Pop Culture

Beth McDonald remembers watching a clock on the wall, counting down the hours until she felt she would be able to escape her rapist. Punched, stamped on, strangled, threatened with a saw and subjected to a degrading sexual assault by her then partner in an ordeal that lasted almost 24 hours, once he finally fell

Tom Walker says he wrote his protest song Number 10 about Boris Johnson and his government in a bid to vent the frustration of the nation. Sharing an exclusive clip of the single, the Scottish singer told Sky News: “[On Wednesday night], to see politics trending more than Love Island – you know that says

Denzel Washington was forced to pull out of a White House ceremony in which he was due to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom after testing positive for COVID-19. The Oscar-winning actor and director was among 17 others being given the award – the highest civilian honour that can be bestowed in the US.

Actor James Caan – star of films including The Godfather and Elf – has died at the age of 82. His family said in a statement on Twitter: “It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6. “The family appreciates the outpouring of love

Almost Famous, the stage musical based on Cameron Crowe’s 2000 film, will begin previews at Broadway’s Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on October 3, ahead of a November 3 opening night. The new dates fall a few weeks after those originally announced last month before Almost Famous had landed the venue. The Jacobs currently houses the

Jerry Harris, star of Netflix TV series Cheer, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in the US for crimes relating to indecent images of children and soliciting sex from minors. The 22-year-old previously pleaded guilty to one count of travelling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and one count of

Disgraced R&B star R Kelly has been removed from suicide watch at the Brooklyn jail where he is beginning a 30-year sentence for sex trafficking, US authorities have said. The 55-year-old – whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly – was found guilty of racketeering and trafficking following a high-profile trial in New York in 2021.

Adverts for an alcohol brand shared on Ellie Goulding’s Facebook page have been banned after the singer claimed the drink is low in calories and contains no sugar. The Love Me Like You Do singer, who is a founder and co-owner of Served Drinks, posted two ads for the alcoholic sparkling water on her Facebook

Bette Midler has sparked a backlash after saying cisgender women are being deprived of their basic rights, while JK Rowling has appeared to back “transphobic” comments by singer Macy Gray. Cisgender means a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex. The Hollywood star tweeted: “WOMEN OF THE WORLD! We

EXCLUSIVE: Giles Terera (Death of England: Face to Face), winner of an Olivier Award for his portrayal of Aaron Burr in the London transfer of Broadway hit Hamilton, will star in a history-making production of Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, with Rosy McEwen, who won acclaim in the second season of The Alienist, as Desdemona. The play will be

Convicted sex offender R Kelly has been placed on suicide watch due to the “emotional distress” of his current situation as he begins a 30-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, according to US authorities. The disgraced R&B star has criticised the decision, accusing federal authorities of punishing him due to his “high-profile” status. Kelly, whose

The BBC has revealed that it received six complaints against DJ Tim Westwood – one of which was referred to police – despite earlier claims it had seen “no evidence of complaints” from the former Radio 1 presenter’s time at the corporation. In April, seven women accused Westwood of sexual misconduct between 1992 and 2017,

Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker has revealed why he was taken to hospital last week. Writing on Instagram, the 46-year-old, who is married to reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian, said he had gone to hospital for an endoscopy on Monday “feeling great”. “But after dinner, I developed excruciating pain and have been hospitalised ever since. “During

Adele says the “brutal” backlash to her decision to postpone her Las Vegas shows made her a “shell of a person” for months. The singer was due to perform a series of concerts from January to April this year at Caesars Palace but they were scrapped just 24 hours before the opening night. The 34-year-old

A Puerto Rican judge has issued a restraining order against singer Ricky Martin, police have said. The order was signed on Friday after authorities visited the singer’s neighbourhood in the north coastal town of Dorado to try to serve the order, police spokesman Axel Valencia said. “Up until now, police haven’t been able to find

Adele told fans she was “thrilled” as she performed her first UK gig in five years. The 34-year-old pop star performed at BST Hyde Park on Friday evening, with the sold-out crowd hearing back-to-back hits spanning across her four number one albums. Arriving on stage in a black gown, she was visibly emotional as fans

The Minions have captured the imaginations – and hearts – of film fans since first arriving on the big screen in Despicable Me back in 2010. Several movies, and vast amounts of merchandise later, this has become the highest-grossing animated franchise in the world – and now, for the first time, we are being told

EXCLUSIVE Ozark actor McKinley Belcher III will join the cast of Broadway’s upcoming Death of a Salesman revival starring Wendell Pierce and Sharon D Clarke this fall, producers announced today. Belcher will play Happy Loman, son of Willy (Pierce) and Linda (Clarke) Loman. The revival begins previews September 19 at the Hudson Theatre for a

The YouTuber and Minecraft gamer known as Technoblade has died from cancer, aged 23. His father posted an emotional farewell message to his channel, which his son had prepared before he died. In the video, called “so long nerds”, his father says his son wrote a goodbye note and “he asked me to read it

Robert Halmi’s Great Point Studios has acquired Hudson Scenic, a Tony-nominated builder of set designs, custom fabrication and automation services for theater, film, TV and theme parks with credits ranging from Hamilton, Hadestown, Aladdin and The Lion King to the Times Square Ball. The shop is just a mile down the Hudson River from the