‘X Factor’ star Freddie Combs dead at 49

Lady Gaga has made a constant effort to promote mental health among young people, advocating for the importance of accessible mental health resources, this time through her Born This Way Foundation.The 35-year-old star is joining forces with Canadian mental health charity Jack.org to launch the Be There Certificate, a free online mental health course in English, Spanish and French.“Sharing this resource with each of those young people and the world means everything to me and I share it as a way to remind myself and everyone else that we each have a role to play in being there for each other,” Gaga shared to People.Lady Gaga listed the “five golden rules” on how to safely be there for someone, “Number one, say what you see. Number two, show you care.

EXCLUSIVE: Anna Wood (The Code) is set as a lead along with Oluniké Adeliyi (The Porter), Amanda Payton (United States of Al) and Delon de Metz (Zoo) in NBC’s Unbroken (wt) drama pilot from New Amsterdam executive producer Shaun Cassidy and Universal Television. Additionally, Bronwen Hughes (Resident Evil) has been tapped to direct and executive produce the pilot.

Journalist and author Lynette Rice, who has covered the TV industry for more than two decades, is joining Deadline as TV Editor, Awards and Senior TV Writer. She starts March 16.

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix is in negotiations for a green light to The Gentlemen, a series adaptation of the 2019 Guy Ritchie movie, sources said. Ritchie co-wrote the pilot script, will direct the first two episodes and will serve as an executive producer on the series, which Miramax TV is producing alongside Moonage in the UK.

“WeCrashed”Friday, March 18, AppleTV+If you haven’t had your fill of starry prestige dramas based on real-life con artists (after “Inventing Anna” and “The Dropout,” among others), then have we got a starry prestige drama based on a real-life con artist! In this case, it’s “WeCrashed,” focusing on Adam Neumann (played by Jared Leto) and his wife Rebekah (Anne Hathaway), a pair of kooks who sold WeWork as the next great advancement in office culture and then screwed it up almost beyond repair. It’s always fun to watch Leto do his extreme Method shtick (this time dying his hair, wearing prosthetics and affecting an exaggerated Israeli accent) and the story is as fascinating as it is well-documented (last year, the company was the subject of a terrific Hulu documentary, “WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn”).

Kris Jenner later married Olympic hero Bruce Jenner, who transitioned to Caitlyn Jenner in 2015). The Kardashian-Jenner children haven't exactly struggled to make end's meet, Jameela argues."I think if you grew up in Beverly Hills with super successful parents in what was simply a smaller mansion … Nobody needs to hear your thoughts on success/work ethic," Jameela tweeted in response to a Variety cover story on the reality TV family.

Caitlyn Jenner has reacted to the KarJenners continuing their reality television saga without her!

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have weighed into politics after signing an open letter from The People's Vaccines.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorNetflix is going to ride the gaming rocket. TikTok is just getting started.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment WriterAfter weeks of internal strife and external controversy surrounding the Walt Disney Company’s lack of public response to the “Don’t Say Gay” legislation in Florida, CEO Bob Chapek announced in a company email on Friday that Disney will pause all political donations in the state during a restructuring of its political giving framework.Chapek also apologized directly to the company’s LGBTQ employees for his widely criticized messaging on the issue.“It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights,” Chapek wrote.

Jaime Lee Curtis stars in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” She plays the role of an IRS inspector, a part that made her want to look as real as possible. She shared a first look on Instagram and discussed the making of the film and why she chose to show everything to the camera for the first time.Judy Greer talks about the blood, gore, and screams, inHalloween Killsin this exclusive interview‘Halloween Kills’ star Jamie Lee Curtis reveals she is afraid of horror moviesA post shared by Jamie Lee Curtis (@curtisleejamie)The photo features Curtis in character, playing the part of the awesomely named Deirdre Beaubeirdra. “WELL....

Chris Willman Music WriterKanye West has added a high-profile media figure to his executive ranks, naming Jason Lee, the founder-CEO of Hollywood Unlocked, to his team under the title of head of media and partnerships.Lee shared his take on joining forces with West with Variety prior to the official announcement going out Friday. He says that his appointment was an outgrowth of the camaraderie he established with the superstar musician doing a video interview for Hollywood Unlocked that went up last month.

Tiwary Entertainment Group’s TEG Plus has acquired the stage rights to the beloved children’s book by Crockett Johnson — with plans to adapt it into a Broadway production. The “Harold and the Purple Crayon” musical will feature new and original songs composed by pop group AJR’s Jack and Ryan Met.

Sharareh Drury administratorThe Australian Consulate-General of Los Angeles celebrated Australian women’s success in film and television on Thursday with a panel and networking reception featuring vetted and rising Aussie talent. The event, held in partnership with Variety, spotlighted the increase in international production in Australia and the historic number of Australian women who have been recognized by international award bodies for their contributions to the industry.Diverse representation in film, pushing boundaries on and off set, and becoming one’s own agent of change were featured topics during a panel held at the official residence of Consul General Jane Duke in Brentwood.

Ellise Shafer Two weeks after pausing the theatrical release of “Morbius” in Russia, Sony Pictures has announced that it is also halting all other business in the country following its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.This includes home entertainment releases, such as that of box office hit “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” and any television distribution deals. Crunchyroll has also suspended its anime streaming service in Russia.Below, read the full memo from chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra:“As we continue to see the devastating news and images coming out of Ukraine, I wanted to reach out with an update on how SPE is reacting to these events.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorWhile the Madrigal family is the heart of Disney’s “Encanto,” another key character in the film is Casa Madrigal, the family’s magical home and center of the narrative.From the very beginning, co-writer and co-director Charise Castro Smith says the creative team knew that the house would be a reflection of the family and their magical powers, with a personality and a point of view.“We knew it was going to be alive, magical and fun and a friend to the kids who lived in the house,” she says.Each room in the house also had its own personality and early on, Castro Smith says the magic of technology allowed her to visualize the world of “Encanto” through VR.“The visual design team modeled it in 3D, so we got to put a headset on and walk through the house.” That process came in handy when she was polishing the story that is rooted in magical realism — she was able to step into the casita and immerse herself in the experience. Although the house is alive, in designing the home, associate production designer Lorelay Bove added touches that were inspired by Colombian homes while making sure it oozed energy and vibrancy.The kitchen had items that would be found in a cocinar Colombiana, “like a molinillo, which is a hot chocolate stirrer, a corn grinder and traditional clay pottery called La Chamba,” Bove says.“The one thing the directors said was that there needed to be truth to the materials.

Ben Croll Returning to in-person gatherings after last year’s online event, this year’s Cartoon Movie pitch and co-production forum saw the teams behind 57 animated features pitch their development projects before 930 European industry delegates from 19 countries. Running over March 8 – 10 in the southwest city of Bordeaux in France, this year’s forum saw both international buyers (totalling 297 overall – a 12% increase from the previous edition) and adult skewing projects notch upward – two facts not wholly unrelated.Whether on purpose or by some happy twist of fate, the four beneficiaries of this year’s Cartoon Movie Tribute Awards reflected a pair of key industry trends.At an event where one third of the pitch projects were based on preexisting material, it was thus fitting that adaptation “Even Mice Belong in Heaven” — directed by Denisa Grimmová & Jan Bubeníček, co-produced by Czechia’s Fresh Films, France’s Les Films du Cygne, Slovakia’s Cinemart and Poland’s Animoon – would win for Producer of the Year, and that the graphic novel inspired “Melvile” – directed by Romain Renard and Fursy Teyssier, produced by Belgium’s Need Productions and co-produced by France’s Creative Touch and Special Touch Studios – would claim the Eurimages Co-Production Development award.

really like to take a Disney cruise).But, he’s never been in a boy band. For him, working with so many other voices was exciting.“I mean like, as a writer, and as a creator, my favorite way to build is with other people,” Fisher said.

Sony Pictures is the latest company to pause its business operations in Russia in the wake of the Ukraine invasion. SPE’s Tony Vinciquerra informed staff of the decision in a memo Friday that was obtained by TheWrap, and the pause of business operations includes halting planned home entertainment releases of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and other future TV distribution deals.

Grimes and Elon Musk had a second child together. In an interview with Vanity Fair, where the birth of the baby was revealed, Grimes also discussed her relationship with Musk, saying that it was hard to categorize yet he was still her boyfriend.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek is in full damage control mode today as the blast radius from the company’s bungled response to Florida’s “discriminatory ‘Don’t Say Gay’ legislation threatens his newly minted reign at the House of Mouse.

A day after Disney announced it was suspending their business in Russia amid the Ukraine invasion, Sony Pictures Entertainment has made it effective that they too, are doing the same. This goes beyond the standard theatrical releases which both studios earlier halted.

Steph Curry has made the day of a young fan.

Kourtney Kardashian isn’t quite done with reality TV.

Placebo have shared the details behind their first North American tour in almost a decade.The string of dates will follow the release of the band’s eighth studio album ‘Never Let Me Go’ which is set for March 25. Tickets are on sale here.The tour kicks off in Vancouver in September, with stops in Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco before it ends in New York.

He’s the new Strictly Come Dancing professional, but almost ten years ago Kai Widdrington was auditioning in front of Simon Cowell on Britain’s Got Talent. And Kai, 26, impressed Simon so much that the BGT boss went on to predict that the budding dancer would become a big star.

Freddie Combs, whose soaring voice made him a fan favorite on television’s The X Factor music competition, has died at age 49. He died Sept. 10 at a Florida hospital from kidney failure, his wife, Kay, said.

Florida funeral home. He was 49.Combs’ wife, Kay Combs, told TMZ that the singer died at a Florida hospital on Friday, Sept.

The X Factor US contestant Freddie Combs has sadly died at the age of 49 from kidney failure.The singer became a star from Simon Cowell’s US edition of the talent competition, where he wowed the judges with his dulcet tones on the huge stage. Freddie died at a hospital in Florida according to US publication TMZ.

Selome Hailu editorFreddie Combs, a minister known for singing on Season 2 of “The X-Factor,” died Sept. 10, according to a Cocoa, Fla.

Simon Cowell‘s first show since The X Factor was axed, called Walk The Line.The ITV show, set to launch later this year, will offer musicians a chance to win £500,000 by performing to judges (including Cowell) and deciding whether to take a smaller cash prize home or play on in a bigger risk.“Maya is undoubtedly one of the most exciting new faces on British television right now. Everybody is chuffed to have her on board to present Walk The Line,” a source close to the show told The Sun.“Maya and Simon already have a great rapport so it’s a no-brainer to have her joining the show.