Eagles of Death Metal singer Jesse Hughes paced back and forth outside the Mountain View Convalescent Hospital in Sylmar, Calif., on a humid afternoon on March 15. The 49-year-old barely slept the night before, his lids heavy, his hair slicked back into a tight braid with a pink hair tie, smoking a cigarette, as he anxiously counted down the minutes until he was allowed to see the love of his life again. 

His fiancée, 31-year-old Marina Cardenas — better known as EODM’s bassist and keyboardist Tuesday Cross — has been comatose since Jan. 23, after suffering brain damage. It had been 51 days since he last saw her.  

“Is it time yet?” he asked his attorney Alexandra Snyder via phone, a hint of sadness in his eyes, his voice trembling. “I don’t know what I will do if I can’t see her today. Please.” 

The day before, when Hughes had a scheduled visit and attempted to see Cross, he waited outside the facility for an hour or so, but no one answered the door. He was not sure if today would be any different.  

As Billboard first reported last week, Cross had been at Glendale Memorial Hospital in a vegetative state for approximately six weeks since an asthma attack sent her into cardiac arrest. The hospital chose to take direction from Cross’ mother, Maria Virginia Gaytan, who blocked Hughes from seeing or communicating with her daughter or receiving any health updates, even though he has documentation that Cross gave him power of attorney over her healthcare last year. On March 8, Glendale Hospital transferred Cross to Mountain View without Hughes’ or his attorney’s knowledge, which was revealed in a Los Angeles Superior Court hearing on March 11. (At the hearing, Judge Daniel Juarez ruled that Hughes had visitation rights at the new facility and that he could and should be informed by Gaytan about any decision-making moving forward. Judge Juarez said he did not want to rule on the power of attorney yet and would like all parties involved to resolve the matter themselves, so he doesn’t have to make that decision, with the next hearing in the matter set for April 22.) 

Hughes tugged on his black sweater vest, adjusted his shades, the mirrored lenses of which reflected the trio of close friends Laura Garcia, Jennifer Ortega and Julian Major — who all found Cross struggling to breathe on the kitchen floor and rushed her to Glendale Memorial in late January — fidgeting exhaustedly in an SUV before him. Angelica Zollo, daughter of producer and director Fredrick Zollo and James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, sat on the sidewalk with her phone, researching long-term care facilities that would take Cross’ insurance in case things didn’t go well. 

But his path was set. Hughes nodded along, a black mask covering his face, as the chief nurse told him that they received a copy of Cross’ power of attorney document and that they had determined that Hughes would oversee Cross’ healthcare. “I was giddy on the inside. It meant a lot to me,” said Hughes. “It was the first time anyone recognized or validated that Tuesday chose me to take care of her and that I even love her — that I should have been with her all along. That was one of the biggest insults and hardest things that I had to take — that anyone would question my love for her or that I should not be present at all. I always wanted the best care for her. It has always been about her.”    

As Hughes walked down the long hallway toward Cross’ room, he realized that everything he had been fighting for was over. Suddenly, it hit him. He was scared. Really scared. What if she looked unrecognizable? What if he reacted the wrong way? What if she wasn’t alive? All the pain and suffering he endured, while not being able to see her, consumed him. “I was worried, thinking, ‘How much more can I take?”’ said Hughes. He started to pray. “Lord, please help me,” he muttered to himself, panicking. “Give me strength. I am so, so scared. Help me through this.” 

As he peered around the curtain, he saw her. Cross was alive. A state of shock overcame him. His worries instantly faded, as she was awake and no longer in a coma. As a fan was blowing air on her face, she blinked, her eyes were moving, and she was breathing on her own without a ventilator. Her fingernails were dirty, her skin was peeling, and Hughes said she had not been washed in over two months. (Mountain View is unable to discuss any details of Cross’ care as it would violate HIPAA.) 

But as Cross lay there, her dark chocolate eyes opened wider, silently watching Hughes. Her eyes followed him as he moved around the room. She started mouthing words, but nothing came out. “You’re beautiful,” he said to her. He cried as she stared at him. He held her hand, and she touched and squeezed it, even pulling on his fingertips for a moment. When he kissed her lips, she kissed him back.    

“I never gave up on her because I always had a feeling that one day she would wake up,” said Hughes, crying, his head in his hands. He was told by Mountain View Convalescent Hospital that she was out of a coma when they transferred her to their facility after 5 p.m. on March 8. Although Hughes is not sure what date she awoke, Cross’ mother, Gaytan, texted Billboard and said, “I don’t really know the date, but it was possibly a week or two after her tracheostomy” — which took place on Feb. 4, according to court records. “Then she started breathing on her own little by little.” According to a legal response from the hospital, Leah Nubla, director of quality at Glendale Memorial, wrote on March 11, “According to the medical records, as of the date of this Declaration, the patient remains in a comatose state.” 

“At least she’s alive,” said Hughes. “She is lucid, and she understands when I talk to her. Everything I had been through was worth it. It was immediately worth it, all of it. She is with me now. When Tuesday recognized me, it was the best moment of my life. The only thing that matters now is her. In that second, I knew I could take on anything else — all of it — just for the ability to be with her again and help her through this.” 

As Hughes stroked her face, she started sweating. Cross flailed her arms and unshaven legs, in a seizure-like state. The nurses warned him that this might happen because he had not seen her in so long. “Baby, calm down,” he said. Agitated, she looked at him, her eyes focused on his movements. She suddenly stopped, moving her body closer to him. He touched her face and kissed her again. He placed his head next to hers, their noses touching, as he stroked her matted hair. He smelled her — she smelled the way she always had. He touched the scar over her eyebrow from when it was pierced. He was breathing in her breath, feeling her pulse. “I love you,” he said, looking into her eyes. “I will always love you.”   

Cross looked at him deeply. Hughes vowed that he would never leave her again. “I’m not going anywhere now,” he said to her. “And no one is going to stop me anymore. I know you are in there and you are going to talk and walk again. No one is going to tell me differently. You are walking out of here, baby. I promise, we will get through this together.”   

Three days later, Hughes went for another visit. He is allowed only two visits for 45 minutes a week right now because of COVID protocols, but the facility has been allowing him to drop by with her belongings and spend 30 minutes with her. Hughes said that he gave permission for Gaytan to visit her daughter, offering her one of his two days, but according to him, she has not responded to his messages and has not visited her daughter in eight days. (Hughes must be notified by the facility and approve visitations per his POA). Billboard has not communicated with Gaytan since March 14, despite multiple attempts. 

Cross was moved into a different room with air conditioning and a television. Hughes flipped through the channels, landing on Investigation Discovery, one of her favorites. Now, per Hughes’ request, she was bathed, her legs shaved, with her hair combed and swept in a bun. She was dressed in his Cheetah shirt and socks — two of her most treasured clothing items — that Hughes had given the facility on his first visit. “They had everything on her that I brought her, like it mattered to both of us,” he said. “She looked so much better. She looked alert, her mannerisms and her movements were all remarkably more determined.” 

After five minutes, her feeding apparatus was getting pinched, so the alarm kept sounding. A nurse walked in, and Jesse quickly moved out of the way. Cross was looking at him, then at the nurse. She seemed upset. When Jesse ventured to the other side of the bed, he said, “Baby, I’m over here.” Cross turned her head and smiled at him for the first time. Hughes smiled back.   

“Did you just squeeze my hand, girl?” he said to her playfully, as he lay next to her on the hospital bed. “When I am in there with her, I am trying to keep myself lighthearted and keep her encouraged. Sometimes it is exceedingly difficult because I am so overcome. Every element of this, I have barely been able to process, you know, ever since the moment I found her dying on the floor. But every single day, she is slowly getting better.”   

As the light peeked through the hospital window, Hughes was even more thankful to see another day with her. He is still in shock at what has happened, but he is grateful for his family and friends who have been visiting him around the clock. He decided that he is going to take his time accessing what her long-term care needs are moving forward. He is looking into a few facilities, but he is happy with the treatment she is now receiving. “The nurse told me that I have every right to distrust them right now, but there is no way anyone is going to be harvesting her organs,” he said. “She was trying to make it clear what their intentions were with Tuesday. It meant so much to me. They care about her.”   

Soon, a UCLA surgeon will be visiting Cross to determine if she can have her tracheostomy removed. Lately, she has been licking her lips and swallowing. Hughes bought $500 splints that Medi-Cal had not approved yet, so she can start her physical therapy immediately. “Now there is an expectation that it is even possible for her to get better and recover, which is what crushed me in the beginning with Glendale hospital. They wanted her to be pulled off life support. There was no consideration for the possibility before,” said Hughes. “Now there is.” (As Billboard reported in our original story, a spokesperson for Glendale Memorial Hospital said they “cannot disclose any information regarding any patient due to HIPAA regulations and California privacy laws.”) 

As he wiped his tears away, he took a deep breath, exhaling. “In a few days, she’s shown more progress than she has in the entire previous months,” he said, proudly. “And I guess it just goes to show when you acknowledge someone is trying to recover, give them the opportunity and you have faith, anything is possible,” he said, pausing for a moment. “She is finally improving. She has an army of people who support and believe in her. It is Tuesday’s Army. She is a fighter. She is our miracle.” 

Pre-pandemic, Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Oscars afterparty in the Chateau Marmont’s parking garage had become the most coveted invite of the big night. Revelers at the 2020 event, known as the Gold Party, which features a no-phones policy, included Rihanna, Reese Witherspoon, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Travis Scott, Gabrielle Union and Charlize Theron.

Now, after a two-year absence, Jay-Z is set to throw the Oscar-night event in a lounge space on the Sunset Strip hotel’s storied property that was once home to Bar Marmont. The hitch: There is an ongoing boycott of the property, led by the local hotel workers’ union, over the Chateau Marmont’s alleged treatment of employees. The campaign — which has the backing of an array of Hollywood unions and celebrities and has already put a stop to at least two production shoots (for Being the Ricardos and The Offer) — has highlighted claims of racial discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace.

“For Jay-Z to choose the Chateau Marmont for their Gold Party is shockingly insensitive,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, in a statement. “They must move their event and choose an after-party hot spot that treats its workers, especially Black women, with dignity and respect. Jay-Z has a responsibility to do better.” He added: “We hope Jay-Z joins Gabrielle Union, Spike Lee, Issa Rae, Robin Thede, Quinta Brunson, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Roxane Gay, Ashley Nicole Black and Samira Wiley in boycotting Chateau Marmont.” All of the names noted by Petersen, per the union, have previously signed its boycott pledge.

The union – whose boycott is also supported by the WGA — has initiated plans to organize a picket line outside of the party, beginning at 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 27.

Thomasina Gross, a former events server at the hotel who is Black, filed a lawsuit against the hotel in 2021 alleging, among other issues, racial discrimination, noting that she’d been repeatedly passed over for higher-paying roles in favor of several white hires who she in turn was responsible for training in their new duties. “I’m a huge fan of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, so working at their Gold Party year after year was such an honor and pleasure,” she said. “They made it a point to acknowledge our hard work and treated us like human beings, not just servers. They said our presence meant a lot to them in terms of helping their party be a success. As I allege in my lawsuit I faced sexual harassment as a Black woman while working other events at Chateau. I can’t help but think if Jay-Z knew how Chateau treats their workers, they wouldn’t ignore this fact and continue to throw parties there.”

Representatives for Jay-Z and the hotel didn’t return requests for comment. The couple have been vocal in the fight for racial equality, leveraging their platforms to speak out on legislation (such as New York State’s recent “Rap Music on Trial” bill) and in support of the Black Lives Matters movement.

In 2020, The Hollywood Reporter published an investigation of allegations against the Chateau Marmont. Employees said that the Chateau’s culture of prejudice extended to its treatment of prominent Black and Latino visitors who were stopped, questioned and challenged on arrival at a higher rate than their white equivalents. A representative for Tiffany Haddish confirmed two such incidents.

In THR‘s story, Jimmy Cahue, a former guest relations staffer who had worked at the hotel since 1995, said there was an exclusionary screening process at the Chateau Marmont which involved Bar Marmont. “There were times when we’d have a Black couple who was trying to have dinner and we had room to accommodate them,” he said. “We would call upstairs, we’d say, ‘an African American couple,’ they’d ask if they were celebrities, and if not, they’d say, ‘We can put them in the dining room,’ which is secluded and where newcomers are seated. The main spot to dine is the garden area, so people seated [inside] felt isolated. Oftentimes they’d go, be disappointed, and then we’d offer them Bar Marmont.”

Chateau owner Andre Balazs, himself the subject of discrimination and harassment claims, has been renovating the Bar Marmont space. Insiders previously described his plans to convert it into a members-only club. Safe deposit boxes have been added for visitors to stow their phones, ensuring privacy.

–Katie Kilkenny contributed additional reporting.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

If there’s one game that has defined 2022 thus far, it’s Wordle. The viral game created (and cleverly named) by software engineer Josh Wardle (get it?) first caught the attention of the Twitterverse thanks to users posting their cryptic results to their feeds, causing many a future Wordle addict to wonder what the varying formations of black, green and yellow squares could possibly mean.

And like any passing trend in the Internet age, the game spawned countless copycats, reinventions and hyper-specific niche versions as it continued to blow up. Which brings us to the musical subgenre within the the wide world of Wordle. Some versions are artist specific, catering to fans of Taylor Swift, BTS or Weezer. Others set to challenge the broad knowledge of any given listener by incorporating actual music into the game’s simple format.

Billboard has rounded up several of the music-related offshoots of the OG game made for fans of every type. Check them out below.


Heardle

Developed shortly after the launch of Wordle, Heardle is the original audio take on the viral guessing game. Music lovers must correctly identify songs by hearing only snippets of each track’s intro.

Taylor Swift — Taylordle

The Wordle clone perfect for Swifties of all types was developed by the Holy Swift podcast. Within six tries, users have to correctly guess the word related somehow to the superstar’s sizable canon of lyrics, songs and career. And they’ve recently expanded beyond five-word answers to include more Taylor-related terms.

Weezer — Weezle

Rivers Cuomo himself announced the Weezer-themed offshoot via Twitter on March 3, writing, “If you like Wordle and Weezer, you’ll probably like Weezle,” along with a link to the web-based interface.

BTS — BTS Wordle

While it doesn’t come with a clever play on the name of the game like other artist-specific takes, BTS Wordle immerses ARMY into the universe of their favorite idols with a daily litany of five-letter words related to the band’s ongoing legacy.

BTS — BTS Heardle

If you thought the rabid fandom of BTS had only inspired one version of the game, think again: There’s also a Heardle spin-off dedicated to the boy band. The rules go like this: ARMY get seven guesses to predict the game’s BTS song of the day. For their first guess, fans can only use lyrics as an initial hint. With each successive round, ARMY can then listen to more and more of the song’s intro to get it right.

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Ghost’s Impera blasts in at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated March 26) with 2022’s biggest sales week for an album – 62,500 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending March 17, according to Luminate, formerly MRC Data. It’s the first chart-topper for the rock band on Top Album Sales, and the act’s fourth top 10 overall.

Elsewhere in the top 10 of Top Album Sales, for KING & COUNTRY’s What Are We Waiting For? debuts at No. 2, Rex Orange County’s Who Cares? starts at No. 3, Benny the Butcher’s Tana Talk 4 enters at No. 8, and Joell Ortiz and KXNG Crooked’s Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse bows at No. 10.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now MRC Data. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. The new March 26-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on March 22. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Impera has the biggest week, by album sales, for any album in the 2022 tracking year so far, surpassing the 37,000 copies sold of The Weeknd’s Dawn FM after its CD was released (week ending Feb. 3). Further, Impera has the largest sales week for a rock or hard rock album since the debut of Foo FightersMedicine at Midnight (64,000; week ending Feb. 11, 2021). (Rock and hard rock albums are defined as those that have hit Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums chart, respectively.)

Notably, Impera logs Ghost’s best sales week ever, surpassing the 61,500 start of its last full-length studio album, 2018’s Prequelle. The latter’s first-week number was boosted by a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer. Ticket/album bundles, like merchandise/album bundles, ceased to count towards chart sales as of Oct. 9, 2020.

Of Impera’s 62,500 copies sold in the week end March 17, physical sales comprise 51,000 (28,000 on vinyl; 21,000 on CD and 2,000 on cassette) and digital sales comprise nearly 12,000. The album’s sales were enhanced by its availability on a variety of vinyl LP and CD editions. Impera was released in numerous color vinyl variants, including color versions available exclusively via Target, Walmart, Newbury Comics, Zia Records, independent record stores in general, as well as the band’s official webstore.

In total, Impera’s 28,000 copies sold on vinyl LP marks the largest sales week for a rock album on vinyl in over a year, since Paul McCartney’s McCartney III sold 32,000 in its debut frame (Jan. 2, 2021-dated chart). Further, Impera logs the biggest sales week for a hard rock album on vinyl since 1994, when Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy sold 33,500 copies in its opening week (chart dated Dec. 10, 1994). Vitalogy was exclusively available on vinyl in its first two weeks of release, before it became available on CD.

Impera also debuts at No. 1 on Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Rock Albums, Independent Albums, Vinyl Albums, Tastemaker Albums and Top Current Album Sales.

Top Rock Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums rank the week’s most popular rock and hard rock releases, respectively, by equivalent album units. Independent Albums reflects the week’s most popular albums released by independent record labels. Tastemaker Albums ranks the best-selling albums at independent and small chain record stores. Vinyl Albums lists the top-selling vinyl albums of the week across all sellers. Top Current Album Sales ranks the week’s biggest-selling current albums (not including catalog – older – releases).

Brother duo for KING & COUNTRY bows at No. 2 on Top Album Sales with What Are We Waiting For?, selling 28,000 copies. It’s the third top 10 on the tally for the act. The new album’s sales were bolstered by its availability in a CD signed edition on the act’s official webstore. (In total for the week, CD sales comprise nearly 22,000 – both signed and unsigned across all sellers, while digital album sales comprise 6,000. The set is due out on vinyl LP on May 20.)

Rex Orange County’s Who Cares? debuts at No. 3 on Top Album Sales with 20,000 sold, marking the second top 10 for the artist. Of the set’s starting sum, vinyl LP sales accounted for nearly half of its sales – 9,600 copies. The album also got an assist from a pair of boxed sets sold through the artist’s webstore.

Dolly Parton’s Run, Rose, Run falls 2-4 in its second week on Top Album Sales with 8,000 sold (down 49%) and the No. 1 Encanto soundtrack dips 4-5 with 7,000 (down 14%). Nirvana’s Nevermind vaults 11-6 (nearly 7,000) as it basks in the buzz generated by its album cut “Something in the Way” being used in the film The Batman. Olivia Rodrigo’s former No. 1 Sour rises 8-7 with 6,500 sold (down 4%).

Benny the Butcher’s Tana Talk 4 starts at No. 8 with 6,000 sold; Adele’s chart-topping 30 is a non-mover at No. 9 with 5,500 (down 17%) and Joell Ortiz and KXNG Crooked’s Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse debuts at No. 10 with a little over 5,000.

Devo, the New Wave music group known for hits like “Whip It,” said they will donate their licensing revenue from their song catalog for the entire month of April, along with personal monetary contributions, to organizations that are helping support the Ukrainian people and refugees.

The money will be earmarked for Music Saves UA and World Central Kitchen. Devo is asking others in the music industry to join them in this effort.

“Vladimir Putin’s rape of a sovereign nation, Ukraine, whose citizens are committed to democratic rule of law should not and cannot stand in the 21st Century,” said Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale of Devo. “To help the victims of Putin’s unprovoked war, Devo will be donating these revenues from the licenses of our song catalog throughout the month of April. We invite our rights holder partners in masters and publishing matters to join us in doing the same. Further we encourage all successful recording artists to do something similar to help make this gesture reach critical mass.”

Music Saves UA is a nonprofit fundraising project that was created to provide immediate humanitarian help, including medical, food, water and hygiene items, to those who need it most right now in Ukraine.

“The whole team at Music Saves UA is incredibly grateful for all the donations and constant help and support from the world of music and culture,” Music Save UA representative Vlad Yaremchuk said. “Our incredible team and dozens of volunteers who joined our cause are working 24/7 to provide supplies and aid via our humanitarian HQ in Kyiv. Every penny that reaches us is put to good use immediately, especially as we work to establish new centers on the Moldovian and Romanian borders for those fleeing. Every act of support is invaluable for us and we deeply appreciate it.”

World Central Kitchen, which was founded by Chef José Andrés in 2010, is a nonprofit organization that “provides fresh meals in response to crises while working to build resilient food systems with locally led solutions.” In response to the Ukraine invasion, WCK is providing meals not only in Ukraine but also in Poland, Romania, Moldova and Hungary at border crossings, shelters and other locations.

Devo, whose other hits have included “Beautiful World” and “That’s Good,” has made it a priority to support political and social causes in addition to “using music and performance art as commentary on conformity, emotional repression and dehumanization.”

This article originally appeared in THR.com.