Music
Britney Spears Family Fear She’s Addicted to Meth
Britney Spears’ family and ex-husband are concerned that she is using crystal meth. The ‘Toxic’ singer’s rambling social media outbursts have alarmed fans, and he former husband Kevin Federline, the father of her sons Preston, 17, and Jayden, 16.
Federline has admitted he lives in fear of receiving a phone call informing him that she has died, and her children are desperate for her to seek help.
“I fear she’s on meth – I’ve been praying someone would make it public and that she wakes up,” Kevin told documentary filmmaker Daphne Barak. It’s frightening. She is the mother of my children. “Every time the phone rings, I fear it will bring devastating news.”
“I don’t want the boys to wake up one morning to discover their mother has overdosed.”
The filmmaker, who has spent nine months working on a new documentary with Kevin, Britney’s sons, her parents, and her brother, stated in the Mail on Sunday that the boys refuse to meet with the 41-year-old singer because they claim to have seen narcotics being transported to her house.
Preston then informed her, “All we want is for her to listen to us.”
Jamie Spears, Britney Spears’s father, is also anxious that his daughter would die early, like troubled British singer Amy Winehouse, who died in 2011 at the age of 27.
During a discussion about the ‘Back to Black’ singer, he stated, “Yes, exactly… Britney may die like Amy.”
While Britney’s fans have chastised the patriarch for his involvement in monitoring the conservatorship she was under for 13 years until November 2021, he insists he was merely looking out for his daughter’s best interests.
“Compare her wellness then and how she is now,” he remarked.
There were reports earlier this year that Britney would be subjected to an intervention orchestrated by Jodi Montgomery, the singer’s former conservator who had stayed on her team at the request of the ‘Gimme More’ hitmaker, but it did not take place, and the star took to Instagram to claim there had been no such plan.
“Jodi had told Kevin to prepare his boys for what was about to happen,” Daphne wrote. When the opportunity arose, he was filming alongside me.
“I watched him nervously, glued to his phone, waiting for Jodi’s text to say the intervention had begun.” But no text arrived, simply a notification informing me that Jodi had quit.
“When rumours of it surfaced online, Britney Spears took to Instagram to deny the story, claiming there was no such plan.” But I was present. In truth, she had been warned, and the idea had collapsed.”
Britney Spears further admitted that a concerned relative informed her, “This was the last chance of saving her.”
Preston and Jayden have had “good conversations” on the phone with their mother but are “not ready” to visit her. They recall Britney’s insistence on continuing to bathe them when they were 11 and 12, and one occasion when they found her standing near the door of her youngest son’s bedroom, clutching a knife.
Jayden explained, “She was standing there with a knife.”
“The boys are doing their best to focus on their future,” Daphne said. They clearly feel unable to meddle in their mother’s life.
“Their only power is to stay away, hoping that one day she will understand their reasons and they can repair their relationship.”
The Rise of Britney Spears
Britney Spears is a singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress from the United States. With a succession of successful albums and popular songs in the late 1990s and early 2000s, she soared to fame. Spears, who was born on December 2, 1981, in McComb, Mississippi, began her career as a child actor, appearing in a variety of television shows and commercials.
Her breakthrough occurred in 1998, when her debut hit, “Baby One More Time,” topped the charts in multiple countries and catapulted her to international celebrity. The accompanying album of the same name was a big success as well, selling over 10 million copies in its first year.
Brittney Spears’ subsequent albums were all commercial successes, including “Oops!… I Did It Again” (2000), “Britney” (2001), and “In the Zone” (2003). She rose to prominence in the 2000s as a pop icon thanks to her daring look and carefully choreographed music videos.
Spears’ personal and legal problems drew extensive media attention in 2007. She had a widely publicised breakdown and was placed under conservatorship, which has sparked tremendous debate and public scrutiny. Jamie Spears, her father, was in charge of her personal and financial matters during the conservatorship.
In recent years, a movement known as “Free Britney” has advocated for the end of the conservatorship and the return of Spears’ autonomy. The initiative drew a lot of attention, which rekindled interest in her case and fueled an ongoing court battle.
Despite her difficulties, Britney Spears remains a cultural phenomenon and a renowned personality in the music industry. Her impact on mainstream music and large fan base have solidified her place as one of the most successful and recognisable performers of her generation.
Music
Oasis Fans Upset By High Prices And Long Delays On Ticketmaster Site
When British rock band Oasis announced a reunion tour this week, there was an expected rush for tickets to the 17 shows. Perhaps predictably, there have been concerns and frustrations about the ticket-buying process due to high demand.
Tickets went on general sale on Saturday at 9 a.m. GMT, and it took a little while for social media users to start complaining about inflated prices, long wait times, and error warnings from ticketing company Ticketmaster.
Oasis | CNN Image
Oasis Fans Upset By High Prices And Long Delays On Ticketmaster Site
“‘In demand standing ticket’ is just a standard standing ticket except double the price,” Darragh Moriarty, a Dublin city councilor, wrote on X (previously known as Twitter).
Moriarty also shared a screenshot in his article displaying an In Demand Standing Ticket with fees priced at €415.50 ($459.61).
“To clarify, Ticketmaster does not set ticket prices,” a spokeswoman told CNN on Saturday.
Ticketmaster’s official website states: “Promoters and artists set ticket prices.” Prices may be fixed or market-based. Market-based tickets are identified as ‘Platinum’ or ‘In Demand.'”
Stephen Lowell of London stated on X that he had waited five hours for tickets only to receive the notification, “Your session has been suspended.”
“The website did not crash,” a Ticketmaster official told CNN on Saturday.
Oasis will begin their tour on July 4 with performances in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin. Ticketmaster’s website states that the tour “will be one of the biggest live moments and hottest tickets of the decade.”
Oasis | New Yorker Image
Oasis Fans Upset By High Prices And Long Delays On Ticketmaster Site
A presale went live for those who got an email confirming their access. Oasis warned on its Instagram page that tickets would “be allocated on a first come, first served basis” and that “success in the ballot will not guarantee tickets.”
Buyers have frequently expressed dissatisfaction with purchasing tickets for large concert events. In November 2022, Ticketmaster and its parent firm, Live Nation Entertainment, faced public scrutiny for how they handled the enormously popular Taylor Swift Eras Tour.
SOURE | CNN
Music
American Rapper Macklemore Says He Canceled Dubai Show Over UAE Arming Sudan Paramilitary Forces
DUBAI, UAE — Macklemore, an American rapper, has canceled an impending October show in Dubai due to the UAE’s suspected support for the paramilitary army fighting government soldiers in Sudan.
Macklemore’s revelation focused on the UAE’s participation in the conflict gripping the African nation. While the UAE has frequently denied providing the Rapid Support Forces and assisting their leader, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, UN specialists reported “credible” evidence in January that the Emirates transferred weaponry to the RSF multiple times per week from northern Chad.
Sudan descended into anarchy in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary commanders flared up in the capital, Khartoum, and extended to other regions, especially Darfur. According to estimates, over 18,800 people have died in the conflict, and more than 10 million have fled their homes. Hundreds of thousands face hunger.
American Rapper Macklemore Says He Canceled Dubai Show Over UAE Arming Sudan Paramilitary Forces
At a tense U.N. Security Council meeting in June, Sudan’s fragile government accused the UAE of supporting the RSF, prompting an Emirati diplomat to tell his counterpart to cease “grandstanding.” The UAE has participated in continuing peace efforts to halt the fighting.
The Emirati Foreign Ministry and Dubai Media Office had no immediate comment on Macklemore’s public remark Sunday. Last week, organizers said that the performance had been canceled and that refunds would be paid, but they did not explain why.
In a Saturday Instagram post, Grammy winner Macklemore claimed he had a series of people “asking me to cancel the show in solidarity with the people of Sudan and to boycott doing business in the UAE for the role they are playing in the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis.”
Macklemore claimed he reconsidered the concert in part because of his previous outspoken support for Palestinians during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip. He recently began performing a song called “Hind’s Hall,” in memory of Hind Rajab, a young girl slain in Gaza in a shooting that Palestinians blamed on Israeli forces opening fire on a civilian car.
“I know that this will probably jeopardise my future shows in the area, and I truly hate letting any of my fans down,” he said. “I was also quite excited. But, until the UAE stops arming and funding the RSF, I will not perform there.”
He said, “I have no judgement against other artists who perform in the UAE.” But I do ask my peers who are slated to perform in Dubai: “What could we achieve if we used our platforms to mobilise collective liberation?”
The RSF was founded by Janjaweed fighters under former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who governed the country for three decades before being deposed in a popular rebellion in 2019. The International Criminal Court wants him on charges of genocide and other crimes committed during the Darfur conflict in the 2000s.
American Rapper Macklemore Says He Canceled Dubai Show Over UAE Arming Sudan Paramilitary Forces
Dubai, home to long-haul carrier Emirates, the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, and other tourist attractions, has long attempted to attract A-list musicians to the city-state’s new stadium and other venues. However, performers have already highlighted the difficulty of performing in the UAE, a hereditarily administered federation of seven sheikhdoms where speech is strictly regulated.
That includes American comedian Dave Chappelle, who made headlines in Abu Dhabi in May when he referred to the Israel-Hamas conflict as a “genocide” while simultaneously mocking the UAE’s extensive surveillance infrastructure.
Macklemore, a 41-year-old rapper born Benjamin Hammond Haggerty in Kent, Washington, received a Grammy Award in 2014 for his breakout single “Thrift Shop.”
SOURCE | AP
Music
Coldplay Covers Taylor Swift At Vienna Stadium Where Her Eras Tour Shows Were Canceled Due To Foiled Terror Plot
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin is offering some love to Taylor Swift fans in Austria.
On Wednesday, the band played the first of four concerts at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium, where Martin and vocalist Maggie Rogers sang an acoustic interpretation of Swift’s 2008 song “Love Story.”
According to social media videos, Martin invited “two genuine Swifties” on stage to perform the song alongside Rogers.
Coldplay Covers Taylor Swift At Vienna Stadium Where Her Eras Tour Shows Were Canceled Due To Foiled Terror Plot
“We sing this song with so much love for Taylor and the Swifties,” Martin told the audience.
Coldplay appears to be the first major act to headline a show at the Austrian stadium since a foiled terror attack plot forced organizers to cancel three of Swift’s Eras Tour gigs earlier this month.
Swift was set to begin her three-show run on August 9 when Austrian authorities reported that they had foiled an ISIS-inspired plot to target one of her gigs.
“The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, as well as a tremendous amount of guilt, because so many people had planned to attend those shows,” Swift wrote in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday. “But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.”
Regarding safety measures for Coldplay concertgoers attending this week’s gigs, Live Nation GSA issued a news release on X outlining the venue’s safety plan.
Coldplay Covers Taylor Swift At Vienna Stadium Where Her Eras Tour Shows Were Canceled Due To Foiled Terror Plot
“The well-being of all attendees, artists, and staff is our top priority and, as always, Ernst-Happel-Stadion is coordinating with local authorities and partners in the lead-up to the concerts, to ensure the safety of everyone on site,” said the press release.
Coldplay is slated to perform three additional performances in Vienna on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.
SOURCE | CNN
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