
Entertainment
Diddy Approved for Drug Rehab Program in Prison: Could It Lead to a Shorter Sentence?
Sean “Diddy” Combs has gotten a judge’s approval to participate in the federal prison system’s in-house drug abuse rehab program while serving his sentence for prostitution crimes.
Judge Arun Subramanian said in a Wednesday (Oct. 8) order that Combs qualifies for the Bureau of Prisons’ Residential Drug Abuse Program, known as RDAP. Combs, who has been in a pretrial jail facility since his arrest last year, was sentenced last week to another three years in prison for orchestrating drug-fueled sex marathons known as “freak-offs” between his girlfriends and male escorts.
While the rapper has vehemently denied that his freak-offs violated federal law, his lawyers conceded during trial that he “obviously has a drug problem.” Combs’ team wrote in a recent letter to the court that the nine-month treatment program would help him “address drug abuse issues,” and prosecutors took no position on the matter.
Combs has not yet been assigned a prison to serve the rest of his time. His lawyers have requested that he be sent to Fort Dix in New Jersey, though RDAP is offered at more than 50 federal prison complexes nationwide.
For some inmates, RDAP carries the enticing perk that successful graduates can shave up to a year off their prison sentences. But there’s a catch: only “nonviolent offenders” are eligible for this type of early release, and it’s not clear that Combs will meet that standard.
Prosecutors say Combs relied on “unchecked violence,” including a now-infamous video of him beating Cassie Ventura at a hotel, to force women to participate in the freak-offs. Judge Subramanian seemed to agree at Combs’ sentencing hearing, saying that the rapper’s prostitution activity amounted to “subjugation.”
Combs’ lawyers, meanwhile, have insisted that the jury rejected this theory of violence when they acquitted him of more serious racketeering and sex-trafficking charges. The defense position is that in convicting Combs of interstate prostitution only, jurors determined that the freak-offs were fully consensual sexual encounters.
The true meaning of Combs’ split verdict is a thorny legal question. Experts tell Billboard that it’s up for debate how much of the violence cited by prosecutors during the trial should be deemed part of his prostitution conviction. This question will likely be weighed by a higher court during Combs’ upcoming appeal, as well as by the Bureau of Prisons in deciding whether he qualifies for early release under RDAP.
Combs’ team is now preparing to file his much-anticipated appeal. Meanwhile, they’re also lobbying for a pardon from President Donald Trump, who confirmed on Monday (Oct. 6) that the rapper he called “Puff Daddy” has asked for clemency.
Entertainment
Which New Music Release Is Your Favorite This Week? Vote!
It’s the final new music Friday (April 24) of the month, and everyone from Noah Kahan to Kehlani and Suki Waterhouse have put forth some of their best work as May waits just around the corner.
This week, Vermont’s favorite folk-rock singer-songwriter finally returned with a new album after four years of Stick Season, his breakout album that reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The Great Divide is 17 tracks of Kahan reexamining his worldview after struggling with his mental health in the years since he found fame.
And, as if taking cues from the success of first-ever Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “Folded” (which reached No. 6 on the chart in January), Kehlani leans fully into classic R&B flavors in an intentional push to recenter the genre’s traditions. “All the R&B artists, we want R&B to be back,” the artist told Billboard ahead of being named Billboard Women in Music’s Impact honoree. “We want good, long songs. We want three verses and bridges and modulations and all the things – we want that too. We just didn’t think anybody else wanted it. I have an allegiance to the genre, and I’ll keep it there.”
On top of the bounty of new albums, several artists have released fresh singles — including Suki Waterhouse, who returns with “Tiny Raisin” shortly after announcing her next album, Loveland, as well as Hayley Kiyoko and Gigi Perez, who teamed up for heartfelt duet “Collide.” Plus, Dylan Gossett adds “My Boy” to the mix, written as a letter to his son.
But which release is your favorite this week? Let Billboard know by voting in the poll below.
Entertainment
Celeb-Loved Juicy Couture T-Shirts Are On Sale for $8 Right Now (If You Hurry)
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
It’s been almost three decades since the LA-based casual wear brand Juicy Couture first hit store shelves, and the Hollywood-loved label has made its way back into the spotlight in recent years thanks to the Y2K trend resurgence and newfound love from influencers online.
Best known for its T-shirts, handbags and yes, those velour tracksuits (reportedly designed exclusively for Madonna at first), Juicy Couture pieces were seen on practically every major celebrity in the 2000s, from Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, to Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian. Musicians like Miley Cyrus, Nicole Scherzinger and even Beyoncé have also been spotted wearing Juicy Couture, and now, a new Amazon deal makes it easy for you to get into some JC as well.
LIMITED TIME DEAL
Juicy Couture Cap Sleeve T-Shirt (Five-Pack)
Amazon is selling a five-pack of Juicy Couture T-shirts right now for just $39. Part of the “Juicy Sport” line, the cropped T-shirts are made from a super soft and breathable “performance” fabric that features a touch of spandex for easy movement and stretch.
That makes the T-shirts as ideal for a workout or yoga session as they are for pairing with your everyday ‘fits. The crop top look leans into the Y2K aesthetic and Amazon’s website shows the shirts styled with shorts, leggings and mini skirts alike.
This Amazon deal gets you five Juicy Couture T-shirts for under $40. That brings the price of each tee down to less than $8 — a virtually unheard of deal for generic T-shirts, let alone a brand name pick.
We like the five-pack above, which gets you a T-shirt in two shades of pink (including a light pink with the signature Juicy Couture cherries), plus navy blue, gray and black. You can choose from other color combinations online. The tees are available in sizes small to XXL.
ALSO AVAILABLE
Juicy Couture T-Shirts (Three-Pack)
Don’t need five T-shirts? Amazon also sells a three-pack of Juicy Couture tees for just $30, bringing the price of each individual shirt to under $10.
ALSO CONSIDER
Juicy Couture Queen of Everything Mini Duffle Bag
And if you need a bag to take to the gym (or for an overnight stay), we like this mini barrel-style duffle bag, on sale for 43% off. The two-tone bag measures approximate 8.2 x 4.9 inches in size, which is enough room for your wallet, keys, change of clothes and toiletries. Choose to carry the bag via the top handle or with the detachable shoulder straps.
All of the above picks are officially-licensed products sold through Amazon’s Juicy Couture storefront. As with all Amazon deals, the sale prices could end at anytime, so we recommend adding the deals to cart while they are still live.
Entertainment
Head Back to Hawkins With New ‘Stranger Things: Tales From ’85’ Soundtrack
Netflix is bringing us back to the ’80s, and it’s making sure we have the right music for the occasion.
On Wednesday (April 22), Billboard can exclusively reveal that an original soundtrack is coming this week for the brand-new animated spin-off series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. The score album, composed by Brad Breeck (Gravity Falls, We Bare Bears), will be released globally Thursday (April 23) at midnight ET.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 also arrives Thursday on Netflix, bringing viewers back to the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the ’80s and reuniting us with some of the original show’s main characters. And much like Stranger Things, music plays a large role in the new show.
“This collection bridges the gap between the eerie depths of the Upside Down and the vibrant, neon energy of the mid-’80s,” Netflix said in a statement.
Tales From ’85 will feature not only a brand-new version of the original Stranger Things theme song, but the first episodes also include a selection of ’80s hits from artists like Black Sabbath, Billy Idol, Cyndi Lauper and more. Needle drops throughout the series include “We Got the Beat” by The Go-Go’s, “A Forest” by The Cure and “We’ll Meet Again” by Vera Lynn, “Rebel Yell” by Idol, and Lauper’s Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Time After Time.”
If it’s anything like the original show, artists with songs played in the new series could see a bump in streams and chart placements in the aftermath of the show’s premiere. After featuring the songs in pivotal moments, Stranger Things brought Kate Bush‘s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” to a new peak of No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 2022, 37 years after its initial release, while Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” made its debut on the chart the same year, 36 years after it came out.
Fans can pre-save Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) by Brad Breeck here, and find the full score track list below.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) by Brad Breeck track list
Flamethrower (artists: Brad Breeck feat. Brian Parkhurst)
Kids Riding Bikes
Big Snowstorm Coming
Someone In There
HIC Theme
I Just Saved Your Life
Strange Stones
Gotta Go Dark
How Long Is Detention
Sewer Chase (artists: Brad Breeck feat. Brian Parkhurst)
Towns
Clean Up
Investigating Pumpkins
Heaven Eleven
Nice Time Tonight
Storm the Gates
What Were These Things
Ground Rules
seluR dnuorG
Her Royal Nastiness
We Have To Try
Tales from ’85 End Titles (artists: Brad Breeck feat. Cooper Babbes)
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