Lana Del Rey has joined Kacey Musgraves on a cover of the classic holiday tune “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Take a listen to it below.
The song appears on the soundtrack to Kacey Musgraves’ new Amazon Prime Video special, The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show, which premieres on the platform today (November 29). Inspired by Musgraves’ 2016 album A Very Kacey Christmas, the show also features Camila Cabello, Leon Bridges, and Zooey Deschanel among its many guests. Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy narrates the special, and Musgraves’ grandma makes a guest appearance, too.
Kacey Musgraves performed the song “Glittery” from the show on Fallon earlier this month.
In a tweet Wednesday, the former judge wrote: “So many tears, so much gratitude. THANK YOU!"
“Just when you feel lost, adrift, alone… you got me up off the ground. Humbled and thankful, forever," the 47-year-old added.
Union's tweet comes after Variety reported Tuesday that her exit was because she spoke out against the alleged “toxic” workplace culture at the NBC singing show.
The report alleges that Union was subject to various racial criticisms, including references to her many hairstyle changes, which were perceived as “too black” for “AGT's” core demographic — a critique Union reportedly received over half a dozen times.
She was also not keen on what some say was a racially insensitive joke by comedian Jay Leno while he was a guest judge.
During the filming of an interstitial segment, Leno joked about a painting that featured Simon Cowell surrounded by dogs. Leno joked that the dogs looked like something one could find “on the menu at a Korean restaurant” — much to the chagrin of “the very few Asian staffers” on the show.
The comment was later edited out of the Aug. 6 episode.
Union allegedly urged producers to report the incident to NBC’s human resources department — but her pleas fell on deaf ears.
The report also noted an episode in which Union took offense to a white contestant impersonating popular acts and people of color through quick costume changes. The contestant impersonated Beyonce and emerged with black hands.
Fellow "AGT" judge Julianne Hough also departed the popular talent competition show, but she denied her departure was a result of the workplace environment described in the same report from Variety.
After the actress pleaded with producers to remove the audition, producers reportedly told her, “We’ll take it out later.”
In a joint statement obtained by Variety, NBC and Fremantle -- the production company behind “AGT" -- responded to the allegations, saying: “‘America’s Got Talent’ has a long history of inclusivity and diversity in both our talent and the acts championed by the show. The judging and host lineup has been regularly refreshed over the years and that is one of the reasons for ‘AGT’’s enduring popularity. NBC and the producers take any issues on set seriously.”
Meanwhile, fellow "AGT" judge Julianne Hough also departed the series but she denied that her departure was a result of the workplace environment described in the same report from Variety.
Union’s husband, NBC star Dwyane Wade, defended her "firing" on Wednesday.
He wrote on social media: “So when i got the news that my wife was being fired—my first question was obviously why!? Iam still waiting on a good answer to that question. But if anyone knows @itsgabrielleu or have heard of her you know she’s an advocate for our community and culture."
Fox News' Julius Young and Andy Sahadeo contributed to this report.
“So many tears, so much gratitude. THANK YOU!” the 47-year-old began. “Just when you feel lost, adrift, alone… you got me up off the ground. Humbled and thankful, forever.”
Union’s tweet followed reports published Wednesday detailing alleged toxicity on the set of the NBC talent series. Union is said to have brought up racially insensitive incidents to producers, according to Variety. She and fellow judge Julianne Hough, who was also ousted, reportedly received “excessive notes on their physical appearance,” the outlet also noted.
A show source addressed the allegations Wednesday to Page Six, stating, “Ensuring a safe environment is so important to the show. Anytime someone comes forward and has issues, we take things very seriously.”
Union’s husband, Dwyane Wade, defended her Wednesday with a message on social media.
“So when i got the news that my wife was being fired—my first question was obviously why!? Iam still waiting on a good answer to that question. But if anyone knows @itsgabrielleu or have heard of her you know she’s an advocate for our community and culture,” he posted.
Supergirl star Melissa Benoist has spoken out about being in an abusive relationship - saying at one point she had to learn to lock herself in a room.
In a video on Instagram, the actress says she "never thought" she'd be sharing a story like this.
She then gives details of how the "violence escalated" and how she "had to get out".
"I hope telling my story might help prevent more stories like mine happening," she says.
WARNING: This article contains details which some people may find upsetting
In the video, which is captioned Life Isn't Always What It Seems, the actress never names the alleged perpetrator or suggests when the relationship took place or how long it lasted.
Melissa says "the abuse was not violent at first" but was more manipulative.
"Work in general was a touchy subject," she says.
"He didn't want me ever kissing or even having flirtatious scenes with men..."
She says she turned down auditions and job offers because she "didn't want to hurt him" and now sees that behaviour as a "red flag" for what was to come.
The 31-year-old says the violence started with "a smoothie being thrown in my face" before escalating to the point where she was "pinned down, slapped and repeatedly punched".
"I learned to lock myself in rooms but quickly stopped because the door was inevitably broken down," she says.
In the video, she says her "most vivid memories" are from when the arguments would end when "a wave of guilt would wash over him", he'd "carry me to an empty bath" before crying and giving what she calls "the typical abuser's apology speech".
Melissa says she would "just plain lie" to her closest friends to cover up what was going on until one day one of them confronted her about it.
"Unbeknownst to me, many people in my life suspected and feared exactly what was happening.
"It was the first moment I spoke about the abuse to anyone and I can't describe the amount of relief I felt.
"She held me and she said, 'You know what you have to do now, don't you?'"
'You deserve a violence-free life'
The actress says "leaving was not a walk in the park" but that the more people she "let in" the more she was "bolstered".
She closes the video by addressing anyone who might be going through something similar.
"What I went through caused a tectonic shift in my outlook on life. I will be healing from this for the rest of my life. And that's OK.
"If you are enduring what I went through and you see this... at least you might begin to think of your freedom.
"You can and deserve to live a violence-free life."
Since the video was released, hundreds of people have responded to the post and the hashtag #IStandWithMelissa was trending on Twitter.
One fan called the story "absolutely heartbreaking" saying the actress is "so strong" while another thanks her "for being yet another voice to say it's OK to say no".
Other celebrities have also supported her.
Riverdale actress Lini Reinhart said she was "so moved by her bravery" on Instagram' while writer Natasha Rothwell tweeted: "Check on your strong friends. Check on your quiet friends... Check on each other."
Madonna announced on Wednesday that she'd made the difficult decision to cancel all three of her shows in Boston scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Taking to Instagram, the pop star wrote that she's following doctor's orders in making this decision, even though it's incredibly difficult for her.
"Please forgive this unexpected turn of events," she wrote. "Doing my show every night brings me so much joy and to cancel is a kind of punishment for me, but the pain I’m in right now is overwhelming, and I must rest and follow doctor’s orders so I can come back stronger and better and continue the Madame X journey with all of you."
Madonna is currently touring in support of "Madame X," her fourteenth studio album released over this past summer and becoming her ninth effort to debut atop Billboard's Top 200 chart.
The worldwide theater tour kicked off September 17 in New York City and is set to conclude after 87 shows on March 8, 2020 in Paris. At this time, though, it is unclear if Madonna will be forced to cancel any other future dates.
Unfortunately, in confirming this news, her tour promoter revealed that the Boston shows will not be made up "due to the tight scheduling through the balance of the year." Instead, "refunds will be automatically issued to the credit card on which they were ordered."
This weekend's shows aren't the first cancellations for Madge on this tour, either. She previously had to cancel two shows in Brooklyn and one in Los Angeles for production issues and injury.
After this weekend's aborted shows, the Madame X Tour heads to Philadelphia for four shows at the Metropolitan Opera House starting December 7. Hopefully, that additional time will allow whatever is ailing her to heal up so the show can go on.
While she didn't go into specifics as to what specifically is causing her so much pain right now, Variety notes that the singer told an audience earlier in the month that she was suffering from a torn ligament and having issues with her knees. That said, this may be a totally unrelated ailment.
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The Pussycat Dolls reunion was supposed to be top secret.
Rumours had been swirling for several months, but journalists were under instruction not to confirm anything ahead of the group's surprise reunion performance on X Factor: Celebrity this weekend.
Louis Walsh, however, may have missed the memo.
"You know who's coming on? The Pussycat Dolls are the special guests!" he told Lorraine Kelly during a live TV interview on Monday. "There's an exclusive for you. They're back together."
The pussycat was firmly out of the bag.
"Half the time, Louis doesn't even know what he's talking about, so I was just surprised he got that one right," laughs his co-judge Nicole Scherzinger, lead singer of the Dolls.
"You could see in his face though," adds Carmit Bachar. "After he said it, he was like 'did I just drop the ball?'"
It's now officially announced that Nicole and Carmit, along with Ashley Roberts, Kimberly Wyatt and Jessica Sutta, are all set to return for nine live UK shows in April 2020.
"It's been a few years in the making," explains Kimberly. "But I think ultimately there's some unfinished business with the Pussycat Dolls.
"We're ready to get out there and do what we love. And the stars aligned. We've all been busy making babies and all those kinds of things," she adds (before Nicole interjects: "Speak for yourself!").
The Dolls broke up relatively early, in 2010, having released just two albums. And it's not as if their star was fading at the time they split.
They'd scored number one hits in the UK with Stickwitu and Don't Cha, while Jai Ho, Beep, Buttonz and When I Grow Up all hit the top 10 over their five years together.
Nonetheless, the group splintered off for various solo projects, but all have kept strong links with the UK.
Kimberly now lives in London with her British husband. Ashley appeared on Strictly and I'm A Celebrity and now presents on Heart radio. Nicole has performed in the West End, judged on X Factor and topped the UK singles chart with one of her solo hits, Don't Hold Your Breath.
"LA was our home, but the UK was our second home because the British just scooped us up," says Ashley. "So our lives ended up here as well, some of us, so the fans have just been holding on strong with wanting this reunion and our biggest fanbase is over here."
One member - Melody Thornton - is notably absent from the reunion, amid suggestions that she was requesting a larger share of the singing parts. Nicole sang 95% of the group's vocals across their first two albums, by her own admission.
Speaking to VH1's Behind The Music in 2012, producer Ron Fair confirmed: "Melody sang a bit here and there but the records were Nicole, with the exception of an occasional ad lib. They were Nicole."
As a result, Melody has often spoken about feeling under-used as a singer during her time with the group.
"They said, 'we're going to have Nicole do all of the recording, you're going to have to learn to dance with the rest of the girls'," Melody explained earlier this year when she was in the UK for Dancing on Ice.
"And for me it really affected my confidence because I wasn't using my best asset [my voice]. And I was the weakest dancer."
Explaining her absence from the reunion tour, Ashley says: "Mel's got a lot of projects going on in life.
"She was included in all of this, she's our sister, the door is always open, but it just wasn't the right timing for her right now. We wish her well."
The Dolls avoid the question of whether the vocals will be divided up more evenly this time around - which, to be fair, could just be down to the fact they haven't started rehearsals yet.
But Nicole says: "This is a tour that we've never created, so we're really excited. Everybody brings their own unique gifts to the table.
"We're just going to push each other, we want to see each other shine, we're going to push the boundaries together as a group with each other, so everybody is going to have their own time to shine."
She breezes past any suggestion that there is disharmony within the group. "We're not famous for that are we? We get along, it's a sisterhood, we love each other, we have the best chemistry," she says. "We feed off each other, and if we ever have an issue, we've always been open about communication and talking it through.
"Naturally, when you're so close, there may be some disagreements, some arguments. But that's the beauty, what makes you stronger. We've evolved so much. Like, bye drama! We want this to be really enjoyable for us."
Culturally, things have shifted a little since then. Lingerie brand Victoria's Secret announced last week they were dropping their annual fashion show amid criticism it was sexist and outdated.
With that in mind, will the Dolls change any of their image or choreography?
"It's evolved, but we are the Pussycat Dolls and we stand together in having fun on stage and embracing our female bodies, whatever shape they may be in," says Ashley.
"And I think that will continue, fashion has evolved and we get to have fun and play and getting dressed up is what the Dolls is about."
Nicole adds: "We're excited about being fashion forward. We'll be taking a lot of inspiration from the runways. We really love what Dua [Lipa] has been doing with fashion, so it's going to be the best of both worlds. But danceable!"
The sexually suggestive image is a nod to the Dolls' roots as a burlesque dance troupe. The group, which was founded by Robin Antin in 1995, attracted a huge following in Hollywood, with stars like Britney Spears, Pink and Carmen Electra joining them on stage.
Chart success and headline world tours soon followed. This time around, the five-piece are keen to ensure they savour and enjoy the whole experience.
"It was such a whirlwind," Ashley recalls of their rise to fame. "It was all just going, going, going, and it's hard to stay present within it and have gratitude for that present moment.
"But I think with us maturing over the last 10 years and all the life experience that's happened, we can hopefully bring that in and stay within the moment and enjoy it."
The tour could potentially be the first of several new Dolls projects, according to Nicole. "We're working on new music. But we're doing one thing at a time. We're together, we're focusing, we've got a massive performance [on X Factor] at the end of this week, which is huge for us, and then we're all focusing on the tour."
She adds how much of a relief it is to once again be surrounded by her bandmates after pursuing her own projects for so long. This year alone, Nicole has judged on The Masked Singer, Australia's Got Talent and X Factor: Celebrity.
"I feel blessed because I'm doing all these different shows, different continents, and these press days, it's so much more fun and way easier with the girls 'cause I'm like, 'we got this!'
"It's so much easier I think, and it's jogging our memories a lot."
