Celebrity News
Illinois Supreme Court overturns Jussie Smollett’s conviction in hate crime hoax
Ruling cites due process violation, did not address actor’s guilt
The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned Jussie Smollett’s conviction on charges that he staged and lied to the police about being the victim of a homophobic and racist hate crime in 2019.
The court ruled the actor should not have been prosecuted again after he had already reached a deal with prosecutors to resolve the case.
However, the ruling did not address whether Smollett was innocent of staging the hate crime, as he has continued to claim, overturning the conviction on the grounds that the second prosecution was a due process violation.
“We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and believed it to be unjust,” Justice Elizabeth Rochford wrote in the court’s 5-0 opinion, referring to the initial deal Smollett had reached. “Nevertheless, what would be more unjust than the resolution of any one criminal case would be a holding from this court that the state was not bound to honor agreements upon which people have detrimentally relied.”
In 2019, the “Empire” star claimed he had been physically attacked by two men in a homophobic and racist hate crime. He told Chicago police that they had put a noose around his neck, yelled slurs, and told him that he was in “MAGA country” during the attack.
He initially received an outpouring of support, particularly from the LGBTQ and Black communities. But police soon charged him with filing a false report, alleging he had staged the attack as part of a hoax.
Prosecutors controversially dismissed the initial charges in exchange for community service and the forfeiture of his $10,000 bond. After public outcry, a special prosecutor recharged Smollett with the same offenses in 2020.
The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday found this second prosecution violated the deal initially reached by the state, as well as Smollett’s due process rights.
In 2021, a Cook County jury found Smollett guilty on the charges the special prosecutor had brought against him, and he was sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months of probation, along with a $120,000 restitution payment to the city of Chicago for the overtime costs incurred by police investigating his initial hate crime claim.
He only served six days in jail before he was released upon appealing his case. An Illinois Appellate Court upheld his guilty verdict last year, after which he appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court.
In a Washington Blade interview in September, Smollett addressed his conviction, denying that he had staged the attack.
“I know what happened and soon you all will too,” he told the Blade.
Asked to address the concern among some in the LGBTQ community that his case would discredit victims of hate crimes and make it more difficult to report future such crimes, he responded, “If someone reported a crime and it wasn’t the truth, that would actually make it more difficult [to report future crimes], but I didn’t. Any belief that they have about the person that I’ve been played out to be, sure, but that person is not me, never has been. So I stand with my community. I love my community and I protect and defend my community until I’m bloody in my fist.”
Celebrity News
Brazilian police arrest two men who allegedly targeted Lady Gaga concert
Authorities say suspects wanted to target LGBTQ Brazilians
Brazilian police have arrested two people who allegedly sought to detonate explosives at a free Lady Gaga concert that took place on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach on Saturday.
The Associated Press reported Felipe Curi, a spokesperson for the city’s Civil Police, told reporters the men who authorities arrested hours before the concert took place wanted to target LGBTQ Brazilians. Civil Police Chief Luiz Lima said the men posted hate speech and violent content online “aimed at gaining notoriety in order to attract more viewers, more participants — most of them teenagers, many of them children.”
“They were clearly saying that they were planning an attack at Lady Gaga’s concert motivated by sexual orientation,” said Cury, according to the AP.
An estimated 2.5 million people attended the concert.
A Lady Gaga spokesperson told the AP the singer learned about the threats on Sunday from media reports.
“Prior to and during the show, there were no known safety concerns, nor any communication from the police or authorities to Lady Gaga regarding any potential risks,” said the spokesperson. “Her team worked closely with law enforcement throughout the planning and execution of the concert and all parties were confident in the safety measures in place.”
Lady Gaga in an Instagram post thanked her Brazilian fans.
“Nothing could prepare me for the feeling I had during last night’s show — the absolute pride and joy I felt singing for the people of Brazil,” she wrote. “The sight of the crowd during my opening songs took my breath away. Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you.”
“An estimated 2.5 million people came to see me sing, the biggest crowd for any woman in history. I wish I could share this feeling with the whole world — I know I can’t, but I can say this — if you lose your way, you can find your way back if you believe in yourself and work hard,” added Lady Gaga. “You can give yourself dignity by rehearsing your passion and your craft, pushing yourself to new heights — you can lift yourself up even if it takes some time. Thank you Rio for waiting for me to come back. Thank you little monsters all over the world. I love you. I will never forget this moment. Paws up little monsters. Obrigada. Love, Mother Monster.”
An estimated 1.6 million people attended Madonna’s free concert on Copacabana Beach last May.
Celebrity News
Cynthia Erivo to headline WorldPride Saturday concert
‘An extraordinary moment of unity, celebration, and visibility’
WorldPride DC 2025 announced today that “Wicked” star, LGBTQ icon, and award-winning performer Cynthia Erivo will headline the WorldPride 2025 Saturday night Street Festival and Concert on the Capitol Stage following the parade.
A multi-week long series of events, WorldPride DC 2025 culminates in a free, inclusive, two-day event June 7-8, 2025. The event features a mix of local artists, DJs, and performers alongside big names in entertainment like Erivo. Taking place June 7-8 along Pennsylvania Avenue, the weekend WorldPride spectacular is to be a display of “pride, music, and unity.”
Erivo delivers “a powerhouse headlining performance against the iconic backdrop of the U.S. Capitol Building,” according to organizers.
“As the culminating event for the parade, the Saturday night concert will be an extraordinary moment of unity, celebration, and visibility for our global LGBTQ+ community,” said Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, host of WorldPride 2025. “Cynthia Erivo’s powerful artistry and unwavering advocacy make her the perfect artist to headline this momentous event.”
An actress, producer, singer, songwriter, and advocate for the LGBTQ and Black communities, Erivo has been making even larger headlines after starring in the award-winning “Wicked” movie alongside Ariana Grande. Having recently embraced her LGBTQ identity, Erivo has been using this platform to promote representation.
The free WorldPride 2025 Street Festival and Concert takes place in front of the U.S. Capitol building. The event is set to bring together visitors from across the U.S. and the world, featuring exhibitors, artisans, food and beverage gardens, and a diverse range of local, national, and big-named artists.
WorldPride plans to announce the names of additional artists and performers in the coming days.
According to WorldPride organizers, the theme The Fabric of Freedom “symbolizes the unity and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community. Following the 2024 presidential inauguration, it serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for equality and the strength found in diversity.”
Outside of the official WorldPride events, other associated concerts will be taking place that weekend, including the recently announced Project Glow-organized World Pride Music Festival featuring Jennifer Lopez and Troye Sivan, which garnered some controversy by including the artist Grimes, a former partner of Elon Musk.
Celebrity News
Colman Domingo is riding high ahead of the Oscars
Actor is star, executive producer of ‘Sing Sing’
Colman Domingo is riding on a career high, with back-to-back Best Actor Academy Award nominations–last year, playing Bayard Rustin, the gay advisor to Martin Luther King Jr. and this season, starring and executive producing Greg Kwedar’s mesmerizing film, “Sing Sing.”
One thing is clear watching any of Domingo’s films and television series–among them being “Selma,” “The Color Purple,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and “HBO’s “Euphoria”—he completely gives his heart and soul into every role he takes on.
It’s no wonder then, why the charismatic performer recently received the Montecito Award from Executive Director Roger Durling at the 40th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
“As a devoted admirer of Colman Domingo for so long, what is enthralling to see is how his early work in theater—the specificity, the dexterity, the research, the conviction and the intelligence that this performer displayed on the boards is now being finally utilized,” said Durling. “His potential that always was there is now realized.”
In a lengthy chat about his career with Durling, Domingo addressed his perseverance throughout his illustrious television and film career, telling attendees, “I just kept going and believed that the love I was seeking would also be seeking me. I just always believed that.”
The evening highlighted Domingo’s powerhouse performance as John “Divine G” Whitfield in “Sing Sing.” In the film, which is based on a true story, an imprisoned man—wrongfully put in jail for a crime he didn’t commit—finds a renewed sense of purpose by acting in a theatre group, “Rehabilitation Through the Arts,” also known as RTA, alongside other incarcerated men.
The riveting script had immense appeal to the veteran actor.
“I started my career in educational theater,” said Domingo. “I would go to local San Francisco Bay Area high schools to perform while also teaching kids about important issues such as HIV, AIDS, or conflict resolution. We were the arts program, coming in, performing, and maybe doing a few classes. And influence the children with art, in much the same manner that RTA did in the New York prison system.”
He continued: “So I already understood it—the idea of an arts program coming into a maximum security prison is revolutionary. It goes completely against the system that got them there in the first place.”
Domingo saw “Sing Sing” not as a prison story, but as a human story.
“It is a triumphant story, of course and determination, of fighting against a system that’s broken,” he noted. “Rodessa Jones said, ‘But art just might be the parachute that saves us all.’ That is certainly true of the men of RTA. We all have choices we make—every day—to try to be better, to go to our better angels. That’s what this film is about, ultimately.”
Domingo’s interest and passion for the film transcended signing onto the role; he and his husband Raúl Domingo’s production company, Edith Productions, joined to executive produce. They were instrumental in helping assemble the cast and faithfully guide the storytelling.
He referred to the film as a “quiet act of revolution” because of its poignant depiction of tenderness and compassion between Black men.
“It’s about putting myself on the line in every single way as an artist. If I’m going to have an impact, if I’m going to do this work that I think is meaningful and can really change lives … I think a film like ‘Sing Sing’ is really changing lives. It’s actually doing work. So, I have to give everything.”
Being able to connect deeply with his characters has always been an important part of Domingo’s acting process. During the q and a, describing his performance in “Rustin.” he noted how connected he felt portraying the role.
“It felt like we were in alignment. That Rustin’s journey and my journey were meeting at the exact moment, and I was the actor to help pull this black, queer, civil rights revolutionary out of the shadows of history, while I was being pulled into new history. I needed every year, every step, every misstep in my career, to enable me to play Bayard Rustin.”
The Santa Barbara recognition follows his win at New York’s Gotham Awards, where Domingo took home the honor for Outstanding Lead Performance.
He also received the Spotlight Award at the Palm Springs Film Festival. Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi acknowledged Domingo’s “raw and captivating” performance. “We are so thrilled to honor the remarkable talent of Colman Domingo at the Palm Springs International Film Awards for the second year in a row.”
Domingo ongoingly keeps a busy schedule–he can currently be seen in Netflix’s series “The Madness” created by Clement Virgo. He also recently wrapped production on ‘Michael’ playing Joe Jackson, directed by Antoine Fuqua. Lionsgate will release the film Oct. 3, 2025.
And that’s not all–he will voice Norman Osborn in the upcoming Disney+ animated series “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,” and is currently in production on NETFLIX’s “The Four Seasons,” alongside Tina Fey and Steve Carrell. He will play Michael Jackson’s dad in “Michael.”
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