Music

In “The Harder I Fight the More I Love You,” the singer and songwriter outlines the personal and professional challenges that have shaped her career.

In a federal lawsuit on Wednesday, Drake accused Universal Music Group of putting his life and reputation at risk by releasing and promoting the popular diss track.

On “Poet of Motel 6,” due March 21, the country musician known for shocking audiences grapples with death and his own legacy.

After the pianist, Vikingur Olafsson, asked for a concerto over beers, the composer, John Adams, wrote “After the Fall,” which will now travel the world.

The concert, which also includes Dave Matthews, Katy Perry, Stevie Nicks and more, will take place on Jan. 30 at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

Dylan seemed to be in on the joke, posting an old black and white clip of himself saying “Good God, I must leave right away.”

“Show/Boat: A River” reverses the racial lens on the great-grandfather of American musicals.

Hear songs from Ana Moura, the Orlons and Colin Hay that defined 2024 for readers.

The N.B.A. washout LiAngelo Ball debuted his track “Tweaker” on a livestream. It’s proving to be much more than a novelty.

The 27-year-old musician Alexandre Kantorow has rapidly received worldwide attention. That hasn’t changed his approach to making music.

An estimated 100,000 scores by Schoenberg, the groundbreaking 20th-century composer, were destroyed when the publishing company his heirs founded burned down.

Mr. Moore and Dave Prater stormed the R&B and pop charts with indelible hits like “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Comin’.”

A final look back at some of our favorite characters, trends, lyrics and micro-moments of 2024. Plus: listener mailbag!

Hear his first solo single up through a highlight from his latest LP, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.”

Hear tracks by Japanese Breakfast, Lambrini Girls, SZA and others.

The veteran orchestra manager, who abruptly resigned from his post as the New York Philharmonic leader last year, said he was drawn to the dynamism of Houston.

The bass-baritone Bryn Terfel returned to the Met for the first time in 13 years, alongside Sondra Radvanovsky, one of the great Toscas of our time.

The former beauty queen and spokeswoman for Florida orange juice was an all-American entertainer before she began crusading against L.G.B.T.Q. rights.

A prominent practitioner of the historically grand productions that were once fashionable at the Met, he was especially well known for his stagings of Wagner.

Daniel Harding scaled the heights of classical music. Then he set out to conquer the skies.

Music Charts, News, Photos & Video

"I’d rather be remembered for that legacy than returning as the top Rush tribute band," says Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson.

When Rush walked off the stage in California on Aug. 1, 2015 and closed out their R40 Live Tour, fans remained hopeful it wouldn’t be their last live show. After almost a decade, and the passing of their longtime drummer, the surviving members of the Canadian prog-rock outfit have made peace with there not being another Rush show. Earlier this month, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson and bassist Geddy Lee spoke to Classic Rock about the regret they felt about shortening their final tour, apologizing to the British and European fans who didn’t get a chance to see them perform live. “I really felt like I let our British and European fans down,” Lee explained. “It felt to me incorrect that we didn’t do it, but Neil was adamant that he would only do thirty shows and that was it.” Ultimately, it was drummer Neil Peart that put an end to the chances of more shows, announcing his retirement from music later that year. While Lifeson confirmed the group’s inactivity in 2018, Peart’s passing in 2020 put an end to any potential future for Rush. In 2022, however, Lifeson and Lee reunited in public to perform as part of the tribute shows in Los Angeles and London for late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Though these performances were well-received and undoubtedly left fans eager for more, Lifeson has explained to Classic Rock that he’s satisfied where Rush left things. “The energy was fantastic around that show, I know, and some days I wake up wanting to go out and tour again and some days I don’t,” Lifeson explained. “For forty years Rush included Neil, and I don’t think putting some new version together would have the same magic. “After those two gigs and the months of prep Ged and I went through, I was excited by the response and to be in the dressing room again with so many fellow artists in Wembley and LA I respected and felt a kinship towards. But after a few weeks that wore off and it occurred to me that despite all the pain of loss, Rush went out on a high note playing as well as ever with one of our best stage shows on R40. I guess I’d rather be remembered for that legacy than returning as the top Rush tribute band.” Since Rush’s untimely dissolution, Lifeson and Lee have remained active in the world of music. While the former performs as part of the Envy of None supergroup, the latter penned a memoir titled My Effin’ Life in 2023. However, the pair still live close by and regularly get together and jam, though there’s no saying if these collaborations will lead to anything. “It’s good to jam with friends as you get older,” says Lifeson. “I need to play. Once a week I go to Ged’s – it’s in the calendar – keep my fingers moving, play Rush stuff, new jams. We do record it, but I couldn’t even begin to tell you where it’ll go.”

MTV's ubiquitous video series has become a huge earner for the musician, all thanks to the Devo song used as its theme.

When Devo opened their 1978 album Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! with “Uncontrollable Urge”, few listeners could have foreseen how much money it would generate decades down the line – especially not its writer. Fans of Devo would note that “Uncontrollable Urge” was never released as a single, despite its status as one of their most played songs. Nor was it their most successful track on the charts – that honor belongs to 1980’s “Whip It”, which peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 after being issued as the second single from Freedom of Choice. However, it’s far from their biggest earner. As co-founding Devo vocalist Mark Mothersbaugh told Rolling Stone, even though “Whip It” became a staple of the burgeoning MTV network in the early ’80s, his biggest success has indeed come via the channel, but in a manner that was wholly unexpected: MTV’s ubiquitous Ridiculousness. When Ridiculousness first launched in 2012, the viral video series used a cover of “Uncontrollable Urge” by host Rob Dyrdek. Over 12 years later, the program boasts over 1,500 episodes, becoming a staple of MTV in the process. Famously, the show saturates the network so much that in August 2020, The Ringer noted it was played on repeat for 36 hours straight. Two months earlier, Variety noted that 113 of a single week’s 168 hours (or 67.3%) were filled with episodes of Ridiculousness. For Mothersbaugh – who has penned music for beloved series such as Rugrats and Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and scored films for directors such as Wes Anderson – the revenue from the ubiquity of Ridiculousness generates around $1 million annually, according to estimates from his wife and manager Anita Greenspan “I’ve written so many other songs for films and television shows,” Mothersbaugh explained. “I would’ve been shocked [years ago] if you told me this is the one that would become this prime source of income.” “It’s ironic and kind of funny,” adds Greenspan. “In the beginning of MTV you saw a lot of Devo because they were early to make videos, but MTV started questioning the videos Devo were making. [The videos] were subversive, they didn’t like them and wouldn’t play them anymore. Now ‘Uncontrollable Urge’ is easily the most-played song on MTV, so [Devo] wins.’” Despite the massive exposure the world has had to “Uncontrollable Urge” thanks to Ridiculousness, it’s far from the first big earner that Mothersbaugh has had in the world of music. As Greenspan told Rolling Stone, his theme song to Rugrats managed to pay for their home back in the ’90s.

"I keep telling my manager, ‘Don't take any tours, let me do this residency,'" Hagar explains ahead of a series of Las Vegas shows in April and May.

After more than five decades in the musical game, the touring life has begun to take its toll on Sammy Hagar, with the rock veteran admitting he no longer wants to take his music on the road. The 77-year-old Hagar made the admission while speaking to The Miami Herald ahead of a recent guest appearance at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, where he expressed his disdain with the grueling nature of the touring cycle. “I don’t think I want to go on tour anymore. I hate to say that, because I don’t want to piss my fans off,” Hagar explained. “I’ll go out and do a one-off show and do things like that, but the residency is going to give me a good extension of my career. That’s what I’m hoping for.” The Red Rocker’s comments came just months after his The Best of All Worlds Tour, which saw him perform throughout the U.S., Canada, and Japan. Even then, a series of Birthday Bash performances throughout Mexico and Las Vegas followed, with 2025 set to feature a number of performances for Hagar, namely his The Best of All Worlds Tour Residency in Las Vegas throughout April and May. As Hagar explains, it’s residencies and similar events that work best with his desires to continue within the world of live music. “With this, I don’t have to travel, I don’t have to unpack and pack and get on an airplane every day,” he continued. “You know, at my age, it hurts my shoulders to do all this. And I have to perform. I’m a performer, at the end of the day. “I keep telling my manager, ‘Don’t take any tours, let me do this residency,'” Hagar added. “If I like it enough, I’ll do another one. And if that’s successful I’ll do another one, and I can squeeze a few more years out of my career.” Hagar last released a studio album in 2022, issuing Crazy Times with his band The Circle. That album was also promoted with a series of dates throughout North America, though it remains their last large-scale tour to date.

GloRilla will be making her musical guest debut on the Jan. 18 episode.

Dave Chappelle is set to host Saturday Night Live for the fourth time this weekend (Jan. 18), with GloRilla making her musical guest debut. In a promotional clip for the upcoming episode posted on Thursday (Jan. 16), SNL fan-favorite cast member Marcello Hernández says, “Man, what a chaotic time in the world. I’m so glad that you’re here to bring us together and remind us of what makes us human.” When Chappelle goes to thank him, Hernández hilariously clarifies, “I was actually talking to GloRilla.” An immediately flattered Glo then tells the comedian, “Thanks, BB!” Elsewhere in the promo, Hernández tells GloRilla how much he loves her 2024 hit, “Yeah, Glo!,” explaining to the rapper that “if it was in Spanish, it would be like ‘Si, Glo!'” “Oh, I like that. You gonna keep going?” Glo asks, wondering if he’ll deliver the expletive-filled hook in Spanish as well. “I don’t know, I gotta translate,” a flustered Hernández replies with a laugh. GloRilla’s SNL debut comes three months after the release of the Memphis rapper’s debut solo album, Glorious, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The project spawned the single “TGIF,” which peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, Glo’s highest-reaching unaccompanied entry on the chart. Watch the promo below, and catch the full episode of Saturday Night Live on Jan. 18 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC, before it begins streaming on Peacock.

Mattel's official Wicked collection features dolls inspired by Grande, Erivo and Marissa Bode's characters from the hit movie musical.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Wicked is officially a hit, and it’s not just the movie that’s doing big numbers — the most anticipated movie musical of the year officially sold out its doll collection when it was first released, but fans now have another chance to pick up the Barbie-inspired figurines. The Wicked dolls inspired by Ariana Grande’s Glinda, Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba and Marissa Bode’s Nessarose were released in September and Billboard offered an exclusive look at the full collection, which features seven dolls, including singing Elphaba and Glinda dolls, and fashion dolls showcasing signature looks from Glinda, Elphaba and Nessarose. The Singing Elphaba Fashion Doll ($24.99) was available exclusively at Target, but it’s no longer in stock. The doll belts out “Defying Gravity” and yes, you can sing along! The Elphaba doll takes its wardrobe cues from Elphaba’s school days at Shiz University — a black gown, pointed hat and chunky heeled shoes. Target also carries other Wicked merch that fans can order online, such as the Lego dormitory collectible and Emerald City collectible sets. As for the other dolls, they are back in stock (as of this writing) at sites like Amazon and Walmart but we recommend adding them to cart soon before they disappear again. Here are the official Wicked dolls you can still buy online. Mattel Wicked Deluxe Glinda Doll $39.99 BUY NOW at Amazon The Good Witch is ready for Oz in a spellbinding ruffled, pink ball gown featuring “iridescent foil bubble detailing.” This set includes a wand and tiara. Mattel Wicked Deluxe Elphaba Doll $49.99 Buy Now On Amazon Introducing, the Wicked Witch of the West! This deluxe Elphaba fashion doll dons a dramatic cape worn over a black, sheer dress with purple undertones. And she wouldn’t be complete without her broom, satchel and pointed hat. Mattel Universal Wicked Glinda Fashion Doll $24.99 Buy Now On Amazon The Glinda Barbie doll looks performance-ready in a soft pink dress inspired by one worn in the movie. Her dress is removable and interchangeable, and this set also includes a pair of pink heels, clutch, and long blonde hair with hair clips for styling. Mattel Universal Wicked Elphaba Fashion Doll $24.99 Buy Now On Amazon You can also get an official Elphaba Barbie doll featuring her black dress with lace sleeves, pointy black hat, shoulder bag and boots. Mattel Wicked Nessarose Fashion Doll & Accessories $24.99 BUY Now at Amazon Nessarose’s doll features a manual, golden wheelchair with intricate detailing throughout. The doll wears a tan dress with detailed texture prints and red trim and jeweled slippers. Grande and Erivo shared a sneak peek at the Wicked dolls on Instagram over the summer. “What a dream come true to be realized as Elphaba and Glinda in the form of Sweet Little dolls. Little Cynthia and Little Ari are pleased,” the Oscar-nominated actress wrote at the time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cynthia Erivo (@cynthiaerivo) Mattel did a great job of capturing their likeness, down to the tiniest details — from wardrobe to hairstyles, makeup and even “baby hair,” as Erivo pointed out. “It’s perfect,” Grande said while looking at the doll. “I love that it got my anxious eyebrows,” she joked. Wicked tells the origin stories of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and her unlikely friendship forged with Glinda the Good Witch. The blockbuster musical, directed by Jon Chu, hit theaters on Nov. 22 and is available to stream on-demand now.

The former talk show and radio host called into 'The Breakfast Club' to speak her mind and clear some rumors up.

Wendy Williams and her niece called in to The Breakfast Club recently to speak with her old protégé Charlamagne on her health, the conservatorship she’s apparently in and her thoughts on Diddy, who is currently awaiting trial on multiple charges which includes sex trafficking. Towards the end of the conversation, Charlamagne brought up the time Wendy was allegedly fired from her job at New York’s Hot 97 to prove that she’s not impaired. “As far as Diddy, Diddy will go to prison for life, people,” she said. “You don’t know things that I do about Diddy back in the day. And you wanna know what? It’s about time, people. It is about time. Diddy done.” In October of last year, British tabloid the Daily Mail got in touch with Wendy to get her thoughts on Diddy in which she said, “It is about time.” When it comes to her health and the conservatorship, the former talk show and radio host said that she’s not impaired or incapacitated and is capable of making her own decisions. “I am not cognitively impaired, but I feel like I am in prison,” she said in the beginning of the interview. “I’m in New York City. … I’m in this place where the people are in their 90s and their 80s and their 70s.” She alleges her current guardian Sabrina Morrissey is abusing the conservatorship and controlling her money. Wendy also says she doesn’t have access to a laptop or iPad, and can only make calls one-way to family and friends, while they can’t call her. Back in 2023, Williams was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and primary progressive aphasia. At least that was according to a press announcement. You can watch the full interview below.

A complete rundown of the most important events across the music business.

As part of our continuing efforts to serve the music industry and its creators, Billboard Pro now features a music industry events calendar for readers. The calendar will act as music’s most complete summary major national and international industry events, from conferences to festivals to networking mixers and more. Just as Billboard is music’s must-read source for news, charts and analysis, now it also is the go-to for business happenings. Related Dates Announced for SXSW London Debut 07/22/2024 January 2025 Jan. 15-17 – Women in Music Virtual Summit Jan. 15-18 – ESNS Conference & Festival (Groningen, The Netherlands) Jan. 19-22 – Oceans Calling Second Wave Festival (Cancún, Mexico) Jan. 21-25 – The NAMM Show (Anaheim, Calif.) Jan. 22 – JP Saxe: NY for LA – A Benefit Concert (New York) Jan. 25 – She Rocks Awards (Anaheim, Calif.) Jan. 27-30 – INTIX (New York) Jan. 29 – L.A. Gives Back Fire Relief benefit concert (Los Angeles) Jan. 29-31 – MIDEM 2025 (Cannes, France) Jan. 30 – FireAid Relief benefit concert (Inglewood, Calif.) Jan. 30 – SiriusXM Q4 earnings call Jan. 31 – MusiCares Persons of the Year gala (Los Angeles) February 2025 Feb. 1 – Recording Academy‘s Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Grammy Nominees Reception (Los Angeles) Feb. 1 – Clive Davis’ & the Recording Academy’s Pre-Grammy Fundraising Event (Los Angeles) Feb. 2 – 67th Annual Grammy Awards (Los Angeles) Feb. 3 – Music Sustainability Summit (Los Angeles) Feb. 4 – Spotify Q4 earnings call Feb. 5-6 – Night Time Economy Summit (Birmingham, England) Feb. 6 – Warner Music Group Q1 earnings call Feb. 9 – Super Bowl LIX (New Orleans) Feb. 10-12 – SCREENxSCREEN Online Music + Tech Conference Feb. 12-14 – FestForums (Santa Barbara, Calif.) Feb. 13 – People’s Choice Awards (Santa Monica, Calif.) Feb. 18 – MOBO Awards (Newcastle, England) Feb. 18-20 – Pollstar Live! (Beverly Hills) Feb. 19-21 – Country Radio Seminar (Nashville) Feb. 19-21 – On Air Fest (New York) Feb. 19-23 – Folk Alliance International (Montreal) Feb. 20-March 2 – Noise Pop Festival (San Francisco) Feb. 21 – NAACP Image Awards (Pasadena, Calif.) Feb. 21-23 – EDC Mexico (Mexico City) Feb. 21-23 – Measure of Music (virtual) Feb. 22 – Texas Songwriter Hall of Fame Awards (Austin) Feb. 23 – Guild of Music Supervisors Awards (Los Angeles) Feb. 25 – Green Events and Innovations (London) Feb. 25-28 – International Live Music Conference (London) Feb. 27 – ASCAP Experience (Los Angeles) Feb. 28 – Futures Forum (London) March 2025 March 3 – CMA Touring Awards (Nashville) March 4-9 – The New Colossus Festival (New York) March 7-15 – SXSW Conference & Festivals (Austin) March 8-9 – Lollapalooza India (Mumbai, India) March 10 – iHeartPodcast Awards (Austin) March 15-16 – Rolling Loud California (Inglewood, Calif.) March 16-19 – MUSEXPO (Burbank, Calif.) March 20-22 – AVA London (London) March 21-23 – Lollapalooza Argentina (Buenos Aires) March 21-23 – Lollapalooza Chile (Santiago) March 25-29 – Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival (Nashville) March 26-28 – Winter Music Conference (Miami) March 28-30 – Lollapalooza Brasil (São Paulo) March 28-30 – Ultra Music Festival (Miami) March 31 – The Ambies (Chicago) April 2025 April 4-6 – Tortuga Music Festival (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) April 5-6 – Dreamville Festival (Raleigh, N.C.) April 8-11 – Prolight + Sound (Frankfurt, Germany) April 11-13 – Coachella Weekend 1 (Indio, Calif.) April 12 – Record Store Day (worldwide) April 18-20 – Coachella Weekend 2 (Indio, Calif.) April 23-25 – IMS Ibiza (Cala Llonga, Ibiza, Spain) April 24-May 4 – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (New Orleans) April 24-25 – UNSIN Music Conference & Festival (Miami) April 25-27 – Stagecoach (Indio, Calif.) April 30 – International Jazz Day (Abu Dhabi) May 2025 May 2-4 – Pitchfork Music Festival CDMX (Mexico City) May 5 – Met Gala (New York) May 6-11 – Departure Festival + Conference (Toronto) May 8 – Academy of Country Music Awards (Frisco, Tex.) May 8-11 – Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival (Columbus, Ohio) May 12-15 – Music Biz 2025 (Atlanta) May 14-17 – The Great Escape (Brighton, England) May 16 – GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala (Beverly Hills) May 16-18 – Electric Daisy Carnival (Las Vegas) May 16-18 – Sand in My Boots Festival (Gulf Shores, Ala.) May 22 – The Ivors (London) May 22 – MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN (Kyoto, Japan) May 23-25 – BottleRock (Napa, Calif.) May 23-25 – Boston Calling Festival (Boston) June 2025 June 2-7 – SXSW London (London) June 4-8 – Primavera Sound Barcelona (Barcelona) June 5-8 – CMA Fest (Nashville) June 6-8 – Governors Ball (New York) June 8 – Tony Awards (New York) June 9-12 – A2IM Indie Week (New York) June 10 – AIMP Global Music Publishing Summit (New York) June 11-15 – NXNE (Toronto) June 12 – Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Gala (New York) June 12-15 – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (Manchester, Tenn.) June 12-15 – Primavera Sound Porto (Porto, Portugal) June 23-25 – NIVA ’25 Conference (Milwaukee) June 25-29 – Glastonbury Festival (Pilton, England) June 29-July 1 – NAMM NeXT (Nashville) July 2025 July 3-6 – Essence Festival of Culture (New Orleans) July 28-Aug. 1 – Record Store Day’s Summer Camp Conference (New Orleans) August 2025 Aug. 21-24 – Reading & Leeds Festival (Reading and Leeds, England) September 2025 Sep. 16-20 – IBMA World of Bluegrass (Chattanooga, Tenn.) October 2025 Oct. 3-5 – Field & Stream Music Fest (Winnsboro, S.C.) Oct. 5-7 – IEBA 2025 (Nashville) Oct. 7 – GMA Dove Awards (Nashville) Oct. 14-17 – Mondo.NYC (New York) Oct. 22-26 – Amsterdam Dance Event (Amsterdam) Want your event listed? For more information contact joe.maimone@billboard.com.

The artists talk with Billboard Español about their collaboration: "My favorite moment in my life and my career is this," Camilo revealed.

Like a bandage for the heart, Argentine singer-songwriter Yami Safdie teams up with multi-award-winning Colombian artist Camilo to release her new single “Querida Yo,” a sweet pop ballad loaded with incredible performance. The new ballad is a tribute to personal empowerment and the hope of releasing the vulnerabilities we face by choosing to become our greatest strength, conveying the true message of the meaning of faith. Related Camilo Takes Billboard Through His Creative Workshop El Taller Creativo: Watch 06/03/2024 “It’s like a letter to myself,” Yami Safdie tells Billboard Español during an interview in Miami. “I do this a lot of spoiling songs on TikTok when I don’t even have them finished or recorded.” If I wrote something that I liked, I uploaded it, and that video went quite viral, many people connected.” Safdie continues, “Then I uploaded a story, and Cami saw it and told me: ‘What a beautiful song.’ And I’ve been following him for a long time; I admire him a lot; it was like, ‘Well, let’s do it together! It’s for you. “I invited him, and we finished it together.” As a manifestation, the Argentine singer-songwriter visualized this collaboration in a certain way. For his part, Camilo tells how he connected to join this collaboration. “I found it to be a sincere, unpretentious way to have a conversation with yourself. I saw myself in that song, more than singing it, and as an artist, I was part of the song,” Camilo reveals. “I saw myself, my story, and my life in that song. I saw myself reflected. It is the power of the song, and it is very nice to see how it happened to me.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Billboard Latin (@billboardlatin) For Yami, this collaboration is another dream come true in his career. Camilo also remembers some of the collaborations that he dreamed of at some point and that have occurred in his career. “I remember, for example, when I was in the pandemic, there was one day when Pablo Alborán uploaded a video, and he was singing a song of mine, and he told me, ‘Let’s make this song together,’ says Camilo. “And I was like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe it.’ Or when Shakira sent me a message and said, ‘I love this song,’ to see if I wanted to join in. Suddenly, those kinds of things don’t happen if you plan them. “It’s very nice when things happen in a real way.” “But if I tell you the truth, my favorite moment in my life and career is this,” the Colombian singer-songwriter confesses. “I love doing this with Yami because it is also very important to see [the] perspective. “I see the future, and I see someone as talented as Yami.” Listen to “Querida Yo” below.

The director claims the actress used the influence of a "megacelebrity" friend to move her script ideas forward.

UPDATE: This post has been updated with a statement from Blake Lively’s attorney. Justin Baldoni filed a bombshell $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Thursday (Jan. 16), and he appears to have referenced Taylor Swift in the filing. In a 179-page suit obtained by Billboard, the actor-director accused the Gossip Girl actress — who starred in It Ends With Us, which Baldoni directed — and her famous husband of civil extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy, alleging the couple hijacked his vision for their film before trying to destroy his image with false allegations of sexual harassment. In one of several complaints raised in the filing, Baldoni implies that Lively at one point attempted to use the influence of a “megacelebrity friend” to pressure him to comply with Lively’s ideas for the It Ends With Us script. Related Watch Blake Lively Dance With Her Daughters at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Show in Madrid 05/30/2024 A screenshot of text messages between Baldoni and Lively also included in the filing appears to confirm that the famous friend is Swift. “Was working on rooftop scene today, I really love what you did,” Baldoni at one point texted Lively. “Makes it so much more fun and interesting. (And I would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor).” In other screenshots, Lively refers to Reynolds and her famous friend as “my most trusted partners” who have “established themselves as absolute titans as writers and storytellers outside of their primary gig — just singing or just acting.” Billboard has reached out to reps for Baldoni, Swift, Lively and Reynolds for comment; find a statement from Lively’s attorney, in part, below. Also on the topic of the megacelebrity friend, Baldoni’s attorneys wrote that Lively at one point summoned him to her New York penthouse to talk about her version of the script. “Baldoni was greeted by Ryan Reynolds, who launched into enthusiastic praise for Lively’s version of the scene,” the filing says of the meeting. “Hours later, as the meeting was ending, a famous, and famously close, friend of Reynolds and Lively, walked into the room and similarly began praising Lively’s script. Baldoni understood the subtext: he needed to comply with Lively’s direction for the script.” “Later, Baldoni felt obliged to text Lively to say that he had liked her pages and hadn’t needed Reynolds and her megacelebrity friend to pressure him,” the suit continues. “The message could not have been clearer. Baldoni was not just dealing with Lively. He was also facing … two of the most influential and wealthy celebrities in the world, who were not afraid to make things very difficult for him.” Baldoni is seeking $400 million from Lively and Reynolds for “deploying their enormous power to steal an entire film right out of the hands of its director and production studio.” His lawsuit comes about a month after Lively filed her own lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing the director of harassment on set and coordinating a smear campaign against her after the film was finished. In December, Baldoni sued The New York Times for $250 million over its coverage of the fallout between him and Lively. In a statement sent to Billboard, Lively’s attorney responded in part: “They are trying to shift the narrative to Ms. Lively by falsely claiming that she seized creative control and alienated the cast from Mr. Baldoni. The evidence will show that the cast and others had their own negative experiences with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. … The strategy of attacking the woman is desperate, it does not refute the evidence in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and it will fail.”

Her cosmetics company, Rare Beauty, also shared how they are helping the community during its time of crisis.

Selena Gomez is giving back amid the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. In a series of Instagram Stories she posted on Thursday (Jan. 16), Gomez is seen volunteering by helping separate and distribute sandwiches to those who have been displaced by the tragedy. “Grateful for these individuals,” she wrote over one of the clips, which featured a group of police officers. See her Instagram Stories here. Earlier in the week, the Only Murders in the Building star’s cosmetics company, Rare Beauty, shared how they are helping the community during its time of crisis. “We have spent the last few days focused on ensuring the safety of our Los Angeles team and friends who have been impacted, and we are working with local organizations on additional product donations and volunteering efforts,” a statement posted to Instagram reads. “To all the firefighters, first responders, volunteers, and organizations on the ground meeting the ongoing needs of our community, we are forever grateful for your bravery, selflessness, and commitment.” The statement continues, “Together, we assembled emergency care kits with essentials for evacuation centers and have made donations to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and World Central Kitchen, who are on the ground providing immediate aid. We continue to support the Rare Impact Fund’s non-profit partners, providing mental health support to young people—ensuring that now, more than ever, they have the resources they need. We know this will be a long journey of healing and grieving for the place we call home, so we encourage you to keep the momentum in supporting our community to rebuild.” See Rare Beauty’s statement here. The California wildfires first broke out Jan. 7 in Pacific Palisades, rapidly spreading through L.A. faster than first responders could subdue the flames. More blazes later broke out in other areas of the city, with CNN reporting that at least 25 people have died so far in the destruction.