Justin Bieber is apologising after a five-year-old video surfaced showing the singer telling a racist joke with the N-word. "I'm very sorry," Bieber said in a statement. "I take all my friendships with people of all cultures very seriously and I apologise for offending or hurting anyone with my childish and inexcusable behaviour." The British tabloid The Sun first published the video. In it, a 15-year-old Bieber tells a joke about black people that has the racial epithet as the punchline. Before he says it, someone warns him not to – but he says it anyway amid laughter. In his statement, Bieber said that "ignorance has no place in our society and I hope the sharing of my faults can prevent others from making the same mistake in the future".
Bollywood to remake The Intouchables
Karan Johar's Dharma Productions will co-produce a remake of the French film The Intouchables. Mohit Suri will direct the project. Johar made the announcement on Twitter: "Guneet Monga and Dharma Productions will co-produce the official remake of The Intouchables directed by Mohit Suri." The Intouchables, about an aristocratic quadriplegic who hires a former convict to be his caretaker, was released in 2011 and directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano.
Sam Smith tops British charts
On Sunday, Sam Smith went straight to the top of the British charts with his debut album In the Lonely Hour. The 22-year-old British singer's album also clinched the title of the fastest-selling debut album of the year so far. Coldplay's Ghost Stories settled for second place after a week at No 1. Paolo Nutini's Caustic Love placed third. In the singles chart, the Chicago-born house and techno producer SecondCity took the top spot with his debut track I Wanna Feel.
Brady Bunch star Ann B Davis dies
Ann B Davis, who played the devoted housekeeper, Alice Nelson, on The Brady Bunch, died on Sunday in San Antonio, Texas. She was 88. Bill Frey, a long-time friend of Davis, said she suffered a fall on Saturday and never recovered. More than a decade before starring in The Brady Bunch, Davis was the razor-tongued secretary on another stalwart television sitcom, The Bob Cummings Show, which won her two Emmys. Over the years, she also appeared on Broadway and, occasionally, in movies.
Kochadaiiyaan sequel in the works
Murali Manohar, the co-producer of the recently released film Kochadaiiyaan, has announced plans for a sequel. Despite having Rajinikanth in the lead role, Kochadaiiyaan was met with lukewarm reviews and low ticket sales when it was released last month. "I agree we could have done a lot better," said Manohar. "We will work much harder on the sequel."