Month: August 2024

Carrie Underwood will replace Katy Perry as a judge on the upcoming Season 23 of American Idol. Perry announced back in February that she was stepping away from Idol, with Season 22 being her last as a judge.

Underwood will appear alongside returning judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, as well as longtime host Ryan Seacrest. Good Morning America formally announced the news on Thursday, August 1, and shared a look back at Underwood’s history with American Idol with a special video, showing a yet-undiscovered Underwood preparing to audition for the show 20 years ago.

Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, said in a statement: “This upcoming season marks 20 years since Carrie won America’s hearts on Idol and launched her successful multi-Grammy Award-winning career, As a former Idol and dynamic musical force, she brings a remarkably unique perspective to one of the most popular shows of television. This is a full-circle moment both for the show and for audiences at home who have been tuning in for over two decades. Welcome home Carrie.”

American Idol showrunner Megan Wolflick said: “Carrie Underwood is the first American Idol alum ever to join the judging panel. Her global superstar status as the most successful Idol winner to date makes her a perfect fit for the show. She embodies the true spirit of Idol as she herself is the definition of the Cinderella story. Our future hopefuls will have the chance to receive advice from someone who has walked in their exact footsteps every step of the way. Carrie has always been a strong supporter of Idol, and I’m thrilled for her to be reunited with our Idol Family.”

Underwood said: “I’m proud of everything that I was able to accomplish on the show, and I’m so proud of everything that I’ve accomplished since.” The country superstar got her start in the music industry after she became the show’s fourth ‘Idol’ winner in 2005; in the two decades since her win, Underwood has gone on to sell 85 million records worldwide with 28 No. 1 chart-topping singles, and has earned eight Grammys, 17 American Music Awards, ten People’s Choice Awards and seven CMA Awards.

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Cardi B confirmed on Instagram on Thursday, Aug. 1 that she is pregnant and expecting her third baby.

Cardi, 31, wrote in a social media post alongside photos of herself in a red dress showing off her baby bump: “With every ending comes a new beginning! I am so grateful to have shared this season with you, you have brought me more love, more life and most of all renewed my power! Reminded me that I can have it all! You’ve reminded me that I never have to choose between life, love, and my passion! I love you so much and can not wait for you to witness what you helped me accomplish, what you pushed me to do!  It’s so much easier taking life’s twists, turns and test laying down, but you, your brother and your sister have shown me why it’s worth it to push through!”  

Cardi’s pregnancy announcement comes shortly after it was a revealed that she had filed for divorce from husband Offset, 32, after six years of marriage. Page Six reported that Cardi is seeking primary custody of their children together, son Wave Set, 2½, and daughter Kulture Kiari, 6. The divorce filing was not publicly available at press time. Offset is also a father to sons Jordan, 14, and Kody, 8, and daughter Kalea Marie, 9, from previous relationships.

During an Instagram Live in December 2023, Cardi first confirmed that she is single, saying at the time “I’ve been single for a minute now, but I have been afraid … Not afraid, I just don’t know how to tell the world. But I feel like today has been, like, a sign.” Despite that, Cardi and Offset were still seen spending time together on New Year’s Eve, with Offset directing the music video for “Like What (Freestyle),”. That same month, Rolling Stone published an interview in which Cardi said the pair was “all right now .. because we do love each other It’s not even about love. We’re best friends. And it’s like, ‘OK. Well, there was a time that I didn’t have a best friend, or I didn’t have a support system.’ It’s not even about ‘How do you leave a partner?’ How do you stop talking to your best friend?”

Cardi B and Offset have had an on-and-off again relationship since they got married in September 2017, often the result of his alleged infidelity. They announced they were splitting in 2018 and, after reconciling, Cardi B filed for divorce in September 2020, which they later called off. In a 2020 interview with ELLE, Cardi addressed the couple’s ups-and-downs, saying, “I do know that my relationship has a lot of drama and everything. But there’s a lot of love there’s a lot of passion, there’s a lot of trust, there’s a big friendship. It’s always us against the world.”

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A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced the highly anticipated NO FAKES Act on Wednesday (July 31), which aims to protect artists and others from AI deepfakes and other nonconsensual replicas of their voices, images and likenesses. Led by Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, the senators introduced a revised version Wednesday of the No Fakes Act, which would make it illegal to create an AI replica of someone without their consent.

Unlike many existing state-law systems, the NO FAKES Act would create would not expire at death and could be controlled by a person’s heirs for 70 years after their passing. To balance personal publicity rights and the First Amendment right to free speech, the NO FAKES Act also includes specific carveouts for replicas used in news coverage, parody, historical works or criticism. The advance of artificial intelligence — and high-profile controversies involving Taylor Swift, Joe Biden, Scarlett Johansson, and most recently, Kamala Harris — have spurred renewed interest in both state and federal legislation.

The entertainment industry has united in support of the bill to outlaw digital deepfakes and create the first-ever federal right to one’s voice and likeness. If passed, the legislation would create federal intellectual property protections for the so-called right of publicity for the first time, which restricts how someone’s name, image, likeness and voice can be used without consent. Currently, such rights are only protected at the state level, leading to a patchwork of different rules across the country.

The bill has the support of SAG-AFTRA, Disney, the Motion Picture Association — which represents six major studios — as well as the Recording Industry Association of America, the Recording Academy, and the major music labels and talent agencies.  Fran Drescher, the president of SAG-AFTRA, in a statement: “Game over A.I. fraudsters! Enshrining protections against unauthorized digital replicas as a federal intellectual property right will keep us all protected in this brave new world. Especially for performers whose livelihoods depend on their likeness and brand, this step forward is a huge win!”

In addition, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) has also come out in its support of the bill, with Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of MPA, sharing in a statement: “The Motion Picture Association thanks Senators Coons, Blackburn, Klobuchar, and Tillis for their work on the NO FAKES Act. We support protecting performers from generative AI abuse – and this bill thoughtfully establishes federal protections against harmful uses of digital replicas, while respecting First Amendment rights and creative freedoms. We particularly appreciate the sponsors’ inclusion of safeguards intended to prevent the chilling of constitutionally protected speech such as biopics, docudramas, parody and satire – which will be necessary for any new law to be durable. The MPA looks forward to working closely with the bill’s sponsors as the NO FAKES Act makes its way into law.”

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Netflix announced that comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan is set to headline a live stand-up special on Netflix, airing Aug. 3 at 10 p.m. ET.

Joe Rogan: Burn the Boats,  Rogan’s first comedy special in six years, will be filmed live at the Majestic Theater in San Antonio, Texas, directed by Anthony Giordano, a veteran director of televised UFC fights who has also helmed four of Rogan’s previous specials: 2018’s “Strange Times,” 2016’s “Triggered,” 2012’s “Live From the Tabernacle” and 2009’s “Talking Monkeys in Space.”

Rogan has performed as a stand-up comedian for more than 30 years, but is best known for “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the No. 1 podcast on Spotify which he’s hosted since 2009. The show has boasted guests including Elon Musk, Bernie Sanders and Dwayne Johnson, as well as controversial figures such as Alex Jones, Jordan Peterson and Candace Owens. Rogan inked a new multi-year deal with Spotify in February that is said to be worth up to $250 million, and the show — which had been exclusively available on Spotify for three years — is now available on other audio platforms.

See the trailer for Joe Rogan: Burn the Boats: here.

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