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Aside from getting the familiar Friends cast back together, Friends: The Reunion (which premiered today on HBO Max) also features a handful of celebrity cameos. However, while music stars Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and BTS pop up in the special, they are nowhere to be found in the Chinese version of it.

As Vice notes, the scenes featuring the music stars are not present on the versions of the show that premiered on Youku, iQiYi, and Tencent Video, three of China’s biggest streaming platforms. Other guest stars on the special — including David Beckham, Cara Delevingne, Cindy Crawford, and Malala Yousafzai — appear as normal on the Chinese versions. The cause of the censorship is not currently clear and Tencent, iQiYi, and Youku owner Alibaba did not respond to the publication’s request for comment. Vice notes, though, that fans have gained access to clips of Gaga, Bieber, and BTS’ appearances and are sharing them on popular Chinese social media platform Weibo.

While the reason behind the artists being blocked from the special in China isn’t confirmed, all three have prior experience with backlash in the country, as Vice also notes. Gaga has been banned from Chinese television since her 2016 meeting with the Dalai Lama, who the Chinese government considers to be a separatist. Bieber was previously banned from performing in China due to “bad behavior” in 2017, as authorities put it. As for BTS, they faced calls for boycott in China in 2020, after RM endorsed the alliance between the US and South Korea in the 1950-1953 Korean War.

Check out the (apparently controversial) clips of Gaga, Bieber, and BTS on Friends: The Reunion below.

Alan Dershowitz’s name has been a feared one in the legal community for nearly 60 years now. Over the course of his storied career, the longtime Harvard law professor and criminal defense attorney to the rich and famous has (successfully) represented some of the world’s biggest names, including Mike Tyson, Julian Assange, Harvey Weinstein, and former president Donald Trump during his first impeachment trial.

In 1995, Dershowitz raised his profile even higher when he became part of O.J Simpson’s “Dream Team.” More recently, Dershowitz raised eyebrows when he agreed to represent the now-deceased accused sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and, according to Vox, “helped negotiate a ‘non-prosecution agreement’ under which Epstein served just 13 months in a county jail, much of it spent on ‘work release’ in an office.” Shortly thereafter, some of the women alleging sexual abuse by Epstein accused Dershowitz of the same. While the 82-year-old attorney has adamantly denied any sexual impropriety, and even countersued for defamation, he recently added one more name to his enemies list: Netflix.

Almost exactly one year to the date of its original release, Deadline reports that Dershowitz has slapped the streaming network with a mind-boggling $80 million lawsuit over its documentary, Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich. The docuseries recounts several of the sexual abuse claims against Epstein from the perspective of his alleged victims, including Virginia Giuffre, a woman who said she was hired to work as a masseuse for Epstein when she was just 17 years-old, but “was soon groomed to have sex with Epstein, Dershowitz, and other powerful men as part of a sex-trafficking ring.”

Per Deadline:

Dershowitz, who once defended Epstein in a Florida case, denies Giuffre’s claims and has called her “a serial liar who has deliberately made up stories about me and others in the hopes of cashing in on millions of dollars.”

His lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Miami federal court, contends that Netflix intentionally misled Dershowitz about his appearance in the documentary. Dershowitz also claims Netflix defamed him by falsely asserting in the series that he had sex with one of Epstein’s victims.

“Giuffre’s accusations that she had sex with Professor Dershowitz are categorically false, and Professor Dershowitz has denied and disproved the accusations—including under oath subject to the penalties of perjury,” the lawsuit says.

Dershowitz’s lawsuit was filed on the same day that Peacock dropped a brand-new trailer for its own Epstein-focused docuseries, the three-part Epstein’s Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell. Though Dershowitz is not mentioned in the trailer, which you can watch below, it’s hard to imagine that he won’t factor into the story in some way.

(Via Deadline)

Early Wednesday morning, news broke that Kevin Clark—the actor/musician best known for his role as drummer Freddy “Spazzy McGee” Jones in Richard Linklater’s beloved 2003 comedy-musical School of Rock—died in a tragic biking accident in Chicago. As word spread of the 32-year-old’s death, tributes from those who knew him began to pour in. Actor/singer/comedian Jack Black, who starred alongside Clark in School of Rock and reunited with him for screenings and other events over the years, took to Instagram to post his own heartfelt remembrance, writing: “Devastating news. Kevin is gone. Way too soon. Beautiful soul. So many great memories. Heartbroken. Sending love to his family and the whole school of rock community.”

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Per a report from the Chicago Tribune:

“About 1:20 a.m., Clark, 32, of the 700 block of West Roscoe Street in Lakeview, was riding east on his bike on Logan Boulevard, approaching the intersection at North Western Avenue, police said. A silver Hyundai Sonata driving south on Western Avenue was coming up on a green light and drove into the intersection, hitting the bicyclist as he ran a red light, a witness and the driver both told responding officers, according to a crash report.”

Clark, who grew up in Highland Park, Illinois, learned to play the drums at an early age, which is how he came to land the coveted role in School of Rock. As Variety reported, Black and Clark last reunited at a Tenacious D show in late 2018, where Clark gave Black some custom items branded with Dreadwolf, the name of his band at the time. While music was still very much a part of Clark’s life, School of Rock was his only acting credit. You can watch a clip of Clark and Black from School of Rock below.

(Via Chicago Tribune)

The Rock might be the one who’s making career announcements after getting a good pump, but Emily Blunt’s having a moment with movies coming back in theaters. She’s currently starring in the so-tense-it-makes-your-stomach-hurt A Quiet Place 2, and she’s the one with the best action shots in Disney’s new Jungle Cruise trailer. Yep, she totally punches The Rock in the face, and dare I say that she’s tougher than Jason Statham here? Yep, I said it.

Blunt portrays Dr. Lily Houghton, an intrepid researcher who’s looking for a magical healing tree (yes, that’s right), and The Rock plays Frank, who’s guiding her down the river in his ramshackle vessel through all sorts of life-threatening obstacles. Those dangers include Jesse Plemons firing a torpedo at the duo after brandishing a German accent and shouting, “Hallöchen!”

Movies are back, y’all.

Disney’s Jungle Cruise releases in U.S. theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access on July 30, 2021. Here’s a new poster, too.

After seeing the Blazers neutralize their “others” in Game 1, the Nuggets came out on a mission in Game 2, dominating on the offensive end on their way to a 128-109 win.

Nikola Jokic continues to dominate the Blazers’ bigs, but after Portland’s “let Jokic score” strategy paid off in the opener, the rest of the Nuggets did a much better job figuring out how to work off of him getting single-covered in Game 2. He still went off for 38 points and Michael Porter Jr. had his customary 18, but they got much more help from the likes of Paul Millsap, Aaron Gordon, Monte Morris, and Facu Campazzo. For Portland, it was a reversal of Game 1 as Damian Lillard erupted for 42 points, most of which came in the first half as he caught fire in the second quarter to keep the Blazers attached. But he cooled off in the second half and Portland’s bench was unable to produce as they did in the opener, allowing Denver to extend their lead and put the Blazers away without too much trouble.

For Game 3, it will be another fascinating battle of adjustments from two teams very familiar with one another. From a betting perspective, Game 2 went Over the total and Denver covered as 1.5-point favorites with relative ease.

Game 3 TV Info

Tip Time: Thursday, May 27; 10:30 p.m. ET
TV Network: NBATV

Game 3 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Series Prices: Blazers (-175), Nuggets (+140)
Spread: Blazers -3.5 (-112), Nuggets +3.5 (-109)
Total: Over 227.5 (-109), Under 227.5 (-112)
Money Line: Blazers (-159), Nuggets (+133)

Starting today, Friends: The Reunion is streaming on HBO Max. TV fans have been waiting for something like this for a long time, and it turns out the show has a treat for music enthusiasts as well. Of course, the show’s most beloved musical export is Phoebe Buffay’s song “Smelly Cat,” and for the reunion, Lisa Kudrow performed the song alongside Lady Gaga.

On the special, Gaga enters the room to Kudrow strumming her guitar. Gaga, wielding her own axe, joins Kudrow on the couch to sing the song. Eventually, they’re joined by a gospel choir to flesh out the song. Gaga also had a heartfelt message for Kudrow, telling her, “Thank you so much for being the person for all of us on Friends that was… I don’t know if this is the right way to say it, but the different one, or the one that was really herself.” Kudrow responded, “Thank you, and thanks for carrying it along.”

Ben Winston, who directed and produced the reunion, told Variety that Gaga was immediately on board with singing “Smelly Cat” for the special:

“I said to Lisa, ‘Would you be prepared to sing it?’ And she was like, ‘Yeah, that would be fun.’ We went through a few names, and we both agreed that Gaga, if we could get her, would be the ultimate one because she associates with and feels close to Phoebe in so many ways, as Gaga says on the show. That was a really beautiful moment. And Lady Gaga jumped at the chance to do it. We sat there with the two guitars with Lisa and her and worked it out there and then.”

Watch Gaga and Kudrow perform “Smelly Cat” above.

Through two games, the defenses in L.A. and Phoenix have shined and forced the stars to come up with some incredible shot-making in what has become one of the best series of the first round. After the Suns nabbed Game 1 at home, the Lakers responded by swiping homecourt in a 109-102 win in Phoenix, sending the series to L.A. tied at 1-1.

For the Lakers it was their three best players that did the job in Game 2, as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Dennis Schröder were all tremendous in the win. Davis led the way with 34 points, erasing the memory of his dud of a Game 1 by being the dominant force the Lakers remember from last year’s title run. Schröder had 24 points in one of his best games as a Laker, proving he can be a serious X-Factor in this series and possibly beyond. James, meanwhile, closed the show down with some ridiculous shot-making as he went for 23 points to outlast a late Suns rally. Phoenix’s two young stars continued to play spectacularly in Game 2, as Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 10 boards, while Devin Booker once again went for 31 points to lead the Suns in scoring.

The big issue facing Phoenix entering Game 3 is the health of Chris Paul, who’s shoulder was clearly still bothering him as he had just six points and five assists in the Game 2 loss. The Lakers covered as two-point favorites in Game 2, with the total going over by half a point in the closing seconds for a brutal loss for Under bettors.

Game 3 TV Info

Tip Time: Thursday, May 27; 10:00 p.m. ET
TV Network: TNT

Game 3 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Series Prices: Lakers (-315), Suns (+240)
Spread: Lakers -7 (-112), Suns +7 (-110)
Total: Over 210.5(-110), Under 210.5 (-112)
Money Line: Lakers (-315), Suns (+255)

After an overtime thriller in Game 1, the expectation was for another slugfest in Game 2 between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks, but it only took one quarter of play for the Bucks to run away and hide behind some outrageous three-point shooting, as they buried the Heat in a 132-98 win that felt every bit like a 34-point blowout.

The Bucks got production from just about everybody, as Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated with 31 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, while Bryn Forbes caught fire in the first half on his way to a 22-point outing that no one saw coming. Jrue Holiday only had 11 points, but showed his value as the orchestrator of the Bucks offense, dishing out 15 assists as he happily fed all of Milwaukee’s red-hot shooters. On the other side, the Heat’s leading scorer was Dewayne Dedmon with 19 points, which tells you just about everything you need to know about their offensive output in Game 2. Milwaukee’s defense continues to mystify Bam Adebayo, who has looked extremely uncomfortable against Brook Lopez through two games, and the adjustment of putting Giannis’ size on Jimmy Butler, coupled with Lopez lurking near the rim, has nullified the Heat’s star forward to this point.

Entering Game 3, Miami is desperate for a win and they’ll have to figure out how to crack the code of the Bucks defense, while also finding their shooting stroke from Game 1 when they hit 20 threes to push the Bucks to overtime.

From a betting standpoint, Game 2 went over the total with ease thanks to Milwaukee’s three-point outburst and the Bucks covered the closing point spread of five points by a healthy 29 points.

Game 3 TV Info

Tip Time: Thursday, May 27; 7:30 p.m. ET
TV Network: TNT

Game 3 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Series Prices: Bucks (-1430), Heat (+800)
Spread: Bucks -1.5 (-112), Heat +1.5 (-110)
Total: Over 226.5 (-110), Under 226.5 (-112)
Money Line: Bucks (-121), Heat (+102)

The Memphis Grizzlies were able to steal Game 1 in Utah, putting the top-seed in the West under some pressure coming into Game 2 as they looked to avoid matching the Clippers in losing two games at home to open the first round. The good news for Utah was they were getting Donovan Mitchell back from his ankle injury after he somewhat controversially got held out from Game 1, and he didn’t show any rust after a 17-game absence, leading the Jazz with 25 points on 8-of-19 shooting, including a 5-of-10 night from three.

Alongside a strong Mitchell performance, the Jazz had seven players in double figures, five of whom scored 16 or more. Mike Conley was terrific with 20 points and 14 assists, while Bojan Bogdanovic had 18 points and 6MOY Jordan Clarkson had 16 off the bench. Rudy Gobert was also massive in Game 2 after earning rightful ridicule in Game 1 for flopping while on the bench, putting up 21 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks, including the highlight of the game in stuffing a Ja Morant dunk attempt.

That was one of the few stops the Jazz were able to get on Morant, who almost single-handedly kept the Jazz from running away from Memphis. That the Grizzlies were able to make it a six-point game going into the fourth quarter was nothing short of miraculous, and it was on the backs of an outrageous 47-point, 7-assist effort from Morant.

He did a bit of everything, going 15-of-26 from the field and 15-of-20 from the free throw line, a truly special performance to have the highest scoring game in Grizzlies franchise history. Morant sliced through the Utah defense, getting to the rim seemingly at will which is no small task against the Jazz, and he even exacted a bit of revenge on Gobert late getting by him for a dunk.

Unfortunately for Morant and the Grizzlies, they just couldn’t keep up with the Jazz’s much-improved shooting in Game 2, as Utah rained 19 threes on Memphis at a 48.7 percent clip — the Grizzlies, meanwhile, were just 8-of-23 from deep. That is likely going to be the story of the series, as Utah just has more firepower when Mitchell is on the court that Memphis, but the Grizzlies continue to show incredible heart in how they refuse to roll over no matter how big the deficit. It looked for all the world like it would be a blowout for the Jazz, but the Grizzlies and Morant wouldn’t have that be the case, keeping it to a 141-129 final.

The series now shifts back to Memphis where the Grizzlies will hope the Jazz cool off a touch from three and they can continue making life uncomfortable for Utah. The Jazz, on the other hand, looked far more confident offensively with Mitchell on the floor, and the amount of shooters and scorers they can throw at Memphis is going to make their upset bid incredibly difficult to pull off.

Today, Welch producer Lewis Roberts, who goes by the moniker of Koreless, shared some great news with fans. In just a little over a month, he will share his debut album with the world, one Koreless announced today on social media. Entitled Agor, the project is an effort five years in the making and it’s one that comes with deep meaning for the producer. “Agor” is Welch for “open” and it’s also a suitable name for the upcoming project that exists at “sensory thresholds,” as a press release states.

Along with the new announcement, Koreless shared a video for the second single off the upcoming album. The producer dropped the new track, “Joy Squad,” with a trippy visual that pairs perfectly the song’s glitchy electronic production. It also features an appearance from dancer Alex Thirkle. In the press release for the track, Koreless describes the new track as his attempt “to build a club rollercoaster that swallows you up and spits you out.”

You can check out the artwork for Agor and press play on “Joy Squad” above. Scroll down to view the tracklist for the upcoming project.

01. “Yonder”
02. “Black Rainbow”
03. “Primes”
04. “White Picket Fence”
05. “Act(s)”
06. “Joy Squad”
07. “Frozen”
08. “Shellshock”
09. “Hance”
10. “Strangers”

Agor is out 7/9 via Young. Pre-order it here.