Entertainment
Katy Perry Denies Ruby Rose’s Sexual Assault Allegations, Calls Them ‘Dangerous, Reckless Lies’
After Batwoman actress Ruby Rose accused Katy Perry of sexual assault in a series of Threads posts on Sunday (April 12), the singer’s team responded on Monday morning (April 13) with a denial of the claims they called “categorically false.”
In a statement to Billboard, a representative for Perry said, “The allegations being circulated on social media by Ruby Rose about Katy Perry are not only categorically false, they are dangerous, reckless lies.” The statement went on to refer to what Perry’s team described as Rose’s “well-documented history of making serious public allegations on social media against various individuals,” saying those claims have “repeatedly been denied by those named.”
Former Orange Is the New Black star Rose made the allegations in a response to a news story about Perry’s reaction to Justin Bieber’s Saturday Coachella, in which Perry appeared to make a lighthearted jab about the portion of the show in which Bieber sang along to his old YouTube videos.
Australian native Rose commented in response to Complex’s Threads post, “Katy Perry sexual assaulted me at spice market nightclub in Melbourne. Who gives a s–t what she thinks.” After a Threads user asked for additional details, Rose, 40, claimed the alleged assault took place when she was in her 20s, writing, that “as a woman, for a myriad of reasons, opening up about W on W violence and sexual abuse, seems to be 100 times harder than speaking about the male predators, at least for me.”
When another commenter attempted to make a joke by referring to one of Perry’s early hits with the quip, “She kissed a girl and you didn’t like it?,” Rose provided what she claimed were the details of the alleged incident.
Rose then added, “I told the story publicly but changed it to be a ‘funny little drunk story’ because I didn’t know how else to handle it. Later she agreed to help me get my US visa. So I kept it a secret. But I DID tell yall she wasn’t a good person. Instead I got attacked by.. everyone.”
In her series of posts, Rose wrote, “I was only in my early 20s. I’m now 40. It has taken almost 2 decades to say this publicly. Though I am so grateful to have made it long enough to find my voice, it just shows how much of an impact trauma and sexual assault takes. Thank you for seeing me.”
Initially, Rose said she was not interested in filing a report over the incident, “not when I haven’t even filed a report for the numerous rapes at the hands of grown men.” She also said she invited Perry to sue her over the allegations, claiming, “she won’t, because it happened,” claiming she has photos from the night and that it was “witnessed by multiple people.”
She ended the posts by reiterating her claims that Perry wrote and signed letters of recommendation for her U.S. visa application in the 2010s.
The two stars have a history dating back to 2017, when Rose took aim at Perry over her song “Swish Swish,” widely believed to be a diss aimed at Rose’s friend Taylor Swift. At the time, Rose tweeted, “Purposeful poop’ to ‘bomb a petit’ to a sloppy mess of writing over the top of Funkagenda..stop trying to make ‘Wit..I mean ‘fetch’ happen,” later retracting her comment and tweeting, “being mean doesn’t suit me and leaves me feeling dirty … I get so triggered when I think bullies don’t get held accountable and it makes me think I should say something.”
At press time, it appeared as if Rose might have had a change of heart about taking her allegation to the authorities, writing late Sunday, “Today I will be walking into a police station to see if any of my experiences can be investigated. I imagine they are past their statute of limitations, but all the more reason to try. I have a long list, it will probably take more out of me than I’m prepared for, but I will come back here to update others on the process, as soon as I am ready.” It was unclear at press time if Rose discussed the alleged Perry incident or another one during her reported visit the police.
She also thanked all the “brave women” who came forward with their own stories of sexual abuse. “Especially the ones who went through the painful process of going through the police and court system. For years I have been too wounded and afraid to take the appropriate steps because I know the system seldom works.”
When another user questioned why she hadn’t filed a police report, Ruby responded Monday, “Just left the police station.” A spokesperson for Rose has not yet returned Billboard‘s request for comment.
If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual assault and needs support, reach out to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims 24/7. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website for more information.
Entertainment
With the Success of ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,’ Nintendo Is Launching the Switch 2 ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ Bundle
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Fresh off the success of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Nintendo just dropped a limited-time bundle celebrating all things Mario.
From April 12 to May 9, a Super Mario Galaxy bundle will be available at specific retailers, including Super Mario Galaxy and the sequel, along with a Switch 2 console. If you purchase a Nintendo Switch 2 at the same time as the physical or digital version of these galactic adventures and you can save $20 at participating retailers, like Amazon. This bundle is $499.99 (reg. $519.98) and gives gamers the hit console and allows you to experience the intergalactic joy of the Mario franchise all in one place.
If you aren’t familiar with the Nintendo game or haven’t seen the new movie yet, here’s the scoop. The first game follows our mustachioed friend Mario as he travels through space to rescue Princess Peach and her castle, which were so rudely abducted by Bowser. Princess Peach is once again kidnapped in the second game by a gigantic version of Bowser. Mario is tasked with saving the princess alongside his little Luma companion tucked beneath his hat.
Nintendo Switch 2 and 'Super Mario Galaxy' + 'Super Mario Galaxy 2' Bundle
This is a limited-time bundle from Nintendo. the bundle includes Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 and a Nintendo Switch 2.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie pulls direct inspo from Nintendo’s Super Mario Galaxy game down to the title and character. The film features beloved plumber Mario, voiced by Chris Pratt, and his mustachioed brother Luigi, voiced by Charlie Day, along with the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach, voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy.
New characters only seen in the game are also featured in the new iteration, including Princess Rosalina, played by Brie Larson and Bowser Jr. by Benny Safdie. The film had major wins in the box office with “$182.4M overseas, while U.S. and Canada rang up $190M over the Easter weekend stretch,” according to Deadline.
Super Mario Galaxy was released in 2007, while the sequel was dropped in 2010. The first game is hallowed for its atmosphere, story and charm, while the second game is favored for its gameplay and unique level design. Both games are extremely addictive in their own right.
Entertainment
Live Nation Verdict: Jury Says Concert Giant Is An Illegal Monopoly in Total Defeat
A jury found Wednesday (April 15) that Live Nation and Ticketmaster violated federal and state antitrust laws by dominating the live music industry, capping off a blockbuster trial with a verdict that could ultimately see the two concert giants broken up.
After a five-week trial in Manhattan federal court, jurors sided with a coalition of state attorneys general who sued Live Nation. The states argued during closing statements that the concert giant was a “monopolistic bully” that had harmed competition and driven up ticket prices for fans.
In its verdict, the jury handed Live Nation a total defeat — finding that the company illegally monopolized the market for ticketing services, concert ticketing and the use of amphitheaters, and that it illegally tied the use of its venues to its concert promotion services. The jury said fans overpaid by $1.72 per ticket.
Following the verdict, all eyes will turn to Judge Arun Subramanian, who must now decide whether to order Live Nation to sell off Ticketmaster — something critics have long demanded and the states have said is the goal of their case. Such orders are drastic and rare, though, and the judge could instead merely ban certain anti-competitive conduct.
Live Nation is certain to challenge the outcome, first to Subramanian and then to a federal appeals court.
New York Attorney General Letitia James celebrated the verdict as a “landmark victory” in a statement Wednesday.
“For far too long, Live Nation and Ticketmaster have taken advantage of fans and artists by raising prices for tickets and stifling any competition that threatened their power,” said James. “A jury found what we have long known to be true: Live Nation and Ticketmaster are breaking the law and costing consumers millions of dollars in the process. I am proud to have led a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in bringing this case and look forward to continuing our work to hold Live Nation and Ticketmaster accountable.”
Reps for Live Nation did not immediately return a request for comment.
The U.S. Department of Justice and dozens of states sued in 2024, 14 years after Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged with the blessing of federal antitrust regulators. The feds claimed the company had since grown into a monopoly that illegally dominated the live music industry: “It is time to break it up,” said then-attorney general Merrick Garland.
But a week after the trial started last month, DOJ agreed to a surprise settlement with Live Nation — a move that reportedly came after President Donald Trump personally pushed for it. The deal required key changes in business practices but, crucially, would not require the company to divest Ticketmaster. Following that, dozens of states said that settlement was insufficient, and instead pushed ahead with the trial.
Over five weeks of testimony, jurors heard from venue bosses like former Barclays Center CEO John Abbamondi, who claimed Live Nation threatened to divert concerts if he switched to rival ticketer SeatGeek. Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino later took the stand, where he denied such threats and said his company had simply outperformed its rivals to achieve its success: “I’m very proud.”
Jurors also heard from AEG Presents CEO Jay Marciano; current Barclays Center boss Laurie Jacoby; several other sports execs, promoters and venue operators; multiple Live Nation and Ticketmaster execs, like president of touring Omar Al-joulani; Drake’s manager Adel Nur, also known as Future The Prince; and numerous economists and other expert witnesses.
Live Nation, repped at trial by a team from the law firm Latham & Watkins, tried to persuade the jury that the company had secured its massive market share over the past 15 years not through anti-competitive behavior, but by simply being better than its rivals. During his closing statements, Live Nation attorney David Marriott called his client a “fierce competitor.”
But the states, led by veteran antitrust litigator Jeffrey Kessler, told the jury a very different story: that Live Nation and Ticketmaster had abused their position to enrich themselves at the expense of fans. They cited much-publicized Slack messages in which two Live Nation execs joked about “taking advantage” of “stupid” fans with prices and fees: “Robbing them blind baby. That’s how we do.”
“Who talks like this? What type of company uses this language?” Kessler asked the jury in closing statements on Thursday (April 9). “The answer, I think you will find, is a monopolist who views itself to be above the law.”
With Wednesday’s verdict, the jury showed that argument worked. It took them four days to deliberate, sifting through weeks of testimony and mountains of evidence submitted by both sides. As is typical with verdicts, there was no stated explanation for why the jurors sided with the states.
Entertainment
Bunbury to Bad Bunny Fans Who Bought Tickets to His Show by Mistake: ‘Welcome to the Concert’
Spanish rocker Bunbury has reacted to a mix-up that recently went viral on social media. “Not long ago, it came out somewhere that some girls got confused and, instead of buying tickets for Bad Bunny, they bought tickets for Bunbury,” the artist said on Tuesday (April 14) during an appearance on the show La Revuelta on TVE.
The anecdote traces back to a TikTok video published on Feb. 9 in which the young women laugh as they recount how they mistakenly purchased tickets for Bunbury’s Dec. 4 show at the Movistar Arena in Madrid, instead of tickets for one of Bad Bunny’s residency shows scheduled from May 30 to June 15 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in the city.
According to Bunbury, the confusion might have stemmed from the similarity between their names. “I guess they saw the B and the Y …,” he noted.
Rather than treating the situation as a problem, Bunbury responded with humor when the host asked him for a message for the fans: “Well, welcome to the concert.” As for the possibility of refunding the tickets, he added, “I’m not planning on giving them back.”
Despite the lighthearted tone, the artist defended the experience of his live performances, saying, “I think if they come, they’re going to enjoy it.”
Billboard Español reached out to Bunbury’s representatives for comment, but did not receive a response by press time.
The moment also sparked a brief reflection on his relationship with social media. Bunbury admitted that he avoids exposing himself to digital opinions, especially negative ones. “You read 100 good comments, and then there’s one that says ‘terrible’ and that one weighs on you more than the others,” he explained.
During the same conversation, the artist recalled that he recently crossed paths with Bad Bunny at the Latin Grammys, where they were seated near each other, though he didn’t get a chance to say hello.
Bunbury will hit the road this year with his Nuevas Mutaciones Tour. Check out the dates below:
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