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People slammed Pink Floyds Roger Waters as an anti-Semite long before the Oct. 7 attacks triggered a wave of Jewish hate across the globe.

Waters, the bands co-founder and a still-active rocker at 80, has walked a razor-thin line over the years between criticizing Israel and attacking the people who call the nation home.

He may have crossed said line even for his staunchest defenders.

Waters recently spoke out against fellow rock icon Bono of U2 fame. The Irish superstar reacted swiftly to the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas which killed 1,200 people and kidnapped hundreds more.

Rape. Torture. Beheadings.

The news accounts proved so grisly Bono addressed them from, where else, a concert stage mere hours after the attacks.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation

He paid particular attention to Hamas assault on a music festival dedicated to peace by tweaking the bands 80s smash, Pride (In the Name of Love).

The altered lyrics?

From: Early morning, April four / Shots ring out in the Memphis sky / Free at last, they took your life / they could not take your pride.

To: Early morning, October 7th / As the sun is rising in the desert sky / Stars of David, they took your life / But they could not take your pride.

In the light of whats happened in Israel and Gaza, a song about non-violence seems somewhat ridiculous, even laughable, but our prayers have always been for peace and for non-violenceBut our hearts and our anger, you know where thats pointed. So sing with usand those beautiful kids at that music festival.

The band shared the concert clip via its social media accounts. How could anyone object to U2s tribute, which wasnt aggressive, only heartfelt? What possible argument could be lobbied against it? Shouldnt musicians be particularly outraged by a terrorist attack on a concert?

Tell that to Waters.

He spat out his disgust for what Bono said on Al Jazeera TV : Anybody who knows Bono should go and pick him up by his ankles and shake him until he stops being a [giant] s*** we have to start speaking to these people and saying, Your opinion is so disgusting and degrading, when you stand up for the Zionist entity

What he did in the Sphere in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago, singing about the Stars of David, was one of the most disgusting things Ive ever seen in my life.

Remember, Waters is an 80-year-old man.

If that rhetoric came as an isolated outburst some may be willing to forgive if not forget. Except its part of a pattern, one that leaves less and less doubt of Waters intentions.

Jim Dyson/Getty Images

We saw something similar late last year when he sat down for an interview with independent journalist Glenn Greenwald roughly a month after Hamas savagery.

Lets wait and see what happened, was my first reaction [to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks]. My second reaction was how the hell did the Israelis not know this was going to happen? Theres something very fishy about that.

Theres no proof the Israeli government knew such an attack was coming. Its hard to imagine any government would allow that kind of atrocity to be perpetuated on its people for political purposes.

Greenwald pressed Waters on whether he thought the Oct. 7 attacks were justified.

We dont know what they did do. But was it justified for them to resist the occupation? Yeah.

We knew fairly quickly what Hamas did. The terrorists filmed much of their barbaric acts on GoPro-style cameras, smartphones, and other devices, eager for the world to witness their barbarism. Journalists and Hollywood dwellers got to see a montage of the clips shortly after Oct. 7.

Canadian journalist Matt Gurney called the footage just about the worst thing I have ever seen.

Waters also downplayed the fact that Israeli citizens were targeted in the melee.

The thing was thrown out of all proportion by the Israelis making up stories about beheading babies.

No one has credibly disputed that 1,200 people that day, or that the terrorist group kidnapped men, women, senior citizens and even toddlers following the attacks.

Waters ex-bandmate David Gilmour made up his mind a while ago on whether Waters harbors hate against Jewish people. Last year, Gilmour used his X account to promote the documentary The Dark Side of Roger Waters, a film accusing the singer of anti-Jewish sentiments.

The film, from the Campaign Against Antisemitism, featured first-person accounts by Jewish musicians who worked with Waters Norbert Stachel and Bob Ezrin who claimed they heard him utter anti-Semitic comments.

Gilmours wife, Polly Samson, added fuel to the fire by saying Waters was antisemitic to [his] rotten core.

All of this comes after Waters infamous stage antics where he performed under an inflatable pig emblazoned with the Star of David and strode across the stage wearing a Nazi-like uniform . The latter, he said, was his way of opposing fascism and bigotry.

The most intriguing part of it all? Weve seen actors face professional blowback recently for sharing anti-Israeli comments, including Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon . Cancel Culture also erased Roseanne Barrs career for a horrid Tweet.

Waters, on the other hand, has endured few repercussions for his chronic words and actions.

City Council members in Frankfurt, Germany, briefly stopped a planned May 2023 concert by the rocker, declaring that Waters repeatedly called for a cultural boycott of Israel and drew comparisons to the apartheid regime in South Africa and put pressure on artists to cancel events in Israel.

A court overruled the decision .

* * *

Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor ofHollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News Big Hollywood. Follow him at@HollywoodInToto.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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Kelly Rowland responds to row with female security guard on Cannes Film Festival red carpet

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Kelly Rowland responds to row with female security guard on Cannes Film Festival red carpet

Kelly Rowland says she was treated differently to other women on the Cannes red carpet, and an apparent dispute with a female security guard came about after she “stood her ground”.

A viral video shows the former Destiny’s Child star entering into what looked like a heated debate with a member of security staff while walking up the stairs to the theatre at the premiere of the film Marcello Mio.

Rowland on the red carpet ahead of the altercation. Pic: Reuters
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Rowland on the red carpet ahead of the altercation. Pic: Reuters

Rowland went on to speak about the incident at the amfAR gala in Cannes, which saw Hollywood A-listers Demi Moore and Cher among the stars supporting fundraising for AIDS research.

The 43-year-old singer said other women attended the event “who did not quite look like me and they didn’t get scolded or pushed off or told to get off”.

The apparent altercation happened while posing for pictures in a strapless red gown at the premiere on Tuesday evening.

The video shows the security guard holding up her arms to guide 43-year-old Rowland up the steps as she is waving and having her picture taken, at which point Rowland points her finger at the staff member and appears upset.

The dispute carries on up the stairs, with Rowland turning around to direct a comment to the guard before entering the building.

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It all took place in front of a crowd of fans who watched the incident unfold.

Speaking at the amfAR gala on Thursday, Rowland said: “The woman knows what happened. I know what happened. And, I have a boundary. And I stand by those boundaries and that is it.

“There were other women who attended that carpet, who did not quite look like me, and they didn’t get scolded or pushed off or told to get off.

“I stood my ground. And she felt she had to stand hers, but I stood my ground and that was it.”

Sky News has approached Rowland and the Cannes Film Festival for comment.

Rowland hit the headlines earlier this year after she reportedly walked off the Today show in the US.

Speculation over her exit has never been confirmed.

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P Diddy: New sexual assault allegations filed against rapper Sean Combs

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P Diddy: New sexual assault allegations filed against rapper Sean Combs

A former fashion student has accused rapper P Diddy of sexually assaulting her more than 20 years ago when she was a fashion student in New York City.

April Lampros, who is now 51, filed a claim at the Supreme Court of New York County on Thursday, according to NBC, Sky News’s sister outlet in the United States.

She claims the musician – whose real name is Sean Combs – sexually assaulted her on four occasions between 1995 and the early 2000s, including once when she was forced to take ecstasy and have sex with Combs’ former girlfriend Kim Porter.

Porter died in 2018 of pneumonia.

Ms Lampros also claims that years after she severed ties with Combs, 54, she learned he was alleged to have recorded them having sex without her knowledge and showed the recording to others.

It comes just days after CCTV video footage emerged showing Combs attacking his ex-partner Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016.

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‘Diddy’ apologises after assault video

The rapper responded to the video saying he was “truly sorry,” and was “disgusted” by his “inexcusable” behaviour.

Before the video emerged, Combs had denied all allegations of abuse and wrongdoing. He had previously called Cassie’s allegations sickening.

Many celebrities hit out at his behaviour, with actress and model Emily Ratajkowski calling him a “monster”.

Pic: CNN via AP
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Combs has since called his behaviour in the video ‘disgusting’. Pic: CNN via AP

Pic: CNN via AP
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Pic: CNN via AP

Ventura has since thanked people for “the outpouring of love”, adding that “domestic violence… broke me down to someone I never thought I would become“.

Combs cannot be prosecuted for his actions in the hotel video as they took place too long ago.

Ms Lampros – who is suing Combs over allegations of battery, sexual assault, infliction of emotional distress and gender-motivated violence – is the sixth woman to detail assault allegations against Combs in a lawsuit.

On Tuesday, a former model filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her at his New York City recording studio in 2003 after they met at a Men’s Fashion Week event.

Sean Combs and Cassie in 2017. Pic: PA
Image:
Sean Combs and Cassie in 2017. Pic: PA

Crystal McKinney, who was 22 at the time of the alleged attack, said she smoked marijuana with Combs, which she “later came to understand” was laced with a narcotic or intoxicating substance.

She said she was sexually assaulted by Combs in the bathroom, before losing consciousness and later waking up in a taxi and realised she had been sexually assaulted.

In March, his homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York.

Read more on Sky News:
Police officer who arrested world number one golfer is disciplined
Sean Kingston’s home raided – as his mother arrested

Sean Comb's home raided by federal law enforcement.
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Combs’ home was raided by federal law enforcement


In April, Combs was named in a lawsuit that alleges his son sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father.

Ventura, who began dating Combs a few years after meeting him in 2005, and split with him in 2019, sued him in November, alleging she was trafficked, raped, plied with drugs and beaten by Combs over a 10-year period.

The lawsuit claimed he forced her to have sex with male sex workers while he filmed them. The case was settled the day after it was filed.

Combs – who has never been formally charged – denies all charges against him.

Sky News has contacted the rapper for comment.

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Hiller: Kings to remain defensive-minded team

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Hiller: Kings to remain defensive-minded team

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Jim Hiller is sticking to the hard-nosed, defense-first philosophy that got the Los Angeles Kings to the first round of the playoffs — and no farther — in each of the past three seasons.

General manager Rob Blake introduced Hiller as the Kings’ permanent head coach Thursday, retaining the former Kings assistant who took over for the fired Todd McLellan in February and led Los Angeles to its third consecutive third-place finish in the Pacific Division and third straight early postseason ouster.

“Where Jim always seemed to come to the top was in the aspect that we’ve had time together,” Blake said. “We’ve seen him work … [and we’re] very comfortable, very confident in Jim’s approach to challenges. His presence in front of the group is very important to us. The way he can command the room and drive home the point that we make, the direction we want to go together, confident he can drive that home.”

With Blake and Hiller returning after weeks of speculation about their futures, the Kings’ playoff struggles clearly won’t lead to a reboot or a rebuild. Los Angeles was eliminated by Edmonton on May 1 in five games.

The GM and his first-time head coach remain committed to the style they’ve embraced with their 1-3-1 neutral zone trap. The system has made the Kings a nightmare to face, but L.A.’s players sometimes chafe at the regimented strategy — and even Hiller acknowledges it hinders the Kings’ offensive production.

“We’ve started the process of looking at everything about our game,” Hiller said. “We are a top defensive team in the National Hockey League. Have been for some years now. The identity of the L.A. Kings is a checking team that’s difficult to play against. We feel we have to find some areas where we can create more offense, but not at the expense of what our identity is, and what we’ve taken some time to create.”

Only two teams allowed fewer goals than the Kings (210) during the regular season, but Los Angeles was squarely in the middle of the NHL pack on offensive production despite a roster with expensive top-end talent.

“There’s teams that are playing in the NHL [conference] finals right now that play a 1-3-1, and there’s teams that don’t,” Hiller said. “The common theme is they play good defense. They check. It doesn’t necessarily matter what the system is. You’ve got to check within that system. We’ll look at the areas where we think, with our personnel, how we can maximize some more offense.”

That’s important, because the Kings appear to be stuck in a rut: They’ve lost to Edmonton in three consecutive first-round series after finishing the regular season with totals of 99, 104 and 99 points. They’ve stayed in this spot despite spending big money to add high-scoring forwards Kevin Fiala — who has 145 points in two strong seasons — and Pierre-Luc Dubois, who only managed 40 points in his dismal debut with Los Angeles after signing a long-term contract last summer.

Blake said the three weeks since the Kings’ ouster “have not been comfortable at all.” Blake retained his job even though the Kings haven’t won a playoff round in his seven seasons as GM, although they’ve reached the postseason four times.

Despite a roster frequently packed with top-end talent, Los Angeles has yet to advance in the postseason since raising its second Stanley Cup a decade ago.

“What we’ve come to realize is there’s a certain desire to win that needs to be raised within our team here,” Blake said. “And what that is, is getting a little uncomfortable. … It starts right now, right here, today, with me, with Jim, right down to our players. If that’s where we want to get to, that’s what we’ve got to do.”

Hiller was drafted by the Kings in the 10th round in 1989, and he eventually played 40 games with the team before being traded to Detroit as a rookie. Hiller has been passionate about coaching since even before his brief NHL playing career, and he gave special thanks Thursday to Jacques Lemaire, the Stanley Cup-winning coach and player who mentored Hiller.

Hiller got a three-year deal with incentives that could trigger a fourth season, Blake confirmed without giving specifics.

D.J. Smith will stay on Hiller’s staff after being hired as an assistant in February, and the Kings will hire a new assistant coach to focus on the power play, filling Hiller’s role under McLellan.

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