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Kobe and Gianna die in crash, New Jersey bans gay panic defense, Coronavirus spreads, notable Grammys winners and more from last week

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Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna die in helicopter crash, along with 7 others

Kobe and Gianna Bryant passed away on Sunday in a helicopter crash near the city of Calabasas, California. Kobe was on his way to coaching a basketball tournament in Thousand Oaks, according to the LA Times.

Later that night, the Grammys were held at the Staples Center, home to the LA Lakers where Bryant solidified his career as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Several artists, including Alicia Keys and Lizzo, paid tribute to the late player throughout the award show.

The other victims in the crash include pilot Ara Zobayan, Christina Mauser, Alyssa Altobelli, and her parents John and Keri.

New Jersey bans gay and trans “panic defense”

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy outlawed the use of the “gay and trans panic defense,” a legal strategy that allows LGBTQ victims’ sexual orientation or gender identity to be used against them in court. The defense allows people who assault or murder LGBTQ people to plead “temporary insanity” which in some cases has lead to reduced murder charges. New Jersey is the ninth state to ban the defense after Hawaii, California, Nevada, Illinois, New York, Connecticut, Maine and Rhode Island.

Wuhan Coronavirus spreads to several more countries

The Coronavirus, which began at an animal market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has spread to at least 12 countries, including the United States. The virus can be transmitted before people show any symptoms and has infected 2,000 people and killed 56 since it was first recorded at the beginning of January.

Katie Sowers will be the 1st openly gay + female Coach in the Super Bowl

Katie Sowers, the offensive assistant coach of the San Francisco 49ers, will be both the first openly gay and female coach in Super Bowl history. In 2009, Sowers was turned away from a basketball coaching position due to her sexual orientation, according to CNN, but the coach says that she has mostly received support from her peers. The 49ers will play against the Kansas City Chiefs on February 2 in Miami.

Oprah backs out of producing documentary featuring Russell Simmons sexual assault accusers

Oprah Winfrey suddenly withdrew from her role as executive producer of a documentary about Russell Simmons, the founder of Def Jam Recordings who has faced several allegations of sexual assault. Oprah also pulled the documentary from Apple TV+, where it was expected to be released. In an interview with CBS This Morning, Oprah said that she felt uncomfortable being associated with the film because there were “inconsistencies in the story.” Nonetheless, the documentary premiered at Sundance this weekend and received a standing ovation, according to the New York Times.

Mo’nique lands comedy special with Showtime

Comedian Mo’nique sued Netflix for race and gender discrimination after the streaming service gave her a “lowball” offer of $500,000 for an hour-long special, while other comedians were offered $11-40 million for similar segments. This week, Showtime gave the comedian a slot for her show Mo’Nique and Friends: Live From Atlanta, which will air on February 7.

Terry Crews supports America’s Got Talent despite Gabrielle Union’s claims

In 2019, Gabrielle Union was fired from America’s Got Talent for accusing the program of permitting casual racism and sexism. Terry Crews, who was a judge alongside Union, defended the program on Today and said that it was “the most diverse place I [he had] ever been in [his] 20 years of entertainment.”

Big Grammys Wins

2019 was a huge year for Black, Brown, and Queer musicians: Lizzo was named Entertainer of the year, Lil Nas X was finally accepted into the world of country music and BTS infiltrated the U.S. Here are the Grammys wins that made an impact.

Lizzo

Lil Nas X

Tyler, The Creator

Nipsey Hussle

Beyonce

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