On the line

TMZ.com Vic Mensa 's pleading guilty to possession of a controlled substance, but he won't do any time behind bars after striking a deal with prosecutors ... TMZ has learned. Kendra Glover , a rep for the Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney, tells TMZ ... Mensa pled guilty to one count of possession of a Schedule III controlled substance, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor. We're told as part of the plea deal he got 12 months in jail, but that was suspended -- meaning instead of serving it behind bars, he'll have a year of unsupervised probation. Vic will also have to take a substance abuse assessment, perform 25 hours of community service, and pay a $1k fine. BTW, he'll get 50 percent off that fine if he successfully completes the other probation terms. As we've reported, Vic was arrested back in January at Dulles International airport for going through customs with a stash of shrooms. Vic tells TMZ ... "In this case, I have … [Read more...] about Vic Mensa Pleads Guilty in Shrooms Case, Gets Probation

Longtime friends and collaborators Antonio Banderas and Andrew Lloyd Webber are joining forces under the banner of new company Amigos Para Siempre (APS), aimed at producing theatre, musicals and live entertainment shows, including some of Webber’s best-loved works, for major Spanish-speaking markets. Under the initiative, Spanish-language rights to Webber’s shows will be ceded to the new company by the UK composer’s London-based company Really Useful Group. Shows earmarked for Spanish adaptations include The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, Starlight Express, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cinderella, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and School of Rock. The name of the company, which translates as “friends forever”, derives from a song Webber composed for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, which was performed at the closing ceremony by Sarah Brightman and José Carreras. The pair announced the new initiative at a media event in the … [Read more...] about Antonio Banderas, Andrew Lloyd Webber To Bring Top Musicals And Theatre Shows To Spanish-Speaking World

Luther and Marvel Universe actor Idris Elba is in talks with Miroma over supporting the marketing network’s potential £1B ($1.2B) bid to British broadcaster Channel 4 , according to The Sunday Times. The paper claims the actor is discussing a joint bid alongside Marc Boyan, who founded the international marketing firm Miroma Group . It emerged in October that Miroma had appointed bankers to explore an acquisition when the channel is officially made available. Elba runs his own production company, Green Door Pictures, but has never owned a media business the size of Channel 4. He is best known for BBC drama Luther and HBO’s The Wire , along with film roles in the likes of Beast of No Nation , Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and several Marvel movies. The British government is set on selling the state-owned Channel 4 to allow it to better compete in the digital era, though the controversial plan has been largely opposed by the industry and seen by many as … [Read more...] about Idris Elba ‘In Talks’ To Join Marketing Firm Miroma’s Estimated $1.2B Bid To Buy British Broadcaster Channel 4

Alia Bhatt took everyone by surprise on Monday, June 27 by announcing that she and her husband Ranbir Kapoor are expecting their first child together. The news comes two months after the Bollywood couple tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony in their Bandra home on April 14. Now many fellow industry mates are reacting to the news. Alia Bhatt Announces Pregnancy With Ranbir Kapoor; 'Our Baby.... Coming Soon' The mommy-to-be shared the news in a post that read, "Our baby.... coming soon." Many fans and other actors reacted to the post with congratulatory messages including Karan Johar, Priyanka Chopra, Tiger Shroff, Mouni Roy and others. Director and choreographer Farah Khan also reacted to the pregnancy. When asked by the paparazzi about the hot topic of discussion, she said, "Han, mujhe woh pehle se maloom tha." Just days before Alia's wedding Farah has also reacted to the news of her wedding in a similar manner. She had shared a video on … [Read more...] about Farah Khan Reacts To Alia Bhatt Announcing Pregnancy, Actress’ BFF Anushka Says Wish Baby Has Alia’s Cheeks

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. It’s a big weekend for UFC fans, with two belts on the line and a UFC legend stepping back in the octagon for UFC 276 . The main event sees Jared Cannonier going after Israel Adesanya’s middleweight title, while the co-main pits featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski against Max Holloway for the third time. Buy: UFC 276 PPV Live Stream at $74.99 Headliners Adesanya and Cannonier are already throwing shots at one another. On his YouTube channel, Adesanya predicted a devastating win, comparing the upcoming fight to Anderson Silva’s victory over Forrest Griffin in UFC 101: “This is going to be spectacular. Think UFC 101, Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin. Like, I’m just going to be in the zone. I don’t care – stay tuned.” Cannonier responded via Submission Radio, saying, “[Adesanya is] high in confidence, he’s been … [Read more...] about UFC 276 Live Stream: How to Watch Adesanya vs. Cannonier Online

The Supreme Court ruled in the case of Kennedy v. Bremerton that public school officials violated the First Amendment rights of high school coach Joseph Kennedy when they fired him in the wake of a controversy stemming from his ritual of praying at the 50-yard line during football games. The 6-3 opinion authored by conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch ruled that public school officials have a constitutional right to pray in schools, as well as to lead students in prayer during school events. The decision is a victory for religious and conservative groups looking to reintroduce prayer in public schools after the supreme court ruled it unconstitutional in 1962. Kennedy, an assistant coach at a public high school in Bremerton, Washington, claimed that his First Amendment rights were violated when the Bremerton School District instructed him not to pray publicly after games, for fear it would appear the school was endorsing a particular religion. … [Read more...] about Supreme Court Grants Victory to Reintroduction of Prayer in Public Schools

Harvey and Bob Weinstein have signed deals to re-up at the Weinstein Co. for another three years, despite lying about this to Deadline for the past several days. This was hardly a state secret; Bob Weinstein told Deadline that he and his brother were nearing re-up deals when they got COO David Glasser to change his mind about leaving, after he’d tendered his resignation to the board. By signing new contracts, the Weinsteins can put an end to that speculation and make clear their commitment to the company they launched a decade ago. Now, the big question is whether this means the board will free up the necessary infusion of money to spend on film and TV slates to move forward, and if this halts the exodus of staff and rumors of cash woes that has dogged the company in recent months. It might also revive discussions to sell off a TV production division that has hits and no debt, after a big sale to ITV fell apart. The prospect of that still seems viable at either ITV or Fremantle (or … [Read more...] about Harvey And Bob Weinstein Re-Up At The Weinstein Co. For Three More Years

Volker Schlöndorff, who directed Dustin Hoffman in the 1985 TV movie Death Of A Salesman , is coming to the actor’s defense – whether Hoffman likes it or not – by dismissing claims of sexual harassment as just so much on-set Responding to claims by writer Anna Graham Hunter that she was sexually harassed by the actor when she was a 17-year-old intern on the film, the director says Hoffman was just being “a clown” and a “kidder.” “Slapping her butt on the way to the car, with driver, stage manager and PAs around, may have happened, but again in a funny way, nothing lecherous about it,” the director said in a statement sent to several websites including Eye For Film . The allegations were made by Hunter in a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter, in which she described her experiences as a Death of a Salesman production assistant during her senior year in high school. Hoffman, she wrote, “asked me to give him a foot massage my first day on set; I did. He was … [Read more...] about Director Volker Schlöndorff On Dustin Hoffman Sexual Harassment Allegations: Actor Is Just “A Kidder”

Standing under a canopy of trees at the center of Uvalde ’s town square, more than 40 mariachi musicians lifted their instruments and sang in unison one afternoon in June, their voices brawny and unwavering. The music, a swell of trumpets, violins, and guitar-like vihuelas, soared across the lush fountain park that, in the weeks after the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School , has become a memorial and gathering place for a community in mourning. Crowds of journalists and grieving loved ones huddled around as the mariachis serenaded them with classics such as Juan Gabriel’s “Amor Eterno” and Cornelio Reyna’s “Te Vas Angel Mio ,” the songs echoing down several blocks. The musicians performed while facing 21 white crosses that stand in the park to honor the 19 children and two teachers killed during the attack, playing loudest for them. Most of the musicians had arrived on a bus from San Antonio, about 85 miles to the west of Uvalde, though some drove themselves in a … [Read more...] about Mexican Classics, Corridos, and a Plaza Filled With Mariachi: The Sounds of Solidarity in Uvalde

French Montana is one of rap’s great connectors. He’s known for crafting exuberant projects showcasing his irrepressible personality alongside a bunch of unlikely guest features. On his introductory 2007 mixtape, The French Revolution Vol. 1, he even has a song whose guest feature is credited to Martin Luther King, Jr. If he does nothing else, French Montana brings people together, even if that social butterfly aspect of his persona sometimes hampers the potency of his major-label releases. His 2013 debut Excuse My French felt fun and wavy in all the right ways. But it was also a bit generic: the singles could have been concocted in a boardroom where the main goal was to check off focus-group boxes just to conjure up a chart-topper. Its motley assembly of muscular club bangers and cameo-laden anthems lacked the grimy amiability so prevalent in the songs from his early mixtape run. And while his last album, They Got Amnesia , was a crowd-pleaser packed with … [Read more...] about French Montana Ditches the Flashy Features and Sounds More Focused Than Ever on ‘Montega’