By Wonderwall.com Editors
6:01am PDT, May 17, 2022
Billboard Music Awards criticized for welcoming Morgan Wallen after Buffalo mass shooting
The 2022 Billboard Music Awards faced backlash this week after having Morgan Wallen and Travis Scott perform at the Las Vegas show on Sunday, May 15, given their recent scandals. In 2021, Morgan was suspended by his label, banned from multiple awards shows and taken off the air at various radio stations after a video surfaced in which he used the N-word. He has since apologized. Travis, meanwhile, is facing legal action from the victims and families of those who were killed and injured during his set at his 2021 Astroworld festival. He's also apologized and shared his condolences for the 10 who died as a result of the crowd surge during his set. Despite the fallout from both artists' scandals, Diddy said ahead of the awards show that he was "un-canceling the canceled" as its 2022 host. "I looked at Morgan's situation. I looked at Travis' situation and I said, 'Man, I got some power to do something about that because we can't start that in the music industry or even in life, period,'" Diddy told the audience on Sunday, according to Page Six. "So I'm here to forgive, to unify, to celebrate, and to have everybody be free." Despite his explanation, some viewers slammed Billboard and Diddy for welcoming the two artists — particularly Morgan. "Sorry, we don't support racists, next …" one person tweeted. Others pointed out the seeming disconnect of "un-canceling" Morgan when the show also acknowledged the racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, where the majority of the 10 people killed were Black. "The billboard music awards making a whole speech about the mass shooting in buffalo only to have morgan wallen perform two songs 15 mins later," another Twitter user wrote. "… What a joke." Morgan was also named the year's Top Country Male Artist at the awards show. The Justice Department has said it's investigating the Buffalo shooting as a hate crime.
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Jennifer Lopez says family comes first 'now that I'm getting married'
Jennifer Lopez shouted-out her engagement to Ben Affleck in the latest edition of her fan newsletter, "On the JLo," the same platform she used to share details about Ben's bubble bath proposal last month. "So much has been going on since our last email … that was a biggie LOL," the singer, 52, wrote in the May 14 email, which included adorable PDA pics of Jen sitting on Ben's lap, decked out in a two-piece crushed green velvet ensemble that handily matches her green engagement ring. In a section she dubbed "ask me anything," the singer responded to questions from fans, including one query about how she chooses "business opportunities." "It's super important for me, especially now, to prioritize my personal life and not just my work life," she wrote. "When I had kids 14 years ago was when I started thinking differently. … Little by little, my perspective has turned into a healthier work-life balance. Now that I'm getting married, it's about my family first and foremost," she continued. "It's about having enough time to be the woman, the mother, the partner and the person that I need to be for the important people in my life." Because of that, the singer explained, "It must be a very special project if it's going to take time away from my family." Before signing off, she gave Ben one more sweet shout-out, captioning the photos — which look an awful lot like they came from a celebratory engagement dinner — with a reference to the green sparkler Ben slipped on her hand: "Oh by the way, green is still my lucky color …"
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Paris Hilton supports longtime friend Britney Spears after pregnancy loss
Paris Hilton reached out to her old pal, Britney Spears, after the singer and her fiance announced Britney's pregnancy loss over the weekend. "It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that we have lost our miracle baby early in the pregnancy," Britney and Sam wrote in a joint Instagram post on Saturday, May 14. "This is a devastating time for any parent. Perhaps we should have waited to announce until we were further along, however we were overly excited to shared the good news," they continued. "Our love for each other is our strength. We will continue trying to expand our beautiful family. We are grateful for all of your support. We kindly ask for privacy during this difficult moment." Paris, who was famously tight with Britney in the early aughts, was among the first to reply in the comments. "🥺I'm so sorry for your loss sis.😢," she wrote. "Always here for you. Sending you so much love❤️ Love you lots B💘." Speaking to Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM show back in 2020, Paris confirmed she was still in touch with Britney. "I saw her this summer. We've had dinners, I saw her in Malibu. I just love her so much," Paris explained. "She is so sweet and so innocent and such a nice girl. We just talk about happy things. Music, fashion… fun things." Britney, 40, announced she and Sam were "having a baby" in April, nearly a year after alleging her father and other conservators would not allow her to remove her IUD despite her desire to have a child with Sam. The conservatorship was terminated in November 2021. Britney also shares sons Sean, 16, and Jayden, 15, with her ex, Kevin Federline.
Alabama Barker shares first look at 'happy' newlyweds Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker
On Sunday, May 15, Travis Barker's 16-year-old daughter, Alabama, proudly posted what look like the first photos of her dad and Kourtney Kardashian after their surprise courthouse wedding in Santa Barbara, Calif. As Kourtney and Travis poked their heads into view on Alabama's Instagram Live session, Alabama announced the couple looked "happy" as Travis carried his new bride through the door, according to Page Six. Although most of the pair's families seemed not to have been present for the wedding — Travis' dad, Randy, and Kourtney's grandmother MJ, were the only relatives photographed there — TMZ reported Kravis plan to tie the knot again at a larger, more traditional ceremony in Italy. That will make wedding No. 3 for the couple, if you count their faux-nuptials in Las Vegas, which Kourtney has said took place before they got a wedding license.
Amber Heard claims Johnny Depp's 'violence became almost normal' as defamation trial resumes
Amber Heard returned to the witness stand in Johnny Depp's $50 million defamation trial in Virginia on Monday, May 16, where she testified that she and her then-husband "fell back in love" after a vicious fight in 2015 and tried to repair their marriage. According to Amber, however, things quickly went south. "Unfortunately, the violence became almost normal, especially towards the end," Amber said, according to a New York Post report. Over the course of her testimony, she alleged Johnny once threw a magnum of champagne at her, and in another incident, threw a phone at her face, bruising her. She also described incidents during which the actor allegedly trashed their house, using a wine bottle as "a bat, of sorts," as jurors looked at photos of the alleged destruction. "I had worked so hard to try to make this relationship work … it was falling apart," Amber said. Though she said she "loved Johnny so much," she explained, "… I knew I had to leave him. I knew I wouldn't survive if I didn't." Johnny previously said under oath that he's never "struck" Amber. Later in the day, Amber claimed her ex launched a "smear campaign" after she filed for divorce in May 2016. "Johnny told me that he would ruin me," Amber. "That no one would ever touch me, professionally, that no one would ever work with me again. … That he would ruin my career." Johnny's suing Amber over a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post about surviving domestic abuse. She never named Johnny in the piece, but he claims he's implied as her abuser. In 2020, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star lost a libel case against the publisher of British tabloid The Sun, which called him a "wife-beater" in 2018.
John Legend says he and Chrissy Teigen were 'tested' by losing son, Jack
After Chrissy Teigen's pregnancy loss in 2020, John Legend turned to music to help him work through the pain. Now, he hopes his music can help other families, too. In a new interview with The Guardian, the Grammy winner reveals his upcoming eighth studio album features "music dealing with grief and what it feels like to mourn, and to try to pick up the pieces after you've lost something." That music was inspired by the death of the couple's son, Jack, more than halfway through Chrissy's pregnancy two years ago. "When you lose a pregnancy and you have to go through that grief together, it can be really difficult for a family," said John, who shares son Miles, 3, and daughter, Luna, 6, with Chrissy. "Hopefully creating music out of it can be healing for me and for other people too." In September 2020, after Jack's stillbirth, Chrissy shared photos from the distressing experience on social media, later writing in a Medium post that she "needed to know of this moment forever" in order to find a sense of closure. "It was raw, sharing our experience," John told The Guardian. "I was worried but our instinct was to do it because people knew we were pregnant and Chrissy felt like she needed to tell the story completely about what happened." Afterwards, he said, "I was amazed by the outpouring of love and support we felt … It was a powerful and brave thing that Chrissy did to share that because it made so many people feel like they were seen and that they weren't alone." Looking back today, John concluded: "We were tested. It was a tragedy. But I think it strengthened our resolve and our resilience because we were there for each other. We came out even more sure of who we were as a couple and as a family."
'Bridgerton' reveals Season 3 will focus on Colin and Penelope
With Daphne Bridgerton happily married to the Duke of Hastings and Anthony Bridgerton having committed himself to Kate, the next season of "Bridgerton" will focus on Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington, who's been quietly pining for Colin throughout their long friendship. Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope in the Shondaland period drama, confirmed the news on Sunday, May 16, during a panel discussion at Netflix's FYSEE Exhibition in Los Angeles. "Like Lady Whistledown, I have been keeping a secret for quite some time and I can confirm to you all that Season 3 is Colin and Penelope's love story," she said, according to People. The Irish actress added that she's been keeping the news under wraps "since two weeks into Season 2." Nicola's character Penelope, meanwhile, has been trying to keep her love for Colin under wraps until she figures out whether her "more than just friends" feelings are mutual. While we've seen hints Colin may be interested in Pen throughout the series, the second season ended with Penelope overhearing him say he'd "never dream of courting" her. "I feel like if you see Penelope fawning over this boy for another season, you'll be like, 'Get it together! Come on, move on and get over it,'" Nicola told Netflix's fan-focused site, Tudum, before the panel event. Luke Newton, who plays Colin, told the website he hopes to find his character "has sort of a more sensitive side to him" in Season 3. "I love that we are exploring a relationship that so many people have had, where you form a friendship and you get to know each other down to the core. Then it sparks something from there," he added.
