Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour recently kicked off and clips have begun circulating online, garnering millions of views and a cease-and-desist letter. According to Billboard, Sphere Entertainment Group Co. demands the singer cut a video segment from her tour, arguing that it “amounts to unauthorized use of the company’s intellectual property.” The brief sequence the company is referring to shows Beyoncé picking up what appears to be a sphere-shaped object, and juggling it in her hand. The scathing letter, addressed to Beyoncé’s production company, Parkwood Entertainment, claims the singer has used the Sphere’s imagery “without permission.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pop Crave (@popcravenow) Sphere Owner Accuses Beyoncé of ‘Misleading’ Her Fans Additionally, the company is accusing the singer of “misleading her fans.” Not long ago, rumors circulated that Beyoncé would begin a residency at the Sphere. However, according to Dolan’s attorneys, while the singer and the Sphere Entertainment Group had been in talks for a possible residency in the past, the negotiations were ultimately unsuccessful. “It has recently come to SEG’s attention that a Cowboy Carter tour interlude video contains the unauthorized use of SEG’s intellectual property,” the letter reads. “SEG is sure that multiple aspects of the interlude video, including other brands, clips, and music, were duly cleared by the tour with rights permissions from the rights holders whose works were used in the video, as is common practice,” the letter continues.” SEG, however, was never asked and the prominent appearance and manipulation of SEG’s Sphere venue in the video is unauthorized.” In all, the company demands that Knowles-Carter’s Parkwood company, “refrain from using this imagery on any merchandise, promotional or marketing materials, or in tour movies, etc. Should you fail to do so, SEG reserves all rights to take further action as SEG deems appropriate without notice to you.” Beyoncé and her team were contacted for a comment, but have yet to respond to the demand letter.

Beyoncé has offered her own twist on the viral #BootsOnTheGround challenge that’s taking over social media. During a recent stop on her Cowboy Carter tour, a fan shared a video clip of the singer, with her fan in hand as she performed a mashup of “Heated” from her Reinassance album and “Boots On The Ground.” The crowd roared as the Cecred founder and her dancers offered a new twist to the popular line dance. Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, and former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal have also joined in on the challenge. The track behind the viral trend, “Boots On The Ground,” was released in 2024 by South Carolina singer, 803Fresh. The song has seen a resurgence in the past weeks due to social media platforms like TikTok. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Neighborhood Talk (@theneighborhoodtalk) Beyoncé Slapped With Cease-And-Desist By Las Vegas’ Sphere Owner In other news, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour recently kicked off and clips have begun circulating online, garnering millions of views and a cease-and-desist letter. According to Billboard, Sphere Entertainment Group Co. demands the singer cut a video segment from her tour, arguing that it “amounts to unauthorized use of the company’s intellectual property.” The brief sequence the company is referring to shows Beyoncé picking up what appears to be a sphere-shaped object, and juggling it in her hand. The scathing letter, addressed to Beyoncé’s production company, Parkwood Entertainment, claims the singer has used the Sphere’s imagery “without permission.” Additionally, the company is accusing the singer of “misleading her fans.” Not long ago, rumors circulated that Beyoncé would begin a residency at the Sphere. However, according to Dolan’s attorneys, while the singer and the Sphere Entertainment Group had been in talks for a possible residency in the past, the negotiations were ultimately unsuccessful. “It has recently come to SEG’s attention that a Cowboy Carter tour interlude video contains the unauthorized use of SEG’s intellectual property,” the letter reads.

Pharrell Williams is anticipating that the 2025 Met Gala will be an epic event on May 5. Co-chairing for the first time, Williams is looking forward to all the celebrities who will make their way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and said that “it will be a celebration of all things Black culture and excellence.” “It’s going to be a very impactful, beautiful night where we celebrate the color Black,” Williams said during an appearance on The Run-Through With Vogue podcast. “We celebrate the things that come from that color. We celebrate the mentality. We celebrate the plight. We celebrate the progress and the success. And we celebrate the potential.” “We see it in all different forms, right? From authors to architects to artists to academics and to athletes, all A words,” he continued. “But, yeah, that’s what that night is all about. It’s like the best of the best, top of the top.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Met Gala 2025 (@themetgalaofficial) Taking inspiration from Monica L. Miller’s book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, this year’s Met Gala theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” With a powerful theme guiding the evening’s aesthetics, Williams envisions  the evening being incredible and hopes that the “power “behind the theme comes through in the photographs.” That’s what that night is going to be, the manifestation of using the platform to celebrate us and all of our enthusiasts,” Williams explained. “That means people who are not necessarily Black, but just, like, enthusiasts of the Black culture and enthusiasts of the Black color and enthusiasts of everything that has something to do with Black and Brown.” Breaking down all the action of the night is Teyana Taylor, La La Anthony, and Ego Nwodim will host Vogue‘s livestream of The Met Gala Red Carpet. Emma Chamberlain will serve as a special correspondent for the evening. Vogue‘s livestream will be available on its digital platforms, and on TikTok and YouTube, at 6 p.m. E.T. on May 5.

Jussie Smollett has come to terms on an agreement with the city of Chicago, settling the $130,000 lawsuit tied to his notorious hate crime hoax from 2019. After a highly publicized trial, Smollett was eventually found guilty of filing a false police report claiming that he was attacked by two Trump supporters. According to NBC, the settlement details have not been disclosed as each party needs “additional time is needed” to finalize the documentation. Filed in January 2019, the city’s suit accused him of planning the attack, and “it sought $130,000 in expenses spent on the police investigation.” In response, Smollett had filed a countersuit denying that he conceived the plot of the attack, and also denied making a false police report. Both the city and Smollett told the court on Monday that they have settled “but need more time to finalize documentation.” After Smollett testified to police that he was the victim of a hate crime for being Black and gay, he claimed that two men, brothers Ola and Abimbola Osundairo, attacked him, and they were arrested. Police later said Smollett paid the brothers to help him stage the attack. In February 2019, Smollett was arrested and indicted by a grand jury in March on “suspicion of filing a false police report.” Eventually,  Cook County State Attorney Kimberly Foxx dropped the charges.  When a special prosecutor took up the case in February 2020, Smollett was charged with six disorderly conduct counts and went to trial. In December 2021,  Smollett was found guilty on five counts of felony disorderly conduct for making false reports about a fake anti-gay/Black crime. In March 2022, he was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, and ordered to pay restitution of more than $120,000 and a $25,000 fine.

Recently, Lil Yachty has openly confronted allegations from fellow rapper Karrahbooo, who accused him of mistreating women and preventing her from releasing her music. In an Instagram Live session, Yachty shared his perspective, strongly rejecting her accusations. During the broadcast, Yachty remarked, “The reality is you lack music, which explains why you aren’t releasing anything. It’s not that I’m stopping you from putting out your music, [if] you have any.” He asserted his support for her creative pursuits, suggesting that her achievements would not negatively impact him. “Because, realistically, if you put out music, it wouldn’t hurt me,” he stated. “I still want you to do your thing. It doesn’t bother me.” Yachty also voiced his displeasure regarding Karrahbooo’s comments about his parenting. “There was no reason to bring up my child, who is in Europe, right now, with me. What are you even talking about?” he commented, seeking to clarify his stance on the issue. Tensions intensified when Yachty participated in a live stream with Akademiks, where he was more candid in his critiques of Karrahbooo. “This woman crazy, like bat shit crazy,” he asserted. “She just said I added more shit to the deal, damn right I added more shit to the deal, you speaking on me, every time I wake up, you speaking on me.” Lil Yachty responds to Karrahbooo on Akademiks’ stream “This woman is crazy. Like, bat sh*t crazy… She’s wicked.” pic.twitter.com/xw5LEvot3A — Kurrco (@Kurrco) May 2, 2025 Karrahbooo Blasts Yachty’s Behavior and Public Support In her detailed response, Karrahbooo expressed her frustrations, accusing Yachty of unacceptable behavior towards women, including herself. She remarked, “U have a daughter and u treating women like this is mindblowing like I know u never see her but still that doesn’t make sense how evil this man is to women (not just me).” Karrahbooo further articulated her irritation with how the public views Yachty, stating, “I’m tired of y’all tryna bully me and I’m tired of y’all dickeating this man because he is a big artist with a lot of money y’all believing everything he says. ” She challenged Yachty to substantiate his claims regarding her financial responsibilities, adding complexity to their ongoing conflict.

Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) is moving to sue his former dentist, Thomas Connelly, over what he describes as “life-altering” dental malpractice—an allegation emerging alongside claims from ex-Yeezy aide Milo Yiannopolous, who says Connelly fueled the rapper’s reported nitrous oxide addiction. In a formal notice addressed to Dr. Connelly, Ye and his wife, Bianca Censori, accuse the dentist of serious professional misconduct. Ye, who was under Connelly’s care throughout 2024, is said to have undergone multiple procedures and was reportedly administered nitrous oxide during treatment. The lawsuit asserts that Connelly’s conduct has resulted in “life-altering harm caused by malice, misappropriation, and malpractice.” The letter details that, “Evidence indicates that during the period Ye was under your care, you engaged in multiple inappropriate and hazardous practices that were well beyond any legitimate medical purpose or standard of care.” It further underscores that these actions were not isolated incidents but rather part of a troubling pattern of misconduct spanning from 2024 to 2025. Ye’s ex-dentist accused of drug misuse amid $50K payments and regretful texts Bianca Censori is cited as a witness to several occurrences, some allegedly taking place in their shared residence. The claims also suggest that Connelly encouraged the rapper to self-administer nitrous oxide and continued to provide the substance even after Ye began to experience neurological issues. Yeezy’s legal team has indicated that they possess communications from Connelly expressing regret, which could be pivotal in court proceedings. Notably, it has come to light that Ye was compensating Connelly a significant fee of $50,000 monthly for his dental care. The letter also highlights concerns regarding the administration of propofol, a powerful anesthetic, alleging that Connelly provided it outside of medical settings. The document states that Ye suffered severe mental and physical distress as a result of these actions, requiring immediate medical attention. Additionally, it suggests that there were instances where propofol or similar agents were administered while Ye was in a vulnerable state, unable to give informed consent. Propofol has a notorious reputation, having been found in the system of the late pop icon Michael Jackson following his death in 2009. Currently, Thomas Connelly has not responded to these serious allegations or the formal notice issued by the rapper. However, he previously denied any wrongdoing when initially confronted with Yiannopolous’s accusations last year.

G Herbo opens up about his beautiful blended family. During an episode of  BET’s ‘For The Fellas’, the Chicago rapper opened up about how he connected the mothers of his children Ari Fletcher and Taina Williams. He said he had to “see it through.” “We’re all so deeply in love with our children, it’s just like we put all the personal stuff aside, because once we see all the kids happy.. they happy. Like now, they text each other, they planning birthdays and stuff like that. They got their own relationship, it don’t have nothing to do with me anymore and I love it,” G Herbo explained. Fans flood the comments with support for Herb. “Growth, Maturity and always putting the Kids First..” reacted one fan. “and they’ll be so many more happy children in this world if “adults” knew how to put the personal feelings to the side..” commented another. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BET (@bet) Taina Williams made a surprise appearance on an episode of Ari Fletcher’s Cooking with the Don, catching fans off guard. During the episode, the two opened up about motherhood, co-parenting, and their past tensions. At one point, Ari asked, “Do you feel like I tried to bully you?” Taina responded that she didn’t see it as bullying, since she hadn’t really engaged with Ari at the time. Laughing, Ari followed up with, “So, you’re saying you just paid me dust?” The two have since built a stronger relationship and were even seen vacationing together with their children. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom)

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour is a family affair, and she brought her mother, Tina Knowles, onstage. While performing at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 1, for the second stop of her worldwide tour, “Queen Bey” had three generations of her family represented. After a performance of her song “Protector”, where she was accompanied onstage by her daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi, the crowd went wild when Knowles walked out.  Beyoncé took time to laud her mother on the success of her newly released memoir, Matriarch. “Today is a big day because my mother, who worked so hard on her book, she has the No. 1 book on the New York Times bestsellers,” Beyoncé said, as the audience joined her in singing  “Congratulations, Mama T.” Beyoncé also took to Instagram to praise her mother for writing the memoir. “The Mama T was that good?? Ha. You deserve it, I’m so proud!” Beyoncé wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) While the book is a runaway success, Knowles previously shared that she almost didn’t write it “because I thought [people] only want to know all my kids’ business. They’re not going to be interested in me.” “I’ve lived this incredible life, and you really don’t realize it until you start writing everything down,” Knowles told PEOPLE. Knowles also said the process of writing the book began more than 10 years ago for her “my great-grandchildren” and to  “leave that legacy for my kids.” “I just started thinking about the fact that I never met my grandparents and the history that I gathered for my mom,” she explained. “I wish that I would have asked her more. I wish I would have investigated more.” Knowles went on to say that the elders must share their stories to pass them down to the next generation. “But I also want to encourage young people and older people to go and record their parents and get those stories,” she added. Matriarch is currently available wherever books are sold.

After completing his 22nd season in the league, LeBron James is not sure if he’ll play next year. During the post-game press conference following the Minnesota Timberwolves’ victory over his Angeles Lakers (103-96), a reporter asked James if he was going to play next season. “I don’t know. I don’t have an answer to that,” James explained. “Something I’ll sit down with my family, my wife, and my support group, and kind of just talk through it and see what happens.” “And just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play. I don’t know the answer to that right now, to be honest. So we’ll see,” he added. When asked about what pieces the Lakers need next to be successful, James decided not to answer the question, noting that Anthony Davis was traded for Luka Dončić after the team for a center. “No comment. I never say that, my guy AD said what he needed and then he was gone the following week,” James said. “I got no comment. I put that uniform on, gave everything I had.” James also lauded his head coach, JJ Reddic, who is in his first year leading the team. “It’s already hard to be a coach in the NBA, and it’s a hell of a lot harder being a rookie head coach,” James said. “I thought he handled it extremely well. He held us accountable, he pushed us. “That’s one thing for sure, he’s a great coach.” Before exiting the presser, James spoke about how it was to watch his son, Bronny, develop as a player. “Just to see his growth from the moment he was drafted when we were all in New York at the draft party to seeing him in summer league struggle early on … and pick it up towards the end,” James said. “I just saw he has a bright future because not only can he play the game of basketball, he’s just a great [expletive] kid. And you can ask anybody, any one of his teammates, any one of the coaches,” he continued. “Just a joy to be around, and I have to say that I have a lot to do with that.’’

Due to popular demand, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is returning to IMAX theaters for an additional week. Per a recent announcement, tickets for the film are currently on sale for the “limited screenings, which will take place from May 15-21 across nine IMAX 70mm theaters nationwide.” According to Warner Bros., due to the “overwhelming popular and critical response” to the film was “the catalyst behind the re-release.” Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. Pictures’ president of global distribution, confirmed the demand and rerelease in an official statement. “Audiences have spoken, and we listened. If ever a film needed to be experienced in this incredible, larger-than-life format, it’s Sinners,” Goldstein’s statement read. “Ryan has delivered a film that has been embraced by fans who appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into creating a film for this screen-filling format, and we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to see it — or see it again — in 70mm IMAX.” Already regarded as a cinematic classic, Sinners debuted at No. 1 at the box office, and it became the biggest debut for an original film since 2019. According to Variety, the film has grossed $122.5 million domestically and $161.6 million worldwide so far. A financial success, Sinners was made on a $90 million production budget, and 20% of the film’s revenue came from IMAX viewers on its opening weekend. Set in the 1930s, the film centers on twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both portrayed by Michael B. Jordan) trying to leave their troubled past behind and return home to Mississippi, “only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back,” per the film’s synopsis. Alongside Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, and Wunmi Mosaku also star in the film’s cast. One of the striking elements of the film is its use of music, namely the blues. The film is a study in the blues,” Coogler told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I feel that this is America’s most significant contribution to world popular culture. It all started right there in Mississippi. When you delve deeper into it, you’ll discover a lot of spiritual and supernatural elements.” “The musicians are playing songs about enduring demon torment and making agreements with malevolent deities,” he continued. I also learned that church members judged the relationship, which was fascinating. Many of the most significant musicians emerged from the church.”