Entertainment News Roundup: K-pop supergroup BTS meets Biden, speaks at White House; Warner Bros chairman to step down, MGM studio chiefs to take over and more

The K-pop stars made brief statements to reporters prior to the meeting, calling for a halt to crimes targeting Asian Americans. Actor Damian Lewis and former Northern Ireland leader honoured by Queen Elizabeth Warner Bros chairman to step down, MGM studio chiefs to take over Warner Bros Pictures Group Chairman Toby Emmerich is stepping down, the company announced Wednesday, as Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav puts his imprimatur on the newly formed media company.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

K-pop supergroup BTS meets Biden, speaks at White House

South Korean boy band BTS, a fundraising juggernaut for U.S. social justice causes, met with President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday to discuss hate crimes targeting Asians. The K-pop stars made brief statements to reporters prior to the meeting, calling for a halt to crimes targeting Asian Americans.

Warner Bros chairman to step down, MGM studio chiefs to take over

Warner Bros Pictures Group Chairman Toby Emmerich is stepping down, the company announced Wednesday, as Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav puts his imprimatur on the newly formed media company. Emmerich has served as chairman of the studio since 2018, the year the studio had its greatest box office success, fueled by such hits as "Aquaman," "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," "Ready Player One," "The Meg" and "A Star is Born."

Jamaica legislator calls for reggae legend Bob Marley to be named a national hero

A Jamaican legislator is asking the country's parliament to name reggae legend Bob Marley a national hero, an effort that comes amid rising nationalism in English-speaking Caribbean countries that are distancing themselves from their colonial past. The proposal by lawmaker Lisa Hanna would make the iconic singer a national hero, a title already held by seven Jamaicans including Black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey and the nation's first prime minister Alexander Bustamante.

Bill Cosby in court, sued by a woman alleging sexual assault

A lawyer for a woman who accused Bill Cosby of assaulting her at the Playboy Mansion in the mid-1970s told a California jury on Wednesday the comedian had a sense of "entitlement," while Cosby's lawyer called the alleged assault a "fabrication." The statements came at the start of a civil trial for Cosby, 11 months after he was freed from prison when Pennsylvania's highest court threw out his sexual assault conviction in a different case.

Depp scores near-total victory in U.S. defamation case against ex-wife Heard

Actor Johnny Depp won more than $10 million in damages on Wednesday, achieving a near-total victory in a defamation suit against ex-wife Amber Heard to cap a six-week trial featuring graphic testimony about the stars' soured relationship. A seven-person jury in Virginia also ruled for Heard on one counterclaim against Depp. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" film star depicted the decision as a vindication, and his former wife said it was "a disappointment."

U.S. Cinemark's movie plan draws a million subscribers

Cinemark Holdings Inc has signed up 1 million paying subscribers to its Movie Club monthly subscription plan, the company said on Wednesday, hailing a rebound in moviegoing after disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic. The third-largest movie theater chain in the United States said it was the first cinema operator to cross the 1 million milestones for a paid subscription plan.

Cholita Mona Lisa: Bolivian artist gives famed portrait indigenous makeover

High in Bolivia's Andean mountains, surrounded by small thatched-roofed houses and sheep, Claudia Callizaya, 32, makes the final brushstroke to her newest piece of art: a take on the "Mona Lisa" as a local indigenous cholita woman. Her adaptation has the same steady gaze as in Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece portrait and a similar nose. But on her head is the traditional bowler hat of Bolivia's cholitas and she is wrapped in a colorful Andean shawl.

Indian singer KK dies after falling ill during a concert

Indian singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, better known as KK, died on Tuesday night after falling ill in the middle of a concert, local media reported. Kunnath was performing at a crowded indoor stadium in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata when he complained of uneasiness. He was rushed to a hospital, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.

Rolling Stones kick off a 60th-anniversary European tour in Madrid

The Rolling Stones rocked Madrid on Wednesday with gusto, and a bit of nostalgia for their late drummer Charlie Watts, as they kicked off a European tour marking their 60th anniversary as a band. Some 53,000 fans at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium roared with excitement as they welcomed to the stage the original band members Mick Jagger, 78, and guitarists Keith Richards, 78, and Ronnie Wood, who turned 75 on Wednesday.

(With inputs from agencies.)