Megan Wins Lawsuit, Prada Buys Versace, Spotify Wrapped + Apple Replay Released

Megan Thee Stallion Wins Defamation Suit Against Blogger Over Deepfake Propaganda

Megan Thee Stallion scored a major legal victory this week after a federal jury sided with her in a high-profile defamation and harassment lawsuit against blogger Milagro Gramz (Milagro Cooper). The suit centered on malicious material Cooper posted following the 2020 shooting incident involving R&B musician Tory Lanez, with Megan accusing the blogger of acting as a "mouthpiece" and "paid surrogate" for Lanez. Crucially, jurors found that Cooper willfully encouraged her thousands of followers to view and spread a sexually explicit deepfake video of the rapper, solidifying her guilt in promoting dangerous misinformation during a sensitive, highly-publicized event.

Although the federal panel initially awarded Megan a settlement of only $59,000, her attorney, Mari Henderson, stressed that the verdict sends a powerful message about accountability. The judgment not only requires Cooper to pay compensatory and punitive damages but, due to a Florida legal provision, she will also be required to cover Megan’s legal bills specifically for the deepfake claim. Henderson stated this verdict "sends a clear message that spreading dangerous misinformation carries significant consequences," despite Cooper’s attorney expressing relief that the damages did not reach "seven digits."

Spotify Wrapped & Apple Music Replay Released

Spotify has unveiled its Spotify Wrapped for 2025, offering users a personalized insight into their listening habits. The platform named Bad Bunny as their most-played artist of the year, with over 19.8 billion streams. His album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, was the top album globally, while Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ "Die With A Smile" was the top song worldwide. Taylor Swift was the most-streamed female artist of the year. For the first time ever, Spotify Wrapped displays users' Top Albums and also shows the number of times they played each song in their Top Songs playlist.

Rosé and Bruno Mars secured the biggest musical win of the year as their massively popular, Grammy-nominated single "APT." claimed the top spot on Apple Music's Global Song Chart for 2025, marking both artists' first No. 1 on the year-end list. Alongside the chart reveals, Apple made its personalized year-end recap, Replay, available to subscribers, allowing them to engage with their listening habits by tracking new artists, favorite genres, and total minutes listened for the year.

ICYMI:

• Sabrina Carpenter has slammed the White House for using her song ‘Juno’ for a pro-ICE video. “This video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.” 

• Pitchfork has named Los Thuthanaka, by the Bolivian-American duo of the same name, as their album of the year. 

Prada Finalizes $1.3 Billion Takeover of Versace

Prada has finalized its long-awaited, €1.3 billion takeover of Versace. The deal is high drama: Prada only secured the iconic brand after a completely separate transaction between Versace's former owner (Capri Holdings) and Tapestry fell apart, thanks to U.S. antitrust challenges. Prada moved in for the kill quickly, seizing the opportunity to add the bold, instantly recognizable aesthetic of Versace, the brand Gianni built on high-impact glamour, to its portfolio.

Prada now controls three distinct, powerful labels: the cerebral, minimalist Prada flagship; the youth-obsessed, viral Miu Miu; and the expressive, unapologetically glamorous Versace. To top off the generational shift, Lorenzo Bertelli, son of Miuccia Prada, is set to become the Executive Chairman of Versace, signaling that the future of this newly formed luxury supergroup is officially in younger hands.

POP FACT: The Beatles released their landmark album, Rubber Soul. Many agree that the album is a “turning point” in the band’s discography.

Guillermo del Toro Champions Human Artistry with a Powerful "F*ck AI"

Director Guillermo del Toro turned his Gotham Awards acceptance speech into a fiery defense of human creativity, dramatically declaring "F* AI"** on stage. Accepting the Vanguard Tribute for his film, Frankenstein, the celebrated auteur began by paying homage to Mary Shelley's iconic horror story, reflecting that the tale of monsters and misfits is what helped him realize where he belonged as a child. Flanked by stars Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac, del Toro celebrated returning to the tale at age 61 with what he called "another family" of extraordinary artists.

Del Toro then returned to the podium to deliver his powerful message, ensuring the spotlight was firmly on the hundreds of artisans who literally handcrafted his film's world. "The artistry of all of them shines on every single frame of this film that was willfully made by humans, for humans," he stated, shouting out the designers, builders, make-up, and wardrobe teams. The director concluded his heartfelt tribute to human labor and imagination with his now-viral two-word denouncement of artificial intelligence, just as his Frankenstein, a film that premiered to a rapturous 13-minute standing ovation, makes its massive push into nine key Oscar categories, including Best Picture.

ICYMI:

• Reading and Leeds Festival has announced its headliners for 2026, with Fontaines D.C., Raye, Charli xcx, Dave, Florence + The Machine, and Chase & Status.

• Miley Cyrus has revealed that she is currently working on a 20th-anniversary celebration for Hannah Montana. 

• The first trailer for ‘MOTHER MARY’ has been released, starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel. The film’s soundtrack comes from Charli xcx, FKA Twigs, and Jack Antonoff. 

• The official trailer for Taylor Swift’s final Eras Tour show has been unveiled, and it’s set for release on Disney+ on December 12th. 

• Oxford University Press has named “rage bait” as the Oxford Word of the Year 2025. 

— Katie Macbeth

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