(Reuters) – Actor Jussie Smollett defended as completely truthful the account he gave of being accosted on a Chicago street by men who used racist and homophobic slurs and said on Friday he was cooperating with police. The statement was the first Smollett has made publicly about the alleged assault since media reports about it first surfaced on Tuesday. The …

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Lady Gaga and the cast of musical drama “A Star is Born” are competing for awards from Hollywood’s Screen Actors Guild (SAG) on Sunday at a red-carpet ceremony that may provide clues about which film has an edge in next month’s wide-open Oscars race. Gaga and co-stars Bradley Cooper and Sam Elliott are in the running …

LONDON (Reuters) – Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora and other celebrities have agreed to spell out in social media posts if they are being paid to promote a brand, Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority said on Wednesday. The agency said it has secured formal commitments from 16 celebrities, who also include models Alexa Chung and Rosie-Huntington-Whiteley, to change how they label …

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Netflix movie “Roma” and British historical romp “The Favourite” from Fox Searchlight led nominations for the Oscars on Tuesday with 10 nods apiece in a history-making best picture lineup. They will compete for the top prize of best picture with musical romance “A Star is Born,” superhero movie “Black Panther,” 1960s segregation-era comedy “Green Book,” Spike …

Lawsuit asks court to order Ronald Fenty to stop using Fenty Entertainment name. Rihanna is suing her father over his use of their surname for a business. In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Los Angeles, Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, said that her father, Ronald Fenty, and his partner have violated her trademark and falsely …

BRASILIA (Reuters) – A high-profile dispute between supermodel Gisele Bundchen and Brazil’s agriculture minister over deforestation escalated this week, coming as activists worry about new President Jair Bolsonaro’s environmental policies. The Brazilian model replied to criticism from Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias by arguing that despite the existence of preserved areas, deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is on the rise. …

PARIS (Reuters) – Louis Vuitton parent owner LVMH is developing a luxury brand with singer Rihanna, in a rare move by the acquisitive group towards building a new fashion label from scratch, industry news site WWD reported on Wednesday. Paris-based LVMH – also the owner of Christian Dior and Givenchy, among a host of other luxury brands also spanning champagne …

A television documentary about the rise and fall of Theranos Inc will include deposition tapes from founder and former Chief Executive Elizabeth Holmes and other key players in the downfall of the high-tech blood-testing company. ABC News said on Wednesday that “The Dropout” was the result of a three-year investigation of the self-made Silicon Valley entrepreneur and her company, which …

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Singer Mariah Carey on Wednesday sued her former assistant for breaking a nondisclosure agreement, negligence, and theft, according to court documents. Carey, one of the world’s best-selling singers with 200 million records sold and hits including “We Belong Together,” is seeking at least $3 million in damages from Lianna Azarian and a restraining order to keep …

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – In a surprise box office victory, STX’s “The Upside” doubled expectations with its $19.5 million debut, enough to defeat “Aquaman’s” three-week reign in North America. Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart co-star in “The Upside,” which marks the studio’s first No. 1 opening. It also ranks as STX Film’s second-best start behind “Bad Moms,” which launched with …