Entertainment News Roundup: Cannes Film Festival rolls out red carpet as crowds descend for 75th anniversary; Tom Cruise swoops into Cannes, igniting film festival with jets and star power and more
"No to the war," he said in Russian, as he received a standing ovation for his 19th century drama, the only film entry by a Russian director. Key moments in the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial Actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are suing each other for defamation, each claiming they were abused before and during their roughly two-year marriage.
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
Cannes Film Festival rolls out red carpet as crowds descend for 75th anniversary
The Cannes Film Festival rolled out the red carpet Tuesday as the Mediterranean port city filled up with cinema stars, festival-goers and oglers for the 75th-anniversary event, bringing buzz and glamour back to the resort destination. "I'm simply overjoyed," the festival's jury president Vincent Lindon told a packed press conference, flanked by jury members: actors and filmmakers including Rebecca Hall, Noomi Rapace, Deepika Padukone, Jeff Nichols, and Asghar Farhadi.
Tom Cruise swoops into Cannes, igniting film festival with jets and star power
Tom Cruise rolled into the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday – jet planes in tow – cranking up festivities with action, star power and autograph signings on the red carpet. Fans greeted him with whoops and hollers and the French Air Force aerobatic team Patrouille de France flew overhead, spraying the sky with colored smoke trails in red, white, and blue.
Gibson guitar smashed on night rock band Oasis split sold at auction
A 1960 Gibson electric guitar used by Oasis star Noel Gallagher before it was smashed up by his brother and former bandmate Liam Gallagher during a row on the night the band split sold at auction in Paris for 300,000 euros ($315,900) on Tuesday. Liam Gallagher wrecked the red Gibson at a festival in the French capital in 2009, shortly before the band had been due on stage, in a fit of fury that was to become a cult moment in music history.
It's gonna be all right, Taylor Swift tells NYU graduates at commencement
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift received an honorary doctorate from New York University on Wednesday and told graduates that everything would be all right, echoing the sentiments of her hit single "Shake It Off." The 32-year-old urged students to make the most of their choices. "Life can be heavy - especially if you try to carry it all at once... all the grudges, all the updates on your ex.... You get to pick what your life has time and room for." "I have some good news: It's totally up to you. I have some terrifying news: It's totally up to you," she added, dressed in a purple robe and black mortarboard at the graduation ceremony in Yankee Stadium.
Swimming-Australian pop singer Simpson qualifies for Commonwealth Games
Australian pop singer-turned-swimmer Cody Simpson qualified for this year's Commonwealth Games after finishing third in the 100 metres butterfly final at the national trials in Adelaide on Wednesday. Simpson, 25, turned heads earlier on Wednesday when he upstaged Olympic freestyle gold medallist Kyle Chalmers and won his heat in a personal best time of 51.79 seconds behind defending champion Matt Temple (51.64).
'Downton Abbey' returns with a silent movie and a trip to France
Twelve years since it first premiered, television hit "Downton Abbey" is back with a second stand-alone film about the fictitious Crawley family and their servants running a sprawling English country estate in the early 20th century. Set in 1928, "Downton Abbey: A New Era", released in U.S. cinemas on Friday, sees a film crew arrive at Downton as well as some family members travel to the French Riviera.
Cannes Film Festival opens with Zelenskiy appeal to world cinema
The Cannes Film Festival opened up Tuesday with crowded red carpet arrivals, a star-studded ceremony and a call from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the world of cinema to speak out against the war. "We need a new (Charlie) Chaplin to prove that today cinema is not silent," said Zelenskiy, referring to Charlie Chaplin's satire of Adolf Hitler at the outset of World War Two in 1939.
Depp lawyer questions Heard about drugs, love notes in defamation case
Johnny Depp's attorney grilled the actor's ex-wife Amber Heard on Tuesday, producing affectionate notes she wrote during their short-lived marriage to challenge her accounts of frequent violence and bolster the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star's case for defamation. Depp, 58, is suing Heard for $50 million, saying she defamed him when she claimed she was a victim of domestic abuse. He has testified that he never hit Heard and argued that she was the abuser in their relationship.
Russian director condemns war at Cannes film premiere
Exiled Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov spoke out against the war in Ukraine following the global premiere of his film "Tchaikovsky's wife," at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday. "No to the war," he said in Russian, as he received a standing ovation for his 19th century drama, the only film entry by a Russian director.
Key moments in the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial
Actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are suing each other for defamation, each claiming they were abused before and during their roughly two-year marriage. A Virginia jury is hearing the case, which is expected to run through late May. Below are key moments in the trial so far:
ALSO READ
Trump says he will 'look at' pardon for embattled New York mayor Eric Adams, who is facing bribery charges, reports AP.
Transnational Repression: Secret Police Station Uncovered in New York
High-Profile Extradition: From Pennsylvania to New York for Murder Trial
Suspect in New York City subway fire killing charged with murder, arson
Arjun Erigaisi's Race to New York: Visa Saga Concludes