Entertainment News Roundup: U.S. rapper Lil Baby arrested in Paris for carrying cannabis - source; Actress Seydoux tests COVID positive ahead of Cannes appearances: Variety and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

U.S. rapper Lil Baby arrested in Paris for carrying cannabis - source

French police arrested U.S. rapper Dominique Jones, who goes by the name Lil Baby, for allegedly carrying cannabis, a judicial source said on Friday, confirming an earlier report by AFP. Lil Baby was arrested on Thursday afternoon and has been kept in custody since the source said. He was with NBA basketball player James Harden at the time of his arrest.

Actress Seydoux tests COVID positive ahead of Cannes appearances: Variety

James Bond actress Lea Seydoux, who was to appear next week at the Cannes Film Festival, where organizers are trying to keep COVID-19 contagion in check, has tested positive for COVID-19 in Paris, entertainment site Variety reported on Saturday. The world's biggest cinema showcase, which kicked off on the French Riviera on July 6 and has so far drawn stars from around the world despite health crisis restrictions, was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Cannes rock documentary Velvet Underground seeks to inspire new fans

Filmmaker Todd Haynes said he hoped to reach a new generation of fans with a documentary on rock and roll band The Velvet Underground, which includes scenes shot by Andy Warhol that capture the heady creative energy of New York in the 1960s.

"The Velvet Underground", presented at the Cannes Film Festival on the French Riviera, is set to be released on Apple TV+ in October, and Haynes said he was happy to try and reach a new audience this way too.

Matt Damon unveils Amanda Knox-inspired film at Cannes

Matt Damon said on Friday he had immersed himself for weeks in Oklahoma with oil rig workers for his role as a disoriented American who travels to France to help his jailed daughter, in a new film loosely inspired by the real-life Amanda Knox case. The U.S. actor - who brought a dose of Hollywood glamour back to the Cannes Film Festival red carpet after the COVID-19 pandemic derailed the event last year - said he spent time driving around and living with the so-called roughnecks in the Republican state to grasp his character's mindset in "Stillwater".

FTC extends probe of Amazon, MGM deal - source

Amazon.com's deal to buy movie studio MGM for $8.5 billion is headed for an extended probe by the Federal Trade Commission after a source familiar with the matter said on Friday the agency had issued a second request in its review of the merger. Issuing a second request indicated that it would likely take months for the agency to rule on the deal.

'Like a rebirth': Americans pack reopened concert halls for a summer of music

Pamela Pickens swayed her hips as her husband Tom led her in an impromptu dance to the strumming of guitarist Studebaker John at Chicago's famed blues bar, Kingston Mines. The couple, wearing fedora hats and wide smiles, had driven five hours from their home in southeast Indiana to visit their favorite blues club, which had recently reopened for live performances after a year of shutdown due to COVID-19.

Set in Chad, Cannes film 'Lingui' explores abortion struggles

The director behind "Lingui", a Cannes Film Festival entry about a teenager's battle in Chad to get an abortion, said on Friday he hoped the story would resonate well beyond the African country, including in places like the United States where there are vocal anti-abortion movements. Mahamat-Saleh Haroun said he was inspired to explore the issue after reading stories about babies abandoned or killed by their young mothers in Chad, where abortion is only allowed in specific cases where a woman's life is in danger.

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