Television

Empire actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Cook County Jail in Chicago Thursday after posting bond. On Friday, the show's producers announced that they would be removing his character from the final episodes of this season.

Jussie Smollett's Character Removed From Final Episodes Of 'Empire' Season

1:40pm February 22, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

The actor was arrested Thursday for filing a false police report. Now, it appears the role that made him famous may be in doubt. Empire producers said they chose to "avoid further disruption on set."

The Monkees (from left: Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork) pose in front of a London telephone booth in 1997.

Peter Tork Of The Monkees Dies At 77

9:05pm February 21, 2019

An adept musician in a pop band dismissed as made for TV, Tork became famous with the Monkees in the 1960s. Their reunion tours lasted well into the 2000s.

Jussie Smollett leaves the Cook County Jail following his release Thursday in Chicago. Smollett was charged with filling a false police report after he said he was attacked by two men who shouted racist and anti-gay slurs.

Jussie Smollett 'Took Advantage Of The Pain And Anger Of Racism,' Police Say

6:41pm February 21, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

The Empire actor has been released on bail after being arrested on charges of making a false police report. Officials say he paid two men to fake an attack on him to "further his own public profile."

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The 2019 Hollywood Diversity Report from UCLA further supports previous findings that increasingly diverse audiences seek diverse television and movie content.

Arts

Hollywood Diversity Report Finds Progress, But Much Left To Gain

5:23pm February 21, 2019

by Elizabeth Blair

The annual UCLA study tallies box office numbers and ratings alongside diversity both on and off screen. Today's "increasingly diverse audiences prefer diverse film and television content," it finds.

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Demonstrators gather near the studio of singer R. Kelly to call for a boycott of his music on Jan. 9, 2019 after allegations of sexual abuse against young girls were raised on the Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly.

'Surviving R. Kelly' Producer Dream Hampton Takes On Ecosystem That Supported The Star

12:09pm February 21, 2019

by Terry Gross

The activist, filmmaker and writer chronicles sexual abuse allegations against R. Kelly in the six-part docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly, even as new allegations against him surface.

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'Empire' Actor Jussie Smollett Arrested On Charges Of Filing False Police Report

8:19am February 21, 2019

The actor had reported being the victim of a racist and homophobic attack. Prosecutors say that report was not true.

National

Jussie Smollet Of 'Empire' Charged With Filing False Police Report

7:35am February 21, 2019

Chicago police charged Jussie Smollett with disorderly conduct after he allegedly filed a false report about being attacked. The story has been wracked with controversy since it emerged last month.

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News Brief: Trump Says Woman Who Joined ISIS Can't Return To The U.S.

7:05am February 21, 2019

A woman who fled the U.S. to join ISIS wants to return home. Coast Guard officer arrested for allegedly planning an attack. Police charge Empire actor Jussie Smollett with filing a false report.

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Maidens On The Mall: Hulu Series Brings Red Cloaks To Steps Of Lincoln Memorial

5:08pm February 20, 2019

by Lynn Neary

The Handmaid's Tale the Hulu TV series based on Margaret Atwood's novel, came to Washington, D.C., to shoot a scene on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Extras gathered to portray the handmaids.

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Comedian Mo Amer, seen here in his Netflix special The Vagabond, says that stand-up has been a significant part of his "coping process" with an itinerant childhood.

Arts

'You Get Paid For Doing Therapy': Stand-Up Comedians On Anger

10:50am February 20, 2019

by Elizabeth Blair

For centuries, people have turned to jesters for relief from the miseries of life. As it turns out, some stand-up performers turn pain and rage into their own coping and catharsis.

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