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Before there was TMZ, there was Perez Hilton—one of the first major “celebrity” bloggers. In the mid-2000s, anyone looking for a juicy bit of celebrity gossip would look to Hilton (real name Mario Lavandeira Jr.) for their fix. And while he seemed to put some “celebrities” on a pedestal (see: Paris Hilton, from whom he took his pen name), others became favorite targets of Hilton’s often brutal takedowns. Britney Spears was one of the latter, and Hilton is now paying the price.

Earlier this year, the February release of The New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears—which detailed the conservatorship she’s been under since 2008 and her fight to be released from it as well as the hyper-sexualized, and often abusive, way she was treated by both those around her and the media—there’s been a sort of reckoning around Spears and her career. And Hilton has been a major part of that conversation.

“I can’t say I was just young and dumb,” he told Sky News earlier this week of his treatment of Spears. “I think we know a lot more. And initially, many folks, myself included, were shocked and alarmed and especially concerned for her young children … I know I did not express myself as well as I could have. I didn’t lead with empathy and compassion, which thankfully seems like most people now are understanding the severity of Britney’s situation. I absolutely apologize and carry deep shame and regret.”

Yet, as The Wrap reports, that “deep shame and regret” didn’t seem evident in parts of a 20-minute video Hilton released on his YouTube page on Wednesday, in which he seemed more bothered by how he was currently being treated. Hilton—decked out in a Britney T-shirt—complained:

“Today I have been getting so much hate and bullying from people who were and are upset about how I used to talk about Britney Spears. And my message to all those people is: f*ck you! It just does not compute that you’re going to bully someone for bullying somebody in the past. How does that make you any better than what I did? I fully own how reprehensible I used to be in the day.”

Something doesn’t compute alright. While being outrageously snarky was part of Hilton’s brand, certain lines of decency were regularly crossed. Like the time when, following Heath Ledger’s death in 2008, Perez had T-shirts made up asking, “Why Wasn’t It Britney?” (Ick.)

But the latest news stories surrounding Spears aren’t the first time Hilton has addressed his treatment of her in the past. In his 2020 memoir TMI: My Life in Scandal, Hilton expressed regret for the way he talked about Britney, writing:

“It was so bad that I could hardly believe what I was seeing and hearing. That’s why I didn’t try to soften the blow: I wrote that she should be ashamed of herself, that she was an embarrassment—something I really regret today. I just assumed that her meltdown was a result of her wild party lifestyle and all the drugs she was taking. It never occurred to me that there might be some kind of mental health issue behind her behavior. Looking back now, it really does seem like Britney is lucky to still be alive.”

You can watch all 20 minutes of Hilton’s “Message to Britney Spears and The Free Britney Movement” below.

(Via The Wrap)

Apple TV+ is killing it with comedies, including Mythic Quest, Peabody Award winner Ted Lasso, and the latest addition to the streaming service, Schmigadoon!. The musical comedy series stars Cecily Strong (SNL) and Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele) as “a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship who discover a magical town living in a 1940s musical.” They can’t leave until they find “true love.”

Strong hasn’t officially announced that she’s leaving SNL, but the season 46 finale made it seem like she’s done after nine years on the show, including many memorable musical moments. Key, meanwhile, hasn’t been nominated for an Oscar like the Bunny to his Ducky, Jordan Peele, but he’s done fine work on Playing House, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and in the Hotel Transylvania movies. He also hosted SNL earlier this year. They’re a fine pair, and Schmigadoon! looks like a good use of their talent.

Schmigadoon! — a nonsense word that I hope is used in casual conversation all the time (“What’s the diagnosis, doc?” “Schmigadoon”) — also stars Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Dove Cameron, Ariana DeBose, Jaime Camil, Jane Krakowski, and Martin Short. The first two episodes premiere on Apple TV+ on July 16.

Following General Mark Milley’s dress down of Congressman Matt Gaetz‘s attempt to paint the military as “woke” for studying critical race theory, Tucker Carlson joined his colleague Laura Ingraham in attacking Milley’s remarks as Fox News continues to stir up conservative resistance to learning about America’s racist past.

While Ingraham took the jarring approach of calling for Congress to defund the military after Milley expressed his desire to learn about “white rage” to prevent another attack like the January 6 insurrection, her stance seemed practically tame compared to Carlson, who went on an unhinged rant. He disparaged Milley’s service career and said on the air, “He’s not just a pig. He’s stupid.”

As Carlson’s tirade blew up social media, CNN host Brianna Keilar kicked off Friday morning’s New Day by expertly noting that Carlson’s frothing mad comments prove that “white rage” does exist, despite his arguments to the contrary.

Keilar also blasted Carlson for attacking Milley’s service record and for peppering white supremacist messaging into his rant. Via Mediaite:

“Tucker Carlson didn’t serve,” she continued. “His biggest achievement is having nine lives in the world of cable news. Making a bowtie famous, and getting away with promoting conspiracy theories, night after night after night.”

After playing a clip of Carlson asking “how do we save this country, before we become Rwanda?” Keilar shot back “That isn’t just a dog whistle. It’s a white whistle.” Following Carlson’s mockery of “white rage” Keilar concluded “he pretends white rage doesn’t exist. He is white rage!”

It’s interesting to note that, again, this unusual attack on the military from the Right all stems from Milley shutting down Matt Gaetz, who is reportedly on the verge of being charged for sex trafficking following accusations that he paid for sex with a minor.

(Via Mediaite)

Foo Fighters’ latest album, Medicine At Midnight, starts with “Making A Fire,” a rocker defined by its aggressive electric guitars, as many Foo Fighters songs are. Now, though, the band (which is now also known as the Dee Gees) has shared a new version of the song, which was put together by Mark Ronson and takes things in a decidedly different direction.

The “Mark Ronson Re-Version” of the song sounds lighter and more upbeat after getting a ’70s rock makeover with new instrumentation including piano, acoustic guitar, and saxophone. As NME notes, the new version of the song features contributions from members of Antibalas, the Budos Band, the Dap-Kings, El Michels Affair, La Buya, Menahan Street Band, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and Tuatara, as well as a backing vocal quartet that features Dave Grohl’s daughter Violet.

The father-daughter Grohl duo also recently teamed up on a cover of X’s “Nausea.” At the time, the elder Grohl spoke about working with his offspring, saying, “It felt so meaningful to have the first song Violet and I record together be a tribute to our Bonebrake heritage. I crossed my fingers and awaited her response. Around 9 pm she answered with an excited ‘Yes!’ so I ran upstairs to my little demo studio and recorded the instrumental tracks as fast as I could. After about half an hour, I was done, and I brought her into the vocal booth to sing her part. […] It was a moment that superseded anything musical. A life moment that I will cherish forever. A family moment.”

Listen to “Making A Fire (Mark Ronson Re-Version)” above.

RZA’s love for cinema is well-known — in fact, it’s the core of the entire Wu-Tang brand. After launching his Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Theater event this spring to announce his upcoming solo album, today, he shared a new single with the same title to further promote the return of his alter ego Bobby Digital. The high-concept album finds RZA verbally sparring with Bobby Digital over throwback production courtesy of longtime collaborator and friend DJ Scratch.

The concept posits Bobby Digital as a more outgoing version of the rapper inspired more by exploitation flicks like Shaft and The Mack (just check out the original RZA As Bobby Digital In Stereo album cover from 1998, inspired by classic movie posters). Meanwhile, the “RZA” persona is the more contemplative aspect of himself, influenced by the aged kung-fu masters in the Shaw Brothers films from which he borrowed the Wu-Tang ethos.

DJ Scratch, whose career credits include albums from the likes of Busta Rhymes, EPMD, Flipmode Squad, The Roots, and Talib Kweli, is executive producing RZA Vs. Bobby Digital, prompting RZA to say in a statement, “He delivered tracks that resonated and brought me back to a sound that I felt was missing. For me, it was really natural for me to flow and write to these songs.”

Listen to RZA’s new single “Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Theater Part 1” above.

RZA Vs. Bobby Digital is slated to drop 8/6.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

It’s been a while since mainstream pop stars got absolutely weird. Thankfully, artists like Doja Cat are carrying on the legacy of the likes of Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, while saving the mainstream pool from getting dull.

“All the goofy kids, or the kids who don’t put themselves on a pedestal, or are just not normally accepted — I feel like making that example is good for those kids,” Doja said in her April Billboard cover story. “Because maybe they felt like they could never make it in an industry where everybody is so serious. It’s important that they know they have a lane.”

Staying true to her guts is mainly the reason for the 25-year-old’s rapid ascension, who thrives off of testing a whole myriad of boundaries. Whether it’s refusing to stick to one lane (she flips through rap, R&B and pop with ease), unleashing various renditions of “Say So” because she grew tired of performing the original version, or rocking the kookiest of outfits (2018’s viral “Mooo!” look being the most notorious), it’s clear Doja Cat lives for the thrill. So much so that she left Planet Earth and invited fans inside her new Planet Her album.

Arriving today, the 14-song collection finds the artist at her most confident. 2018’s Amala debut and 2019’s Hot Pink showcased her impressive versatility. Those albums were a yummy trail mix of talents, and Planet Her is the glue that brings it all together.

The album opens with the Afrobeats-inspired “Woman”, drifting listeners not to another planet — but the motherland. Similar to Amala’s “Wine Pon You” featuring dancehall star Konshens and Hot Pink’s “Won’t Bite” that samples 1945 Swahili love song “My Angel (Malaika)“, “Woman” is a hip-shaking celebration of the African diaspora. While bringing her heritage to the forefront (Doja’s father is South African), she shout outs Rihanna’s admirable CEO status as well as her own “divine feminine” allure. Later on “Alone,” Doja channels Rih’s come-hither attitude.

Women’s bodies double as a place of worship, and Doja Cat continues to highlight every inch of her curves on “Naked.” The artist has grown even more comfortable in her skin, and embracing sexuality is an integral theme on Planet Her. It’s best executed on the seductive “You Right.” Here, Doja reunites with The Weeknd, whom she previously collaborated on his “In Your Eyes” remix last May. The Weeknd, who is fresh off his ‘80s-inspired After Hours era, has retired the red suit and briefly returns to the dark sluttiness that longtime fans have been longing for. “But this sex will cloud your memory. A couple strokes will put an end and you’ll belong to me,” he urges in hopes Doja will leave her man.

One of Doja’s best traits is how she shapeshifts her sound to compliment guests. Along with “You Right,” she’s a gracious host on Planet Her, melding her tone to pair with Ariana Grande’s signature sultry coos on “I Don’t Do Drugs” and pumps up Young Thug for a glorious battle of the rap weirdos on “Payday.”

But there are stale moments to be avoided on Planet Her, including the forgettable “Been Like This” and “Imagine.” “Get Into It (Yuh)” is a SoundCloud rapper parody, which may or may not be a nod to when she first blew up on the streaming platform with 2012’s “So High.” What saves the track is the absolutely adorable Nicki Minaj shoutout towards the end, a reminder that the OG rapper is not only an inspiration but the one who pushed the “Say So” remix to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

And then there’s the shadow of Dr. Luke: In 2014, Kesha hit the pop producer/songwriter with various allegations including rape and emotional abuse. The year prior, Doja Cat signed to his Kemosabe Records and hasn’t acknowledged the working relationship. Dr. Luke’s career has remained intact and has credits on “Need To Know,” “You Right,” and “Kiss Me More,” which is difficult to shake off.

But songs like “Ain’t Sh*t” and “Need To Know” help the album achieve its vision. The former, which Doja first previewed on Instagram Live last April, will satisfy fans who’ve awaited its official version. The stripped piano melody of “Ain’t Sh*t” calls back to Elton John’s 1974 classic “Bennie And The Jets,” but that original song’s sincerity is sharply juxtaposed with Doja’s beloved dry humor and a rightfully fed up attitude of the opposite sex (“You should’ve paid my rent / Got get a f**king job!).

“Need To Know” is the best song on Planet Her: an otherworldly joyride driven by the mad scientist that is Doja Cat. She’s in true alien form here: a raunchy freak, cooing baby, helium sucker, and frantic spitter over a galaxy of ice-cold trap melodies. Lyrics like “I don’t play with my pen / I mean what I writе” and “Oh, wait, you a fan of the magic? / Poof, pussy like an Alakazam” is Doja getting deep in her cocky rap bag and it’s exciting to hear.

If Doja Cat’s multiple live performances that highlight her classically trained dance skills, the feast of music videos that call back to the glory days of Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott, or the expertly twisted wordplay weren’t enough, then Planet Her will solidify her star status. As Earth continues to slowly crumble — from climate change to social injustices — I’ll gladly book a one-way ticket and escape to Planet Her.

Planet Her is out now via Kemosabe Records/RCA Records. Get it here.

Tucker Carlson seems to have taken direct aim at the U.S. Armed Forces this year. He angered prominent members of the military community (including several officials and the Pentagon spokesperson) of all political persuasions when he ridiculed women in combat (because Tucker felt outraged at the idea of pregnant women in uniform). That inspired Sen. Tammy Duckworth to tell Tucker to f*ck off in a tweet while Joe Walsh declared, “Every woman in the military I’ve ever met could absolutely kick Tucker Carlson’s ass.” Tucker also complained that the military is too concerned with diversity to guard against UFOs (because Tucker is all about those aliens).

What’s the latest? Tucker’s gone even further to insult those who serve our country by attacking Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley. Yes, he did, after America’s top general had declared his quest to “understand white rage” and what caused the insurrection. In response to criticism (some of from Matt Gaetz) of the military being too “woke,” Milley declared that “I’ve read Mao Tse Tung. I’ve read Karl Marx. I’ve read Lenin. That doesn’t make me a communist.”

Well, Tucker found the idea of Milley reading Mao to be so funny. On Thursday evening, he burst into laughter and declared of Milley, “He’s not just a pig. He’s stupid.”

Tucker wasn’t even close to finished. He declared that Milley was a “suck up,” who “didn’t get that job because he’s brilliant or because he’s brave or because the people who know him respect him.” This, of course, caused people to dare Tucker to say these words (or anything else) to Milley’s face.

Tucker laughing merrily at America’s top general from afar was an act that did not go unnoticed. Veteran intelligence officer Travis Akers called Tucker “a cowardly piece of sh*t” for never being courageous enough to serve in the military yet feeling free to launch insults at Milley from behind a camera.

The backlash from military supporters continued, including more from Joe Walsh.

You can watch the full Tucker segment on Gen. Milley below.

George R.R. Martin wasn’t imprisoned for not finishing The Winds of Winter by July 2020, but he still has regrets. “Looking back, I wish I’d stayed ahead of the books,” the A Song of Ice and Fire author said in an interview with WTTW Chicago.

“My biggest issue was when they began that series, I had four books already in print, and the fifth one came out just as the series was starting in 2011,” Martin continued. “I had a five-book head start, and these are gigantic books, as you know. I never thought they would catch up with me, but they did. They caught up with me and passed me.”

Game of Thrones premiered on HBO on April 17, 2011. A Dance with Dragons, the fifth in the planned seven-book series, was published in July. In the 10 years since, including eight seasons, 73 episodes, and seemingly countless announced spin-offs later, readers are still waiting for Martin to wrap up his acclaimed book series.

The one positive from the show lapping Martin is that he can come up with a different (and better) ending. “That made it a little strange because now the show was ahead of me and the show was going in somewhat different directions,” explains Martin. “So, I’m still working on the book, but you’ll see my ending when that comes out.”

Martin’s ending will reportedly still involve [spoiler alert?] Bran becoming king, as it was reportedly his idea, but maybe — hopefully — in a different way than how it happened on the show. The show was the first draft; the book is the real deal. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss won the battle, but George R.R. Martin won the war.

(Via Den of Geek)

Summer’s here and with it comes the next installment in the world-dominating, car-flying saga, Fast & Furious franchise with the release of F9 this Friday. One of my favorite movie quotes ever comes from Tyrese Gibson’s character, Roman Pearce, in 2 Fast 2 Furious: “…I’m trying to eat all I can, while I can. Plus, the doc tell me I got a high metabolism.” That’s inspiring, right there.

While I can neither confirm nor deny Gibson has a high metabolism in real life, I can attest to him being in love with food.

“You can ask anybody; there’s no one who snacks as much as I do,” he told me over the phone this week. “The crazy thing is, when it’s time for me to sit down and have a full-on meal, I get full the fastest. So, I just kind of snack along the way every step of the way throughout the day…I’m the snack king.”

That eating approach feels custom-built for summer movie season. Since the onslaught of the pandemic, we were all forced to indulge in movie-watching at home. Now, thanks to vaccines and maintaining safe COVID-19 protocols, we’re able to return to theaters this summer.

“A lot of movies have decided to be released in theaters and then go to streaming; but we’re like, ‘No, we’re going to theaters,’” Gibson explained. “A lot of first kisses have happened in the theater. A lot of people have held hands…So many marriages and families and first dates have happened from the movie theater experience. We want to be able to encourage people to come back out. ”

Last week, while Gibson made a stop at the new Regal Theater outside of Houston, Texas, we had the chance to talk about his greatest passion outside of singing and acting: food. The conversation started with his sentiments about Fast & Furious fans returning to theaters before diving into his food takes and his jetsetter-inspired travel agency, Voltron Travel.

***

With the next F9 coming out soon, many people are excited to get back into the theaters. This will be memorable. What’s been one of the biggest highlights of being part of these movies and your career overall?

Well, this is one of the highlights. If I could contribute to re-sparking fans to come back out to the theaters to have a full-on theater experience and if I could one day lay my hat on the table and say, ‘I did that,’ then I would be very proud. I’m not just talking about just the movies I’m in, but every movie that’s coming out this summer into the fall and into the Oscar season.

With your role as Roman in the film, he eats quite a bit, and you are definitely known as being passionate about food off set. How does that character resonate with you?

I was very grateful to John Singleton, rest in peace, decided to have my character be funny, and to be eating, and doing all the things that I do. At the time, I didn’t know that we would ever do a Fast & Furious with the entire cast coming back together. When we did part two, we never knew that there would be a part three, let alone fast forward ahead to get to Fast 9. So it’s that feeling of a limousine ride when you go to prom. You know you’re going to be in that limo for like, eight, maybe ten hours if you’re lucky? But at a certain point, the limousine got to go away.

I feel like we’ve been in this limousine ride with butterflies in our stomachs for 20 years. It’s just a blessing to know that we’re still working on a movie that people are still this excited about. It says everything about the confidence that we have in our fan base and our following that’s been rocking with us for 20 years.

Fast & Furious has brought you all over the world. So, tying in the foodie aspect again, what’s been your favorite location that you shot at based on the food alone?

London’s food is amazing. We’ve shot at so many places. I’m trying to think. I love Miami, you know, Dominican, Cuban, Latin food. I love it. I also love Puerto Rican home-cooked custom meals that happen out there. I’m a big lover ofLatin food. I’m a bit of a foodie. I pretty much eat anything anywhere – whatever country or state or city I’m in.

Speaking of which, I have to bring up your Red Lobster $7,000 spend over the span of two years. Tyrese, really?

The crazy thing is this: It’s almost like when someone gives you something that big [speaking of the gift card Red Lobster sent him when they discovered his love for the chain], then you kind of scale back. I haven’t even spent through that card that the CEO of Red Lobster gave me. I still have, the card for Red Lobster, swipe it and go. It’s still in my wallet.

You also have a hibachi grill in your backyard, right? What compelled you to get that?

The teppanyaki experience – without mentioning the company – is an experience that I feel like pretty much everyone loves. I don’t care if you’re doing a taco Tuesday or if you’re making breakfast on a teppanyaki grill, it’s all done. A lot of my friends are celebrities and public figures, especially being in L.A., we can’t go anywhere without being photographed and having TMZ and folks of that world showing up.

So, simply put, I put a teppanyaki grill and built a restaurant in my backyard. I’ve probably fed about 7,000 people in the last ten years and it’s like the favorite thing to do. Once you get done with all of your public stuff, everyone comes to my house. So even for me, when we do the premiere of Fast 9 in L.A., it’s going to be red carpet and work, work, work, then we’re all going to my house after – the whole cast director, [and] executives from the studio. The party is going to be at my house, and it happens every year.

Even when I heard about it, I didn’t realize it was a full-on restaurant.

It’s a brick-and-mortar situation. There are folks that work at that restaurant, throwing shrimp in the air, fire — the whole situation. It’s been really fun just being able to have my friends over and feel like they could actually have a restaurant experience without being photographed and filmed the whole time because it just gets uncomfortable with going to public places, especially in L.A.

I work for the travel section and, in addition to acting, you also have Voltron Travel. Can you tell me about the company?

Well, with VoltronTravel.com, I’m very proud. There’s Travelocity and all of the competitors, but I just love that when you book flights on my site, we are actually helping to put Black and Brown people through college. Iit’s really cool to say I have a company, and you want to make all this money, but it always comes down to how do other people benefit from your success – and that’s what I’m about at this point.

I appreciate you even mentioning, Voltron Travel. I definitely would encourage everyone to make the switch and know that every time you book, a flight, hotel, or car rental, we’re helping to put Black and Brown people through college, from the inner city.

Next week is a big one for Ed Sheeran fans, as the singer is set to guest on The Late Late Show every night next week. Ahead of then, though, Sheeran decided to get ready by visiting the show a bit early last night, which ended up faux-annoying James Corden.

After making a joke, Corden was interrupted by a laughing and praise-doling Sheeran. Corden, surprised to see Sheeran there, asked what was going on, and the singer said he decided to show up early to “get things prepared, take a few notes.” The host tried to press on before again getting interrupted by Sheeran, who was messing with the lights this time.

Then, the final straw was when Sheeran started playing guitar to rehearse one of his upcoming musical performances on the show. Corden got frustrated and asked Sheeran to leave, and the despondent musician responded by noting how much he respects Corden and how much he wants to make him proud. An unmoved Corden still asked Sheeran to leave, and Sheeran obliged.

Sheeran’s voice could then be heard from a production booth, which prompted Corden to leave his desk and investigate. That gave Sheeran a window of opportunity to take Corden’s seat and take over the show before throwing to a commercial break.

Check out the clip above.

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