NEWS
Drake is not the only superstar who is citing defamation. Chris Brown decided to take legal action against the production house Ample and Warner Bros. on Tuesday, January 21. The singer is suing both over the release of the documentary series Chris Brown: A History of Violence. Brown claims that the series was irresponsible with its content, and presented "sensationalized" and "debunked claims" about his criminal past. Brown is seeking a whopping $500 million from the production house and company as a result.
Chris Brown's legal team took the makers of the documentary series to task for presenting what they felt were half truths. The singer is accusing Ample and Warner Bros. of "promoting," as well as "publishing," defamatory claims about him and his personal life. He also cited the Jane Doe at the heart of the series. Chris Brown's legal team allege that Doe has repeatedly been discredited. Yet she was presented in such a way as to sell viewers on her assault claims. The singer pointed out that the lawsuit filed by Doe was later withdrawn.
The legal team also noted that Chris Brown: A History of Violence dubs Brown a "serial rapist and sexual abuser." Despite the fact that he's never been convicted of a sex related crime. "Despite being provided with proof that their narrative was false," the documents stated. "They went ahead and aired the series anyway." These documents also present Brown as someone who has owned up to mistakes in the past, such as his assault on ex-girlfriend Rihanna. He claims to have grown as a result of these mistakes. He accuses Ample and Warner Bros. of promoting a counter-narrative for the sake of business.
"To put it simply," Chris Brown's legal team concluded. "This case is about the media putting their own profits over the truth." Chris Brown's legal team claim that the singer has suffered to his career and his reputation as a result of the documentary series. Brown is seeking $500 million in damages, and asserts that he will donate part of these proceeds to victims of sexual abuse. Ample and Warner Bros. have not yet responded to the suit.
At the BTS concert in Tokyo on Friday (April 17), j-hope opened up to ARMY with heartbreaking news. His grandmother, who played a major role in raising him and had always been proud of his journey with the group, has passed away.
Speaking to the packed crowd at the Tokyo Dome, the K-pop star chose to be open with fans about what he was going through. “Honestly, this might be a bit of a heavy thing to share, but I really wanted to express how I’m feeling today,” he said, translated from Korean into English. “Right after we arrived in Japan, I got the news that my maternal grandmother, the one who raised me from when I was little, had passed away.”
“I felt completely stunned and did not really know how to process it at first, but being around the members, sitting down together for meals, and focusing on rehearsals helped me more than I thought it would,” j-hope went on. “My grandmother was always incredibly proud, not just of me but of all the members. She truly believed in what we do. So I feel like if she was watching from above today, she would have loved every second of it.”
He closed by thanking the audience for making his first performance after the loss feel meaningful and full of support.
BTS are currently touring in support of their new album ARIRANG, which has just earned a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Following three opening shows in Goyang, South Korea, the group is set to perform twice at the Tokyo Dome before heading abroad for the North American leg. Before the tour wraps in March next year, they will also visit Latin America, Europe, Australia, and several other regions across Asia.
On the same day as the first Tokyo concert, j-hope’s solo interview with Rolling Stone was released. During the conversation, he spoke about stepping into a leadership presence within the group. “I think that’s my role on the team,” he shared. “It just comes naturally. It feels strange to even call it a role, but I just try to handle things as they come and support the other members in any way I can.”
Additional reporting from Billboard Korea.
