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Disney Invests $1B in OpenAI, Brings Iconic Characters to AI

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Disney OpenAI AI deal: Disney invests $1B, licensing iconic characters

Disney OpenAI AI deal: Disney invests $1B, licensing iconic characters for Sora video generator while demanding Google stop using its IP

Los Angeles, California — The Walt Disney Company is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and bringing its iconic characters, including Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Luke Skywalker, to the company’s Sora AI video generation tool under a new licensing deal announced Thursday.

Also read:African Animation on the Rise: Nearly a Third of Co-Production Pitch Projects at MIA Come From Africa, Disney’s ‘Kizazi Moto’ in Spotlight

The three-year agreement allows fans to use Sora to generate short videos featuring over 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. Some user-generated content will also be made available on Disney+ as part of the collaboration.

“This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said. Disney CEO Robert Iger added that the partnership will “extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works.”

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Under the deal, Disney will also become a major customer of OpenAI, deploying its technology for internal tools, services, and rolling out ChatGPT for employees.

The announcement comes amid criticism from children’s advocacy groups. Josh Golin, executive director of Fairplay, called the partnership a “betrayal of countless children” and accused the companies of using beloved characters to attract young users to a platform that is not intended for children.

In a separate move on Thursday, Disney sent Google a cease-and-desist letter demanding the tech giant stop using its copyrighted content to train AI models, including its Veo video generator and Imagen and Nano Banana image generators.

Disney claimed Google had “massively” infringed its copyrights and amplified the problem by distributing the infringing content across platforms such as YouTube.

“Well, we have been aggressive at protecting our IP, and we have gone after other companies that have not honoured our IP…this is another example of us doing just that,” Iger said in an interview with CNBC.

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Also read: ‘Inspired by the spirit of Lagos’: Disney releases trailer for Afro-futurist animation Iwájú

Disney has previously targeted Meta, Character.AI, and filed litigation against AI company Minimax and NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery over AI content use. Google has yet to comment on the latest cease-and-desist.

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Lizzy Anjorin Questions Court Order Over Priscilla Ojo’s Son

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Nollywood actress Lizzy Anjorin has questioned the authenticity of an interim order issued by the Lagos State High Court on 2 September 2026, restraining her from publishing photographs of Priscilla Ojo’s one-year-old son, Rakeem Mkambala, and from posting editorials concerning the family on specified social media platforms.

Anjorin raised the issue during an Instagram Live session on Friday, 4 September, after Priscilla shared a copy of the court order online.

The actress argued that publicising court documents before formally serving the respondent undermines the case.

“Your case na dead on arrival. If you post court letter on any platform before serving person wey you wan go serve, that court case na fake court case,” Anjorin said during the live session.

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Her comments came shortly after the High Court of Lagos State granted an ex parte application brought by Priscilla, her husband, Tanzanian singer Juma Mussa Mkambala, and their son, Rakeem.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya issued the interim order in Suit No. LD/ADR/6646/2026.

The order restrains Anjorin, as well as people acting under her authority, from publishing, posting, circulating, uploading or broadcasting photographs of Rakeem on specified social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and TikTok.

The court also directed Anjorin to cease publishing or broadcasting editorials concerning the applicants on the platforms covered by the order.

An ex parte order is made at an interim stage without the respondent being heard. The order is therefore not a final determination of the dispute and remains subject to further proceedings.

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Priscilla shared the certified copy of the order on her Instagram Story on Friday, bringing the legal development into public view.

Anjorin’s reaction centres on the timing and manner in which the court documents were publicised. Her assertion that such publication makes a case “fake” is her own claim and is not a finding contained in the court order.

The development marks another chapter in the prolonged public dispute between Anjorin and Priscilla’s family, particularly Priscilla’s mother, actress Iyabo Ojo.

The disagreement has played out largely on social media and has previously resulted in legal action, including a ₦1 billion defamation suit filed by Iyabo Ojo against Anjorin.

In recent weeks, the dispute has also drawn Priscilla and her young son into the controversy, following public comments by Anjorin concerning the family.

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BBNaija Kess Says Big Brother Makes Life Harder

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Kesiena Tony Adjekpovu, popularly known as Kess, has said that participating in Big Brother Naija can make life harder, offering a candid reflection on the challenges that may come with the reality television experience.

The former Big Brother Naija housemate made the comment in a statement shared on social media, where he suggested that winning or simply taking part in the reality show does not necessarily make life easier after leaving the house.

“Big Brother makes your life harder,” Kess said.

The remark has drawn attention because life after reality television can bring a different set of expectations, particularly as former housemates adjust to increased public attention and the pressure that can accompany visibility.

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Kess was a housemate on the seventh season of Big Brother Naija, which aired in 2022. He entered the show as a businessman and was among the contestants who competed for the season’s grand prize.

His time on the programme also placed him in the public eye, giving viewers an opportunity to follow his personality and relationships inside the house.

Kess’s latest comment offers a more reflective view of the reality TV platform, suggesting that the experience does not end when a contestant leaves the house.

However, he did not provide further details in the available post explaining which specific aspects of life after Big Brother he was referring to.

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Damilola Oni Suffers Backlash at Mama Deola Movie Premiere

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Damilola Oni

Nigerian actress Damilola Oni has come under heavy fire across social media over her controversial outfit at the star-studded Mama Deola movie premiere (more…)

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