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TWICE’s Jihyo says it’s “very funny” fans refer to her as “mother”

South Korean singer Jihyo, of K-pop girl group TWICE, has opened up about being called “mother” by her fans. According to The New York Times, “mother” is a term that stems from the “Black and Latino LGBTQ ballroom scene”, with its current use bring used as “a term of endearment for famous women with avid devotees”. In a new interview with Teen Vogue, Jihyo is informed by the publication that she’s often referred to as “mother” by fans and casual K-pop listeners alike. “I honestly didn’t know that,” she said. “I’m only finding out the meaning of it now.” Advertisement After the meaning of “mother” was explained to the K-pop idol, she told Teen Vogue that she recalled seeing fans referring to her as such in comments on TikTok and YouTube videos. “As you mentioned and explained it to me, I think it’s very funny,” Jihyo said. “It’s funny that fans call me that and also think about me as that kind of figure.” The TWICE member then explains that she “really enjoy[s] the work that I do being on stage and communicating with fans”, saying that she chose to pursue a music career because of its “power”. “If people can also… Read More →

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(G)I-DLE work with Meghan Trainor, Ryan Tedder for English EP ‘HEAT’

K-pop girl group (G)I-DLE have worked with Meghan Trainor, Ryan Tedder and more for their upcoming English EP, ‘HEAT’. Today (September 19), (G)I-DLE released the tracklist for their first English-language EP, ‘HEAT’. The project will be led by the title track ‘I Want That’, alongside the previously released ‘I Do’ and three other songs. Notably, ‘I Want That’ is co-written by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder. He is joined by Madison Love (Ava Max‘s ‘Kings & Queens’), as well as frequent TWICE songwriters Melanie Fontana and Michel “Lindgren” Schulz. Advertisement Tedder is also credited as a co-writer on ‘Eyes Roll’, alongside Meghan Trainor and four others. Meanwhile, singer-songwriter Jon Bellion wrote and produced ‘Tall Trees’ with Scotty Dittrich (Bad Bunny‘s ‘Moscow Mule’). (G)I-DLE Special EP [HEAT]Track List 2023.10.06. 09:00 (KST)2023.10.05. 17:00 (PST)#여자아이들 #GIDLE#GIDLE_HEAT pic.twitter.com/zPLBldTgnN — (G)I-DLE·(여자)아이들 (@G_I_DLE) September 19, 2023 (G)I-DLE will release ‘HEAT’ on October 5 at 5pm PST / October 6 at 9am KST. The project was originally due out in September, but 88rising later announced that it was delayed to “to put the final touches on the EP to ensure the best quality”. Earlier this year, (G)I-DLE released their sixth Korean-language mini-album, ‘I Feel’. The record was led… Read More →

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The Last Dinner Party announces first-ever North American tour

The Last Dinner Party have announced their first-ever North American tour. Kicking off on October 31, the five-piece will make their way to the East Coast for their first show at The Atlantis in Washington D.C.. From there, they will make stops in New York City and Philadelphia before heading over to the West Coast to play a show at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Their final show of the tour will take place on November 9 at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago. Fans can register for pre-sale access by signing up for the band’s official mailing list here. Advertisement Ticket pre-sale will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, September 19 at 10am local time. The general sale will take place on Friday, September 22. Visit here for tickets. In a five-star review of their live show in London, NME shared: “The Last Dinner Party’s ability to go straight from something as potent and wrenching as slow-burning ballad ‘Mirror’ to hamming up the theatrics of ‘Lady Of Mercy’ is a hugely impressive skill: even this early on in their career, on stage, they prove to be masters of contrast. It’s impossibly beautiful, ecstatic and ridiculous all at once.” Speaking… Read More →

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Hearing begins to determine the future of The Leadmill, as huge rally of support gathers in Sheffield

A hearing to determine the future of The Leadmill took place today (September 18) as protesters gathered outside Sheffield’s Town Hall in support of saving the venue. READ MORE: If Sheffield’s Leadmill – the venue that helped break Arctic Monkeys – goes, we all lose something Last March, the iconic Sheffield venue announced that it was facing threat of closure due to its landlord issuing a notice of eviction. It subsequently sparked outcry across the music industry and from gig-goers. The building’s owners, Electric Group, who bought the site’s freehold in 2017, previously told music fans that they had no intention of closing the venue at the end of the current occupiers’ lease in 2023. Advertisement “The management may change but the song stays the same,” Dominic Madden, CEO and co-founder of Electric Group, wrote on Twitter. However, management claimed they were being “exterminated by the landlord” before launching a fresh appeal to fans. Richard Hawley and Jarvis Cocker onstage at the Leadmill in Sheffield on August 9. Credit: Tom Sunderland Today, councillors were considering an application for a shadow premises licence – a second licence landlords can obtain for a premises that already operates under one – according to the BBC…. Read More →

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‘The Young And The Restless’ actor Billy Miller dies aged 43

Billy Miller, known for roles in US soaps The Young And The Restless and General Hospital, has died at the age of 43. The actor’s death was confirmed by his manager on Sunday (September 17), on what would’ve been his 44th birthday. Miller died on Friday (September 15) in Austin, Texas. A statement confirming his death (via Variety) read: “The actor was struggling with manic depression when he died.” A specific cause of death has not been released. Advertisement Miller had his breakthrough role on soap All My Children in 2007, where he played Richie Novak. In 2008, he moved over to The Young And The Restless to take over the role of Billy Abbott. Billy Miller. CREDIT: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage During his time on The Young And The Restless between 2008 and 2014, Miller earned three Daytime Emmys, including Outstanding Supporting Actor and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. In 2014, the actor joined General Hospital, where he played the roles of Jason Morgan and Drew Cain. He also appeared in four episodes of Suits as Marcus Specter. His other credits include appearances on Ray Donovan, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Justified, Truth Be Told and Ringer. Eileen Davidson, who… Read More →

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Blink-182 announce new album ‘One More Time…’ with classic line-up

Blink-182 have announced the release date for their highly-anticipated new album ‘One More Time…’ READ MORE: Blink-182: every single album ranked and rated The record will mark the first time the classic line-up – consisting of vocalist and bassist, Mark Hoppus, guitarist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker – have released a new album together since 2011’s ‘Neighborhoods‘, following on from last year’s single ‘Edging‘. To announce the album, the trio released a trailer featuring clips from their upcoming interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe and archival clips from the band’s extensive career. The trailer also teased three new tracks from the album such as ‘Anthem Part 3’, ‘You Don’t Know What You’ve Got’ and the title track ‘One More Time’ – which is set for release on Thursday September 21. Advertisement [embedded content] In the trailer, the band open up about Hoppus’ lymphoma cancer diagnosis and explain that it is what inspired DeLonge to rejoin the band. “I remember telling my wife, ‘I don’t think I’m ever going to play music again, I don’t think I’m ever gonna tour again,’” DeLonge said. “Until Mark told me he was sick, and then I was like, that’s the only thing I… Read More →

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Watch Matthew McConaughey get overjoyed when a WWE legend crashes his interview

Acclaimed actor and lifelong professional wrestling fan Matthew McConaughey was surprised by WWE legend and Hall of Fame wrestler “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan during a recent interview. During a recent interview on The Bump with WWE, McConaughey spoke of his love for pro wrestling while promoting his new children’s book “Just Because”. During his chat with WWE broadcaster Kayla Braxton, McConaughey revealed that he had a wrestling ring set up at home and that he would spend time performing moves with his songs. “Hacksaw Jim Duggan was my early favourite, coming out with the 2×4,” he said. As the Hollywood star mentioned Hacksaw Jim Duggan’s weapon of choice, Braxton also showed the iconic weapon and even offered to send it to McConaughey’s house. Advertisement Shortly after, Braxton revealed to McConaughey that Duggan would be joining the call, to which McConaughey laughed and beamed. Watch the moment below. [embedded content] Duggan reminisced about his early days of wrestling at the Hirsch Coliseum in Shreveport, Alabama. McConaughey chimed in to say that he was once kicked out that exact same venue for spitting on Duggan’s foe Skandor Akbar during a show. McConaughey giddily asked Duggan how many people he had hit with the… Read More →

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The National – ‘Laugh Track’ review: a heavier companion record

Lore and storytelling play an outsized role in every album The National release, and on their ninth album ‘First Two Pages of Frankenstein’, released in April, the narrative was more central than ever. Following their collaborations with Taylor Swift on her pandemic albums ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’, their profile had increased, even if the band dynamics felt “fragile” amidst life changes and frontman Matt Berninger’s writer’s block. Those struggles felt blatant in the music, though NME called it “their best in a decade” and said they’d succeeded in “proving that they can do this as much to themselves as to a waiting world”. ‘Laugh Track’ is billed as a “surprise double album”, though whether that’s based on the no-notice release (aside a few pesky fan forum leaks), or that the desire to release this material crept up on them. Speaking to NME earlier this year, Aaron Dessner revealed that over 25 songs had been completed in the earlier sessions and that he was proud of the “conviction” the band had when selecting the 11 tracks that made up ‘First Two Pages…’. That was until early June, when the band began soundchecking what would become closing track ‘Smoke Detector’, a near-eight minute… Read More →

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Listen to The National’s surprise new album ‘Laugh Track’

The National have released their surprise new album ‘Laugh Track‘. Check it out below. Announced at the weekend at the band’s own Homecoming Festival, the band’s ninth album comes in quick succession off the back of April’s acclaimed ‘First Two Pages of Frankenstein’. The companion record features the same young boy from the predecessor’s album artwork, albeit colourised and in a living room setting. Featuring recent singles ‘Space Invader’ and ‘Alphabet City’, along with a re-recorded version of Bon Iver collaboration ‘Weird Goodbyes’, the 12-track record features material originally started in the same sessions as ‘First Two Pages of Frankenstein’ – before being “honed in live performances on tour this year” before being captured in “impromptu sessions at producer Tucker Martine’s Portland studio, Flora Recording & Playback”. Advertisement Phoebe Bridgers returns to feature on the title track, while Rosanne Cash lends guest vocals to penultimate track ‘Crumble. The nearly eight-minute album closer ‘Smoke Detector’ was recorded in June during a Vancouver soundcheck. Speaking of the more spontaneous and invigorated method of putting the album together, guitarist Aaron Dessner said: “It’s not because we don’t enjoy sitting in a room banging around ideas. It’s just that it wasn’t that productive, so we developed a… Read More →

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ITZY’s Lia goes on hiatus over “extreme levels of anxiety”

South Korean singer Lia of K-pop girl group ITZY is taking a hiatus from the group and her activities. Today (September 18), JYP Entertainment announced that Lia would be taking a step back from all scheduled activities, stemming from concerns over the ITZY member’s health. The K-pop agency said that the singer is currently “experiencing extreme levels of tension and anxiety regarding her schedules”, in a statement, as translated by Koreaboo. Advertisement “She has received medical consultation and examination, and the medical staff have stated she needs stability and treatment,” JYP Entertainment added. “Lia will not participate in schedules for the time being in order to focus on her treatment.” The label added that the decision for Lia to take a hiatus was made after discussions with the members of ITZY. “The timing of when Lia will resume her activities will be decided after sufficient discussion with her and the members,” it noted. In July, ITZY made their return with the mini-album ‘Kill My Doubt’, featuring the lead single ‘CAKE’. The project also featured the songs ‘Bet On Me’ and ‘None of My Business’. Meanwhile, ITZY were originally set to perform at KPOP LUX x SBS Super Concert London this weekend (September 22… Read More →

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Dolly Parton reveals why she never let Elvis Presley cover ‘I Will Always Love You’

Dolly Parton has explained why she never let Elvis Presley cover her hit ‘I Will Always Love You’. Presley had apparently loved the song and expressed interest in recording a cover, but Parton revealed in a new interview with BBC Radio 2 why it never materialised. Parton explained that her decision wasn’t because of Presley, but rather because of a conflict with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Advertisement “‘I wouldn’t let Colonel Tom Parker [have the rights to the song],” she clarified. “Elvis loved it. I talked to Priscilla not very long ago – she said, ‘Elvis sang it to me when we were on the courthouse steps after we got divorced’. “‘He loved the song and wanted to do it. Had it worked up. They’d already called me to come down to the studio and to hear part of the song. @bbcradio2 Dolly Parton reveals why Elvis never recorded a cover of “I Will Always Love You” 👀 Listen to When Sally Met Dolly on BBC Sounds, just search for Claudia Winkleman’s show. 🎧 #dollyparton #elvis #dolly #elvispresley #sallytraffic #bbcradio2 #radio #interview ♬ original sound – bbcradio2 However, the night before, Parker called Parton and said he wouldn’t do anything with… Read More →

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Liam Gallagher hints that his new album is done

Liam Gallagher has hinted to a fan that his next album is finished. The singer-songwriter and former Oasis singer’s most recent studio album came in 2022 with ‘C’mon You Know’. Taking to Twitter/X this weekend, he has now seemingly revealed to a fan that work has been completed on its follow-up. Advertisement Asked by the fan when he’s going to announce a tour, Gallagher responded: “I’ve just made [an] album giz a fucking minute.” I’ve just made a album giz a fucking minute — Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) September 17, 2023 Elsewhere, Gallagher recently released a live album from a show at Knebworth in 2022. The gig marked one of his biggest headline shows to date as a solo artist, performing in front of more than 170,000 people over two nights. Over 170,000 fans attended the shows — which were held across the Jubilee Weekend — last year, and the event solidified the Manchester artist as a stadium-filling act. The performance also mirrored Gallagher’s previous performance at the venue over two decades ago, when he took to the stage alongside his brother Noel and performed the landmark Oasis shows there in 1996. In other news, earlier this year Liam’s brother Noel confirmed that Oasis will release an anniversary edition… Read More →

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Russell Brand plays London show to thousands amid sexual assault allegations

Russell Brand played a gig in London to thousands of fans last night (September 16), hours after allegations of sexual assault were made against him. On Friday night (September 15), Brand denied what he termed “very serious criminal allegations” in a video, before the actor, comedian and presenter was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse following an investigation by Channel 4, The Times and The Sunday Times. Brand has denied all the allegations. On Saturday night, Brand went ahead with his gig at the 2,000-capacity Troubabour Wembley Park Theatre in London despite the allegations being made. Advertisement The performance was delayed by 45 minutes from its planned start time of 7pm, reportedly due to Brand being stuck in traffic. A video posted by MailOnline appears to show Brand being given a standing ovation by fans, while Deadline report that he told the crowd at the venue: “I love you. I love you. Thank you. There’s some things I cannot talk about and hopefully, you appreciate that I’m gonna give you everything I’ve got.” Others were seen gathering inside and outside the venue and sharing their belief of Brand’s innocence with regards to the allegations. While the documentary aired last night, #RussellBrand… Read More →

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BTS’ Suga confirms date for military enlistment

BTS‘ Suga has confirmed the date for his military enlistment. It was announced today (September 17) by Big Hit Music that the singer would be enlisting on September 22. It makes him the third member of the band to fulfil their mandatory military service, following the enlistment of Jin in December of 2022 and J-hope following suit early this year. Advertisement Men are usually required to enlist by the age of 28, though the Order of Cultural Merit awarded to BTS by former president Moon Jae-In in 2018 allows the seven members of the boyband to enlist at 30 instead. Thank you for your continued support for BTS. We have further information regarding Suga’s military service. Suga turned 30 in March 2023 and thus had to enlist within the next six months. BTS’ Suga. Credit: HYBE / Big Hit Music In their statement, Big Hit said: “Suga will be beginning his required service on September 22. There will not be any official events taking place on the day he starts his service or on the day he enters the training camp. We kindly ask fans to refrain from visiting Suga at his workplace during the period of his service. Please… Read More →

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One dead, one injured following shooting near Sexyy Red video set

A shooting took place this week (September 14) near to where musician Sexyy Red was filming a music video. NBC6 reported that the shooting took place at a gas station near the Oakland Park Flea Market across from where where the rapper and a crowd of extras were gathered for filming. According to reports, one person was killed and another injured. In a statement on Instagram Stories, Sexyy Red confirmed that the shooting didn’t happen on her video set but opposite to where it was being filmed. “I send my condolences to the family of the man who lost his life and prayers up for the person who was wounded,” she wrote. “But I gotta address the rumors that it happened at my video shoot because shit is not true at all. To be clear it happened at a gas station across the street from my video set. Florida Highway Patrol and Broward County Sheriff confirmed that the shooting wasn’t on my set. “We finished the shoot at a different location and everyone from our set went home safely. Period,” she added. The Sheriff’s Office said that gunfire erupted “near a video shoot being filmed in the area” and that… Read More →

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Justin Timberlake says new *NSYNC track is “a love letter” to fans

Justin Timberlake has opened up about the new *NSYNC track, which was announced earlier this week by the newly reunited band. The track, which is their first new song in over 20 years, is called ‘Better Place’ and will see the famous nineties boyband reunite once more. The boyband – comprised of Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass – reunited at the 2023 MTV VMAs on Tuesday (September 12) where they presented Taylor Swift with an award. Advertisement It comes after a comeback track from the group was teased via posters for the third Trolls film, Trolls Band Together. The promos featured the *NSYNC logo, with a QR code directing fans to a website containing a snippet of music. Since then, Timberlake has taken to Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the track and how he pitched the idea to other *NSYNC members.”So many stars aligned…If we do this song, it’s a love letter to our fans,” Timberlake told them. “I would be honoured to have the group on the song.” “When the stars align… got my brothers back together in the studio to work on something fun and the energy was special,” Timberlake wrote on the caption to the video…. Read More →

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The Streets’ Mike Skinner says his new film was both a “nightmare” and an “obsession” to make

The Streets Mike Skinner has opened up about his new film, describing it as a both a “nightmare” to get made and his “obsession.” READ MORE: The Streets at South Facing Festival: celebratory, silly and absolutely heroic Skinner has spent ten years working on getting his film, The Darker The Shadow, The Brighter The Light, to screens. A murder-mystery, it’s described as “tripped out neo-noir” and follows the life of a struggling DJ. The film has been created, written, directed, filmed and edited by Skinner, who also stars in the project. Speaking to Sky News at the premiere of the film in London, he opened up about the difficulties of getting the film made, alongside his determination to make sure it reached the big screen. Advertisement Speaking about what to expect, Skinner told Sky News: “it’s a musical but the songs are the voiceover.” He joked with fans not to expect “jazz hands or dancing around on lampposts,” adding that “it’s a very simple story that started out almost like a film noir type thing, but then got carried away.” Opening up about the project, he added: “Knowing that I’m working on this film and then working on this film has been a… Read More →

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Leigh-Anne Pinnock hints debut album will be released next year

Leigh-Anne Pinnock has hinted that her debut solo album could be released in 2024. Pinnock, previously of the band Little Mix, released her debut solo single ‘Don’t Say Love’ in June. The garage and house-inspired track was produced by Jon Bellion and Pete Nappi and co-written by Aldae, and sees the star deal in the complexities of love. She also featured on Jon Batiste’s recent track, ‘Running Away’. Appearing on Amazon Music’s +44 podcast with hosts Zeze Mills and David ‘Sideman’ Whitely, Pinnock hinted that a solo album could arrive as early as next year. Advertisement She told the podcast hosts: “Well, I mean, it’s definitely in the works. Yeah, to be honest, coming together quicker than I think anyone thought, which is good. I reckon next year for sure. Because I want to tour like I want to perform, I belong on stage.” Speaking about the transition from being a part of a group to a solo artist, Pinnock added: “It’s been a hard sort of transition. I remember, when we did ‘Shout Out To My Ex’ and when streaming started taking over and it really started coming in. I’m so old school, I’m trying to kind of get used to… Read More →

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Russell Brand accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse

Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse following an investigation by Channel 4, The Times and The Sunday Times. The actor, comedian and presenter had already denied what he termed “very serious criminal allegations” in a video that was released yesterday evening (September 15). In the video, Brand insisted that his relationships have always been consensual. The allegations against Brand relate to a seven year period “at the height of his fame” between 2006 and 2013 according to The Sunday Times and come from four women, one of whom was 16 at the time. At the time of the allegations, Brand was a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4. One of the women alleged that Brand raped her against a wall in his LA home and that she went on to be treated at a rape crisis centre the same day. Another alleged that Brand assaulted her when she was aged 16 during an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship. A third woman claims that Brand sexually assaulted her in Los Angeles and later threatened to take legal action if she spoke about the allegation to anyone else. A fourth woman described being sexually assaulted by… Read More →

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Jann Wenner says female and black artists “not intellectual enough” to be interviewed for his new book

Jann Wenner, the founder of Rolling Stone and co-founder of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, has said female and black artists aren’t “intellectual enough” to be interviewed for his new book, The Masters. Within the book, Wenner asks questions of seven “philosophers of rock”, notably all white men – Bono, Bob Dylan, the late Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, the late John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, and Pete Townshend. In the introduction of the book, Wenner writes that women and artists of colour were not in his zeitgeist. He faced questions about this in an interview with David Marchese of The New York Times, and argued it wasn’t a “deliberate selection”. Advertisement “It was kind of intuitive over the years; it just fell together that way. The people had to meet a couple criteria, but it was just kind of my personal interest and love of them. Insofar as the women, just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level,” he said. Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones performs live in 2022. CREDIT: ven Hoogerhuis/BSR Agency/Getty Images Marchese countered this by asking, “You’re telling me Joni Mitchell is not articulate enough on an intellectual level?” Wenner responded: “It’s not… Read More →

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Russell Brand posts video denying unspecified “serious criminal allegations”

Russell Brand has shared a video online saying he “absolutely” denies unspecified criminal allegations relating to his personal life, which were outlined in two “extremely disturbing letters”. Brand said he received the letters from a “mainstream media TV company” and a newspaper which he said included a “litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks”. “Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute,” he said. Advertisement “These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies, and as I have written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.” He continued: “Now during that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual. I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well. “To see that transparency metastasised into something criminal, that I absolutely deny, makes me question – is there another agenda at play?” Brand added that he believed he was a part of a “coordinated attack”, likening it to the controversy in the media around Joe Rogan promoting… Read More →