• Taylor Swift took home the top prize Sunday at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards before she closed out the show with announcing her new album. "I thought it would be a fun moment to tell you that my new album comes out Oct. 21," said Swift after she won video of the year for her project "All Too Well: The Short Film," which claimed best long form video and direction. Swift announced on social media her 10th studio album would be called "Midnights," which she says will involve "stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life." The pop star's revelation came at the end of her acceptance speech where she praised the other women in the category -- which included Doja Cat and Olivia Rodrigo. "I know with every second of this moment that we wouldn't be able to make this short film if it weren't for you -- the fans," she said. "I wouldn't be able to re-record my albums if it wasn't for you. You emboldened me to do that." Swift spoke earlier about creating her first short film, giving thanks to several including actors Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien who starred in the project. "We put our entire hearts into this," Swift said.
• J.K. Rowling insists that her decision to skip the "Harry Potter" anniversary reunion that aired on HBO Max had nothing to do with her comments that many claim were hateful toward transgender people. "I wasn't actually [excluded]" from the reunion, the 57-year-old author said on Virgin Radio UK's "The Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose." While Rowling said she "was asked to be on that," she opted against taking part in the special -- which featured interviews with stars including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. "I decided I didn't want to do it. It was about the films more than the books, you know" said Rowling. She said she still has a rapport with actors in the franchise -- albeit "some more than others" -- even after they spoke out against her remarks. "That was always the case. Some I knew better than others," the author said. While Rowling said she's "not sure any individual can," as Norton put it, de-escalate the conversation on social media, Rowling said: "I try and behave online as I would like others to behave. ... But there's no doubt that social media is a gift for people who want to behave in a maligned way."