Entertainment News Roundup: Johnny Depp was victim of 'abuser' Heard; A space explorations fan, jazz artist Gregory Porter and more

Movie theaters closed their doors around the world in mid-March when several countries imposed lockdowns and social distancing measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Johnny Depp was victim of 'abuser' Heard, court told

Johnny Depp was the victim of invented allegations and physical violence from his former wife Amber Heard, London's High Court was told on Tuesday, the final day of the Hollywood actor's three-week libel suit against a British tabloid. "Pirates of the Caribbean" star Depp is suing News Group Newspapers, publishers of the Sun, and one of its journalists, Dan Wootton, over a 2018 article that called him a "wife beater".

A space exploration fan, jazz artist Gregory Porter to sing for NASA launch

Jazz artist Gregory Porter, whose new single "Concorde" is an ode to space exploration, is set to perform on Thursday as part of a ceremony marking the launch of NASA's next generation rover that will search for signs of habitable conditions on Mars. The Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter is scheduled to sing the Ray Charles version of "America The Beautiful" during the U.S. space agency's broadcast of the countdown to the launch of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

UK sets up $647 million emergency insurance fund for film and TV

Britain has announced a 500 million-pound ($647 million) fund to help television and film companies restart productions after companies complained they were unable to get insurance because of the coronavirus pandemic. Shoots shut down abruptly in March as the novel coronavirus spread and the government imposed a lockdown. As filmmakers try to get back to work, they are finding some insurers have stopped providing the COVID-19 coverage they need to secure financing.

Rapper Wiley says 'I'm not racist' after anti-Semitic posts

British rap artist Wiley apologized on Wednesday and said he is not racist after posting a string of anti-Semitic comments on his social media accounts. The rapper’s Twitter account, which had half a million followers, published a series of tweets last week asserting that Jews systematically exploited Black artists in the music industry, continuing a pattern of exploitation dating back to the slave trade.

Regal Cinemas to reopen U.S. theaters on Aug 21 with new protocols

Regal Cinemas said on Monday it plans to reopen theaters in the United States on Aug. 21, as the theater chain is counting on big-budget movies such as "Tenet" to help lure audiences out of their homes during the pandemic. Movie theaters closed their doors around the world in mid-March when several countries imposed lockdowns and social distancing measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner welcome first child

"Game of Thrones" actress Sophie Turner has given birth to a girl with husband Joe Jonas, the first child for the celebrity couple. "Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are delighted to announce the birth of their baby," a representative for the couple said in a statement on Monday.

'We have saved the heart': Venice to host first film festival of COVID era

Fewer A-list stars will stumble out of parties along the lagoon to be snapped by paparazzi in boats. But organizers of this year's Venice film festival are promising plenty of movies -- on actual screens in front of actual audiences -- for the first time since the worldwide pandemic shut showbiz. More than 50 countries will participate in what aims to be the first major in-person film festival of the COVID era, from Sept. 2-12.

Emmy nominations, from 'Succession' to 'Schitt's Creek,' put premium on diversity

HBO's dystopian superhero drama "Watchmen" and the 1960s comedy "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" on Tuesday led an Emmy nominations list dominated by Netflix and what Variety said was a record number of Black actors. "Watchmen" scored 26 nods, including best limited series, while Amazon Studio's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" got 20.