AP Entertainment

Entertainment:

AUTHORITIES SEIZE ITEMS AT MARILYN MANSON’S HOUSE
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says it has seized media storage devices and other items from Marilyn Manson’s home as part of its investigation into sexual assault accusations against him. Manson was not home during the search early Monday morning. His attorney, Howard E. King, declined comment. Authorities are not identifying the women who say Manson assaulted them between 2009 and 2011. However, several women have made their allegations public, including actors Evan Rachel Wood and Esme Bianco.

TREY SONGZ INVESTIGATED ON SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Police are investigating sexual assault allegations against R&B star Trey Songz at a Las Vegas Strip hotel. A statement from police says sex crimes detectives got a complaint about an incident Sunday involving the singer. The rapper, born Tremaine Aldon Neverson, turned 37 that day. Authorities say the rap star is cooperating with the investigation – and no arrests have been made. A rep for Trey Songz didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

RIHANNA NAMED NATIONAL HERO OF BARBADOS
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP) – For the first time in more than 20 years, Barbados has honored a citizen with the title of National Hero, and that honor has gone to Rihanna. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley bestowed the honor yesterday in Bridgetown, telling her, “May you continue to shine like a diamond and bring honor to your nation by your words, by your actions, and due credit wherever you shall go.” The honor comes with the title “The Right Excellent.” This week, Barbados declared itself a republic, ending its time with Queen Elizabeth as its head of state.

ADELE PLANS LAS VEGAS RESIDENCY
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Adele is the latest act who will do a residency in Las Vegas, rather than tour. Adele will do two concerts per weekend starting Jan. 21 at the Colosseum of Caesars Palace Hotel. She is scheduled to appear through April 16.

SOME FAMILIES REJECT TRAVIS SCOTT BID TO PAY FOR FUNERAL FOR CONCERT VICTIMS
HOUSTON (AP) – The families of some of the 10 people killed in the crowd surge at the Astroworld music festival have turned down an offer by Travis Scott to pay for their loved ones’ funerals. The families have received letters from a lawyer for the rapper, officially echoing a pledge Scott made after the event. A rep for one family says while they appreciate the gesture, Scott needs to realize he bears some responsibility for what happened at the Houston event. Dozens of lawsuits have been filed against Scott, who often urges his fans to be boisterous when he takes the stage. Meanwhile, Scott and event organizers are the focus of a criminal investigation by Houston police.

GRAHAM NASH PUBLISHES NEW PHOTO BOOK
NEW YORK (AP) – Graham Nash says every day he tells himself, “The world is going to show me something fantastic today,” and he claims it always does. That’s why Nash always has a camera with him. The photos he’s taken are part of a new book called “A Life in Focus: The Photography of Graham Nash.” Some are of people you’ve heard of: Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Mama Cass Elliott, David Crosby, Steven Stills and Neil Young. Some are of things like reflections on buildings or the shadow of a bicycle. Nash says he’s gotten so good that he can feel when something is going to happen — what he calls “a place where Elvis comes around the corner on the back of an elephant.”

FRANCE INDUCTS JOSEPHINE BAKER INTO PANTHEON
PARIS (AP) – The streets of Paris rang with the sound of Josephine Baker songs yesterday as she became the first Black woman to receive the nation’s highest honor. Baker was inducted into France’s Pantheon in a ceremony led by French President Emmanuel Macron. Baker is buried in Monaco, so military officers carried a casket that held soil from her birthplace in Missouri, from France and from Monaco. It was draped with the French flag and Baker’s military medals. Baker was honored for her work as an entertainer, a member of the French Resistance during World War II and as a civil rights activist.

CIARA, JESSIE JAMES DECKER RETURN FOR “NEW YEAR’S ROCKIN’ EVE”
NEW YORK (AP) – Ciara will host the West Coast party for ABC’s special “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” Billy Porter will host the party in the Central Time Zone from New Orleans. Liza Koshy will join Ryan Seacrest to host from New York. Jessie James Decker will return as the Powerball correspondent. The show also will have a countdown from Puerto Rico. Details on performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

FIREARMS SCOURCE TRACED IN “RUST” SHOOTING
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – Authorities in New Mexico are chasing down new leads on how live ammo ended up on the set of “Rust” – and how one of those rounds ended up in a prop gun fired by Alec Baldwin, killing the movie’s cinematographer last month. Authorities have searched the premises of an Albuquerque-based firearms and ammunition supplier. The search took place after a provider of firearms and ammunition to the ill-fated movie told investigators he “may know” where the live rounds found on set came from. A revolver fired by Baldwin during a “Rust” rehearsal on Oct. 21 killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and struck Joel Souza in the shoulder. Investigators say Baldwin was told the revolver was “cold” and had no live rounds.

TRAVIS SCOTT REBUFFED IN EFFORT TO PAY FOR FUNERALS FOR ASTROWORLD VICTIMS
HOUSTON (AP) – Travis Scott announced shortly after the tragedy at the Astroworld Music Festival that he’d pay the funeral costs for those who died in a huge crowd crush while he was performing. But now that they’ve gotten an official offer to do so, some families have rejected it. Attorneys for the families of four victims say they got word from Scott’s attorney saying the rapper would pick up the funeral tab – but they say they won’t take the money. Some family members say while the gesture is nice, it won’t bring their family member back. Others say Scott hasn’t acknowledged what they see is his role in the disaster. Others call it a publicity stunt. Meanwhile, a criminal probe continues into the Nov. 5 event attended by 50,000 people. In addition to the ten who died, there were also some 300 people injured in the crush.

DETECTIVE TAKES STAND IN JUSSIE SMOLLETT CASE
CHICAGO (AP) – Prosecutors in Chicago have begun laying out their case against former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett – by putting on the stand one of the people who investigated the case. Former police detective Michael Theis says when he began working the case, he thought Smollett had been the victim of “a horrible hate crime.” But Theis says the more authorities looked into the case, it was clear Smollett engineered his own hate crime. He says the two brothers arrested in the alleged attack told police Smollett planned everything – and even had them rehearse the beatdown.

DR. OZ RUNNING FOR SENATE SEAT IN PENNSYLVANIA
HARRISBURG, Penn. (AP) – Senator Oz? If voters in Pennsylvania go his way, Dr. Mehmet Oz will be helping to write legislation, instead of scribbling out prescriptions for meds and tests. The popular TV show host with medical bona fides is running for the vacant seat in Pennsylvania as a Republican. And the Keystone State is expected to be a key battleground in the upcoming election – as well as in the next presidential race. In his announcement, Oz hewed closely to the positions of former President Donald Trump, uttering the phrase ‘America First” – and blasting the government for what he called its mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CNN SUSPENDS CHRIS CUOMO
NEW YORK (AP) – Don’t go looking for Chris Cuomo on his nightly CNN show – at least for a while. His bosses at the cable news outlet have suspended him indefinitely after transcripts released by New York’s attorney general revealed he had a big role in helping his brother Andrew, ex-governor of New York, navigate past a sexual harassment scandal. In announcing the decision, CNN said the younger Cuomo did more to help his big bro than he first let on to his bosses. The governor ended up resigning before he could be impeached. And it’s unclear whether Chris Cuomo will survive his own work crisis. CNN says his suspension is indefinite, “pending further evaluation.” Anderson Cooper subbed for Cuomo on his show last night.