comeback

LOLA Young is single and looking for love after returning to the stage from her career break.

The Londoner triumphed with the Best Pop Solo Performance Grammy on Sunday night for her No1 hit Messy — and she won over even more fans with an emotional performance of the song.

But I can reveal she has well and truly moved on from the subject matter, all about the end of a previous relationship, and has signed up to dating app Raya.

And she has overhauled her life by cutting out booze.

I’ve seen her profile on the high-end matchmaking app, which features a handful of sultry photos, as well as one of her performing, and is linked to her official Instagram account.

But she still has an air of mystery, choosing to leave the “bio” section of her profile blank. It’s a change from September, when she said she was too busy to date.

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However, it’s fair to say it’s been a period of a lot of changes for Lola.

She took a four-month break after collapsing on stage in September, and only returned to the spotlight at a pre-Grammys party at the end of last week.

Now she is sober, I’m told industry pals Lily Allen and Sir Elton John, who are also teetotal, have been offering their support.

Lola revealed she had ditched alcohol when asked how she would be celebrating following her Grammys success.

She said: “I am going to have an In-N-Out burger with my manager and everyone. And I’m probably going to go out a little bit.

“I don’t drink, but it’s going to be fun anyway.”

Last year, she revealed she had to check into rehab to tackle a cocaine addiction in 2024, just as Messy was rising up the charts.

Then on her song d£aler, released last summer, she sang about the struggle of “tryna be sober.”

Now it sounds like things are finally looking up for her — and she seems in great spirits.

Speaking about her break, Lola said: “This is a very difficult industry to be in.

I took the time out to get better because there were a lot of things going on in my head, in my personal life, and we constantly have to be protected as artists.

“I had to make the decision to do it for myself — to be kind to myself and give myself space.”

“But now I am back. I feel better.

“I will do as much as I can to be good for my fans and to be good for the people that love me.”

She’s got Teyst

Teyana Taylor was my best-dressed star of the night, and it’s fair to say she probably has the busiest awards season of anyone.

She wore this stunning, sculptural Tom Ford dress but sadly lost out on the Best R&B Album prize for her record Escape Room, with the gong going to Leon Thomas’s Mutt instead.

Still, Teyana will have plenty more wins I’m sure. The multi-talented performer is the favourite to win Best Supporting Actress at the Baftas and the Oscars – after winning the same prize at the Golden Globes – for her role in One Battle After Another.

She joined a load of stars hitting the town, with Justin Bieber spotted in an open hoodie, having earlier performed his song Yukon in just some silver silk boxers.

That wasn’t half as mad k as Lady Gaga performing with a black bird cage on her head though.

Kesha wore an over-the-top head-dress to greet fans, while Miley Cyrus looked chuffed to pose with Bad Bunny.

And Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo and Bruno Mars all looked super-stylish as they headed out to the afterparties.

Those celebrity stylists have been working overtime.

All the goss at The Grammys

Cher added some laughs to proceedings when announcing the Record of the Year winner, claiming it had gone to Luther Vandross, despite the fact he died 21 years ago.

She got confused when reading out who had won, claiming she thought the name would be on the autocue and she wouldn’t have to open the envelope on stage.

But when she did, she saw the title Luther and said the late singer’s name instead.

Thankfully, winners Kendrick Lamar and SZA, whose song Luther samples the soul star’s version of If This World Were Mine, put two and two together and realised they had won.

And that was a relief, because it was seven more seconds before Cher exclaimed: “No, Kendrick Lamar!”

Sabrina’s tough love

She left the ceremony empty handed despite six nominations, although Sabrina Carpenter still sent pulses soaring during a racy performance of her hit Manchild.

But any new admirers should take note, she has no qualms about spilling the beans on her love life in her music.

Speaking backstage, Sabrina, who wrote her last album Man’s Best Friend about her ex Barry Keoghan, said: “I love really hard. If you f*** with me, there will be consequences.

“I feel pretty transparent going into any of my relationships that I write songs and I think they’re just as down for it.

“Also, most of the time, they’ve been pretty flattered. When they get a song written about them, good or bad, I think they’re just excited to get a shout out.

“I’m not scared of men in that sense. I am scared of men sometimes, but I’m not scared in that sense.

“I will attract exactly who I’m supposed to attract. And again there’s so much conversation around women that are honest and strong and opinionated and determined, focused.”

Winner Tyla will ao A-POP

Tyla celebrated her second Grammy win by announcing her new album will be called A-POP.

She won Best African Music Performance for Push 2 Start, having won the same gong in 2024 for Water.

Speaking backstage, she said: “I wanna announce that my sophomore album drops this summer and it’s called A-POP.”

Asked what fans can expect, she said: “Amazing new music. It’s going to be different. It’s me now. I just grew up… I’m now 24, I feel like a woman.

“I’ve got other things I want to say and other vibes I want to give, so yeah, it’s definitely a different vibe but I’m so excited.”

Charli XCX is a self-proclaimed “365 Party Girl” so I can see why her post-event bash was one of the most star-studded of the evening.

The Saint Laurent-sponsored event took place at Bar Marmont in West Hollywood – the go-to venue for luxury brands – and boasted a guestlist including Demi Lovato, Paris Hilton, Diplo and Rose.

Not so clever, Trevor

Donald Trump has threatened to sue Grammy host Trevor Noah over his jokes about him at the bash.

Noah, inset, said: “Song of the Year – that is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because since Epstein’s gone, he needs a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton.”

Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!!

“I can’t speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight’s false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media.

“Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast.

“Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!” Here we go again . . .

BRITISH superstar Harry Styles is heading to Hollywood.

On Sunday night the As It Was singer returned to the Grammys to present Album of the Year – keeping a low profile by skipping the red carpet and ceremony.

And now The Sun can reveal Harry Styles, 31, is on the brink of announcing a huge residency in California as part of his upcoming Together, Together tour.

Sources have confirmed that Harry has committed to a run of shows in Los Angeles in Spring 2027.

He is currently weighing up which venue to call home after being met with two huge offers.

The management team of The Intuit Dome and The Kia Forum both have sent him big money deals.

The Sun understands a staggering 30 dates are on the table to match his upcoming run of shows in New York.

He will play 30 nights at the iconic Madison Square from August 26 – he only announced US shows. 

Harry played a 15 night run at The Forum in late 2022 and early 2023 with Love On Tour.

Meanwhile, The Intuit, home to the LA Clippers, is the most technologically advanced LA gig spot with lights in seats and a cutting edge audio system. 

A source said: “Harry is heading to Hollywood.

“He is definitely playing LA on this tour. He has mind set on a residency in early 2027.

“The question is which venue would work for him.  He has been offered The Forum and The Intuit Dome and it’s his choice which he prefers.

“The Forum gigs were some of his most free, fun and exhilarating shows on his last tour. 

“He was relaxed throughout the run and really touched by how the fans reacted to him.

“A 20 to 30 night run would be an instant sell out. He could probably play double that amount.

“Interestingly the team which booked these venues are the same people because both have the same ownership.”

The insider added: “The LA leg will be announced as part of an expansion of his tour.”

Last week Harry announced his Together, Together Tour – which included six nights at Wembley Stadium supported by Shania Twain.

The Sun were the first to reveal how that number was set to double to 12 shows.

It means he now holds the title of the act who has played the venue the most times on a single tour.

Coldplay previously held the record with ten nights at the North London venue as part of their Music of the Sphere’s Tour.

To say that DeAndre Cole inherited a difficult challenge when he became the boys’ basketball coach at Compton Centennial this season would be an understatement. The team went 1-23 last season and had a streak of seven consecutive losing seasons since finishing 13-13 in 2017-2018.

“The expectation was to bring the winning culture, to bring some excitement,” the 44-year-old Cole said.

Incredibly, Centennial has already finished its regular season with a 12-12 record and represents one of the biggest turnaround stories in Southern California. The .500 record means Centennial is eligible for a Southern Section at-large playoff berth.

This is a program where UCLA assistant coach Rod Palmer once had teams competing against the best when alumnus Arron Affalo was bombing in threes and delivering dunks before going on to UCLA and the NBA. Centennial won the 2004 state Division III championship. This year’s team went 1-6 in the Ocean League, where Inglewood and high-scoring Jason Crowe Jr. won the league title.

Cole once served as an assistant coach at Washington Prep and Manual Arts. He was set to be head coach at Morningside until the school closed last year.

He’s a Crenshaw grad who says he was kicked off the basketball team by legendary coach Willie West. Asked what he learned, Cole said, “It takes hard work and being dedicated buying into the program and no player is bigger than the program.”

He said his problem was not listening to West and thinking he was the next Stephen Curry.

Even though Centennial had only six players available much of the season for varsity action, Cole created a junior varsity team, so help is on the way if the team gets a playoff spot. The team’s best two players have been guards Jaden McDonald, a transfer from Detroit, and Edward Johnson, who used to be home-schooled.

Five of the six players have played football, including Joshua Crathers, who was the school’s quarterback for two years.

Asked what he learned after winning one game last season, Crathers said, “Don’t give up. When you lose, you get better.”

Cole had to be creative when he lost a player against St. Bonaventure, leaving the Apaches with four players. A student who was a friend of a Centennial player with minimal practices was asked to join the team for a single game.

“We need you to show up,” Cole told the student.

Cole remembers him being so out of shape that he needed a water break after the first play of the game. Centennial won 63-58.

McDonald said the team has no choice but to be in their best shape knowing players have to play the entire game.

“I feel everything that comes to us is deserving, but we have to work hard,” McDonald said.

There’s no reason the program can’t continue to grow considering the Compton area is filled with talent. Remember the city is where DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Christopher, Tyson Chandler and Corey Benjamin once played. It’s about keeping the neighborhood kids home and showing players can develop and explore their basketball dreams.

Considering how far Centennial plunged, a 12-12 record at this point is a stunning reward for the school, players, parents and fans. Let’s see where Cole can take them.

The school is about to go through a rebuilding phase, with the gym being torn down and replaced on a whole new campus.

The straight outta of Compton story is in its beginning stage, but it sure looks like things are changing fast.

Serena Williams has refused to rule out returning to professional tennis after recently filing the necessary paperwork.

Williams, who won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, retired after the 2022 US Open.

In December, the International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed to BBC Sport that the 44-year-old was back on the list of players registered for the drug testing pool.

At the time, the American said she was “not coming back” but during an interview on the Today Show on Wednesday, Williams did not rule out stepping back on to the court.

“I don’t know, I’m just going to see what happens,” Williams said.

Interviewer Savannah Guthrie pushed Williams further, saying “that’s a maybe to me”, and the seven-time Wimbledon champion said “It’s not a maybe”.

In late 2024, shortly after her husband, Donald Trump, was reelected as the 47th president of the United States, Melania Trump saw an opportunity: a documentary centered on her life.

The film, a follow-up to her eponymous memoir, would offer a window into the first lady’s private, sphinx-like world, in contrast to that of her bombastic, spotlight-seeking husband.

To direct the film, a fly-on-the-wall chronicle of the 20 days leading up to the inauguration, Melania turned to an unlikely choice: Brett Ratner, who only a few years earlier had been all but banished from Hollywood.

The controversial filmmaker had been recommended by her agent and “senior advisor” Marc Beckman, who had a long-standing relationship with Ratner.

“He’s one of the most talented directors of our lifetime,” said Beckman, who negotiated the unusually lucrative $40-million deal with Amazon MGM Studios to distribute the film.

“He actually accounts for like $2 billion in box-office receipts,” Beckman told The Times. “He really understands not just how to create something that’s gorgeous, but also how to reach the passions and emotions of his audience.”

The timing was fortuitous. Ratner was looking for a comeback vehicle from his heady days as one of the industry’s most successful filmmakers. And Beckman was among several prominent figures in Trump’s orbit who could help make that happen.

President-elect Donald Trump kisses his wife, Melania, before his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025.

(Saul Loeb / Associated Press)

Brash, rich and successful, Ratner, 56, was the director and producer of a string of blockbuster films, the “Rush Hour” franchise and “X-Men: The Last Stand” among them. He was a consummate Hollywood dealmaker and habitué of red carpets who held court at the legendary basement disco inside of his equally storied Beverly Hills estate.

Then, in the fall of 2017, The Times reported on sexual misconduct allegations against Ratner made by multiple women. At the time, Ratner strenuously denied the claims.

It was the height of the #MeToo movement and a range of sexual misconduct allegations toppled the careers of powerful men, from disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein to “Today Show” host Matt Lauer and CBS Chairman Les Moonves. Weinstein was later convicted of rape in Los Angeles and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Almost immediately, Ratner’s reign as blockbuster king was over.

Beckman, however, viewed Ratner first and foremost as a director. They had a relationship that stretched back to 2007. Beckman’s agency hired Ratner to direct a sultry Jordache jeans campaign, inspired by the iconic photographer Helmut Newton, whose work was edgy, provocative and erotically charged. The campaign, shot at the Chateau Marmont, featured a mostly topless Heidi Klum — in one ad she is brandishing a riding whip.

Beckman declined to say whether he had talked to other potential directors, nor would he address any of the claims made against Ratner. He stressed that it was Ratner’s “massive talent” that put him in the director’s chair. “We focused on Ratner’s capabilities as being a superior director,” he said.

The documentary, “Melania,” is set to premiere at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington — which the president is trying to rename the Trump Kennedy Center — on Thursday, followed the next day by a global theatrical release.

In addition to the “Melania” documentary, a three-part docuseries also filmed during the inauguration run-up about the first lady that Ratner directed and is part of the same Amazon deal, is set to air on the streamer later this year, according to Beckman.

Brett Ratner, center, and the stars of “Rush Hour 3,” Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, at the film’s Los Angeles premiere party in 2007.

(Matt Sayles / Associated Press)

Then there is the much-buzzed-about fourth installment of “Rush Hour.” It has been widely reported that Ratner will direct the $100-million movie to be distributed by Paramount.

The long-stalled project came about after President Trump was said to have urged his friend Larry Ellison, who bankrolled his son David’s acquisition of Paramount, to revive the franchise.

Not everyone is happy about Ratner’s return.

“It speaks to the larger issue that these men who didn’t take responsibility for their actions are coming back into society as if nothing happened,” said Nancy Erika Smith, a partner at Smith Mullin in Montclair, N.J., who has litigated numerous harassment cases, including that of former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson.

Reached by phone, Ratner declined to respond to questions, saying, “I don’t talk to or cooperate with the Los Angeles Times.”

He referred questions to his London-based publicist, who did not respond to a detailed list of questions.

An early love of movies

Growing up in Miami, Ratner once said that “I eat, sleep, breathe the movies.” He was raised by a single mother, Marsha, who had him at 16, and his grandparents Mario and Fanita Presman, Jewish Cubans who immigrated to Florida during the 1960s. (His paternal grandfather, Lee Ratner, founded d-Con, the rat poison company.) At 12, he was an extra, appearing as a boy on a raft, during a pool scene at the Fontainebleau Hotel in the 1983 Brian De Palma film “Scarface.”

Early on, Ratner garnered a reputation for his ambition, relentless drive and a preternatural ability to surround himself with famous friends and mentors.

While a student at New York University in the late 1980s, he befriended Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons, who made him his protégé, tapping Ratner to direct music videos.

At 28, he directed his first film, the 1997 buddy comedy “Money Talks,” starring Charlie Sheen and Chris Tucker. The movie grossed $48 million on a $25-million budget, cementing Ratner’s reputation as a highly bankable director.

In 2012, Ratner and Australian billionaire investor James Packer co-founded RatPac Entertainment. A year later, they merged with the film financing company Dune Entertainment, founded by Steven Mnuchin (Trump’s future Treasury secretary), that had bankrolled massive hits like “Avatar.”

The rebranded RatPac-Dune quickly entered into a $450-million slate financing deal with Warner Bros. to fund up to 75 movies, including Oscar winner “Gravity” and box-office hit “Wonder Woman.”

Ratner himself served as an executive producer on such acclaimed films as the epic western drama “The Revenant.”

“I was not the best student, but I was the hardest-working kid that I know, and it paid off,” said Ratner when the Friar’s Club honored him with a comedy achievement award in 2011.

A self-styled jet-setting playboy, Ratner dated actor Rebecca Gayheart and tennis star Serena Williams. He cocooned himself inside a circle of much older, famous cinema legends that he considered his mentors such as Robert Evans, Roman Polanski and Robert Towne.

The late movie producer Robert Evans was part of a clutch of cinema legends that Ratner considered his mentors.

(Getty Images)

Ratner’s Beverly Hills mansion, Hilhaven Lodge, the estate once owned by “Casablanca” actor Ingrid Bergman, was the scene of numerous raucous parties filled with celebrities and models.

After he made a series of vulgar and inappropriate comments while promoting his film “Tower Heist” in 2011, including saying that “rehearsal is for f—,” using an anti-gay slur, he dropped out of producing the Academy Awards broadcast.

Still, Ratner frequently groused that he was misunderstood.

“I don’t drink; I don’t do drugs. Do I like to have fun? Yeah. Do I like to enjoy myself, enjoy my life? Yeah. But I’m not a decadent person. … I’m just a nice Jewish kid from Miami Beach who loves movies and pretty girls,” he said in an interview with the Jewish Journal.

Over the years, Ratner sat on the boards of several charities such as Chrysalis, a group that helps homeless people; and the Ghetto Film School. In 2013, he donated $1 million to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and he actively supported the Simon Wiesenthal Center, where he was a trustee, and the Museum of Tolerance.

When Patty Jenkins presented him with the Tree of Life humanitarian award at a Jewish National Fund dinner in 2017, the director of “Wonder Woman” and “Monster” shared that he financed her thesis film.

In 2017, when Ratner received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he was cheered on by actors Edward Norton, Dwayne Johnson and Eddie Murphy, producer Brian Grazer and Warner Bros. chief Kevin Tsujihara.

(Chris Delmas / AFP via Getty Images)

That year, RatPac-Dune’s co-financing deal with Warner Bros. delivered a series of hits, including “It,” “Wonder Woman” and “Dunkirk.” He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Fallout over allegations of misconduct

Then, in November, The Times published detailed allegations against Ratner made by six women who accused him of harassment, groping and forced oral sex. Actor Olivia Munn claimed that Ratner masturbated in front of her when she delivered a meal to his trailer on the set of the 2004 film “After the Sunset.”

At the time, Ratner’s attorney Martin Singer rejected the women’s claims, saying that his client “vehemently denies the outrageous derogatory allegations that have been reported about him.”

The Times published another report weeks later that included additional sexual misconduct allegations from several other women. The report also named Simmons, the Def Jam co-founder, as a witness and alleged perpetrator in several of the episodes.

Both Ratner and Simmons disputed the women’s accounts and denied their allegations. Simmons subsequently faced several rape accusations, which he has denied.

The professional repercussions were swift. Ratner’s agents at WME dropped him, as did his publicist, and projects were put on hold. Ratner parted ways with Warner Bros.

“I don’t want to have any possible negative impact to the studio until these personal issues are resolved,” he said in a statement.

In April 2018, Warner Bros. officially cut ties with Ratner, declining to renew its massive $450-million co-financing deal with RatPac-Dune.

Two years later, Ratner’s name surfaced amid the tangled Hollywood sex scandals involving British actor Charlotte Kirk, whose allegations brought down two studio chiefs: Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara and NBCUniversal Vice Chairman Ron Meyer, with whom she claimed to have had sexual affairs.

British actor Charlotte Kirk accused several Hollywood power players including Ratner of “victimizing her.”

(Paul Archuleta / FilmMagic)

In a sworn court declaration, Kirk said she was victimized by Tsujihara, Ratner, Packer and Millennium Films CEO Avi Lerner, stating that the men “coerced me into engaging in ‘commercial sex’ for them and their business associates.”

She further accused Packer, whom she had dated for a period, and Ratner of having “sexually exploited me,” with Ratner sending her “crude sexual text messages, and offering me as an inducement to his business partners,” according to her declaration.

Attorney Singer, who represented the men, “categorically and vehemently” denied any wrongdoing on the part of his clients.

Cast out of Hollywood, Ratner appeared to escape the piercing scrutiny by living large. He was spotted variously at the five-star Faena Hotel in Miami and sunning on a yacht off Saint-Barthélemy in the Caribbean.

Ratner’s initial attempts to get back behind the camera went nowhere. In 2021, he announced plans to direct a long-stalled Milli Vanilli biopic with Millennium Media, but soon after, Millennium Media stated that it was no longer involved with the film.

In Trump’s orbit

Despite the setbacks, the seeds for Ratner’s eventual comeback had been sown. Known as a world-class schmoozer, Ratner cultivated numerous ties to people affiliated with Trump.

For several years, he was partners with Mnuchin, who served as Treasury secretary during Trump’s first term, through their production and financing company RatPac-Dune.

Billionaire Len Blavatnik, owner of Warner Music Group, bought Packer’s stake in RatPac-Dune through his Access Entertainment in 2017, making him Ratner’s partner for a time. Blavatnik, through his company, contributed $1 million to Trump’s first inauguration.

Then there’s Arthur Sarkissian, the producer of the original “Rush Hour” movie. He also produced the 2024 Trump-friendly documentary, “The Man You Don’t Know.”

Steven Mnuchin, who was Treasury secretary during Trump’s first term, was a partner with Ratner through their company RatPac-Dune Entertainment.

(Alex Brandon / Associated Press)

Ratner also developed a friendship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has a long-standing relationship with Trump. Ratner was the prime minister’s guest at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2023. He posted a picture on his Instagram standing behind a seated Netanyahu and his wife, and next to attorney Alan Dershowitz, himself a longtime advisor and friend of Trump’s.

That year, several Israeli media outlets reported that Ratner had obtained Israeli citizenship after he posted the passbook Israel issues to new immigrants on his Instagram story with his name “Brett Shai Ratner” captioned in Hebrew.

“There’s a strong community in south Florida that is close to Trump,” said someone who worked with the family but was not authorized to speak publicly. “Brett has relationships with a bunch of them; it was just a matter of connecting the dots.”

Ratner no longer appears to live at his Hillhaven estate (which is currently listed for lease at $82,500 a month), while there have been sightings of him at Mar-a-Lago.

Not long after the presidential election, Ratner was given unprecedented entrée to Melania Trump and became a part of her trusted inner circle.

Beckman said Ratner was given “remarkable” access to her life. “There were behind-the-scenes meetings,” he said. “She’s a very private person and for the first time she was allowing the cameras to cover her, her family, her philanthropy and of course her business endeavors.”

Many of the women who came forward in 2017 to level their accusations against Ratner declined to speak about him now or to comment on his return to directing.

In the 2017 Times article, actor Jaime Ray Newman alleged that during a flight Ratner made sexually inappropriate comments and showed her nude photos of his then-girlfriend.

“I said my piece a couple of years ago and have moved on,” Newman, who stars in the Netflix hit “The Hunting Wives,” told The Times. “I feel really good and brave in what I did.”

The “Melania” trailer is in heavy rotation online and was shown during the NFL playoffs. Billboards loom over cities and on buses.

Talking to reporters on Air Force One earlier this month, the president praised the upcoming film.

“I’ve seen pieces of it, it’s incredible,” Trump said. “Everybody wants tickets to the premiere. I think it’s going to be great.”