Brooklyn Breaks His Silence, Harry's Single, Billie vs. Trump

Brooklyn Beckham’s Statement Shatters the Beckham Facade

The "Brand Beckham" image of a perfect united front has crumbled following a six-page Instagram statement from Brooklyn Beckham. The 26-year-old says he has no desire to reconcile with his "controlling" parents, David and Victoria, accusing them of a lifelong pattern of media manipulation and attempts to sabotage his relationship with his wife, Nicola Peltz. He alleges that Victoria cancelled making Nicola’s wedding dress at the "eleventh hour" and later "hijacked" the couple’s first dance to perform an "inappropriate" dance with him that left him feeling humiliated. Brooklyn describes his upbringing as built on "inauthentic relationships," claiming his lifelong anxiety only disappeared after cutting ties with the family business.

Brooklyn further claims his parents attempted to "bribe" him into signing away the rights to his name just weeks before his 2022 wedding. While David Beckham avoided directly addressing the allegations during an appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he remarked on a podcast that "children make mistakes" and should be allowed to learn from them. Brooklyn has reportedly shifted to lawyers-only communication with his parents and says that he and Nicola now prioritize a life of "peace, privacy, and happiness" over public endorsements.

Harry Styles Announces New Single, Aperture.

Harry Styles has announced his new single, “Aperture,” the first track to be released from his upcoming album, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.” Set for release on Friday, the single offers the first proper glimpse of the Kid Harpoon–produced, twelve-track album, which is slated to arrive in March and marks Styles’ first full-length project since “Harry’s House.”

Harry began teasing the single via his website, where rotating clock hands slowly moved towards the word “disco,” hinting at a funkier direction. The campaign followed a series of mysterious “We Belong Together” billboards that appeared globally earlier this month, sparking fan theories about the album’s themes and sound.

ICYMI:

• Karol G and Feid have split after dating for three years, TMZ have reported.

• Mary J. Blige has revealed that she was offered Rihanna’s “Umbrella” but rejected it, she states, “I heard Rihanna do it, I was like, 'See it was for Rihanna, it wasn’t for me.” It got away, but it wasn’t for me in the first place.’

Billie Eilish Slams Trump and ICE in Powerful MLK Jr. Award Speech

While accepting the 2026 MLK Jr. Environmental Justice Award in Atlanta, Billie Eilish delivered a blistering critique of the Trump administration and ICE. The singer stated that climate justice feels "less achievable than ever" given the current political climate, specifically condemning recent ICE raids and the erosion of civil liberties. Eilish stood by her previous labeling of the agency as a "terrorist group" following the shooting of Renee Nicole Good, pointedly rejecting the White House’s recent dismissal of her activism as "garbage rhetoric."

The singer also attacked the administration’s handling of healthcare and the environment, arguing that basic survival has become a "privilege for the wealthy" rather than a human right. Despite admitting she felt "undeserving" of the honor, Eilish concluded with a message of hope, praising the community for taking action centered on Dr. King’s legacy. She maintained that using her massive platform to speak on these injustices is a fundamental responsibility she won't shy away from.

POP FACT: On this day in 2012, Adele topped the Billboard Charts with 21.

Fashion Legend Valentino Garavani Dies at 93

The fashion world is mourning the loss of a true titan, Valentino Garavani, who has died at 93. A cornerstone of 20th-century couture, he co-founded his eponymous house in 1960 and became synonymous with opulence, dressing legends from Elizabeth Taylor and Nancy Reagan to Julia Roberts and Gwyneth Paltrow. According to his foundation, he passed away peacefully at his home in Rome on January 20, surrounded by family. He will lie in state at Rome’s Piazza Mignanelli from January 21–22, with a funeral the following day at the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs, a final farewell to a designer who stood alongside Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld as an architect of modern luxury.

ICYMI:

• Olivia Dean, Central Cee, and Little Simz are leading this year’s MOBO Awards nominees. Olivia Dean receives four nominations for “The Art of Loving,” where Little Simz has picked up three nominations for “Lotus.”

• Sabrina Carpenter has been announced as the first performer at this year’s Grammys.

• Lily Allen has shared that she recently got into a car accident, in an Instagram post, she said that she “could have done without an HGV running me off the road.”

• Taylor Swift has become the first artist in Spotify history to have five albums surpass 10 billion streams each.

• Zootropolis 2 has become Hollywood’s biggest animated film of all time, having now grossed $1.7b globally. 

— Katie Macbeth

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