Alfred Jackson, half-brother of late rock star Prince, dies

MINNEAPOLIS >> A half-brother of the late rock superstar Prince has died, leaving five Prince siblings to share in the musician’s fortune.

An attorney for Alfred Jackson, Asa Weston, said Friday that the 66-yearold Jackson died Wednesday night or Thursday morning in his home outside of Kansas City, Missouri. He says the cause of death is unknown.

Jackson was the son of Prince’s mother, Mattie Baker, and Alfred Jackson Sr.

Prince died of an accidental opioid overdose in 2016 without leaving a will. His estate remains tied up in legal proceedings in Minnesota.

Jackson told Entertainment Tonight in 2016 that he had not seen or spoken with Prince for nearly 15 years, though an attorney later clarified that Jackson had actually had “sporadic talks and visits” with Prince over those years.

Hearing held in Mario Batali’s indecent assault case

BOSTON >> A hearing has been held in the indecent assault and battery case against celebrity chef Mario Batali.

A spokeswoman for Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins said Batali didn’t attend Friday’s hearing at Boston Municipal Court and wasn’t required to.

She also said no trial date was set. The case returns to court Sept. 4.

Batali pleaded not guilty in May to forcibly kissing and groping a woman at a Boston restaurant in 2017.

His career crumbled in the wake of that and other accusations of sexual misconduct.

The accuser says Batali groped and kissed her repeatedly without her consent after he took a selfie with her. Batali’s lawyer has said the charge is “without merit.”

Dior stokes outrage with new ad for its Sauvage fragrance

LOS ANGELES >> A new ad for a Dior men’s fragrance called Sauvage sparked outrage Friday for its use of Native American culture and symbols.