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Jussie Smollett Charged With Filing False Police Report

Jussie Smollett (mug shot via CPD)

Early this morning, Empire star Jussie Smollett turned himself in to Chicago Police where he was charged with felony disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a police report.

If found guilty, the class 4 felony carries a potential sentence of one to three years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines.

At a press conference this morning, Chicago Police Chief Eddie Johnson was direct in denouncing Smollett’s actions.

“Empire actor Jussie Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career,” Johnson told reporters. “Why would anyone, especially an African American man, use the symbolism of a noose to make false accusations?”

“I just wish that the families of gun violence in this city got this much attention, because that’s who really deserves the amount of attention that we’re giving to this particular incident.”

Johnson added, “Smollett took advantage of the pain of racism to further his career…This publicity stunt was a scar the City of Chicago didn’t deserve.”

“First Smollett attempted to gain attention by sending a false letter that relied on racial homophobic and political language,” said the police chief. “When that didn’t work, Smollett paid $3,500 to stage this attack… The stunt was orchestrated by Smollett because he was dissatisfied with his salary so he concocted a story about being attacked.”

Here’s just part of the press conference this morning.

And, of course, here’s the haters right on cue:

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News Round-Up: February 20, 2019

(image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• I might be a little obsessed with this handsome face. InstaHunk Steve_In_LA is pretty easy on the eyes as well 😉

• New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson has called for feds to ‘break the patent’ on Truvada, which is commonly prescribed as PrEP. Since the federal government helped fund the research for the drug, it has the right to break the patent and allow other companies to produce a generic version. PrEP has been shown to be 99% effective in protecting against HIV infection when used on a daily basis.

• The Republican-controlled Indiana Senate has voted to scrap all protected characteristics, including gender identity, race and sexual orientation, from a proposed hate crime bill. Indiana is one of only five states with no hate crime law in place.

• A lesbian couple in Indiana were refused service by their tax preparer, Nancy Fivecoate, because they were married. Fivecoate says she has gay clients, but she can’t work for gay married clients. What do taxes have to do with religious beliefs?

• 18-time Grand Slam winner Martina Navratilova has been removed from the advisory board of pro-LGBTQ sports organization Athlete Ally for her recent anti-transgender remarks. The tennis champ says its ‘cheating’ to let trans women compete in women’s sports.

• As he was recovering from a life-shaking breakup, out singer/songwriter Kisos penned (in real time) his upcoming EP, sweet nothings, featuring one track for each of the 5 stages of grief.

The lead single, “Happily Ever After,” is a bouncy electro-pop bop with the handsome artist deep in denial, using delusion as poisoned motivation to better himself and survive the pain of seeing his ex with someone new.

Hit the play button below and enjoy! “Happily Ever After” is available now – click here.

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Jussie Smollett Indicted For Filing A False Police Report

Empire star Jussie Smollett has officially become a suspect for filing a false police report (Class 4 felony).
Jussie Smollett

UPDATE: Empire star Jussie Smollett has been indicted for filing a false police report in connection to the alleged assault last month.

Cook County State’s Attorney’s office confirmed felony charges following a day hearings in front of a Grand Jury where evidence was presented by Chicago police.

Smollett faces a Class 4 felony and possibly 1 to 3 three years if found guilty.

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Empire star Jussie Smollett has officially become a suspect for filing a false police report (Class 4 felony).

Detectives will be presenting evidence to a grand jury.

The Chicago Police Department tweeted out the news this afternoon:

The case began last month when Smollett claimed he’d been attacked by two men in MAGA hats who beat him, poured bleach on his head and put a noose around his neck.

Since the original reports, aspects of his story seem to be crumbling.

According to several outlets, Smollett was allegedly not happy that a threatening racist letter didn’t get a bigger reaction from his network. That was, reportedly, the impetus for a faked attack.

Which brings us to today.

If Smollett did make this story up, he harms every future victim who will perhaps not be believed.

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Tucker Carlson Cusses Out A Guest And Then Trashes Interview


 Fox News’ Tucker Carlson did a pre-recorded interview with historian Rutger Bregman regarding taxation and wealth equality, but didn’t like what he was hearing. So he cussed Bregman out, and never aired the interview.

I wonder how many interviews Tucker Carlson and his producers have recorded and jettisoned because they just didn’t like Carlson’s performance?

You can watch Bregman’s side of the chat below since he recorded the interview himself.

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Taron Egerton Shows He Can SANG In Elton John Biopic ‘Rocketman’

Taron Egerton sings in ‘Rocketman’

Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service) and the creative team behind the upcoming Elton John biopic, Rocketman, share this behind-the-scenes peek into bringing the music of Elton John to the big screen.

Egerton does his own (very) impressive singing in the movie, and according to music producer Giles Martin, Elton himself said, “I don’t think I’ve heard anyone sing my songs better than Taron.”

Paramount has described the film as an “epic musical fantasy about the uncensored human story of Sir Elton John’s breakthrough years.”

In this new featurette, Egerton gushes, “This has been the greatest joy of my professional life making this film.”

In addition to Egerton, the flick stars Jamie Bell (Fantastic Four) as Elton’s longtime writing partner Bernie Taupin, Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) as the singer’s first manager John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World) portrays Elton’s mum.

Dexter Fletcher, who was the uncredited director who took over on Bohemian Rhapsody in the wake of Bryan Singer being sacked, handles the directing duties here as well.

Rocketman lands in theaters May 31. Watch the behind-the-scenes featurette below.

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Trump Calls NY Times “True Enemy Of The People”

Donald Trump

Donald Trump began his day attacking The New York Times, no doubt because of their extensive report yesterday regarding Trump reportedly asking then-acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker last year to shift Trump ally U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman to be in charge of the Michael Cohen investigation in New York’s Southern District.

According to the Times, Trump soured on Whitaker when he didn’t do as asked.

The publisher of the Times, A. G. Sulzberger, clapped back at Trump via an op-ed today which read, in part:

In demonizing the free press as the enemy, simply for performing its role of asking difficult questions and bringing uncomfortable information to light, President Trump is retreating from a distinctly American principle. It’s a principle that previous occupants of the Oval Office fiercely defended regardless of their politics, party affiliation, or complaints about how they were covered.

The phrase “enemy of the people” is not just false, it’s dangerous. It has an ugly history of being wielded by dictators and tyrants who sought to control public information. And it is particularly reckless coming from someone whose office gives him broad powers to fight or imprison the nation’s enemies. As I have repeatedly told President Trump face to face, there are mounting signs that this incendiary rhetoric is encouraging threats and violence against journalists at home and abroad.

Through 33 presidential administrations, across 167 years, The New York Times has worked to serve the public by fulfilling the fundamental role of the free press. To help people, regardless of their backgrounds or politics, understand their country and the world. To report independently, fairly and accurately. To ask hard questions. To pursue the truth wherever it leads. That will not change.

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HBO Releases Trailer For Upcoming Michael Jackson Documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’

(promo image via HBO)

HBO has released the trailer for the upcoming Michael Jackson documentary, Leaving Neverland.

The two-part, four-hour documentary explores the separate (but similar) allegations of two men who were both befriended as children by Michael Jackson.

James Safechuck (who met Jackson when he was ten years old) and Wade Robson (who met the singer at age five) both allege they experienced numerous incidents of sexual abuse by Jackson.

In 2005, Robson testified in Jackson’s defense during the singer’s criminal trial saying he had stayed at the Neverland Ranch more than 20 times – usually sleeping in Jackson’s room – and Jackson never sexually abused him.

But in 2013, years after Jackson’s death, he changed his story and sued the Jackson estate for what he described as seven years of molestation. The judge in that case dismissed the lawsuit saying the estate “couldn’t be held responsible for Robson’s exposure to Jackson.”

Safechuck filed a complaint in 2016 alleging Jackson had sex with him “hundreds” of times when he was a boy. That case was also dismissed.

Directed by Dan Reed, the film features in-depth interviews with both men as well as family members.

According to The Guardian, the Jackson estate dispatched a ten-page letter to HBO’s CEO denying the allegations and denouncing Reed for not interviewing anyone from Jackson’s family or legal team.

Robson, who became a successful choreographer in the 2000s for acts like Britney Spears and *NSYNC, says in the trailer that Jackson “told me if they ever found out what we were doing, he and I would go to jail for the rest of our lives.”

“I want to be able to speak the truth as loud as I had to speak the lie for so long,” added Robson.

“Secrets will eat you up,” Safechuck tells the camera. “You feel so alone.”

The comments on the YouTube page for the trailer are overwhelmingly negative about the film and the allegations with the ‘Dislikes’ outweighing the ‘Likes’ 5 to 1.

Part one of Leaving Neverland airs Sunday, March 3, on HBO, with the second part following on Monday, March 4.

Watch the trailer below.

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Covington Catholic Teen Files $250 Million Lawsuit

Nick Sandmann, who folks couldn't stop from declaring was "so innocent" for his part in the Lincoln Memorial debacle last month, has shown his true colors and filed a $250 MILLION lawsuit against Trump's favorite newspaper to hate, The Washington Post.
Nick Sandmann and Nathan Phillips

Nick Sandmann, who garnered national attention last month for his standoff with a Native American elder at the Lincoln Memorial last month, has filed a $250 MILLION lawsuit against The Washington Post.

From HuffPost:

Sandmann, a student from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky, was part of a group of teens filmed surrounding Phillips while he performed an American Indian Movement song on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial last month at the National Mall.

The viral incident ― which was covered by many major news outlets ― caused nationwide outrage at both ends of the political spectrum, with perceptions becoming more complicated after more than an hour of the footage from the encounter later emerged.

According to the lawsuit filed by attorneys Lin Wood and Todd McMurtry, the Post’s coverage of the incident “wrongfully targeted and bullied” Sandmann “because he was the white, Catholic student wearing a red ‘Make America Great Again’ souvenir cap.”

The purpose of the lawsuit against the Post, the lawsuit says, is “to seek legal redress for its negligent, reckless, and malicious attacks on Nicholas which caused permanent damage to his life and reputation.

“The Post bullied an innocent child with an absolute disregard for the pain and destruction its attacks would cause to his life.”

As the report points out, tons of media outlets carried the story. How anyone could point at just the Post and say they alone were responsible for Sandmann’s coverage is beyond ridiculous.

Remember folks, he’s just an innocent kid.

Sandmann on The Today Show sans smirk

The $250 million figure just happens to be what Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos paid for the newspaper.

Donald Trump couldn’t wait to tweet about this:

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New Music: Dido “Give You Up”

Dido has released the gorgeous music video of her latest single, “Give You Up.”

“It’s just so perfect,” Dido says of the track. “It’s a good break up song, where you’ve been hurt but feel strong. It’s that point in a relationship where you are pulling yourself out of the gutter and deciding that it’s their loss. Which I can totally relate to.”

The video’s rich, saturated visuals are a perfect complement to Dido’s exquisite vocals.

Dido will launch a world tour beginning in Chicago on June 13.

Still On My Mind (out March 8) is Dido’s 5th studio album.

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Out Music: Matracia Likes To Take It “Slow”

While February continues with frigid temperatures, alternative singer/songwriter Dylan Matracia conjures up lazy summer days of new romance by the beach with his new music video, “Slow.”
Dylan Matracia & Benwa Kramer in “Slow”

While February continues with frigid temperatures, alternative singer/songwriter Dylan Matracia conjures up relaxed summer days of flirty, new romance by the beach with his new music video, “Slow.”

Shot in Provincetown, the video (directed by Tyler Jensen) is an homage to the uber-gay beach town’s laid back lifestyle as Matracia and his co-star, woofy Benwa Kramer, enjoy those early moments of sexual chemistry.

Kramer initiates the flirtation by tossing a bottle of poppers in Matracia’s tip jar and pretty soon the duo are enjoying kisses on the beach, sunny bike rides, outdoor showers and sexy time under a boardwalk.

Served up on a laid-back, languid guitar landscape, Matracia is in no hurry to move the listener along. The track could easily be a distant cousin to Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” with it’s drowsy, hypnotic melody.

And how much more Provincetown can you get than a song that begins, “You are searching for your jock / in my bedroom where we got lost / pay attention to my face / when we go to our secret place?”

Matracia tells WussyMag (who called the video ‘sweet and smutty’), “Slow was written as a tender look at sex between two men in the early stages of falling in love; becoming aware of those moments where you’re really starting to feel ‘stuff’ haha.”

The Brooklyn-based musician is at work on a six-track album, titled Summer Cruel, set for release in the near future.

Check out Matracia’s ode to summer love, “Slow,” below. You can follow him on Instagram here.

And you can check out his sexy co-star, Benwa Kramer, on Instagram here.