Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Russell Brand says friends abandoned him after 'devastating' sex crime ​allegations

British comedian and actor Russell Brand, on trial for a string ​of alleged historical sex offences, told a court ‌on Wednesday ​that he had dedicated his life to reckless philandering and idiocy but said consent was always non-negotiable. Brand, once a regular figure on British television and star of a number of Hollywood movies, was giving evidence at London's Southwark Crown ‌Court, where he is accused of three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and an attempted indecent assault involving six women between 1999 and 2009.

Hello Kitty maker Sanrio cuts ties with TV spy show after China backlash

Hello Kitty maker Sanrio has cancelled a collaboration with a Japanese TV spy show after a backlash ‌in China, the second incident in days to highlight the tightrope foreign firms and celebrities must walk in the lucrative market. The Wednesday announcement by Sanrio's Chinese ‌subsidiary came just after French soccer star Kylian Mbappe apologised for remarks about late Chinese leader Mao Zedong that saw several Chinese sponsors cut ties with him.

Empathy and purpose drive Los Javis' Oscar hopeful 'La Bola Negra'

Spanish filmmakers Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi said their sophomore feature "La Bola Negra", which has emerged as an Oscar contender, took them on the journey of their lives and left ⁠them with ​many more ideas they cannot wait to ⁠tackle. Industry buzz over a possible Oscar has built for the film since its launch at the Cannes Film Festival in May where the duo, nicknamed "Los Javis", won a best directing prize.

36 ⁠countries to compete in Eurovision 2027 as Ireland, Netherlands stay out over Israel

Canada will make its Eurovision debut alongside at least 35 other countries at next year's contest, ​organisers said on Wednesday, with Ireland and the Netherlands boycotting over Israel's participation, and Spain, Slovenia and Iceland still to announce. The 36 broadcasters will send ⁠their national entry to the 71st edition of the contest in the Bulgarian city of Burgas in May, one participant more than in 2026, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said

Universal Music Q3 subscription revenue ⁠growth ​tops expectations

Universal Music Group reported on Thursday a pick-up in subscription streaming revenue in the third quarter and said pressures on market share has moderated from the first half of the year. "This quarter showed clear progress: subscription revenue growth accelerated and adjusted EBITDA margin, excluding Downtown, expanded by 40 basis points, led by ⁠stronger margins in Recorded Music," CFO Matt Ellis said.

Patrick Stewart, Shakespearean actor turned 'Star Trek' and 'X-Men' star, dies at 86

Patrick Stewart, who rose from poverty ⁠in England to become an accomplished Shakespearean ⁠stage actor and then achieved global stardom as the erudite Captain Jean-Luc Picard in TV's "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the telepathic Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" movies, has died at the age of 86.

Stewart, knighted in 2010 ‌by Queen Elizabeth II ‌for his contributions to drama, died at his home in Los Angeles, according to ​a statement on his X account.