Entertainment
Bad Bunny Super Bowl LX halftime show not being reconsidered, Goodell says
The NFL is not considering dropping Bad Bunny as its Super Bowl halftime headline performer, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday, reaffirming a decision to put the Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist on the league’s biggest stage that led to criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump and some of his supporters.
Goodell addressed the Bad Bunny controversy at his news conference following the annual fall owners meeting. It is the first time he has commented on the move announced in late September that garnered worldwide attention, including an increase in streams of Bad Bunny’s music, along with backlash.
“It’s carefully thought through,” Goodell said. “I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching.”
The 31-year-old born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio has been vocal in his opposition to Trump and his policies. He decided to do a 31-day residency in Puerto Rico, avoiding stops in the mainland U.S., citing concerns about the mass deportation of Latinos.
He performs in Spanish and is expected to do so at the Super Bowl.
“We’re confident it’s going to be a great show,” Goodell said, acknowledging there could be more talent added to the lineup along with Bad Bunny. “He understands the platform that he’s on, and I think it’s going to be exciting and a united moment.”
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting the Super Bowl on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It is unclear if Trump plans to be there, though he has made appearing in person at major sporting events a significant part of his second term in the White House.
Trump in an interview on conservative news network Newsmax said he had “never heard of” Bad Bunny.
“I don’t know who he is,” Trump said. “I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s, like, crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Goodell defended the decision on Wednesday, explaining it was made because of Bad Bunny’s immense popularity.
“He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world,” Goodell said. “That’s what we try to achieve. It’s an important stage for us. It’s an important element to the entertainment value.”
Echoing what senior VP of football operations Troy Vincent said Tuesday, Goodell said there has not been much discussion about the tush push quarterback sneak since an effort to ban it narrowly failed to pass in the spring.
Vincent said the primary concern is how tough it is to officiate the maneuver that the Philadelphia Eagles have successfully executed so often. It was not on the formal agenda at this meeting, though owners did get an update on penalties and other football matters.
“It’s something we will continue to monitor on all phases, just like we do every other aspect of the game,” Goodell said. “We don’t have any proposals to bring it back up. It wouldn’t surprise me if something does evolve. But it’s not something we’re really focused on during the season.”
Asked about replay reviews and the length of time they are taking, Goodell said game times are actually down through the first seven weeks compared to last season, despite a surge in kick returns after an adjustment was made to the so-called dynamic kickoff.
“That’s quite remarkable when you add the number of kickoffs,” Goodell said. “You’re going to get more fouls. You’re going to get different sets of fouls. You’re going to have a little bit (more) length of the game.”
Goodell said he had breakfast with interim Players Association executive director David White before one of the league’s international games this season but expects any talk about a move to an 18-game regular season and other collective bargaining discussions to wait until the union chooses its long-term leader.
The current CBA runs through the 2031 league year. White told The Associated Press last month that an 18-game season was not inevitable.
“The negotiations will be a lot more than just simply the 18 and two (exhibition games),” Goodell said. “There are a lot of issues that we are going to raise and I’m certain that the players will raise, and that’s what it should be. That’s what collective bargaining is all about. They’re going to need time to make sure that they’re prepared, that they’re ready for the negotiations (and) they have their priorities straight, and then we can begin negotiations.”
Goodell said work is being done to choose sites for the Super Bowl to cap the 2028 and ’29 seasons and expects an announcement on those next year.
Entertainment
Jimmy Kimmel roasts Donald, Melanie Trump even after warning
Jimmy Kimmel is pressing ahead with jokes about President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, brushing off White House pressure and calls for him to be taken off air.
On his Monday, 4 May, show, Kimmel took aim at the president’s late-night posting activity on Truth Social, singling out a photo Trump shared of his wife.
“At 11:04, he posted this even more unbelievable picture of Melania smiling,” Kimmel said to laughter from the studio audience.
“I don’t know the last time we saw that.”
He also picked up on Trump’s weekend remarks at a Florida retirement community, where the president claimed Melania “hates” when he dances on stage to Y.M.C.A. by the Village People, which Trump called “the gay national anthem.”
“Melania hates when you do things? No way!” Kimmel quipped. “What a buzzkill.”
The jokes come as Kimmel finds himself in the middle of a serious escalation with the White House.
The dispute flared after a 23 April episode in which he described Melania as having “a glow like an expectant widow.”
Two days later, a gunman rushed security at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
The suspected shooter, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was subsequently charged with attempting to assassinate the president.
Melania, who had attended the dinner, made a rare public statement ahead of the court appearance, directly criticising Kimmel.
“People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” she wrote on X.
“Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung called Kimmel a “s— human being” and said he should be fired “immediately.”
Kimmel defended the original remark, describing it as an “obvious” joke about the age gap between the president, 79, and the first lady, 56.
He also addressed Melania directly, expressing genuine sympathy about the scare at the dinner.
“I am sorry that you and the president and everyone in that room on Saturday went through that. I really am. Just ’cause no one got killed doesn’t mean it wasn’t traumatic and scary.”
Trump himself weighed in during a Newsmax appearance, calling Kimmel “a lowlife, whether he apologized or not” and saying he “shouldn’t be on television.”
The president had previously threatened to “test” ABC after the network briefly suspended Kimmel in September over remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
ABC and its parent company Disney are facing mounting pressure from the administration.
The Federal Communications Commission last week ordered a review of ABC’s station licences, citing a probe into possible violations of federal law and FCC rules at local ABC stations.
Entertainment
Longtime entertainment publicist was 82
Audrey Beth Davis, the veteran entertainment publicist who helped shape the public image of some of the most iconic shows in television history, has died at the age of 82.
She passed away from natural causes on 1 May in Pennsylvania, surrounded by her family, friends, and those who cared for her.
Having spent decades at the heart of the industry, Davis was a well-respected figure known for her work on legendary series like The Golden Girls and the Law & Order franchise.
Born in Brooklyn in 1943, Davis started her career in television production on the panel game show The Match Game before finding her true calling in public relations.
After joining Stone Associates in the late 1970s, she was later recruited by Dick Lippin to join his new venture, which eventually became The Lippin Group in 1986.
Throughout her long career, she handled the publicity for a massive range of hits, from the light-hearted charm of The Love Boat and Empty Nest to the high-stakes drama of the Law & Order spin-offs and the major CBS miniseries Scarlett.
Davis remained a fixture at The Lippin Group until her retirement in 2008, earning a reputation for her professionalism and deep understanding of the TV landscape.
She is survived by her sisters, Rhonda and Sharon, as well as a large extended family of nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.
Her loss is felt deeply by her former colleagues and the many friends she made throughout her years in Hollywood.
For those wishing to pay their respects, a memorial service has been scheduled for 12:00 pm on 14 May at the Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home in West Reading, Pennsylvania.
The family has suggested that, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the St. Francis Home to honour her memory.
Her passing marks the end of an era for the many television productions that benefited from her dedicated work behind the scenes.
Entertainment
AS-level Business Studies paper allegedly leaked online
KARACHI: The AS-level Business Studies paper of Cambridge International Education (CIE) was reportedly leaked online, raising concerns over the exam security.
The incident comes days after CIE admitted that an Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Mathematics Paper 1 was leaked, saying the question paper was “shared prematurely against our regulations.”
The Business Studies paper, scheduled to be held today, was reportedly leaked and circulated online last night.
One of three examination papers circulating on social media platforms last night was the Business Studies, code “9609 Paper 1”.
In a statement issued on April 30, the CIE said: “We can confirm that Cambridge International AS Level Mathematics Paper 12 (9709), taken in our Africa, Europe, Middle East, Pakistan and South Asia regions, was shared prematurely against our regulations.”
The examination board said it was promptly and thoroughly investigating the incident to understand the extent of the leak and determine next steps regarding the compromised paper.
The CIE had said its priority remained ensuring students were not disadvantaged by the incident while continuing all possible measures to protect examination integrity and maintain confidence in awarded grades.
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