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Deon Cole Prays for Nicki Minaj, 50 Cent & More in Lively Monologue at 2026 NAACP Image Awards

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Returning as host, comedian/actor and three-time Image Award winner Deon Cole helmed the 57th annual NAACP Image Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Friday (Feb. 28). The tightly paced, two-hour ceremony featured no musical performances. Cole, however, skillfully balanced both a topical and cultural tone while keeping the proceedings lively, especially during his opening monologue.

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“Welcome to the NAACP Trump Image Awards,” Cole deadpanned to the audience’s high-spirited laughter. “We had to do that. Yes, he wants his name on everything. I apologize. If we didn’t do that, we’d go to commercial and come back in an episode of Matlock.”

After addressing the Epstein files, Cole then implored show officials to “charge me for this curse word” used to spotlight another topical subject during which he was bleeped out. But it wasn’t hard to read his lips: “F—k ICE.” Greeted again by hearty applause, and shoutouts as well as a standing ovation, Cole added, “I don’t want to see no ICE ever again. When I looked at the guest list, I took off Ice Cube, Iced Tea, Ice Spice. I don’t want no ice cream. I don’t want no ice in my drink…”

Taking the audience to church next, Cole led a prayer on behalf of several entertainers. Among those he blessed were Teyana Taylor (“Keep her single and away from 6’3” green-eyed men with muscles”), 50 Cent (“But that pettiness begins our day going fast at work, don’t it?”) and Nicki Minaj (“She’s been going through a lot lately. She hasn’t been herself. Lord, I believe whatever’s in her ass is affecting her brain”).

Lastly, Cole addressed the recent British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards controversy that erupted when the N-word was shouted out by John Davidson, who suffers from Tourette syndrome, while Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award at that ceremony (Feb. 22). BAFTA, the BBC and Davidson (also a Tourette activist whose life inspired the 2025 film I Swear) subsequently apologized.

“Before we go, Lord,” concluded Cole, “if there are any white men out here in the audience with Tourette’s, I advise you to tell them that they better read the room tonight. Lord, it might not go the way they think. Whatever medicine they’re on, they better double up on it. Lord, all these things we ask in Jesus’ name … let the church say amen.”

Moving ahead to the evening’s first award presentation, Cole brought everything full circle. “Let’s have a good time here celebrating everybody’s accomplishments … and we’re going to celebrate being together. Make some noise, y’all. Ain’t nobody better than the next person.”

Among other Image Awards highlights was Samuel L. Jackson’s stirring tribute to late civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson. Members of the Jackson family were also in attendance.

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sombr Stops Show to Scold Venue Staff After Fan Seemingly Passes Out: ‘You Need to Pay Attention’

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At his recent show in London, sombr paused the program to call out event staff after a fan appeared to faint in the audience without receiving help.

While in the midst of singing his breakout Billboard Hot 100 hit “Back to Friends” on Tuesday at O2 Academy Brixton, the Gen Z pop star suddenly waved at his band to stop playing. “Stop the show,” he said before addressing people working the concert, as captured in videos posted on social media. “Guys, there’s someone passed out over there.”

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“This is the most poorly managed venue I’ve ever played at in my life,” he continued. “You need to pay attention. It’s insane. I’ve played three nights here, and I’ve never played at a more poorly managed venue.”

Billboard has reached out to reps for sombr and O2 Academy Brixton.

Before proceeding with the show, the artist told the crowd, “Let me know when everyone’s good.”

sombr is currently on a run of shows in Europe, with dates planned for venues in Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Dublin. This summer, he’ll play a slew of festivals, including Coachella and BottleRock Napa Valley.

The New York native also had another mid-show interruption recently, this time during his performance at the BRIT Awards. While he was singing “Undressed” at the ceremony, a man wearing a “Sombr is a homewrecker” shirt ran out on stage and appeared to hit Sombr; as it turned out, it was a pre-planned stint to help promote his new single “Homewrecker,” which recently debuted at No. 26 on the Hot 100.

And despite the momentary frustration, Sombr had only kind words to say about his overall experience playing for fans in London. “I love you so much,” he wrote over a video of the crowd at O2 Academy Brixton on his Instagram Story. “Thanks so much for an unforgettable past 3 nights. I’ll be back London.”

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The 15 Most Surprising Member Exits From K-Pop Groups

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While the K-pop world is grappling with the unexpected news that ENHYPEN is no longer seven members following member Heeseung’s seemingly out-of-nowhere announcement of his departure, the industry has certainly been blindsided by such abrupt exits many times.

While Heeseung’s situation was shocking, it unfolded fairly calmly. On March 10, announcements came from ENHYPEN’s official channels, alongside a handwritten letter from Heeseung himself and ENHYPEN’s own statement on social media. Comparatively, some of K-pop’s biggest groups have been changed forever by dramatic announcements from members, via notices of legal action or vague updates from their agencies — the latter of which can sometimes be the most heartbreaking for fans.

From one of K-pop’s most landmark member exits in Junsu, Yoochun and Jaejoong from TVXQ! in 2009 (which ultimately rid the industry of so-called “slave contracts”) to years like 2014, 2019 or even last year, where multiple popular groups saw members drop from their groups, Billboard is sharing a timeline of the 15 most shocking exits from K-pop groups.

Membership changes are never easy, even when fans suspect something may have shifted for the group or there is an internal or external issue. Members of K-pop groups have left for the sake of their mental health or sometimes due to ongoing external pressure from issues from their past arising. For the purposes of this timeline and its relation to the news surrounding ENHYPEN and Heeseung, we’re focusing on K-pop member exits that seemingly came out of nowhere, with no prior indication, hiatuses or controversy.

Read on to learn how rare it is to have Heeseung remain under the same label as his former group in BELIFT LAB to pursue his solo career and more, in this look through K-pop’s most unexpected member departures.

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Watch Harry Styles Bust Marcello Hernandez for Impersonating Him Ahead of ‘SNL’: ‘Are Those My Clothes?’

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Sorry, Marcello Hernandez — there’s only one Harry Styles. On the set of Saturday Night Live ahead of the pop star’s upcoming hosting and performing stint, the comedian got a little too comfortable impersonating that week’s guest in a promo video posted Wednesday (March 11).

The teaser opens as a spoof on Styles’ One Night in Manchester concert special trailer, with the piano intro to his new single “American Girls” playing over shots of what looks like the singer’s silhouette striking poses and dancing across the stage. A record-scratch moment happens when the real Styles walks in with SNL castmember Kenan Thompson, busting Hernandez, who’d been pretending to be the Grammy winner that whole time.

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“What are you doing, Marcello? Are those my clothes?” Styles asks a visibly embarrassed Hernandez.

“Yeah, sorry,” the stand-up comic stutters, suddenly shy about wearing Styles’ pinstriped, flared slacks. “I thought you weren’t coming, so I thought I’d just go on as your understudy.”

Perplexed, Styles explains where he and Thompson had been. “I’m 15 minutes late, because Kenan and I went out for pain au chocolat. It’s a tradition when I host.”

Suffice to say, it’ll be Styles — the real Styles — helming SNL on Saturday (March 14), returning to host for the second time. He previously led an episode of the show in 2019.

The Brit will also serve as musical guest on the new episode, having just dropped his new album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. The project was led by Billboard Hot 100-topping single “Aperture” and features second single “American Girls,” both of which are strong contenders for the tracks Styles will perform at 30 Rock — although fans will have to tune in to the live show to find out.

Watch Styles’ SNL promo above.

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