Star Game Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Canadian singer Jully Black is still receiving racist messages after changing the lyrics to the national anthem earlier this month.

Tennis great Serena Williams is taking her game to the next level with the help of The Avatar. A 30-second spot touting Netflix‘s anticipated Avatar: The Last Airbender, which aired Sunday during the NBA All-Star Game, features Williams on fire (and water and earth and air) on the tennis court after she enters The Avatar State. You can watch the video above.

Rudie Obias editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. After launching a year ago in Jan. 2023, the new lemon-lime soda Starry is bringing in some star power, with a new partnership with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Justin Bieber, Michael Bublé, Tate McRae and Will Arnett have been named team captains for the upcoming NHL All-Star Game.Yesterday (January 21), the NHL took to Instagram to announce the team captains for their upcoming All-Star Game, which takes place at the Scotiabank Arena on February 3. Four teams have been announced for the game, namely Team Matthews, Team McDavid, Team MacKinnon and Team Hughes.A post shared by NHL (@nhl)Team Matthews will be led by Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and Justin Bieber, with the team’s defenseman Morgan Rielly as assistant captain.

Tim Chan If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Some of soccer’s biggest stars are taking to the pitch tonight for the 2023 MLS All-Star Game, which is taking on a new format this year. This year’s MLS All-Star Game pits Major League Soccer’s top talents against players from Arsenal, of the English Premier League. This is the first time since 2019 that the North American league has faced off against a European team in the All-Star Game. Want to watch the MLS All-Star Game online? Here’s how to find a live stream to watch the match for free. The 2023 MLS All-Star Game kicks off tonight, Wednesday, July 19 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The game takes place at Audi Field in Washington D.C., which is home to the D.C. United. Tickets to the game are still available on VividSeats.com.

The Cleveland Guardians have had a very up-and-down first half of the 2023 MLB season. It is safe to say that this is not the way many thought Cleveland would be at the top of their division. After last season’s “Guardiac Kids” to now being a game under .500 halfway through the season.

Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout from the Los Angeles Angels, and Freddie Freeman, J.D. Martinez, and Mookie Betts from the Los Angeles Dodgers were named as starters to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, set for July 11 in Seattle.

Burna Boy has added another North American tour date on his ongoing trek behind his 2022 project Love, Damini. The new show will take place at Citi Field in New York City on July 8, 2023.

McKinley Franklin author Fox has named Diana Ruiz as its new executive vice president of experiences and design. Ruiz will report to Fox Entertainment and Fox Sports chief financial officer, Jeff Acosta. “With more than 20 years in the global events arena, Diana possesses considerable, proven creativity, discipline and operational excellence,” said Acosta. “Her unique skill set will be invaluable as Fox leverages differentiated, measurable impact-driven events and experiences to continue expanding its leadership position within the worldwide media and content creation landscape.” Responsible for the development and execution of marketing, publicity, sales, hospitality and corporate events and experiences, Ruiz will lead Fox’s global events team while working cross-functionally across their portfolio of businesses. Ruiz will lead prominent projects including Fox Network premieres, the Upfronts, Comic Con and sporting events such as The Super Bowl, Men’s and Women’s World Cup, and The MLB All-Star Game, among others. 

Manchester United record goalscorer Wayne Rooney has reportedly revealed that Arsenal are participating in the upcoming Major League Soccer All-Star Game.

Simu Liu and Awkwafina are gearing up for a reunion!

Jully Black has got Canada talking.

Canadian R&B and soul singer Jully Black is being praised online after simply changing one word during her Canadian national anthem performance at the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.

The NBA All-Star Game arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah on Sunday evening, and alongside a basketball game featuring the NBA's best players, viewers were treated to performances from some similarly talented artists, as well as Post Malone. Burna Boy, Rema, and Tems each took the stage for the evening's musical showcase, with Post Malone performing at the pre-game tip-off event with some help from 21 Savage.

Post Malone and 21 Savage were among the musical guests at last night’s (January 19) NBA All-Star Game – watch them perform ‘Rockstar’ below.The annual game was held in Salt Lake City, Utah on Sunday night, seeing Team Giannis (led by Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks) beating Team LeBron (led by the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James).Before the show, Post Malone played a two-song set, teaming up with Savage for their hit collaboration and playing his own track ‘Wow’.At half time, a number of stars of Nigerian pop – Burna Boy, Rema and Tems – came together for a star-studded show.A few days before the all-star game, the annual celebrity match took place, featuring Janelle Monaé.After the game, the singer tweeted: “I got cut from my team as a kid (it was traumatic!) and now I’m laughing.”See all the performances and reactions below.Janelle Monáe is mic'd up for the #RufflesCelebGame tonight!

Simu Liu is addressing an awkward moment that occurred during the 2023 NBA Celebrity All-Star Game.

Simu Liu is calling out an awkward moment that took place during Friday night’s NBA Celebrity All-Star Game.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor DirecTV is trading one kind of football for another. After agreeing to part ways with the NFL’s Sunday Ticket package, DirecTV is picking up soccer. The satellite-programming distributor will become the national provider of MLS Season Pass, a new subscription service from Apple and Major League Soccer, to commercial establishments such as bars, lounges and restaurants. The offering is knows as DirecTV for Business. “DirecTV for Business boasts an unrivaled nationwide network of more than 300,000 venues where local sports fans gather who count upon us to deliver the very best in live action,” said Rob Thun, chief content officer at DirecTV, in a statement. “We welcome the addition of MLS Season Pass to an already market-leading lineup of sports properties that our commercial customers can continue to receive seamlessly through their existing satellite equipment and offer to their patrons.”

Toronto’s Jully Black will sing “O Canada” at the NBA All-Star Game.

Tyrese Gibson is sharing his with the world. During an appearance on Tuesday's episode of , the  star shares how Valentine's Day has always been a significant day for him, and how he plans to celebrate the holiday with his girlfriend, Zelie Timothy.«I'm a sucker for love,» the 44-year-old star tells Hudson when asked if he's a romantic guy. «So many people think that they've got to do a lot in order to represent love or romanticism.

Basketball Hall of Famer and eight-time NBA All-Star Dikembe Mutombo is receiving treatment for a brain tumor in Atlanta. "He is receiving the best care possible from a collaborative team of specialists in Atlanta and is in great spirits as he begins treatment," Mutombo's family said in a statement distributed by the NBA. The family did not release any other details on how Mutombo learned about the tumor but said they are thankful for all the well wishes.

As the NBA approaches another season, big questions linger. Will the Golden State Warriors repeat as champions? Will LeBron James surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in career points? Will Jamie Foxx‘s basketball comedy “All-Star Weekend” ever get released?  READ MORE: ‘Day Shift’ Review: Jamie Foxx’s Vampire Film Packs An Action-Packed Bite But Not Much Else Initially scheduled for a February 16, 2018 release to coincide with that year’s NBA All-Star Game, “All-Star Weekend” has yet to make it into theaters.

Jamie Foxx is implying that political correctness is why his movie “All-Star Weekend” has yet to see the light of day.

Zack Sharf Jamie Foxx recently told CinemaBlend that his unreleased directorial effort “All-Star Weekend” remains shelved due to the current state of comedy. The Oscar winner shot the comedy in 2016 with a cast that includes Jeremy Piven, Robert Downey Jr., Benicio del Toro, Gerard Butler and Eva Longoria.“All-Star Weekend” stars Foxx and Piven as two best friends who win tickets to the annual NBA event. Their characters take a road trip to Los Angeles to attend the All-Star Game, but their journey is upended by a handful of wacky characters.

Jennifer Lopez's marriage to Ben Affleck in Las Vegas, Alex Rodriguez returns to All-Star Game, and fans are showing their support.MORE: Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez still share this $32.5m home a year after their splitThe relationship between Jennifer and Alex ended after four years of dating. They began dating in 2017, and in March 2019 they made their engagement public.

Denzel Washington surprised baseball fans when he took to home plate at Dodgers Stadium to pay tribute to the iconic Jackie Robinson, 75 years after the trailblazing athlete broke baseball's color barrier.On Tuesday, the Academy Award winner donned Robinson's number 42 jersey to kick off the big game by honoring the baseball icon's legacy. «Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, 1947,» Washington began, noting when Robinson broke baseball's color barrier with the then-Brooklyn Dodgers. «When Jackie Robinson stepped onto a Major League Baseball field for the first time, armed with supreme talent and unshakable character and wearing a Dodgers uniform, he changed the game of baseball and so much more.»Washington praised Robinson's activities both on the field and off, saying that he «challenged us to become better versions of ourselves.»«Business leader, family man, activist, Hall of Famer,» thePresidential Medal of Honor recipient continued.

Conan Gray’s turn at the pitcher’s mound didn’t go over very well.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorSome of the nation’s big-spending advertisers are taking a new swing at one of its oldest sports.When Fox telecasts Major League Baseball’s 2022 All-Star Game from Los Angeles Tuesday night, viewers are likely to notice big-league pitches from 25 marketers that have never purchased spots in the event, including Samsung, Adobe, Banc of America, Intel, Qatar Airways and Airbnb. They will join a slew of commercials from companies like Mastercard, Geico, General Motors, T-Mobile, Apple and Google that are already regular league sponsors.“We are up 30% higher on a revenue basis in the All-Star Game than we have been in any previous game,” says Mark Evans, executive vice president of sales for Fox Sports, in an interview.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorHorizon Media, the independent media buying company, has acquired a controlling stake in First Tube, a company that specializes in a practice that has intrigued a growing number of advertisers: digital experiences.First Tube is one of a number of companies that works to give consumers a way to interact with concerts, gatherings and the like. The company has helped create a video hub centered around fitness for Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Michelob Ultra and helped launch a series of streamed musical performances for the GrubHub delivery service.“We are trying to anticipate consumer interest,” says Donald Williams, executive vice president and chief digital officer of Horizon Media, in an interview.Other advertising companies are also interested in these tactics are more consumers grow accustomed to experiencing live events in new ways, some of them via streaming video, or at times of their own choosing.

Adele is already mother of 9-year-old son Angelo, shared with ex Simon Konecki, but could she be welcoming another child soon?

The mass shooting this week at a Texas school has prompted San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler to invoke his own form of protest.

Adele is living her best life! The singer celebrated her 34th birthday on Thursday, and took to Instagram to mark the occasion with both new pics and a positive message.In the shots, which were taken by Raven B. Varona, Adele stuns in a black Carolina Herrera that features poofy sleeves and sequin details.

Adele is happier than ever.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorSome TV viewers who watched a special kids’ broadcast of an NFL game on Nickelodeon might have witnessed an interesting special effect: a slime monster rising from the football field. Executives at ad giant Interpublic Group saw something else: an opportunity.Interpublic, the ad giant that owns agencies such as Deutsch and McCann WorldGroup, is taking what is believed to be a minority stake in The Famous Group, a technology company that creates mixed and augmented reality experiences for live events.

Veteran sportscaster Joe Davis has been tapped to become the lead play-by-play announcer for Fox Sports’ Major League Baseball coverage.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorThere’s a new regular Joe calling baseball games on Fox.Joe Davis, a veteran sportscaster who has been known on the West Coast for calling Los Angeles Dodger games and as a Fox Sports regular, will take over as the lead play-by-play announcer for Fox Sports’ Major League Baseball coverage. He succeeds Joe Buck, the longtime Fox baseball and football announcer who has moved to ESPN to work on “Monday Night Football.” Davis will join John Smoltz in the network’s lead baseball booth.“If you had asked me when I was 10 what I wanted to do when I grew up, I would’ve told you ‘Call the World Series.’ So when I say this is a dream-come-true, I really mean it,” said Davis, in a statement.  Davis and Smoltz, along with reporters Tom Verducci and Ken Rosenthal, are expected to call Fox’s coverage of the 2022 MLB All-Star Game, MLB at Field of Dreams Game and the MLB post-season Postseason, including its 25th Fall Classic.