Jeriann Tripodi, Editor

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Welcome to the wonderful world of entertainment. The following news includes highlights of celebrities, television, movies and music this week.

“Fictosexual” man opens up about marriage to fictional character Hatsune Miku

A 38-year-old Japanese man, Akihiko Kondo, has been married to computer synthesized pop singer Hatsune Miku for four years, after dating her for a decade. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Kondo has opened up about his marriage to the Vocaloid. While claiming that Miku has advantages over a human partner because she will never betray him or pass away, Kondo has also admitted that communication is a large struggle. Kondo proposed to a hologram version of Miku and carries around a life-sized doll of her. Miku is a famous virtual singer who toured with Lady Gaga. She also starred in video games.

“American Idol” winner arrested for spying on ex-girlfriend

Country singer and “American Idol” winner Laine Hardy has been arrested for planting a listening device in his ex-girlfriend’s dorm room. According to Entertainment Tonight, the young woman found the voice-activated recorder under her futon and thought it was a phone charger. Hardy faces a felony charge of “interception and disclosure of wire, electronic or oral communication.” If found guilty, the 21-year-old could face up to 10 years in prison. In 2019, Hardy won season 17 of the ABC reality singing competition. He then went on to release his hit song “Memorize You.” 

James Corden will be leaving “The Late Late Show”

Comedian and late show host James Corden has announced that he will be leaving CBS’s “The Late Late Show” in 2023. Corden announced this news during his monologue. Before getting emotional, he explained that he is excited to see what else is in store for his future. Corden has hosted the talk show since 2015 after the departure of previous host Craig Ferguson. The 43-year-old British comedian is best-known for introducing the fan-favorite segment, “Carpool Karaoke,” where he would sing with celebrity guests while driving them around town. “The Late Late Show with James Corden” airs every Monday through Friday at 12:35 a.m. on CBS. 

Disney returns to 2D animation in new docuseries

“Sketchbook” is a new docuseries on Disney+ that focuses on the process of hand-drawn character animation in honor of The Walt Disney Company’s upcoming 100^th anniversary. This six-part documentary series features six different animators and their classic Disney characters. One of the featured animators is Philadelphia-area native Eric Goldberg. Goldberg served as the supervising animator of Genie for “Aladdin,” which was released in 1992. This series will not only display each artist’s unique style, but also showcases the importance of traditional hand-drawn animation despite the fact that CG films have become more popular.

Number one on the Billboard charts: week of May 7, 2022

According to “The Hot 100” on the charts, the number one song in the U.S. is “As It Was” by Harry Styles. Staying at the top spot, this is the fourth week the pop/R&B song is on the charts. According to the “Billboard 200,” the number one album in the U.S. is “It’s Almost Dry” by Pusha T. This is the first week the rap album is on the charts. 

Thank you for reading this week’s “What’s Trending.” If you have enjoyed this article, be sure to watch La Salle TV’s “Backstage Pass” for more celebrity and entertainment news and content. Check out the student-produced show on its YouTube channel, LaSalleTV Philly. You can also watch “Backstage Pass” twice a day on Comcast channel 56. The times are as follows: