People
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — “Empire” actor and R&B singer Jussie Smollett opened a Southern California concert with an emotional speech, saying he had to play the show because he couldn’t let his attackers win.
The long-planned concert at the Troubador in West Hollywood on Saturday night was Smollett’s first public appearance since he reported to police in Chicago Tuesday that two masked men attacked him and put a rope around his neck while using homophobic and racial slurs.
Before singing a note, Smollett teared up as he told the crowd he’s not fully healed yet, but he will be, and his music will help him.
He said he couldn’t let the men who did this to him win, before breaking into an upbeat song and dancing across the stage.
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NEW YORK — Rami Malek says working with director Bryan Singer before Singer was fired from “Bohemian Rhapsody” was “not pleasant.”
The actor, nominated for his Freddie Mercury on the Queen biopic, said Friday at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival: “In my situation with Bryan, it was not pleasant, not at all. And that’s about what I can say about it at this point.”
The film earned five Academy Award nominations, including Malek’s best actor nod.
Asked at the film festival about sexual abuse allegations against Singer, which were not cited as the reason for Singer’s firing, Malek said his heart goes out to all victims of such abuse.
A spokesman says Singer has categorically denied sexual abuse allegations.
In previous interviews, Malek has said he had “creative differences” with Singer and “it was a tumultuous set.”
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LONDON — Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has written personal messages to women being helped by a charity that seeks to help sex workers break free from prostitution.
Prince Harry’s wife took the unusual step of writing the messages on the skins of bananas destined for the food parcels that would be handed out to the women.
Meghan wrote sentiments such as “You are strong,” “You are special,” and “You are brave!” with hearts next to them. She was visiting the One25 organization in Bristol, southwest England.
She said the messages were inspired after she learned of a program “this woman had started in the States on a school lunch program when on each of the bananas she wrote an affirmation or something to make the kids feel really empowered.”
