• The Hugo Spritz has emerged as the trendy cocktail of the moment and successor to the Aperol Spritz.
• The recipe calls for prosecco, club soda, and elderflower liqueur, resulting in a sweet, low-ABV drink.
• A foodservice trend analyst said the French-made liqueur lends the Hugo Spritz an escapist appeal.

Last month, while mulling the menu at a trendy restaurant, a suggestion from a friend made me feel woefully out of touch.

"Why don't you get a Hugo Spritz?" the friend asked when I said I was craving a light, summery, and refreshing cocktail.

I asked what that was and was promptly met with a table full of shocked faces. Somehow, I had missed the introduction and gradual takeover of the the hottest new cocktail.

While the thirst for Hugo Spritz certainly isn't new — the recipe has been gaining momentum online for a few years, achieving fleeting virality in 2023 and capturing the attention of wealthy bar patrons in 2024 — recent data indicates that the Hugo's mainstream crossover moment has officially arrived.

In its 2024 trend report, Yelp found a 1,121% increase in searches for "Hugo Spritz" compared to the previous year. Google search volume for "Hugo Spritz" rose 122% from 2023 to 2024, and analytics show interest is even higher this summer than at this time last year. The use of the hashtag #HugoSpritz has steadily increased on TikTok over the last year, reaching peak popularity in late June and early July. Creators have been sharing their favorite takes on the recipe, gleefully adding sprigs of mint or splashes of lime juice. The trend has even inspired at least one original piano ballad, which features the standout lyric, "Cuckoo for Hugo, baby."

The Hugo Spritz has emerged as the clear successor to its Italian cousin, the Aperol Spritz. The latter enjoyed its own renaissance a few years back, arguably reaching peak popularity in the summer of 2023 — auspiciously fueled by HBO's "The White Lotus," whose celebrated second season was filmed in Sicily and aired in late 2022.

Despite its rise to ubiquity, however, Aperol — an apéritif liqueur with strong notes of orange peel and herbs — remains a polarizing ingredient. While some love its bittersweet flavor, others say it tastes thick and medicinal, akin to cough syrup.

By comparison, the Hugo Spritz is positively dessert-like. As with most spritzes, it's typically made with two parts prosecco and two parts soda water. The defining addition is elderflower liqueur — a sweet, floral spirit with such broad appeal and versatility that it earned the nickname "bartender's ketchup" in the late aughts.

St-Germain has long been considered the leader in the elderflower liqueur market, credited for inspiring a slew of copycats after its launch in 2007. The brand was acquired by Bacardi in 2013, further cementing its dominance.

Emma Fox, Bacardi's Global VP, told me via email that St-Germain has seen a 20% increase in retail sales value in the US since last year and an 11% increase over the last five years. Globally, she said the brand's market share has nearly tripled since 2019.

"We know that demand for St-Germain continues to grow, particularly this summer, as people are looking for more choice and creativity in their spritzes and discovering our lighter, brighter taste," Fox said.

St-Germain is made with hand-picked flowers from elderflower trees that grow in the French Alps. Last year, the brand took advantage of that scenery's aesthetic touchstones in a summer ad campaign featuring "Game of Thrones" star Sophie Turner, which highlighted the Hugo Spritz for its French flair and easy elegance. (The brand reunited with Turner for another campaign launched in May of this year.)

Much like how Aperol benefited from its Italian roots and eye-catching cameos in the hands of glamorous onscreen Sicilians, the Hugo Spritz has an aspirational appeal in addition to its tasty flavor profile. In the right context, enjoying an effervescent, European-sourced cocktail can feel like micro-dosing a much-needed getaway.

Paige Leyden, Associate Director of foodservice, flavors, and ingredients reports at Mintel, a market intelligence agency, said she noticed the Hugo Spritz trend gain traction in the US in the wake of the 2024 campaign. She attributed the effect to a combination of celebrity influence and our positive associations with a luxurious French lifestyle.

"Travel is expensive, but there is that level of escapism when you can just go to a nice bar and sit outside and have this drink," Leyden said. "You might not be on the picturesque Mediterranean coast, but you're still kind of emulating that."

Of course, in the age of Instagram and TikTok, the power of a compelling visual cannot be overstated. It's not just that a Hugo Spritz can evoke a picturesque setting, but that the drink itself is picturesque, perfectly engineered for virality.

Leyden said her team's research has found that 54% of consumers like to order drinks they see on social media, whether because they were influenced themselves or because they see the potential to influence others — to communicate their knowledge of trends and prove their own sophistication.

On TikTok, food and drink influencers are already doing their part. "It's the perfect drink: refreshing, lemony, floral gorgeousness," creator Lex Nicoleta recently declared to her hundreds of thousands of followers while sipping a homemade Hugo Spritz. "I just think there's not a chicer drink in the world."

• Actors Gene Hackman, Val Kilmer, Michael Madsen, George Wendt, and Michelle Trachtenberg died in 2025.
• Musicians Brian Wilson, Roberta Flack, Marianne Faithfull, Peter Yarrow, and Sly Stone also passed away.
• So did director David Lynch, boxing legend George Foreman, and MLB Hall of Famer Bob Uecker.

Below, we look back at those we lost in 2025.

Jeff Baena, 47

Baena was known for writing and directing comedic independent movies like "Life After Beth," "The Little Hours," and "Horse Girl."

Many of them starred his wife, Aubrey Plaza.

He also wrote the 2004 movie "I Heart Huckabees" with director David O. Russell.

Baena died by suicide on January 3.

If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or has had thoughts of harming themself or taking their own life, get help. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is also available through the Crisis Text Line — just text "HOME" to 741741. The International Association for Suicide Prevention offers resources for those outside the US.

Joe Don Baker, 89

Baker was known for his tough guy roles, playing heroes and villains with equal intensity for close to four decades.

The Texas native found stardom in 1973 playing the real-life moonshine-busting Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser in the surprise hit "Walking Tall."

A string of memorable roles utilizing his intimidating presence followed. He played a crooked cop opposite Chevy Chase in the 1985 hit comedy "Fletch," teamed up with Nick Nolte to try to stop a crazed Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake of "Cape Fear," and, between those movies, played a fictional version of Babe Ruth opposite Robert Redford in the 1984 sports classic "The Natural."

Baker also has the distinction of playing both a villain (1987's "The Living Daylights") and a good guy (1995's "GoldenEye," 1997's "Tomorrow Never Dies") in the James Bond franchise.

Baker died on May 7. No cause was given.

Anne Burrell, 55

Burrell was a Food Network star known for her spiky platinum hair and her enthusiasm for the culinary arts. After getting her start in Italian restaurants in New York City, she rose to fame after appearing as a sous chef to Mario Batali on "Iron Chef America."

She soon became a staple on the Food Network, appearing on "Chef Wanted," "Chopped," and "Food Network Star," and hosting the Emmy-nominated "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" and "Worst Cooks in America."

Burrell died on June 17; no cause was given.

Dick Button, 95

Button was one of the greats in men's figure skating.

His dominance in the sport began in the late 1940s, when he began winning on the amateur circuit by landing moves no one had ever seen done before in competition, including the double axel and the triple jump.

He would go on to win two Olympic gold medals and five consecutive world championships.

Once he retired, he went on to become an Emmy-winning analyst and even was one of the minds behind the popular 1970s competition show "Battle of the Network Stars," in which celebrities challenged one another in various sports competitions.

Button died on January 30. No cause was given.

Richard Chamberlain, 90

A beloved actor on the stage and screen for decades, Chamberlain was the face of the acclaimed 1980s miniseries "The Thorn Birds" and "Shogun," both of which garnered him Emmy nominations.

He also found acclaim onstage, starring in revivals of "My Fair Lady" and "The Sound of Music."

In the 2000s, Chamberlain had memorable guest-starring roles on shows like "Will and Grace" and "Desperate Housewives."

Chamberlain died on March 29 of complications following a stroke.

Leslie Charleson, 79

For 50 years, fans of "General Hospital" knew Charleson as Dr. Monica Quartermaine, a role she played since 1977.

Charleson was beloved by fans and used her celebrity to support charities for breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, and AIDS awareness.

Charleson's other credits include "Adam 12," "Barnaby Jones," "Marcus Welby, M.D.," "Ironside," "Kung Fu," and "The Rockford Files."

She also starred in "Happy Days" and gave Ron Howard his first on-screen kiss.

Charleson died on January 12 following a long illness.

Marianne Faithfull, 78

Faithfull was a fixture in the London music scene during the 1960s.

She was discovered by The Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, which led to her finding instant stardom not just for her chart-topping music, like "As Tears Go By," which became a top 5 single in the UK, but also for her hard-partying ways alongside her then-flame Mick Jagger.

Throughout the 1960s, she was the inspiration for Stones hits "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Wild Horses" while being a co-writer on "Sister Morphine." But she was also in a deep addiction to drugs. She was famously found wearing nothing but a fur rug during a 1967 drug bust at Keith Richards' Sussex home.

Faithfull made a comeback with the 1979 album "Broken English," which earned her a Grammy nomination.

Other hit songs include "This Little Bird," "Summer Nights," and "Come and Stay With Me."

She also starred in movies like 1967's "I'll Never Forget What's'isname" and 1968's "The Girl on the Motorcycle."

Faithfull died on January 30. No cause was given.

Roberta Flack, 88

Flack's smooth R&B vocals made her a star in the 1970s with Grammy-winning hits like "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face," "Killing Me Softly with His Song," and "Feel Like Makin' Love."

Over her career, Flack scored six top-10 pop hits and 10 top-10 R&B singles. She was also the first artist to win the record of the year Grammy in two consecutive years, for 1973's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and 1974's "Killing Me Softly with His Song."

Flack was introduced to a new generation in the 1990s when The Fugees did a Grammy-winning cover of "Killing Me Softly" in 1996.

Flack died on February 24. No cause was given.

George Foreman, 76

Foreman was a two-time heavyweight boxing champion, winning his titles in 1973 at the age of 24 and again in 1994 at the age of 45.

Foreman fought formidable legends throughout his long-lasting boxing career, including Muhammad Ali in 1974 — dubbed The Rumble in the Jungle, one of the most-watched televised sporting events of the time — and Evander Holyfield in 1991.

Toward the end of his career, Foreman became the face of Salton Inc.'s George Foreman Grill, making millions through his household name.

His family announced on social media that he died on March 21. No cause was given. Foreman was 76.

Irv Gotti, 54

In an era of hip-hop where the producers were as prominent as the artists, Irv Gotti was one of the shining stars of the late 1990s and 2000s.

Gotti, who was born Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. and later went by DJ Irv, came on the scene as A&R for Def Jam. He brought in artists that would define the next generation of hip-hop to the label like Jay-Z, DMX, and Ja Rule.

His coming out party was producing one of Jay-Z's first hits, "Can I Live," from his 1996 debut album "Reasonable Doubt."

Soon after, his Irv Gotti persona was created when he founded the rap label Murder Inc. Records, bringing along artists like DMX and Ja Rule and signing others like Ashanti.

There he became the face of smash hits like Jay-Z's "Can I Get A…," DMX's "What's My Name," Ja Rule's "Holla Holla," Fat Joe's "What's Luv?," Jennifer Lopez's "I'm Real," and Ashanti's "Foolish."

In recent years, Gotti had suffered strokes and battled diabetes-related issues. He died on February 5. No cause was given.

Gene Hackman, 95

Hackman was a superstar in the skin of a character actor.

From his breakout in 1967's "Bonnie and Clyde" to his final movie, 2004's "Welcome to Mooseport," this skilled actor did it all with low-key confidence.

Even when he played the diabolical villain Lex Luthor in the Christopher Reeve "Superman" movies, Hackman's deft performance was never about upstaging other actors.

But audiences couldn't help but gravitate to him. Taking on roles in projects that would become classics like the gritty cop "Popeye" Doyle in "The French Connection," which earned him an Oscar; a surveillance expert in "The Conversation;" a tough but fair basketball coach in "Hoosiers;" and showing his comedy chops in "Get Shorty" and "The Birdcage," Hackman became beloved.

He abruptly retired in 2004 and spent the rest of his life writing novels and enjoying life with his wife Betsy Arakawa.

Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on February 26. An investigation is ongoing.

Nicky Katt, 54

Katt started his career as a child actor landing roles in "Fantasy Island" and "CHiPs" in the 1980s, but it was the roles he played as an adult that would cement his legacy.

From "Dazed and Confused" to "Boiler Room," Katt often played the heel, and dispensing wiseass remarks with a dark stare became his signature.

Katt became a favorite of directors like Steven Soderbergh, who cast him in "The Limey" and "Full Frontal," and Christopher Nolan, who gave him parts in "Insomnia" and "The Dark Knight."

The actor also played the edgy teacher Harry Senate in the series "Boston Public."

Katt died on April 8. His family confirmed to Deadline that he died by suicide.

Val Kilmer, 65

Val Kilmer was a quintessential movie star who delivered some of the most memorable performances in movie history.

As the hotshot flyer "Iceman" in 1986's Top Gun, he became a scene stealer who could hold his own against Tom Cruise.

From there, Kilmer shot to superstardom in movies like 1988's "Willow," Oliver Stone's 1991 biopic "The Doors," in which he played the band's legendary frontman Jim Morrison; 1993's "Tombstone," in which he played Doc Holliday; and Michael Mann's 1995 classic "Heat," in which he played a thief opposite Robert De Niro.

That same year, he would also become a major box office draw playing Batman in the 1995 movie "Batman Forever."

In 2014, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer and recovered, but his voice was permanently damaged from a tracheotomy.

His final movie appearance was reprising his Iceman role in 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick."

Kilmer died on April 1 of pneumonia.

Ananda Lewis, 52

As an MTV veejay in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ananda Lewis was a standout. After getting her start hosting BET's "Teen Summit," she moved over to MTV, hosting its hit shows "MTV Live," "Total Request Live," and "Hot Zone." She also had her own show, "The Ananda Lewis Show," which ran from 2001 to 2002.

In 2020, Lewis announced that she had been battling breast cancer for two years. Last October, she revealed her cancer had progressed to stage four. Lewis died on June 11.

David Lynch, 78

Lynch was the visionary director of surrealist films like "The Elephant Man," "Blue Velvet," "Mulholland Drive," and the hit TV series "Twin Peaks."

His groundbreaking works blended elements of everything from horror to film noir to surrealism, creating a uniquely skewed vision of America.

After adapting Frank Herbert's "Dune" in 1984, resulting in a box office flop, Lynch produced a string of surrealist works that would define his career: 1986's "Blue Velvet," 1990's "Wild at Heart," 1992's "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" (the prequel to his hit TV show "Twin Peaks," which ran from 1990 to 1991), and 1997's "Lost Highway."

Each title showcased Lynch's seemingly limitless creativity as he pushed the boundaries of narrative structure while dazzling the viewer with exquisite production design and cinematography.

The Lynch family announced his passing on January 16. In August 2024, the filmmaker announced that he had emphysema following decades of smoking, but said he hadn't smoked in over two years.

Michael Madsen, 67

Playing memorable roles in Quentin Tarantino movies like "Reservoir Dogs," the "Kill Bill" movies, "The Hateful Eight," and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," Madsen was known for his ultra-cool tough guy characters.

Outside of the Tarantino universe, he had memorable roles as a slick cop chasing an alien in 1995's "Species" and a mobster in 1997's "Donnie Brasco."

Madsen had close to 350 movie credits to his name, dating back to the 1980s with small roles in "The Natural," where he played an egotistical baseball player opposite Robert Redford, and a blink-and-you'd-miss-it part in the hit Matthew Broderick thriller "WarGames."

But the role he'll forever be known best for was playing the crook Mr. Blonde in Tarantino's 1992 masterpiece, "Reservoir Dogs." Sporting black shades, a black suit with a white shirt, and a skinny black tie, Madsen had the memorable line, "Are you gonna bark all day, little doggie, or are you gonna bite?" He also famously strutted to the song "Stuck in the Middle With You" while torturing a cop.

Madsen died on July 3 at his Malibu home. No cause was given.

Wink Martindale, 91

After working as everything from a disc jockey to the host of a kids' sci-fi series to a chart-topping artist (with the 1959 spoken-word tune "Deck of Cards"), Wink Martindale found his true calling as a game show host in the 1960s.

His first was NBC's "What's This Song?" in 1964. Then in 1972 came his first hit, "Gambit." That was followed by the even more popular "Tic-Tac-Dough," which ran until the late 1980s.

Martindale went on to host other game shows through the decades like "High Rollers," "The Last Word," "The Great Getaway Game," "Trivial Pursuit," "Debt," and "Instant Recall."

Martindale died on April 15. No cause was given.

Sam Moore, 89

Moore's R&B sound influenced everyone from Michael Jackson to Bruce Springsteen.

Alongside Dave Prater, Moore found fame in the 1960s with Sam & Dave, a duo who had hits like "Hold On, I'm Comin'" and "Soul Man."

"Soul Man" would gain renewed popularity in the late 1970s when Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi began performing the song as their alter egos, R&B singers The Blues Brothers, on "Saturday Night Live." The song would continue to find new fans in 1980 when "The Blues Brothers" movie was released.

Moore went solo in 1970 and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

Moore died on January 10 from complications while recovering from surgery.

Geneviève Page, 97

Thanks to her stunning beauty, Page became a fixture in both French cinema and Hollywood through the 1960s.

She's best known for playing Madame Anais, the owner of a high-class brothel in Luis Buñuel's 1967 masterpiece "Belle de Jour."

In the movie, Anais oversees the actions of Catherine Deneuve's character Severine, a bored housewife who turns to prostitution to spice up her life. But she only works in the afternoon while her husband is away at work, leading to Anais calling her "Belle de Jour" ("Beauty of the Day").

Page also starred in "El Cid," the 1961 medieval epic also starring Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren, and Billy Wilder's 1970 film "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes."

Page died on February 14. No cause was given.

Angie Stone, 63

Stone was a member of the female hip-hop trio The Sequence, who is known for songs like "Funk You Up" and "Monster Jam."

She later launched a solo career in the late 1990s with her debut album, "Black Diamond." Her 2001 song, "Wish I Didn't Miss You," became one of her most popular songs.

Stone's publicist told TMZ that Stone died in a car crash on March 1 after performing in Montgomery, Alabama. The Grammy-nominated artist was traveling in a van with eight other people, including backup singers and crew, when it crashed on Interstate 65.

Sly Stone, 82

Stone, born Sylvester Stewart in California, was known as the founder and frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, a psychedelic-soul band active through the '60s, '70s, and early '80s. He was behind classic songs like "Dance to the Music" and "Everyday People."

In a statement distributed to the press, Stone's three children celebrated their father's "extraordinary musical legacy" and "enduring creative spirit."

"Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music," the family wrote. "His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable."

Stone's death was announced on June 9 after a prolonged battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Loretta Swit, 87

Swit portrayed one of the most memorable characters in TV history, playing the head nurse Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on the legendary series "M*A*S*H."

Swit took over the role from Sally Kellerman, who originated the part in the 1970 Robert Altman movie the series is based on.

Her performance earned her 10 Emmy nominations and two wins. Swit and costar Alan Alda were the only two actors on the show who appeared in the pilot episode and the famed two-and-a-half-hour finale, which was seen by more than 100 million viewers.

Swit died on May 30 of natural causes.

Michelle Trachtenberg, 39

Trachtenberg dedicated her life to acting and found fame in the process.

She landed her first major role in the mid-1990s as Nona F. Mecklenberg on the Nickelodeon series "The Adventures of Pete & Pete." In 1996, she played the lead in the Nickelodeon-produced movie "Harriet the Spy."

By the early 2000s, she had landed more mature roles in movies like the comedy "Euro Trip" and the indie drama "Mysterious Skin," both of which were released in 2004. At the same time, she was gaining fandom on the small screen playing Dawn Summers on "Buffy and the Vampire Slayer," and later appearing as Georgina Sparks on the hit CW series "Gossip Girl," which ran from 2007 to 2012.

Trachtenberg was found dead in a New York City apartment on February 26. A cause of death hasn't yet been determined.

DJ Unk (Anthony Platt), 42

This Atlanta rapper brought snap music to the masses thanks to his hit 2006 songs "Walk it Out" and "2 Step."

Anthony Platt, better known by his stage name DJ Unk, was a fixture in the Atlanta rap scene in the late 1990s. He DJed at everything from pep rallies to proms.

He released his first album, "Beat'n Down Yo Block!" in 2006 and found huge acclaim due to his two big hit songs, "Walk it Out" and "2 Step."

"Walk it Out" got as high as No. 10 on the Billboard charts and went platinum.

His second album, "2econd Season," was released in 2008 but didn't find the same acclaim as his debut.

In 2009, due to non-stop touring and hard partying, DJ Unk suffered a heart attack.

DJ Unk died on January 24. His wife, Sherkita Long-Platt, said in a Facebook post that he died in his sleep after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Bob Uecker, 90

Uecker had a respectable career as a Major League Baseball backup catcher on four clubs through the 1960s, playing with his hometown Milwaukee Brewers and winning a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. But it was his work off the field that made him one of the most memorable figures in MLB history.

After retiring in 1967, Uecker started his second career as a broadcaster, calling games for the Brewers (which he did until his death) and being the color man for network games.

His self-deprecating style made him a likable figure, leading to him becoming a fixture on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, where he earned the nickname "Mr. Baseball." Suddenly, Uecker landed everything from beer commercials to a hosting gig on "Saturday Night Live."

But his most memorable gigs outside of baseball were playing sportswriter George Owens on the hit TV show "Mr. Belvedere" from 1985 to 1990 and starring as sarcastic broadcaster Harry Doyle in the beloved 1989 movie "Major League" and its sequels.

Uecker was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.

He died on January 16 after battling small-cell lung cancer since 2023.

George Wendt, 76

Through the 1980s, he sat on the corner at the bar where everybody knows your name. In the process, he became a TV icon.

As Norm Peterson, who always threw out a funny one-liner when he entered the bar on the hit TV series "Cheers," Wendt created one of the most memorable characters in TV history and garnered six consecutive Emmy nominations.

The Chicago native, who started his career in the 1970s at the famed Second City improv troupe, also landed roles in hit movies like "Fletch" (1985), "Gung Ho" (1986), and "The Little Rascals" (1994), and played the grumpy dad opposite Macaulay Culkin in Michael Jackson's 1991 music video for "Black or White."

Through the decades, Wendt was also a regular on "Saturday Night Live," playing a superfan of the Chicago Bears who called the team "Da Bears." (Wendt is the uncle of "SNL" alum Jason Sudeikis.)

Wendt died on May 20. No cause was given.

Brian Wilson, 82

As a founding member of the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson is responsible for mega hits that blended pop music with more modern, avant-garde sounds.

From 1962 to 1966, the Beach Boys had 10 top-10 hits and seven top-40 chart entries, most of which were written or co-written and produced by Wilson.

Along with classics like "Good Vibrations" and "Help Me, Rhonda," Wilson is also responsible for pushing the band's sound into new dimensions, particularly with the 1966 album "Pet Sounds." Its blend of pop, jazz, and avant-garde influences brought widespread critical acclaim and inspired The Beatles to make "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

Wilson struggled most of his life with mental illness, which was explored in the 2014 movie, "Love & Mercy" starring John Cusack and Paul Dano playing Wilson at different stages in his life.

Wilson's death was announced by his family in June. No cause was given. In February 2024, it was revealed Wilson was battling dementia.

Peter Yarrow, 86

Yarrow was a singer-songwriter who was a member of the iconic folk music group Peter, Paul and Mary.

Along with Paul Stookey and Mary Travers, the trio had six Billboard Top 10 singles, two No. 1 albums, and won five Grammys. Their major hit was "Puff the Magic Dragon," which Yarrow cowrote.

Yarrow died on January 7 after a battle with bladder cancer.

Harris Yulin, 87

Although his name might not ring a bell, you have definitely seen Harris Yulin's work. Over his five-decade career, Yulin had many memorable roles in movies and TV, most notably as villains.

He played an angry judge in 1989's "Ghostbusters II" and a corrupt national security advisor opposite Harrison Ford in 1994's "Clear and Present Danger," but his all-time best villain role was playing the crooked cop Mel, who meets his fate thanks to Al Pacino's Tony Montana in the beloved 1983 gangster movie "Scarface."

Yulin died on June 10. No cause was given.

• Cassie is a singer and actor, best known for her top-10 hit single "Me & U."
• She met Sean Combs, aka Diddy, in 2006 and signed to his label Bad Boy.
• She filed a lawsuit against him in 2023 and is a key witness in his criminal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial.

Cassie burst onto the music scene in 2006 with an irresistible blend of pop and R&B.

Although the singer, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, withdrew from the spotlight in the ensuing years, she's still beloved by fans of 2000s club jams.

In 2023, she filed a lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs, alleging abuse throughout their relationship, including rape. An attorney for Combs denied the allegations to Business Insider. Cassie is now a key accuser in Combs' criminal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial, which began on May 12.

Here's everything to know about Cassie's career, her connection to Diddy, and what her life is like today.

Cassie broke out with the club hit 'Me & U'

Before launching her music career, Cassie had done some modeling for brands like Delia's.

In 2006, when she was 19 years old, she released her debut single "Me & U." It became her first hit, reaching No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100.

"Me & U" set the tone for her self-titled debut album, which was praised by critics for its "hypnotic groove" and "flippant playfulness." Rolling Stone later described the album as "the most brilliantly minimalist R&B album of its era."

In a positive review for Slant, Sal Cinquemani also said, "'Me & U' has single-handedly revived his ailing Bad Boy imprint," referring to Combs, then known as Diddy.

Cassie signed to Bad Boy Records in 2006

An archived feature from 2008 said that Combs heard "Me & U" in a club and felt inspired to help Cassie's career.

Combs teamed up with Ryan Leslie, who wrote and produced the song, to record Cassie's album.

In 2008, she announced her plans to release her sophomore album.

"I guess I grew up a lot but I'm still in essence the same person," Cassie, then 21, told Billboard. "Lots has changed in my life, stuff that has made me think about things differently. I'm more vulnerable and you can hear my vocals better this time around. There's real emotion and a much realer connection with my fans."

At the time, Combs praised Cassie's musical development, which he said was reflected in the album.

"We pulled out, we took our time, we developed her for like, a year-and-a-half," he told Billboard in a 2008 interview. "People are just going to see her there and be like, 'Wow, she's really cocooned into a butterfly.'"

However, the album was delayed several times. She didn't release new music until 2012, when she surprise-dropped a set of three mixtapes. She continued releasing singles sporadically in the years following.

Cassie has dabbled in acting

Cassie played Sophie in the 2008 film "Step Up 2: The Streets," and has also appeared in "The Perfect Match" and on several episodes of "Empire."

Additionally, she appeared in the 2022 TV movie "Hip Hop Family Christmas Wedding."

Cassie was in a tumultuous relationship with Diddy for over a decade

Prior to her lawsuit, gossip news sites reported that Cassie and Combs maintained an on-again, off-again relationship. They reportedly started dating in 2007 and broke up in 2018.

Cassie's 2023 civil lawsuit accused Combs of serious allegations, painting the music mogul as an extremely violent and angry ex-partner.

It details several instances when the music mogul physically and mentally abused Cassie, as well as used intimidation tactics to keep her in the relationship. Combs quickly settled the suit shortly after it was filed.

Combs has been accused of sexual assault, rape, drugging, and other forms of violence in more than 50 civil lawsuits. He was arrested in September following a grand jury indictment and has denied the charges against him and all other allegations of sex abuse.

Combs' criminal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial began on Monday. Cassie, the prosecution's key witness in the case, took the stand on Tuesday and Wednesday to testify against Combs.

Cassie married Alex Fine in 2019 and has three children

Following her split from Combs in 2018, Cassie began a relationship with Alex Fine, a professional bull rider, model, and personal trainer.

In June 2019, the singer revealed that she and Fine were expecting their first child together. The couple tied the knot in a small, surprise wedding in September of that year in Malibu, California. Their daughter, Frankie Stone, was born in early December.

Cassie and Fine welcomed their second child, a baby girl named Sunny Cinco, in March 2021.

In February 2025, Cassie revealed that she was pregnant with their third child, a son. While testifying Wednesday, Cassie's stylist, Deonte Nash, said he called Cassie to congratulate her on the birth of the baby, born Tuesday, about two weeks after Cassie testified against Combs.

Additional reporting by Laura Italiano.

Libby Torres contributed to an earlier version of this story.

• A small fraction of all No. 1 hits have ruled the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks or more.
• "Old Town Road" and "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" are tied for the all-time record with 19 weeks apiece.
• Listen to the complete playlist on Business Insider's Spotify.

The Billboard Hot 100 is widely considered to be the definitive all-genre singles chart in the US.

Since it was launched in 1958, well over 1,000 songs have reached the coveted No. 1 spot, but far fewer have reigned long enough to reach double-digit weeks — or, even more impressively, surpass that milestone.

According to Billboard, only 4% of all No. 1 hits have topped the Hot 100 for 10 weeks or more. All 46 songs that have achieved the feat are listed below, in chronological order.

1. "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone

"You Light Up My Life" was the first song in history to chart at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

2. "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John

"Physical" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

3. "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men

"End of the Road" charted at No. 1 for 13 weeks.

4. "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston

"I Will Always Love You" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

5. "I Swear" by All-4-One

"I Swear" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

5. "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men

"I'll Make Love to You" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

7. "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men

"One Sweet Day" charted at No. 1 for 16 weeks, making Boyz II Men the first artist in history to earn double-digit weeks atop the chart with three different songs.

8. "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" by Los Del Rio

"Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

9. "Un-Break My Heart" by Toni Braxton

"Un-Break My Heart" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

10. "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112

"I'll Be Missing You" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

11. "Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight" by Elton John

"Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

12. "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy and Monica

"The Boy Is Mine" charted at No. 1 for 13 weeks.

13. "Smooth" by Santana featuring Rob Thomas

"Smooth" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

14. "Maria Maria" by Santana featuring The Product G&B

"Maria Maria" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

15. "Independent Women, Pt. 1" by Destiny's Child

"Independent Women, Pt. 1" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

16. "Foolish" by Ashanti

"Foolish" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

17. "Dilemma" by Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland

"Dilemma" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

18. "Lose Yourself" by Eminem

"Lose Yourself" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

19. "Yeah!" by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris

"Yeah!" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

20. "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey

"We Belong Together" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

21. "Gold Digger" by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx

"Gold Digger" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

22. "Irreplaceable" by Beyonce

"Irreplaceable" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

23. "Low" by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain

"Low" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

24. "Boom Boom Pow" by The Black Eyed Peas

"Boom Boom Pow" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

25. "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas

"I Gotta Feeling" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

26. "We Found Love" by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris

"We Found Love" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

27. "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell

"Blurred Lines" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

28. "Happy" by Pharrell Williams

"Happy" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

29. "Uptown Funk!" by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars

"Uptown Funk!" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

30. "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth

"See You Again" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

31. "Hello" by Adele

"Hello" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

32. "One Dance" by Drake featuring WizKid and Kyla

"One Dance" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

33. "Closer" by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey

"Closer" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

34. "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran

"Shape of You" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

35. "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber

"Despacito" charted at No. 1 for 16 weeks.

36. "God's Plan" by Drake

"God's Plan" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

37. "In My Feelings" by Drake

"In My Feelings" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks, becoming Drake's third entry on this list. He holds the record for the most solo songs with double-digit weeks atop the Hot 100.

Drake also holds the record for the most No. 1 song debuts in history, with nine to his name.

38. "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus

"Old Town Road" holds the record for the longest stretch at No. 1 with 19 weeks. It also became the fastest song in history to be certified diamond and won two Grammy Awards.

39. "The Box" by Roddy Ricch

"The Box" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

40. "Butter" by BTS

"Butter" charted at No. 1 for 10 nonconsecutive weeks.

41. "Easy On Me" by Adele

"Easy On Me" charted at No. 1 for 10 nonconsecutive weeks, becoming Adele's second song to reach the milestone.

42. "As It Was" by Harry Styles

"As It Was" charted at No. 1 for 15 nonconsecutive weeks, the longest reign ever for a British artist.

43. "All I Want for Christmas Is You"

Nearly three decades years after its release, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" returned to No. 1 in December 2022 for its milestone 10th week atop the chart.

The holiday classic is Carey's third song to earn double-digit weeks atop the Hot 100, making her the third artist and first woman to achieve the feat thrice.

In 2024, the song experienced another holiday surge, earning its 18th total week at No. 1 and surpassing "One Sweet Day" as Carey's longest-reigning hit on the Hot 100. It trails the all-time record by just one week.

44. "Last Night" by Morgan Wallen

"Last Night" charted at No. 1 for 16 nonconsecutive weeks, despite Morgan Wallen's many controversies.

45. "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey

"A Bar Song (Tipsy)," Shaboozey's breakout hit, charted at No. 1 for 19 nonconsecutive weeks, the most ever among solo hits. It's tied with "Old Town Road" for the all-time record.

46. "Luther" by Kendrick Lamar with SZA

"Luther" was released as track three on Kendrick Lamar's album, "GNX," and originally debuted at No. 3 on the Hot 100.

Shortly after Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show (which SZA joined to perform both "Luther" and their 2018 hit "All the Stars"), "Luther" rose to the top spot. It has dominated the chart for 10 consecutive weeks.

• Lana Del Rey has regularly faced backlash since early 2020.
• It all started when Del Rey posted an unprompted public statement defending her own reputation.
• After repeatedly doubling down, she's since been described as "the epitome of white woman feminism."

At the dawn of a new decade, Lana Del Rey seemed poised at the summit of the indie-pop mountain.

The songstress, now 39, was still riding the high of "Norman Fucking Rockwell!" — her career-topping sixth album, which was crowned as Pitchfork's best of 2019 and nominated for album of the year at the Grammy Awards.

As 2019 neared its close, Del Rey's first two albums, "Born to Die" and "Ultraviolence," both landed on several decade-end lists. She was named one of the decade's defining artists by Business Insider.

But shortly after, Del Rey's behavior began to make more headlines than her music.

Her reputation suffered a rapid downturn, thanks to a string of controversial public statements, questionable accessories, and a strong tendency to double down.

Many fans even said they'd "lost respect" for the singer, and she became increasingly described online as a "problematic white woman." More recently, Del Rey has faced backlash for leaning into what listeners have described as a "conservative Southerner vibe" with her music, aesthetics, and inner circle.

Keep reading for a timeline of her biggest scandals and inflammatory comments.

Note: This article has been updated since its original publish date.

May 2020: Del Rey posted an unprompted public statement about her own reputation

It all began on May 21, four months after the 2020 Grammys, when Del Rey shared a lengthy open letter on Instagram. 

Posed as a "question for the culture," Del Rey praised her own legacy and broadly described her critics as "pathetic."

"Now that Doja Cat, Ariana, Camila, Cardi B, Kehlani and Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé have had number ones with songs about being sexy, wearing no clothes, fucking, cheating etc," she wrote, "can I please go back to singing about being embodied, feeling beautiful by being in love even if the relationship is not perfect, or dancing for money, or whatever I want, without being crucified or saying that I'm glamorizing abuse?"

"I'm fed up with female writers and alt singers saying that I glamorize abuse," she continued, "when in reality I'm just a glamorous person singing about the realities of what we are all now seeing are very prevalent emotionally abusive relationships all over the world."

She defended writing songs about being "submissive" in relationships, despite what she described as "a long 10 years of bullshit reviews."

"I also feel it really paved the way for other women to stop 'putting on a happy face' and to just be able to say whatever the hell they wanted to in their music," she wrote, "unlike my experience where if I even expressed a note of sadness in my first two records I was deemed literally hysterical as though it was literally the 1920s."

Del Rey concluded her statement by plugging her forthcoming poetry books, mentioning that she donates to "Native American foundations," and announcing a new album.

It remains unclear what triggered Del Rey's statement, or why she felt compelled to defend her music after months of glowing reviews.

Early in her career, Del Rey was seen as a controversial figure, but largely due to accusations of inauthenticity and artifice — especially because she orchestrated an aesthetic pivot after releasing a "flop" album under her birth name, Lizzy Grant.

Del Rey's tragic-glam persona that she introduced in the "Born To Die" era, which leaned heavily on images of white Americana, received far more scrutiny than her lyrics. She was also criticized in 2014 for telling Fader, "Feminism is just not an interesting concept."

Del Rey may have been reacting to a 2019 article from The Independent, in which writer Helen Brown "examines how easy it is to misread her lyrics as 'antifeminist'" — although Brown actually defends Del Rey's "sharp" songwriting and roundly praises her newest album.

Whatever Del Rey's motivations may have been, her 2020 statement was poorly received.

While some agreed she's been unfairly judged as "antifeminist" in the past, many were angry that she name-dropped other artists to make her point.

Additionally, six out of the seven people she mentioned were women of color, which sparked accusations of racism.

As Tulane University's Christine Capetola wrote, in addition to her reductive descriptions of their music, Del Rey "failed to recognize Black female artists' decades-long — and ongoing — struggle to express their sexualities on their own terms within the realm of pop music." 

Del Rey also implied that she's more "delicate" than her peers, and claimed that feminism is intolerant of "women who look and act like me."

"The optics of Lana, a white woman, complaining about feminism lacking space for her while critiquing the acclaim allotted to several Black pop artists is mortifying," Ashley Reese wrote for Jezebel.

YouTuber D'Angelo Wallace said Del Rey's album announcement was amplified by media coverage of the controversy. 

"Was Lana Del Rey profiting off Black outrage to sell her album? Yes," he said in a video titled, "Lana Del Rey has Lana Del LOST IT."

"I don't think she did it on purpose," he said. "But once she realized who she was making mad, and that it was getting her even more attention than she initially was looking for, she made four follow-up comments. And they were all about the outrage."

He added: "I'm just gonna be honest. This is where my respect for her started to dip."

Shortly after, Del Rey doubled down and insisted she's not racist

Del Rey's response to the backlash focused on her reasoning for naming specific artists.

"To be clear because I knowwww you love to twist things. I fucking love these singers and know them. #that is why I mentioned them," she wrote. "I would like to have some of the same freedom of expression without judgment of hysteria."

"I haven't had the same opportunity to express what I wanted to express without being completely decimated," she continued in a second comment. "And if you want to say that has something to do with race that's your opinion but that's not what I was saying."

"This is the problem with society today," she said in a third comment. "It's exactly the point of my post — there are certain women that culture doesn't want to have a voice it may not have to do with race I don't know what it has to do with."

"I don't care anymore but don't ever ever ever ever bro- call me racist because that is bullshit."

"And my last and final note on everything," Del Rey wrote in a fourth comment, "when I said people who look like me — I meant the people who don't look strong or necessarily smart, or like they're in control etc. it's about advocating for a more delicate personality, not for white women — thanks for the Karen comments tho. V helpful."

However, Del Rey's comments struck many people as overly defensive, tone-deaf, and unproductive, rather than illuminating. 

"'Don't ever call me racist' is hands-down the single-most disappointing reaction to accusations of racism," Wallace said in his video. 

Black writers like Nichole Perkins and Roxane Gay also pointed out Del Rey's use of "coded" language and self-victimization.

Del Rey posted an additional statement on Instagram, accusing her critics of wanting a 'race war'

One day after her original post, Del Rey continued to insist that it "wasn't controversial at all," despite national news coverage and widespread backlash.

In her additional statement, she implied that Ariana Grande and Doja Cat reached out to express discomfort with her message.

But "despite the feedback," Del Rey doubled down once again.

"I want to say that I remain firm in my clarity and stance in that what i was writing about was the importance of self-advocacy for the more delicate and often dismissed, softer female personality, and that there does have to be room for that type in what will inevitably become a new wave/3rd wave of feminism that is rapidly approaching," she wrote, even though the third wave of feminism began more than 20 years ago.

"I'm sorry that the folks who I can only assume are super Trump/Pence supporters or hyper liberals or flip-flopping headline grabbing critics can't read and want to make it a race war," she continued.

She also accused her female critics of being "disassociated from their own fragility and sexuality" and wanting "drama."

"My aim and my message are clear. That I have control of my own story," she concluded. "If the women I mention don't wanna be associated with me that's absolutely fine by me."

Again, fans criticized Del Rey for dismissing feedback rather than engaging with it.

Many noted that Del Rey's repeated self-characterization as a "delicate" woman plays into racist stereotypes, which historically paint white women as more feminine or fragile — allowing them to escape accountability more easily.

It also highlights the idea that Del Rey is "playing the victim."

"Lana really wants to act like she's the most original artist playing the victim and honestly she's full of shit," one person wrote on X (then known as Twitter). 

She was also mocked for not-so-casually plugging her poetry book in the midst of her non-apology.

Del Rey made a further attempt to defend her open letter 3 days later — and compared herself to another woman of color

"In that post — my one and only personal declaration I've ever made, thanks for being so warm and welcoming — was about the need for fragility in the feminist movement," Del Rey said on May 25 in a six-minute video on Instagram.

"When I mentioned women who 'look like me,' I didn't mean white like me, I mean the kind of women who, you know, other people might not believe," Del Rey said in the video. "The difference is, when I get on the pole, people call me a whore, but when twigs gets on the pole, it's art."

She added: "The culture is super sick right now. And the fact that they wanna turn my post, my advocacy for fragility, into a race war — it's really bad. It's actually really bad."

She also expressed frustration that her letter received backlash, though she didn't address any of the specific criticism she received from artists and fans of color.

"It really, again, makes you reach into the depth of your own heart and say, 'Am I good-intentioned?' And of course, for me, the answer is always yes," she said. "I barely ever share a thing, and this is why."

Del Rey wrapped up by insisting that she's "not racist," plugging her poetry books, and refusing to apologize for her original statement: "Fuck off if you don't like the post."

Once again, Del Rey was perceived as being resentful towards successful women of color, ignorant of her own privilege, and determined to play the victim.

People were especially infuriated by Del Rey's mention of FKA twigs, a mixed-race singer, songwriter, and dancer.

Twigs has trained as a pole dancer and incorporated acrobatics into her art, as in her Grammy-nominated music video for "Cellophane." She has also incorporated the skill into live performances of "Magdalene," an album that explores the demonization of women throughout history and her own experiences with heartbreak and trauma.

Twigs also said that pole dancing helped her feel like her "strong self again" after she had six fibroid tumors removed from her uterus in 2018.

For her part, Del Rey portrayed a stripper in her 2013 short film for "Tropico," which was criticized for "appropriating Latino gangster culture."

"The fact that she said race war and doesn't see twigs as a fragile, delicate woman is... You're really making it worse," one person wrote. 

Another added: "You can hear FKA twigs' pain on 'Magdalene' period. I need Lana to stop bringing black women into her argument for creating a brand she cannot escape from."

Most fans (and former fans at this point) agreed that Del Rey's video "only made things worse."

"I didn't think she was this kind of person," Wallace said in his video. "Now I have the knowledge that Lana Del Rey is kind of ruthless in her pursuit of getting people to talk about her, and she doesn't seem to care who gets angry in the process, or even if what she's saying is right. So, that's a lot."

June 2020: She was called out by Black artists for sharing videos of protesters

During the wave of Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, Del Rey shared two videos on Instagram.

According to Billboard, the first video showed a man holding a sign that read "no justice no peace," while the second showed people breaking into storefronts and running away with merchandise. She disabled comments on the post.

On X, Kehlani implored Del Rey to remove the videos because they showed uncensored faces and identifying features, which could lead to "dangerous" consequences for the protesters.

".@LanaDelRey please remove your instagram post it's dangerous as fuck and a very poor choice of moments to post," Kehlani tweeted. "by all means protest, but DO NOT endanger people with your very massive platform. oh and turn your fuckin comments on man."

Kehlani added: "it's about furthering endangering the lives of black people. it's about responsibility."

Tinashe echoed Kehlani's comments in a tweet of her own.

"@LanaDelRey why the fuck are you posting people looting stores on your page literally WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM," she wrote.

After Del Rey removed the video from Instagram, Kehlani and Tinashe both deleted their tweets.

October 2020: Del Rey came under fire after apparently wearing a mesh face mask

Aside from postponing her album, which was originally slated for release in September 2020, Del Rey remained fairly quiet in the wake of her divisive video — except to promote her aforementioned poetry book, "Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass."

In October, Del Rey hosted a book signing at a Barnes & Noble in Los Angeles during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In videos and photos from the event, she appeared to wear a mesh-style face mask, which, according to the CDC's recommendations, would not effectively barrier respiratory droplets.

Fans left comments on her Instagram posts, which she has since deleted, begging her to wear a "real mask."

"I love you sis but please wear a real mask, it gives a bad message," one user commented on Del Rey's Instagram video.

"i love lana sm but what the frick is she doing ? the covid situation in the united states is worsening and she refuses to wear a proper mask, that really infuriates me," another fan wrote on X. "so many ppl have died there."

Others called Del Rey "selfish" and said they were growing tired of defending her.

The image of COVID-19 slipping through the holes in her mask also became a meme on social media.

Del Rey later said that her mask had a plastic lining, in response to a critical article in the Michigan Daily.

"The mask had plastic on the inside," Del Rey wrote. "They're commonly sewn in by stylists these days. I don't generally respond to articles because I don't care. But there ya go. Same goes for everyone's masks in my video. I'm lucky enough to have a team of people who can do that."

She also seemed to poke fun at the controversy in her music video for "Chemtrails Over the Country Club," in which she dons a nearly identical mask.

January 10, 2021: Del Rey unveiled the cover art for her new album — and preemptively defended it with a 'problematic' comment

The black-and-white cover for "Chemtrails Over the Country Club" shows Del Rey grinning and surrounded by friends, all huddled around a table.

Shortly after she shared the image, Del Rey commented on her own Instagram post with preemptive self-defense.

"No this was not intended — these are my best friends, since you are asking today," she wrote, although it's unclear who was asking. (This was written as a stand-alone comment, not a reply to anyone in particular.)

"As it happens when it comes to my amazing friends and this cover, yes, there are people of color on this record's picture and that's all I'll say about that," she wrote. "We are all a beautiful mix of everything - some more than others, which is visible and celebrated in everything I do."

"In 11 years working I have always been extremely inclusive without trying to," she continued. "My best friends are rappers, my boyfriends have been rappers. My dearest friends have been from all over the place, so before you make comments again about a WOC/POC issue, I'm not the one storming the capital, I'm literally changing the world by putting my life and thoughts and love out there on the table 24 seven. Respect it."

The following day, during an interview with BBC's Annie Mac, Del Rey said that "actually half the people in this photo are people of color."

"I just feel like if that's really what people are gonna say, I have an answer for them, which is that if you look closer, you will see people of color," she added. "It's a black-and-white image, so zoom in, you know. It's just weird, you know?"

Naturally, some people did make jokes about the cover's perceived lack of diversity, while others called the image "tone deaf."

But the real backlash came in response to Del Rey's comment, which was described as "textbook white fragility problematic white woman."

Del Rey's note about befriending and dating "rappers" was particularly provocative, since it implies that "rappers" is an ethnic category and reinforces the notion that Black friends can inoculate white people against racism.

Del Rey was also mocked for claiming that she's "literally changing the world" with her writing.

"We love her and understand her intentions but we cannot keep defending this shit," one fan commented on Del Rey's Instagram post. "That comment is so problematic in so many ways."

"I literally have her lyrics tattooed on my body but I'm also a political activist and I cannot defend this shit at all. I wish we could be excited about the album and only that but shit like this makes it hard to be," the fan continued. "Nothing about her statement is okay."

"If she's going to breathe life into [the] aesthetics of a time where racism was at one of its peaks, and not use her platform in the same breath to advocate today's issues properly, accurately, and tactfully. That's an issue."

January 11, 2021: Del Rey was criticized for saying Trump 'doesn't know that he's inciting a riot'

During an interview with BBC's Annie Mac, Del Rey compared President Donald Trump to "people who didn't know they hurt other people."

"You know, he doesn't know that he's inciting a riot, and I believe that," she said, adding that Trump has "delusions of grandeur."

Del Rey was referring to the violent riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, when pro-Trump supporters stormed the building after attending a nearby Trump rally.

Five people died, and the outgoing president was impeached for "incitement of insurrection."

"The madness of Trump… As bad as it was, it really needed to happen. We really needed a reflection of our world's greatest problem, which is not climate change but sociopathy and narcissism," she said, per Complex. "Especially in America. It's going to kill the world. It's not capitalism, it's narcissism."

One person replied on X: "Lana stans gonna be doing some mental gymnastics to explain this one."

Del Rey then lashed out at 'larger magazines' for 'taking my well-intentioned and believe it or not liberal comments out of context'

The day following her interview with Mac, Del Rey responded to Complex's coverage of her comments.

"OK complex not that our 10 year relationship matters I guess," she wrote in a since-deleted post on Twitter, now X. "Thanks for the cool soundbite taken out of context, I said that the bigger problem is Sociopathy-so whether he meant to incite a riot is less important than the larger issue in America at hand -the problem of sociopathy."

"It's fucked up," she continued. "You know I'm real. You know I voted for Biden. I'm super steady in everything I've ever said. You probably listened to my entire interview. So whoever wrote this is a genuine piece of shit. I am the one helping bringing the problem with narcissism to light."

Hardly one to stifle momentum, Del Rey also responded to the Australian blog Tone Deaf, which had published an article criticizing the defense of her album cover.

"I'm actually not tone deaf, I don't think there's anything tone deaf about responding to questions about why there are only white women on a album cover when that's just not the case," she tweeted. "I'm not gonna let people say that some thing is what it isn't. You're jealous I get it."

In an additional (now-deleted) tweet, Del Rey added that her new music is "great" and described herself as "one of the only artists who is genuine."

Del Rey continued tweeting about her BBC interview, clarifying that she meant to criticize Trump's "significant lack of empathy" and "the issue of sociopathy and narcissism in America."

"I'll say it again I don't appreciate the larger magazines taking my well-intentioned and believe it or not liberal comments out of context," she wrote. "It's actually what I sing about quite often. It's what I've been condemned for saying."

She also expressed disdain for negative publicity, citing her "long term relationship" with magazines like Complex and Rolling Stone, calling the former "pathetic."

Uproxx's Steven Hyden described the now-deleted tweet as "a hilarious and illuminating snapshot of pop-star brain."

Indeed, Del Rey has lashed out at journalists and music critics in the past.

Back in September 2019, she tweeted her displeasure with Ann Powers' review of "Norman Fucking Rockwell!" for NPR — even though Powers described the album as "instantly compelling, a pro asserting her future spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

True to form, Del Rey doubled down with a video, in which she defended her comments about Trump and called out Complex again.

"I just wanna talk about a couple of things, some of the articles that are coming out today, about me thinking that Trump didn't mean to incite the riots," she began. "I think it's cute that that's the little takeaway that Complex gets from that — especially with our relationship over the last 10 years, obviously completely disregarded."

"I get it. I have something to say, and I don't just show up giggling and talking about my hair and my makeup," she continued. "I was asked directly political questions for over 40 minutes by the BBC Radio 1, and I answered them."

Many people saw Del Rey's tweets as another attempt to play the victim or another example of "white feminism." The term is used to describe performative activism that centers white people in the fight for equality, as opposed to intersectionality.

"Lana is beyond parody," one person wrote. "People are saying she's the epitome of white woman feminism and she defends herself with more white woman feminism."

 Others simply made jokes or said they'd lost patience with Del Rey's antics.

September 12, 2021: Del Rey deactivated her social media accounts

In a black-and-white video posted on Instagram, the musician thanked fans for their support and announced her decision to delete social media.

"I just wanted to let you know that tomorrow we are going to be deactivating my social media accounts, and that is simply because I have so many other interests and other jobs I'm doing that require privacy and transparency," Del Rey said.

"I'm still very present and love what I do. I'm absolutely here for the music. I'm also just going on some different endeavors and I want to say thank you so much for all the support and I do hope that you like the record," she added, referencing her eighth album "Blue Banisters," which was released later that same month.

Del Rey later became active again on Instagram, using the account handle @honeymoon, though her X account remains inactive.

March 24, 2023: She included a megachurch pastor's sermon on her new album, dividing fans

On Del Rey's ninth studio album, "Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd," track five is titled "Judah Smith Interlude."

The four-minute track gives an uninterrupted platform to Judah Smith, a preacher at the Christian megachurch Churchome. Smith, Del Rey, and producer Jack Antonoff are all listed as cowriters. 

Del Rey also thanked Smith in a Facebook post a few months prior, "for giving me good guidance" and "for letting me record a part of his sermon for this record."

In the song, Smith denounces "a life dominated with lust" and praises God as "the fascinating artist who fashioned it all."

"The Spirit of God says, 'I'll infuse you with desirеs for what you have and what's in front of you,'" Smith preaches.

As Them previously reported, many fans — especially those who identify as queer — were divided in their reactions to "Judah Smith Interlude." One X user called it "creepy," while another said, "it's giving conversion therapy cult leader." 

Indeed, Smith has reportedly made homophobic comments in the past. According to Marie Claire, he called homosexuality a sin comparable to "murder, rape, or living with your girlfriend" during a 2005 interview. (The interview in question isn't available online.)

Churchome is also associated with Hillsong, an Australian megachurch best known for attracting famous followers like Chris Pratt. In fact, Justin Bieber once led worship at Churchome, and Smith was featured on Bieber's 2021 EP "Freedom."

Hillsong has long been associated with anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ views. A report from NPR described it as "an ultra-conservative church with a dark past," including connections to pedophilia.

"I was uncomfortable. I'm not religious and thought it was weird to include. Considering who he is, it's very weird," one person wrote on Reddit. Another agreed, reasoning that Del Rey could have invented "a weird fake religious monologue" instead of "publicizing a real pastor that sucks."

However, some fans of Del Rey have defended "Judah Smith Interlude" as satirical or "ironic." As Coleman Spilde wrote for the Daily Beast, "Del Rey is exactly the type of person who would attend a celebrity-studded mega-church, both for a cleansing of the soul and to lambaste its intrinsic flamboyance with her friends."

"As a gay atheist that grew up in the Catholic Church, y'all are really bent out of shape over this," another fan commented in a Reddit thread. "I love how provocative this whole thing is and it's exactly why I love Lana."

June 24, 2023: Del Rey arrived 30 minutes late to the stage at Glastonbury, telling the crowd, 'My hair takes so long to do'

Del Rey is far from the only artist who's been late to headline a major festival. However, some people were frustrated with the explanation she gave for the delay.

"I was so fucking late that I am about to rush this set today," she told the crowd. "If they cut power, they cut power. I'm super fucking sorry. My hair takes so long to do. I love you to death. Let's keep on running the set as it's supposed to go."

As a result, Del Rey's microphone was cut off due to the festival's strict midnight curfew — although she encouraged the crowd to sing her final song, "Video Games," instead.

Despite some outrage directed at Glastonbury, many fans blamed Del Rey and said she lacked respect for the fans who came to see her perform.

Others described her performance as "chaotic" and "disappointing."

September 26, 2024: Del Rey married Jeremy Dufrene, an alligator tour guide based in Louisiana

About one month after Del Rey and Dufrene sparked romance rumors, paparazzi photos surfaced of the singer wearing a white gown at a public bayou in Des Allemandes, Louisiana.

People quickly confirmed that Del Rey and Dufrene tied the knot in the same place where Dufrene operates his swamp boat tours.

"Jeremy is the one and only. And amazing. And we're very happy," Del Rey later wrote on Instagram.

Fans were shocked and confused by the news of Del Rey's nuptials. For many, her marriage to Dufrene confirmed their suspicions that she has embraced a conservative lifestyle; unverified screenshots from Dufrene's public Facebook that appear to show support for Trump throughout the 2024 election. (Dufrene's social media accounts have since been set to private.)

Nearly three months after her wedding, Del Rey praised her husband as an "honest partner who has no skin in the game" during a speech at the Variety Hitmakers ceremony.

"It's super nerve-racking to have to hold onto an innocent perception of how things could go when you're in an industry where maybe your values or your morals don't quite match up with what's going on — especially when people think that you probably don't have any morals or values," she said, per Billboard.

Resharing a clip of her speech on X, Meghan McCain wrote: "Lana is code talking about being a conservative woman here. I know what I speak of."

April 25, 2025: Del Rey sang about kissing Morgan Wallen during her Stagecoach debut

Del Rey debuted several unreleased songs during her first-ever performance at Stagecoach, California's biggest country music festival.

One song, titled "57.5," includes an intimate lyric about the country musician Morgan Wallen, whose rise to fame has been marked by a string of arrests and scandals.

"I kissed Morgan Wallen / I guess kissing me kind of went to his head," Del Rey sang. "If you want my secret to success / I suggest don't go ATVing with him when you're out West."

Before delivering the lyric, Del Rey warned the crowd, "This is the last time I'm ever gonna say this line."

Del Rey's name-dropping of Wallen inspired a flurry of mixed reactions. Although the song depicts their encounter in a negative light, which many fans relished as juicy gossip, Del Rey seemed to know that willingly associating herself with Wallen — who's best known in liberal circles for flouting COVID-19 protocols and using a racial slur on camera — would invite attention, speculation, and possibly even backlash.

"Every couple months Lana has to remind y'all she's a conservative," one detractor wrote on X. Other posts referred to her as a "secret Republican" and "MAGA Del Rey." Over on Reddit, self-proclaimed former fans lamented the progression of her songwriting ("This can't be the same woman that wrote 'Cruel World'") and her recently countrified aesthetic ("This whole trad wife southern cosplay isn't really for me").

Reactions were similarly mixed on TikTok, where some people described the revelation as "iconic" and others as problematic. One video criticizing Wallen, Del Rey, her husband, and her fans has amassed over 64,000 likes.

"Y'all are about to call me 'the friend that's too woke' and I don't really give a shit, 'cause Lana Del Rey getting on that main stage and saying she kissed Morgan Wallen actually is that bad," the creator said.

Representatives for Del Rey have not responded to requests for comment from Business Insider.