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Satisfaction: Pepsi Gets the Message About Kanye West, Exits Sponsorship of Wireless Festival After Heavy Criticism

Roger Friedman
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Satisfaction: Pepsi Gets the Message About Kanye West, Exits Sponsorship of Wireless Festival After Heavy Criticism

This column was first to denounce Pepsi when the Wireless Festival in London said Kanye West would headline three nights this summer.

Then — and not because of us, I’m sure — the British government also weighed in negatively.

Now Pepsi has pulled out of the festival rather than be identified with a performer who embraced Hitler and Nazism, and was an avowed antisemitic.

The festival has not reacted on its website, which still says Pepsi is their sponsor and West is the three night star.

But the soft drink company has made it clear. “Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival,” the company said in a short statement given to multiple British news organizations.

The Kanye West Renaissance has been stopped in its tracks, for the moment.

This doesn’t answer questions about companies like Apple and Eldridge Industries — which co-owns Penske Media outlets– investing in Gamma Records, the label for which West now records.

What Pepsi has done has perhaps sent a signal to other companies which have tacitly endorsed Kanye West that this is a mistake. The owners of SoFi Stadium, where West has performed this week, should get the message.

It was only a year ago that Kanye West released a record called “Heil Hitler.” Prior to that, for several years, Kanye West expressed virulent antisemitism. The Gap, Adidas, Balenciaga, and others ended business agreements with him.

On Friday, skinheads danced at his sold out album launch at SoFi. But social media aggressively disapproved. Pepsi would have faced a massive PR backlash this week if they hadn’t cancelled.

PS When the Festival choice was announced, I sent an email to Chris Manzini, director of PR for Pepsi. That was March 31st at 10:42am. There was no response.

More to come…

Kanye West’s Second LA Show Drew Lauryn Hill As A Special (And Not Very Bright) Guest: Watch Skinheads Dancing in SoFi Stadium

Roger Friedman
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Kanye West’s Second LA Show Drew Lauryn Hill As A Special (And Not Very Bright) Guest: Watch Skinheads Dancing in SoFi Stadium

America.

What a place.

The dream is to say and do incredibly offensive, unforgivable things, then be welcome back by skinheads.

Last night’s Kanye West show at SoFi Stadium — as evidenced below — was what we’re up against. These kids have no problem with Kanye’s embrace of Hitler and his detailed hatred of Jews. They were probably waiting for him to perform “Heil Hitler.”

After all, Kanye took out an ad in the Wall Street Journal saying he’d been konked on the head in 2002, which is what made him so repulsive. The kids in the video below must be WSJ readers.

Also, Lauryn Hill — a nutjob on her own — turned up to sing with Kanye on songs from his new album. He’d wanted to include samples from her one famous album, but I guess the lawyers wouldn’t allow it. She came anyway, because, of course, she’s a WSJ subscriber.

Thanks to Apple for all this. They fund Gamma, the record label that picked up West despite his antisemitism and racism and misogyny. They were obviously very clever.

Thanks also to Pepsi, for sponsoring three days of this in July in London. Always remember, things go better with Coke.

Box Office: “Project Hail Mary” Hits $200 Mil Today, “The Drama” Looks at $15 Mil Weekend, “Mario” Rules the Galaxy

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: “Project Hail Mary” Hits $200 Mil Today, “The Drama” Looks at $15 Mil Weekend, “Mario” Rules the Galaxy

The big box office story now is “Super Mario Bros Galaxy.”

You have no idea what this is, and you won’t be seeing it. But plenty of people have — and will!

The total from three days is already $107.4 million.

Are you kidding? I am not. Friday — yesterday — forty eight million dollars in one day! FORTY EIGHT.

So the weekend — will definitely cross $200 million in record time. Unbelievable. It’s an event, a product, a thing to do. I’ll bet the popcorn bucket is cool, too!

Also crossing $200 million today is a real movie, “Project Hail Mary,” which was THE box office story until Mario came to town.

“The Drama” is drawing audiences, although they may not be crazy about it. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson have got the fans, and most of them think the movie is a romcom. By the time it’s over, everyone needs a drink.

The Rotten Tomatoes audience meter is at 83% so far, which is good but not a resounding endorsement.

The Thurs-Fri take is $6.4 million. Weekend total, they say, will be $16 million.

Trump Attacks ABC News’s Jonathan Karl Seven Months After Last Book Was Published, And Spells “Bear” Wrong on Social Media

Roger Friedman
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Trump Attacks ABC News’s Jonathan Karl Seven Months After Last Book Was Published, And Spells “Bear” Wrong on Social Media

You’d think such a stable genius as Donald Trump would know how to spell.

He doesn’t.

In his attack on ABC’s Jonathan Karl — who’s written a new book about Trump — the orange blimp mistakes the word “bear” for “bare.”

People who known English can’t bear it.

Trump has been ranting all day and night on his Truth Social. But he has yet to mention the American catastrophes in Iran: two fighter jets down and a crew member still missing at 12:34 am.

Instead he’s only concerned no one buys Karl’s new book since the respected ABC News reporter writes — according to Trump — stories and “reporting” bare no relationship to the truth.

This is what happens when your father buys your education and you pay no attention to it. Have we ever seen Trump’s grades from the Wharton School?

Trump also doesn’t seem to realize Karl’s book, “Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America,” was published in October 2025. Did he just hear about it? As avid reader of the New York Times Book Review — this is a joke, of course — I thought he’d up on every new release about his administration!

Pop Chart: Kanye West’s “Bully” Return Post-Antisemitism Scandal Fizzles, Finishes Second to KPop Group BTS’s “Arirang”

Roger Friedman
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Pop Chart: Kanye West’s “Bully” Return Post-Antisemitism Scandal Fizzles, Finishes Second to KPop Group BTS’s “Arirang”

Kanye West’s big comeback was not as successful as he hoped.

His “Bully” album came in second this week, behind BTS’s “Arirang.”

Despite endless, bewildering press trying to resuscitate a man who a year ago was celebrating Hitler, Kanye could not pull off a number 1 debut.

His total albums sold came to 153K. The BTS number for its second week was 183K.

That includes streaming, physical sales, and downloads.

Over on amazon.com, the “Bully” vinyl LP is number 3. The CD is number 17.

West’s highest ranked single on Spotify is “Father,” at number 9 featuring Travis Scott, his former in-law (they were each married to or coupled with sisters). Scott is famous for seeing 8 people killed at his Astroworld Festival a few years ago.

“Bully” sales did not increase numbers for West’s previous albums. There’s no sudden rush to revive his catalog.

Everyone should read this piece about Kanye West, whose racial hatred and evil, bizarre behavior for years was not an accident and is unforgivable. He can fill up a stadium, stand on a big stage set, and lip sync all he likes to his raps made of sampled music. But who he is has not changed.

Currently, West is trying to stir up interest in his headlining the 2027 Super Bowl. If NFL chief Roger Goodell agreed to that he’d have to be taken for an MRI immediately. Indeed, companies like Pepsi and Apple. who aiding and abetting the Kanye comeback, should really submit to cognitive tests.

And So “The Drama” Begins with $1.7 Million Box Office Previews For Dark Zendaya-Robert Pattinson Non Rom Com

Roger Friedman
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And So “The Drama” Begins with $1.7 Million Box Office Previews For Dark Zendaya-Robert Pattinson Non Rom Com

“The Drama” has begun.

Robert Pattinson and Zendaya opened last night in a movie that seemed like a rom com but is a dram-com.

Box office was middling to meh with $1.7 million. It couldn’t have been too expensive to make, so a $10 million weekend would be okay.

But social media reaction to the film from the first audiences was puzzling. The people who posted were mostly turned off after they realized what the movie was about, and it’s not cannibalism.

It’s a seriously weird turn between the two main characters as one confesses previous thoughts of doing something violent. It’s like “When Harry Met Sally” and she passed on pastrami and substituted it with rage — and a pickle.

How will “The Drama” fare over the weekend? They’ve got some good crowds already booked for tonight. But that’s the power of these two new generation stars. Hard to say if that will carry the film for more than the short term.

PS There was a last minute premiere for “The Drama” last night — second night of Passover — at the down in the heels Regal Union Square. Like a lot of premieres in NY these days, the red carpet featured a lot of people you’ve never heard of, posing as if they were celebrities. I don’t know what the photographers do with these pictures. Sell them to the grandparents?

Report: Tom Cruise and John Travolta Were Front and Center at Scientology Cult Gala Last Month Clapping for Their Late Leader

Roger Friedman
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Report: Tom Cruise and John Travolta Were Front and Center at Scientology Cult Gala Last Month Clapping for Their Late Leader

Tom Cruise and John Travolta are rarely seen together.

They’ve never made a movie with each other. It’s hard to say if they’re even friends.

They have one movie connection: Travolta’s late wife, Kelly Preston, played a nasty girlfriend to Cruise in “Jerry Maguire” 30 years ago.

Of course, the other Cruise-Travolta connection is that they’re the most prominent celebrity cult members in Scientology.

They’ve each given millions of dollars and lots of support to the loony and dangerous “religion.”

Now avid Scientology-exposing journalist Tony Ortega reveals on his Substack that the pair actually sat next to each other last month at a cult rally in Clearwater, Florida. That’s the city where Scientology has a headquarters and is in constantly contentious relationship.

Ortega even got a picture of the two movie stars sitting together.

Each of these guys has had a weird personal full of innuendo and scandal. The details are well known.

Also at this event were washed up celebs like Doug E. Fresh and Jenna Elfman. So was fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff’s controversial father, Dr. David Minkoff, who was involved in the infamous death of cult member Lisa McPherson. Ortega notes the doctor is currently being sued for his involvement in the grisly 2022 death of OT Scientologist Whitney Mills.

Rebecca Minkoff, for any of you carrying her handbags, is also in the group.

Ortega also recognizes Nancy Cartwright of “The Simpsons” fame.

Look at the people laughing and smiling in the photo. They believe in aliens. In fact, they may be inhabited by them already. How do you think Cruise does all those stunts?

“NCIS” Huge Mistake: Show Lost 500,000 Viewers By Killing off Rocky Carroll Character Director Leon Vance After 18 Seasons

Roger Friedman
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“NCIS” Huge Mistake: Show Lost 500,000 Viewers By Killing off Rocky Carroll Character Director Leon Vance After 18 Seasons

“NCIS” made a huge mistake last week, and now they’re paying for it.

The long running procedural killed off character Leon Vance, who ran the NCIS and was beloved.

Producers let go actor Rocky Carroll for no reason other than budget. They said it was to celebrate the 500th episode with a bang.

They were wrong, of course. Grossly. This past Tuesday’s follow up episode dropped by 500,000 viewers. Total viewing was off by 9.32%. Even worse, in the key demo, viewership fell by a whopping almost 23%.

The viewers have voted, especially the ones between 18 and 49. They were disgusted, and did not return to see what happened next. Black viewers may have left since Carroll was the ONLY Black actor on the show.

The drop in total viewers was the largest so far this season.

Carroll can take some solace that the show’s fans were sorry to see him go. After 23 seasons, “NCIS” is down to just one original actor, Sean Murray, who plays McGee. All the others who made the show a hit — from Mark Harmon and Pauley Perrette to David McCallum, et al — are gone.

It remains to be seen if the ratings will continue to drop between now and the show’s May finale. It’s been renewed already for another season.

KPop BTS Set to Vanquish Kanye West on Album Charts as Ye’s Anemic Physical Sales Pale — Hitler Loving Rapper Has Small Following

Roger Friedman
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KPop BTS Set to Vanquish Kanye West on Album Charts as Ye’s Anemic Physical Sales Pale — Hitler Loving Rapper Has Small Following

Here’s the reality of Kanye West: few people are actually buying his “Bully” album.

Hitsdailydouble.com predicts that “Bully” will be vanquished by “Arirang,” from KPop group BTS tomorrow, which will sell 170K copies to Kanye West’s 107K.

The two albums are a study in opposites. BTS is mostly downloads and CDs, LPs. Ye, an avowed antisemite, is getting his sales through Spotify and Apple Music — which is also distributing the album through Gamma Records.

Few fans want music from the man who recorded “Heil Hitler” just a year ago to turn up in their music collections.

On the iTunes top 100, West has two tracks, each far from the top 20. Also, that 117K projected total for “Bully” is 60% lower than Gamma was touting a few days ago.

Last night Kanye debuted “Bully” on the first night of Passover at SoFi Stadium because he’s a Hitler loving, Jew hating ass who was kicked to the curb by Adidas, The Gap, Balenciaga and other businesses.

The only corporations who want to be in business with him are Apple, and Pepsi. The latter is sponsoring his three day appearance this summer at the Wireless Music Festival in London. But that may not happen since forces in England may stop it. I hope they win.

Tonight Kanye returns to SoFi for a second show, which many have pointed out copies a Lady Gaga tour from 2011. “Bully” is also unoriginal, a pastiche of dozens of old songs sewn together. West has also been accused of using AI.

The press’s interest in all this is sad. Both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter have pushed clips from last night’s show on social media as if it was important. As Kanye once said, “Slavery is a choice.” The media and fans that are “slaves” to Kanye West should really be examined for their judgement skills. This guy is a con man who’s getting the last laugh in a Trump slanted world.

We can only hope Gamma is left on the hook in this deal. They deserve it.

Blake Lively Suffers Huge Defeat in Justin Baldoni Case, Judge Tosses 10 out of 13 Claims Including Sexual Harassment, Defamation, Conspiracy

Roger Friedman
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Blake Lively Suffers Huge Defeat in Justin Baldoni Case, Judge Tosses 10 out of 13 Claims Including Sexual Harassment, Defamation, Conspiracy

It almost ends with this.

Blake Lively has lost most of her case against Justin Baldoni in case over the movie “It Ends with Us.”

Judge Louis Liman (brother of director Doug Liman) tossed 10 of Lively’s 13 claims including sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy.

The judge allowed just three components to go forward: breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting in retaliation.

Lively alleged that Baldoni, the director and co-star, sexually harassed her on set by making untoward comments about her appearance and weight.

The sexual harassment part, which Lively turned into a crusade to destroy Baldoni, was thrown out because the filming took place in New Jersey and the case was filed in California. That seems like an amazing mistake since Lively has the resources to hire the best lawyers in the world thanks to husband Ryan Reynolds.

There’s a trial set for May to cover the three remaining items. But it would be best for Lively to settle with Baldoni and this legal nightmare. It’s done nothing to help her Reynolds, who was accused of taking control of the movie during the shoot. Millions of dollars have been spent on nothing but tarnishing their reputations.

Meantime, Baldoni owns the rights to the sequel, “It Starts with Us,” also by Colleen Hoover. He can either make it — presumably without Lively — or sell it to someone else for a lot of money. He’s in what we used to call “the cat bird seat.”

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