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Maren Morris sends message to mommy-shamers: "I just feel like we all need to give each other some grace"

• No Comments • Country Music News

Brent Harrington/CBSAfter taking home an ACM trophy for Female Artist of the Year and performing on the award show just months after welcoming her first child, Hayes, Maren Morris is quickly learning how to balance being an artist and being a mom.

But she admits that even though she’s got thick skin when it comes to Internet trolls who hate her music, it’s harder to handle when someone shames her for her parenting style. For example, Maren was criticized earlier this year when she posted a picture of herself holding Hayes on her lap on an inflatable float in a lake without putting a life jacket on him.

“For some reason it’s an extra betrayal when it’s another mother shaming another mother,” Maren said in a virtual press room on Wednesday night.

“I just feel like we all need to give each other some grace,” she continued, pointing out the fact that becoming a mom has shaped her own perspective on how she treats others.

“I would never [shame another mother], and I’ve learned to be less judgmental all around just by being a mom, because it’s extremely humbling,” she added.

“And yeah, I just think let’s all love each other and give each other good advice. Even if it’s unsolicited, at least it’s good advice.”

Maren ended her thoughts by calling on all moms to be kind, and think before commenting on other people’s decisions.

“I would just say let’s do better,” she mused. “And not put someone down that’s obviously trying their best.” 

Maren performed her new single, “To Hell & Back,” from the Ryman stage during the ACM Awards.

By Carena Liptak and Andrea Dresdale
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

'The Solution Committee': Jaden Smith to host socially-conscious Snapchat series

• No Comments • Entertainment News

Snapchat(LOS ANGELES) — Jaden Smith is taking on a leadership role amongst his generation when it comes to combating social injustice.

Smith will host a new eight-episode series called The Solution Committee through Snapchat’s Snap Original series platform.

The millennial-friendly show features discussions with several of today’s young voices about how to create solutions to the world’s most prevalent issues including racism, education, climate change, voting and climate racism. 

Smith takes on a news anchor-like role on “the show where we bring people together to talk about complex issues,” he describes, leading discussions that explore the dynamics between young people and the political process.   

In the trailer that boasts neon colors, cartoons, and all-around vintage vibes, Smith is joined by such figures as Emmy winning screenwriter and actress Lena Waithe who says “it can be very daunting for people, especially young people, when they want to change the world. How does one do that?” she poses.    

Other guests include Smith’s sister Willow Smith, Hailey Bieber, Janelle Monae, Common and more as the show aims to transform viewers’ mentality from “feeling hopeless to hopeful.” 

The series will premiere on September 21, one day before National Voter Registration Day, with each episode providing viewers with access to voter registration information.

The Solution Committee will air Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Snapchat’s Discovery page. 

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Old Dominion figured out ahead of time that they’d won ACM Song of the Year

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Brent Harrington/CBSThe winners of the ACM Awards are supposed to be kept secret until the show, but sneaky Old Dominion figured out that they’d won the Song of the Year trophy just a little bit ahead of time before last night’s ceremony.

It all started on their tour bus, as the band prepared to mask up and head into the Grand Ole Opry House. They knew they would be taking the stage to perform, and they knew that they were nominated at the ceremony, but they weren’t yet sure whether they’d be getting up to give an acceptance speech.

The gears starting turning, though, when the bandmates saw songwriter Josh Osborne on their bus. Josh co-wrote “One Man Band,” which was nominated for Song of the Year, and would also be accepting the trophy as one of its writers.

He tried to play it cool on the bus, saying “I just came over to wish you guys good luck.”

But Old Dominion knew better: They soon figured out that Josh’s presence meant they’d won the award. They shared a private toast on the bus before heading in to watch the ceremony.

While they may have guessed one win ahead of time, Old Dominion at least got one surprise during the show: They also took home the trophy for Group of the Year.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Gwen Stefani revamps throwback pic, photoshopping Blake Shelton over ex-husband Gavin Rossdale

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CBS

Gwen Stefani revisits her past — with a twist — in a photo she posted to Instagram this week.

The picture shows a very young Gwen posing in a crop top and low-slung jeans, victory rolls in her hair and classic ‘90s makeup. Beside her is a young Blake Shelton, decked out in his early-career look of cowboy hat and mullet.

The only problem? The superstar couple weren’t together during this era of their lives. In fact, Billboard made the eagle-eyed discovery that this photo originally featured Gwen and her ex-husband, Gavin Rossdale. The singer posted the original version of this photo back in 2014, just under a year before she and Gavin parted ways.

Following their split, Gwen found love again when she and Blake –(who had also recently gone through a very public divorce from fellow country star Miranda Lambert — were coaches together on The Voice. Blake and Gwen made their relationship public in late 2015.

Gwen’s revamped throwback pic celebrated last night’s ACM Awards ceremony, where the power couple performed their new single, “Happy Anywhere.” Blake also took home the Single of the Year trophy for his hit, “God’s Country.”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Andre Braugher hopes 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' will "commit" to telling honest stories about policing

• No Comments • Entertainment News

Eddy Chen/NBC(LOS ANGELES) — In the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Andre Braugher is seeing his portrayal of police officers in a new light. 

For the past seven years, Braugher is known to TV viewers as beloved Captain Holt on the critically acclaimed NBC comedy. Before that, he spent seven seasons as Detective Frank Pembleton on the ’90s cop show, Homicide: Life on the Street. 

Speaking to Variety, Braugher says that cop shows hold a certain responsibility when it comes to accurately portraying the police system in America, and has noticed a specific trend in how police officers are portrayed on screen. 

“I look up after all these decades of playing these characters, and I say to myself, it’s been so pervasive that I’ve been inside this storytelling, and I, too, have fallen prey to the mythology that’s been built up. It’s almost like the air you breathe or the water that you swim in. It’s hard to see,” he explains. 

“But because there are so many cop shows on television, that’s where the public gets its information about the state of policing. Cops breaking the law to quote, ‘defend the law,’ is a real terrible slippery slope,” he continues.

“It has given license to the breaking of law everywhere, justified it and excused it. That’s something that we’re going to have to collectively address — all cop shows. The myth that the outcomes of the criminal justice system are not dependent upon your race has to be confronted.” 

As Brooklyn approaches its eighth season, the actor hopes that the show will “commit itself” to telling the stories of the relationship between race and policing in an honest way.

The new season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is expected to premiere in 2021.   

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.