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RYAN MURPHY Since he first entered the public consciousness in 2003 with Nip/Tuck, followed by hit high school series Glee in 2009, Murphy — guest editor of THR’s inaugural Pride issue — has been at the forefront in the fight for LGBTQ representation. Through his projects — including American Horror Story, American Crime Story, Scream Queens, Feud: Bette and Joan, The Politician, Hollywood, Pose, The Normal Heart and the upcoming Boys in the Band — the writer-director-producer-activist has brought gay culture to the mainstream, exploring complex LGBTQ relationships in fresh iterations. He has also provided platforms for many of today’s stars, including Billy Porter, Ben Platt, Sarah Paulson, Steven Canals, Jane Lynch, Chris Colfer, Indya Moore and Mj Rodriguez. By dint of his $300 million deal with Netflix in 2018,…
On June 13 — hosted at BBTHRPrideSummit.com — THR and Billboard’s joint Pride Summit, now in its second year, will feature conversations between LGBTQ artists including Lena Waithe and Jonica T. Gibbs; Work in Progress’ Lilly Wachowski and Abby McEnany; and Boy George. Performances will feature Tituss Burgess, Rex Rebel and Madame Gandhi. After glam lessons from Chris Appleton (hairstylist for Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian) and YouTube’s Patrick Starrr, THR and Billboard will host their first virtual Pride Prom, packed with an interactive DJ set, drag performance contest, crowning of the Pride Queen and appearances from, among others, Cyndi Lauper, Indigo Girls, Jameela Jamil and Billy Porter — who will emcee. The entire free event will start at noon PT and run into the evening. “Last year, I was…
On May 30, Kendrick Sampson’s nonprofit organization, BLD PWR, co-led a rally with the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter at Pan Pacific Park to protest the death of George Floyd on May 25 as well as 600 black Angelenos at the hands of police since 2012. Hours later, the Insecure actor broadcast from his Instagram account as police clashed with demonstrators — firing rubber bullets into the crowd that struck him repeatedly — during their march through the Fairfax District. “Most of the organizers that I know have had to sacrifice their art because they have had to liberate their own people and fight for a better world for their children,” Sampson tells THR. The actor was one of many industry pros — including Debbie Allen, Cole Sprouse,…
Omar Jimenez The CNN correspondent’s wrongful arrest May 29 in Minneapolis, broadcast live on air, becomes a rallying point for media freedom as cable news rivals express support for the reporter. Jimmy Fallon After the comedian’s 2000 blackface Saturday Night Live sketch resurfaces, the Tonight Show host reiterates his apology during his June 1 show and pledges to be a “better ally.” Lady Gaga + Ariana Grande Their “Rain on Me” collaboration lands at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and nabs 31.4 million U.S. streams in the week ending May 28. Simon Cowell The creator’s America’s Got Talent posted the smallest 18-to-49 rating for a season opener in the show’s history, with a 1.5 on May 28. Showbiz Stocks $5.31 (+10.6%) AMC ENT. (AMC) The theater giant saw…
As the 8 p.m. curfew approached on May 30, the protesters, who had been entirely peaceful, sat down. Shortly thereafter, everybody stood up and started walking away from the police station in a march. So we walked with them. But in the intersection in front of where we were, all of a sudden police cars, lights and sirens come into the intersection and blocked it. The crowd did stop, and some started to turn back. Then the police started firing tear gas in our direction. My team and I started to move back because we had masks and we were able to largely maintain our position to cover the story. But the police continued to shoot, and they added projectiles, which appeared to be rubber bullets, into the mix. One…
When Oprah Winfrey abruptly dropped out of a documentary she was executive producing about Russell Simmons rape accusers Jan. 10, women’s groups found themselves torn between two potent forces: entertainment’s most powerful and inspirational female mogul and defending survivors of sexual assault. Time’s Up, the influential antisexual harassment organization in which Winfrey is a founding donor, seemed to side with the mogul. With the May 27 premiere of the film, On the Record, on HBO Max, activists, sexual assault survivors and Hollywood stakeholders are raising questions about Time’s Up’s lack of support for the film and about the organization’s structure, mission and opacity. “Time’s Up has positioned itself as the primary nonprofit voice on the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace,” says Stanford Law professor and sexual harassment expert…
