Here is this week’s The Buzz!
Some of the top stories this week include:
Coachella closed out its first week with infamous artists headlining stages as well as rising singers that caught the crowd’s attention. Thai rapper MILLI marked a historical moment as the first Thai artist to appear solo on the Coachella stage. The 19-year-old performed her song, “Mango Sticky Rice,” as she ate the Thai sweet dish on stage, which later went viral on Twitter. While her iconic moment looked cheeky, she broke Thai stereotypes by rapping, “I don’t ride an elephant,” and fans are praising her movement also saying it was a use of “soft power,” against the Thai government.
Also pertaining to Coachella, singer Joji reportedly performed sick, causing allegations against Coachella claiming that they forced him to perform anyway. As we go into Coachella Week 2, attendees are curious whether the event’s organization system will be improved or remain the same.
A$AP Rocky was arrested on Wednesday morning at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in connection with a November 2021 shooting in Hollywood. The 33-year-old rapper was taken into custody on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, according to the LAPD. This comes after recent cheating allegations against A$AP Rocky in his relationship with a pregnant Rihanna.
In the ongoing streaming wars, Netflix has reportedly lost more than 200,000 subscribers over the first business quarter, causing their stock to drop 27%. Researchers estimate that they could lose more than two million by the end of Q2. With Wall Street growing concerned about one of their highest-valued stocks and wealthy investors selling their shares, Netflix is scrambling to come up with solutions. Their CEO Reed Hastings recently announced that Netflix will be considering many options, including offering a cheaper ad-supported option, switching to releasing their content weekly rather than all at once, and enforcing sanctions that would cut down on people sharing accounts.
In other news in the business world, Twitter is fighting back against Elon Musk’s bid to buy the social media platform. The Tesla mogul recently announced that he would buy it for $54.20 per share. Twitter is adopting a so-called “Poison Pill” plan, which could help protect the company from Musk acquiring more shares, and give it time to look for alternative options. Twitter’s board approved the plan Friday.
Ezra Miller has been arrested again in Hawaii for second-degree assault. Reports and eyewitness accounts claim that he threw a chair at a 26-year-old woman, resulting in her getting a large gash on her forehead.
Also, the producers of the film “Rust”—which is the film set where Alec Baldwin shot and killed the film’s cinematographer— are being fined after a report was released summarizing the findings of “willful violations” of safety rules on set.
In the music world, Harry Styles’ album got leaked online, and Kid Cudi made a statement that he will not be working with Kanye West anymore.
The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial continues in Virginia, with Depp revealing why he stayed with his ex-wife, claiming that he was thinking of his children. Their former marriage counselor also testified, claiming that the abuse was mutual.
And finally, Viola Davis is receiving online backlash for her portrayal of Michelle Obama in the Showtime original series “The First Lady,” which currently has a 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
by RJ Dziejma & Maria Sato