Kevin Hart has been absent from his company, Hartbreak, for weeks, leaving employees worried after layoffs, according to Bloomberg. Hart has also changed his phone number since the layoffs that eliminated almost 25% of his workforce. Layoffs at Hartbeat Studios In January 2025, Hart became the CEO of his entertainment company, Hartbeat Productions. Two CEOs left the company within 15 months, while nearly 20 employees were dismissed during the same period. The CEO’s exits were due to differences of opinion over the company’s strategic direction. However, they left the company
Byron Allen is buying a controlling stake in BuzzFeed and becoming its chief executive, taking over from BuzzFeed founder Jonah Peretti, according to The New York Times. The announcement came on Monday, 11 May, when it was also shared that Allen will pay $120 million for a 52 percent stake in BuzzFeed. Bryon Allen purchasing a stake in Buzzfeed Allen shared in the announcement that he will focus on increasing free-streaming video, audio, and user-generated content. “Byron’s vision, operational experience and long-term commitment to premium content makes him exceptionally well-positioned to lead
Natasha Sideris, the restaurateur behind Tashas Group, and DJ Black Coffee are teaming up to create a premium agave spirit label in South Africa, according to Bloomberg. The label, Leonista, is set to launch at the end of the year. Sideris and Maphumul will source agave from the Karoo, a semi-arid region known for its premium lamb products. Black Coffee launching a spirit brand Leonista will be similar to tequila, meaning that it is distilled from the same plant genus. But tequila can only be made in specific regions of Mexico
will.i.am has completed his first semester teaching agentic AI at Arizona State University, as reported by Fox 11. The course is a credit-bearing, 15-week class open to all students; a second semester is in the works for later this year. will.i.am teaching an AI course During the course, students created their own personal companion called an agent. They presented their AI projects at the end of the course, with one student using his work to support veterans. Another student wrote a song related to the healthcare journey. “This professorship marks
Social network platform Series has raised a $5.1 million in a pre-seed round, according to TechCrunch. The round included investors such as Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Pear VC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and GPTZero founder Edward Tian. Founders Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow met at Yale after both joining the university’s Society for Aspiring Entrepreneurs. About Series Users on Series can request support from other network users, such as an entrepreneur seeking help writing a business plan. The request is made to an AI-powered agent, which Series calls the agent your “AI friend.”
Audible has announced a new Audible Original from Kevin Hart, called Kids Make Me Angry, releasing on June 4. The audible is a partial memoir of Hart’s experiences as a father, but will also serve as a survival guide for parents. “I had no blueprint for being a dad, so I had to figure it out on my own,” Hart said in a press release. “And let me tell you, I wasn’t always perfect, but I showed up 100% of the time. In this Audible Original, I am getting real
White Influencer Lauren Blake Boultier used AI to place her face on a photo of Black influencer Tatiana Elizabeth, according to People Magazine. The image was a 2-year-old photo of Elizabeth at the US Open. Boultier shared the image to her 1.6 million followers last month, leading them to believe she attended the Miami Open. Social media users started to notice that the image belonged to Elizabeth. On March 30, Elizabeth posted a screenshot of Bouliter’s photo next to her original on threads. The image showed that Boultier was wearing the
Fenty Beauty has launched Rose Amber,” an AI-powered beauty advisor built for WhatsApp, as reported by Glossy. Users can get reviews, product recommendations, and tutorials through the chat. This marks the brand’s first partnership with Meta in the US. “We’ve always wanted to partner with Meta more deeply,” Nanette Wong, global VP of marketing and communications at Fenty, told Glossy. “WhatsApp is so widely used all over the world, and our community and accessibility are important to us. So, we’re always thinking of new ways to connect with them.” What
Black Creator Launches App That Allows Creators To Film Vertical and Horizontal Video Simultaneously
Black creator Derrick Downey Jr. has launched DualShot Recorder, an app that allows creators to film vertically and horizontally, according to PetaPixel. The app creates videos in both portrait (9:16) and landscape (16:9) from an iPhone’s dual rear cameras in a single take. In just 24 hours, DualShot Recorder has created such a buzz that it has reached number one on the Apple App Store. Several content creators create videos for different platforms. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts videos are shot vertically, whilst long-form YouTube videos are filmed horizontally.
Meek Mill has recently shared that he will be moving away from X and joining LinkedIn. In a rant on the social media platform, the rapper explained why he no longer enjoys spending time on X. “My algorithm on x is all based on war politics …. Muslim and Jewish hate … it may have started when I first started watching bombings in Gaza … I got on this app to post music connect with fans ! And with deep fake this could make your mind sick if you see
