Helen Holmes

Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyA lyrical feud that began simmering between megastar rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar two months ago has, within the past short week, escalated into all-out war, with Drake suggesting in his latest releases that Kendrick tried to cover up allegations of committing violence against one of his partners. Kendrick, on the other hand, has perhaps gone even further in suggesting that Drake is a pedophile who keeps “sex offenders...on a monthly allowance” at his self-founded record label OVO Sounds. And these are just a small proportion of the bombs that Kendrick and Drake (real name Aubrey Drake Graham) have lobbed at one another via the six new songs dropped since April 30 (four are by Kendrick; two by Drake). Rap stars publicly beefing with one another in the form of diss tracks—songs written exclusively to criticize or insult a rival—is a well-established tradition, and the best diss tracks can be measured by how willing the artist is to really go there. Read more at The Daily Beast.

Lorenzo Bevilaqua/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesAmy Robach and T.J. Holmes, the now publicly-coupled former ABC News anchors who were ousted from their network last year after reports of their affair hit the tabloids—both were married to other people at the time—offered words of support to Rob Marciano, a longtime ABC News meteorologist who was reportedly fired this week, via their joint podcast on Friday. Marciano, a senior meteorologist for ABC News, was terminated this week after chief meteorologist Ginger Zee overheard accounts of Marciano getting into a “heated screaming match” with a Good Morning America producer; Zee reported the incident to the network, leading to Marciano’s ousting, sources told The Daily Beast on Wednesday. “It’s tough situation,” Robach said, on the latest episode of the Amy and T.J. podcast. “Yes, we have walked down that road and it’s not an easy one. And I know he also has, and I think he might still be going through a divorce. So, we know what it’s like to have your entire life upended, career and personal life.”Read more at The Daily Beast.

Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty ImagesOne year ago, Sean “Diddy” Combs attended the 2023 Met Gala dressed in an all-black ensemble by Sean John couture, representing both a comeback and a coup for the mogul’s eponymous fashion brand. Clad in a motorcycle jacket and black pants combo—topped off by a cape adorned with 1,000 satin and velvet petals—that he’d designed himself, Combs was riding high and enjoying his victory lap on the red carpet. “I had a chance to spend time with Karl when I was designing Sean John, just as a fellow designer,” Combs told Vogue that evening, nodding to the evening’s theme, which revolved around Karl Lagerfeld, the longtime creative director of Chanel. “[Lagerfeld] was so creative and he had such attention to detail (and) to beauty.” The quote oozes insider status. A lot can change in a year. Combs’ public image is now in tatters. The rapper and mogul is facing a number of serious sexual assault and trafficking allegations put forth in multiple lawsuits filed against him since last November. In March, federal agents raided two of his homes as part of a wider investigation. Read more at The Daily Beast.

Charley GallayEmbattled kids TV creator Dan Schneider, who fell from grace at Nickelodeon in 2018 amidst reports that numerous members his staff has complained of his abusive behavior, has now filed a lawsuit against the creators of the explosive docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which included many allegations of Schneider’s misbehavior when it dropped in March. “Recently the docuseries Quiet on Set highlighted mistakes I made and poor judgment I exhibited during my time at Nickelodeon,” Schneider said, in a statement provided to The Daily Beast regarding the suit. “There is no doubt that I was sometimes a bad leader. I am sincerely apologetic and regretful for that behavior, and I will continue to take accountability for it.”“However, after seeing Quiet on Set and its Trailer, and the reactions to them, I sadly have no choice but to take legal action against the people behind it,” Schneider continued. “I have no objection to anyone highlighting my failures as a boss, but it is wrong to mislead millions of people to the false conclusion that I was in any way involved in heinous acts like those committed by child predators.”Read more at The Daily Beast.

ANTONIN UTZIn case you haven’t noticed, Taylor Swift dropped a new album last week—a somewhat meandering yet genuinely surprising double album, in fact; called The Tortured Poets Department. The first half of the album leaked on the internet before it could be officially released, a near-unprecedented breach in the Swift canon. Although Swift needs no help from conventional modes of promotion at this point, fans noticed over the weekend that Swift had enlisted the aid of big tech to disseminate her new tunes. Specifically, if you yell at your Amazon Alexa about Swift-related things, Swift herself will answer. According to Variety, if you tell your Alexa, cloyingly, “I’m a member of the tortured poets department,” Swift will reveal the inspiration behind the tracks “Fortnight,” “Clara Bow,” “Florida!!!,” “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” and “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys.”Read more at The Daily Beast.