The 82-year-old entertainment mogul filed his response Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, where Michaels – aka David Armstrong – sued last month. The two married in 2023 and Geffen filed for divorce earlier this year.

The 32-year-old Michaels alleged that his much-older ex ensnared him in a years-long web of exploitation after shopping for a “vulnerable” partner online, then “masquerading as a white knight while hiding behind wealth, philanthropy and fame.” The couple reportedly did not have a prenuptial agreement.

Also filed in Superior Court, Michaels’ lawsuit says he was a “young vulnerable black man, orphaned as a toddler” who wound up in foster care at 18 months old. It says the couple met via the website Seekingarrangements.com, where Geffen “learned of Michaels’ troubled past — his history of neglect, poverty, instability and legal entanglements,” and leveraged that to make him “an object of exploitation … whose trauma could be weaponized for Geffen’s personal gratification and public image.”

In their response, Geffen’s attorneys at Glaser Weil described Armstrong’s complaint as “ludicrous and contrived,” accusing him of attempting to wage a public relations campaign while seeking a large settlement.

“Plaintiff cannot embarrass Geffen and extort a settlement with petty gossip and salacious lies,” according to the filing obtained Saturday by TheWrap.

Armstrong, a former model and adult film actor, alleges Geffen promised him lifelong financial support and shared ownership of assets during their time together. Geffen denies making any such promises, noting that his estate plan and financial records contain no evidence of agreements to provide Armstrong with property or ongoing support.

The defense paints Armstrong as a reckless spender who abused Geffen’s generosity during their two-year marriage. According to the filing, Armstrong used assistants to charge hundreds of thousands of dollars to Geffen’s accounts for luxury clothing, elective cosmetic procedures and extravagant gifts for friends. In the final months of the marriage, Geffen claims Armstrong also spent heavily on OnlyFans subscriptions and male escorts.

Geffen’s lawyers argue Armstrong misrepresented his behavior throughout their relationship, hiding extensive drug use and multiple extramarital affairs. The filing contends that while Geffen helped pay for Armstrong’s rehab and counseling, Armstrong’s drug use — including cocaine and ketamine — persisted.

“Geffen loved Plaintiff and treated him with nothing but kindness, respect, and generosity throughout their relationship,” the filing reads. Staff and friends, it adds, described Geffen as treating Armstrong “like a king.”

The defense also highlights that Armstrong continues to live rent-free in one of Geffen’s New York apartments and receives voluntary monthly payments, contradicting allegations that Geffen abandoned him and left him homeless and destitute.

The filing requests that Armstrong’s complaint be dismissed with prejudice and that Geffen be awarded legal fees. It also includes a demand for a jury trial, no date for which has been set.

The post David Geffen Responds to Ex-Husband’s ‘Ludicrous and Contrived’ Lawsuit: ‘Petty Gossip and Salacious Lies’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Rondell’s death was announced by his family.

Rondell grew up in Hollywood, and his father worked as an extra and then an assistant director on “The Jack Benny Show” and “Around the World in 80 Days.” Rondell’s own career also included performing stunts in “The Matrix Reloaded” and “Twister.”

He’d been “doing a lot of fire work” when he was hired for the cover shoot, Rondell said in the 2012 documentary “Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here,” and he “had the special suits and all this stuff for fully enveloped fire.”

The shoot itself was straightforward, he added. “But a partial is basically pretty safe, pretty easy one to do, in most cases.”

Having said that, Rondell, who wore a fire-retardant layer underneath his business suit, ended up losing half his mustache. “There’s a funny thing about fire,” he said. “When it gets in your face, you’re going to move.”

Ultimately, the shoot was just another day in the life of a stunt performer.

“It was pretty easy to do, not too life threatening, and paid well,” Rondell concluded.

He spent several years working as a stuntman and also as a stunt coordinator and a director before starting his own company, Stunts Unlimited, in 1970.

“Our hearts are heavy with the loss of the last of Stunts Unlimited’s 3 esteemed founding fathers, Ronnie Rondell,” the company wrote in a message shared on Facebook.

“In a class all his own, Ronnie was a generous mentor whose talents set the bar for every aspiring stunt person. He was deeply respected, admired and loved. Ronnie was not just a legend, he was legendary and will be deeply missed.”

“The family requests that we all respect their privacy at this time and hold off on phone calls or posts until they are able to share details for honoring his life and legacy. – RA Rondell and Family,” the message concluded.

He is survived by his wife Mary Rondell, his son R.A. Rondell; his grandchildren Brandon Rondell, Rachel Rondell, and Dalton Rondell, his great-grandchild Rocco Rondell, and his brother Ric Rondell.

The post Ronnie Rondell Jr., Hollywood Stuntman Set Ablaze for Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ Album Cover, Dies at 88 appeared first on TheWrap.

For the first time ever, the telecast will be broadcast from Nashville. During the broadcast, viewers and listeners will learn about the recent advances in cancer research, “and why continued support is vital in the fight against the disease,” according to a statement about the telecast.

“The goal of Stand Up To Cancer has always been about working collaboratively to push cancer research forward so we could help patients as quickly as possible,” Katie Couric, SU2C co-founder, said in a statement. “Nearly two decades later, it’s incredibly gratifying and inspiring to see the impact of this research. Bringing the show to Nashville will infuse new energy and excitement into our mission. There’s still so much work to do and every dollar makes a difference—especially to the families who are counting on novel approaches and therapies as they face the challenges that often accompany a cancer diagnosis.”

Several stars, musicians and figures in media are slated to join the party, and we’re here with all the details about when, where and how to watch.

When is the 2025 Stand Up to Cancer special telecast?

The 2025 Stand Up to Cancer special telecast starts at 5 p.m. PST. on Friday, Aug. 15. It will run for one hour without commercials.

What is the Stand Up to Cancer telecast about?

Per the official website, the special is part of the organization Stand Up to Cancer, a mission that seeks to “raise awareness and fund research to detect and treat cancers with aspiration to cure all patients.”

Will the 2025 Stand Up to Cancer telecast be streaming?

Yes, the telecast will be streaming via several TV stations, including: ABC,CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC News Live, Prime Video, AMC+, AHC, AXS TV, Comedy Central, CMT, Destination America, Disney+, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, ESPN News, FS2, FUBO, HBO Max, HDNET Movies, Hulu, MGM+, MTV, Paramount+, Paramount Network, Paramount+ with Showtime, Peacock, Pluto TV, Spectrum News, Starz, Tubi and Youtube.

You can also watch it on demand through Starz and Tubi. It will stream audio-only on iHeart Radio.

Who’s performing?

Several musicians will hit the stage, including the Jonas Brothers, Noah Cyrus, Gavin DeGraw, Marcus King, Brothers Osborne, Jon Pardi, Jelly Roll, Dan + Shay and CeCe Winans, joined by Nashville Community Gospel.

Who will the 2025 Stand Up to Cancer telecast feature?

In addition, several Hollywood stars are set to appear at the event, including Kevin Bacon, Jamie Foxx, Tim McGraw, Zoe Saldaña, Reese Witherspoon and Keith Urban.

Who’s hosting?

Sheryl Crow, who will also perform, will serve as host. SU2C co-founder, Couric, will also deliver remarks during the evening.

Where does the 2025 Stand Up to Cancer telecast take place?

The telecast was recorded in Nashville on Aug. 9 at The Pinnacle.

The post How to Watch the 2025 Stand Up to Cancer Special Telecast appeared first on TheWrap.

Over the course of four seasons, the series, which is executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, has portrayed a fictionalized version of the real lives of street legends and brothers Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, who created one of the largest crime families in the U.S.

In Season 4, Big Meech and Southwest continue their journey of expanding their empire, now attempting to make some footing on the west coast. And playing over the series is a slew of jams that accentuate the show and add to its flow.

In a conversation with TheWrap, Thornton, who previously served as music supervisor for “Power Book II: Ghost,” “Raising Kanan” and “The Chi,” shared tidbits about how and why he chose certain songs for each episode.

Check out Thornton’s picks below, which are complimented with images from the respective episodes.

1. “More Bounce to the Ounce”  – Zapp & Roger (Episode 401 – “Graduation Day”)

Big Tank tells TheWrap: “This is one of those timeless funk records that immediately sets a party off. We wanted the scene to feel real and alive, like something you could walk into on any block back in the day. The track brought that energy and authenticity. As soon as it hit, the whole party felt next level.”

2. Crazy” – Ill Mind (Episode 402 – “Discovery” )

“This song has that gritty Southern strip club vibe. It’s heavy, it’s raw, and it hits hard. It helped shape the atmosphere of the scene and grounded it in a sound that felt true to the culture. Definitely a standout moment.”

3. “Do It” – Lyric & Tamae (Episode 402 – “Discovery”)

“This one brought back memories. It felt like a song you’d hear as a teenager when you’re hanging out with someone special for the first time. There’s a youthful, romantic vibe to it, it’s smooth, but also playful. Perfect for the scene we were building.”

4. “Silver and Gold” – Kirk Franklin– (Episode 402 – “Discovery”)

“We wanted to tap into something spiritual and soulful here, and this gospel classic delivered. Michole Briana White’s (‘Lucille Flenory’)  performance was powerful, it gave the scene emotional depth and a sense of reverence. It wasn’t just background music, it meant something.”

5. “Check Yo Self” – Ice Cube (Episode 402 – “Discovery”)

“This is a track with attitude. It’s bold, it’s confident, and it matched the moment perfectly. We needed something that felt strong and commanding, and Ice Cube brought that boss energy. It made the scene feel bigger.”

6. “You’re the One for Me” – Purdy (Episode 402 – “Discovery”)

“This was all about the vibe. The song has that 90s R&B feel:s smooth, romantic, and nostalgic. It fit the character’s tone and energy so well. The music helped transport us to a different emotional space, one that felt more personal and tender.”

7. “Ain’t No Thang” – OutKast (Episode 404)

“We couldn’t do the 1995 Source Awards scene without showing love to OutKast. This track is a Southern hip-hop anthem. It felt like a salute to the culture and that iconic moment in music history especially with Andre 3000’s legendary line: ‘The South got something to say.'”

8. “Kill You” – DNA (Episode 406)

“DNA brought the heat with this one. The song is aggressive and emotional, it really packed a punch. We used it at the end of a major moment, and it gave the scene that final jolt we needed. It was intense, and it landed.”

9. “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” – Bobby “Blue” Bland (Episode 407)

“This song speaks to pain and betrayal, two themes that were front and center in this episode. Detective Bryant (played by Steve Harris) is on a path of destruction, and this track captured that perfectly. It added a soulful weight that really resonated.”

10. “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” – 2Pac ft. Snoop Dogg (Episode 409)

“West Coast royalty. As soon as this dropped, the entire party scene turned up. It’s a high-energy, iconic record that brought everything to life. The vibe shifted and the moment leveled up. Classic Pac and Snoop, it doesn’t get much better.”

The post ‘BMF’ Season 4: Top 10 Songs, as Selected by Music Supervisor Derryck Thornton appeared first on TheWrap.

Hunt’s comments arrived the same week Swift revealed the release date, title, tracklist and artwork for her 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” Swift unveiled the first look at the album during an appearance Wednesday on the latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast hosted by Jason and Travis Kelce, the latter of whom is a Chiefs player who has been in a relationship with Swift since 2023.

“This relationship with Taylor has garnered a whole lot more interest in the Chiefs,” Hunt told Entertainment Tonight about Kelce and Swift’s romance in an interview published Thursday. “I have people come up to me all the time and tell me, ‘Thank you.’ I’m like, ‘Thank you for what?’ And then they tell me, ‘Thank you because my 10-year-old daughter now insists on watching NFL football with me.’ Of course, that’s largely because of Taylor Swift.”

“It’s been fantastic and we love having her as part of the kingdom,” Hunt added, in a reference to the name of the Chiefs’ fandom. The Chiefs CEO went on to praise Swift not only for bringing more attention to the NFL organization, but also for the individual enthusiasm and support she has shown for the team.

“She’s a tremendous fan,” Hunt remarked. “If you’ve ever seen any of those shots of her sitting in the box cheering on the team, when we make a big play she’s as excited as anybody in the stadium. It’s great to have her support, for sure.”

When asked if he is looking forward to “The Life of a Showgirl,” which releases Oct. 3, Hunt admitted that both he and his family are fans of Swift’s music. “I’m very excited. I am a big fan of hers,” Hunt explained, revealing that he attended both of Swift’s Eras Tour performances at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City in 2023 with his family.

“She just doesn’t miss a beat. She’s an amazing performer,” Hunt observed. “As a family, we’re really excited about her 12th album.”

As for whether or not Swift chose orange as the primary color of her new, “Life of a Showgirl” era as a reference to the Chiefs’ red-and-gold color scheme, Hunt simply said, “I don’t know, but I like that. I like anything she does that in any way acknowledges or celebrates the Chiefs.”

The Chiefs CEO added that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Swift attends most of the team’s games this coming season, as she is not as busy now as she was during her Eras Tour run over the course of the past two NFL seasons.

You can watch Hunt’s fully interview about Swift in the video above.

The post Kansas City Chiefs CEO Praises Taylor Swift, Calls ‘Life of a Showgirl’ Singer a ‘Tremendous Fan’ appeared first on TheWrap.

The singer stopped by boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother Jason’s podcast “New Heights” podcast on Wednesday for a rare in-depth interview, during which she recounted in detail the experience of reclaiming the rights to her music, and why it was so important to her.

“So to catch anyone up who doesn’t know about this saga, like I signed a record deal when I was 15, and I always kind of refer to it as I got my music back this summer. But I never owned my music at all,” Swift explained. “So traditionally, a lot of record deals are set up in a way artists don’t own what’s called their master recordings. Owning your master recordings means that you have complete control and power over distribution, licensing and essentially, the way your legacy is shaped. It’s a huge thing. It’s always been huge thing for me.”

The 14-time Grammy winner said she had been actively saving up since she was a teenager to buy the recordings back and recounted when her music was first sold that it “ripped” her heart out of her chest. In 2021, Swift set out to re-record her albums since it was the only way to own a piece of them. The “Taylor’s Version” of her albums became massive successes due to previously unreleased “Vault” tracks. However, the thought still prayed on her to get back her original recordings.

“I thought about not owning my music every day. It was like an intrusive thought that I had every day,” Swift said. “After the Eras tour, I had a meeting with my team, and we decided this might be a good time to approach the current owners of it. The owners of it was a private equity firm called Shamrock Capital. I knew them to be above board people.”

To make her pitch to Shamrock, she said she realized she needed a creative approach.

“It’s a huge decision for them to make, to sell that to anyone, including me. I decided that, rather than this be like a business conversation, I, I’m in the business of human emotion,” Swift explained. “I would so much rather lead heart first in something like this. Because for me, this is not, oh, I want to own this asset because of its returns, because of the dividends that I will receive over the years, this was because this is my handwritten diary entries from my whole life. These are the songs I wrote about every phase of my life. This is my photography, my music videos, my most of which I funded. You know, my artwork, everything that I’ve ever done is in this catalog.”

Instead of sending her lawyers or her management team, the singer decided to send her mom and brother. When they called her with the news that Shamrock had agreed to the sale, she could not hold back her tears of joy.

“It was a couple months after the Super Bowl. We’re in Kansas City, and I get a call from my mom, and she’s like, ‘You got your music,'” she said still visibly emotional about the memory. “And so sorry that this is, it’s literally been so long since this happened. It’s every time I talk about it, um, she’s like, You got, you got your music, and I just, like, very dramatically, hit the floor for real, like, honestly, just starting balling my eyes out.”

Swift, through tears, explained she quickly ran to Travis, who was playing video games at the time, screaming so much he thought something was wrong. When she told him, she recalled collapsing in his arms while he cried with tears of joy as well.

“This changed my life,” she said. “I can’t believe it still, every time I think about it, it’s like I have to tell the short version to everyone, because it is still like this. This will affect the rest of my life, as I think about this every day now. But instead of it being like an intrusive thought that hurts me, it’s I can’t believe this happened. Like, how lucky am I? How grateful am I? I’m so grateful.”

You can listen to Swift’s full “New Heights” episode in the video above.

The post Taylor Swift Cries on Travis Kelce’s Podcast Retelling Saga of Buying Her Masters: ‘I Can’t Believe It Still’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

“First, I must address the major news that rocked the nation last night and could forever change the course of human history,” Byer told the audience. “Taylor Swift is releasing her 12th studio album. So, congratulations white women, you’re finally back on top!”

That’s when she laid into the conservative news channel, which has consistently reported on and discussed the late night host and his criticisms of the president. Watch the segment below:

“This was such a big news story, Fox News even took a break from bashing Jimmy Kimmel to talk about it,” Byer stated, pulling up a clip of Fox News enthusiastically previewing the announcement meant to be made Wednesday on Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast. Unfortunately, said Fox News broadcast hit a snag when instead of playing a preview of the podcast episode they pulled up news footage of an unidentified street fight from another news story on the broadcast.

“Well, that was not the clip,” the anchor said before Byer jumped back in.

“OK, but I’m still going to pretend it was!” she said.

Byer’s jokes about Fox News targeting Kimmel came amid heightened speculation that President Donald Trump has his thumb on the scale of network staffing decisions after Paramount and CBS canceled “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” last month. While the president has maintained he wasn’t responsible for CBS canceling the program, the Trump camp has continued to suggest certain programs that criticize him are at risk of a similar fate.

Back in July, the Trump administration said “The View,” which has continuously criticized Trump, is “next to be pulled off the air.” That same month, Trump stated that he “absolutely” loves that Colbert was fired and said he heard Kimmel was next to go. He later doubled down on his predictions that Kimmel would be “next,” and added Jimmy Fallon into the mix.

“Fallon has no talent. Kimmel has no talent,” Trump said during a press conference on Aug. 6, according to Fox News. “They’re next. They’re going to be going. I hear they’re going to be going. I don’t know, but I would imagine because they’d get — you know, Colbert has better ratings than Kimmel or Fallon.”

Swift announced the news of her upcoming album “The Life of a Showgirl” via her website on Monday. On Wednesday, she shared that the album will drop Oct. 3.

The post Taylor Swift’s New Album Is So Major That Fox News Paused Bashing Jimmy Kimmel to Cover It, Nicole Byer Says | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

“And, baby, that’s show business for you,” Swift wrote on Instagram Wednesday. “New album ‘The Life of a Showgirl.’ Out Oct. 3.”

Have a look at the vinyl album art below:

The post also included photos, presumably from the liner notes, that like the cover feature Swift photographed in showgirl attire set against various vintage, Vegas-y backgrounds.

As far as her tracklist, “The Life of a Showgirl features 12 tracks: “The Fate of Ophelin,” “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Opalite,” “Father Figure,” “Eldest Daughter,” “Ruin the Friendship,” “Actually Romantic,” “Wi$sh Li$t,” “Wood,” “Cancelled!,” “The Honey” and “The Life of a Showgirl,” which features Sabrina Carpenter.

Her website also featured limited release deluxe CDs for the new album, and it was completed with another countdown, this time for the release of her album.

Taylor Swift announced that her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” was on the way during a snippet of her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s upcoming episode of his podcast “New Heights.” Her official website then revealed the pre-order details for the album.

The post Taylor Swift’s ‘Life of a Showgirl’ Album Art, Tracklist and Release Date Revealed appeared first on TheWrap.

Hall filed Tuesday to formally drop the matter against Oates and his trust, according to documents reviewed by TheWrap. The Davidson County Chancery Court filing was without prejudice, meaning Hall could re-file in the future if he chose to do so.

The dispute began in November 2023, when Hall sought a restraining order to block Oates from selling his share of Whole Oats Enterprises to Primary Wave Music, which has held a significant interest in the duo’s song catalog for 15 years.

Hall said that Oates blindsided him by secretly moving to sell the joint venture, alleged the sale violated a confidential 2021 business agreement and would cause “imminent irreparable harm.” A judge at the time granted a temporary restraining order so the “Out of Touch” duo could sort it out.

The feud included Hall insinuating that Oates wasn’t exactly an equal partner in their creative output through the years. Oates disputed Hall’s “inflammatory, outlandish and inaccurate statements,” and maintained he had been working for some time to enhance their business partnership.

The lawsuit described the proposed transaction as “unauthorized and void” and a breach of contract. Details remained sealed – and still are for private eyes only – with Hall’s attorney noting it concerned interpretation of the agreement’s terms and was “not a matter of legitimate public interest.”

Hall & Oates, who first released an album in 1972, are best known for hits including “You Make My Dreams,” “Maneater” and “Rich Girl,” and have been nominated for five Grammy Awards.

The post The ‘Hall & Oates’ Feud’s Gone: Daryl Hall Files for Voluntary Dismissal of Legal Claim appeared first on TheWrap.

In honor of his new book, “Cudi: The Memoir,” the rapper — whose real name is Scott Mescudi — sat down for an interview with “CBS Mornings.” The interview was released Wednesday, a little less than three months after Cudi took the stand against Diddy.

“It was really hard. I didn’t want to do it. I got subpoenaed,” the rapper said of being a witness in the Diddy trial. “It was weird, man, because that was the first time I had seen him in a while. We made eye contact a couple times.”

Cudi briefly dated Cassie Ventura, the singer who testified that Diddy had abused, blackmailed and trafficked her during their turbulent, years-long relationship. During his testimony, Cudi alleged that Diddy had been abusive to Cassie and that the music industry mogul broke into his house after he found out he and Cassie were dating. Cudi also told the court he believed Diddy later set his car on fire.

After he realized that he would have to testify, Cudi told “CBS Mornings” that it was the support his testimony would provide Cassie that helped him get through the experience.

“I knew I was helping Cassie. I just wanted to be there and help her out,” he explained. “I know I did the right thing, so that’s all that matters.”

The rapper also addressed the backlash he received from some of Diddy’s supporters for speaking out against him. 

“I had a lot of people that supported me, but there were a few that had some opinions about it,” Cudi acknowledged. “It was interesting because I’m not no street dude. I don’t live by no code, you know? So I guess it’s because I’m a rapper. People just threw that on me. But, like, my music has never been about that and I have never tried to pretend I was about that.”

In July, Combs’ trial ended with him being found not guilty of the federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges against him. He was, however, found guilty of of the prostitution charges against him, each of which carry a maximum potential prison sentence of 10 years.

Despite a release motion filed by his defense team, Diddy has been ordered to remain in federal detention until his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for Oct. 3.

You can watch Cudi’s interview in the video above.

The post Kid Cudi Says He Knows He Did ‘The Right Thing’ Testifying Against Diddy: ‘That’s All That Matters’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.