The Weeknd said Monday that he will no longer work with H&M after the clothing company posted an ad of a black child in a sweatshirt with the words “Coolest monkey in the jungle” on the front. Many people criticized the image on social media, calling it racist. H&M removed the image Monday and apologized to anyone it “may have offended.” The Weeknd, who has a clothing line at the retailer, said on Twitter that he was “shocked and embarrassed” by the photo. “I’m deeply offended and will not be working with @hm anymore,” he wrote. A chunk of celebrities within the past 24 hours have scolded H&M for using a black child to model a sweatshirt sporting the phrase “coolest monkey in the jungle.” H&M responded with the following statement: “We’re deeply sorry that the picture was taken, and we also regret the actual print. Therefore, we’ve not only removed the image from our channels, but also the garment from our offering.” Rapper Sean Combs, American basketball player LeBron James and Manchester United footballer Romelu Lukaku rallied to support Canadian singer. H&M and other fast-fashion retailers have come under fire in the past for similar mishaps. Inditex SA’s Zara clothing chain was criticized in August 2014 for selling a striped kids’ sheriff t-shirt resembling the uniforms worn at concentration camps during the Holocaust, which it withdrew from production, and a swastika-decorated handbag was removed from Zara’s stores in 2007. H&M in 2014 pulled a tank-top with a human skull inside a Star of David. “It’s obvious that our routines have not been followed properly,” H&M said of the monkey hoodie. “This is without any doubt. We will thoroughly investigate why this happened to prevent this type of mistake from happening again.”
The success of Tiger Zinda Hai has made the film’s lead actor Salman Khan the only star who has three films with the lifetime collection over Rs.300 million, in India alone. Taran Adarsh recently listed out the five films, which have crossed the Rs.300-million benchmark - three as mentioned feature Salman Khan while the remaining two star Aamir Khan. Aamir’s ‘Thugs Of Hindostan’ releases this year and it has the potential to be the box office game changer.
The biggest stars in television and film wore black to the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills in a show of solidarity to raise awareness for the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Many wore black on the red carpet to stand in solidarity with the wave of women and men who spoke up about being sexually harassed in Hollywood.The movement, being led by a new awareness campaign called Time’s Up, also calls attention to gender inequality, and hopes “to shift the focus back to survivors and on systemic, lasting solutions,” a note from the organizers read on Facebook before the carpet began.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air may be a cult classic, but its star Will Smith has no interest in ever watching it again. The actor recently revealed that he avoids the re-runs of his hit 90s show whenever they’re on TV — because they make him cringe. “If you watch the first four or five episodes you can see I’m mouthing other people’s lines,” Smith said on The Graham Norton Show. “It’s terrible and I can’t bear to watch it.” Smith, 49, claims he was focused on success so he learned everyone’s lines. While some ‘90s shows are on the reboot track, Smith isn’t sure Fresh Prince will get the same treatment. “Man, I’d have to be Uncle Phil in that one now. I’m nearly 50!” he quipped. There’s also turmoil within the original cast. TV mum Janet Hubert has been at odds with Smith over the last several years and Smith’s TV uncle, James Avery, died in 2013.
Music maestro A R Rahman was recently named the official brand ambassador of Sikkim. The Grammy winner said it was a privilege and honor for him to be declared the brand ambassador of the north-eastern Indian state. “I thank the people of Sikkim for their love and hospitality and also for giving this honorable title of brand ambassador to a person from my community,” he said.
Actor-singer Justin Timberlake has announced ‘Man of the Woods’ tour to promote his new LP. The 36-year-old star announced in a video that he will be embarking on a brand-new tour. “The outdoors is the inspiration for a lot of these songs. That’s the main idea. The tour will be able to bring the outside in,” Timberlake explained in the clip. According to People magazine, the tour will kick off on March 13 in Toronto and will stop in 27 cities, including Los Angeles, Miami and New York City. The trek ends in Timberlake’s hometown, Memphis on May 30.
-Compiled by Mariam Nihal
