Entertainment News Roundup: Country Music Awards; Vivendi to mediate $400 million U.S. fraud lawsuit

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Apple partners with Oscar-winning movie studio A24 for feature films

Apple Inc has inked a multi-year deal with A24, the studio behind Oscar-winning projects "Moonlight" and "Amy", a source familiar with the plans told Reuters, as the iPhone maker pushes deeper into original content and movies. Apple, which had allocated an initial $1 billion for programming, earlier inked deals with Hollywood celebrities including Oprah Winfrey and ordered two seasons of a series starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston to bring in more content for its users.

Carrie, Chris and Keith steal the show at the Country Music Awards

Chris Stapleton was the big winner but Carrie Underwood and her unborn baby stole the limelight at the Country Music Association (CMA) awards on Wednesday. A heavily pregnant Underwood, one of country music's biggest celebrities, chose the live televised show in Nashville to reveal for the first time that the second child she is expecting is a boy.

'Spinal Tap' creators, Vivendi to mediate $400 million U.S. fraud lawsuit

The creators of "This Is Spinal Tap" have agreed to put their fraud lawsuit against Vivendi SA on hold while a mediator tries to resolve their $400 million case over the 1984 cult film. In a court filing on Tuesday, lawyers for Vivendi and for the plaintiffs Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner and Harry Shearer said they have chosen a mediator who will "attempt to resolve or narrow" the lawsuit.

Dark, new 'Fantastic Beasts' movie grounded in real world

Albus Dumbledore is a young professor at Hogwarts School; the charismatic but evil Gellert Grindelwald is determined to manipulate the world for his own ends; and Newt Scamander, with his magical suitcase of strange creatures, is trying to stop him. The wizarding world created by J.K. Rowling returns to the big screen this week with "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," and its dark themes are grounded firmly in the real world.

Beyoncé buys out clothing venture from UK's Philip Green

U.S. singer Beyoncé has bought the Ivy Park fitness clothing brand launched two years ago with British retail tycoon Philip Green, who has faced allegations of sexual harassment. "After discussions of almost a year, (Beyoncé's) Parkwood has acquired 100 per cent of the Ivy Park brand," Ivy Park said in a statement.

Grime star Stormzy announced as Glastonbury's first headline act

British grime star Stormzy has been confirmed as the first headline act at Glastonbury next year, organizers have said, as the green-field music festival returns from a year off. Held annually on a dairy farm in Somerset, southwest England, Glastonbury took a so-called fallow year in 2018 to give the land and local residents a break. It will take place from June 26-30, with a host of big names expected to take to the stage, entertaining thousands of revellers.

Actor Rebel Wilson loses appeal on Australian defamation case

Australian actor Rebel Wilson has lost an appeal against a court decision that cut a record payout against Germany's Bauer Media, which was found to have defamed her in a series of articles, Australian media reported on Friday. The star of three "Pitch Perfect" movies and "Bridesmaids" won A$4.6 million ($3.5 million) in damages from the German publisher last year after a court found a series of articles accusing her of lying about her age, name and childhood events had cost her roles.