Will Smith’s lawyers say a judge should throw out a “farce of a lawsuit” brought by an electric violinist who performed on the star’s Based on a True Story tour last year.

The Feb. 20 motion, obtained by Billboard, is Smith’s first court filing responding to sexual harassment and retaliation claims leveled against him by violinist Brian King Joseph in December. King, who came in third place on season 13 of America’s Got Talent, says he was wrongly fired from Smith’s international tour after complaining that somebody had broken into his hotel room and left sexually suggestive materials.

“Brian King Joseph is using the California court system to maliciously ensnare [Will Smith] in a frivolous lawsuit,” reads the motion, filed by Smith’s attorneys at the firm Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani. “The false and salacious allegations in plaintiff’s complaint undoubtedly make for tabloid fodder but, like most tabloid stories, they are untrue, inflammatory, legally baseless, and are nothing but an attempted money grab.”

Smith denies ever sexually harassing Joseph. As Joseph’s lawsuit acknowledges, it’s not known who it was that broke into his Las Vegas hotel room and left a bottle of HIV medication, an earring and a note – and Smith says it absolutely wasn’t him or anybody on his team.

Joseph’s case attempts to connect Smith to the hotel room incident by claiming that the actor and singer was “grooming” him beforehand. But Smith says there’s no truth to this “absurd conclusion” either, noting that he was never even alone with Joseph.

According to Smith, the real reason Joseph had to leave the Based on a True Story tour was because he often arrived late for rehearsals, behaved erratically and made other performers feel uncomfortable.

“Plaintiff was never promised a regular position in the band,” writes Smith’s lawyers. “Ultimately, it was determined that plaintiff was not a good fit for the band and he was not invited to perform at further shows.”

Ultimately, Smith argues in the motion that a Los Angeles judge should dismiss the lawsuit permanently because Joseph has not pled any valid facts to prop up his claims.

Reached for comment on Smith’s arguments on Friday (Feb. 27), Joseph’s attorney Jonathan J. Delshad told Billboard, “A jury’s ultimate determination matters more to us than Mr. Smith’s opinion of this case.”

“The defense’s ‘press-release rhetoric’ that they added to the brief is not evidence,” said Delshad. “We will oppose the motions and present the facts in court. When the case is complete, the gap between the rhetoric and the factual record will be obvious.”

Smith’s dismissal motion is set to be considered by a judge at a hearing in April.

Lil Durk’s trial on federal murder-for-hire charges has been postponed again, this time from April to August, despite the rapper’s continued objections to the delays.

The Chicago drill star (real name Durk Banks) was charged in October 2024 with orchestrating a plot to kill rival rapper Quando Rondo, resulting in a 2022 Los Angeles shooting by others that left another man dead. He denies the allegations and has pleaded not guilty.

A jury trial for Durk and his three co-defendants has been repeatedly pushed back, first from October to January, then to April – each time over Durk’s objections. Now, in an order Friday, Judge Michael Fitzgerald ordered another continuance, this time until August 20.

Ahead of the new delay, Durk’s co-defendants had asked to be severed from his trial entirely, citing the risk that evidence against the star might hurt their own defenses. But that request was denied on Friday by the judge, who pushed the date back to give them more time to prepare for the combined trial.

In a statement to Billboard, Durk’s attorney Drew Findling said: “We are fully prepared to proceed to trial. The matter was continued by the court over our objection.” A spokesman for prosecutors declined to comment. Attorneys for Durk’s three codefendants – Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Asa Houston and David Brian Lindsey – did not immediately return requests for comment.

Durk faces allegations that he ordered members of his Only the Family (OTF) crew to carry out the 2022 attack, which left Rondo (Tyquian Bowman) unscathed but saw his friend Lul Pab (Saviay’a Robinson) killed in the crossfire.

In charging documents, prosecutors claimed that Durk’s OTF was not merely a group of Chicago rappers, but a “hybrid organization” that also functioned as a criminal gang to carry out violent acts “at the direction” of Durk. Prosecutors say he ordered the Rondo shooting in retaliation for the 2020 killing of rapper King Von (Dayvon Bennett), a close friend and frequent collaborator of Durk’s.

In a key decision earlier this month, Judge Fitzgerald ruled that prosecutors can introduce lyrics from his songs as evidence – namely his Nardo Wick collaboration “Who Want Smoke??”, which peaked at No. 5 on Billboard‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 2021, and “Ahhh Ha,” which hit No. 4 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 2022. The judge said the lyrics to those tracks were relevant to whether Durk ordered the hit as payback for Von’s slaying.

The use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal cases is controversial, with critics arguing that it threatens free speech and injects racial bias into legal proceedings. Several states have banned or limited this practice for local prosecutions. It’s still legal in federal court, though, where Durk is being tried.

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Will KATSEYE ever be a six-person group again? That’s what fans are desperately trying to find out ever since it was announced that group member Manon she would be taking a hiatus to “focus on her mental health and wellbeing.”

Manon’s (as of now) temporary departure from KATSEYE has led to an outpouring of support from fans and celebrities online, as well as more questions about the Grammy-nominated group’s future. Manon’s hiatus has also led to surge in new interest for KATSEYE collectibles online, as fans buy up merch that includes all six members together — possibly for the last time.

Amazon’s No. 1 bestselling product in its “entertainment collectibles” category right now is this $10 set of KATSEYE photocards, which features 92 full-color images of the girls printed on durable cardstock and presented in a gift box. Amazon says it has sold hundreds of these KATSEYE photocard sets in the last week alone.

BESTSELLING MERCH

KATSEYE Photocards Gift Set for Fans

$9.99

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The set contains both individual photos as well as group photos. You can also find a set with a mix of photocards and stickers here.

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This is fan-made merch, of course, and not an official KATSEYE or HYBE release, but it’s clear EYEKONS are jumping at the chance to snag a collectible that includes all six of the members. While Manon and KATSEYE have not commented on her future with the group, many are speculating that she may not return. If that’s the case, this could be one of the last merch releases that has all six members together.

ALSO AVAILABLE

123-Piece KATSEYE Stickers Set

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More than 1,000 people, meantime, have added this KATSEYE sticker set below to their cart in the last few weeks alone, per Amazon.

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The set includes more than 100 vinyl stickers inspired by photos of the group, their lyrics and album motifs. The waterproof stickers or decals are great for decorating your notebooks, laptops, water bottles, phone case and more.

Elsewhere online, fans are rallying behind Manon by giving the singer her own merch. Etsy sellers have this vintage-inspired T-shirt available for sale, featuring Manon in five cover-worthy poses and her name in bold block letters.

FAN MERCH

Manon KATSEYE K-Pop T-shirt

$17.20 $43 60% off

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This fan-made tee is available in more than a dozen colors online in unisex sizes XS to 5XL.

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We also spotted this Manon T-shirt which features a painting of the singer said to be inspired by KATSEYE debut EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong). Per the Etsy seller, this T-shirt features a “beautiful digital oil painting-style portrait of the KATSEYE star” and “captures her iconic visual with a trendy twist—complete with the signature denim dress and Tabi boots.”

FAN-MADE TEE

KATSEYE Manon Painting Shirt

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Choose from more than ten colorways online in sizes XS to 2XL.

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As for the music? It’s not clear what Manon’s plans are beyond taking time off for herself, but if she is indeed moving on from KATSEYE, at least the singer has two well-received albums to be proud of. SIS and Beautiful Chaos are sure to become collector’s’ editions if Manon takes an extended — or permanent — hiatus, though fans are no doubt hoping the singer and dancer will return to the group soon.

For more on KATSEYE, you can see photos and picks from their viral GAP campaign here and shop their high-fashion SSENSE photoshoot here.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

While we love all Pokémon, it’s hard not to have a soft spot for Pikachu.

The electric-type Pokémon is extremely important to the franchise. Pal to Ash Ketchum and trainers everywhere, Pikachu is getting his flowers this Pokémon Day, Feb. 27, with a special collaboration from MAISON de SABRÉ. The designer accessory brand dropped a collection of ultra-adorable bags, bag charms and wallets in celebration of the pocket monster and Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.

The Pikachu-centric collection is live now on the brand’s website, along with Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Farfetch, FWRD, Saks Fifth Avenue and Revolve. You’ve got six pieces total, all created with high-quality full-grain DriTan™ European leather and Pikachu motifs throughout. One of our favorites is The Medium Palais bag retailing for $779, a tan leather medium-sized bag with tons of personality. We’d consider this piece an everyday bag because it is roomy enough to hold all your essentials, (keys, phone, wallet etc.) but managable enough where you don’t feel like you’re lugging a brick on your shoulder. What’s better? It also doubles as a crossbody bag.

The front of the bag is affixed with a little embossed Pikachu motif laid out sleeping with little footprints in its wake. There’s also a hang tag adorned with an image of Pikachu’s iconic zig-zag tail. The bag’s interior is a butter yellow, and features a zip-up pocket to keep your bag organized. The zipper closure on the inside is a Pikachu tail, yet another cute addition.

We are also pretty obsessed with the three bag charms available in the collection, an extremely on-trend addition. The standard Pikachu bag charm retails for $89, while the other, a bag charm that doubles as a coin purse, retails for $149.00. The third is a Poké Ball bag charm, also available for $89 that zips up. Every bag charm can be attached to your bags, adding visual interest to an otherwise boring tote, or you can attach these to your keys. While bag charms have run their course, we still think that they’re an ingenious addition to any bag, trend or not.

“Pokémon has always been about connection and companionship,” says Creative Director and Co-Founder of MAISON de SABRÉ Omar Sabré. “We wanted the customer to feel like the trainer -carrying Pikachu through their day – while translating the character through craftsmanship.”

Earlier this year, Pokémon celebrated their 30th anniversary with a “What’s Your Favorite?” Super Bowl LX AD. The campaign featured artists Lady Gaga, BLACKPINK’s Jisoo and rapper Young Miko. The stars shared their favorite Pokémon, Jigglypuff, Eevee and Gengar respectively.

Shop MAISON de SABRÉ’s Pikachu 2026 Pokémon Day Collection Here

MAISON de SABRÉ The Medium Palais Pikachu Bag

$779

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This Pikachu-inspired bag also doubles as a crossbody. It is made of high-quality durable DriTan™ European leather.

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MAISON de SABRÉ Pikachu The Coin Purse

$149

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This is a leather bag charm of Pikachu that doubles as a nifty coin purse. Pikachu is sleeping soundly on the outside while the interior is roomy enough to store loose change or a lip balm.

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MAISON de SABRÉ Pikachu Leather Trifold Wallet

$189

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Our favorite detail from this wallet is the lightning bolt zipper, a nod to Pikachu’s electric powers. You’ve also got a tiny Poké Ball motif on the corner of the wallet.

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MAISON de SABRÉ The SABRÉMOJI Pokémon Charm

$89

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This is one of three Pikachu SABRÉMOJI bag charms, all flashing different faces. The bag charm is made of leather and can be attached to your bag or keys.

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MAISON de SABRÉ The SABRÉMOJI Pokémon Charm Poké Ball

Buy Now at nordstrom $89 $89

This is the only SABRÉMOJI bag charm in the shape of a Poké Ball, the balls that you throw to catch a Pokémon. The bag charm is leather, like the others, and has gold hardware.

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MAISON de SABRÉ Pikachu Small Leather Bifold Wallet

$169

Buy Now at nordstrom

This is a bifold wallet, unlike the trifold in the collection, meaning it folds in half. This is a standard wallet silhouette but with Pikachu motifs throughout.

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