Michael B. Jordan will change the name of his rum brand after sparking online criticism, specifically assertions of cultural appropriation, following its launch earlier this month.

In an apology posted to his Instagram story, the producer and Black Panther actor responded to social media calls to change the name from J’Ouvert, which is the name of an annual celebration originating in Trinidad and Tobago that celebrates emancipation from slavery and the start of Carnival.

“We hear you. I hear you & want to be clear that we are in the process of renaming. We sincerely apologize & look forward to introducing a brand we can all be proud of,” Jordan wrote in his post.

As the conversation around the brand’s name picked up steam online, some social media users from the Caribbean community and diaspora pointed out the lack of connection between its public-facing figures and Caribbean culture, raising questions about Jordan’s use of the term and whether it was culturally appropriative.

At one point, Trinidadian artist Nicki Minaj even weighed in. “I’m sure MBJ didn’t intentionally do anything he thought Caribbean ppl would find offensive — but now that you are aware, change the name & continue to flourish & prosper,” she wrote.

Initially, images of the rum line’s box set and other videos were shared over Instagram from various accounts, including stories from Jordan’s current partner Lori Harvey and actor Bryan Greenberg.

In one shot, a description of the rum line reads, “Derived from the Antellian Creole French term meaning ‘daybreak,’ J’OUVERT originated in the pre-dawn streets of Trinidad, as celebration of emancipation combined with Carnival season to serve as the festival informal commencements. Crafted on those same islands, J’OUVERT Rum is a tribute to the party start.”

An online petition with more than 12,000 signatures was launched in response to the brand’s use of the term. In it, the petition points to the brand’s United States Patent & Trademark Office filing, where the section that requests a translation of the words in the “mark” states, “The wording ‘J’OUVERT’ has no meaning in a foreign language.”

“I just wanna say on behalf of myself & my partners, our intention was never to offend or hurt a culture (we love & respect) & hoped to celebrate & shine a positive light on,” Jordan continued in his Instagram story. “Last few days has been a lot of listening. A lot of learning & engaging in countless community conversations.”

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

The star-studded virtual daytime and nighttime lineup of performers set to impress fans during the 2021 Essence Festival of Culture presented by Coca-Cola has been announced. The two-weekend-long event kicks off in New Orleans from June 25 to 27, with continued festivities the following weekend, July 2 to 4.

This year’s event is exclusively open to Louisiana residents for in-person attendance. For all non-Louisiana residents hoping to join the fun, the festival will be available for streaming at EssenceStudios.com and Essence.com.

For the first time in Essence Fest history, a live Verzuz battle will be hosted Thursday, July 1, from 8 to 10 p.m. ET; the guests who will face off will soon be announced.

Weekend-long, fun-filled virtual programming will include daytime interactive sessions and evening concerts. Jazmine Sullivan, DJ Khaled & Friends, Ne-Yo, Amerie, Tank, Kirk Franklin, Davido, Lucky Daye, Carl Thomas, D-Nice and more have been announced as part of the lineup of fan-favorite acts slated to perform.

The list of artists to appear during interactive sessions includes: Mary J. Blige, Angela Yee, Michelle Williams, Adrienne Bailon, Sarah Jakes Roberts, Tracy G., Tiana Major9, Big Freedia, Miss Lawrence, Supacent, Shantrelle P. Lewis, Jesseca Dupart and more.

Beginning July 1, a number of summits, presentations and competitions with cash prizes will take place, including the Essence Dear Black Men Summit, PITCH, Please! New Voices Pitch Competition, Coca-Cola Juke Joint Kick Off with D-Nice, ESSENCE Beauty Carnival and the Wealth & Power Virtual Town Hall.

The 2021 Essence Festival of Culture will include virtual experiences for the second consecutive year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. To help prevent the spread of the virus, in-person activations — set to honor essential workers and first responders who remain on the frontlines amid the ongoing health crisis — will be accessible only to Louisiana residents.

See below for the official evening concert lineup scheduled for Saturday, June 26, and the following Saturday, July 3.

Week 1: June 26
Ha Sizzle
Teedra Moses
KES
Lucky Daye
Tank
Jazmine Sullivan

Week 2: July 3
Case
Carl Thomas
D-Nice, Ne-Yo and Amerie
Davido
DJ Khaled and Friends

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Blink-182 singer and bassist Mark Hoppus shared Wednesday (June 23) that he has cancer and has been undergoing chemotherapy for the last three months.

The 49-year-old musician opened up on social media about the diagnosis and how he’s remaining “hopeful and positive” for a cancer-free future while he still goes through the next few months of treatment.

“For the past three months I’ve been undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. I have cancer,” Hoppus wrote. “It sucks and I’m scared, and at the same time I’m blessed with incredible doctors and family and friends to get me through this. I still have months of treatment ahead of me but I’m trying to remain hopeful and positive. Can’t wait to be cancer free and see you all at a concert in the near future. Love to you all.”

At press time, he did not reveal which kind of cancer has or at what stage he was diagnosed.

According to Variety, fans grew concerned about Hoppus’ health when he posted and quickly deleted a photo of himself in what looked like a hospital room on his Instagram Story earlier Wednesday with the caption, “Yes hello. One cancer treatment, please.” After taking down the concerning photo, he shared the official update on his Instagram Story and Twitter.

Britney Spears publicly addressed the court Wednesday (June 23) with an incredibly harrowing account of her controversial conservatorship, and her Hollywood peers came out to voice their continued support for the #FreeBritney movement.

During the hearing in Los Angeles, the 39-year-old superstar revealed some of the extreme expectations placed on her since the conservatorship began in 2008, when her father, Jamie Spears, was given full control over his daughter’s financial and personal affairs. During her public statement, the singer likened her conservatorship to sex trafficking with how much she was being forced to work, how closely she was monitored, and how she’s not allowed to get married or have a baby because of her birth control that she’s not allowed to remove.

“I am not here to be anyone’s slave,” she stated.

The New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears, which was released in February, shed light on the conservatorship and gained a lot of A-list support from Kacey Musgraves, Hayley Williams, Vanessa Carlton, Sam Smith, Hayley Kiyoko, Liz Phair and many more at the time.

See what other artists — including Mariah Carey, Halsey, Brandy and more — have to say in response to Spears’ latest court testimony below.

Among dozens of shocking allegations made by Britney Spears during a Los Angeles Superior Court hearing on Wednesday (June 23), one of the most disturbing was the fact that the pop star said she wants her implanted IUD birth control device removed so she can have more kids and has been told she could not.

“I want to be able to get married and have a baby,” Spears told Judge Brenda Penny during a 20-minute-plus public statement in opposition to the conservatorship she’s been under for the past 13 years. “I was told right now in the conservatorship, I’m not able to get married or have a baby. I have an IUD inside of myself right now so I don’t get pregnant. I wanted to take the IUD out so I could start trying to have another baby. But this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out because they don’t want me to have any more children.”

Spears is the mother of two boys with ex-husband Kevin Federline: 15-year-old Sean Preston and 14-year-old Jayden James. In addition to Federline, Spears was briefly married to a childhood friend named Jason Alexander. She is currently dating actor Sam Asghari.

Late Wednesday, Planned Parenthood Federation of America president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson released a statement in support of Spears and her freedom to expand her family, saying the organization stands in “solidarity” with the star.

“It is incredibly distressing to hear the trauma that Britney Spears has been through — including the appalling news that she has not been able to remove her own IUD,” the statement reads. “We stand in solidarity with Britney and all women who face reproductive coercion. Your reproductive health is your own — and no one should make decisions about it for you. Every person should have the ability to make their own decisions about their bodies and exercise bodily autonomy.”

The Women’s March also tweeted a statement of support for Spears on Wednesday, writing, “Everyone deserves to be able to make their own choices: for their bodies, for their health, for their lives. We support you, Britney, and all women escaping abusive and controlling situations.”