Arts, Entertainment, Culture

The British actress Helen McCrory, best known for her roles in Harry Potter, Peaky Blinders and Penny Dreadful, has died at the age of 52 after a battle with cancer.

Her husband Damian Lewis announced her death on Twitter, writing: "I'm heartbroken to announce that after an heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and might woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family. She died as she lived. Fearlessly. God we love her and know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives. She blazed so brightly. Go now, Little One, into the air, and thank you."

Bernard L. Madoff, the con artist behind the largest private Ponzi scheme in history, has died at the age of 82 in federal prison. Madoff bilked thousands of investors, including Steven Spielberg, Fred Wilpon and Kevin Bacon, out of an estimated $65 billion and was convicted in 2009 to 150 years in prison. He defrauded around 37,000 people in 136 countries.

After Dame Helen Mirren's announcement as Hespera, the divine foe that will face down Billy Batson, the Shazam sequel added Lucy Liu to its cast as Kalypso.

The Shazam! sequel stars Zachary Levi as the adult version of teenager Billy Batson (a reprising Asher Angel), who transforms into a superhero. David F. Sandberg is back as director.

Meghan Markle will not attend Prince Philip's funeral as she's been advised not to travel to the United Kingdom by her physician due to her pregnancy. Prince Harry is set to attend the service in the St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Saks Fifth Avenue has announced it will "no longer offer products from animals raised for the use of their fur, including but not limited to mink, fox, chinchilla and sable, as well as fur products derived from wild animals, such as coyote and beaver" by 2023, both online and in stores.

"We evaluate a number of factors when making decisions about our assortment, including customer preferences and societal shifts," so Saks Fifth Avenue Chief Merchandising Officer Tracy Margolies on Wednesday. "We recognize that trends constantly evolve, and that the sale of fur remains a significant social issue."

Disney announced Friday that British actress Phoebe-Waller Bridge has signed on to appear in the upcoming fifth "Indiana Jones" movie alongside Harrison Ford, who's been wearing Indy's familiar fedora since 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark." The British writer-producer-actress created the acclaimed Amazon Studios dramedy Fleabag and was the showrunner of the first season of BBC America's Killing Eve.

James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari) is taking over directing duties from Steven Spielberg, who helmed the first four films in the franchise.

Paramount announced the studio would release a new movie in the Star Trek Universe movie on June 9, 2023. The studio did not announce a title or any other detail.

This will be the first new Star Trek film since the last instalment in the Kelvin-verse series, Star Trek Beyond, released in 2016.

DMX has died after suffering a heart attack at his home on April 2 that left him in a coma for seven days. The multiplatinum-selling rapper and actor was 50 years old.

DMX made his mark as one of hip-hop's most recognizable names for his rap artistry, and as an actor, the rapper was personally stifled by his legal battles - he was repeatedly arrested and jailed within a decade - and drug addiction.

British actor Paul Ritter, who appeared in the “Harry Potter” franchise and played a key figure behind nuclear disaster in “Chernobyl,” has died, his agent said Tuesday. He was 54 and had been suffering from a brain tumour.

Ritter was a regular cast member in productions at Britain’s National Theatre, and his stage roles also included “Art” at London’s Old Vic and Prime Minister John Major in the royal drama “The Audience.” He was nominated for a Tony Award in 2009 for his performance in Alan Ayckbourn’s farce “The Norman Conquests” on Broadway.

The actor and US rapper, DMX is in hospital following a heart attack.

The artists' lawyer says he is unaware of the cause of the heart attack at the time of writing.

Netflix has ordered two sequels of the 2019 whodunit mystery film "Knives Out". Rian Johnson will be returning as director and Daniel Craig will reprise his role as private detective Benoit Blanc. The deal cost Netflix $450 million.

The iconic song, often adorned as the 'epitome of Britishness' has set a new chart record. It has continuously been in the UK's top 100 for an impressive 260 weeks - or a full 5 years.

Despite being 18 years old, the song is streamed an average of 1.2 million times a week. Since it's first release in 2003, it has sold 3.52 million copies. It also features on 20,200 individual Spotify playlists.

The successful South Korean supergroup BTS has openly spoken out against racism towards people of Asian descent.

On their official Twitter they stated that "What is happening right now cannot be dissociated from our identity as Asians. It required considerable time for us to discuss this carefully and we contemplated deeply on how we should voice our message.

But what our voice must convey is clear.

We stand against racial discrimination:

We condemn violence.

You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together."

Lifetime has greenlit a third movie about the relationship of the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex, titled "Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace", a sequel to 2018's "Harry & Meghan" and 2019's "Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal".

The film will "reveal what ultimately lead to the couple’s break from the royal family" and production will start in spring.

Johnny Depp was denied permission to appeal a High Court ruling that he assaulted his ex-wife Amber Heard on Thursday. In the 2020 trial, the judge found that the newspaper The Sun calling Depp a "wife beater" was "substantially true" and he assaulted his ex-wife and put her "in fear for her life".

Britney Spears's legal team has requested the permanent removal of father Jamie Spears as her conservator. Ms Spears has been under a court-ordered conservatorship since 2008, with her father being in control of both her personal and financial affairs until he stepped down from the role in September 2019 due to health reasons. Jodi Montgomery, who is a professionally licensed conservator, has stepped in temporarily.

Ms Spears's team has put in a request that Mr Spears resign as conservator of her person but remain as co-conservator of her estate while Montgomery's appointment shall be made permanent. In addition, Ms Spears has requested to retain the right to terminate the conservatorship eventually.

British auction house Charterfields on Wednesday auctioned off a handwritten job application by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs from 1973, a single sheet of paper on which Jobs highlights his experience with "computers and calculators" - and which has now sold for a whopping 162,000 pounds.

Oprah Winfrey is going to interview US inaugural poet Amanda Gorman in an upcoming episode of Apple TV+'s The Oprah Conversation on March 26.

"In this remarkable new interview, Gorman joins Oprah for a heartfelt conversation that celebrates the legendary literary heroes who inspire her work, and introduces viewers to her mother and the other important women in her life who have encouraged her pursuit of poetry," Apple TV+ wrote. Gorman also reveals her process for crafting the poem that captivated the world and catapulted her to fame, and shares personal stories from her upbringing that led her to this moment. As she reflects on the impact of her work, she looks ahead to share her hopes for the future, both personally and for the nation.

“Amanda Gorman is a young woman who stepped into a moment in history with enormous grace and dignity,” said Oprah Winfrey. “I was enthralled by her youthful spirit from the first moment we met, and very much looked forward to hearing her unpack all that has happened to her the past few months,” so Oprah Winfrey.

Acclaimed comedic actress Jessica Walter has died in her sleep in her New York City home on Wednesday at the age of 80. Walter is known for her roles as Lucille Bluth in 'Arrested Development' and Malory Archer in 'Archer,' among others.

"It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my beloved mom Jessica," her daughter Brooke Bowman said in a statement. "A working actor for over six decades, her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on screen and off. While her legacy will live on through her body of work, she will also be remembered by many for her wit, class and overall joie de vivre."

American actor and musician George Segal has died of complications from bypass surgery in Santa Rosa, California at the age of 87.

"The family is devastated to announce that this morning George Segal passed away due to complications from bypass surgery," his wife Sonia Segal said in a statement provided by Sony Television.

Disney has announced that Black Widow will be released simultaneously in theatres and on Disney+ on July 9 instead of May 7. The movie will be offered on Disney+ Premier Access and will come with a $30 rental fee.

Alexi McCammond has resigned as editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue after anti-Asian and homophobic tweets she wrote a decade ago resurfaced. McCammond, whose hiring was announced on March 5th, had faced backlash over past tweets before in 2019 while working for Axios.

"I became a journalist to help lift up the stories and voices of our most vulnerable communities. As a young woman of color, that's part of the reason I was so excited to lead the Teen Vogue team in their next chapter," McCammond tweeted. "My past tweets have overshadowed the work I've done to highlight the people and issues that I care about — issues that Teen Vogue has worked tirelessly to share with the world — and so Condé Nast and I have decided to part ways."

The streaming service HBO Mac has ordered a two-part documentary exploring the life and death of the late actress Brittany Murphy, WarnerMedia announced on Thursday.

Our Brittany Murphy documentary cuts through the tabloid noise with an elevated, nuanced depiction of a sensational story. Crafting a grounded account of Brittany Murphy’s life struggles and sudden passing comes with great responsibility and we’ve partnered with a masterful creative team to produce a thoughtful examination of a tragedy that has long been cause for speculation,” so Jennifer O’Connell, executive vice president, Non-Fiction and Live-Action Family Programming, HBO Max.

The LAPD sexual assault division launched an investigation into an allegation of rape made against actor Armie Hammer. A 24-year-old woman, identified only as Effie, has come forward, alleging Hammer violently raped her for over four hours in Los Angeles on April 24, 2017. Effie and Hammer met on Facebook when she was 20 and were in an on-and-off relationship between 2016 and 2020, during which Hammer allegedly abused her "mentally, emotionally and sexually."

"During those four hours, I tried to get away, but he wouldn’t let me. I thought he was going to kill me. Then [he] left with no concern for my well-being," she said Thursday during a press conference.

Hammer has denied the allegations, and his attorney stated that all his relationships "have been completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory" and that Effie's "own correspondence with Mr Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations."

The 34-year-old actor Elliot Page has become the first transgender man to be featured on the cover of Time magazine, giving his first interview since publicly coming out in December. Page said that he was "was anticipating was a lot of support and love and a massive amount of hatred and transphobia" to his announcement, but did not anticipate the massive media response.

Actor Yaphet Kotto, best known for playing a villain in the James Bond movie 'Live and Let Die' and a crew member in the sci-fi movie 'Alien', has died at the age of 81 in the Philippines

Kotto's wife Sinahon Thessa wrote on Facebook: "You played a villain on some of your movies but for me you're a real hero and to a lot of people also."

For the first time in its 93-year-history, two women have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director: Chloé Zhao's Nomadland and Emerald Fennell's Promising Young Woman. Only five women have ever been nominated for this award.

Zhao is also the first Asian woman nominated for Best Director. She recently made history by being the first Asian woman to win the Golden Globe for Best Director. Nomadland is also nominated for five other Oscars, including Actress in a Leading Role (Frances McDormand), Best Screenplay (Chloé Zhao), Cinematography (Joshua James Richards) and Film Editing (Chloé Zhao).

Netflix's Mank – a 2020 biographical drama about screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and his development of the screenplay for Citizen Kane by David Fincher – has been nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role, Directing, Cinematography and Production Design.

Steven Yeun has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for his role in Minari – a film about a Korean American family that moves to a farm in Arkansas in search of their American dream. Yeun is the first Asian-American actor to be nominated for the Lead Actor award in the Academy's 93-year-history.

The 63rd annual Grammy Awards aired on Sunday, hosted by Trevor Noah. Billie Eilish's "Everything I Wanted" took home Record of The Year while Taylor Swift's "Folklore" won Album of The Year.

Other winners were: Megan Thee Stallion (Best New Artist), “I Can’t Breathe” by Dernst Emile II, HER & Tiara Thomas (Song of the Year), “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles (Best Pop Solo Performance), “Black Parade” by Beyoncé (Best R&B Performance) and Dua Lipa (Best Pop Vocal Album).