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.
L’Oréal is doubling down on its investment in tech. The French beauty giant unveiled two new high-tech products ahead of CES 2022, aimed at simplifying the hair coloring process. Guive Balooch, global vice president of L’Oréal Technology Incubator, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the company's innovations for hair coloring, including the Colorsonic application device and the Coloright AI diagnostic tool.
After meeting by chance in an airport, legendary actor Bill Murray and world-renowned cellist Jan Vogler joined forces to put out an album of poetry and music, go on a European concert tour, and release a feature documentary. Murray and Vogler joined Cheddar to dish about the experiences taking their “New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization" on the road and filming the documentary that followed the pair, along with Mira Wang on violin and Vanessa Perez on piano, at their final show in Greece. "When this opportunity to play with Jan and Mira and Vanessa came along, I thought, well how bad can I be with these people behind me," Murray self-deprecatingly noted about his own musical talents.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals: Director of Programs at Alpine Ascents breaks down how to mentally and physically prepare for climbing Mount Everest; American Himalayan Foundation's Vice President discusses Sherpa culture and ethos, and why they are so critical to the climb; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'History by the Numbers.'
All around the world, speed limits are placed on public roads to promote car safety and save lives. In that same world, car manufacturers have continued to look for ways to build faster and faster cars. Despite the dangers of speeding, many drivers are guilty of pushing the pedal from time to time. With cars being such a prevalent culture in everyday life, especially in the US, it’s worth wondering what it would take for car companies to once and for all settle the argument of safety versus freedom.
A recent study by MSI uncovers a vast racial divide in influencer marketing. The research found a 35% racial pay gap between white and black influencers. This gap is extremely wider than the gap in other industries such as education, business, and finance. The research also suggests that brands and agencies have the power to close this gap. Tiffany Hardin, founder and CEO of Gild Creative Group, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Student loan collection company Navient agreed to cancel $1.7 billion in debt and paid more than $140 million in other penalties to settle a lawsuit over abusive lending practices. Josh Shapiro, the attorney general of Pennsylvania who led negotiations in the settlement, joined Cheddar to go over the details of the company's predatory lending. "What Navient would do is charge [borrowers] these exorbitantly high rates, even though they knew people couldn't pay them or they would likely default on them," he explained.
Retail platform operator and delivery company, Foxtrot,
raised $100 million in a Series C round led by D1 Capital Partners. Foxtrot bills itself as the modern convenience store that combines what it calls in-store curated discovery with 30-minute delivery and 5-minute pickup. Since launching first as a digital-only delivery service, the company has since grown into a popular local retailer, opening 16 brick and mortar locations across Chicago, Dallas, and Washington, DC. Foxtrot co-founder and CEO Michael LaVitola joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
