The daily gossip: Avril Lavigne and Mod Sun call off engagement, Ben Platt condemns antisemitic protests of his new Broadway show, and more

1. Avril Lavigne and Mod Sun call off engagement

She said, "See you later, boy." Avril Lavigne and her fiancé, Mod Sun, have called off their engagement and split up, according to multiple reports. The two singers got engaged in March 2022 after dating for about a year, and they previously collaborated on his song "Flames." A source told Us Weekly they "have been on and off for the past two months, but are no longer together as a couple." Lavigne, who has recently been spotted hanging out with Tyga, was the one who called off the engagement, according to TMZ, which makes a point to note that neither of them cheated and that Lavigne and Tyga are just friends. But a representative for Mod Sun told Us Weekly that he and Lavigne "were together and engaged as of three days ago when Mod left for tour so if anything has changed that's news to him." Things just got complicated.

Us Weekly TMZ

2. Ben Platt condemns antisemitic protests of his new Broadway show

Ben Platt is speaking out against the "really disgusting" neo-Nazis protesting his latest play. The Dear Evan Hansen actor is starring on Broadway in a revival of Parade as Leo Frank, a Jewish man lynched in 1915 after he was convicted of murder but had his death sentence commuted to life in prison. Experts now believe Frank was wrongly convicted, and he was posthumously pardoned. But protesters who were reportedly with a neo-Nazi group gathered on Tuesday night outside the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, where the show had its first preview performance, to spread antisemitic rhetoric and claim Frank was a pedophile. Platt took to Instagram after the show to address the "scary" situation, condemning the "really ugly actions of a few people who are spreading evil." But he also said that the protests only served as a "wonderful reminder of why we're telling this particular story," making him feel "extra grateful" to carry on Frank's "legacy." Sincerely, him.

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3. LL Cool J 'not dropping' new album because it's not 'worthy of being released'

He's not doin' it. LL Cool J has gone back to the drawing board on his new album after coming to the realization that it's just not that good. The rapper took to Twitter on Wednesday to tell fans he's "really trying to figure this album out" but is "not feeling" like it's "worthy of being released," adding, "I tried." He hasn't released a new studio album since 2013's Authentic, but he previously teased he had music set to drop in 2023, tweeting last month, "I'm competing with myself on this new album. Wait til you hear this MF. This year B. It's coming." He also told E! News in January, "The album, I think, is really, really special." On Wednesday, though, he decided he's "not dropping it," later adding, "Ugh Re writing the whole album." So we'll apparently never hear that original version, as he decided to scrap it and take the L(L).

Variety

4. 'Euphoria' star Angus Cloud was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run

Another Euphoria star may be in hot water. Police want to speak with Angus Cloud, who plays Fez on the hit HBO show, after he was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run, TMZ says. According to the report, the actor and another male allegedly took off in an SUV after rear-ending a Toyota. A person who was in the Toyota is said to have been injured, and TMZ published photos showing bruising and redness on her legs and arms. Law enforcement sources told the outlet that Cloud is "not officially a suspect in the case," but "his name has been floated for possible involvement," and police want to talk to him to find out if he was responsible for the accident. The news comes just a few weeks after Euphoria star Chloe Cherry was charged for allegedly stealing a $28 blouse from a store, though her rep blamed "confusion" over an item that wasn't "properly charged to my client's credit card."

TMZ

5. Marvel VFX artists say 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' was 'severely understaffed’

The only thing shrinking faster than Ant-Man may be Marvel's VFX production deadlines. Vulture has spoken with anonymous visual effects artists who worked on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and the outlet reports the project was "severely understaffed while facing an unrealistically short deadline," creating a "grueling slog" for the artists who were working "as many as 80 hours per week for months." One source told Vulture that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was prioritized over Quantumania, and "all the best resources went" to the former film, which "did diminish the ability to carry Ant-Man all the way through." This source continued that there were changes being made to Quantumania "too late" into production that caused "a lot of tension" and "turmoil," adding that it's "noticeable" that "there were shortcuts" and that the movie is getting mixed reviews because "Marvel is doubling down as much as possible on constricting quality." If James Cameron wasn't still with us, he'd be turning over in his grave.

Vulture