Verizon to Launch ‘Plus Play’ Streaming Aggregation Hub, Adds Netflix and More as Partners

A suspect in the death of Broadway singing coach Barbara Maier Gustern is in police custody and will be charged with manslaughter and assault. Lauren Pazienza, 26, of Port Jefferson, Long Island, New York, turned herself in to New York police today.

Virginia Is for Lovers! Clayton Echard and Susie Evans jetted off to her hometown for a family-filled trip following the Bachelor finale.

Country crooner Dan Marshall was among those wowing the “American Idol” judges during Sunday’s episode.

There likely won’t be a red carpet rolled out in front of the Fairfax County courthouse, but some big names are coming to Johnny Depp’s now $100 million defamation battle with ex-wife Amber Heard when the long delayed trial starts next month.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentSubscription streamer Starz Play Arabia is getting a major cash injection from a consortium of Abu Dhabi-based companies that are acquiring a roughly 57% stake in the SVOD service.A group comprising E-Vision, which is a Hollywood and Bollywood content aggregator, and United Arab Emirates sovereign fund ADQ, has purchased a controlling stake in Starz Play Arabia, which has been valued at $420 million, according to a statement.“Starz and its parent company Lionsgate will maintain commercial agreements for content licensing to the venture,” the statement said. The deal still needs to clear regulatory approval and some administrative procedures. Starz Play Arabia, which was launched in 2015 as the first Starz-branded SVOD outside the U.S., is now available in 19 countries across the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan.

Zachary Quinto and Calista Flockhart are set to appear in a Los Angeles production of the classic play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Kelis‘ husband Mike Mora has died after a battle with stomach cancer.The 37-year-old photographer’s death was confirmed by Steve Satterhwaite of Red Light Management, in a statement to Entertainment Tonight.“Sadly, it’s true that Mike Mora has passed away,” he said. “We would ask all to respect Kelis and her family’s privacy as of right now.

Showing it all! When Jersey Shore premiered on MTV in 2009, viewers got to watch the personal lives of eight housemates from New Jersey — and many fans are still keeping up with the group.

Next steps! Two weeks after her wedding to Chris Long, Chloe Trautman has babies on the brain.

Prince Andrew was seen publicly for the first time since reportedly paying Virginia Giuffre's settlement fee. Last month, the Duke of York agreed to pay a reported £12million to Virginia after she claimed he had sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was under the age of 18 after being trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The Duke has consistently and repeatedly denied the claims. It is now believed that the 62 year old has paid his financial settlement to the claimant outside of the court.

Mike Parker nailed a cover of Deana Carter’s “Strawberry Wine” on Sunday’s “American Idol”.

Veteran producer Joel Silver (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey’s Team Downey and Amazon Studios are partnering to develop a series of feature film and television projects based on Donald E. Westlake’s series of highly popular Parker crime fiction novels, written under the pseudonym Richard Stark.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentAlba Rohrwacher (“The Lost Daughter,” “The Wonders”) is set to play Elena, aka Lenù, in the fourth and final season of RAI/HBO show “My Brilliant Friend.”Just as season three of the Elena Ferrante adaptation, directed by Daniele Luchetti, kicks off in the U.S. where it debuted on Feb.

Naman Ramachandran Entrepreneur Karnesh Ssharma is launching Clean OTT, a streaming service focusing on female-oriented original content, in the first quarter of 2023.Female actors, directors and producers will be at the heart of the service, which aims to move away from the male gaze that plagues Indian content and to create a sustainable platform for female professionals to further their career in the entertainment industry, while also removing age barriers.The content will include originally curated and produced works by Clean and pre-selected projects that meet the Clean OTT messaging framework by other producers from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.Ssharma is also a co-founder of Clean Slate Filmz (Netflix’s “Bulbbul,” Amazon’s “Paatal Lok”). The Clean OTT library will feature work from directors, scriptwriters, actors, and producers associated with Clean Slate Filmz, as well as providing opportunities to emerging talent.

“Aziz Ansari is an incredible talent and, with this script, he brings a singular combination of insightful humor and pathos,” Searchlight presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with him on his feature directorial debut which is long overdue, and of course working with the genius Bill Murray once again.”Taylor Friedman and Cameron Chidsey are overseeing the project for Searchlight Pictures.

Aziz Ansari (Master of None, Parks and Recreation) is making his feature directorial debut with an untitled dramedy for Searchlight, based on the 2014 non-fiction book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by surgeon Atul Gawande, in which he’ll star alongside Oscar nominee Bill Murray (The French Dispatch, Lost in Translation), Deadline has confirmed.

BBC News’ veteran heavyweights Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel are leaving the corporation to launch a podcast for Global.