Reuters Entertainment News Summary

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Kimmel should be fired by ABC and its parent Disney, joining his wife Melania in calling out the talk show host for remarks made prior to a shooting at Saturday's White House correspondents' dinner. Taylor Swift files ⁠to trademark her voice, likeness to ward off AI deepfakes Pop superstar Taylor Swift filed trademark applications for two audio clips and one image of herself in what a trademark attorney said is an attempt to protect her voice and likeness from deepfake videos and audio created by artificial intelligence.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Fans step inside TV history as ‘Brady Bunch’ house becomes immersive experience

Fans of the classic 1970s sitcom “The Brady Bunch” can now step inside television history with a new immersive experience that recreates the ​Brady home in Los Angeles. From the bold 1970s décor inside to the quiet suburban exterior, the house is designed to feel instantly familiar to longtime viewers.

Billie ​Eilish and James Cameron team up for immersive and intimate tour film

Pop star Billie Eilish joined forces with ‌famed filmmaker James ​Cameron to bring her "Hit Me Hard and Soft" tour to the big screen. Released theatrically by Paramount Pictures on May 8, "Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)" is co-directed by the multi-Grammy winner, 24, and the "Avatar" and "Titanic" filmmaker, 71.

Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni lawyers spar over damages ahead of 'It Ends With Us' trial

Lawyers for actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni sparred in court on Tuesday over Lively's potential bid for hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in an upcoming civil trial stemming from her allegations ‌of sexual harassment during the filming of their 2024 romantic drama "It Ends With Us." The highly anticipated civil trial set to begin in May will be limited to Lively’s retaliation claims against Baldoni’s production company after a judge threw out her sexual harassment claims. Both actors are expected to testify about Lively’s claims after a steady drip of details emerged in more than a year of acrimonious and widely publicized litigation, though neither attended Tuesday's hearing.

Spotify's spending plan hurts profit outlook as Europe, North America growth lags

Spotify forecast second-quarter earnings below estimates on Tuesday, citing more spending on marketing for new features as growth in major markets of Europe and North America slowed, sending its shares down 11%. Co-CEO Gustav Soderstrom told Reuters that Spotify was investing heavily in new ‌features, including marketing efforts and the computing power needed for artificial intelligence, rather than expanding its workforce.

Man pleads guilty in murder of Run DMC's Jam Master Jay

A New York man on Monday pleaded guilty to taking part in the 2002 murder of pioneering hip-hop star Jam Master Jay of famed group Run-DMC as part of a ‌dispute over a drug deal, according to federal prosecutors. Appearing in court in Brooklyn, Jay Bryant, 52, admitted to playing a role in the fatal shooting of Jason Mizell, better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, and faces up to 20 years in prison, the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York said in a statement.

Prosecutors detail 'horrifying' steps singer D4vd took to dismember girl's body

Los Angeles County prosecutors filed a court brief on Wednesday detailing "horrifying" steps they said indie pop musician D4vd took to dismember and conceal the body of a teenage girlfriend after allegedly stabbing her to death last April. According to the document, outlining evidence prosecutors plan to present in their murder case, the singer-songwriter placed the victim's corpse in a blue inflatable pool "to prevent blood from spilling onto his garage floor," then removed her limbs with a chain saw "and perhaps other tools."

Universal Music to sell half ⁠its Spotify stake for ​buybacks, Q1 hit by weak dollar

Universal Music Group said on Wednesday it would sell half of its ⁠equity stake in Spotify and double its share buyback programme, as it reported first-quarter revenue held back by a weaker U.S. dollar. UMG said proceeds from the stake reduction would be used for the buyback and also shared with artists.

Deaf Disney fans can now enjoy iconic animated songs recreated with ASL

Disney Animation is giving some of its most iconic songs a new voice — one spoken through hands, faces and movement — reimagining classic numbers in American ⁠Sign Language to mark National Deaf History Month. Songs “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from "Encanto," “Beyond” from "Moana 2" and “The Next Right Thing” from "Frozen 2" were recreated using Deaf West Theatre performers as models for the animation.

Disney chair says CEO will 'rise to the occasion' in Trump-Kimmel spat

It's the job of Walt Disney's new CEO Josh D'Amaro and his team to decide the group's response to the row between the White House and ABC ​late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, Disney Chair James Gorman said on Tuesday. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Kimmel should be fired by ABC and its parent Disney, joining his wife Melania in calling out the talk show host for remarks made prior to a shooting at Saturday's White House correspondents' dinner.

Taylor Swift files ⁠to trademark her voice, likeness to ward off AI deepfakes

Pop superstar Taylor Swift filed trademark applications for two audio clips and one image of herself in what a trademark attorney said is an attempt to protect her voice and likeness from deepfake videos and audio created by artificial intelligence. The applications were filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Friday and list Swift's TAS Rights Management as being the owner of the audio clips and image.

Sony defeats ⁠UK ​lawsuit over performers' rights for classic Hendrix albums

Sony Music Entertainment on Tuesday defeated a London lawsuit claiming performers' property rights in relation to Jimi Hendrix's classic 1960s albums, which the label had warned could have caused chaos for the music industry. London's High Court ruled guitarist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell effectively signed over their rights to The Jimi Hendrix Experience's albums and rejected the claimants' arguments that streaming was not covered by a 1966 deal.

US FCC reviewing Disney's ABC station licenses after Jimmy Kimmel joke

After a joke by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel drew calls from the White House for ABC to fire the comedian, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday ordered an early license review of the network's television stations. The ⁠standoff between President Donald Trump's administration and the global entertainment conglomerate is the first crisis facing Walt Disney’s new CEO Josh D’Amaro.

Austrian pleads guilty to foiled attack on Taylor Swift's Vienna concert

A 21-year-old accused of planning an Islamist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024 that was foiled at the 11th hour pleaded guilty as ⁠his trial opened on Tuesday. The defendant, an Austrian identified as Beran A, was arrested on August 7, ⁠2024, the day before the first of three planned concerts by the U.S. pop star in Vienna.

Kimmel says his joke was misconstrued, Trump says ABC should fire late-night host

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel said on Monday his joke about U.S. first lady Melania Trump had been misconstrued and was not a "call to assassination." Kimmel used the opening monologue of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to address comments made last Thursday in a parody segment on the White House correspondents' dinner.

Broadcast group says FCC Disney license review creates significant uncertainty

A group representing major U.S. broadcasters ‌on Wednesday called the Federal Communications Commission decision to launch an early ‌review of the eight ABC local station licenses owned by Disney "nearly unprecedented," adding that the decision "creates significant uncertainty for all broadcasters." The National Association of Broadcasters said the "FCC must be careful to avoid ​actions that create further instability for the local stations viewers and listeners depend on."