AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 10:24 p.m. EDT

From Spice Girl to fashion mogul, Victoria Beckham grabs the chance to tell her own tale

NEW YORK (AP) — Sounds hard to believe, but a young Victoria Beckham was put in the back row at theater school for being too heavy. The designer shares this nugget in a new documentary, “Victoria Beckham,” which explores her rise in the fashion world. The three-part Netflix series traces Beckham's journey from shy teen to Spice Girl to design mogul, culminating in a grand 2024 Paris runway show. Beckham presents her story only two years after her soccer legend husband David presented his own in “Beckham,” also produced by his production company. Victoria Beckham tells The Associated Press she grabbed the chance to tell her tale on her own terms.

Jafar Panahi doesn't want to be called a hero. He just wants to make films

NEW YORK (AP) — The Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been imprisoned, banned from traveling, put under house arrest and ordered to stop making films for 20 years. And, yet, Panahi has continually made films. Many of them rank among the greatest of the century. His latest, “It Was Just an Accident,” was made clandestinely in Iran following a seven-month stint in prison that only ended in 2023 once Panahi went on a hunger strike. He made it inspired by the stories his fellow prisoners told. It opens in theaters in the U.S. this week.

Kevin Federline says his sons with Britney Spears are the reason for his new memoir

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline is telling his side of their time together in a new memoir being released Tuesday. Federline says in an interview with The Associated Press that he remained silent because of their two sons, but now that they're adults he feels an obligation to tell the whole story. In the book he describes the media frenzy that came with their two-year marriage. He writes that Spears called her ex Justin Timberlake the night before their wedding. He writes that she frightened their sons with erratic behavior that sometimes tipped into abuse. Spears says Federline's book is full of “white lies” aimed at making money.

Alicia Keys may pop up when the national tour of her musical 'Hell's Kitchen' comes to your town

NEW YORK (AP) — Alicia Keys' Broadway musical, “Hell's Kitchen,” is hitting the road for a national tour. The semi-autobiographical show, featuring Keys' music, will visit 28 cities across the South, Midwest and West through 2026. Keys is excited about the tour, saying not everyone can make it to Broadway. She might even make surprise appearances as a “fairy godmother” at some stops. The story follows a 17-year-old piano prodigy in New York, drawing from Keys' own experiences. The tour coincides with a new book about the show's evolution and will feature a diverse cast, including 18-year-old Maya Drake.

A T-shirt worn by Taylor Swift sparks a $2M windfall for sea otters

San Francisco (AP) — A Northern California aquarium has raised more than $2 million for sea otter conservation in just two days. All it took was Taylor Swift wearing a vintage T-shirt. She wore a vintage Monterey Bay Aquarium otter conservation T-shirt, sparking a fan frenzy to buy the shirt. The aquarium re-released the shirt Thursday to raise $1.3 million for sea otter conservation. They surpassed the goal in less than eight hours, and raised more than $2 million by Friday afternoon. The T-shirt was last produced in the 1990s, and how Swift acquired it remains a mystery. The aquarium and the T-shirt company are thrilled by the unexpected support for ocean conservation.

News stories show that reporters may have left the Pentagon, but they haven't stopped working

Dozens of reporters stationed at the Pentagon walked out this week and surrendered their access badges rather than sign on to new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth they said would restrict how they do their jobs. But they stressed they wouldn't stop working. And two days after they left, there's been a handful of stories citing unnamed sources that have broken news or added nuance to stories, particularly concerning the U.S. attacks on boats in the Caribbean Sea allegedly involved in the drug trade. Meanwhile, journalists are still coming to terms with how losing a perch in the Pentagon would affect their jobs, including where they would regularly work

Ty Dolla $ign returns with ‘Tycoon,’ his first solo album in five years

NEW YORK (AP) — The inventive R&B artist Ty Dolla $ign released his fifth studio album on Friday. It is his first full-length solo release in five years. He chose ‘Tycoon’ for its title because the word encompasses his current state of mind. “It’s like the top of your game,” he told The Associated Press. The album is a collection of ceaselessly catchy and NSFW R&B anthems about lust and love. It is also stacked with A-list collaborations including Kodak Black, YG and more. In addition to the new album, Ty Dolla $ign believes R&B is making a comeback with his new label, EZMNY. He also had a documentary about his brother premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Poetry helped R&B singer Jessie Reyez find her voice. Her latest book shares it with the world

Jessie Reyez has had a busy year. The Toronto-bred R&B musician has been touring her latest album. Titled “Paid in Memories,” it was released in March. Soon, she'll hit the road for her upcoming book, “The People’s Purge: Words of a Goat Princess Volume II," available Tuesday. The book is an amalgamation of poetry she's written in response to prompts supplied by her nearly five million Instagram followers. Reyez said poetry offers a freedom that music often lacks. She also said the exercise felt like scratching “an itch in the middle of my brain" that she can’t reach.

Ace Frehley, Kiss' original lead guitarist and founding member, dies at 74

Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist and founding member of the glam rock band Kiss who captivated audiences with his elaborate makeup and smoke-filled guitar, has died. He was 74. Frehley's agent says he died peacefully Thursday surrounded by family in Morristown, New Jersey, following a recent fall. Family members say in a statement that they are “completely devastated and heartbroken” but will cherish his laughter and celebrate the kindness he bestowed upon others. Kiss' hits included “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Detroit Rock City.” It was known for theatrical stage shows with fireworks, smoking instruments and fake blood. Band members famously wore body armor, platform boots, wigs and their signature black-and-white face paint.