#EMPIRE: Taraji P. Henson Race Struggles In Hollywood & More For THR’s Actress Roundtable
Taraji P. Henson and Naomie Harris sit down with The Hollywood Reporter for their annual Actress Roundtable where they discuss the struggles black actors face in Hollywood and how they prepared for their new roles in Hidden Figures and Moonlight. Get the highlights inside….
Taraji P. Henson and Naomie Harris land the cover of The Hollywood Reporter’s newest issue to celebrate their annual Actress Roundtable discussion. Actresses Emma Stone, Natalie Portman, Amy Adams, Annette Bening, and Isabelle Huppert join the YBF leading ladies for a candid discussion about present-day Hollywood.
As Tinseltown works on being more inclusive and sharing more diverse stories, or at least tries to appear to be working on it, there’s still work to be done. But Taraji prefers to look at it differently, peering through a more optimistic viewpoint. She says she tries not to look at the injustices in Hollywood as just a race issue and that she would rather tackle issues in Hollywood with her work ethic.
She tells THR:
“It's always hard. I have white friends, blond hair, blue eyes, who ain't worked in five years. Have we seen enough representation of African-American stories? No. But has Hollywood been horrible to me? No. I've worked. Did I get paid what I deserve? That is the question we should be talking about. But I can't take that on because I have worked and I've seen my career do this. So I never wallow in the muck and say, "Oh, it's hard." That's a given. I can't take this skin off. We know what the deal is. You understand? So I'm not going to make it an issue. I'm going to work my ass off and hopefully the work that I'm doing will change things, will make it better for the next one coming behind me. You let me in, give me an inch, I'll take a mile. I've come a long way. I mean, look at me now. I'm on a hit show, I just produced my own variety show for Christmas, and I watch TV and I go, "Wow, they're saying, 'Taraji.' Not ‘Taraji P. Henson,’ but ‘Taraji's White Hot Holiday.’ (Laughs.) See, I'm white, really. I'm not black!”
The 46-year-old actress, who stars in the biographical drama Hidden Figures, reveals the fears of telling the story of someone still alive today and how she always kept mathematician Katherine Johnson in the back of her mind when she was working on the project.
“It's scary when they're so alive and their family is still alive,” Taraji said. “It's a big pressure, because you want to get it right. And that's all I cared about. Can we just make sure Katherine [Johnson, now 98] is happy? This is her story. We are riding on her shoulders right now. And I owe her the truth and all of me. I got to sit with her and started studying her mannerisms, and I asked her a lot of questions. What I did find that was parallel in our lives was math, which I hated. I was not wired that way. And I think it was because as girls we were told math and science was for boys, so I guess I believed that.”
British beauty Naomie Harris opens up about why she was hesitant to play a crack addict in the film Moonlight, revealing she never really wanted to play a character that portrayed black women in a bad way.
“I was, because I grew up with very strong, intelligent, powerful women, and I don't feel as though they are reflected enough. So I made it my mission that I was going to make my choices based on portraying positive images of women in general and black women in particular. And I didn't feel a crack addict fit into that. But then [director] Barry Jenkins asked me to play his mum, basically, and I thought, 'Here's someone who is emotionally invested in ensuring that this character is given her full complexity and her full humanity.'"
Tune in to the full roundtable when it airs on Sundance TV January 29, 2017.
#RHoA: Kandi Burruss' Baby Daddy Drama! RHOA Star Calls Her Daughter's Father a 'Poster-Boy for Deadbeat'
Kandi Burruss may be busy potty training her 10-month-old son Ace Wells with husband Todd Tucker. But it’s her 13-year-old daughter’s biological father who is really giving her trouble.
On Sunday’s all-new Real Housewives of Atlanta, the 40-year-old Grammy winner broke down over the “baby daddy” drama she’s experienced with ex Russell “Block” Spencer — father to her only daughter and first child, Riley Burruss.
Calling him a “poster boy for deadbeat,” Kandi explained that Spencer had gone “years without checking in” on Riley.
“We really don’t talk,” she said. “I’ve always tried to be open whenever he reach out… [but] I don’t respect him no more.”
She then tearfully revealed to friend Shereé Whitfield that when she first learned she was pregnant with Riley, Spencer called her and said he wasn’t going to have anything to do with her baby.
“I told him that day, ‘That’s fine motherf—–, because you’ll never have to worry about how she is. You’ll need her before she needs you.’ And I meant that s—. I meant it,” Kandi said.
While Kandi told Whitfield she hadn’t tried to interfere with Spencer’s relationship with their daughter, she said that if she was ever truly honest with Riley about what her father had done, she knows their relationship would be even more damaged.
“Even if I can’t stand his punk a– — if he wants her to call him, I make her call him,” she said. “But if I really say the s— that he’s done that she ain’t privy to, that’s gonna hurt my daughter.”
The discussions about Spencer began when his girlfriend, Kris Kelli, made a surprise visit to the Kandi Factory to speak with Kandi about why Riley seems so closed off to her father.
“I know it might seem funny to you for me coming out of the blue like this, but it’s kind of a concern that I’ve been having,” the Jamaican recording artists explained — adding that she’s encouraged Spencer to reach out to Riley more. “I’m really all about families. I would love to see you both come together.”
Though Kandi appreciated Kelli’s sentiment, she explained that her daughter and Spencer haven’t connected on their own. “Riley at a certain point used to reach out to him, and he never really would reach back,” Kandi said. “And she put up this wall… She doesn’t want to deal with it.”
The fact that the two don’t have a relationship isn’t something that makes Kandi happy. In fact, she said it kills her on the inside. “I didn’t have a relationship with my father,” Kandi said. “And I don’t want to see my child go through that.”
Whitfield sympathized with Kandi and Riley. “I didn’t have a relationship with my dad either,” she said. “Little girls — they want their daddies involved. All Riley has is your word to hold on to. So when you don’t show up, that is devastating. It’s sad.”
“Sometimes, I don’t know if these men know how to be good fathers — because they didn’t have that themselves,” she added.
Tucker — who didn’t learn about his daughter Kaela until later in life — encouraged Riley to reconnect with her father. “I think every daughter should know their dad,” he said. “It ain’t about him or Kandi. It’s about Riley. And you’ve got to do what’s best for her at the end of the day.”
But Riley didn’t seem interested in making things work with her dad — even saying in flashbacks that “I don’t really care if I have a dad or not.”
She was less harsh on Sunday’s episode. “I don’t really want to say that I don’t care, but it’s like … they call that ‘void,’ ” she told her mom — using a slang term that implied she was declining the relationship.
“He should be the one [to try to connect with me], not his girlfriend,” she continued.
As for Spencer, he painted a different picture than both his daughter and her mother.
“People don’t know, but I was there when she was born,” the record label owner said. “I mean — even when [Kandi] was saying I wasn’t doing nothing, I was doing something.”
“If she don’t urge my daughter to call me, I’m not fitting to make you come see me,” he added. “I’m not gonna do that.”
The estrangement really seemed to bother Kelli. “They have shut him out — completely,” she said. “[Kandi] thinks that if she brings Riley around again, he won’t show up.”
“We need a conversation about doing the right thing,” Kelli said.
WOW!!
New Music from Next – U Name It (Shirley Caesar Remix)
The R&B world is getting in on the viral #UNameIt sensation, which came about from an old video clip of Pastor Shirley Caesar performing “Hold My Mule.”
RL and his Next bandmates have surprised us with a sultry rendition of the Thanksgiving meal recital, switching the food into bedroom innuendos.
“Heatin’ up in the kitchen right now / I know you feel the heat / And my meat is so tender, it’ll bring you right down to your knees / You give thanks for the way that I be giving it / Gobble gobble girl get into it,” sings RL.
Check it out HERE
Thoughts?
New Hip Hop Music from Fetty Wap – ‘Better’
Fetty Wap “ain’t going nowhere,” baby.The New Jersey rapper dropped three new songs last week and delivers yet another banger today with the Samantha-assisted “Better.”
“My queen, baby,” raps Fetty. “You think I don’t love you? Fuck you mean, baby / Let’s go back and think of things, baby / How this life was once a dream, baby.”
Meanwhile, Samantha offers a reassuring hook. “Baby,” she sings. “I ain’t going nowhere / Can’t nobody love me better.”
Last week, Zoovier unleashed “Shit I Like” with Monty followed by “Shorty” and “Blue Band Weirdo.”
Listen HERE
The “Trap Queen” hitmaker is currently working on the follow-up to his self-titled debut, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last year.
New Couple Alert: Jennifer Williams Dating “Welcome To Sweetie Pie’s” Star Tim Norman
Former Basketball Wives and The Next 15 star Jennifer Williams has found a new love and he’s a reality TV star as well — Tim Norman from Welcome To Sweetie Pie’s. To outsiders, it may seem as though they’re a bit of an odd couple, but after chatting with Jen about the new relationship it’s clear why they work. “He’s just so supportive,” Williams told HipHollywood while at the press day for Sweetie Pie’s. “Things are going really well.”
Jennifer was on hand to not only support the upcoming seventh season of her boo’s hit show, but she also spilled a little tea. “I shot a few scenes,” Jen revealed to HH. Yep, that’s right, you’ll see the ex-BBW on the OWN show which returns on November 19th.
The couple has been keeping a low profile since they started dating about 5 months ago. This will be Tim’s second relationship on the show. He broke things off with ex-fiancée and the mother of his son, Jenae, during Season Four of Sweetie Pie’s.
We wish the new couple all the best!
OH? Andrew Caldwell Stands by Kordell Stewart Sex Claims!
Last year viral celebrity Andrew Caldwell, famous for being "delivert" from homosexuality, retracted previous claims of a sexual relationship with Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams ex-husband Kordell Stewart
Last week, after losing a default judgement for failing to show up in court after Kordell sued him for defamation, Andrew reasserts his claims...
In a Facebook Live post caught by Funky Dineva Andrew Caldwell explains in great detail how he meet Kordell in a bar in Atlanta and how they hooked up.
WATCH HERE
Oh My?
HOT or NOT! Best & Worst Looks At The 2016 American Music Awards
You all saw the show last night. Now get a look at a few of the fashions we’ve compiled and see if you agree with us about them being HOT or NOT!
HOT: This year’s host Gigi Hadid had multiple wardrobe changes during the show, but the top model slayed the red carpet in a sheer lace gown by Roberto Cavalli.
NOT: UGH! there goes that PONYTAIL again. We were so hoping Arianna Grande had retired this hairstyle … we guess not. The bustier was cute tho.
NOT: We have no words for Keyshia Cole and this outfit … except fire your stylist.
HOT: Teyana Taylor gave us old Hollywood glamour in this black Steven Khalil
HOT: Octavia Spencer Looks fab and comfy in this Black and White number
NOT And surprisingly SHOCKED! I’m not sure what event Joan Smalls was going to in this multi-colored haltered gown.
NOT: Okay Chrissy Teigen, you’ve got a hot body, but the high thigh slits … on both sides … really?
HOT: Lady Gaga made us want to bow down at her feet rocking this Brandon Maxwell suit and coordinating hat. Yaaas, Gaga!
NOT: Heidi Klum hasn’t had a great year when it comes to fashion. This 70’s inspired jumpsuit is a perfect example.
HOT: Selena Gomez was red hot in this floor-sweeping ball gown on the carpet.
HOT: YASSSSSSS! This Stephane Rolland couture gown worked for Ciara and her growing baby bump.
NOT: Sorry, Keke Palmer, but this silver crop top and matching skirt is a no for us
NOT: Tinashe showing off a little leg in this Michael Costello gown with thigh-high slit.
And now what say Ye?
Kanye West abruptly cancels remaining leg of Saint Pablo Tour
Kanye booed after saying he would've voted for Trump
Kanye West has abruptly pulled the plug on his Saint Pablo Tour a few days after making statements onstage about how he "would have voted for Donald Trump" and after a stormy weekend in which he abruptly canceled a show after four songs.
A representative for the rapper said Monday the remaining dates of West's current tour have been canceled. No reason was given.
The tour, now in California and with dates through Dec. 31, had future stops in Dallas, Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C., among others.
The move comes after a complex weekend for the musician, who abruptly ended a concert in Sacramento, California, on Saturday, then canceled a performance Sunday in the Los Angeles area.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the show was canceled three hours before the show was set to begin at The Forum. Refunds would be made available, the venue tweeted. West’s label, Ticketmaster nor Live Nation have given any explanation for the cancellation.
The latest drama comes after West went on a wild rant about Trump and others at his Saturday show. Captured on video by concert-goers, West in an over 10-minute tirade told the audience he was on his "Trump (expletive) tonight." He talked about Beyonce, Jay Z, Hillary Clinton, Mark Zuckerberg, the radio and MTV at the stop of his Saint Pablo Tour.
Saturday's outburst and truncated show became a hot topic on Twitter and other social platforms Sunday morning, as amateur videos circulated of West's rant where, among other things, he said he was hurt because he heard Beyonce refused to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards unless she won Video of the Year over him. He also urged her husband Jay Z to call him and "talk to me like a man."
West took aim at radio stations for playing the same stuff "over and over and over," too and also addressed Hillary Clinton.
"It's a new world, Hillary Clinton, it's a new world," West said. "Feelings matter. Because guess what? Everybody in middle America felt a way and they showed you how they felt. Feelings matter, bro."
The performer said he was putting his life, career and "public well-standing" at risk by talking to the fans in the audience "like this," adding that his Saint Pablo tour "is the most relevant (expletive) happening."
He continued: "I am here to change things. And things won't change until people admit their own falsehoods. I got the visions, bro. That's what I've been blessed with. My vision. I'm not always going to say things the perfect way, the right way. But I'm going to say how I feel."
West’s tour was slated to resume Tuesday night in Fresno, but LA Times music writer Gerrick Kennedy reported that West had told Saint Pablo tour crew members that the remaining U.S. dates were canceled.
SADNESS! L Oldest Remaining Tuskegee Airman Willie Rogers Dies At 101
The oldest surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen died Friday. Willie Rogers passed away in his longtime home of St. Petersburg, Florida after complications resulting from a stroke, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
The 101-year-old was a member of the first all-black aviation squadron and was drafted in 1942. He worked in logistics and administration, but family members revealed they didn’t know until recent years that he was part of the squadron.
The 300 surviving Tuskegee Airmen were honored in 2007 with congressional gold medals, but Rogers did not attend the ceremony.
After the war, Rogers opened up his own radio and appliance store in St. Petersburg and had lived there ever since.
He celebrated his 101st birthday in March and revealed he was surprised by his own longevity.
“This is a very, very, very happy thing,” he told The Ledger. “I thank my heavenly father for allowing me to see 101 because at 27 I never thought I would see 28.”
Rest in peace, Willie.
‘Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party’ Renewed For Season 2 By VH1
Amid strong ratings and just ahead of tonight’s third episode, VH1 has renewed Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party for a second season.
The premiere episode debuted as cable’s top new unscripted franchise, winning its time period with all key demos and scoring 3 million total viewers and a 1.5 18-49 rating in L3, according to VH1 and Nielsen. Episode two snagged a 1.06 Live+SD P18-49 rating making it the No. 1 non-sports cable program in its time period among W18-49, P18-34 and W18-34.
Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party features Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg as they host weekly dinner parties with famous celebrity friends. Guests include Seth Rogen, Wiz Khalifa, Rick Ross, Jamie Chung, 2 Chainz, Naya Rivera, Ashley Graham, Jason Derulo, 50 Cent, Fat Joe, Kathy Griffin, Kelis, Ashlee Simpson & Evan Ross, Keke Palmer and Robin Thicke.
“Martha and Snoop are the modern day ‘Odd Couple’ and the reigning King and Queen of pop culture. Wait until you see what happens in season two.” said Chris McCarthy, President MTV, VH1 and Logo.
The series is executive produced by Stewart & Kim Miller Olko for Sequential Brands Group, Snoop Dogg & Ted Chung for Merry Jane and SallyAnn Salsano for 495 Productions. Nina L. Diaz, Trevor Rose, Paul Ricci, Fernando Mills and Paula Aranda exec produce for VH1.
Brad & Marion: Allies in Paris at Premiere!
Last week, Brad Pitt promoted Allied in China, leaving Marion Cotillard to sell the film in the US and answer all the questions. This weekend they were both in Paris for the French premiere, where they spent time with fans and posed for pictures, safely protected from reporters. But what about critics? Allied opens on Wednesday and the reviews are now being posted. So far it’s been pretty mixed. The Telegraph gave it 4 stars, calling it a “swanky, sexy spy thriller” while the Guardian gave it only 2 stars, comparing the chemistry between Brad and Marion to “a cold wet teabag falling out of a mug that you have upended over the kitchen sink and don’t much feel like washing up”.
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman appreciated Allied’s old-timeyness and said it felt like Steven Spielberg’s Bridge Of Spies but this is exactly what the Village Voice complained about in their review, describing Allied as “the kind of film you can send your parents or grandparents to the next time they complain that they don't make 'em like they used to”. My quick conclusion from these varying opinions: the MiniVan Majority will love this movie. They have their Brad back, now that he’s rid of the evil seductress. And he’s trying hard to look as good as he did in the Peak Brad days, circa 2002-ish? What are the chances we get some brand new Angelina photos just as Allied hits theatres?
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet The BEAST!
Meet The BEAST! He’s back with more! So you know what to do to see more. Just GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS and remember they’re NSFW!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN NOR ALTER any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
You’re Welcome!
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘THE CAT’S MEOW’
Well doesn’t this lady think she’s just the cat’s Tea.
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!
EFREM
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