Quick Hits

• BTS's V revealed in a Wednesday livestream that he's being treated for hearing loss in his right ear — which he says now functions at roughly a third of his left — in the middle of the group's world tour. Absolutely rooting for him.
• The Perez Hilton situation is heartbreaking and moving fast: his mom has reportedly filed for temporary custody of his three kids just days after his distressing TikTok livestream, and his sister Barbara Lavandeira says he'd been hospitalized for "severe depression" two weeks earlier.
• Troye Sivan has officially kicked off a new era with "She's the Best," and the music video co-stars none other than Nicole Kidman. At the club! Our girl!
• "The Devil Wears Prada 2" is so powerful it's moving actual economies — Variety reports an 18% jump in tourists visiting the sequel's Milan filming locations. That's all.
• Pinkchyu, the viral "goth baddie" from Drake's dating show, tells TMZ another big-time musician has now barked in her DMs. Two famous musicians. Barking. At her.

What's Trending

• Cruz Beckham remains undefeated: his reply to a post calling all the Beckham kids "ugly" — "ariana what are you doing hereeee" — is going viral, and honestly, the kid understood the assignment.
• Jennifer Lopez seemingly left her leg texture unedited in recent pics after that viral "real skin texture" moment, and fans are here for it — "I love that she doesn't edit her legs smoother." Refreshing!
• Macaulay Culkin is taking his Bahamas "influencer" era VERY seriously, posting his best influencer poses and asking followers to pick a favorite: "I think I nailed my new job." King behavior.

Music

• Troye Sivan's "She's the Best" video, directed by Gordon Von Stein, literally brings Nicole Kidman to the club. New era, instantly iconic casting.
• Becky G dropped her fifth album Baraja Bendita (Aug. 14, RCA Records) — and she wants it known that she and Karol G are "absolutely not" competitors.
• Benny Blanco made his first Spanish-language album, Hermoso, and Billboard ranked all eight tracks. Benny, the man who shaped a decade of pop hits from behind the scenes, said "my turn."
• The Cure headlined Oslo's Øyafestivalen and Robert Smith teared up during "Just Like Heaven." Not crying, YOU'RE crying.
• Guy Sebastian has settled his Federal Court battle with former manager Titus Day, ending a legal fight that dragged on nearly a decade.
• Sad news: Johnny Young, the ARIA Hall of Fame singer and Young Talent Time host who launched generations of Australian stars, has died at 79.
• Rolling Stone reports Boston is betting big on music tourism on the heels of Noah Kahan's Fenway Park run.

Movies & TV

• At the TV Academy Hall of Fame, Bill Hader honored the South Park creators with a "Fish Dick" story, while 31-time Emmy winner Sheila Nevins had to miss the event due to COVID. A "Fish Dick" story at a Hall of Fame induction — entertainment!
• The San Sebastián Film Festival added new films from Jesse Eisenberg, Fred Cavayé, Amanda Kernell, and Gabriel Martins to its Golden Shell race.
• Bollywood star Rani Mukerji received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Australia's La Trobe University plus a special citation from IFFM for three decades in Indian cinema.
• BuzzFeed rounded up 13 comically miscast main-character performances — "What is he punishing himself (and us) for?" — and the phrasing alone deserves an award.

Celebrity Tea

• More detail on Perez Hilton: his sister Barbara Lavandeira recalled finding him "covered in blood" moments before the livestream, and says he'd been hospitalized just two weeks prior — after he'd admitted to feeling "hopeless." Perez raises his three kids (13, 11, and 8) as a single father via surrogacy, and per BuzzFeed, his mom has now filed for temporary custody. Genuinely hoping he gets the help he needs.
• Servers are spilling on the best and worst celebrity tippers, and the range is WILD — one star tipped $200 on a ~$500 bill, while another was called out for not tipping "a penny." We need names, honestly.
• Bengals' Orlando Brown Jr. is being sued for civil theft by his ex Holly Means, who claims he's refusing to return her property out of "anger and spite."
• The McKenna West surrogate saga continues: TMZ reports she's been ordered not to interfere with the biological parents' medical choices after running off to Texas to have their baby. This story is unhinged from top to bottom.

TikTok & Internet

• StubHub posted and then deleted a TikTok shading BTS over the Chris Brown support, then apologized in the comments: "we were trying to make a joke about the irony of the situation and clearly misread it... we love BTS." Brands, the comma key is free, and so is restraint.
• An intimacy coordinator went viral explaining how modesty garments actually stay on during sex scenes — because "staying really still is not always an option." Education!
• A Disney TikToker (@babytoni99) is facing major backlash after being accused of repeatedly following Disneyland's Peter Pan performers over a 10-year period. There's creepy and then there's dedicated creepy.
• In devastating news: Sydney Towle died at 26 after documenting her rare cancer on TikTok — the NYT's Katie Rosman investigated the Reddit snark community that questioned her illness, even as she inspired millions with her optimism. And influencer Michiel Vandeweert died at 28 after documenting his rare rapid-aging disorder. Hold your favorites close today.

And in truly critical journalism: BuzzFeed asked the internet to build an animal band, and the people said 🦖 on bass, 🦫 on drums. Correct answers only.