Arts & Entertainment

Cyndi Lauper announces line-up for 9th annual concert to benefit homeless youth

Published

7 years ago

November 9, 2019

Cyndi Lauper (Image courtesy True Colors United)

Grammy, Emmy and Tony-winning icon and advocate Cyndi Lauper has announced the lineup for her 9th annual Cyndi Lauper & Friends: Home for the Holidays benefit concert, presented by Marriott International and AEG.

The event will take place in Los Angeles for the first time ever at The Novo at L.A. Live on December 10th. Taking the stage with Cyndi and her band this year will be a host of guests including:

Modern pop icon Kesha
Grammy/Tony/Emmy-winner Billy Porter
3x Grammy-winning artist Brandi Carlisle
Prolific chart-topper and staunch LGBTQ advocate Belinda Carlisle,
Blues legend Charlie Musselwhite
Punk icon Henry Rollins
Alternative legend and Lollapalooza creator Perry Farrell with Etty Lau Farrell
Smash-hit songwriter Justin Tranter
Rising star Emily Estefan
Inventive young producer Shawn Wasabi
Legendary comics Carol Leifer and Lily Tomlin
U.K. comedian and actor Gina Yashere,
Grammy and Emmy-nominated actress/performer Margaret Cho
Breakout indie pop star King Princes
Two-time Grammy-nominated musical artist and producer K.Flay

Cyndi is also thrilled to welcome back Emmy-winner and TCU board member Carson Kressley as host.

In support of Home for the Holidays, several other marquee musicians – Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Dua Lipa, Kacey Musgraves, RuPaul and Tegan and Sara, to name a few – are donating items and experiences to support the concert’s corresponding charitable auction that will also take place in December.

“I’m really heartened and excited by the response I’ve gotten throughout the entertainment community,” says Lauper. “Home for the Holidays is known for always having a cool and eclectic mix of performers. The line-up so far? I mean, c’mon. Where else are you gonna see Billy Porter and Henry Rollins on the same bill! It’s going to be such a great night. Many of those who are not available to perform have offered such amazing items for auction. I’m so touched by the generosity we’ve received. More surprises to come soon.”

Billy Porter is among the artists who will perform at Lauper’s 9th Annual Home for the Holidays benefit concert (Image courtesy True Colors United)

100% of the net proceeds from the concert will support True Colors United’s programs to prevent and end homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. In America, up to 40% of the 4.2 million youth experiencing homelessness in America are LGBTQ and, according to a recent study from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, LGBTQ young people are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ youth. Among many other initiatives, Lauper, who co-founded the organization eleven years ago, has testified and helped secure funding in Congress for a new federal program that is working to finally bring an end to youth homelessness in over 70 communities nationwide.

Home for the Holidays sells out each year and has become a holiday tradition that gathers together a host of diverse talents for an important cause.

Tickets will be available to the general public 10am PT on Friday, November 8 at AXS.com.

For more information please visit here.

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Online Culture

Clavicular charged in alleged rape of teenage influencer

Online personality’s real name is Braden Peters

Published

32 minutes ago

September 23, 2026

Joe Reberkenny

Braden Peters a.k.a. "Clavicular" (Screen capture via NBC News/YouTube)

Online personality Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Peters, has been accused of rape.

According to NBC, Aleksandra Vasilevna Mendoza, an 18-year-old influencer known online as Alorah or Alorah Ziva, accused Peters of sexual assault, and the case is making its way through the court system.

The alleged incident occurred on May 23, 2025, when Mendoza was 17.

According to a criminal complaint from the Chatham (Mass.) Police Department, Peters called her an Uber to his family’s home. Once there, he allegedly got her drunk on vodka while they livestreamed on Twitch and then raped her. His mother and grandmother were allegedly in the house.

The documents allege Clavicular committed rape, drugging a person for sexual intercourse, and procuring and providing liquor to a person under 21.

According to court documents acquired by NPR, Mendoza began communicating with Peters on Instagram, where he paid her to appear on his livestreams to help her “make her name known on social media.”

According to those documents, Peters arranged for the minor to come to Cape Cod home to participate in a videostream for his 437,000 followers on Kick, 1.2 million followers on TikTok, and more than 1 million followers on Instagram.

At his home, Peters allegedly instructed Mendoza to say she was 18 on his videostream and to claim the alcohol on camera was water instead of vodka. Mendoza said she felt peer-pressured to drink the spirit and that she became noticeably intoxicated after a couple of drinks.

The allegations go on to state that after stopping the stream, Peters and Mendoza kissed on a couch and then had sex in his bed without her consent. Mendoza said she did not receive a sexual assault forensic exam after the incident. NPR does not name alleged victims of sexual assault.

The charges come months after Mendoza sued Peters in Miami, accusing him of sexual battery in connection with the events of May 2025. The civil lawsuit also separately alleges that he injected her face with a non-FDA-approved fat-dissolving substance during a November livestream in Florida.

Peters is known for his “looksmaxxing” concept of vanity, which is at the core of his online presence. The “looksmaxxing” culture he has helped cultivate combines elements of incel culture and heterosexuality, with the stated goal of attracting the opposite sex. He has gone as far as to say he has undergone “bonesmashing,” or hitting his own face with a hammer; taken anabolic steroids to more rapidly grow muscle; and used crystal meth as an appetite suppressant.

At the same time, looksmaxxing has been described as having elements of homoeroticism, with “looksmaxxers” appearing more concerned with impressing other men than women. Peters has multiple times pointed to openly gay actor Matt Bomer as the gold standard for male facial aesthetics.

Peters’s arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 14.