People News Roundup: Woody Allen calls HBO documentary on abuse; Depardieu strongly contests rape charges and more

Ferlinghetti, who played a key role in a free-speech battle after he published Ginsberg's poem "Howl" in 1956, passed away on Monday evening, said City Lights Books on Twitter, adding "We love you, Lawrence." Rock star Bruce Springsteen set for court date on drunk driving charge Bruce Springsteen is set to have his day in court on Wednesday to answer alcohol and driving-related charges three months after an officer said he spotted the rock star doing a shot of tequila and mounting his motorcycle at a New Jersey beach.

Following is a summary of current people news briefs.

Woody Allen calls HBO documentary on abuse allegation a 'hatchet job'

Woody Allen and his wife Soon-Yi Previn have attacked a new HBO documentary that re-examines a decades-old allegation that the Oscar-winning filmmaker molested his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow, calling the television series a "hatchet job." HBO debuted the first episode of the four-part documentary series "Allen v. Farrow" on Sunday. The series includes extensive interviews with Allen's former partner Mia Farrow and with Dylan Farrow, who repeated their accusation that Allen sexually assaulted Dylan in 1992 when she was seven years old.

French actor Depardieu strongly contests rape charges: lawyer

French actor Gerard Depardieu strongly contests rape and sexual assault charges leveled against him, his lawyer said on Wednesday, and asked that the associated investigation be allowed to proceed away from the public eye. Depardieu, one of France's most famous and prolific actors, was placed under formal investigation on charges of rape and sexual violence in December last year, a judicial source told Reuters on Tuesday.

Not one more time: Dance music duo Daft Punk split

French electronic music band Daft Punk have announced they are splitting up, industry title Variety quoted their publicist as saying on Monday, ending a 28-year collaboration that spawned dance hits including "Around the World" and "One More Time." The group, known for performing while dressed as robots in metallic helmets, posted a video on YouTube entitled "Epilogue," with an image that flashed on screen bearing the dates 1993-2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuDX6wNfjqc

Tiger Woods awake and responsive after crash, police investigating cause

Police on Wednesday sought to determine what caused Tiger Woods to swerve off a Southern California road in his sport utility vehicle, colliding with a tree and rolling down a hillside in a crash that left the golf great seriously injured. Woods, 45, was pried from the wreckage by rescue crews and rushed by ambulance from the scene of the Tuesday morning crash outside Los Angeles to nearby Harbor-UCLA Medical Center suffering what his agent described as "multiple leg injuries."

LVMH's Moet Hennessy buys in to rap star Jay-Z's champagne brand

LVMH's Moet Hennessy is buying a 50% stake in rap star Jay-Z's Armand de Brignac champagne brand, the latest luxury brand to try to broaden its appeal with a celebrity tie-up. "I'm proud to welcome the Arnault family into ours through this partnership," the "Empire State of Mind" singer said in a statement, referring to the family that runs LVMH.

Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen team up for new Spotify podcast

Former U.S. President Barack Obama and rock music legend Bruce Springsteen debuted a new podcast on Monday where the pair discuss topics ranging from fatherhood and marriage to race and the state of America. The eight-episode series, called "Renegades: Born in the U.S.A.," is available exclusively through Spotify Technology SA's music streaming service.

The first two episodes were released on Monday. Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti dies at age 101

Poet and publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti, whose City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco became a West Coast literary haven for Beat Generation writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, has died at the age of 101, City Lights said on Tuesday. Ferlinghetti, who played a key role in a free-speech battle after he published Ginsberg's poem "Howl" in 1956, passed away on Monday evening, said City Lights Books on Twitter, adding "We love you, Lawrence."

Rock star Bruce Springsteen set for court date on drunk driving charge

Bruce Springsteen is set to have his day in court on Wednesday to answer alcohol and driving-related charges three months after an officer said he spotted the rock star doing a shot of tequila and mounting his motorcycle at a New Jersey beach. Springsteen, 71, who has made his home state of New Jersey and its shore scene a staple of his career of more than 50 years, is set to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Newark on charges stemming from a Nov. 14, 2020 incident near his home.