Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Pop singer testifies to Sean 'Diddy' Combs' abuse, faces sharp cross-examination

Pop singer Dawn Richard told a jury on Monday that she saw Sean "Diddy" Combs beat his girlfriend repeatedly, but she faced sharp questioning from a defense lawyer over apparent inconsistencies in her account. Richard, a former member of the pop group Danity Kane, testified during Combs' sex trafficking trial that she feared for her life after Combs told her to keep quiet about the alleged beatings and that he comes from a place where people "go missing."

Comic actor George Wendt, 'Cheers' barfly named Norm, dead at 76

Comic actor George Wendt, best known for his Emmy-nominated supporting role as the beer-bellied barfly Norm on the long-running hit NBC television sitcom "Cheers," died on Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 76. The passing of the Chicago-born performer was announced in a statement from his publicist, Melissa Nathan, who said his family confirmed that he died peacefully in his sleep in the early morning at home.

US singer Chris Brown granted $6.7 million bail for world tour by UK court

U.S. singer Chris Brown was granted bail by a London court on Wednesday over a charge of serious assault after promising to pay a 5 million-pound ($6.7 million) security fee, clearing the way for his world tour to begin next month. Brown has been charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm in what prosecutors said was an "unprovoked attack" on music producer Abraham Diaw with a tequila bottle in a London nightclub in 2023.

Denzel Washington receives surprise honorary Palme d'Or award at Cannes

U.S. actor Denzel Washington received a surprise honorary Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday evening in recognition of his outstanding career, according to organisers. Washington, 70, was in southern France for the premiere of U.S. director Spike Lee's latest film "Highest 2 Lowest," an adaptation of legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's "High and Low," which also celebrated its premiere on Monday.

'Lilo & Stitch' live-action remake brings human connection to the fore

"Lilo & Stitch" is the latest Disney animation to get a live-action remake, with the medium allowing a closer look at the main characters' relationships, its makers say. Like its predecessor, the new movie, which begins its cinema rollout on Wednesday, tells the story of a young Hawaiian girl called Lilo, played by newcomer Maia Kealoha, who befriends a fugitive alien who crash lands on Earth, and names him Stitch.

'Criminal': Elton John condemns UK's AI copyright plans

Elton John on Sunday accused the British government of "committing theft" by proposing that tech firms could train artificial intelligence models on the UK's music and creative output without guaranteeing proper recompense. Creative industries globally are grappling with the legal and ethical implications of AI models that can produce their own work after being trained on existing material.

Kevin Spacey 'glad to be working' as he is feted in Cannes

Oscar-winning U.S. actor Kevin Spacey said that "it was nice to be back" at an awards ceremony on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday evening. Spacey, who won Oscars for "American Beauty" and "The Usual Suspects", was one of Hollywood's biggest stars before he was first accused of sexual assault in 2017, after which he was dropped from the TV drama "House of Cards".

Harris Dickinson's directorial debut at Cannes born of gut feeling

British actor Harris Dickinson, who made a name for himself in "Babygirl" and "Triangle of Sadness," did not have a blueprint for making a film when he set out to direct his debut feature "Urchin," which had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. "You could call it stupidity or ambition or naiveté, I'd never made a film, so I didn't have an algorithm for it, I was just doing it," Dickinson told Reuters.

US singer Chris Brown to re-apply for bail after UK assault charge

U.S. singer Chris Brown will again apply for bail on Wednesday, after an English court remanded him into custody over a serious assault charge and threw his upcoming world tour into doubt. Brown has been charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm in what prosecutors said was an "unprovoked attack" on a music producer at the Tape nightclub in central London in 2023.

Nigeria's first film in Cannes lineup explores masculinity, family dynamics

With "My Father's Shadow," Nigeria's first film in the Cannes Film Festival's official selection, director Akinola Davies Jr. wanted to create something deeply personal, he told Reuters. The film had to mean "something to me, to him (my brother), to my family, to our community, I guess to masculinity in general," said Davies about the film competing in the second-tier Un Certain Regard category that he wrote with his brother, Wale.

Wes Anderson makes light of Trump's movie tariff plan at Cannes

U.S. director Wes Anderson made light of U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed 100% tariffs on foreign-made films at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday, asking how they would work in practice. The director known for his whimsical storytelling and vibrant palettes mostly filmed his latest caper "The Phoenician Scheme" at a studio outside Berlin.

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington back together after 18 years in Cannes film

Spike Lee recalled on Tuesday how he and Denzel Washington instantly picked up where they left off when filming their latest movie "Highest 2 Lowest", almost 20 years after they last worked together. "It was an 18-year gap between "Inside Man" and this film, but we were surprised because this was like it was yesterday. So we didn't lose a step," the U.S. director told journalists at the Cannes Film Festival, where his film premiered out of competition.

Universal's new Epic Universe park challenges Disney in Florida

For decades, Universal Orlando Resort was a pit stop on a vacationer's way to the "Most Magical Place on Earth," Walt Disney World. Now, NBCUniversal owner Comcast aims to rewrite the travel itinerary with Epic Universe, a major new theme park in Central Florida set to open on Thursday.

Russian ballet supremo Yuri Grigorovich dies at 98

Russian ballet maestro Yuri Grigorovich, considered one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century, has died at the age of 98, the Bolshoi Theatre said on Monday. Grigorovich, artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow from 1964-1995, was famed for productions of Spartacus, Ivan the Terrible, Romeo and Juliet and many other ballets. He was especially celebrated for his focus on the male dancer, for whom he made roles requiring extraordinary strength and technique.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs took ecstasy shaped like Obama's face, jury hears

Sean "Diddy" Combs once took an ecstasy pill shaped like President Barack Obama's face, the hip-hop mogul's former personal assistant testified on Tuesday at Combs' racketeering and sex trafficking trial. David James, who worked for Combs from 2007 to 2009, told jurors during the second week of the trial in Manhattan federal court that he frequently saw Combs take drugs, including opiates during the day and ecstasy at night. James said he sometimes picked up drugs for Combs and his friends, and often brought narcotics and other personal items like lubricant and condoms to Combs' hotel rooms.

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