Names and faces
■ Jay-Z’s business entities sued a New York City licensing firm, claiming it cheated the companies as part of a “colossal accounting scandal.” The lawsuit accuses Iconix Brand Group Inc. of lying about its finances when it made deals with the rapper’s Roc Nation apparel company. There was no immediate response to a phone message Friday seeking comment from Iconix. When Roc Nation entered into a brand partnership with Iconix in 2013, the defendant company was fabricating financial reports to falsely inflate its earnings, according to the suit filed Thursday in state court in Manhattan. The allegations arise “out of a massive years-long fraud perpetrated by Iconix and its affiliates to amass a portfolio of trademarks under false pretenses, in the process defrauding its licensees and partners, and setting off a colossal accounting scandal the depths of which are still being uncovered,” the suit says. It adds that the scheme “sent its share price from a peak of more than $400 per share in 2014, to less than a dollar today.” The suit says Jay-Z’s companies “have incurred substantial legal expenses in connection with, among other things, the federal government’s investigations into Iconix’s massive fraud.”
■ The youngest member of Britain’s royal family, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, was christened at Windsor Castle on Saturday in a private ceremony — too private for some royal fans. The 2-month-old son of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was baptized in a private chapel at the castle west of London by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Church of England. Palace officials said that, in keeping with royal tradition, Archie wore a lace and satin christening gown that was also used for his cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. He was sprinkled with water from the River Jordan at an ornate silver baptismal font that has been used in royal christenings for more than 150 years. Archie, born May 6, is the first child of Prince Harry and the former Meghan Markle, and seventh in line to the British throne. His parents released two photos, including a black-and-white image showing the couple cradling a tranquil Archie between them. Meghan and Harry have faced criticism for declining to reveal the names of Archie’s godparents and not giving the public a glimpse of the event — though that didn’t stop well-wishers from going to Windsor with Union Jack flags, banners and even a cake to mark the occasion. The royal couple’s decision sparked controversy in part because of the recent revelation that their Windsor home was renovated with $3.06 million in taxpayers’ money.