From Lizzo's backups backing her up to a big week of ups and downs for Britney Spears, here's what's happening in entertainment.
Lizzo's Crew Speaks
Lizzo is receiving public support on Instagram amid allegations of creating a hostile work environment and sexual harassment.
A note signed by "the Big Grrls and Big Boiiis," her backup dancers, says that their experience has been "beyond just #Special!"
"The commitment to character and culture taking precedence over every movement and moment has been one of the Greatest lessons and Blessings that we could possibly ask for," the message continued.
Lizzo has been mostly quiet about the lawsuit since her initial address earlier this month when she said the former employees hurling the accusations "have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.
Amid news of a pending divorce, Britney Spears is set to record a new album.
Page Six reported that collaborations with "some big artists" are in the works as she prepares for a writers boot camp. Spears is also set to release a memoir in October titled The Woman in Me.
News of the album comes the same week that Spears' husband Sam Asghari filed for divorce. He asked the public to be kind as reports floated about him seeking spousal support and a renegotiated prenuptial agreement.
Asghari cited irreconcilable differences amid rumors that Spears cheated.
Don Lemon Speaks
Former CNN host Don Lemon finally spoke in depth about being ousted from the network in April.
During an interview on the Pivot podcast with Kara Swisher, Lemon said he felt vindicated after former CNN president Chris Licht was fired in June.
"Read the story, and you speak to the people who are there, and I think people get what happened. All you have to do is read The Atlantic story, read the subsequent stories that came out and how it played out," he said.
As far as next steps go, Lemon said he will likely end up in the digital space or on a streaming platform.
M&M's is rebranding its iconic chocolate candy characters with new looks and storylines highlighting the "progressive world" we live in today. Jane Hwang, global vice president of M&M's, joined Cheddar to talk about the company's rebrand. "M&M's is on a mission to create a world where everyone feels they belong," she said. The multi-colored, anthropomorphized candies will be getting an updated look and tone, according to Hwang, such as Green receiving a makeover that reflects more female empowerment and confidence.
The Department of Agriculture has officially unveiled its plan to fight catastrophic wildfires that have devastated parts of the West in the last few years. The department, along with the Forest Service will work to significantly increase fuels and forest health treatments to address the escalating crisis of wildfire danger. Executive Editor of Cipher, a publication by Breakthrough Energy, Amy Harder, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A new report out on Linkedin says that Crypto-related job postings in the US surged to 395% between 2020 and 2021. Job titles which included titles containing "Bitcoin", "Ethereum", "Blockchain", and cryptocurrency, all outpaced jobs in the wider tech industry which saw a 98% increase in listings during the same time period. LinkedIn also notes that the most common crypto job postings were blockchain developers and engineers. CEO of Radkl, Ryan Sheftel, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A new study has been causing a lot of buzz in the cannabis industry. Researchers from Oregon State University found that compounds in cannabis could prevent infection with COVID-19, but that doesn't mean smoking marijuana prevents people from getting infected. CV Sciences medical advisor Dr. Michael Lewis joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Software company BigPanda recently raised $190 million in Series D funding, led by Advent International and Insight Partners. The funding round gives the company unicorn status with a $1.2 billion valuation. BigPanda develops A.I. software that detects and analyzes problems in I.T. systems. The company says it aims to be the solution for other companies that do not have enough manpower to manage their data, as more and more industries continue to build a broader digital presence. BigPanda co-founder and CEO Assaf Resnick joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Amazon Prime announced the name of the highly anticipated Middle-Earth prequel streaming series to be called "The Rings of Power," premiering on September 2. The show takes place thousands of years before the stories set in "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings."
Sebastien Lagree, creator and founder of Lagree Fitness, joins Cheddar News to talk about the growth of Lagree Fitness and industry trends to watch in 2022.
We've all seen the headlines about a record number of Americans quitting their jobs in what's become known as the Great Resignation. However, new data on why people are leaving the workforce in droves suggests the bigger headline is Americans are simply burned out. Stephanie Aston, CEO of Black Girl Group, joined Cheddar News to break down why so many employees have reached their breaking points and what employers can do about it.
Nikhilesh De, managing editor of global regulation and policy at CoinDesk, joins Cheddar News to discuss Bitcoin's slump and corporations' growing interest in NFTs.
Thrive Market is a health-first membership for conscious living, with a mission to make healthy and sustainable living easy and accessible. Nick Green, CEO and co-founder, chatted with Cheddar's Baker Machado about the company's approach and new ventures in 2022. "I grew up outside of Minneapolis, middle class, middle America, and really saw firsthand how hard my mom had to work to put healthy food on the table, on a budget, without a health food store nearby," he said. "Twenty-some years later we looked around and just thought it was crazy that millions of Americans are still struggling with the same thing, and we decided to change it." Recently the brand released a line of organic frozen products and will be introducing new beauty and home brands.
