Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Ex-partners tell UK court Depp wife beater claims nothing like ‘true Johnny’

Hollywood star Johnny Depp’s former long-term partner Vanessa Paradis and his ex-girlfriend actress Winona Ryder said accusations that he had abused his ex-wife were false and did not reflect the person they knew, London’s High Court was told. Depp, 57, issuing the publisher of Britain’s Sun newspaper for libel over an article which labeled him a “wife-beater” and says it was he who suffered domestic violence at the hands of Heard during their volatile relationship.

No trans characters in major Hollywood movies for 3rd year, report finds

Hollywood increased the numbers of gay and bisexual characters in movies in 2019, but most of them had only fleeting screen time and there were no transgender characters at all, according to a survey released on Thursday. The Studio Responsibility Index from LGBTQ media advocacy group GLAAD showed that of the 118 films released by the major Hollywood studios in 2019, twenty-two (18.6%) had LGBTQ characters, including films such as “Bombshell,” Rocketman,” “Judy” and “Booksmart.”

The mobilising power of the BTS ARMY

BTS, the South Korean supergroup, is known for churning out hits and energising a growing global fan base. Early in June, those fans – collectively called ARMY – put their energy behind an online campaign called #MatchAMillion to raise money for social justice causes in the United States. It hauled in $1 million in roughly one day, matching the donation of the band itself to Black Lives Matter.

Don McLean’s ‘Vincent’ lyrics up for sale for $1.5 million

The original handwritten lyrics of Don McLean’s song “Vincent”, a tribute to painter Vincent van Gogh, are going up for sale with an asking price of $1.5 million. Los Angeles-based rare documents dealer Moments in Time said on Wednesday that the lyrics, scrawled in pencil over 14 pages with deletions and additions, are being sold by a person who acquired them directly from the American singer-songwriter.

China to let most cinemas re-open from Monday as pandemic ebbs

China will allow most cinemas to re-open from July 20, the film administration said on Thursday, six months after they were forced to close as part of draconian measures to contain the novel coronavirus. The relaxation has been long awaited in the world’s second-largest film market, where lockdowns have eased gradually as infections have dropped sharply since March, with many restaurants and malls open for months.

ViacomCBS fires Nick Cannon, citing ‘hateful speech’ in podcast

U.S. TV host and actor Nick Cannon has been fired by ViacomCBS for promoting what the media company said on Wednesday was hateful speech and spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories on a recent podcast. Cannon responded shortly thereafter that he had tried to contact Shari Redstone, the chair of ViacomCBS, to reconcile and “actually apologize if I said anything that pained or hurt her or her community.”

Masks and Mickey: Disneyland Paris reopens after four-month closure

Disneyland Paris welcomed back visitors on Wednesday after a four-month closure due to the coronavirus outbreak, with face masks and social distancing the order of the day. A steady stream of visitors trickled in during the morning, with one group wearing Mickey Mouse ears and dancing with glee as they entered Europe’s most visited theme park.

Child YouTube star Ryan Kaji adds lockdown fun, virus education to repertoire

Young YouTube sensation Ryan Kaji’s star has kept rising during the coronavirus lockdowns. The eight-year-old, who first began his channel “Ryan’s World” on YouTube to review toys for family members and other youngsters, raked in $26 million as 2019’s highest-paid content creator and now boasts 25.7 million subscribers.