freedom

Jonathan Majors Seen Leaving NYC Courthouse In “FREEDOM” Cap After Facing Assault Allegations

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On Saturday (March 25), the world was shocked by the news of Jonathan Majors’ unexpected arrest. As DailyMail reports, he was taken into custody yesterday morning. He’s currently facing charges of “strangulation, assault, and harassment,” according to NYPD officials. The accusations come from his 30-year-old girlfriend, who called authorities after sustaining injuries to her head and neck. Despite the evidence coming out against his client, the Creed III actor‘s representative is vehemently denying any wrongdoing.

“He’s done nothing wrong. We look forward to clearing his name and clearing this up,” they shared in a statement. Less than 12 hours after he was arrested, another update regarding Majors’ case came out. At the time, photographers captured him leaving an NYC courthouse. He was notably wearing a cap that reads “FREEDOM FREEDOM” and a COVID-19 mask. By his side was either an attorney or assistant, who shielded the 33-year-old from the rain with a translucent umbrella.

Jonathan Majors Enjoys His “FREEDOM” After NYC Arrest

While many details regarding the situation that resulted in Majors’ arrest are still under wraps, we have heard reports claiming that the couple broke out into an argument during a taxi ride. The alleged victim apparently saw another woman text her man’s phone, resulting in an altercation that’s said to have turned physical. The Ant-Man star is being accused of slapping his partner when she tried to view the messages before putting his hands around her neck, ultimately resulting in visible injuries. Among them was a “laceration behind her ear, redness, and marks to her face.”

At the time of his arrest, Jonathan Majors was promptly cuffed and hauled off to jail. Police reportedly “felt there was enough evidence for probable cause.” At the same time, his girlfriend was taken to a local hospital where she was assessed and thankfully declared to be stable. The reason for and conditions of the 33-year-old’s release remain unknown at this time, though we’ll surely receive more updates on the situation in the coming days. Read our initial report on the incident here, and check back later for more pop culture news updates.

[Via]

Jon Batiste Was Full Of Life During His Vibrant Performance Of ‘Freedom’ At The 2022 Grammy Awards

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Jon Batiste 2022 Grammys
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This year’s Grammys are a big one for Jon Batiste. The New Orleans star was nominated in eleven categories including Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Best R&B Album, and more. His total of eleven nominations for the 2022 Grammys makes for the second-most ever in the award show’s history and, in large part, Batiste’s recognition at the Grammys comes as a result of his eighth album We Are. He described the project as “a representation of genreless music that’s just about the story” and “a culmination of my life to this point.”

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Now we get to see a piece of We Are live on display through his performance of “Freedom” from the album. His performance of the song was quite the vibrant effort as the stage was flanked in bright colors and Batiste himself was also full of life during his set as he danced and pranced from every corner of the stage. Out of his eleven nominations, Batiste has won in four categories so far. He won in the Best Americana Roots Song Performance and Best American Roots Song categories for “Cry.” He was also honored with wins for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media and Best Music Video.

After the nominations for the Grammys were revealed, Batiste shared a very excited reaction to his eleven nominations. “WOW!! Thank you God!! I love EVERYBODY!” he wrote on Twitter. “I’m so grateful to my collaborators and to my ancestors [crying emojis] 11!”

You can watch Jon Batiste’s Grammy performance in the video above.

Jon Batiste Proves That Movement Is Medicine In His Euphoric ‘Freedom’ Video

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Academy Award, BAFTA, and Golden Globe-winning musician Jon Batiste released his soulful album We Are last month. The multi-hyphenate musician has shared a handful of triumphant visuals alongside his LP and now, Batiste returns with a jubilant video to his funk-forward track “Freedom.”

The colorful visual is an ode to his New Orleans hometown, community, and Black joy. It opens with the singer exiting a vintage car on a busy neighborhood street. As he begins to dance, his happiness is infectious. Eventually, he’s followed by an entire parade of dancers and band players marching down some of New Orleans’ recognizable streets.

In a statement given to Apple Music about some of the themes he explores on We Are, Batiste said:

“I like to use the inspiration from the past and combine it with the things that are in the present to create the future. We’re finally at a point where we’re starting to untangle the way that my grandparents, and even my parents, experienced America. It feels like the culmination in the coming of age of what many generations have built, fought for, and poured into. As heavy as these themes are, the overall message of the album is love, joy, and community. That, and also the power of social revolution, in the sense of what we have to do in the culture to make room for everybody to be able to fully be who they are.”

Watch Batiste’s “Freedom” video above.

We Are is out now via Verve. Get it here.