Drake Just Can’t Stop Stirring Up Controversy

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Drake really meant what he said when released, “No Friends In the Industry,” huh? The Toronto rapper seems to love burning bridges. The cornball-in-chief has decided to continue his one-sided beef with Megan Thee Stallion, nearly a year after he accused her of lying about being shot in one of his lyrics. (Mind you, the shooter, Tory Lanez, was just transferred to state prison days ago.) Not only did he make a weird concert shoutout to “this Meg,” but he also incorporated a very…strange lyric about slavery into his latest single — and managed to piss off Halle Berry, which we’ll get to in a bit.

On the note of music industry drama, Maren Morris is leaving country music. In a profile with the Los Angeles Times, Morris stated that after “the Trump years” the industry’s biases were on full display. I’ve been a fan of hers since her debut album “HERO” in 2016, and I adore Morris’ commitment to the cause — but Black country artists have known and experienced firsthand marginalization in the industry since time immemorial. Even Morris acknowledged in the interview that as a white woman, she’s benefited from the current system. What’s disappointing but unsurprising is that people are far more comfortable with wishing her “good riddance” than fixing systemic issues.

Apart from that profile last week, there has been much ado following the conviction and sentencing of disgraced “That ’70s Show” actor Danny Masterson. His former co-stars Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have since retracted their character statements advocating for Masterson with a shoddy at-home apology video. Moreover, Kutcher has stepped down as chairman of the board of Thorn, an organization he co-founded to combat child sex abuse. The final nail in the coffin? Danny Masterson’s wife, Bijou Phillips, has filed for divorce.

But a few celebs may actually be on the precipice of developing renewed relationships. While at her Vegas residency, a female fan asked for Adele’s hand and the singer responded with: “I’m straight, my love, and my husband’s here tonight.” For the past two years, she’s been dating LeBron James’ sports agent-tycoon Rich Paul; the verdict is still out regarding wedding deets and whether that was just a Freudian slip, but only time will tell.

What seems to be becoming increasingly clear is an *NSYNC reunion! The ’90s heartthrobs have been leaving hints all over social media, specifically TikTok, and even headed to our offices to film an episode of “Hot Ones.” Better tap into the press cycle now before a formal reunion tour is announced.

Before you start transferring money between accounts for tickets, buckle up and get into the latest edition of the Culture Catchall.

• We did it, Joe! Not only did Drew Barrymore delete her apology video, but she’s paused production and postponed her talk show’s return until the strike is over. HuffPost’s Paige Skinner reported on what Drew had to say after making the final decision.
• Ah yes, the Canadian menace is back at it again. Drake used a picture of Halle Berry at the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards to promote his forthcoming single with SZA called “Slime You Out;” however, Halle alleges that she did not consent for him to use the image. Drake asked Halle and she said no, but then he reportedly circumvented her wishes. Senior trends reporter Kelby Vera has the details.
• In an investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches in the UK, four women, including one who was 16 at the time, have made allegations that Russell Brand assaulted and abused them. The Sunday Times was first informed of the incidents, which allegedly occurred between 2006 and 2013, in 2019 and outlined the course of their reporting. Brand has “emphatically denied” these allegations. Please use caution, as the article contains graphic details.
• One of the music industry’s biggest gatekeepers has been accused of being racist and sexist — what a shocker! In an interview with The New York Times, Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner said that neither Black nor female artists were “articulate enough” to be featured in his novel on “philosophers of rock.” His book, titled “The Masters,” not only features exclusively white men, but Wenner allowed subjects to edit their own transcripts, which is terrible journalism. Pitchfork reported on the fallout surrounding his comments, including Wenner’s removal from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s board of directors.
• Actor Angelica Ross called out producer Ryan Murphy on the internet this week. Murphy allegedly strung the “Pose” star along after she proposed the idea of an “American Horror Story” season led by an all-Black cast. After the racial reckoning of 2020, Murphy commended the idea and said he’d follow through, but later ignored Ross’ emails. Moreover, Ross claimed that co-star Emma Roberts, who is starring in “AHS” Season 12, made transphobic remarks toward her on set. While Roberts has since called Ross to apologize, there has been no word from Murphy yet.

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