Rapper DaBaby has apologised after comments he made about HIV-positive people and gay men saw him widely criticised and kicked off festival line-ups.
At the Rolling Loud Miami festival, held between 23 July and 25 July, the 29-year-old – real name Jonathan Kirk – told audience members to put their phone lights in the air – unless they were HIV-positive or were gay men who performed sex acts in car parks.
As well as seemingly singling out those living with the virus, DaBaby also incorrectly asserted that it will “make you die in two or three weeks”.
Now, in a post on his Instagram page more than a week later, the musician has apologised – and emphasised the importance of being “educated”.
He said: “Social media moves so fast that people want to demolish you before you even have the opportunity to grow, educate, and learn from your mistakes.
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“As a man who has had to make his own way from very difficult circumstances, having people I know publicly working against me – knowing that what I needed was education on these topics and guidance – has been challenging.
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“I appreciate the many people who came to me with kindness, who reached out to me privately to offer wisdom, education, and resources.
“That’s what I needed and it was received. I want to apologize to the LGBTQ+ community for the hurtful and triggering comments I made.
“Again, I apologize for my misinformed comments about HIV/AIDS and I know education on this is important.
Among the stars to criticise DaBaby were Sir Elton John, Madonna and Dua Lipa.
Sir Elton, who founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 said that the comments made by the rapper “fuels stigma and discrimination and is the opposite of what our world needs to fight the AIDS epidemic”.
The festival’s Twitter account posted that it was founded on “diversity, inclusivity, respect, and love”, adding: “With that in mind, DaBaby will no longer be performing at Grant Park.”
DaBaby has also been dropped from New York City’s Governors Ball and Day N Vegas in Las Vegas.
And clothing brand BooHoo dropped its line with him.
The rapper was nominated for a Grammy for record of the year last year, following the success of his song Rockstar.
Grease star Susan Buckner, who played Patty Simcox in the classic musical, has died aged 72.
The American actress died peacefully on Thursday 2 May surrounded by her loved ones, publicist Melissa Berthier has said.
A cause of death has not been given.
Buckner was best known for her role in Grease where she played the Rydell High cheerleading pal of Sandy – played by Olivia Newton-John.
In a memorable scene, Bucknell gives a rallying cry for the school when she says: “Do the splits, give a yell, show a little spirit for Old Rydell! Way to go, red and white, go Rydell, fight, fight, fight.”
Bucknell’s daughter Samantha Mansfield said after her mother’s death: “She was magic. She was my best friend. And I will miss her every day.
“I was lucky I had such a lighting rod of a mother and now I have her as an angel.”
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Born in Seattle, Buckner made her name on the pageant circuit, being crowned Miss Washington in 1971 before representing the state at the Miss America competition the following year.
She channelled her experience into the entertainment industry, becoming a member of the singing and dancing group The Golddiggers, which featured on The Dean Martin Show.
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She also made appearances on The Mac Davis Show, Sonny And Cher, and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.
Following her appearance in Grease in 1978, Buckner starred in TV shows including The Love Boat, BJ And The Bear, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, and When The Whistle Blows.
She also starred in the 1981 Wes Craven horror film Deadly Blessing alongside Sharon Stone, as well as in Police Academy 6: City Under Siege in 1989.
Buckner later took a step back from Hollywood and became a mother to her two children, Adam Josephs and Mrs Mansfield.
She is also survived by her grandchildren Oliver, Riley, Abigail and Ruby as well as her sister Linda, daughter-in-law Noel Josephs, son-in-law Adam Mansfield and longtime partner Al.
Police are investigating a shooting at the Toronto mansion of Canadian rapper Drake.
A security guard, who had been standing outside the gates of the property, was taken to hospital after being seriously injured in the attack.
The shooting happened early on Tuesday morning, soon after 2am local time (7am UK time) near Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue in the affluent Bridle Path neighbourhood.
A suspect fled the scene in a vehicle, police said in a post on X.
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The creators of Friends have revealed that parts of the script for the final episode were leaked by an insider ahead of the show airing.
Simply titled The Last One, millions tuned in as the episode brought the hit comedy to a close 20 years ago, on 6 May 2004, finally resolving the decade-long “will they, won’t they?” romance between Ross and Rachel.
Looking back at the final shows in an interview with NBC’s Today show in the US, Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane revealed details of the leak.
“Oh my god, we tried so hard to keep it a secret!” Kauffman said. “We were desperate to keep it a secret and it got out. And it was an inside job.”
Scripts sent out ahead of the premiere of the final episode were numbered, Crane explained.
“We knew how many people knew what it was going to be,” he said. “So it did, through an element of… it became a behind-the-scenes detective show.
“It was frustrating, but at the end of the day, what are you gonna do?”
Part of the script that leaked included the details of Ross and Rachel finally getting back together, Kauffman said.
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But when asked if the mystery of who released the information was solved, she replied with a smile: “Ish.”
“Ish,” Crane repeated.
After 10 series and 236 episodes, as well as Ross and Rachel’s reunion, the final instalment saw Monica and Chandler leaving their famous Manhattan apartment and moving to the suburbs as new parents to adopted twins.
Perry, who died last year, aged 54, wrote about the finale in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing.
“Before that final episode, I’d taken Marta Kauffman to one side,” he wrote. “‘Nobody else will care about this except me’, I said. ‘So may I please have the last line?'”
His character Chandler did indeed have the last line. As the Friends decide to go for one last coffee before the move, he simply asks, “Where?”, in a trademark sarcastic but poignant joke about the fact that so much of their time on screen has been spent in the Central Perk coffee shop.
“It’s incredibly poignant. It’s a legacy for him, one of his many legacies,” Kauffman said.
Friends has found a new generation of fans in recent years after being picked up by streaming sites.
Earlier this year, two scripts for The One With Ross’s Wedding, season four’s famous two-part finale filmed in London, sold at auction for £22,000 after being found in a bin.