SHINee’s Taemin confirms he’s leaving SM Entertainment

YG Entertainment has refuted reports that it spent US$30million on BLACKPINK‘s contract renewals.According to a business report released by the company on March 22, YG Entertainment had stated a KRW41.2billion (about US$30million) sum for intangible assets last year.Per Korea JoongAng Daily, this is an accounting practice commonly used by music labels in South Korea when funds are needed for contract renewals. Of note, last year YG Entertainment had secured the contract renewal of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK for group activities, following a months-long negotiation process.However, YG Entertainment has since denied that all the funds were used for that purpose, in a statement to Korea JoongAng Daily. “There were various other contract renewals as well as new contracts formed over various intellectual property,” a YG Entertainment spokesperson said.The label added that it “cannot disclose the contract details”, but noted that “the amount in question cannot be considered exclusive to BLACKPINK’s contract extension”.In the same report, Korea JoongAng Daily also noted that YG Entertainment said that it is “planning” for group activities from BLACKPINK.

(G)I-DLE vocalist Yuqi will make her official Korean solo debut in April, her agency CUBE Entertainment has announced.CUBE Entertainment announced Yuqi’s upcoming solo debut today (March 22) in a statement to South Korean news outlet XSports News. “Yuqi plans to release a solo single in April and promote it on music broadcasts,” the label shared, per Soompi.Information about the (G)I-DLE member’s upcoming solo debut, including the release’s format, tracklist and more, is expected in the coming weeks.

CLC singer Seunghee has left long-time label CUBE Entertainment after nine years with the company.CLC’s Seunghee has been represented by CUBE Entertainment since 2015 both as a musician and actress. The company announced earlier today (March 20) that her contract with the label has since expired and has since left the company after nearly a decade with the K-pop agency.“We at CUBE Entertainment inform you that our exclusive contract with actor Oh Seung-hee, who has been with us for 9 years since March 2015, has ended,” reads the statement, which was released on the official X (formerly Twitter) account for the company’s subdivision for actors.“We express our deepest gratitude to Oh Seung-hee, who has displayed endless passion and talent as an artist under CUBE,” the label added.

Marvel Animation’s “X-Men ’97” is just days away from premiering on Disney+. In the run-up to the series, Marvel exec Brad Winderbaum, a production & development executive at Marvel Studios, is making the press rounds and revealing some fascinating tidbits about how things are changing at Marvel.

Black Mirror fans have complained after Netflix confirmed the dystopian sci-fi series would return for another instalment.

Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed has described the script for the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic Michael as “startlingly disingenuous”.Michael has been confirmed to receive a theatrical release in the United States on April 18, 2025, per production house Lionsgate. A UK release date is yet to be announced.Given the project’s connection to the Jackson estate, it is unclear whether the film will explore the most controversial aspects of the singer’s life, including the allegations of child sexual abuse.However, according to Reed, who has read a draft of the script, the film makes a point to discredit Wade Robson and James Safechuck, the two men who allege that Jackson sexually assaulted them in the 2019 docuseries Leaving Neverland.“Jackson is only ever seen caring for children with childhood cancer, or dancing with a little girl in a wheelchair, or tucking up multiple little boys, mostly his nephews, at sleepovers,” Reed said of the script (via Variety).

Glastonbury has unveiled the line-up for its 2024 edition, with boyband SEVENTEEN set to be the first K-pop act to perform at the festival.Today (March 14), the iconic UK music festival announced its much-anticipated line-up for the upcoming 2024 edition, which will be held from June 26 to 30 this year at Worthy Farm in Pilton, England. Glastonbury 2024 will be headlined by Dua Lipa, Coldplay, SZA and Shania Twain.Also on the bill for the main Pyramid Stage are South Korean boyband SEVENTEEN, who will become the first-ever K-pop act to perform at the iconic UK music festival.

Coronation Street star Colson Smith has admitted to 'hating himself' before his weight loss. The actor documented his incredible weight loss in his own YouTube film 'Bored Of Being The Fat Kid’, which was released on YouTube in 2021. after finding a love of running during lockdown.

Veteran producers Cora Yim and Benjamin Lin are launching a production company, S11 Partners, with an equity investment from Hong Kong-listed Medialink Group.

Persona 3 Reload is receiving several pieces of DLC this year, it was announced yesterday (March 6), and will be available through an expansion pass.As was announced during a Xbox Partner Preview, three separate pieces of DLC will be available through an expansion pass this year. The expansion pass is included at no extra cost to subscribers of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, though will cost £28 ($35) on other platforms.The expansion pass will include background music from Persona 5 Royal and Persona 4 Golden, releasing on March 12, new costumes and music from The Velvet Room in May, and a full epilogue in September titled Episode Aigis: The Answer.

Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver has confirmed her future on the cobbles as she prepares to take a break. While the actress won't be using her time off to put her feet up, she'll instead be treading the boards as she returns to her theatre roots.

SHINee member Taemin and Onew will reportedly leave SM Entertainment sometime this year after their contracts with the K-pop agency expire.Yesterday (March 5), South Korean news outlets SpoTV News and YTN reported in separate stories that SHINee members Taemin and Onew would be leaving SM Entertainment following the expiration of their contracts. The duo have been with the K-pop agency since 2008, when they debuted as members of SHINee.SM Entertainment has since responded to the reports, saying that while “future plans remain unconfirmed” for the pair, they are “actively considering various options”, per The Korea Times.

There’d been speculation, but… It sounds like this really is the beginning of the end for Jenelle Evans and David Eason.

Get ready for another Freaky Friday!

SEVENTEEN leader S.Coups has received an exemption from mandatory military service, Pledis Entertainment has confirmed.In a statement to South Korean news outlet Edaily, Pledis Entertainment confirmed earlier reports that SEVENTEEN member S.Coups had been exempted from mandatory military service due to an injury.“Due to a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee joint, S.Coups underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery and anterolateral ligament reconstruction surgery,” the label explained, per Soompi.“Because it was a major surgery, he has been undergoing physical rehabilitation therapy for a long time, starting from last year up until now,” the label added. S.Coups had been absent from SEVENTEEN’s promotions for their ‘Seventeenth Heaven’ as well as the Asian leg of their ‘Follow’ tour since October last year due to the same injury.As a result of the severity of his injury and surgery, the South Korean military classified S.Coups as a Grade 5 during a medical examination determining his ability to serve the military.

Dave Bautista is opening up about leaving his Guardians of the Galaxy character Drax behind and how he’s hopeful to continue starring in the superhero genre.

Dynasty and Beverly Hills 90210 producer, E. Duke Vincent, has sadly passed away at the age of 91. His wife Pamela Hensley Vincent, who he was married to for over 40 years, confirmed the sad news.

Payments to help people with additional care needs, such as the Personal Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance, are set to increase in size from April, the Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed.

Emmerdale has confirmed Kerry Wyatt's return to the village - and she makes quite the entrance. It's been over a year since the character, played by Laura Norton left the village in late 2022 in the wake of her fiancé Al Chapman's death.

Thania Garcia Ariana Grande appeared on the “Zach Sang Show” on Monday night to discuss her new record, “Eternal Sunshine,” out March 8, and her role as Glinda in the upcoming “Wicked” film. Though the details of the singer and actor’s current ventures were slim, Grande did discuss multiple trending topics for both projects. After being asked what it was like to be working with producer Max Martin again, Grande shared her love for their longtime partnership and revealed they had recorded a few sessions at Jungle City Studios in New York before she left to film “Wicked.” Those songs — including a demo called “Fantasize” — ended up on TikTok without her consent and went viral throughout much of last year.