Jay-Z denies ‘heinous’ sexual assault allegations against him and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs against 13-year-old in 2000

Jay Z at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Book of Clarence' held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles^ USA on January 5^ 2024.

Jay-Z (legal name Shawn Carter) is publicly denying the ‘heinous’ allegations made against him in a civil lawsuit against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.

NBC News reported that Jay-Z, 55, and Combs are accused of raping a 13-year-old girl 24 years ago in the lawsuit, that was amended since originally being filed in October. Carter was named in the civil lawsuit filed by a woman identified only as Jane Doe; according to the amended complaint, Doe alleges that she was assaulted after she was driven to an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000.

The lawsuit that was originally filed in New York City on October 20 had the names of two celebrities redacted, only listing Combs, 55, as a defendant. An amended complaint was filed on Sunday, Dec. 8 has the unnamed woman alleging that she was raped by Combs and Carter, while a still-unnamed female celebrity watched during a party in a N.Y.C. residence after the VMAs.  The suit states: “Defendant Sean Combs, along with his longtime friend and collaborator Shawn Carter (a/k/a ‘JayZ’), drugged and raped a thirteen-year-old girl at an afterparty following the 2000 Video Music Awards. Another celebrity stood by and watched as Combs and Carter took turns assaulting the minor.”

Carter responded to the allegations via the X account of Roc Nation, calling the accusation false and stating that the filing was a blackmail attempt:  “What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle. No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!! These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree? These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case  You have made a terrible error in judgement thinking that all ‘celebrities’ are the same. I’m not from your world. I’m a young man who made it out of the project of Brooklyn. We don’t play these types of games. We have very strict codes and honor. We protect children, you seem to exploit people for personal gain. Only your network of conspiracy theorists, fake physics, will believe the idiotic claims you have levied against me that, if not for the seriousness surrounding harm to kids, would be laughable. I look forward to showing you just how different I am.”    

Carter added that his “only heartbreak” is for his family: “My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence. Children should not have to endure such at their young age.”

Combs’ attorneys also denied the allegations in a statement: “This amended complaint and the recent extortion lawsuit against Mr. Buzbee exposes his barrage of lawsuits against Mr. Combs for what they are: shameless publicity stunts, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them, just as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs. As his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor.”

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Elton John teams with Brandi Carlile for ‘Never Too Late’

Elton John performs live at Van Andel Arena on the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. GRAND RAPIDS^ MICHIGAN / USA - October 15^ 2018

Elton John and Brandi Carlile dropped their new original song “Never Too Late” from the Disney+ documentary, Elton John: Never Too Late. “Never Too Late” was co-written by Elton and Carlile in the summer of 2023, and is produced and co-written by Andrew Watt.

Carlile shares: “I found the early cut of the documentary that went on to become Elton John: Never Too Late so moving. It was really amazing to see historic footage of Elton and the trajectory of his life. But as fantastic and as beautiful as everything was that we were all witnessing as fans, his life was also pretty lonely and difficult at times. And I thought that the documentary illustrated a really important sentiment because he might not have ever found his serenity and his peace, but he did find it, and he found it later in life. And it is never too late – too late to find the love of your life, or to start a family, or to change your mind about anything.”

John added: “When Brandi told me she was so inspired by the early cut of the documentary that she wanted us to to co-write a new song for it, I was thrilled. I’ve known for a long time how great she was but still, reading her lyrics and co-writing with her on the music was deeply moving. Especially given how personal it is to see, seeing my life on the screen, she just perfectly captured the essence of the documentary and why I stopped touring to spend more time with my family. I’m constantly astonished by her craft, she can channel my voice in a way only Bernie has managed to do before. I know Bernie helped guide Brandi on that. The standard of her musicianship, her songwriting, her passion for what she does are sensational. She truly is one of the greatest there is.”

Elton John: Never Too Late received a limited theatrical release before it officially debuts on Disney+ on December 13th. The documentary follows Elton as he looks back on his life and the early days of his 50-year career, with R.J. Cutler and Elton’s partner, David Furnish, directing the film.

Listen to Elton John and Brandi Carlile’s Never Too Late (from the film “Elton John: Never Too Late”) – here.

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Listen to Shaboozey’s latest single ‘Good News’

Shaboozey^ singer^ songwriter attend Sprint Race for the F1 United States Grand Prix 2024. AUSTIN^ TEXAS^ UNITED STATES - October 19^ 2024

Shaboozey unveiled his new single “Good News”, his first new original track since the release of his gold-certified album “Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going.”

The popular artist was nominated for the first time at the upcoming 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards, earning six 2025 GRAMMY Award nods in the categories of Best New Artist, Song of the Year for “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Best Country Solo Performance for “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Best Country Song for “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Best Melodic Rap Performance for Beyonce’s “SPAGHETTII” (also featuring Linda Martell), and Best Remixed Recording for “A Bar Song (Tipsy) [Remix]” with David Guetta. These nominations are the first GRAMMY nods for Shaboozey.

Shaboozey’s 6x platinum-certified, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is the biggest track of 2024, holding the record for the longest-leading Hot 100 No. 1 track ever by a solo artist at 17 weeks. The song has amassed over a billion streams and landed in the Top 10 in several countries, topping Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay Chart, and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts.

Shaboozey also made history as the first artist ever to have a single hit No. 1 across all four charts: Country Airplay, Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay, and Rhythmic Airplay; and is the first-ever black male artist to top both the Billboard Hot 100 and Country Songs Charts.

Take a listen to ‘Good News’ from Shaboozey – HERE.

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See trailer for Season 2 of ‘Bookie’ debuting December 12th on Max

Sebastian Maniscalco attends Netflix's "The Irishman" Los Angeles Premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre^ Hollywood^ CA on October 24^ 2019

Max is gearing up for the release of the eight-episode Season 2 of Bookie, the original comedy from Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay, starring Sebastian Maniscalco and Omar J. Dorsey. Andrea Anders, Maxim Swinton and Rob Corddry also star in the series, with Season 2 guest stars including Charlie Sheen, Ray Romano, Zach Braff and Brad Garrett.

The series follows “veteran Los Angeles bookie Danny (Sebastian Maniscalco) as the potential legalization of sports gambling in California threatens to upend his business for good. Alongside best friend and former NFL player Ray (Omar J. Dorsey), side-hustling sister Lorraine (Vanessa Ferlito), and reluctantly reformed drug dealer Hector (Jorge Garcia), Danny must contend with his increasingly unstable clients as he tries to settle their debts — all while making plenty of risky bets of his own.”

The eight-episode second season returns on Thursday, December 12 with weekly episodes leading up to the season finale oin Thursday, January 30; see the trailer: HERE.

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CBS’s ‘Watson’ starring Morris Chestnut sets premiere date

Morris Chestnut arrives for FX's "American Horror Story" 100th Episode Celebration on October 26^ 2019 in Hollywood^ CA

The upcoming CBS medical mystery series “Watson” starring Morris Chestnut has set its premiere date. The show will debut after the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 26, 2025 at approximately 10 p.m. ET – depending on when the game and post-game coverage conclude.

The upcoming medical mystery drama follows Dr. John Watson’s return to his medical practice after Moriarty kills Holmes, the fictional detective who first appeared in novels by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. An official description reads: “Watson is a medical show with a strong investigative spine. Featuring a modern version of one of history’s greatest detectives as he turns his attention from solving crimes to solving medical mysteries.”

As previously announced, Chestnut will star as Dr. John Watson, the companion of the iconic mater detective Sherlock Holmes. Per the official series logline, the show “takes place six months after the death of the titular character’s friend and partner, Sherlock Holmes, at the hands of Moriarty. The show stars Morris Chestnut as Dr. John Watson, who resumes his medical career as the head of a clinic dedicated to treating rare disorders. Watson’s old life isn’t done with him, though – Moriarty and Watson are set to write their own chapter of a story that has fascinated audiences for more than a century.”

Chestnut is also an executive producer on the series, with Eve Harlow, Peter Mark Kendall, Ritchie Coster, Inga Schlingmann and Rochelle Aytes also starring.

Watson premieres Jan. 26 at 10:00 p.m. EST on CBS, with the episode streaming on Paramount+ the following day. The series will begin airing in its regular Sunday timeslot at 10 p.m. ET beginning on Feb. 16.

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Listen to Charlie Puth’s holiday single ‘December 25th’

Charlie Puth at the 2022 American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theatre. LOS ANGELES^ CA. November 20^ 2022

Charlie Puth has released a new Christmas single ‘December 25th’, inspired by Wham!’s classic ‘Last Christmas’.

Puth, 32, said of the track: “I wrote and recorded ‘December 25’ completely on a whim a few weeks ago in my studio while working on my new album, and though it sounds absolutely nothing like anything on the album, I figured why not share it for the holidays. So here you go.”

Puth, 32, has not released a studio album since 2022’s ‘Charlie’, which featured the hit singles “Light Switch” and “Left and Right” featuring Jung Kook of BTS.  He also dropped the single ‘Hero’ in May, and recently confirmed his fourth studio album is in the works and on the way.

Listen to ‘December 25’ – HERE.

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John Mulaney, Awkwafina, Sam Richardson join ‘Poker Face’ Season 2

John Mulaney at the FOX TCA July 2014 Party at the Soho House on July 20^ 2014 in West Hollywood^ CA

Peacock has added three new guest stars for Season 2 of Poker Face, with John Mulaney, Ego Nwodim and Sam Richardon joining the cast.  The streaming service also revealed new cast members including Awkwafina, Corey Hawkins, Method Man and Simon Rex set to appear in the mystery series.

Peacock previously announced Giancarlo Esposito, Katie Holmes, Gaby Hoffman, Kumail Nanjiani, Sherry Cola, Kevin Corrigan, Ben Marshall, Kathrine Narducci, Cynthia Erivo, BJ Novk and Margo Martindale will be guest starring in Season 2, which does not have a premiere date set as of press time.

Poker Face stars Natasha Lyonne as a crime solver on the road. The mystery-of-the-week series follows Lyonne’s Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.

Lyonne also executive produces creator Rian Johnson, showrunner Tony Tost and Ram Bergman. Season 1 earned four Emmy nominations including one for Lyonne’s performance and guest star Judith Light.

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Paul Mescal to host ‘Saturday Night Live’ with musical guest Shaboozey

Paul Mescal attends The Olivier Awards 2023 at the Royal Albert Hall in London^ England. London^ United Kingdom - April 02^ 2023

Paul Mescal will host the Dec. 7 episode of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, which will mark the program’s first episode after a three-week hiatus through the Thanksgiving holiday.

The ‘Gladiator II’ actor will be featured  alongside musical guest Shaboozey on the episode, marking the “SNL” debut for both artists.

“Saturday Night Live” will also be celebrating its 50th anniversary with a live primetime special on Feb. 16. The series airs on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET and streams on Peacock.

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Paul Mescal to host ‘Saturday Night Live’ with musical guest Shaboozey

Paul Mescal attends The Olivier Awards 2023 at the Royal Albert Hall in London^ England. London^ United Kingdom - April 02^ 2023

Paul Mescal will host the Dec. 7 episode of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, which will mark the program’s first episode after a three-week hiatus through the Thanksgiving holiday.

The ‘Gladiator II’ actor will be featured  alongside musical guest Shaboozey on the episode, marking the “SNL” debut for both artists.

“Saturday Night Live” will also be celebrating its 50th anniversary with a live primetime special on Feb. 16. The series airs on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET and streams on Peacock.

Editorial credit: Fred Duval / Shutterstock.com

The Weeknd set to drop ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ album Jan. 24

The Weeknd performs in concert at FIB Festival on July 13^ 2017 in Benicassim^ Spain.

The Weeknd has announced that his forthcoming album Hurry Up Tomorrow is set for release on January 24, 2025, and revealed the subsequent one-night show at California’s iconic Rose-Bowl stadium will take place the following night (the show immediately sold-out).

Hurry Up Tomorrow will complete a trilogy that began with After Hours in 2020, and later continued with the release of Dawn FM in 2022. The artist said he promises to take fans on a deep dive into the narrative he’s been crafting for years, describing the album as an ‘introspective and existential journey, exploring themes like redemption, the passage of time, and self-discovery.”  The album will feature the previously released tracks: ‘Dancing In The Flames,’ ‘Timeless,’ and ‘São Paulo.’

The sold-out Rose-Bowl show will take place on Saturday, January 25, 2025, and follows the artist’s one-night show at Estádio MorumBIS Stadium in São Paulo, Brazil this past September and his recent fall tour through Australia.

Pre-orders of Hurry Up Tomorrow include an exclusive vinyl, box sets, and signed CDs; for information, head to XO.STORE.

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