The actresses’ 37-page filing also dives into how the couple will split their property and time with their daughters, plus who is going to pay who alimony and child support. Continue reading…
The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Month: October 2025
What’s confirmed about Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman’s split — and what’s just speculation? We break down what the documents and sources reveal. Continue reading…
The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Kayleigh Clark earned a coveted four-chair turn during the Blind Auditions on NBC’s The Voice Monday evening, impressing the coaches with a powerful cover of Sugarland’s “Stay.”
The 20-year-old singer from Sumrall, Mississippi, showcased her vocal talent as she belted out the 2007 hit, written solely by Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles.
Her performance won over all four coaches, Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, and Michael Bublé, who each hit their buttons for the rising country talent.
“Absolutely incredible. I love your song choice,” McEntire told her. “You sang it beautifully, and I would love to have you on my team as a fellow country singer. You did a wonderful job and I’m very proud of you.”
Bublé admitted McEntire was a tough act to follow, but chose to shoot his shot.
“Kayleigh, I had to turn. I could literally see the goosebumps on Niall Horan’s arms from where I was sitting,” Bublé explained. I love country music dearly. I love it so much that I’ve been telling Reba I’m going to go to Nashville and make my own country record. I know it sounds weird. Anyway, I’d love for you to even consider me, even though you have literally the queen, the greatest of all time.”
Snoop Dogg casually attempted to convince her to join his team by pointing out the fact that he was the first to push his button.
“I’m not one that count or whatnot, but I think I was first It’s a friend of mine named Ricky Bobby. He says, either your first or your last,” he joked, quoting the film Talladega Nights. “Taking a chance with me would be something different. I will give you the room to grow and I will also assist you and coach you and give you information to help you become the artist that you are.”
Finally, Horan had his chance to woo Clark, even comparing her to Carrie Underwood.
“I just had to turn based off the goosebumps. You had one of those really unique voices, kind of like in a Carrie Underwood kind of style and it really pierced through. I can guarantee I don’t even have to ask you this question, but you write songs. I can always tell by someone that knows how to portray a feeling, so I would love to work with you,” he shared.
Clark welcomed her proud parents to the stage before making her decision.
“Miss Reba, I love you so much. I have looked up to you for my whole entire life, but I think I’m going to have to go with Niall,” she revealed.
Horan was shocked and proclaimed, “There is a chance I could become a country coach! Who would’ve thought? It’s happening, people!”
The Voice airs on NBC on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The post Kayleigh Clark Earns Four-Chair Turn On ‘The Voice,’ Niall Horan Compares Her to Carrie Underwood appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Now that HARDY is starting to feel more settled into life as a dad to his six-month-old daughter, he’s realizing just how much his perspective on life has drastically changed in such a short amount of time.
The country star and his wife, Caleigh, welcomed their first child, Rosie Ryan Hardy, on March 7, weighing in at 9 lbs 2 oz. Reflecting on this chapter, HARDY admitted that every decision, big or small, now revolves around being a parent.
“It just seems like your life is just like, you just find time to do what you want to do now because just not about, I mean it literally, it’s not about you,” he explained during an appearance on the God’s Country Podcast. “Every single thing from literally…I noticed this other day, it’s like, do I have time to go take a leak all the way to, how many shows should I play next year? And everything in between. It literally all revolves around having a little kid. It’s crazy.”
So far, HARDY says they have gotten very lucky with Rosie, noting how she is “completely healthy” and is happy as can be. He gushed about how easygoing Rosie has been, describing her as being “completely healthy” and content and rarely fussy unless she’s hungry or tired.
“You could put her in the middle of this floor and she could just entertain herself for an hour. She’s just so content. She’s never uncomfortable,” he shared. “She whines if she’s hungry or she’s tired and that is literally it. She’s an easy baby for sure.”
The country-rocker jokingly added that because they are in such a great spot with their first child, odds are their next baby will probably be “a freaking brat or something.” Still, he doesn’t take this season of life for granted.
“We’re screwed for the rest. I know we were talking about that a little bit before, but God, I don’t know what we’re going to do, seriously,” HARDY continued. “It’s like this perfect little thing and I just know we’re going to have another one and they’re going to be a freaking brat or something. It’s just going to be a lot harder…having one kid is easy. I don’t care what anybody says. And we don’t have help. We don’t have a nanny or nothing. We’re doing everything just us. But man, I can’t imagine having one that’s pooping in their diaper and then the other one’s running around and doing, I don’t know.”
At just six months old, HARDY shares that Rosie has not quite entered her crawling phase however she has been working on sitting up for the past two weeks and is slowly becoming a master at that skill. He added that while she went through a challenging phase of sleepless nights at the start, with some dedicated sleep training, she’s now resting through the night most of the time.
“From like month four to month five and five and 30 days was pretty terrible. But as they say, you know how I love the term, she woke up finally she realized she was human and was like, what’s this terrible feeling of, I want to go to bed.”
As for what’s next, the Mississippi native hasn’t revealed his exact touring plans for 2026, but it’s clear that no matter what, life on the road will look a little different now that family comes first.
He has also kept the momentum going with the recent release of his highly anticipated new album COUNTRY! COUNTRY! followed by the unveiling of its deluxe edition, COUNTRY! COUNTRY! COUNTRY!, The newly added songs include “Good Ole Boy” as well as stripped-back, acoustic versions of tracks “Dog Years,” “Country In Me” and “Take the Country and Run.”
Overall, this collection finds HARDY leaning back into the sound that first made him a Nashville staple. The project follows last year’s hard-hitting rock record Quit!!, which earned widespread praise but also left him missing the country community he built his career alongside. After stepping away for a bit to explore his creativity, he has officially returned to his small-town roots with a set of refreshing, country leaning tracks.
HARDY’s upcoming tour dates including events like Stars and Strings in Hollywood, FL o November 6 and Country vs. Cancer in Nashville, TN on December 2.
The post HARDY Reflects On Life As A New Dad, Gives Update On Life With Six-Month-Old Daughter, Rosie appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
When it comes to raising his three children, Brantley Gilbert follows one major rule: keeping screen time in check.
The country hitmaker, 40, is dad to Barrett (7), Braylen (6), and Abram (11 months). Rather than letting them spend hours glued to devices, Gilbert wants his kids to experience the same kind of childhood he enjoyed. For him, that means encouraging time outdoors and playing with friends.
Gilbert admits that setting limits isn’t always easy and that he has his wife to thank for enforcing it.
“I ain’t raisin’ kids that stay in a damn tablet or a cell phone all day, right,” he said. “My wife’s awesome about, they get 10 to 15 minutes screen time max a day. And I feel like that’s more than enough.”
He believes the best way to raise his children is by passing down the old-school values he grew up with, thanks mainly to his grandfathers.
“Hell, we didn’t have any of that when we were kids. We spent all our time outside. And it may be, you know, the change is intimidating to me from time to time,” he went on to say. “But I am one of those guys that’s set in my ways. And I listened to a lot of what my grandfathers told me. And I feel like my grandparents, both sides of my family, my grandparents had solid marriages. They were solid men and women. They call them the greatest generation for a reason. And I’d like to instill in my kids more of that generation..”
Even with a busy touring schedule, family remains at the center of Gilbert’s life.
Up next for the country rocker is a show at Franklin, Tennessee’s Firstbank Amphitheater on October 3 as part of his The Tattoos Tour, which is set to run through February 2026.
On December 12, Brantley Gilbert will release Greatest Hits…So Far, a 24-track collection celebrating his biggest songs to date. The project features fan favorites such as “Country Must Be Country Wide,” “Kick It In The Sticks,” “Bottoms Up,” and more. It also includes his current radio single, “Want You Back,” giving fans both the classics they love and a taste of what’s next.
Blending that ’90s-meets-modern country vibe with pedal steel and his trademark rock edge, Brantley Gilbert’s “Want You Back” hooks fans instantly. The track shows off his tongue-in-cheek humor as he admits he almost wishes his ex had done him wrong, just so moving on would be easier. The song was written by Gilbert with HARDY, Hunter Phelps and Will Weatherly.
Listen below.
The post Brantley Gilbert Pushes Old-School Values in Parenting His Three Kids appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Zac Brown doesn’t hold back when it comes to sharing his love and admiration for Dolly Parton. After having the rare honor of collaborating with her on his moving new anthem, “Butterfly,” from his upcoming album Love & Fear, Brown says his respect for Parton as both an artist and a person has only deepened.
“There’ll never be another Dolly,” he said of the country legend before praising her as “the most published, most brilliant female writer ever.”
This collaboration, Brown admits, was a “dream.” Not only did he get to work with such an icon in the genre, but he also got to fulfill a longtime goal of recording with a full orchestra. Having such a large group of talented musicians alongside Parton’s signature vocals made an already special song that much more fulfilling.
“She’s an angel man, but what she’s sang on this, I sent her the song and was like, ‘sing whatever you want’. And when I got back what she sang, I was just like, she’s a fu**ing ninja dude. She’s a ninja,” he told Taylor Lewan and Will Compton during an episode of Bussin’ With The Boys.
Why “Butterfly” Is So Special
Co-written by Brown with Dan Auerbach and Sasha Sirota, “Butterfly,” offers a powerful statement centered around resilience, self-discovery, and personal growth. from struggle and hardship to empowerment and freedom, offering a reminder that listeners are stronger than they realize and can overcome any challenge that comes their way. For Brown, the song carries an extra layer of weight as it was he written as a letter to his children.
“It’s the first song I wrote on the piano because I can play piano, but I don’t really write on it. So I sat down and tried to write a song and that’s what came out, a song for my kids,” Brown explained. “But having Dolly the legend absolutely murder it, when you listen to what she sang on that and how she sang it, you wouldn’t know she was 25 or 80. It’s unbelievable. That one is one right now that I’m so crazy proud of and I just love her and everything she stands for. She’s done so much in philanthropy as well with her career. Just an incredible woman…She’s about to be 80 years old and she’s hot and she’s still as talented as any human on the earth.”
This marks one of three epic collabs that are set to appear on Zac Brown Band’s next album. He also worked alongside Marcus King for the unreleased track “Hard Run,” and Snoop Dogg on “Let It Run.”
Brown Shares His Pride For Love & Fear Album
Between these collaborations, the remaining songs on the 13-track album and his upcoming run at the Las Vegas Sphere, Brown has entered what might be the most personally fulfilling chapter of his career.
“I’ve bled over this album and these recordings and all of the press and all the content for the Sphere and all the things, so I’m super proud of it. I’m proud of this as any record I’ve ever made,” Brown admits. “Spent a lot of time writing it, a lot of time producing it and arranging it with my band and I love it. Every three years you get a snapshot of the best songs that I’ve written in that amount of time. But having Snoop on a song, having Dolly on a song, and then I wrote with Dave Grohl on one of the tunes. I love it. Those are my babies, man. The songs are like your babies.”
Brown reveals that putting together the best possible Sphere experience while also crafting this album has been both a huge honor and a “massive undertaking.” All of the hard work he’s done this year is leading up to the first night in the immersive venue. While he admits it’s not a “big money-making opportunity,” the exposure, the artistry, and the chance to connect with their community in the new way is what makes it all worth it.
“The Sphere show in December is the biggest project we’ve ever taken on by tenfold, and it’s important to do something that’s unforgettable there to just remind people, I want to be in that same legacy era or legacy act as the Rolling Stones or the Grateful Dead. And what that requires is your community that you create around your music and your following and all those things. You have to do something to keep them engaged, to keep them going. And artistically, this is the greatest canvas that’s ever been created for creativity,” he explained.
The run is set to kick off on December 5, the same day the band’s new album Love & Fear is scheduled to arrive.
The post Zac Brown Opens Up About Working With Parton On ‘Butterfly’: ‘There’ll Never Be Another Dolly’ appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Part three of The Voice Season 26 Blind Auditions aired on Monday night, and as expected, country music had its moment to shine once again. Among the standouts was Rob Cole, a 34-year-old from North Carolina, who delivered a heartfelt rendition of “Joy of My Life.”
The song, originally written and recorded by John Fogerty, was given new life when Chris Stapleton included it on his 2020 Starting Over album. Cole’s cover leaned into that soulful, country/rock realm, and capturing the attention of two of the coaches.
Michael Bublé and Reba McEntire both hit their buttons for Cole, but in a surprising twist, Bublé used his block against McEntire. That meant Cole couldn’t choose Team Reba, no matter how much she wanted him.
Bublé explained his decision with a smile, telling McEntire, “I love you so much, Reba, the love I have. You know how much I love you? I love you so much that I blocked you. That’s the respect and admiration I have.”
He then turned his attention to Cole, admitting, “When I heard your voice, I knew I could not allow Reba to be in the competition with me.” Bublé went on to praise him, saying, “What is your name and where are you from? You incredible man.”
Cole shocked the coaches and the audience by revealing that this was actually his second time auditioning for the hit show. During Season 25, he walked away without a single chair turn. This time, things couldn’t have been more different.
Reflecting on his journey, Cole said, “It really calls me to go after it. No does not mean never. It’s not the same thing.” This struck a chord with McEntire, who smiled and told him, “I’m so glad you are in now.”
With a spot on Team Bublé, Cole’s luck was completely different this time and the pop star was thrilled to welcome him to the team.
“I don’t have to battle with anybody. We don’t have to talk about any other things. I’m going to have to go and buy a bag of lemons so that I can suck on ’em to get this smile off my face,” his proud new coach shared.
Though Snoop Dogg didn’t turn his chair, he still praised Cole and offered encouraging words.
“Big Rob..you already know I had a spot for you, but when I seen Reba got blocked, I have peripheral something that they don’t have. But let me say this, man, when you went off into that sound like you was John Cougar Mellencamp, you started rolling and growling. I’m like, and I’m loving all of that right there, man. So I’m happy that you on the show. And that you got a great coach like Mike who’s going to challenge you and give you different things. Now you back. What a coach. What a bright future! Let’s go, baby!”
Niall Horan was equally impressed, telling the contestant, ”By the way, I didn’t turn because I thought Reba was just going to, I just thought not a chance if I turned for that one.”
Rob Cole will move forward as part of Team Bublé, however, McEntire teased “we’ve got a little thing called steal,” hinting that his future on the team may not be set in stone.
The Voice airs on NBC on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The post Rob Cole Shocks Everyone On ‘The Voice’ With Comeback Audition After Previous Season’s Zero Chair Turns appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
D4vd was the target of a swatting hoax at his family’s Hempstead home in Texas just ten days after police discovered the decomposed body of a 15-year-old girl in the trunk of his impounded Tesla in Los Angeles.
On September 18, officers armed with rifles arrived at the residence following a 911 call falsely claiming gunfire, screaming and a possible death at the property. The entire response was captured on police body cameras, showing officers approaching the home with weapons drawn.
The parents of the 20-year-old singer, born David Anthony Burke, answered the door visibly alarmed.
“Someone is messing with us,” his father repeated to officers, while his mother asked them to check the property in case someone was hiding nearby.
Police confirmed the call was a swatting prank, a dangerous tactic where false emergencies are reported to provoke an armed law enforcement response. No arrests were made and no official report was filed.
The hoax came shortly after the Los Angeles Police Department revealed that the body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez had been discovered in the trunk of D4vd‘s Tesla on September 8. The vehicle had been towed from a location where it had been parked for weeks.
“The vehicle had been parked at the location from which it was towed for several weeks, so Ms. Rivas Hernandez may have been deceased for several weeks before the discovery of her body,” the LAPD said in a statement.
Hernandez, who weighed 71 pounds and had wavy black hair, was wearing a tube top, black leggings, a yellow metal chain bracelet and stud earrings at the time of her death, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Investigators have not yet determined how she died. However, police acknowledged there may be “criminal culpability” related to the concealment of her remains.
“The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has not yet determined the cause or manner of Ms. Rivas Hernandez’s death,” LAPD said. “As such, it remains unclear whether there is any criminal culpability beyond the concealment of her body.”
Hernandez had been reported missing from her Lake Elsinore home earlier this year. Sources told TMZ that D4vd’s friends believed she was 19, though she was actually 15 when her body was found—just one day after her birthday.
D4vd, who rose to prominence on TikTok with tracks like “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me,” canceled his U.S. tour on September 19 and paused the release of his deluxe album “Withered.” He has not made any public appearances since vacating his Hollywood Hills residence, which was searched by detectives.
The swatting incident adds another layer of scrutiny to a case already drawing national attention. False emergency calls like these have become a growing concern, especially when tied to high-profile investigations.
A spokesperson for the artist has not responded to requests for comment.
The LAPD continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding Hernandez’s death, which was confirmed on September 8.
AllHipHop
Kash Patel Slammed Assata Shakur Tributes as Disrespectful to Fallen Police
Patel Condemns Public Praise for Shakur After Her Death in Cuba
Kash Patel criticized online tributes to Assata Shakur following her death in Havana last week, calling the praise an insult to law enforcement and the memory of slain New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster.
“Joanne Chesimard didn’t ‘fight for justice.’ She murdered New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in cold blood then fled to Cuba to escape accountability. The FBI never stopped calling her what she was: a terrorist,” Patel wrote on X. “Mourning her is spitting on the badge and the blood of every cop who gave their life in service.”
Patel, 45, a former federal prosecutor and Trump administration official, currently serves as FBI Director under former President Donald Trump.
Joanne Chesimard didn’t “fight for justice.” She murdered New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in cold blood, then fled to Cuba to escape accountability. The FBI never stopped calling her what she was: a terrorist.
Mourning her is spitting on the badge and the blood of every… pic.twitter.com/letscTdaBG
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 28, 2025
Shakur’s History and Criminal Conviction
Shakur, born Joanne Chesimard, was a member of the Black Liberation Army and the godmother of Tupac Shakur. She was convicted in 1973 of killing Foerster during a traffic stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. After escaping prison in 1979, she fled to Cuba, where Fidel Castro granted her asylum in 1984.
The FBI later placed Shakur on its “Most Wanted Terrorists” list, offering a $1 million reward for information leading to her capture. She remained in Cuba until her death in April 2024 at an undisclosed age.
Tributes From Political and Educational Groups
Despite her criminal record, several progressive organizations honored Shakur’s legacy after her passing. The Democratic Socialists of America posted, “Rest in Power, Assata Shakur. The American state brutally oppressed Assata and her Black Panther Party Comrades. The Cubans welcomed her and other Black Revolutionaries with asylum, and their solidarity and loyalty allowed Assata to live out her days in Havana.”
The Chicago Teachers Union also shared a tribute, writing, “Today we honor the life and legacy of a revolutionary fighter, a fierce writer, a revered elder of Black liberation, and a leader of freedom whose spirit continues to live in our struggle.”
Political Leaders Push Back
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, joined Patel in condemning the tributes. “She was convicted of the murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster, who was executed in cold blood,” Murphy posted on X. “There are so many worthy heroes to celebrate. She is not one of them.”
Shakur’s affiliation with the Black Liberation Army—a militant offshoot of the Black Panther Party—connected her to a group involved in armed robberies, police shootings and bombings in the 1970s.
Shakur’s Defense of Her Actions
In her 1987 autobiography, Shakur claimed she was wrongfully targeted and said she was punished for political beliefs and actions she viewed as justified.
Shakur died in Havana in late April 2024, closing a decades-long chapter of one of the most polarizing figures in American political and criminal history.
AllHipHop
Diddy took a major L in Manhattan federal court Tuesday after a judge shot down his attempt to get two prostitution-related convictions tossed—leaving him stuck with a sentencing date this Friday on serious Mann Act charges.
The 55-year-old Hip-Hop boss was convicted in July for flying male escorts across state lines to hook up with his exes.
That move violated the Mann Act, a century-old law meant to stop sex trafficking. Diddy’s legal squad tried to argue the whole thing was way overblown and basically about some wild “freak offs” between consenting adults.
“This is wildly out of proportion to the conduct at issue—threesomes where fully competent adult men and women voluntarily crossed state lines and had consensual sex with each other, and the defendant made no money from the conduct,” his lawyers wrote. “We are unaware of any other Mann Act prosecution based on such conduct.”
Judge Arun Subramanian wasn’t buying any of it. He clapped back with a no-nonsense ruling, saying the whole thing still fell under prostitution—even if Diddy wasn’t pocketing cash from it.
“To any modern reader, the plain meaning of prostitution is sex for sale. Every modern dictionary the Court consulted says the same thing,” the judge said. “What happened in this case was transportation for prostitution even under Combs’s understanding of the term: Combs transported the escorts (who were financially motivated) and intended for them to engage in prostitution.”
Diddy beat the bigger charges like sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, which could’ve landed him a life sentence. Still, those two Mann Act hits could cost him up to 20 years behind bars.
His defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro tried to paint him as a voyeur who liked filming his wild sex life, saying it was all covered by the First Amendment. But prosecutors weren’t going for that either. They said he paid his exes back for setting up the sex sessions, making him legally responsible.
The court testimony got graphic fast. Cassie, Jane Doe and other women told the court Diddy bankrolled the hookups and was way more than just a spectator.
Judge Subramanian broke it down in brutal detail: “Evidence at trial showed that when Combs filmed, he didn’t typically give notice ahead of time or ask for consent, as a film producer would; and that he masturbated, suggesting that the purpose was his immediate sexual gratification.”
It didn’t stop there. The judge added, “The evidence showed that Combs ‘and the escort would both … have intercourse’ with Ventura at the same time. And after Ventura or Jane finished having sex with an escort, Combs would have sex with Ventura or Jane, often while the escort’s semen was still on their body. At other times, Ventura would ‘put [the men’s] semen on [Combs], usually on his chest, on his nipples.’”
Yeah. That’s in the official court opinion.
With the judge locking in the convictions, federal prosecutors are now pushing hard for 11 years and 3 months behind bars, plus the biggest fine allowed. They say Diddy used threats and fear tactics and hasn’t shown the slightest bit of remorse.
They also told the court he’s “not accepted responsibility for his actions” and has a “pattern of abuse.”
On the flip side, Diddy’s lawyers are asking for a much lighter sentence. They claim he’s already served the equivalent of 14 months in pretrial lockup and want him to do the rest on house arrest. They also brought up his clean criminal record and the fact that he beat the more serious charges.
Judge Subramanian has denied him bail more than once, pointing to the seriousness of the case and concerns over public safety
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