• Britain's culture minister thinks the Netflix TV series "The Crown" -- whose characters include Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Princess Diana and a host of other royals -- should come with a disclaimer: It's a work of fiction. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden weighed in amid criticism of the historical liberties taken by the drama. "It's a beautifully produced work of fiction. So as with other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that," Dowden told the Mail on Sunday newspaper. "Without this, I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact." Questions of historical fidelity were not a major issue during previous seasons of the show, which debuted in 2016 and traces the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II. But this season is set in the 1980s, a divisive decade that many Britons remember vividly. Thatcher's tenure transformed and divided Britain, and Diana's death in a car crash in 1997 traumatized the nation. Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter has called the series a "hatchet job" on Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, and his first wife, Diana. The troubled relationship of the couple, played by Josh O'Connor and Emma Corrin, is a major story line. Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, has also said the show should carry a notice that "this isn't true, but it is based around some real events." Some Conservatives have criticized the depiction of Thatcher, played by Gillian Anderson. Britain's first female prime minister, who died in 2013, is portrayed as clashing with Olivia Colman's Elizabeth to an extent that some say is exaggerated. Creator Peter Morgan, whose work includes "The Queen" and "Frost/Nixon," has defended the show, saying it is thoroughly researched and true in spirit. He said previously, "You sometimes have to forsake accuracy, but you must never forsake truth."
• Beleaguered singer R. Kelly is set to go to trial on federal racketeering charges in New York in four months, but already he's feeling the squeeze. Facing the potential of decades in prison, Kelly is back on lockdown at Chicago's federal jail because of a new covid-19 outbreak. His repeated attempts to get out on bond have been denied. And he still suffers headaches and pain from a recent beating at the hands of a fellow inmate, his lawyers say. "Mentally, he's probably in as bad of shape as I've seen him," lead attorney Steven Greenberg said. "His mood at this point is certainly still hopeful about his case, but I think on some level he's just very beaten down physically and mentally." The indictment alleges Kelly and his associates ran a criminal enterprise that recruited women and underage girls for illegal sexual contact, then isolated and threatened them to keep them under control.