Entertainment News Roundup: AT&T streaming service; New Orleans musician Dr John dead

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

New season of 'Handmaid's Tale' not meant to be 'torture to watch,' creator says

With its chilling portrait of a patriarchal dictatorship where women are routinely raped, mutilated and forcibly separated from their children, "The Handmaid's Tale" has sometimes proved tough to stomach. But Bruce Miller, creator and executive producer of the television series based on Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel, says he is "not in the business of inventing cruelties."

AT&T eyes $16-$17-a-month streaming service: WSJ

AT&T Inc's WarnerMedia may price its streaming service between $16 and $17 per month, instead of a multi-tiered plan, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The package may include HBO, sister channel Cinemax and the vast library of Warner Bros TV shows and movies into one offering, the report said.

R&B Singer R. Kelly pleads not guilty to new felony sexual assault counts

Singer R. Kelly pleaded not guilty to 11 new felony counts of sexual assault and abuse at a Chicago court hearing on Thursday after prosecutors expanded an indictment against the Grammy Award winner dogged by abuse allegations for decades. The new counts, unveiled last week in an indictment by a Cook County grand jury, involve alleged abuse of a victim between the ages of 13-16, according to documents posted on the Chicago Sun-Times' website.

K-pop's BTS gets coveted Recording Academy membership invite

Korean pop sensation BTS has been invited to join the Recording Academy as part of a drive to diversify the group that chooses the annual Grammy Awards. The seven-member boy band, which has led a K-pop music wave in the United States and beyond, are among some 1,300 artists, writers and music industry professionals invited to become members of the Los Angeles-based Recording Academy this week.

'Men in Black' Hemsworth and Thompson suit up for the fourth instalment

The "Men in Black" are back - wearing the same suits and sunglasses but different faces. Actors Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson flew to Moscow to launch the fourth instalment of the science fiction franchise originally starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, which pits suited agents against aliens disguised as humans on Earth.

Grammy-winning New Orleans musician Dr John dead at 77

Dr John, a six-time Grammy winner who in his incarnation as the "Night Tripper" brought the New Orleans voodoo vibe to America's music scene and became one of the most venerated pianists in the city's rich musical history, died on Thursday at age 77. The New Orleans native, born Malcolm John Rebennack into a family of amateur musicians, including an aunt who taught him to play the piano, died "toward the break of day" from a heart attack, his family announced on his official Twitter account.

Pop singer Shakira faces tax fraud accusation in a Spanish court

Colombian singer Shakira appeared in a Spanish court on Thursday to answer to tax fraud charges, with prosecutors accusing her of failing to pay up to 14.5 million euros ($16.29 million) in tax on income earned between 2012 and 2014. Shakira arrived to Esplugues de Llobregat court near Barcelona in the morning through the court's car park entrance to avoid the media and was seen briefly through a window.

Actor Jussie Smollett not returning to 'Empire,' TV creator says

Jussie Smollett will not be returning to U.S. television series "Empire", the show's creator says, marking the first public confirmation that the actor has been dropped after a furore over claims that he was the victim of a hate crime. Responding to a Variety report that writers were discussing scenarios in which Smollett's character would return towards the end of the sixth and final season, "Empire" creator Lee Daniels wrote on Twitter on Tuesday; "Jussie will NOT be returning to Empire."

Obamas jump into booming podcast business with Spotify partnership

Former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle entered the booming podcast business on Thursday, announcing a multi-year partnership with streaming service Spotify to produce a series of exclusive podcasts. Under the partnership, the Obamas will "develop, produce and lend their voices" to select podcasts that will be distributed worldwide, Spotify and the Obamas production company, Higher Ground, said in a joint statement.

'Peppa Pig' owner Entertainment One denies reports of Mark Gordon's exit

Entertainment One Ltd, which makes the popular children's TV show Peppa Pig, denied reports that president and award-winning producer Mark Gordon was leaving, sending the company's shares up as much as 17%. The stock recovered all of its Wednesday's losses, which were triggered by reports that Gordon would leave the company because of creative differences.