By Mariel Turner
8:19am PDT, May 31, 2019
Iggy Azalea releases statement, threatens legal action after nude photos leak
In a statement released on May 27, Iggy Azalea slammed the yet-to-be identified culprit behind the leak of her nude photos. The rapper, who deactivated her social media accounts after the unreleased topless pics taken during a 2016 GQ shoot went viral late in the month, said she was going to pursue legal action against the leaker. "There was no reason for anyone to have kept the outtakes from the shoot," she wrote in a now-deleted post. "I'm surprised and angry that they were not immediately deleted after the final images were selected… I fully intend on finding out where the leak originated from and pressing criminal charges in regards to this. It's important to me that someone actually be held accountable for their actions & the way it impacts my life."
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Jennifer Hudson pays tribute to Aretha Franklin at Pulitzer Prize ceremony
Jennifer Hudson honored her idol, Aretha Franklin, at the Pulitzer Prize Awards ceremony in New York on May 28. The singer-actress, who drove nearly 13 hours to make the luncheon after her flight was canceled, performed "Amazing Grace" during the ceremony. Aretha, who died in 2018, was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation honor.
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Lawyers battle it out after Chris Brown skips Paris meeting with rape accuser
Two legal teams issued very different statements on May 28 after Chris Brown failed to attend a scheduled meeting in Paris with a woman who accused him of rape. Gloria Allred, the lawyer representing the alleged victim, said the R&B singer has "thumbed his nose at and shown disrespect for the French legal system" while Chris's attorney claimed the star had told authorities he was unavailable. Chris was arrested and subsequently released in January after a woman claimed that he and two other men sexually assaulted her at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Paris, claims he's strongly denied.
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Moby cancels book tour dates after facing backlash over Natalie Portman claims
Moby announced on May 29 that he's canceled all of his Ireland and U.K. book tour dates. The move came after actress Natalie Portman spoke out to deny the musician's claims in his new memoir, "Then It Fell Apart," that they dated years ago. "I'm going to go away for awhile. But before I do I want to apologize again, and to say clearly that all of this has been my own fault," Moby wrote in a lengthy post on Instagram explaining his decision, adding that he "behaved inconsiderately and disrespectfully." The promotional tour was set to run from June 1 to June 6.
Fans slam new Ariana Grande wax figure at Madame Tussauds in London
Ariana Grande's fans are not happy with the her new wax figure. Arianators took to Twitter to express their disapproval over the likeness, which was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in London on May 21. "Doesnt really look like her but okay," one fan tweeted the Madame Tussauds account.
Celebrity deaths
Singer-songwriter Leon Redbone (pictured), who appeared several times as a musical guest on "Saturday Night Live," died on May 30 at 69. Latin pop singer Gabriel Diniz died on May 28 when his plane crashed in Brazil. The singer, who was 28, was headed to his girlfriend's birthday party. John Gary Williams, the lead singer of Stax music's The Mad Lads, died on May 28 at 73.
Spice Girls reunion tour plagued by sound troubles
The Spice Girls reunion tour is off to a rocky start. The group's U.K. and Ireland concert trek, which kicked off in Dublin on May 24, was plagued by sound issues for the second night in a row at their Cardiff, Wales, show, which caused some fans to demand refunds via social media. "Amazing show from @spicegirls but the sound was terrible! Can barely hear vocals!" one fan wrote on Twitter on May 27.
Arnold Schwarzenegger featured on new rap song
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a rapper in the making! The "Terminator" star and former California governor rapped on fellow Austrian entertainer Andreas Gabalier's new single, "Pump It Up." The track, which features Arnold dropping lines like "listen carefully, dig deep down and ask yourself who do you want to be," was released on May 29.
