Entertainment

Japan’s crown prince criticizes media coverage of daughter Mako’s engagement

Japan’s crown prince criticized the media on Tuesday for falsities and “terrible things” in its coverage of the engagement of his daughter, former princess Mako, who relinquished her royal status to marry a non-royal last month.
Mako, 30, postponed her marriage to Kei Komuro, 30, for roughly three years over opposition stemming from a scandal involving his mother. Mako was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder during that period.

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In accordance with Japanese law, Mako relinquished her royal status when the two married by submitting paperwork at a local office and left to live in New York this month.
Crown Prince Akishino, the emperor’s brother, made the remarks, unusually candid for a Japanese royal, at a news conference to mark his 56th birthday.
“If you read the tabloids, well — I’m not sure how to say this exactly — but there’s a lot of things in there that are fabricated, although there are also some opinions we should listen to,” Akishino said when asked about the connection between media coverage and his daughter’s diagnosis.
Though Japan was captivated when Mako and Komuro, who works in a law office in New York, announced their engagement in 2017, revelations of the scandal touched off intense media scrutiny and criticism.
“As for articles on the internet, there are also lots of comments … and some of them say really terrible things,” Akishino added. “There are people who are deeply hurt by this slander.”
Some royal watchers said the furor over Mako’s marriage, which even sparked protests against the wedding, might have been toned down with more adept handling by the Imperial Household Agency (IHA), which runs the family’s lives, pointing to how similar incidents are handled by royals overseas.
Akishino said the IHA does sometimes correct “mistaken” information on its website but implied more might be needed.
“If you are going to argue against an article, you have to set proper standards and then protest when those are exceeded,” he said. “Negative coverage may continue, so I think it is necessary to consider setting such standards in consultation with the IHA.”
Akishino also said that the decision to forego all ceremonies for the marriage had been his, as he felt the scandal — about money loaned to the Komuro family by Komuro’s mother’s former fiance — had not been adequately explained.
But, he added, “I think it would have been appropriate if they could have been carried out as usual.”

Entertainment

Accused of rape, British comedian Russell Brand speaks of ‘distressing’ week

British comedian and actor Russell Brand on Friday spoke of an “extraordinary and distressing week” in his first public comments since rape and assault allegations were aired against him, but did not address the claims.
“Obviously it’s been an extraordinary and distressing week and I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information you are being presented with,” he said on a video posted to his YouTube channel, which has 6.64 million subscribers.
“I need your support now more than ever, more than I ever imagined I would,” he added.
But he did not comment on the joint investigation by The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4 television in which four women made claims of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse against him.
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Then on Thursday, a woman accused Brand of exposing himself to her in 2008.
Brand criticized the British government for asking tech companies to take action against him.
Denouncing what he described as “deep state and corporate collusion” and “media corruption and censorship,” he said he would post a longer video on Monday.
In a video released last week, just before the story broke, Brand, 48, denied the allegations against him, which are said to have taken place between 2006 and 2013.
He said his relationships had always been “consensual,” even during a period when he admitted he was “very, very promiscuous.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman called the allegations “very serious and concerning.”
Sunak “has been clear there should never be any space for harassment, regardless of where it is found,” he added.
Brand’s publisher Bluebird announced that “all future publishing” with the comedian had been put on hold.
Video-sharing platform YouTube has also demonetized his content.

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Entertainment

Talks between striking Hollywood writers, studios fail for second day

Negotiators for Hollywood's major studios and striking film and television writers failed to reach an agreement to end a months-long stalemate after meeting for a second straight day on Thursday, CNN reported.

Representatives of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) talked for more than 10 hours, CNN said. It is unclear when they will convene again.

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Spokespeople for the WGA and the AMPTP did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

To help spark a deal, sessions on Wednesday and Thursday were attended by Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Comcast's NBCUniversal Studio Group Chairman Donna Langley and Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav, according to a source close to the studios.

Roughly 11,500 WGA members walked off the job in May to protest pay and working conditions in the streaming TV era.

The SAG-AFTRA actors union went on strike in July, putting Hollywood in the midst of two simultaneous work stoppages for the first time in 63 years.

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Entertainment

Striking writers, Hollywood studios to meet again to resolve five-month standoff

Negotiators for the striking Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Hollywood studios will meet again on Thursday to try to resolve a nearly five-month standoff that has disrupted film and television production.

The WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Walt Disney, Netflix and other media companies, held talks for the first time in about a month on Wednesday.

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Early on Wednesday evening, the two sides issued a joint statement saying simply: “The WGA and AMPTP met for bargaining today and will meet again tomorrow.”

To help spark a deal, Wednesday’s meeting was attended by Disney CEO Bob Iger, Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Comcast’s NBCUniversal Studio Group Chairman Donna Langley and Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav, according to a source close to the studios.

People in the room described the session as “encouraging,” the source said, and the four executives are expected to return to the talks on Thursday.

CNBC, citing people close to the negotiations, said writers and producers were near an agreement and hoped to reach a deal on Thursday. But if a deal is not reached the strike could last through the end of the year, CNBC reported.

The WGA went on strike in May after negotiations reached an impasse over compensation, minimum staffing of writers’ rooms and the role of artificial intelligence (AI), among other issues.

The SAG-AFTRA actors union called a work stoppage in July, putting Hollywood in the midst of two simultaneous strikes for the first time in 63 years. No talks are currently scheduled between the actors and the studios.

Hollywood studios release terms of new proposal to striking writers