Eminem Taps Wu-Tang Clan for Lions’ Thanksgiving Halftime Performance

Wu-Tang Clan performs at Accor Arena in Paris on March 11, 2026. The group will headline the Detroit Lions' Thanksgiving halftime show Nov. 26, with Eminem and Paul Rosenberg serving as executive producers. (Photo by ManoSolo13241324 via Wikimedia Commons, CC0)

Wu-Tang Clan is bringing Shaolin to Detroit for Thanksgiving, with Eminem and his longtime manager, Paul Rosenberg, arranging a national television appearance for the legendary hip-hop collective.

The Detroit Lions announced Sunday that Wu-Tang will headline halftime of the team's Nov. 26 game against the Chicago Bears at Ford Field.

The performance will air nationally on CBS during the Lions' 87th annual Thanksgiving Day Classic, which kicks off at 1 p.m. Eastern.

Eminem and Rosenberg, the president of Shady Records, selected the group as part of their multiyear agreement to oversee the team's Thanksgiving halftime entertainment.

The pairing brings together two defining forces of 1990s hip-hop: the Staten Island collective whose raw production and nine-member lineup helped reshape East Coast rap, and the Detroit superstar who followed that decade's underground rap traditions to worldwide fame.

It also comes at a major moment in Wu-Tang's history.

The group is winding down its “Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber” farewell tour and is scheduled to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 14, less than two weeks before the football game.

WU-TANG'S THANKSGIVING HALFTIME SHOW

Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears
Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026
Ford Field, Detroit
Kickoff: Noon Central / 1 p.m. Eastern
National broadcast: CBS

Read the Detroit Lions' official Wu-Tang announcement

Read the original Eminem-Rosenberg production agreement

See the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2026

The Hall of Fame announced Wu-Tang's selection in April, recognizing the collective's innovative recording style, extensive solo catalog and influence on hip-hop culture.

Rosenberg said the Thanksgiving booking reflects a shared admiration dating to the group's earliest recordings.

“Both Eminem and myself have been Wu fans since the early 90's,” he said in the Lions' announcement.

Rosenberg described a Wu-Tang performance in Detroit as both unexpected and fitting for the holiday tradition.

The Lions' partnership with Eminem and Rosenberg began in 2025. That year's halftime show featured Detroit rocker Jack White, with a surprise appearance by Eminem.

Whether the rapper will also perform with Wu-Tang this year remains unknown. The team has not announced any special guests, a set list or a performance by Eminem himself.

For Wu-Tang, the nationally televised appearance will introduce the group's sprawling catalog to an audience extending well beyond hip-hop's traditional fans.

Formed on Staten Island in the early 1990s, the collective broke through with its 1993 debut, “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers),” a landmark release built around RZA's spare, sample-heavy production and the contrasting styles of its MCs.

Songs including “Protect Ya Neck” and “C.R.E.A.M.” helped establish the group's reputation, while members went on to individual careers that produced such influential albums as Method Man's “Tical,” Raekwon's “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...” and GZA's “Liquid Swords.”

The group also challenged the music industry's traditional business model by allowing members to pursue separate recording contracts while maintaining the collective's identity.

The Rock Hall's 2026 class includes all 10 recognized Wu-Tang members, including the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, who died in 2004.

Its upcoming induction will put the group alongside fellow honorees including Sade, Luther Vandross, Queen Latifah and MC Lyte, although the latter two are being recognized in the Early Influence category.

Wu-Tang's Thanksgiving appearance is another milestone in a career that has already taken the group from underground New York clubs to arenas around the world.

Detroit Lions President and CEO Rich Haddad welcomed the booking, describing the group's participation as an addition to one of the NFL's longest-running holiday traditions.

Michigan native Antonio Cipriano, an actor and singer with Broadway credits, will perform the national anthem.

The Lions have not announced the length of Wu-Tang's halftime set or which members will take the field.

For now, the confirmed lineup promises a rare collision of Detroit football tradition and Staten Island hip-hop history, with Eminem helping make the connection from behind the scenes.

Ye’s Halloween Concert Draws Drake and More Than 80,000 Fans to Houston

Ye performs atop a globe-shaped stage at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sept. 4, 2026. He drew a reported 80,210 fans to his Halloween concert in Houston, where Drake was among those in attendance. (Photo by @goodasssub via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0)

Ye drew a reported 80,210 fans to Houston's Reliant Stadium on Halloween, bringing Drake into the audience, Travis Scott and other guests into the spotlight, and a Texas lawmaker into a growing controversy over his decision to honor the rapper.

Concert organizers and stadium officials called Saturday's turnout a U.S. stadium attendance record for a rap concert. The figure, reported by the Houston Chronicle, has not been independently audited.

It would also put the show seven people ahead of the stadium's previous announced concert attendance record, set March 22 when country singer Cody Johnson drew 80,203 fans during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, performed for nearly three hours atop an enormous globe-shaped stage, backed by elaborate lighting and pyrotechnics.

The concert covered much of his career, from early hits including “Jesus Walks,” “All Falls Down” and “Gold Digger” to more recent material.

Playboi Carti joined him for several songs, including “Carnival” and “Off the Grid.” Ye's daughter North West appeared for three numbers, including “Talking,” according to the Chronicle's account of the show.

Houston rapper Travis Scott also made an appearance.

Drake watching Ye and Playboi Carti perform “Carnival” together in Houston last night. 🐐🔥 https://t.co/8qW8I1WljM

— yzyupdates (@yzyupdates) November 1, 2026

But one of the night's most talked-about guests never took the stage.

Fan-shot footage appeared to show Drake watching from a suite with Scott, who had accompanied him to a Houston Rockets game earlier that evening.

The sighting attracted attention because of Drake's complicated history with Ye, whose relationship has included public feuds, attempted reconciliations and a joint appearance at the 2021 Free Larry Hoover benefit concert.

Neither rapper has announced another reconciliation. Drake was not listed as a performer, and his presence alone does not establish that their differences have been resolved.

The biggest controversy surrounding the Houston show, however, emerged after the music ended.

Texas state Rep. Ron Reynolds, a Democrat representing part of Fort Bend County, presented Ye with a “Global Icon Award” and a Texas flag he said had flown over the state Capitol in Austin in the rapper's honor.

“This flag was flown over our Capitol in Austin for none other than Kanye West,” Reynolds said during the presentation, according to video reported by Chron.

Reynolds described the recognition as being presented on behalf of Texas, but it was not immediately clear who authorized the award or whether it represented an official action by the state.

Ye was presented with a Global Icon Award and a special flag flown over the Texas State Capitol by State Representative Ron Reynolds following his historic Houston concert last night 🏆 “This flag was flown over our Capitol in Austin for none other than Kanye West. We’re so honored to have him in H-Town where we’re showing him mad love and respect.”

— Kurrco (@Kurrco) November 1, 2026

The recognition drew criticism because of Ye's history of antisemitic and racist statements, praise for Adolf Hitler and use of Nazi imagery.

Those controversies have previously resulted in lost business partnerships and cancellations of planned performances.

Before the Houston concert, stadium officials warned attendees that clothing, signs or other displays promoting hatred would not be permitted. Holocaust Museum Houston offered free admission over the weekend as part of its effort to confront antisemitism through education.

Ye apologized for his past statements in a full-page Wall Street Journal advertisement in January, attributing his behavior to a mental health crisis and saying he was committed to accountability and change.

His return to American stadiums has nevertheless demonstrated considerable commercial appeal, including a July performance at San Antonio's Alamodome that drew more than 60,000 fans.

The Houston concert left two markedly different images of Ye's place in popular culture: a stadium filled with fans celebrating his music and a public official facing questions about honoring him.

With additional performances scheduled in Dallas on Nov. 7 and Phoenix on Nov. 21, that contrast is likely to follow him beyond Houston.

Juan Atkins, Founding Figure of Detroit Techno, Dies at 64

Juan Atkins, a founding figure of Detroit techno whose 1983 Cybotron recording “Clear” was sampled in Missy Elliott's hit “Lose Control,” died at 64. His death was confirmed Sunday by his representatives.

A sound that helped invent Detroit techno in 1983 was still moving dance floors more than two decades later, when Missy Elliott built one of her biggest hits around it.

The man behind that sound, Juan Atkins, has died at 64.

Atkins, a Detroit DJ and producer widely regarded as one of techno's founding figures, was found unresponsive in a Mexico City hotel room ahead of a scheduled Halloween performance. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead Sunday, according to Greensmith Artists, his agency, which confirmed his death to electronic music publication Resident Advisor.

A cause of death has not been officially established.

Atkins helped lay the foundation for electronic dance music through his work with Cybotron, Model 500 and his independent Metroplex label. Alongside fellow Detroit innovators Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, he became part of the Belleville Three, the trio credited with helping establish Detroit techno.

But his influence reached well beyond electronic music.

In 1983, Atkins and collaborator Richard Davis released “Clear” as Cybotron, combining a relentless electronic rhythm, synthesizers and an otherworldly sense of space.

In 2005, Missy Elliott sampled “Clear” for “Lose Control,” her hit featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop. The song became one of the defining dance records of the decade, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Missy Elliott's 2005 hit "Lose Control," featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop, samples Cybotron's 1983 recording "Clear," co-written by Juan Atkins and Richard Davis. (Missy Elliott/YouTube)

Atkins and Davis received songwriting credits on the recording, which also sampled Hot Streak's “Body Work.”

For listeners who knew the song primarily through Elliott's music video and its explosive choreography, the connection offered an introduction to an earlier generation of Black electronic music.

Atkins' musical education began in Detroit, where he absorbed the funk of George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic alongside the electronic experiments of Germany's Kraftwerk. Radio personality the Electrifying Mojo helped bring those sounds together for a generation of Detroit listeners.

After moving to Belleville as a teenager, Atkins befriended May and Saunderson. Their shared interest in synthesizers, dance music and futuristic production eventually helped create a sound unlike the disco, funk and pop dominating American radio.

Atkins founded Cybotron with Davis in 1980. Along with “Clear,” the duo recorded influential tracks including “Alleys of Your Mind” and “Techno City.”

He later moved forward under the name Model 500, releasing “No UFO's” in 1985 and establishing Metroplex, a label that became central to Detroit's developing electronic music scene.

As the music spread overseas, particularly through clubs in Europe, the innovations of Atkins and his Detroit contemporaries helped shape a worldwide movement.

The word “techno” itself became closely associated with the sound through Atkins' music and the late-1980s British compilation that introduced Detroit artists to a broader international audience.

Saunderson, one of his fellow Belleville Three members, paid tribute to Atkins on social media.

“Juan was the originator of Techno, a true visionary who opened the door for so many of us, myself included,” he wrote, according to Mixmag.

Saunderson also recalled Atkins teaching him how to finish his first record, “Triangle of Love,” a gesture that helped launch his own career.

Other artists, including Kenny Larkin, Roger Sanchez and Fatboy Slim, joined the tributes following the announcement of Atkins' death.

Although techno became a global commercial genre, its origins in Detroit's Black music community have not always received equal recognition.

Atkins' recordings remain among the clearest evidence of that history: music rooted in funk and electronic experimentation that crossed continents, influenced generations of producers and eventually found its way into hip-hop and R&B.

More than 40 years after Cybotron recorded “Clear,” the beat that helped define his legacy still sounds unmistakably ahead of its time.

Judge Says Biggie’s Mother’s Trust Is Owed $12.5 Million in Faith Evans Estate Dispute

The Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans are pictured on the cover of Tymaz's 2021 single “Biggie With The Faith Freestyle.” A Delaware judge has ruled that a trust established by the late rapper's mother, Voletta Wallace, is entitled to more than $12.5 million in distributions from the company Evans manages to oversee his intellectual property. 

The Notorious B.I.G. warned against mixing family and business. Nearly three decades after his death, a
Delaware judge has invoked that advice while presiding over a multimillion-dollar dispute involving his widow, his children and his late mother's share of his music empire.

The latest ruling gives a trust established by Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, the right to more than $12.5 million in company distributions, plus interest, rejecting an attempt to limit the amount to about $48,600.

Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery ruled Tuesday that the Voletta Wallace Revocable Trust is entitled to $12,518,336 attributable to Wallace's ownership interest in Notorious B.I.G., LLC.

FROM THE COURT RECORD

Read the Delaware judge's rulings in the dispute over the late Voletta Wallace's ownership interest in Notorious B.I.G., LLC.

Oct. 27, 2026: $12.5 million distribution ruling (PDF)6 pages · Delaware Court of Chancery

Aug. 7, 2026: Original memorandum opinion (PDF)16 pages · Delaware Court of Chancery

The company, formed in 2007 by Wallace and singer Faith Evans, manages intellectual property associated with the late rapper, whose real name was Christopher Wallace.

Evans, Biggie's widow, became the company's sole manager after his mother died Feb. 21, 2025.

At the heart of the dispute is a distinction between when the trust formally became a member of the company and when it acquired the right to receive money.

The trust did not complete its admission as a member until Dec. 12, 2025. Evans and the company argued that it was entitled to only $48,612 in distributions associated with that later period.

But McCormick ruled that Wallace's economic rights transferred to her estate when she died and subsequently passed to the trust under her will.

That meant the trust's right to the money began months before its formal admission to the company.

The judge also awarded prejudgment interest at the statutory rate, compounded quarterly, beginning when the distributions became payable.

Court filings show that Wallace and Evans originally held equal ownership stakes in the company. A 2023 agreement gave each of Biggie's children, T'yanna Wallace and Christopher Jordan Wallace, rights to 25% of distributions, leaving Evans and Voletta Wallace with 25% apiece.

The dispute intensified after Voletta Wallace changed her estate documents Feb. 6, 2025, just 15 days before her death.

The changes removed her grandson Christopher Jordan Wallace and another previously designated successor from trustee and executor positions, leaving longtime Biggie associate Wayne Barrow as sole trustee and executor.

Barrow subsequently sought to establish the trust's rights in the company. Evans disputed its membership status and withheld distributions pending verification.

In August, McCormick granted Barrow's request for partial summary judgment, rejecting the company's opposing interpretation of its operating agreement.

The judge opened that earlier opinion with a reference to Biggie's 1997 song “Ten Crack Commandments,” citing his advice to keep family and business separate.

Tuesday's ruling settles the remaining questions over the trust's membership date and the distributions owed to it.

Evans and the company had pointed to a separate Pennsylvania proceeding in which her son, Christopher Jordan Wallace, is challenging Barrow's authority to administer his grandmother's estate.

They proposed placing disputed funds with the Delaware court while that challenge continued.

McCormick rejected the proposal, finding that the Pennsylvania dispute does not prevent the trust from receiving the distributions to which it is entitled.

The ruling concerns money attributable to Wallace's interest in Notorious B.I.G., LLC. It does not establish that Evans is personally liable for the entire amount.

The judge instructed Barrow's attorneys to submit a final proposed order within 20 days.

Drake at Center of Two Dismissed Lawsuits Involving Song Theft, Streaming Fraud Claims

Drake appears in a scene from the official music video for “Janice STFU.” A songwriter who accused the rapper of copying the song's chorus has withdrawn his federal copyright lawsuit. The dismissal came four days after a judge rejected a separate lawsuit alleging Spotify allowed fraudulent streams of Drake's music. (Drake/YouTube)

Two Drake-related legal disputes have ended in federal court within four days, derailing a copyright claim over one of his biggest hits and a lawsuit accusing Spotify of allowing bots to inflate billions of streams of his music.

Neither case produced a ruling on whether the underlying allegations were true. And while Drake was a defendant in the copyright case, he was never sued in the Spotify dispute.

The latest development came Tuesday, when songwriter and producer Aviel Calev Hirschfield withdrew his lawsuit accusing Drake of stealing the chorus of “Janice STFU,” the chart-topping single from his “Iceman” album.

Hirschfield filed the case Oct. 16 against Drake, OVO Sound and two Universal Music companies. Eleven days later, his attorneys submitted a two-page notice dismissing the entire action without prejudice.

The filing offered no explanation. Because the dismissal was without prejudice, Hirschfield remains free to bring the claims again.

The producer, who shares a songwriting credit with Drake on Beyoncé's “Heated,” alleged that he recorded the chorus in January over an instrumental supplied by producers FnZ, then sent it to people in Drake's circle.

READ THE COURT RECORDS

Two unrelated federal cases involving Drake's music ended four days apart. Read the filings behind the rulings.

Copyright case: Notice of dismissal (PDF)Oct. 27, 2026 | 2 pages

Spotify case: Federal judge's order (PDF)Oct. 23, 2026 | 16 pages

Hirschfield said he was stunned when the song was released in May and he heard what he believed was his work, performed without credit or compensation.

His complaint described the similarities as nearly exact. A recording purported to be his original demo later circulated online, with his legal representative confirming to Pitchfork that it matched an exhibit in the case.

Questions about the recording's origins and timeline followed. Hirschfield's representatives maintained that experts had examined the recording's metadata and found it legitimate.

Drake's representatives rejected the accusations, calling them a “manufactured and baseless attempt” to exploit his name. They maintained that Drake wrote the song and had no connection to Hirschfield.

The case ended before a court could examine the competing accounts.

The other dismissal came Friday in a separate lawsuit filed by West Coast rapper RBX, whose real name is Eric Dwayne Collins.

The Death Row Records veteran had accused Spotify of failing to stop artificial streaming that he alleged diverted royalties from legitimate rights holders.

Drake's official video for "Janice STFU," released May 15, 2026. (Drake/YouTube)

His complaint singled out Drake's catalog, alleging that a substantial portion of approximately 37 billion Spotify streams over a 48-month period was generated by automated accounts.

RBX estimated that streaming fraud had diverted at least $600 million in royalties from music rights holders. Those figures were allegations, not findings by the court, and Drake was not named as a defendant.

The case challenged Spotify's royalty system, which distributes revenue according to each recording's share of streams. Under that arrangement, artificially inflated numbers for one artist could reduce the share available to others.

But U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton found that RBX had failed to establish the legal grounds necessary to hold Spotify responsible.

The judge ruled that the commercial relationship between the rapper and streaming company did not create the special duty of protection necessary for his negligence claim.

She also rejected his arguments that Spotify deceptively or unfairly enforced its anti-fraud policies. RBX had not identified a specific rule that Spotify applied selectively, the judge found, or established the consumer or competitor harm necessary to support his claims under California law.

Staton had dismissed the lawsuit once before, in June, while allowing RBX to revise his complaint. This time, she concluded another amendment would be futile and dismissed the claims with prejudice.

The ruling prevents RBX from simply refiling the same claims in that court, although an appeal remains possible.

“We are reviewing the order, but an appeal is likely,” attorney Mark Pifko told Rolling Stone.

Spotify has denied benefiting from fraudulent streaming and says it uses detection systems, royalty withholding and financial penalties to combat the practice.

The ruling did not determine whether any of Drake's streams were fraudulent.

Jay-Z Confirms Super Bowl Halftime Performance, Ending Week of Speculation

Jay-Z appears in a promotional video announcing him as the headliner of the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show, scheduled for Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. (Screen grab/Roc Nation and Apple Music)

Jay-Z has spent seven years helping decide who takes the stage at the Super Bowl halftime show. Next February, he'll be the one standing on it.

The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Monday night that the Brooklyn rap mogul will headline Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The announcement came during ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast, confirming reports that Jay-Z, whose company has helped oversee the halftime show since 2019, had chosen himself for one of music's biggest stages.

It also marked a significant change of heart.

When Jay-Z entered into his partnership with the NFL seven years ago, he said he had made clear to Commissioner Roger Goodell that performing at the Super Bowl was not the reason for the deal.

Now, after years of helping bring hip-hop and R&B's biggest names to the field, he's taking his own turn.

The announcement arrived in a black-and-white promotional video featuring Jay-Z, set to his 2003 track "Public Service Announcement." The words "GOAT's out of the bag" appeared as the rapper was revealed as the headliner.

Watch Roc Nation's official JAY-Z Super Bowl halftime announcement

Roc Nation and Apple Music announced JAY-Z as the Super Bowl LXI halftime headliner Monday.

In a statement accompanying the announcement, Jay-Z reflected on the distance between his 1996 debut, "Reasonable Doubt," and the Super Bowl stage.

"This run continues to be a dream come true," he said.

The timing carries its own significance.

Just two days earlier, Jay-Z closed his JAY-Z 30 concert series at SoFi Stadium, the same venue where he'll perform at halftime. The anniversary run celebrated 30 years of "Reasonable Doubt" and 25 years of his landmark 2001 album, "The Blueprint."

His two-night Los Angeles finale featured a guest list that underscored the reach of his catalog and his standing in hip-hop.

Scarface, John Legend and DJ Khaled joined him during Friday's show, while his daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, appeared at the piano. Saturday's finale brought out Too $hort, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.

Those appearances offered a reminder of the musical relationships Jay-Z could draw upon in February, although no Super Bowl guests have been announced.

There is a certain symmetry to his return to SoFi Stadium.

The venue hosted the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show, when Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar delivered a landmark performance centered on hip-hop and R&B.

That show was among the most visible examples of the direction the NFL's halftime entertainment has taken since Roc Nation entered the picture.

The partnership was controversial when it began in 2019, coming amid criticism of the NFL's treatment of Colin Kaepernick and player protests over racial injustice.

Jay-Z argued at the time that the agreement could provide opportunities for both entertainment and social change. His company went on to help shape halftime performances by artists including The Weeknd, Rihanna, Usher, Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny.

The question of whether Jay-Z would eventually headline the show himself never entirely disappeared.

Last week, Puck reported that he had selected himself for the 2027 performance. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell declined to confirm the report during the league's fall meetings.

Monday's announcement settled the question.

For Jay-Z, 56, the performance extends a year devoted to revisiting his musical legacy. Along with the anniversary concerts, an eight-part documentary series has explored the songs and recordings that established him as one of hip-hop's defining figures.

He has not released a solo studio album since 2017's "4:44," but his influence over the industry — and particularly the Super Bowl — has continued to grow.

His wife, Beyoncé, headlined the halftime show in 2013 and returned as a guest during Coldplay's performance in 2016.

Jay-Z will follow Bad Bunny, who headlined the 2026 show.

For years, Jay-Z has helped decide what the world would hear at halftime.

This time, the catalog is his.

Chris Brown Spared Immediate Jail Time After Guilty Plea in British Court

Chris Brown performs at Jamaica National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, on Aug. 27, 2023. The R&B singer received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for one year, Monday in London after pleading guilty to affray in a 2023 nightclub attack. (Pelpa Time Production/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)

Chris Brown avoided immediate prison time Monday after a London judge sentenced the R&B singer to eight months behind bars, suspended for one year, for attacking a music producer with a tequila bottle at a nightclub in 2023.

Brown, 37, appeared at Southwark Crown Court, where Judge Tony Baumgartner imposed the sentence following the singer's July guilty plea to affray, a criminal offense involving unlawful violence or threats that cause people to fear for their safety.

The suspended sentence means Brown will not immediately go to prison but could be required to serve the term if he violates its conditions or commits another offense.

The case stemmed from a confrontation at Tape, a nightclub in London's Mayfair district, on Feb. 19, 2023.

OFFICIAL POLICE RECORD · OCT. 26, 2026

Metropolitan Police release nightclub security footage

Police released security video documenting the incident that led to the sentencing of Chris Brown and Omololu Akinlolu.

Content warning: The video contains physical violence.

View the original police video and media-use terms

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, London. Video duration: 1:37.

Prosecutors said Brown approached music producer Abraham Diaw on the dance floor and struck him twice in the head with a heavy glass tequila bottle.

The assault continued as Diaw attempted to get away, according to the Crown Prosecution Service. Brown's friend and vocal coach, Omololu Akinlolu, joined the attack, punching Diaw before he was pushed to the floor and kicked.

Diaw required hospital treatment for injuries to his head and knee.

Security footage presented during the proceedings showed the attack, which prosecutors said lasted approximately 20 seconds.

Judge Baumgartner described Brown's use of the bottle as "plainly dangerous" and emphasized that the singer's fame and commercial success did not entitle him to preferential treatment.

The judge also considered mitigating circumstances, including Brown's guilty plea, employment, charity work and recent conduct, according to courtroom reporting by the Associated Press.

Akinlolu, 40, received a four-month prison sentence, also suspended for 12 months. Both men were ordered to pay 1,500 pounds in court costs.

The guilty pleas resolved the criminal prosecution without a trial on the more serious charges the men had previously denied.

Brown had been arrested in Manchester in May 2025 after returning to Britain for a concert tour, more than two years after the nightclub incident.

British authorities said investigators had made repeated unsuccessful attempts to interview Brown and Akinlolu before arranging their arrests when they returned to the country.

In a statement released Monday, Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah of London's Metropolitan Police said investigators had remained determined to bring the men before the courts despite the passage of time.

The sentencing closes a criminal case that had threatened to disrupt Brown's touring career.

He has continued performing internationally and is scheduled to tour the United States with Usher.

Brown left court Monday without being taken into custody.

The Metropolitan Police also released security footage of the incident, providing a public record of the violence at the center of the prosecution.

Cassie Wins Dismissal Motion in Lawsuit Involving Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

Singer Cassie Ventura is shown in a May 27, 2021, photograph shared on her Instagram account. A federal judge granted her motion to dismiss claims in a civil lawsuit involving Sean "Diddy" Combs on Oct. 21, 2026. (Photo via Cassie Ventura's Instagram)

A federal judge has granted singer Cassie Ventura's request to dismiss claims against her in a $35 million civil lawsuit involving Sean "Diddy" Combs, while allowing the broader case to continue.

U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang granted Ventura's motion Wednesday during a hearing in Los Angeles, according to court minutes reviewed by SuperThrowbackParty.net.

The Oct. 21 ruling was recorded in a one-page document filed in the Central District of California in the case brought by Clayton Howard, a man who says he was hired to participate in sexual encounters involving Combs and Ventura.

ORIGINAL FEDERAL COURT RECORD

Howard v. Combs et al. — Oct. 21, 2026

U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang granted Cassandra Ventura's dismissal motion and separately ruled on a motion involving Sean Combs and corporate defendants.

Central District of California · Case 2:25-cv-06031 · Document 181 · One page

Read the court's original ruling (PDF)

Howard filed the lawsuit in June 2025, alleging that he was subjected to sexual exploitation, coercion and abuse during encounters he says took place over several years.

The allegations have not been established as fact by the court.

Ventura's attorneys challenged Howard's claims, arguing that his allegations did not establish the necessary legal basis to hold her liable for sex trafficking or related misconduct.

The defense also pointed to Howard's own descriptions of Combs exercising control over the encounters, arguing that those accounts did not establish that Ventura had coerced him.

The court granted Ventura's dismissal motion, identified as document 163 in the record.

But the ruling was not a dismissal of the entire lawsuit.

The judge granted part of a separate dismissal motion filed by Combs and corporate defendants and denied other portions. The court allowed an amendment within 14 days and directed Combs to file an answer within the same period.

The written minutes refer to an oral ruling delivered during the hearing and do not specify whether Ventura's dismissal was with prejudice, which would generally prevent the same claims from being brought against her again.

That distinction could matter if Howard seeks to pursue additional claims.

The judge also denied Howard's request to substitute another proposed amended complaint and said the court would consider a separate request involving an additional response to defense arguments.

Howard has repeatedly revised his lawsuit as the court has considered challenges to its allegations.

The $35 million figure represents damages sought in the litigation, according to AllHipHop's reporting. It is not a court award, settlement or finding that any defendant owes Howard money.

The ruling comes amid continuing civil litigation stemming from allegations involving Combs, whose legal troubles have generated a series of overlapping but separate cases.

Ventura previously testified in Combs' federal criminal trial. The allegations and procedural outcome in Howard's civil lawsuit must be evaluated independently of that prosecution.

The latest court action establishes one immediate result: Ventura's dismissal motion was granted, but the broader litigation has not concluded.