AP Entertainment

March 24, 2025

Will Smith channels his post-slap introspection into music on ‘Based on a True Story’

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith could have let his infamous Oscar slap be his cinematic fade out with a career bruised, a marriage dissected and a reputation in a free fall. But instead of retreating, he turned inward for self-reflection. In the process, Smith rediscovered a long-neglected creative outlet in music, using the mic to voice his thoughts after years of prioritizing his Hollywood career. The Grammy and Oscar winner will release his fifth studio album “Based on a True Story” on Friday. The 14-track album marks his first music project in two decades since “Lost and Found.”

French actor Gérard Depardieu stands trial in Paris for alleged sexual assaults on film set

PARIS (AP) — French actor Gérard Depardieu is standing trial at a Paris courthouse on sexual assault charges. It is seen as a potential watershed for the #MeToo movement in France. The 76-year-old actor is accused of having groped a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant director during filming in 2021 of the movie “Les Volets Verts” or “The Green Shutters.” The actor denies any wrongdoing. The trial was initially scheduled for October but was postponed until Monday because of Depardieu’s health.

Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez named creative directors at Loewe

PARIS (AP) — Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the celebrated design duo behind Proenza Schouler, will take over as creative directors at Loewe. The Spanish luxury house says their tenure begins April 7. They succeed Jonathan Anderson, who stepped down last week after an influential 11-year run that elevated Loewe into a major global brand with annual revenues exceeding $1.5 billion. McCollough and Hernandez, known for pioneering a distinctive American aesthetic since founding Proenza Schouler in 2002, are relocating from New York City to Paris, home to Loewe’s creative offices. The designers also plan frequent visits to Madrid, where Loewe originated as a leather-maker serving the Spanish royal family in 1846.

Conan O’Brien accepts Mark Twain Prize for humor as politics roils the Kennedy Center

WASHINGTON (AP) — On a night when half a dozen people made jokes about this being the last-ever Mark Twain Prize, Conan O’Brien made sure the ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ended on a high note. O’Brien accepted the award for lifetime achievement in comedy Sunday night while acknowledging the backstage turmoil that hangs over the future of the cultural center in Washington. O’Brien was named the 26th recipient of the Mark Twain Prize in mid-January, about three weeks before President Donald Trump upended the Kennedy Center by ousting the longtime president and board chairman. Trump dismissed the board of trustees and replaced them with loyalists, who then elected him as chairman.

Gerard Depardieu sexual assault trial marks a cultural reckoning for post-#MeToo France

PARIS (AP) — When French actor Gérard Depardieu walks into a Paris courtroom on Monday, he won’t just be facing two women who accuse him of sexual assault — he’ll also be confronting a nation long criticized for dragging its feet in confronting sexual violence, particularly when committed by the powerful. Depardieu, a leading figure of French cinema for decades, is accused of sexually assaulting a set dresser and an assistant director during the 2021 filming of “Les Volets Verts” (“The Green Shutters”). While Depardieu has been publicly accused of sexual misconduct by around 20 women, this is the first time he will stand trial. Depardieu has denied all allegations.

What to stream: ‘Mufasa: The Lion King,’ Timothée Chalamet, Will Smith, Seth Rogen and Atomfall

Will Smith releasing his first album in 20 years, the 14-track “Based on a True Story,” and “Mufasa: The Lion King,” Barry Jenkins’ photorealistic prequel to the 1994 animated classic, are some of this week’s new streaming entertainment releases. A new docuseries from Prime Video called “First to Finish” is dedicated to women in motorsports and Seth Rogen stars in the new Hollywood satire “The Studio” for Apple TV+. Timothée Chalamet plays Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” and, for video game fans, British studio Rebellion imagines the aftermath of a 1957 accident at a nuclear reactor in the northwest United Kingdom with the title Atomfall.

Book Review: ‘Lollapalooza’ is an entertaining history of festival’s role in alternative rock rise

“Lollapalooza: The Unscripted Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival” chronicles the beginnings of the traveling festival that played a key role in alternative rock’s rise. The Associated Press’ Andrew DeMillo says authors Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour have compiled a comprehensive and entertaining oral history of Lollapalooza. The book features hundreds of new interviews from musicians, promoters and others involved in Lollapalooza. The book includes behind-the scenes detailing the traveling festival’s beginnings and how it faded several years later before later being revived and reconfigured. DeMillo writes that the book shows just how much the music industry has changed.

Book Review: ‘There Is No Place For Us’ shines lights on a homeless population often ignored

“There Is No Place For Us: Working and Homeless in America” by Brian Goldstone explores a segment of the population that’s often been ignored. The Associated Press’ Andrew DeMillo calls the book a revelatory and gut-wrenching look at the homeless who are living with friends, family or other locations such as extended-stay hotels. The book follows five families in Atlanta, where gentrification has pushed rent and housing costs out of reach for many low-income workers. DeMillo writes that the book’s structure and pace keeps readers engaged as it shows families who are teetering on the edge.

Book Review: ‘Baldwin, Styron and Me’ a valuable contribution to current debates about DEI

The new book “Baldwin, Styron and Me” is a valuable contribution to the current debates about race, equity and identity, says Associated Press reviewer Anita Snow. Canadian author Mélikah Abdelmoumen is the daughter of a Tunisian immigrant father and views through her background the complex relationship between American writers James Baldwin and William Styron. Baldwin was an African American essayist who read the early drafts of his white Southern friend’s controversial novel “The Confessions of Nat Turner,” a fictional first-person account of an 1831 slave rebellion. She says past stories should not be seen only as history, but as tools to understand the present.

Book Review: Debut poetry collection ‘Scream/Queen’ views trans identity through horror

CD Esklison’s debut poetry collection examines the connection between the horror genre and the LGBTQ+ community. “Scream/Queen” is broken into parts with titles that play on sub-genres. But it’s not all scary monsters and creepy crawlies. Eskilson also writes about love, chronic illness and “Mamma Mia!” Donna Edwards of The Associated Press says the collection is introspective and highly vulnerable, employing a range of poetry types that showcase Eskilson’s talent. The poems examine the celebration and sorrow behind the concept of horror as a resistance with intelligence and verve. “Scream/Queen” was released in March by Acre Books.