Charles Barkley agrees with disenchanted NBA fans. The Basketball Hall of Famer appeared on long-running ESPN show “Pardon the Interruption” on Friday to discuss current matters in the NBA, particularly ranting about how hard it is to simply find games. The league’s new media rights deal sprinkles games throughout ESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock and Amazon’s Prime Video. … Read more
The Worldwide Leader has tapped out with a significant chunk out of its MMA coverage. ESPN, which had been the UFC’s broadcasting home for the past seven years before being outbid by Paramount in a groundbreaking $7.7 billion deal, let nearly all of its on-air talent contracts expire this year without renewal, sources tell The … Read more
A rocking finale. “Stranger Things” pulled off a thrilling ending by using two Prince songs in the final episode of the beloved Netflix series. Creators Matt and Ross Duffer secured the rights to “Purple Rain” and When Doves Cry,” both from Prince’s Grammy Award-winning 1984 album. Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in “Stranger Things.” COURTESY … Read more
Brigitte Bardot, the French 1960s sex symbol who became one of the greatest screen sirens of the 20th century and later a militant animal rights activist, has died. She was 91. Bruno Jacquelin, of the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the protection of animals, told The Associated Press that she died Sunday at her home in … Read more
A legendary story. During the first episode of Amazon Studios’ new series “Words+Music,” John Legend recalled how he made a deal with porn producer Johnny Legend to go by his iconic stage name. The 46-year-old singer was born John Stephens, but he decided to become John Legend while he and Kanye West were working with spoken-word … Read more
Former “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah said he found it “funny” that Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while defending guns at a speaking event at Utah Valley University last month. “The guy was shot while defending guns. Do you understand how — I’m not even writing that as a joke — … Read more
“Saturday Night Live” went after J.K. Rowling. The Season 51 premiere hosted by Bad Bunny featured a “Weekend Update” segment where Bowen Yang played Dobby the House Elf to mock the “Harry Potter” author, 60, for her controversial views on the transgender community. Yang’s Dobby joined Michael Che and Colin Jost at the table and … Read more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has moved to strip thousands of federal health agency employees of their collective bargaining rights, according to a union that called the effort illegal. HHS officials confirmed Friday that the department is ending its recognition of unions for a number of employees, and are reclaiming office space … Read more
Mickey Mouse is now clear to make his WrestleMania debut. ESPN and WWE reached a five-year, $1.6 billion agreement that includes exclusive rights to air the wrestling company’s premier live events (PLE) beginning in 2026, according to the Wall Street Journal, as part of the Worldwide Leader’s new direct-to-consumers streaming service launching later this month. … Read more
Boy, this is messy. Boy George picked a fight with JK Rowling on X (formerly Twitter) over the “Harry Potter” author’s controversial views on the transgender community. The feud started Saturday when the British DJ, 64, responded to a thread between Rowling, 59, and another user where she asked, “Which rights have been taken away … Read more
Owned by Jagger. In the new documentary “Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror,” creator Richard O’Brien revealed that Mick Jagger and his team tried to buy the film rights to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” after the stage show made its US debut in 1974. But director Jim Sharman advised that they shouldn’t go … Read more
These influencers should be put in the doghouse. A disturbing new TikTok trend — where clueless owners dump buckets of ice water on their unsuspecting pups — is drawing widespread outrage from animal lovers, who are barking mad over what they call a “cruel” and “appalling” stunt. The so-called “#barkyourmindchallenge” is a twisted take on … Read more
Salt-N-Pepa are telling their record label not to push it as they fight for the rights to their music. The groundbreaking duo behind hip-hop classics, including 1993’s “Shoop” and 1987’s “Push It” says in a lawsuit that Universal Music Group is violating copyright law by refusing to agree to turn over the rights to their master … Read more
This article is part of Overlooked, a series of obituaries about remarkable people whose deaths, beginning in 1851, went unreported in The Times. Joyce Brown’s New York minute lasted longer than most. A onetime secretary, Brown became homeless in 1986 and began camping on a heating grate on Second Avenue and 65th Street in Manhattan. … Read more
Several “Harry Potter” actors have signed an open letter pledging to stand in “solidarity” with the transgender community – even despite author J.K. Rowling’s outspoken and “anti-woke” stance against those individuals. The pledge, which has been signed by Eddie Redmayne, Paapa Essiedu and Katie Leung, comes after the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled … Read more
Actor Mel Gibson’s firearm rights were restored along with nine others, including an NFL Hall of Famer and former Jets player, after petitioning for pardons for their years-old crimes. Gibson, who had been prohibited from purchasing guns following a 2011 domestic violence conviction, had appealed to President Trump to restore his rights earlier this year. … Read more
Paul Rodriguez was arrested on charges of possession of narcotics, Fox News Digital confirmed. The legendary stand-up comedian was arrested Friday, March 28, in Burbank, California, following a traffic stop, according to the Burbank Police Department. Rodriguez was a passenger in the vehicle. Rodriguez’s lawyer denied the allegations against the “Born in East L.A.” star and claimed … Read more
On July 1, 1970, one of the first independent abortion clinics in the country opened on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. New York State had just reformed its laws, allowing a woman to terminate her pregnancy in the first trimester — or at any point, if her life was at risk. All of a … Read more
Stevie Nicks once sang, “Thunder only happens when it’s raining.” Well, there’s a downpour of drama over at the Golden Theatre on Broadway. The playwright and producers of “Stereophonic,” this year’s Tony Award winner for Best Play, and its landlord, the Shubert Organization, are being sued by writers Steven Stiefel and Ken Caillat, the Fleetwood … Read more
Actor Will Ferrell said he regrets his visit to a Texas restaurant after his trans co-star, Harper Steele, received an awkward response from diners. It happened while Ferrell and Steele, a former “Saturday Night Live” head writer, were filming their new Netflix documentary, “Will & Harper,” which follows their 17-day road trip across the country … Read more