Entertainment News Roundup: Oscars ceremony in April to be live; Janet Jackson to auction scores of stage outfits and more

A spokesperson for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said in a statement that despite the coronavirus pandemic that has caused havoc in the entertainment industry, the group was "determined to present an Oscars like none other, while prioritizing the public health and safety of all those who will participate." Rocker Bruce Springsteen faces drunk driving charge after 2020 arrest Rock music legend Bruce Springsteen was arrested nearly three months ago at a national park in New Jersey on charges that included reckless driving and driving while intoxicated, a park spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs

. Jay-Z, The Go-Gos among Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees

Rapper Jay-Z, 1980s pop group The Go-Gos and rock band Foo Fighters were among first-time nominees announced on Wednesday for possible induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Others on the ballot for the first time include singer-songwriter Carole King and singer-actress Dionne Warwick, heavy metal group Iron Maiden, and the late Nigerian singer Fela Kuti.

UK's Duchess Meghan wins privacy battle against 'dehumanizing' tabloid paper

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, said on Thursday a British tabloid had been held to account for its "dehumanizing practices" after she won a privacy claim against the paper for printing extracts of a letter she wrote to her father. Meghan, 39, the wife of Queen Elizabeth's grandson Prince Harry, sued publisher Associated Newspapers after its Mail on Sunday tabloid printed parts of the handwritten letter she sent to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, in August 2018.

'Judas and the Black Messiah' joins surge of Black stories in Hollywood

Just a few years after the #OscarsSoWhite uproar in Hollywood, Black culture is making its mark on this year's award season with critically acclaimed films like "One Night in Miami," "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and the latest release, "Judas and the Black Messiah." Out in movie theaters and on streaming service HBO Max on Friday, the movie tells the story behind the killing in 1969 of 21 year-old Black Panther activist Fred Hampton at the hands of Chicago police.

HBO Max plans Latin America, Caribbean launch in June

Video streaming service HBO Max will launch in 39 regions across Latin America and the Caribbean in late June, AT&T Inc's Warner Media said on Thursday, in the first foray outside the United States. HBO Max, home to titles like "Wonder Woman 1984" and "Love Life" was launched in May last year and competes with services like Walt Disney Co's Disney+ and Netflix Inc, which have gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic as millions were forced to stay indoors.

Oscars ceremony in April to be live, in person and from many locations

The Academy Awards, or Oscars, ceremony in April will be an in-person event that will air live from multiple locations, organizers said on Wednesday. A spokesperson for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said in a statement that despite the coronavirus pandemic that has caused havoc in the entertainment industry, the group was "determined to present an Oscars like none other, while prioritizing the public health and safety of all those who will participate."

Rocker Bruce Springsteen faces drunk driving charge after 2020 arrest

Rock music legend Bruce Springsteen was arrested nearly three months ago at a national park in New Jersey on charges that included reckless driving and driving while intoxicated, a park spokeswoman said on Wednesday. "The Boss," whose career of more than 50 years has often highlighted his home state of New Jersey and its shore scene, received the citations on Nov. 14 at Sandy Hook, a strip of beach that extends into the Atlantic just south of New York City, the spokeswoman said. Going for a song?

Janet Jackson to auction scores of stage outfits

Janet Jackson is cleaning out her closet, putting her wedding dress and dozens of her stage costumes up for auction in May for the first time. Julien's Auctions said on Thursday that the five-time Grammy winner is selling more than 1,000 of the costumes she wore on stage, on tour, on red carpets and in music videos over the past four decades.

Taylor Swift unveils 'songs from the vault' on newly recorded 'Fearless' album

Taylor Swift on Thursday announced the release just hours away of the newest version of her hit song "Love Story (Taylor's Version)," one of 26 tracks on her newly rerecorded album "Fearless (Taylor's Version)." The song will be released at midnight ET (0500 GMT) on Thursday, Swift told viewers on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Larry Flynt, porn publisher and free-speech activist, dead at 78

Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt Jr., the self-described "smut peddler" who used his pornography empire and flair for the outrageous to push the limits of free speech and good taste, died on Wednesday at the age of 78, his publicist said. Flynt, suffering from a variety of health problems since a 1978 assassination attempt that left him a paraplegic, died "from the recent onset of a sudden illness," according to Minda Gowen, spokeswoman for Larry Flynt Publications, which runs the adult entertainment business he founded.

Disney's Lucasfilm ditches 'The Mandalorian' star Gina Carano over social media posts

Lucasfilm, the Walt Disney Co-owned movie studio, said on Wednesday that it had ditched Gina Carano, a lead actor in its TV series "The Mandalorian", over social media posts that drew parallels between the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany and current hate towards people with different political views. "Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future," a Lucasfilm spokesperson said in a statement.