Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs. Actor Smollett's character cut from 'Empire' episodes after arrest

Actor Jussie Smollett's character is being removed from the final two episodes of the hip-hop drama "Empire" after he was arrested and charged with staging a hoax hate crime attack on himself, show officials said on Friday. "We are also aware of the effects of this process on the cast and crew members who work on our show and to avoid further disruption on set, we have decided to remove the role of 'Jamal' from the final two episodes of the season," 20th Century Fox Television said in a statement. Glenn Close, 'Beale Street,' win indie film honors ahead of Oscars

Actress Glenn Close and racial injustice movie "If Beale Street Could Talk" were the big winners on Saturday at the Independent Spirit Awards, a day ahead of the Oscars ceremony. Mexican family drama "Roma," which is seen as a strong contender for best picture at the Academy Awards on Sunday, won the Spirit award for best international film. R. Kelly indictment is latest case fueled by TV documentaries

For years, singer R. Kelly has denied sexual abuse allegations against him and Friday's felony indictment of the performer was delivered weeks after first-person accounts of several accusers aired on television, leading prosecutors to urge potential witnesses to come forward. The Lifetime network's "Surviving R. Kelly," which aired in early January, marked the latest in a series of TV documentaries that helped spur criminal investigations of prominent figures, from the late pop star Michael Jackson to multimillionaire real estate scion Robert Durst. Director Stanley Donen, famed for landmark film 'Singin' in the Rain,' dies at 94

Stanley Donen, the former dancer who directed some of Hollywood's greatest musicals including Gene Kelly's landmark "Singin' in the Rain," "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and "On the Town," has died at age 94, according to media reports. Donen, who was given an honorary lifetime achievement Oscar in 1998 and wowed the crowd with an impromptu song-and-dance routine, died of a heart attack on Thursday in New York City, the Chicago Tribune said, citing one of his sons, Mark Donen. R&B crooner R. Kelly charged with sexually assaulting teenage girls

Grammy-winning R&B singer R. Kelly was charged in Chicago on Friday with the aggravated sexual assault of four people, including three teenage girls, following years of accusations against the performer. Kelly, 52, was charged in a 10-count Cook County Circuit Court indictment handed down two months after the debut of a six-hour documentary series on the Lifetime television network in which multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct and abuse. Jackson estate says HBO film violates non-disparagement contract: lawsuit

The estate of Michael Jackson filed a lawsuit on Thursday against HBO saying that its documentary about allegations of child sex abuse by the late singer breached a previous agreement by the cable channel not to disparage him. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, said HBO could owe more than $100 million in damages for what the estate called the network's "reprehensible disparagement" of the "Thriller" singer in the documentary. Movies with a message make impact beyond Oscars glitz

The movie "Green Book" explores racial inequality, "Roma" reveals the emotional toll placed on domestic workers, and "RBG" chronicles the fight for women's rights. The messages in the three Academy Awards contenders are no accident. All were produced and financed by Participant Media, a pioneer among a group of companies aiming to advance social missions through movies. Star of Mexican film 'Roma' prompts raw discussion of race, class

The Oscar-nominated film "Roma," which chronicles the life of a young housekeeper in 1970s Mexico, has put an uneasy focus on the nation's sharp class, ethnic and racial divisions, leading to mixed reactions to the indigenous woman cast in the starring role. Yalitza Aparicio, who is nominated in the Best Actress category in Sunday's Academy Awards, has appeared on the cover of "Vogue," attracted over a million Instagram followers and been celebrated with a towering mural in her likeness over a humble district in Mexico City. Donald Trump, 'Holmes & Watson' win Razzie worst film awards

U.S. President Donald Trump and a comedic movie take on Sherlock Holmes on Saturday topped the annual Razzie awards for the worst performances and films of 2018. "Holmes & Watson," starring Will Ferrell and John. C. Reilly, was the biggest "winner," taking four trophies including worst film and "worst rip-off." Reilly also was named worst supporting actor in what Razzie founder John Wilson called the "clueless parody" of the classic British detective tale. Singer R. Kelly due in court Saturday on sexual assault charges

Grammy-winning R&B singer R. Kelly, who for years has faced allegations that he abused women and underage girls, was due in court in Chicago on Saturday to hear charges that he sexually assaulted four people, including three teenagers. The 52-year-old, whose real name is Robert Kelly, was charged with a 10-count indictment on Friday, nearly two months after the Lifetime television network aired a six-hour documentary series "Surviving R. Kelly" in which multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct and abuse.