02 Nov Sam Bankman-Fried Convicted
FTX founder and former billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried has been found guilty on all counts in the case stemming from the mismanagement of customer funds on his crypto exchange — prosecutors say he embezzled about $8 billion. The 31-year-old had been charged with two counts of fraud and five counts of conspiracy, and could be spending the rest of his life in prison. His sentencing has been set for March 28, 2024.
26 Oct Throwback Thursday: Tevin Campbell – “I’m Ready” (Live on ‘Showtime at the Apollo’)
Today in 1993, Tevin Campbell released his sophomore album, I’m Ready. Released just weeks before his 17th birthday, the album boasts a songwriter roster that includes Prince, Burt Bacharach, and of course, Babyface.
The album’s title track, written by Babyface, was released as its third single. It would go on to because Tevin’s third top 10 hit, peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would also earn a Grammy nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
“Can We Talk” gets all the shine, but real ones know that “I’m Ready” is the best song Tevin Campbell ever recorded. Below is a 1994 performance of the song on Showtime at the Apollo.
25 Oct Jonathan Majors’ Ex-Girlfriend Arrested for Assaulting Actor in March Incident That Led to His Arrest
Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, who accused the actor of assaulting her back in March, has just been arrested for assaulting the actor, who accused her of scratching his hand, slapping him, and ripping buttons off his coat in the same incident that led to his arrest. The actor filed complaint filed in June.
Jabbari has been booked for misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief. According to TMZ, her arrest comes a day after the Manhattan DA’s office filed documents that it told the NYPD — a whole month ago — that it had intention of prosecuting her.
The arrest comes just hours after a New York judge denied Majors’ motion to dismiss the case against him — he has been charged with misdemeanor assault and harassment. The trial date has been set for November 29.
20 Oct Megan Thee Stallion’s 1501 Record Deal Officially Terminated
Megan Thee Stallion’s record deal with 1501 Certified Entertainment is officially terminated after both parties reached a settlement. The details of the settlement are being kept private, but in a statement to Billboard, a rep for the label said, “Both Megan and 1501 are pleased to put this matter behind them and move forward with the next chapter of their respective businesses.”
The same statement quotes the label’s founder and president, Carl Crawford, as wishing Megan “the very best in her life and career.”
The settlement comes just a week after Meg revealed that she’ll be funding her next album.
19 Oct Throwback Thursday: Beyoncé – “Me, Myself and I”
Today in 2003, Beyoncé released “Me, Myself and I” as the third single from her solo debut album, Dangerously in Love.
Written by the singer, Scott Storch and Robert Waller — and produced by the former two — the song is sung from the perspective of a woman who has concluded that she can only depend on herself after letting go of her cheating-ass man. As far as vocal performances go, this is easily one of Beyonce’s best. She poured just the right amount of emotion into each note, showed restraint where necessary, and showcased her phenomenal range.
The music video for “Me, Myself and I” stays true to the song’s title: It is almost wall-to-wall Beyoncé. And despite its relative simplicity, it has become one of the singer’s most iconic videos.
“Me, Myself and I” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Beyoncé’s third top-five hit on the chart.
19 Oct Drake & Michael Jackson Tied for Most No. 1s by a Male Artist on Billboard Hot 100
* Michael Jackson still has more No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist, but overall, Drake has now matched the King of Pop’s record with “First Person Shooter” (featuring J. Cole), his 13th leader on the chart.
Drizzy has also tied The Beatles and Mariah Carey’s record for the most top-two hits ever (23), and extends his record for the most top-five and top-ten hits — 41 and 76, respectively.
Champagne Papi has also extended his record for the most No. 1 debuts on the chart, with the For All the Dogs track becoming his ninth No. 1 debut.
19 Oct Justin Timberlake Cheated on Britney Spears with Celebrity
So you mean the man who made “Cry Me a River” was a cheater? And the call was coming from inside the house the whole time??
In her upcoming memoir, The Woman in Me, Britney Spears reveals that Justin Timberlake cheated on her with another famous woman — she doesn’t say who, but says that the woman has a family now. Any guesses?
This revelation comes after two decades of the world believing Britney was the only cheater in the relationship, but in reality, it was a cheating-ass couple. Britney confirms the rumors she got with Wade Robson while she was with Justin — she says she made out at a bar.
In the memoir, Britney also confirms that Justin did, in fact, break up with her via text message. Like a monster.
“I was comatose in Louisiana, and he was happily running around Hollywood,” the pop star said, adding that she was “devastated” after the break-up and considered leaving show business.
The Woman in Me hits shelves on October 24.
19 Oct Trey Songz Accused of Sexual Assault in New Lawsuit
In a lawsuit, two women are accusing #TreySongz of sexual assault. The women say they met the singer at one of his concerts in June 2015, where they got invited to his after-party.
TMZ reports that the women were then invited to Trey’s home in August for a birthday party, but his birthday is in November.
In any case, the women said they were forced to give up their cellphones when they got the party and then pressured to drink alcohol from unsealed bottles. They said they later passed out with their clothes on and woke up naked with Trey forcing himself on them. One of the women claims he was giving her oral sex, and was overpowered when she tried to resist. The other said she woke up to him biting her nipples and forcing his fingers into her vagina.
Trey Songz’s lawyer, Michael Freedman, has since issued a statement, calling the suit “yet another example of nearly decade-old allegations being repurposed to take advantage of California’s constitutionally questionable new look back window.”
18 Oct Joran van der Sloot Admits to Killing Natalee Holloway
Nearly two decades after she went missing during a school trip in Aruba, the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway has confessed to killing the Alabama teenager.
Joran van der Sloot’s confession comes after multiple arrests over the years in connection to her disappearance — he was released each time due to lack of evidence. In 2010, he murdered another woman, Stephany Flores, in Peru and is currently serving a 28-year sentence for that crime.
Peruvian authorities temporarily released the 36-year-old to the US in June to face extortion and wire fraud charges that stem from him trying to get Natalee Holloway’s family to pay him $250,000 in 2010 in exchange for information about the location of her remains. He pled guilty to those charges today, and in a proffer, confessing to the murder.
After reviewing the proffer, the federal judge presiding over the case, Anna Manasco, said there is a reason why Natalee’s body will never be found, but didn’t explain further. She then sentenced him to 20 years in prison, which will begin once he completes his 28 years in Peru.