By Mariel Turner
8:24am PDT, May 25, 2018
Ariana Grande honors Manchester Arena victims on anniversary of attack
Ariana Grande sent a message of love and hope to the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing one year after the attack. "Thinking of you all today and every day I love you with all of me and am sending you all of the light and warmth I have to offer on this challenging day," the singer tweeted on May 21. A 22-year-old terrorist detonated a homemade bomb near an exit as fans were leaving Ariana's concert on May 22, 2017, killing 22 and leaving more than 800 people "with physical and deep psychological injuries," police said. On May 24, Ariana revealed her latest tattoo — a bee, which became a symbol of solidarity post-attack — in an Instagram post she captioned, "forever."
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Beyonce buys $850K church in New Orleans
On the heels of her dazzling Coachella performances, Beyonce is adding to her real estate portfolio. The singer bought a 7,500-square-foot church in New Orleans, according to reports released on May 20. The over-100-year-old former house of worship was listed for $850,000. Church of Queen Bey, perhaps?
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Michael Jackson's estate calls new ABC special "crass" and "unauthorized"
Michael Jackson's estate has publicly slammed a new ABC TV special detailing the end of the music icon's life. The estate issued a statement on May 23 attacking the program titled "The Last Days of Michael Jackson," saying, "We believe the special to be another crass and unauthorized attempt to exploit the life, music and image of Michael Jackson without respect for Michael's legacy, intellectual property rights or his children."
Reggie Lucas, Madonna producer and Miles Davis guitarist, dies at 65
Reggie Lucas, who produced Madonna's debut album and played guitar with Miles Davis, died on May 19 at the age of 65. The Grammy-winning musician passed away from heart disease complications, according to his daughter, Lisa.
Taylor Swift surprises 13-year-old fan fighting cancer
Taylor Swift had the ultimate surprise for a 13-year-old Seattle girl who is battling cancer: a backstage meet and greet! Cora, who's an avid Taylor fan, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and thought she wouldn't be able to attend the pop star's concert on May 23 due to the risk of contracting germs from the large crowds at the stadium. Her community rallied around her, however, and provided her with an ambulance to attend Taylor's show where she met the superstar singer backstage.
Sexual assault accuser files lawsuit against R. Kelly, claims singer gave her herpes
A woman filed a lawsuit against R. Kelly on May 22 after accusing the singer of sexual battery, knowingly infecting her with herpes and locking her in rooms for punishment. Faith Rodgers, 20, claims that R. Kelly "mentally, sexually and verbally" abused her and wanted her to have sex like a "mature woman."
Bob Seger to headline tour a year after medical leave
Bob Seger fans, get your wallets ready! The musician announced on May 21 that he is heading back on tour in November 2018 — 13 months after postponing concert dates due to emergency spinal surgery. The rescheduled tour will include dates in Greenville, South Carolina (Dec. 20), Atlanta (Dec. 22), Columbus, Ohio (Jan. 19), and many more still to be announced.
"Stand By Me" streams skyrocket after royal wedding performance
"Stand By Me" saw a huge boost in streams after the 1960s song was performed by the Kingdom Choir at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The song got a 30 percent boost in Spotify streams worldwide on May 19 — a phenomenon dubbed "the Meghan Markle effect."
