Megan Thee Stallion’s music isn’t the only thing that grabs fans’ attention; it’s her superior marketing skills. So it’s no surprise that Blumhouse Productions asked the rapper to help promote the second installment of the M3GAN film series, M3GAN 2.0. In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday (June 24), we see the rapper minding her business while enjoying some leisure before she is interrupted by an unexpected guest: an adorably made but very dangerous AI bot, with whom she shares the same name. “M3GAN X MEGAN THEE STALLION ,” she writes in the post’s caption. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Megan Thee Stallion (@theestallion) Released in 2022, the campy-inspired horror film centers on “a lifelike doll that’s programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally.” However, after its creator, a brilliant roboticist, Gemma, becomes “the unexpected caretaker of her 8-year-old niece,” Cady, with whom she decides to give a M3GAN prototype. This decision ultimately leads to “unimaginable consequences,” per the film’s synopsis. For the sequel, M3GAN 2.0, we see Gemma, M3GAN, and Cady come together once again to face a newer, more dangerous AI bot named Emilia. The film is set to release on Friday (June 27). Megan Thee Stallion Turns Up The Heat With ‘Love Island USA’ Cameo Megan Thee Stallion’s face has been everywhere lately – in fact, the rapper recently made another cameo on the popular dating show, Love Island USA. Last week, the popular dating series premiered its latest episode, where Megan Thee Stallion stops by to give the cast a few challenges. From twerking to doing the limbo, the Houston native kept the contestants on their toes while hilarity ensued. The “Everything Bigger In Texas” rapper also made it clear who the “Real Hot Girl” was as she flaunted her voluptuous frame, donning a slinky, gold, two-piece from her new swimwear brand, Hot Girl Swim. After the episode’s premiere, in an Instagram Story post, Megan unveiled a new, limited edition one-piece inspired by the series.

Offset’s latest appearance is turning heads, and not because of his music. The rapper recently sat down with magician Anna DeGuzman for Complex’s new series Interview With A Magician, and things got interesting fast when she attempted to pull a secret from his mind: his celebrity crush, which was revealed to be Sabrina Carpenter. View this post on Instagram A post shared by COMPLEX (@complex) While Offset played it cool and avoided dropping a name at first, he hinted that the person in question had impressive “taste in her total artistry.” But the real reveal came when DeGuzman magically produced a crumpled piece of paper with the name Sabrina Carpenter written on it. Offset’s reaction? Shocked, amused, and maybe just a little caught off guard. The moment comes at a time when fans are closely watching Offset’s every move, especially following Cardi B’s official announcement of her long-awaited album Am I The Drama? just a day prior. Despite once encouraging her to release it, even after their split, Offset stayed completely silent on her big news. No reposts, no shoutouts, no mentions. While the internet expected some kind of reaction from her ex, Offset seems focused on other things. His magician-revealed admiration for Carpenter, who happens to be on the same label, sparked talk of a possible collaboration or at least a new muse. Insiders previously said Offset had been one of Cardi’s biggest supporters while she was working on the album. But now, with her release date locked in and the spotlight back on her, he’s shifted his attention elsewhere. Whether it was just a fun moment on camera or something deeper, Offset’s unexpected Sabrina Carpenter reveal has added a new twist to the post-breakup narrative. One thing’s clear: Offset’s keeping fans guessing, both with his silence and his new crush.

Nick Cannon may finally be done adding to his large family. During an appearance on The Really Good Podcast, Cannon gave a surprise reply when asked if he was done having children. “I think I’m done,” he said with a smile. As HOT97 previously reported, Cannon has admitted to having trouble remembering the names of all his children.  “You want all 12?” Cannon asked. “This is where I usually get in trouble… I know all of ’em, but can you rattle off just 12 of anything?” There’s Roc, Roe, Golden, Powerful, Rise, Onyx, Legendary, Zion, Zillian, Zen, and…” he began. “And see this is where I, uh…” Cannon admitted that he was “missing two” children, adding Beautiful and his youngest daughter, Halo Marie Cannon.  “There’s a song, and I was like, I don’t want to do that,” Cannon said about his tactics of remembering his children’s names. “I wrote a verse that had all their names in it, and I just, sometimes I recite that,” he said. When asked why he has 12 kids, Cannon said he has a “king complex” while comparing himself to the biblical character King Solomon, who had 700 wives and 300 concubines.  “I don’t want no wives, I just want kids,” Cannon explained In March, Cannon revealed that his family’s size has caused a strain on his finances.  “The way my bank account is set up, I’m going to press hold on this 12 for right now.” In total, Cannon shares twins Moroccan and Monroe with ex-wife Mariah Carey; sons Golden Sagon and Rise Messiah Cannon and daughter Powerful Queen with Brittany Bell; twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir and daughter Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa; son Legendary Love with Bre Tiesi; and daughter Onyx Ice Cole with LaNisha Cole. Cannon is also father to two children with Alyssa Scott — son Zen, who died at five months old in December 2021 after being diagnosed with brain cancer. His daughter Halo Marie Cannon was born on Dec. 14, 2022.

The criminal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs moved closer to its conclusion this week as both the prosecution and defense wrapped their cases. After weeks of testimony and high-profile allegations, the courtroom entered a quieter phase on June 24, with Diddy’s legal team opting not to call any witnesses of their own. Tuesday’s proceedings focused on evidence introduced by the prosecution, including text messages, hotel bookings, and travel itineraries linked to alleged “freak off” parties. Homeland Security agent Joseph Cerciello returned to the stand, facing cross-examination over records that prosecutors say reflect payments to male escorts and coordination with Diddy’s employees. Diddy faces multiple federal charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering, and transporting individuals for prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have sought to portray him as the central organizer of a network of illicit sexual encounters, allegedly aided by staff and associates. Defense Rests Quickly, Framing Relationships as Consensual Once the prosecution concluded its case, the defense began and ended their presentation within a half-hour. Rather than introducing new witnesses, the defense focused on reframing Diddy’s past relationships as consensual and mutual. To support their argument, Diddy’s lawyers pointed to text messages exchanged between him and former girlfriend Cassie Ventura Fine. One message from February 2017 detailed playful plans for Valentine’s Day, while others contained romantic and sexual language. The defense presented these as evidence of an intimate relationship built on mutual understanding—not coercion. In one of his few direct statements, Diddy informed the court of his decision not to testify. “I made this decision with my legal team,” he told Judge Arun Subramanian, signaling confidence in the case’s direction. Following a short recess, Diddy’s attorneys filed a Rule 29 motion—requesting an acquittal on grounds that the government’s evidence fell short of proving guilt. Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro argued there was no conspiracy and that staff who may have helped book travel or handle logistics were not privy to personal details of Diddy’s private life. “Mr. Combs tried to keep these relationships and the related activities private,” Shapiro said, distancing employees from the alleged misconduct. The defense continued to reject any suggestion of sex trafficking, pointing instead to instances where Ventura appeared to willingly participate. Shapiro emphasized that allegations of domestic violence—while serious—should not be confused with federal trafficking charges, a distinction the defense has highlighted throughout the trial. With the prosecution’s case formally rested and the defense declining to present additional witnesses, the trial enters its final phase. Closing arguments are expected later this week, as both sides prepare to make their final pitches to the jury. The stakes remain high—not only for Diddy, but for the broader conversation unfolding around power, consent, and accountability in the entertainment world.

The Clipse have opened up about the breakup of the Neptunes. During a recent interview with Popcast, the dynamic spoke about the creative process of their upcoming album, Let God Sort Em Out, which Pharrell produced by himself and his falling out with Chad Hugo. “Absolutely miss Chad. As far as, you know, being on the album,” No Malice said. “But I’ll see Chad in the airport, in the street, at Buffalo Wild Wings, you know, in VA. Whatever they got going on, just hope for the best for that […] Whenever we see each other, it’s always still love. Always.” Pusha T shared that Hugo had been absent on other projects, but that won’t impact their progress. “For me, no, you know, no. Everybody knows my favorite album is Hell Hath No Fury. Pharrell did that alone. That’s it […] Chad’s my guy. I love Chad. Pharrell’s my guy, love Chad, too. We’re brothers, we came up together,” Pusha explained. “But, you know, when you say missing in the music, there is no missing in the music when it comes to the Clipse. And if it’s just P, it don’t matter—we find what we find.” In April 2024, Williams and Hugo were involved in a legal dispute over the group’s name, which HO797 previously reported. “Throughout their over thirty year history, [Hugo] and Williams agreed to, and in fact, have divided all assets,” wrote Hugo’s attorney Kenneth D. Freundlich. “By ignoring and excluding [Hugo] from the any and all applications filed by applicant for the mark ‘The Neptunes,’ applicant has committed fraud in securing the trademarks and acted in bad faith.”

Ludacris knows something about taking a risk.  On Incognegro, his debut independent album, which was released on Aug. 17, 1999, he invested $20,000 out of his own money. Speaking with PEOPLE at the Waymo x Uber event on Monday (June 16), Luda recalled how he bet on himself. “Just not knowing how the world would receive it and taking the biggest risk by just putting music out there,” Ludacris said. “The fear of failure is something you have to overcome in order to accomplish great things. And I think that that was a crossroads of my life going into the success that it did because I told myself I wasn’t going to be afraid of the outcome,” Luda continued. “Those are the type of risks that have the reward that I’ve been able to live off the fruits of the label.” Betting on himself was the best decision he ever made. Eventually, Def Jam loved the project and signed him in 2000. The same year, Luda rereleased Incognegro on Oct. 17, 2000, with a new title, Back for the First Time. “I put [Incognegro] out independently, and then it got 50,000 sold, where Def Jam signed me. I took two records off and added three other records. So what people may not know is that it was an independent album way before it got the success.” The album spawned classic hits such as  “What’s Your Fantasy?,” “Southern Hospitality,” “Phat Rabbit,” and sold over 3 million units in the United States and was certified triple platinum. 

Jim Jones is once again talking about Nas. Appearing on the latest episode of Nightcap, co-hosted by NFL legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, the former Dipset members had some more words to share about Nas. “Were you smoking when you said you were better than Nas?” Sharpe asked, During the heated exchange, Jones acknowledged that the Queensbridge legend’s skills but downplayed the reach of his influence. “Nas was nice when I was in high school. Nas was dope. We appreciate him. He had a little bit of a run,” Jones explained. “But Nas always came up second to [Jay-Z] and DMX and all these other people. He never had that type of influence on us, except for his first album.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nightcap (@nightcapshow_) “I used to want to dress like Nas… He had one of the illest albums of all time. I’m a real fan of Nas. But he kind of lost me after the movie Belly and s**t like that,” Jones continued. Sharpe strongly disagreed with Jones’ assessment of Nas’ accomplishments. “You can’t eff with Nas lyrically,” Sharpe told Jones. “I know you on that good stuff, but you not seeing Nas. Let’s be real.” Jones then went on to challenge Nas to meet him in the booth. “Let Nas stick up for himself and meet me in the booth or something if he wants to do something historical,” Jones challenged “I would run circles around Nas rapping right now, bro. Right now, 2025, I’m in the game still rapping at a high capacity,” Jones responded. “If Nas wants the smoke, come in the booth.” “I’m not mad, it’s about the sportsmanship of the game,” he continued.  I’m a very aggressive person. I seem to get misconstrued when I’m talking my sh*t. I’m just talking my sh*t, you heard?” Jones added: “Let me talk my sh*t, ’cause I am on the field. If anybody got a problem with that, they can meet me on the field. That is the booth. Anybody from that era.” This isn’t the first time that Jones has taken shots at Nas. As HOT97 previously reported, appearing on Fat Joe and Jadakiss’ podcast, Joe and Jada, Joey Crack spoke about a viral clip where a 22-year-old compared Capo and Nas, suggesting Jones has more influence than the Queensbridge legend. “I was a superior Nas fan, but when you get into the game, you realize your idols become rivals,” Jones said. “Not to take anything away from that. I developed my own style and my own lane that these kids started to gravitate towards, the same way I gravitated towards Nas when I was younger.”

As proceedings wind down in the federal criminal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, the defense team prepares to mount its case following weeks of testimony and evidence presented by prosecutors. The high-profile trial, centered on allegations of sex trafficking, racketeering, and coercion, has pulled back the curtain on the lifestyle of one of hip-hop’s most recognizable figures. On June 23, Diddy appeared in Manhattan federal court as Homeland Security agent Joseph Cerciello resumed his testimony. He detailed a broad collection of financial records, including hotel invoices, flight logs, and payments allegedly tied to male escorts and a woman referred to in court as Jane, a former girlfriend of Diddy. Jurors also reviewed text messages suggesting preparations for so-called “freak offs,” referencing purchases of baby oil, erectile dysfunction medication, and large sums of cash. In court, jurors were shown explicit video footage featuring Jane and an escort. Diddy, according to prosecutors, was visibly present in portions of the clips, which were screened privately for the jury, legal teams, and court staff. Brendan Paul, Diddy’s former assistant, testified the previous week and pushed back on claims that he acted as a “drug mule” for the artist. Though he admitted to purchasing items and working grueling hours, he denied ever witnessing illegal behavior at events described in court as “king nights.” Arrested in 2024 on drug charges that were later dropped, Paul now testifies under immunity. Defense introduces texts and party details as trial nears closing arguments in Diddy case Diddy, who was arrested in September, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Toward the end of Monday’s session, defense attorney Teny Geragos told Judge Arun Subramanian that her team expected to use approximately 75 more minutes for cross-examinations. A hearing on jury instructions is set for June 25, with closing arguments slated to begin June 26 and continue into the following day. Both sides anticipate using roughly four hours each for final remarks. Geragos also introduced text messages between Jane and Diddy, where she described enjoying aspects of their intimate relationship—part of the defense’s effort to illustrate consent and mutual participation. As prosecutors concluded direct examination of Agent Cerciello, jurors heard audio messages in which Diddy requested items for his parties. “There’s no more baby oil,” he joked in one clip. Other messages mentioned lubricant and cash, offering a glimpse into the preparation and excess behind the scenes. Evidence presented also linked Diddy’s staff to the planning and execution of these gatherings. Text messages suggested Jane communicated with aides about logistics and occasionally expressed concern for Diddy’s well-being, including after alleged drug use. As the prosecution signaled its intent to rest, the focus now shifts to the defense. While explicit footage and financial documents have played a central role in shaping the case so far, the courtroom has yet to hear the full counter-narrative from Diddy’s legal team. With closing arguments on the horizon, the jury will soon be tasked with weighing weeks of testimony, digital records, and emotional accounts.

Damson Idris has become a more cautious driver after filming his new movie F1. Speaking with PEOPLE, Idris explained what made him slow down on the road. During filming, he drove up to 180 mph. I’m not going to lie, it actually made me drive a lot safer,” Idris said. “I have so much respect for F1 drivers and the speeds that they reach and the amount of pressure that they’re under while they reach those speeds.” “So yeah, now when I’m in the car, I’m definitely just cruising and minding my business,” Idris continued. Previously, Idris told PEOPLE that he “watched every single race” he could to prepare for the film. He also shared that Pitt became close, although their characters are at odds in the film. “It was a seamless dynamic between us. As soon as they’d yell ‘Cut!’, we both sat in our seats and giggled,” Idris said. “He’d be telling me stories of when he first met Prince and Sidney Poitier. And I’m like, ‘Oh my God, this is just too iconic; you’re a walking monument.’ “ “I always say [Brad is] the most humble person and such a brilliant actor, and he wants you to win,” Idris added. “And he did that for me the entire movie — made a point of having the two characters be equals — so I’m incredibly indebted to him, and I can’t wait people to see it.” In the film, Idris plays Joshua Pierce, the rookie teammate of Brad Pitt’s character Sonny Hayes, a returning Formula 1 driver who took several years away from the track. F1 premieres in theaters on Friday, June 27.

Oprah Winfrey is setting the record straight following viral rumors and AI-generated images falsely claiming she attended Sean “Diddy” Combs’ infamous parties. Speaking candidly during the Good Soil Forum in Dallas, the media mogul categorically denied any involvement and expressed concern over the spread of misinformation. “I have never been near a Puff party,” Winfrey said emphatically. “Anybody who knows me knows if there is a party, I’m the first one out.” She went on to describe her preference for quiet evenings at home, nestled by the fireplace with her dogs, reinforcing, “That is not who I am.” Winfrey also revealed she has been working with YouTube to remove explicit, AI-manipulated images that falsely depict her at Diddy’s gatherings. She called the situation “troubling and invasive,” spotlighting the growing dangers posed by artificial intelligence in the age of digital disinformation. Joining her onstage was Bishop T.D. Jakes, who also addressed rumors about his alleged presence at Diddy’s so-called “Freak Offs.” Jakes admitted he once stopped by Diddy’s house for a brief birthday visit during the day — a 30-minute appearance he says was misconstrued. “I am almost 70 years old. What do I look like? I am a grandfather,” he said, brushing off salacious speculation. Both Winfrey and Jakes criticized the culture of scandal and gossip dominating digital platforms, warning that such distractions are pulling focus from more meaningful conversations and societal progress. Their remarks come amid a federal investigation into Diddy, involving allegations of sex trafficking and other serious accusations. As the legal scrutiny intensifies, public figures have found themselves inadvertently swept into the controversy — often fueled by AI-generated content and online rumor mills. Oprah and T.D. Jake publicly denies going to Diddy’s parties. “I have never been near a Puff party.” pic.twitter.com/L2u5mBAiTQ — The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) June 21, 2025