Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Depardieu, one of France's top movie stars, has been at the centre of a growing number of sexual assault allegations in recent years that have tarnished his legacy and exposed broader divisions about sexual conduct in France. Blackstone to make improved bid for Hipgnosis, Sky News reports Private equity giant Blackstone is preparing to lodge an improved bid for Hipgnosis Songs Fund which owns the music rights of artists including Shakira and Blondie, Sky News reported on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Lily Gladstone returns to Cannes as jury member

Lily Gladstone, the first Native American woman to be nominated for an Oscar, will return to this year's Cannes Film Festival as a member of the nine-strong main jury, organizers said on Monday. Gladstone got her Academy Award nomination and won a Golden Globe award for the Martin Scorsese drama "Killers of the Flower Moon", which premiered at Cannes last May.

Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets Department' dominates US sales and Billboard charts

Pop megastar Taylor Swift sold 2.61 million album and streaming units of "The Tortured Poets Department" during its first week of release in the U.S., Billboard reported on Sunday, calling it "a gigantic debut at No. 1" on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Traditional album sales totaled 1.91 million in the week ending April 25 between digital download albums, CDs, cassettes and also included 859,000 vinyl sales, Billboard said, citing data from Luminate. The album generated 891.34 million on-demand official streams.

Blackstone beats Concord with $1.6 billion bid for Hipgnosis Songs

Blackstone has agreed to acquire Hipgnosis Songs Fund for about $1.57 billion, trumping an offer from Concord for the music rights owner of artists such as Shakira and Red Hot Chili Peppers, the companies said on Monday. Blackstone's formal offer valued the music rights investor at $1.30 per share, the companies said, higher than Concord's $1.25 per share offer last Wednesday.

Start me up: The Stones kick off North America tour in Houston

The Rolling Stones kicked off their North America tour at a packed venue in Houston on Sunday, with people traveling from various cities to watch one of the world's most enduring rock bands amid worries that this could be their last tour. The show was the first of 16 performances, set across the U.S. and Canada through July.

French actor Gerard Depardieu questioned over alleged sexual assaults

French screen legend Gerard Depardieu was detained for questioning on Monday in connection with alleged sexual assaults against two women on separate film sets, police sources said. Depardieu, one of France's top movie stars, has been at the centre of a growing number of sexual assault allegations in recent years that have tarnished his legacy and exposed broader divisions about sexual conduct in France.

Blackstone to make improved bid for Hipgnosis, Sky News reports

Private equity giant Blackstone is preparing to lodge an improved bid for Hipgnosis Songs Fund which owns the music rights of artists including Shakira and Blondie, Sky News reported on Sunday. Blackstone's bid will trump independent music company Concord's proposal of $1.25 per share, the British broadcaster's report said, adding that Blackstone will lodge its improved bid as early as Monday.

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