so scared. And he said, it kind of chokes me up, he just held my hand through it, and he’s like, ‘You’re going to play some drums on this.’ [At this point, Hawkins’ eyes visibly tear up.] And I did half the drums on it, because he f*cking held my hand through it, like that older brother, best friend does.

So there you go. That’s why we’re here today, because he knew he wanted me there with him as a friend, as a family member, as his younger brother that he can f*cking rubber-finger any time he wants, that ultimately totally looks up to him and wants to make him happy. And also, he knew that there was just something we create on stage. And I know that.”

There Is Nothing Left To Lose went on to become the band’s second top-ten album and spawn “Learn To Fly,” one of the band’s signature songs and their first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

Read the full interview here.

Multiple times per week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts and ratings) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

10. (TIE) Minx (HBO Max series)

Bye bye officially, New Girl version of Jake Johnson. After years, he’s finally shedding that vibe to portray a rather sleazy publisher who pioneers the first erotic magazine for women. This the 1970s, and he’s gathered a ragtag staff, including an ardent feminist. It’s not the most super serious stuff, of course, but it’s an entertaining watch and gutsy as heck while only getting started.

10. (TIE) Power Of The Dog (Netflix film)

This Oscar-nominated picture fared well at the ceremony, and if you haven’t had the pleasure of watching these fine performances — by Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Jesse Plemons — get cracking. Jane Campion and Sam Elliot are clearly on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to viewing what on earth’s going on with Cumberbatch’s sinister rancher, but it sure seems like a clear-cut case of toxic masculinity.

9. Fresh (Searchlight Pictures film on Hulu)

Daisy Edgar-Jones goes on the date(s) from hell here, and Sebastian Stan is so persuasive that almost anyone would fall into the same trap as Noa when it comes to his Steve’s whims. Stan, obviously, is having a freaking ball lately in roles that set him far apart from his MCU character. Between Tommy Lee and his cannibal character, those who paid attention to his earliest work are dearly enjoying him stepping out again. This is also one of the ultimate cautionary tales of dating. The best romcoms can end up being horror movies, too.

8. Severance (Apple TV+ series)

Adam Scott’s the everyman and the leading man, all at the same time, and here, he’s tackling the work-life balance that so many of us struggle with each and every day. This is Ben Stiller’s brainchild, too, and Patricia Arquette and Christopher Walken are along for the ride, all while this story careens toward season-finale land.

7. Halo (Paramount+ series)

Let the gamers be the ultimate arbiters here, but for the rest of us, there’s the versatile Pablo Schreiber in the driver’s seat, making you forget all about his goofy and sinister characters (Orange Is The New Black and Defending Jacob, respectively). Here, he portrays the game’s Master Chief while functioning as the ultimate weapon in humanity’s fight against aliens. Enjoy the sci-fi tropes for what they’re worth and then settle back and enjoy the action as mankind seeks to destroy “the Covenant.”

6. Servant Of The People (Kvartal 95 series on Netflix)

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s fighting for the survival of his country at the moment, but plenty of people have found comfort in this comedy series, in which he portrays an accidental country president, all while we’re watching him refuse a ride out of a hellish warscape. He is, naturally, a comedian and a satirist, as well as pretty much being the Ukrainian Jon Stewart. In other words, this will charm the pants out of you and maybe, just maybe, add some inspiration for you to research the actor and his story, too.

5. Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty (HBO series on HBO Max)

Get to binging because the episodes stacked up fast for this story of the 1980s-era L.A. Lakers, one that will feel digestible to sports-and-non-sports fans alike. John C. Reilly portrays Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who was both a visionary for the team and one who helmed over its not-such-a-good-look aspects. You’ll also witness the exploits (including the rather tragic ones) of Magic Johnson (Quincey Isaiah), so brace yourselves for difficult realizations while witnessing all of the debauchery.

4. Atlanta (FX series on Hulu)

Finally, Donald Glover’s brainchild is back, and it’s still one of the best shows on TV. It’s also surreal to boot, and the core four Earn (Donald Glover), Darius (LaKeith Stanfield), Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry), and Van (Zazie Beetz) — are gearing up to head to Europe. They’re on tour and doing well, but they’re still outsiders, so expect some strange sh*t to go down, with or without the Nutella sandwich man in attendance.

3. Taboo (BBC One/FX series on Hulu)

This Tom Hardy show launched in 2017, and it just hit the streaming waves in a significant way as people realize, you know, that this damn show exists while the wait for Season 2 continues. This series stars Delaney as a returning prodigal son of sorts, but hey, he’s also referred to as a The Devil Delaney, and there’s something family-related and taboo going on. It’s pretty bonkers stuff, because everyone wants to kill Tom Hardy. Rude! Seriously, though, there’s something going on that’s more than a little bit Shakespearean. He’s back in London and taking over his dad’s shipping empire. This puts him in a real bind, multiple times, but one thing is certain: Tom Hardy rarely takes a wrong step, and he’s shining through all the grime here with a triumphant performance.

2. Bridgerton (Netflix series)

The bad news, for enthusiasts of The Duke, is that Regé-Jean Page isn’t back this season (as planned), but the good news is that the show still brings the momentum despite the odds. This season focuses upon Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) seeking his own match as outlined by Julia Quinn’s books. Lady Whistledown (already revealed as Penelope, portrayed by Nicola Coughlan) is still doing her thing and f*cking with everyone during her society letters, thank god.

1. Bad Vegan (Netflix series)

The “bad” part of the “vegan” has a few components in this series, not only because Sarma Melngailis stiffed investors and her own employees out of nearly $2 million (after apparently falling under the spell of Anthony Strangis) but also in how she was busted as a fugitive. Those two are both WTF messes, and of course, there’s a lot of discomfort involved in how the swindling went down, but it’s all a sight to see. Also, that dog-immortality stuff is whack, so give this one a whirl if you haven’t already.

Since Latto released her hit single, “Big Energy,” she’s been steadily climbing the Billboard charts, and the song helped anchor her second album, 777, which officially dropped on Friday. And along with the album release, Latto has been teasing an updated remix to “Big Energy,” and with the promo around teasing the upcoming feature, Latto almost got sucked into drama between Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, but she skillfully sidestepped by letting everyone know she unequivocally supports both women.

Instead, she finally let fans know for sure on Friday that it was none other than Mariah Carey who had been tapped for the new version of the song, which just dropped and you can hear it above. The very prominent sample on this track is taken from Tom Tom Club’s 1981 single, “Genius Of Love,” and the sample was made incredibly popular by Mariah’s own hit, “Fantasy.” So it’s also not surprising that the “Big Energy” remix, which also features DJ Khaled, is the most logical interpolation of both hits. Mariah contributes lots of whistle notes to the intro of the song, while Latto raps her initial verse, and then Mariah launches into the first verse of “Fantasy.”

It’s kind of like the best of both worlds when it comes to the two hits, and probably destined for some chart success of its own.

Ever since it was announced that Billie Eilish was going to do a Bond theme song, the industry had high hopes for her contribution. Seeing as it hit the Billboard Hot 100 back when it was released, and recently picked up a Golden Globe this past January, the stage was definitely set for Eilish to follow up all her massive Grammys wins and start working on her EGOT.

While there’s no musical or TV show in the works, as of yet, it was tonight’s aching and dramatic performance of the Bond theme song at the 2022 Oscars that really seemed to earn Billie her win. Either she’s an incredible actress to boot, or this song is really hitting home for Billie of late. Whatever it was, the Oscars moved past both the chart-topping, cultish favorite Encanto, and the historical pop power of Beyonce to give the Oscar to Billie, and her constant collaborator, her brother Finneas, for their forlorn song. As a 20-year-old, Billie is officially the first person born in the 21st century to win an Oscar, adding another feather to her cap as an extremely successful young person who only seems to keep going up. In case you missed her performance of the now Oscar-winning track earlier, check it out right here.