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Jay-Z's lawyers gave 'legal ultimatum' to Piers Morgan after guest made Sean 'Diddy' Combs comparison
Jay-Z's lawyers gave 'legal ultimatum' to Piers Morgan after guest made Sean 'Diddy' Combs comparison
Morgan later apologized and said he edited out the references to Jay-Z and wife Beyoncé after the couple's legal team contacted him.
“Piers Morgan’s irresponsible broadcast filled with lies is so far over the line that a legal ultimatum was warranted,” Jordan Siev, one of Jay-Z’s lawyers, said Friday. “Nobody acting under the guise of journalism can elicit outrageous statements from exploitative situations in an effort to drive clicks, and not have to answer for that.”
Morgan on Tuesday apologized on his daily YouTube show, “Uncensored,” for comments made last week by a guest, singer-songwriter Jaguar Wright, whom Morgan described as a Combs “whistleblower.”
Wright, who has hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok, has used her experience in the music industry to lodge claims against Combs and Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter.
Combs was arrested last month and will stand trial in May on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has denied the allegations and remains jailed in Brooklyn pending a bail appeal.
The downfall of the Bad Boy Records founder has garnered intense scrutiny as other celebrities and industry associates come forward with accusations of sexual assault and misconduct. Speculation swirls around prominent figures who may have been involved or were aware of Combs’ alleged behavior.
In her interview with Morgan, Wright referred to both Combs and Jay-Z as “monsters.” Morgan asked her why she believes Jay-Z “has been notable for his silence” about the charges against Combs, and she accused Jay-Z of forcing “everyone involved to carry water while he sneaks away without a response.”
Wright further criticized Jay-Z and Beyoncé as “nasty” and asserted that they have “kept people against their will.”
On Tuesday, Morgan said on his show that Jay-Z and Beyoncé were not present during the interview with Wright to defend themselves, “as I said in the moment.”
After the couple’s legal team contacted him, he added, his program agreed to comply with “a legal request” to edit out the references to them from Wright’s interview.
“Editing interviews is not something we do lightly at a show called ‘Uncensored,’ but like the proverbial cries of fire in a crowded theater, there are legal limits on us, too,” Morgan said, “and we apologize to Jay-Z and Beyoncé.”
An editor’s note on YouTube also said the allegations have been removed and that “we do not edit content unless there is a sufficient legal rationale for doing so and will explain whenever this is the case.”
Wright did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A.D. Carson, a musical artist and professor of hip-hop and the Global South at the University of Virginia, said there’s a greater conversation to be had about the responsibility that influential media personalities and their platforms have to vet information to their audiences who may take what people say at face value.
“I think those people get away with thinking that saying sorry is going to unring the bell,” Carson said. “In a media ecosystem where conspiratorial information goes as quickly and widely as it does, the apology just becomes a part of the conspiracy.”
He added that celebrities such as Jay-Z and Beyoncé have the means to shut down baseless rumors quickly, but he said others may not be as fortunate when they’re swept up in misinformation.
“I worry about the folks who don’t have that ability, who face rumors that can persist and it only eats up the oxygen around their career,” Carson said.
Reference: NBC NEWS:: By
Kate Middleton and Prince William's united front fell apart
Kate Middleton and Prince William's united front fell apart
Prince William and Kate Middleton were once the golden royal couple set to save the monarchy. Where did it all go wrong?
Exactly a week after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's interview with Oprah Winfrey catapulted the royal family into crisis in March 2021, Prince William and Kate Middleton released a photo on Mother's Day in the UK.
The picture, posted to their joint Instagram on March 14, 2021, was of a cake they said their three children made to remember Princess Diana. It was endearing and casual, far from Kate and William's typical social-media content.
Fast-forward three years, and the royal family has found themselves surrounded by controversy yet again. But this time, Kate and William are at the center of it, igniting weeks of speculation with a match in the shape of a digitally altered Mother's Day photo.
Kensington Palace ... sounds exasperated and very defensive.Kristen Meinzer, royal commentator
The scandal has been breathtakingly swift, turning the once-golden Prince and Princess of Wales into joke fodder for American late-night hosts — not to mention all of social media. The publicity has been so bad that even the British tabloids' loyalty is starting to crack.
Where did it all go wrong? When Kate and William stopped acting like a united front.
A comeback for the ages
The royal family went on the charm offensive after Harry and Meghan's interview with Winfrey, and they knew Kate and William had to be on the starting lineup.
As the world slowly emerged from lockdown, William and Kate were suddenly everywhere. They visited Westminster Abbey to mark their 10th wedding anniversary, hung out with children on a farm, launched a joint YouTube channel, played soccer with more kids, and hosted a drive-in movie night — all before June.
There were also plenty of snaps of the couple together, and many noticed that William and Kate were suddenly more affectionate in public. That May, they visited the University of St Andrews — where they first met — and an Access Hollywood story noted that William "even affectionately put his hand on Kate's back in a tender moment we don't often see from the perfectly poised heir."
It came just a month after the couple released an anniversary portrait, accompanied by a playful Instagram video far more relaxed than their previous pictures.
Taking a page from Meghan and Harry's playbook
William and Kate's public appearances in 2021 were a huge PR shift for the royal couple, celebrity brand management expert Eric Shiffer previously told Business Insider.
"They were manicured to the nth degree," he said, adding that they "played their public persona with a Buckingham Palace excellence, out of the playbook that's been mastered for centuries."
Kate and William's formal and polished persona was opposite to Meghan and Harry's easygoing and affectionate demeanor, which didn't go unnoticed by the public or press. By sharing their mental health struggles during the Oprah interview, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex positioned themselves as the antithesis of the royal family's tight-lipped and stone-faced "never complain, never explain" mantra.
"Harry and Meghan successfully came off as more human, more approachable, and more affectionate with their subjects," royal commentator Kristen Meinzer recently told BI. "Meghan was doing these things that came off as her own heart's desires, rather than 'I am doing this because I have to cut another ribbon.'"
Royal historian Clare McHugh previously told BI that Kate and William "really adjusted their style" after the Oprah interview.
"They realized if they don't, they'll be overshadowed by this couple living in California, so they have to show themselves," she said. "They have to reveal who they are more because that's the currency now. So they let the anniversary film out, and they have YouTube, and they make jokes. It's a new world."
Until it wasn't.
In the weeks leading up to the Mother's Day photo fiasco, rumors swelled around the royal family, who are underwritten by UK taxpayers and cost about $300 million annually. Kate's most recent royal appearance was on Christmas, and there have been minimal updates since Kensington Palace's announcement in January that she'd be undergoing a "planned abdominal surgery" and wouldn't resume her public duties "until after Easter."
Eyebrows were raised when William released a rare solo statement in February regarding the conflict in Gaza and when he pulled out of his godfather King Constantine's memorial service "due to a personal matter" a week later.
As speculation over Kate's whereabouts grew, Kensington Palace told BI on February 29 that she was "doing well" and that "we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates."
"With Kate, there's been a shroud of secrecy," Meinzer told BI. "The vague language around Kate's health, William's absence from the funeral, and an update from Kensington Palace that sounds exasperated and very defensive."
"It's so glaringly different from the messaging coming from Charles' office," she added. "Charles seems more human these days than William and Kate."
King Charles' cancer diagnosis was announced on February 5, a few weeks after Kate's hospitalization. And while the public still doesn't know exactly what type of cancer he has, nor how severe, Charles has been photographed multiple times since resuming public duties.
"The Buckingham Palace team has been far more transparent than the Kensington Palace team," Meinzer said. "When we look at Charles' case, they were forthright about him having cancer, they did tell us he'd be having outpatient treatment, and they gave us photographic updates."
"Less than a week after the announcement of his cancer, he was attending church with Camilla and waving at the camera people and his subjects," she added. "There are hundreds of witnesses to see that this is actually happening in real time while these photos are being taken."
The (altered) photo seen around the world
Unlike Charles, only three photos of Kate have been released since the January announcement from Kensington Palace.
The first, a grainy paparazzi photo published by TMZ on March 4, showed Kate's face obscured by big sunglasses as she sat in the car with her mother, Carole Middleton. The third, published by the Daily Mail on March 11, showed Kate in the car with William — but her face was turned away from the camera.
The only recent clear photo of Kate's face was the picture she and William released on Mother's Day on March 10. The snap shows Kate smiling with the couple's three children, and the caption credits William with taking the picture this year.
Within hours, the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse announced they would no longer distribute the image due to concerns it had been digitally altered. They sent kill notifications to media outlets worldwide with instructions to remove the picture from all platforms, including social media.
According to ABC News, the Mother's Day photo was edited twice with Adobe Photoshop — once on the night of March 8 and once on the morning of March 9 — before it was released. During an appearance on BBC Radio 4's "The Media Show," Phil Chetwynd, the global news director at Agence France-Presse, said Kensington Palace is no longer a trusted source.
"'Photogate' is a PR disaster, no matter how you look at it," royal historian Marlene Koenig told BI. "It's a major, major story, whether the fangirls like it or not. It's not about Kate being sick. It's not about Kate being a member of the royal family. It's about someone who manipulated a photograph to make it look better. Now there's definitely a lack of trust."
Kate took responsibility for the photo on Monday, writing on X: "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."
It was a move that only heightened confusion — and fuelled more rumors.
Blame the princess
Royal fans and pundits alike were shocked to see an explanation come from Kate rather than a joint statement by Kensington Palace.
"An organization of this size and this international level would normally put out a statement that does not throw one of its most esteemed members under the bus," Meinzer told BI. "I'm kind of surprised that they specifically chose to essentially hang Kate out to dry."
Kate's post on X went against the PR strategy helping her and William for years. Where was the royal family's united front?
But the Prince and Princess of Wales have been diverging from the tactics of their successful 2021 comeback tour for a while now. There's only a handful of photos and videos of the couple together in the past six months on their Instagram page, the most recent being the official Christmas card.
With the black-and-white color, matching outfits, and plain backdrop, it starkly contrasts the sunny, laid-back, and cheerful picture they had shared the year before.
There's no denying Kate and William have reverted to the royal family's former strategy of stiff formality. It's led to increased speculation surrounding the stability of their marriage and a lack of connection to the public that's crucial to the monarchy's popularity and, in turn, its survival.
"I would have focused more on the realness of what Kate's going through. Not everything has to be elevated," Schiffer recently told BI. "People understand that when you're coming back from surgery, it can be difficult, and that's OK too. Part of Kate's charm has always been her ability to be fairly approachable and down to earth, so why move away dramatically from that strategy?"
"One thing that Kate and William should have learned from Harry and Meghan is to come across as more human," Meinzer added.
It remains to be seen if the royal rota — the British tabloids that Harry said have an "invisible contract" with the royal family — will continue to support Kate and William. While stories with sympathetic spins have continued to run on the likes of the Daily Mail, The Mirror, and The Sun, there have also been several negative takes calling Prince William "ungentlemanly" or saying that "the palace can no longer be trusted."
"We're starting to see some very, very loyal members of the royal rota who have always been in William and Kate's corner suddenly not 100% in their corner," Meinzer said.
"I'm surprised any of them are asking any questions right now," she added. "I usually expect them to be firmly in the pocket of the palace."
While it's rare for the royal rota to go against the heir, or the crown for that matter, it's not unprecedented. One only needs to look at how the tabloids covered the Queen's response to Princess Diana's death.
When it comes to being royal, that stiff upper-lipped silence can be your downfall.
Business Insider:Analysis by Anneta Konstantinides and Samantha Grindell:
Kevin Hart Wins Battle to Force $12 Million Sex Tape Lawsuit into Private Arbitration
Kevin Hart Wins Battle to Force $12 Million Sex Tape Lawsuit into Private Arbitration
The man who says Kevin Hart falsely implicated him in a sex tape extortion plot and then failed to “publicly exonerate” him as promised in a settlement agreement can no longer pursue his $12 million breach of contract lawsuit against Hart in open court, at least for now, a judge has ruled.
In a decision signed Thursday, Los Angeles County Judge Daniel S. Murphy ruled that plaintiff Jonathan “JT” Jackson forfeited his right to sue Hart in a public forum when he added a clause to their settlement that agreed to private arbitration.
Jackson had appeared in court Wednesday with his lawyer, Daniel Reback, to argue that the ratification of the entire settlement, including the arbitration clause, was contingent upon Hart publicly exonerating Jackson of any extortion related to Hart’s highly publicized 2017 sex tape scandal. According to Jackson, Hart promised to post a lengthy, “meticulously negotiated” statement on social media as a precursor to their agreement to “resolve all issues” without any “monetary compensation.” Reback said the contingency was outlined in a clause that he underlined for emphasis in the final settlement signed in August 2021.
“Mr. Jackson insisted to me that the agreement have a [special] clause where if Mr. Hart did not perform verbatim the words that we negotiated, that all promises by Mr. Jackson are rendered null and void, including this promise to arbitrate,” Reback argued in court Wednesday. The lawyer also claimed Jackson was fraudulently induced into signing the contract. He repeated the allegation that Hart sent a “fabricated email” to the Los Angeles County District Attorney to falsely implicate Jackson in an extortion crime. In a filing on Oct. 10, Reback claimed the email submission “was likely calculated to take the heat off Hart for having a sex tape video of his extramarital affair.” He said “labeling JT an extortionist would distract the public. But it also would ruin JT’s life.” (Hart’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment on the claim about the allegedly fabricated email.)
“This was an agreement to arbitrate any disputes, and this is a dispute, and it belongs in arbitration,” Hart’s lawyer, Donte Mills, told the judge in court Wednesday. “Clearly the plaintiff in this matter is set on trying to embarrass my client and file anything they can come up with that’s derogatory.”
“None of plaintiff’s arguments invalidate the arbitration clause itself,” Judge Murphy wrote in his ruling. “The case is stayed in its entirety pending the outcome of arbitration.”
Jackson filed his underlying breach of contract lawsuit in July. He confirmed he joined Hart on the August 2017 trip to Vegas where a video of Hart in bed with a model was recorded in Hart’s hotel room, but he was adamant he did not extort Hart. (Portions of the sex tape were published on the now-defunct website Fameolous.com but later taken down.)
Jackson was arrested in April 2018 on suspicion he extorted Hart. The charges were ultimately dropped. According to Jackson, Hart concocted the fake email that demanded 20 bitcoins to prevent the release of more of the recording. Jackson claims Hart “instigated” the theory to prosecutors that Jackson was behind the extortion. He also claimed the comedian harmed him again when he released a Netflix docuseries in 2019 that doubled down on the extortion claim even after the extortion charges were dropped. Jackson claimed Hart later reached out to avoid a threatened defamation lawsuit and agreed to deliver the highly negotiated and scripted Instagram video statement.
By Nancy Dillon: October 25, 2024:Rolling Stone
Young Thug’s RICO trial has finally started. What you need to know — from YSL to lyrics
Young Thug’s RICO trial has finally started. What you need to know — from YSL to lyrics
Rapper Young Thug will finally stand before an Atlanta jury on Monday, launching a long-awaited trial that will determine whether he was a key figure of criminal street gang Young Slime Life, or YSL.
The 32-year-old rap star, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, is an Atlanta native who began his hip-hop career in 2010. Known for hits “Best Friend” and “Floyd Mayweather,” Young Thug helped elevate the Atlanta rap scene as he collected Grammy nominations and MTV Video Music Awards and performed at several high-profile events, including the BET Awards and Coachella.
But Young Thug’s career came to a screeching halt in May 2022 when he was arrested on charges of participating in gang activity and violating Georgia’s criminal racketeering law as part of YSL. More than a year later, the trial for the long-gestating RICO case — which has weighed the validity of song lyrics in prosecution — is finally underway.
Here’s what you need to know to catch up on the case.
Young Thug faces several criminal charges
Since beginning his career in 2010, Young Thug has won the attention of hundreds of thousands of listeners and collaborated with some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including Drake, Nicki Minaj and Travis Scott. However, Georgia officials allege that he keeps dangerous company.
In a sweeping 56-count indictment filed on May 9, 2022, Georgia officials accused the rapper of being a founding member of criminal gang Young Slime Life, or YSL. The criminal gang shares an acronym with the rapper’s Young Stoner Life label. Williams is one of 28 people — including rappers Gunna and Unfoonk — allegedly associated with YSL.
YSL was founded in 2012 in Atlanta and allegedly claims “affiliation with the national Bloods gang,” the indictment said. The group allegedly is responsible for a string of criminal activity including murders, shootings, carjackings and thefts.
In May 2022, Young Thug was arrested and charged on two counts: conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act for an offense dating to January 2013, and criminal street gang activity for an offense dating to May 2018.
Young Thug, influential Atlanta hip-hop star, arrested on gang-related charges
Some of the rapper’s co-defendants were charged with violent crimes such as murder and attempted armed robbery, as well as participation in criminal street-gang activity.
The 88-page indictment includes a wide-ranging list of 181 acts that occurred from 2013 to 2022. Prosecutors say the acts — including social media posts and rap songs mentioning the gang — were part of the alleged racketeering conspiracy to further YSL’s interests.
The indictment also charged Young Thug with renting a 2014 Infiniti Q50 sedan that was used in the commission of the 2015 murder of Donovan Thomas Jr., a member of a rival gang.
Atlanta, a hip-hop mecca, reels as a favorite son faces sweeping criminal charges
In August 2022, an updated 65-count indictment charged Young Thug with criminal street-gang activity, violation of the Georgia controlled substances act, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a machine gun and drug charges.
If Young Thug is convicted under the RICO Act, he could face a maximum 120-year sentence, the New York Times reported. Fulton County Dist. Atty. Fani Willis, who is overseeing former President Trump’s election-fraud case in Georgia, is prosecuting the high-profile RICO case.
“Mr. Williams has committed absolutely no crimes,” the rapper’s attorney Brian Steel said last year. “We cannot wait for a trial date.”
Young Thug’s co-defendants included fellow rappers
Days after Young Thug was arrested, “Drip Too Hard” rapper Gunna was booked on May 11, 2022, on a racketeering charge.
A month after his arrest, Gunna, whose given name is Sergio Kitchens, said 2022 had “been one of the best years of my life.” He also maintained his innocence.
“I am being falsely accused and will never stop fighting to clear my name,” he wrote.
The “Pushin P” rapper, 30, was released in December 2022 after entering what’s known as an Alford plea, which allows a person to plead guilty — while still maintaining innocence — if it’s believed the prosecution’s evidence likely would result in a guilty verdict at trial.
He was sentenced to five years in prison with four years suspended, according to WSB-TV Channel 2 in Atlanta. The one-year sentence was commuted to time served, with special conditions that included 500 hours of community service.
Last year, attorney Steve Sadow said Gunna’s sentence would be completed once he carried out his community service, which was to include speaking to young men and women about the “hazards and immorality” of gangs and gang violence.
Gunna’s message from jail says he’s innocent and ‘2022 has been one of the best years’ of his life
The indictment also listed Quantavious Grier, Young Thug’s brother, as a co-defendant. He was booked on charges of theft by receiving stolen property as well as racketeering. Grier, also known as Unfoonk, pleaded guilty in December 2022.
As part of his plea deal, Grier was put under a 10-year probation that prohibited him from contacting his co-defendants in the case (including his brother), required him to perform 750 hours of community service and obeying a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. Probation also prevented him from possessing a gun.
Then in May, a police officer discovered a 9mm Glock handgun inside Grier’s Mercedes-Benz after approaching him for an alleged window-tint violation, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Investigators determined the “Running Out of Patience” rapper had violated the terms of his probation.
He was arrested in May and sentenced in June to 9½ years in prison.
Young Thug, embroiled in RICO case, accused of ‘hand-to-hand drug exchange’ in court
Several of Young Thug’s co-defendants pleaded guilty to racketeering last year and admitted that YSL is both a music collective and a criminal group. At the hearing for rapper Slimelife Shawty, who took a plea deal in December 2022, a prosecutor reportedly prompted him to acknowledge whether his co-defendants “have committed at least one of the following acts in the name of YSL: murder, aggravated assault, robbery, theft and/or illegal firearms possession.”
“Yes, ma’am,” replied Slimelife Shawty, whose given name is Wunnie Lee.
Additional co-defendants who took similar plea deals include Walter Murphy, Martinez Arnold, Antonio Sledge, Trontavious Stephens and Antonio Sumlin. Earlier this month, Derontae Bebee — who rejected a plea deal in December 2022 — pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years, five years in prison and 10 years’ probation, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
Young Thug’s lyrics will play a role in the prosecution
Young Thug’s gritty lyrics about gun violence and drugs helped establish his place in the Atlanta hip-hop world. But in court, they can be used as evidence.
When prosecutors filed the 88-page indictment in May 2022, they listed lyrics from nine Young Thug songs, including “Eww” and “Ski,” as acts that allegedly further the YSL conspiracy. Along the same lines, prosecutors also described several social media photos of Williams wearing red and allegedly posing with YSL gang hand signs.
On Nov. 9, Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville announced he would allow prosecutors to introduce 17 sets of lyrics as evidence of Williams’ and others’ alleged criminal acts. The decision goes against the defense attorneys’ arguments that lyrics are constitutionally protected speech and would be unfairly prejudicial, according to the Associated Press.
Can Young Thug’s lyrics be used against him? Prosecutors say yes in RICO case against rapper
“The question is not rap lyrics. The question is gang lyrics,” prosecutor Mike Carlson said in a hearing earlier this month. “These are party admissions. They happen to come in the form of lyrics.”
Prosecutor Simone Hylton said the lyrics can be categorized to prove the existence of YSL as an enterprise, describe the gang’s alleged actions and confirm that Young Thug is a founding member.
Culver City-based attorney Jovan Blacknell, who represents the family of the late South L.A. rapper Drakeo the Ruler. told The Times in May 2022 that hip-hop artists “often express dramatizations of stories and events that persist in their communities.”
Column: America loves rap, not Black people. Don’t be fooled because this bill protects lyrics
He added: “The U.S. government knows that song lyrics are rarely a narration of actual events, yet they seek to exploit unfounded race-based stereotypes to achieve an unjust end. To use these artist expressions as a sword is a stifling form of censorship, which flies in the face of our country’s most rudimentary values.”
Jury selection for the forthcoming trial concluded on Nov. 1, nearly 10 months after the selection process began. Prosecutors reportedly said their witness list has 737 people, including lay witnesses and expert witnesses.
The Associated Press and Times staff writers August Brown, Christi Carras, Christie D’Zurilla and Jenny Jarvie contributed to this report.NBA Y
Young Boy pleads guilty to role in Utah prescription fraud ring, avoids jail time
Reference: Los Angeles Times: Alexandra Del RosarioNov. 27, 2023 5 AM PT
Denzel Washington admits he 'didn’t know' how to greet King Charles at Gladiator II premiere in London
Denzel Washington admits he 'didn’t know' how to greet King Charles at Gladiator II premiere in London
The two met during the Royal Film Performance of the film at London’s Leicester Square
Denzel Washington appeared starstruck as he shook hands with King Charles III at the Gladiator II premiere at London’s Leicester Square.
The King, attending the screening at the Odeon Luxe Theatre solo on the eve of his 76th birthday, spoke with director Sir Ridley Scott, 86, and members of the cast on the red carpet.
In a footage recently shared from the royal performance, the film’s stars could be seen eagerly awaited their turn to meet the King.
When His Majesty reached Washington, after greeting Scott and lead Irish actor Paul Mescal, 28, the Training Day actor looked slightly flustered, admitting he was uncertain about the correct handshake etiquette with royalty.
The Oscar-winning actor quipped: “I didn’t know if I was supposed to grab you or not. But it’s my pleasure.”
The actor also recalled that King Charles took the opportunity to ask him about his role as the villainous Macrinus in the cinematic sequel.
Washington said: “’I’m just an awful… I’m a lovely man, you’ll see’” before adding with a sarcastic grin, “I’m a lovely chap.”
Impressed by Washington’s career, the royal remarked during their interaction, “You’ve been in so many films, it’s fantastic” to which he replied, “Thank you, thank you.”
The event was held in aid of the Film and TV Charity, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and marks the first premiere Charles has attended as King.
reference Evening Standard