Lady Gaga

NEW YORK — Lady Gaga is sorry for her 2013 duet with R. Kelly in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against him, and she intends to remove the song from streaming services.

“What I am hearing about the allegations against R. Kelly is absolutely horrifying and indefensible,” she said.

Posting on social media on Wednesday, Gaga wrote that she had collaborated with Kelly on “Do What U Want (With My Body)” during a “dark time” in her life as a victim of sexual assault. She said she should have sought therapy or other help instead.

“I think it's clear how explicitly twisted my thinking was at the time. If I could go back and have a talk with my younger self I'd tell her to go through the therapy I have since then so that I could understand the confused post-traumatic state that I was in,” she wrote.

Lifetime's “Surviving R. Kelly” series, which aired this month, has brought renewed attention to the singer's history and allegations that he has sexually abused women and girls. Kelly has denied wrongdoing and in 2008 was acquitted on child pornography charges.

Gaga's collaboration with Kelly had been intensely criticized when it was released, in part because of the allegations against him and because of the sexually charged performances they did on “Saturday Night Live” and the American Music Awards in 2013.

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LOS ANGELES — A judge has dismissed one section of Ashley Judd's lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein, but the rest remains headed toward trial.

U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez ruled Wednesday that Judd's sexual harassment claim isn't within the scope of a California statute.

Gutierrez had already rejected the claim in November but allowed Judd's lawyers to amend it, then dismissed it again.

Gutierrez said Judd's allegations of defamation and economic interference can continue.

Judd attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. said nothing about the ruling changes the fact that Judd's lawsuit is moving forward, and her case remains intact.

Judd says that after she rejected Weinstein's sexual advances two decades ago, he sabotaged her career.

The 66-year-old Weinstein also faces criminal prosecution in New York.

Weinstein has denied engaging in nonconsensual sexual activity.

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NEW YORK — The long-gesticulating Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect” is going ahead with stage director Liesel Tommy set to direct.

MGM announced Thursday that Tommy will helm the film, which is to star Jennifer Hudson. The “Dreamgirls” actress was cast as the late Queen of Soul in January 2018 after Franklin selected her for the role. At the time, Hudson performed a medley of Franklin's songs at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy bash.

Callie Khouri, who penned 1991's “Thelma & Louise,” will write the script.

Tommy was nominated for a Tony Award for directing the 2016 Broadway production of “Eclipsed” starring Lupita Nyong'o. She is also set to direct a film adaption of Trevor Noah's autobiography.

Franklin died at the age of 76 in August from pancreatic cancer.

By Associated Press