Simone Battle, a former X-Factor contestant and member of the girl group G.R.L. has died at 25. Her record company confirms that she was found in her Los Angeles apartment on Friday (September 5), but the cause of death is still unknown. The L.A. County Cororner’s Office said the autopsy has not been completed yet, but TMZ is reporting that law enforcement sources told them her death appears to be a suicide.

In an official statement from Reign Deer Entertainment, Robin Antin, Kemosabe Records and RCA records, her industry partners mourn the singer’s loss:

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the loss of Simone Battle of G.R.L. Simone was an exceptional young talent and human being, and we are all devastated to learn of her passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones at this time.”

Simone appeared on the 2011 US version of the “X-Factor” and made it to the top 17 on the show. A year later, in 2012, she joined G.R.L, the girl group created by former Pussycat Dolls member Robin Antin. The group appeared on Pitbull’s “Wild Wild Love” that came out this past February.

The other members of G.R.L. have yet to comment on Simone’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, and the Battle family during this time.

Caitlin White

MTV Weekend Editor. Acts like Madonna but listens to Merle.

@harmonicait

In San Francisco last night (September 5), traffic was slowed to a halt for commuters crossing the Golden Gate Bridge—but it wasn’t due to gridlock. This time, the slow pace was caused by a couple of deer who decided to use the bridge for their own outing!

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the California Highway Patrol received a call about the deer around 5:24 p.m. But by the time they arrived around 6 p.m., the two animals had already trotted their way across, toward whatever evening plans their Friday night held.

All the images show the commuters carefully slowing down to make sure the deer go unscathed. So, what might be the real story here is that a bunch of Friday night commuters were showing compassion!

Sometimes it takes a little nudge from the animal kingdom to help us get our priorities in order. Getting home quick is important sure, but not at the expense of these two adorable, unsuspecting deer.

Here’s a windy clip of the two on their journey across the bridge:

Happy travels my dears (had to)!

Caitlin White

MTV Weekend Editor. Acts like Madonna but listens to Merle.

@harmonicait

We should’ve known this incredible news was coming when Katy Perry and Charli XCX were hamming it up at the VMAs, but it still comes as a wonderful surprise!

Katy Perry announced Twitter that her opener for the Prismatic tour’s upcoming European dates will be none other than Charli XCX.

Yup, we told you she’s an artist to watch.

Here they are chilling at the VMAs with Riff Raff and Sam Smith—Charli caption the Insta “Get ready….. ;)” and now we know why.

Katy is well-known for taking pop stars on the rise on tour with her for that opening slot, last year she brought both Tegan & Sara and country breakout star Kacey Musgraves out. Needless to say—none of these artists could fill an arena on their own, at least not yet—but touring with Katy gives them exposure to a whole new audience.

Let’s hope this chance gives the “Boom Clap” singer the chance to prove that she’s just as big as on her own as the hooks on Iggy Azalea‘s “Fancy” and Icona Pop‘s “I Love It.” If her sophomore album Sucker out October TK is any indication, she’s more than ready to be a full blown pop star.

Here’s the dates that Charli will join Katy:

February 16 – Barcelona: Palau Saint Jordi
February 17 – Montpellier: Park Suite Arena
February 20 – Lyon: Halle Tony Garnier
February 21 – Milan: Mediolanum Forum
February 23 – Prague: O2 Arena
February ...

Hey, there’s holding onto the past, and then there’s clutching it with an ice-cold-death-grip until you’re forced by the law to let go.

In France, The Guardian reports that a 33-year-old man will serve time in prison for texting and calling his ex-girlfriend approximately 21,807 times over a 10-month period.

Let me do some quick math… that’s an average of 73 calls or texts a day, and with 24 hours in a day that’s about 3 times an hour. How did he even have enough time to do other stuff?

After his girlfriend, a unnamed 32-year-old schoolteacher, broke off their relationship in 2011, the defendant was unable to cope with her decision. The unnamed defendant has been previously hospitalized for depression, but at the hearing in Lyon on Thursday (September 4), he took responsibility for his actions.

The man was calling and demanding that his ex-girlfriend thank him for the repairs or offer compensation for the work he did on their shared apartment, but now, even he must admit that “it was stupid.”

“At the time, my logic was that until she returns the money… or at least says thank you, I would not stop the calls,” he said at the hearing. “I tell myself, with hindsight, that it was stupid.”

Manuella Spee, lawyer for the victim, explained the measures her client took to shake off the unwanted communication.

“She tried to block her line, but he phoned her parents instead and her workplace,” Spee explained.

During a meeting held with a mediator, ...

Ariana Grande recently lost her grandfather to cancer, so it felt extra emotional when she performed “My Everything” at the annual Stand Up To Cancer fundraiser today (September 5).

The title track from her album is already a song fraught with loss and love, but it was palpable that Ariana felt something deeper tonight while she belted out the notes. She also let her followers know she was supporting the cause:

After performing the song with a live orchestra, she tweeted about sobbing her eyes out—it was clearly a trying night for the 21-year-old singer.

Losing anyone is hard, but Arianators took to Twitter to comfort her.

Watch her lovely, emotional rendition below. If you’ve lost anyone yourself, this will undoubtedly move you.


Kudos to Ariana for donating her time and talent to such a great organization.

Caitlin White

MTV Weekend Editor. Acts like Madonna but listens to Merle.

@harmonicait

Karen O shared the second single from Crush Songs “Day Go By” earlier this week, and today, the full album is finally available to stream.

The album was recorded back in 2006 when Karen was another 27-year-old wondering if her band would make it and if she’d ever find love.

After the success of the Yeah Yeah Yeah‘s sophomore album Show Your Bones that year, she must have shoved these lo-fi, soul-baring tracks off to the side. But thank goodness she eventually unearthed them, and showed YYY fans a totally different musical side.

She calls the album “the soundtrack to what was an ever continuing LOVE CRUSADE” and even a cursory listen to the lyrics reveals their incisive focus on heartbreak, eternity and existence.

Set to simple ukulele and acoustic melodies, Karen’s voice is front and center, right where it should be. Stream the full album prior to its release next Tuesday (September 9) via NPR.

Caitlin White

MTV Weekend Editor. Acts like Madonna but listens to Merle.

@harmonicait

By now, we’re all very much aware that Kim Kardashian made a sex tape which leaked in 2007 with her one-time boyfriend Ray J. In case anyone forgot, he even made a mansplain-y song about the tape which is probably his biggest claim to fame at this point. ANYWAY.

When the tape leaked, it helped catapult Kim to enormous notoriety, which she’s since parlayed into multiple business ventures. And with that fame and success, she recently earned a “Woman of the Year” nod from GQ. Along with the sexy spread, GQ also consulted Kim on whether or not she would consider making a sex tape again. Considering she’s now tied the knot to one of the most famous rappers in the world in Kanye West, the resulting tape would be a much, much bigger deal.

But if Mrs. Kardashian-West has filmed a sequel—and she certainly doesn’t specificy either way—we’ll never get to see it. That’s the one condition she’s made sure of.

“My husband Kanye and I have an amazing sex life,” she told the magazine. “So far as the sex tape is concerned, whether or not we’ve made another… if we have, it’s never something I want to go public. I never want to make the same mistake twice.”

Well, there goes that pipe dream. Guess we can just watch the “Bound 2″ video for a teaser of the couple’s chemistry together—and because that song is still awesome.

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Mary J. Blige may be a music industry veteran, but lately she’s been in the habit of teaming up with some of the scene’s newest artists—and it’s paying off in a major way.

In February, she appeared on Disclosure‘s “F For You” as a vocalist and starred in the accompanying video. Then, she got on Sam Smith’s tender ballad “Stay With Me” and transformed the pleading number into an even more moving duet.

And on Friday (September 5), she released a new song called “Right Now” that was co-written by Jimmy Napes, Sam and the Disclosure brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence.

Disclosure also produced the song, so it veers away from the traditional R&B and soul tones that inhabit most of Blige’s work, and the title of the track alone evokes its own of-the-moment feeling.

“Right Now” is the most innovative thing we’ve heard from Blige in a while. It will be on her forthcoming album The London Sessions, which is due this fall.

Caitlin White

MTV Weekend Editor. Acts like Madonna but listens to Merle.

@harmonicait

Taylor Swift‘s brand new single—and second-ever No. 1 song—”Shake It Off” has the singer bumbling her way through a variety of different dance routines, but the gist of the song is to just be yourself no matter what.

Which is something that this little girl seems to have down pat. In fact, in the Instagram video that her mother shot of her, she’s got moves that rival Swift’s own!

Tay Tay herself took to Twitter to point out just how free and joyful her dancing was:

Yes, this is definitely a deeper level than the rest of us. Sometimes it takes a child to really reveal the beauty in life.

Watch the moves yourself to experience the full-on perfection of her carefree dancing. Ahhh, to be young! Never change girly, never change.

She’d probably do a great job choreographing the 1989 tour to be honest! Considering Taylor’s history with fan responses, something just might come of this after all.

Caitlin White

MTV Weekend Editor. Acts like Madonna but listens to Merle.

@harmonicait

Today (September 4), in an essay written for the Washington Post James Richardson came out as gay.

Coming out can be a difficult transition for anyone, but in Richardson’s case it has even more weight: he’s a senior spokesman for the Republican party. Richardson, who is currently the Vice President of Public Affairs at Hynes Communications has worked in the past as a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, an adviser for prominent Republican figures like Govs. Haley Barbour and Jon Huntsman, and has even helped elect those who continue to argue against gay marriage.

Richardson has been open about his support of gay rights before but had never openly admitted that he was gay. As a member of the Republican political faction, admitting this fact will likely turn some of his colleagues and supporters against him, something that the Georgia native reflected on this fact in the essay:

“For my admission here, I will alienate friends whose faiths regard my sexuality as culturally corrosive. I’ll suffer the snickering of those across the aisle whose politics regard my own as personally injurious. And conservative clients may regard me as a liability.”

Related: Elton John Believes Jesus Would Be Pro-Gay Marriage

Yet, he is determined to let his voice be heard in order to come against Georgia’s explicit same-sex marriage ban. He goes on to argue that most people who now vote in favor of gay marriage were once against it, and of those who have been won ...