NEWS
Lil Durk has been accused of threatening witnesses ahead of his murder-for-hire trial later this year.
The Chicago drill star was attempting to dismiss the case against him as he stands accused of being behind the murder of Quando Rondo’s cousin in 2022.
Prosecutors have claimed that Durk has threatened witnesses during his incarceration in a reply to the rapper’s bid to dismiss the case.
“[Lil Durk] is not on trial for his lyrics or his music; he is on trial because he directed, orchestrated, and financed the brazen murder plot at issue in this case,” U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli said.
Durk and his attorneys had argued that the case against him should be dismissed because prosecutors included lyrics as evidence against him even the song in question was recorded months before the attack on Rondo which killed his cousin.
A key part of the prosecution’s case and in obtaining the rapper’s arrest in the first place was Durk’s lyrics, specifically from the song “Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy”.
A judge later ruled that Durk’s lyrics could not be used as evidence during his upcoming trial.
Durk’s family had previously called out the government over their plans to use his lyrics against him during the trial.
In a statement on Instagram, the drill star’s family hit out at the actions of the prosecution.
They said: “The recent developments in Durk’s legal case have brought a harsh truth to light: the government presented false evidence to a grand jury to indict him. This isn’t justice. That’s a violation of the very system that’s supposed to protect all of us.”
The statement continues: “Durk has always used music to tell stories, to express pain to heal—and yet those same lyrics are now being used against him. We refuse to stay silent as Black artists continue to be criminalized for their creativity. Rap is art.”
The family also called on fans to show support for Durk while he remains behind bars ahead of his trial later this year: “As a family, we are asking the public, the fans, and the culture to stand with us. Stand for truth. Stand for fairness. Stand for The Voice.”
Durk currently remains held in custody ahead of yet another bond hearing next month.
NEWS
Barry Keoghan has responded to speculation that he was unfaithful to Sabrina Carpenter while they were together, calling the claim “a narrative that’s not true”.
Their relationship first sparked talk in September 2023, before they were seen together publicly for the first time at a Grammys after-party the following February. After that, they appeared side by side at the MET Gala, Carpenter referenced his well-known Saltburn moment during Coachella 2024, and the The Banshees of Inisherin star featured in the video for her popular track ‘Please Please Please’.
Reports later suggested the pair had gone their separate ways in December 2024, with cheating rumours circulating at the same time. The actor then spoke out online about what he described as “disgusting” behaviour from some users, saying his name had “been dragged across the internet”.
Now, following a short break away from the spotlight, he has given a fresh interview where he strongly rejected claims that he had been unfaithful during the relationship.
While speaking with Benny Blanco, Lil Dicky, and Kristin Batalucco on their Friends Keep Secrets video podcast, he described the clips spreading online rumours as “absolutely disgusting and vile”, adding that the situation created what he felt was a “very unfair” environment.
He went on to explain that the situation made him feel like he needed to “disappear”, saying: “I have been avoiding stuff. I came off Instagram and social profiles. I stopped going to events. I’ve stopped just socialising.”
“It’s because there was a narrative out there that was never really even spoken on, a narrative that’s not true, and I never confirmed or said anything about it. I just disappeared,” he added, before one of the hosts asked him to clarify what exactly he was referring to.
“It’s that I cheated. I don’t want to ever bring anyone else into it, but unfortunately, having a relationship in the public eye, it’s we all know this from our own stories it gets put out there,” he replied, without directly mentioning Carpenter by name.
“I don’t want to bring anyone else into it,” he continued. “I’m not asking for people to become my fan and like me, because that’s not normal either, but I’m asking for people to stop assuming and to stop jumping on this narrative, attacking me, and dragging me down in any way you can.”
The 33 year old Oscar nominee shares a three year old son with a previous partner, and has previously been open about a difficult upbringing that included time in foster care. His mother passed away when he was 12 after dealing with addiction.
“[It’s] just absolutely disgusting and vile,” he said, referring to clips he has come across online “involving my parents” and claiming that they “hate him”.
“Because for someone who went through a lot and I’m not saying this for a pity card but why is it cool to hop on and beat somebody who’s come from a lot?,” he said.
“Stuff I’ve seen as a kid and shit that I have to fight every day and do a lot of therapy. I went through addiction myself and I am in sobriety and battle all of that. To then want to drag that person…”
The actor also appeared to touch on how Carpenter referenced their breakup on her seventh studio album ‘Man’s Best Friend’. The lead single ‘Manchild’, for instance, includes lyrics about unreliable men, which led some listeners to assume it was aimed at Keoghan.
She later addressed the reaction during a conversation with Gayle King on CBS Mornings last September, acknowledging that her music had contributed to him receiving “a lot of backlash”, but adding that she believes “most of the time, past boyfriends been pretty flattered when they get a song written about them, good or bad.”
Referring again to the speculation linked to ‘Man’s Best Friend’, Keoghan said that “a girl made a video” discussing their relationship, but later posted another clip saying “Sorry for making that up”, although he pointed out that “no one seemed to latch onto” that follow up.
Alongside the Friends Keep Secrets appearance, Keoghan has previously urged for more understanding online, and shared on The Louis Theroux Podcast that he has been hurt by accusations suggesting he is not present as a father.
He later reinforced that message in a post, writing: “Each and every day I work harder to push myself on every level to be the healthiest and strongest person for that boy I need you to remember he has to read ALL of this about his father when he is older. Please be respectful to all.”
More recently, he revealed that comments targeting his looks have made him feel reluctant to leave the house.
The actor is widely recognised for his performances in Saltburn, The Banshees of Inisherin, and the upcoming Peaky Blinders film. He is also set to portray Ringo Starr in a forthcoming four part biopic series about The Beatles, appearing alongside Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.
