5/19/19

The Daily Buzz For May 20 ☕📰☕


Tessa Thompson Talks Next Generation Leaders for TIME May 2019
Tessa Thompson covers the “Next Generation Leaders” issue of Time magazine photographed by Gizelle Hernandez and styled by Wayman + Micah.

Actress Tessa Thompson has played many roles in Hollywood, including the character of Valkyrie in Marvel’s ‘Avengers’ series. As a queer woman of color, she has been outspoken about minority representation in Hollywood. Thompson issues ‘The 4% Challenge’ campaign, directed at making Hollywood more inclusive to female directors. Learn more about Tessa Thompson, just one of 10 young people forging new paths in politics, music and more.

“I don’t think any artist has the responsibility to be the ambassador, especially when it comes to who you love,” she says. “I don’t begrudge anyone who wants to keep that separate from their professional life. There’s not just a perceived risk of coming out in Hollywood. There’s a real one.”

“Little girls, little boys, and little people who don’t know what they are yet. As women or people of color we grow up having to identify with white dudes.”
“Every big opportunity I have been provided has always been with people of color,” she says. On those sets, she knows that she and the director share an unspoken goal to break barriers. But that’s not entirely by choice. “There is a long list of white, male filmmakers I would love to work with,” she says. “But they just don’t see me. They just don’t.”

Get more HERE!


#RHOA: Nene Leakes celebrated her new SWAGG retail store opening inside MGM National Harbor.
Gregg and NeNe Leakes made their first public appearance together since she revealed he’s cancer free. The longtime couple celebrated the opening of her new SWAGG retail store inside MGM National Harbor on Friday, May 17. Real Housewives of Potomac star Monique Samuels and Karen Huger came out to celebrate NeNe's big day.
Her fellow Real Housewives of Atlanta castmate Marlo Hampton was also in attendance. NeNe isn't the only celeb to have a store inside MGM National Harbor. Sarah Jessica Parker opened up 

What are your thoughts on NeNe opening up a new store?


#Empire: Serayah McNeill Reveals What She Learned From her Musical ‘Brother’ Chris Brown As She Starts Music Career
Serayah just filmed the music video for her song ‘Love It’ and in an interview with the folks over at HL, she opened up about her expanding music career and revealed how Chris Brown’s helped her stay focused.

Serayah, 23, is ready to continue her music career in a big way and she’s observing some of the music greats, including Chris Brown, to help her know how to get on the right track to success. The Empire actress recently caught up with us on the set of the new music video for her song “Love It” and she talked about the challenges she’s had as well as the inspiration she’s thankful for in the midst of filming the video and creating her first full-length album.

“It’s very scary because I’ve never done it before and also I’m independent, and we’re kind of just grinding it out by ourselves, and I’m investing everything I have into it,” “That part is scary. You know? I’ve been recording for the past two years. I feel like I’m at a point where I’m like, ‘Okay, I have a sound, I found my sound and I found what I want to talk about.’ And a lot of it is for the girls.”

Serayah, who appeared in Chris’ recent music video for his song “Undecided”, has looked up to his attitude and success and it’s helped her figure out what kind of artist she wants to be as she embarks on her big musical journey. “I guess I could just take it from observing,” she said, in reference to how she looks up to Chris. “Just being yourself authentically and I think that’s something I talked about, about Cardi B, the other day was just like we’re all human, we all go through things, and to be yourself is the hardest thing to do and the bravest thing to do.”

“He’s just like a big brother,” she continued when describing her feelings about who the “Forever” singer is as a person. “He’s just so down to earth, he’s Chris Brown, but he’s so down to earth and normal and likes to kick it and laugh and have fun. And I think well for me if I were to meet someone that I looked up to for a long time I was just like, you never know how they’re going to be.” She also revealed that working with him on his music video was nothing but joy for her. “I just felt so comfortable around him and his team were so great, so, it was awesome,” she said. Serayah went on to mention how she’d love to pick Chris’ brain about any advice he’d have for her as she makes her own music videos. “The performer in him is just amazing, and I look up to him so much,” she gushed.

In addition to explaining how she’s learned from Chris, Serayah opened up to us about the new music video and song she’s about to release. “So, basically it’s just about, me and my friends talk about it all the time, and I feel like everyone does, it’s when you’re in Hollywood or when you’re going out in the industry a lot of it is just flexing or acting like you have more than you do,” she explained. “So, that’s basically what the song is about, and I just wanted to uplift the ladies and say, you know, ‘Who cares if someone’s hating on you, you’re still a bad chick, you’re strong, just keep going.’ So, that’s basically like what the song’s about.”
Before “Love It”, Serayah was featured as a guest artist on various songs from the Empire Soundtracks as well as the song “Don’t You Need Somebody” by RedOne featuring Enrique Iglesias, R. City, and Shaggy. She released her first EP, Addicted, in 201


#NewMusic from Kelly Rowland New EP “The Kelly Rowland Edition” 
In what comes as a bit of a surprise release, R&B superstar Kelly Rowland has just given us a brand new EP called “The Kelly Rowland Edition”. There isn’t much information available about the project, but we do know it was recorded at Red Bull Music and contains three all new songs.

STREAM IT HERE

The singer is currently working towards the release of her upcoming fifth studio album. She released the single “Kelly” back in December 2018, and partnered up with Dove for the female empowerment anthem “Crown” a few months ago.

Additionally, over the past few years she has been serving as a coach on The Voice Australia.


#HipHopNews: Foxy Brown was BOO’ed Off Stage at Kandi’s Dungeon Show!
On Saturday night (May 18), singer Kandi Burruss' Welcome to the Dungeon Tour came through New York City and featured a guest appearance from Foxy Brown. However, following a cringe-worthy performance from the Brooklyn rapper, she was booed by the crowd and forced off the stage.
The show took place at Terminal 5. Video from Fox Boog's set shows her rocking thigh-high boots, a long coat and mask covering her face. In the footage, she tries to perform her 1996 track "I'll Be" featuring Jay-Z, but she struggles severely with the words. She then gets the Showtime at the Apollo, Sandman treatment and is quickly whisked backstage. Foxy appears to look confused as she is directed to exit stage left.
WATCH HERE 

The crowd begins to boo and Kandi comes out to try to quell the situation. "Y'all gotta respect my girl. Let her take the mask off," Kandi tells the crowd.

In an attempt to restore order, the DJ tries to switch things up. "We can't let that shit happen on our stage. Let's rock," he says before jumping into Foxy rival Lil' Kim's "The Jump Off." Ouch.

Fox hasn't put out an album in 18 years, with the last being Broken Silence in 2001. She welcomed a baby in 2017, and hasn't been very active on the rap scene in recent years. Last September, she was accused of skipping out on a show and taking the payment.


Madonna Has Sparked a flag controversy at The Eurovision Song Contest!
Madonna's anticipated guest performance during the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel sparked controversy in the final moments of the show. 

The star appeared on Saturday draped in a black cape and a black eye-patch during her performance of 1989 hit "Like A Prayer," and new single "Future".
At the close of her second number, two backing dancers each wearing a respective flag from Israel and Palestine, walked arm in arm, in an act that was perceived as a political statement on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. 

The performance also saw dancers falling to the ground while wearing gas masks, and concluded with Madonna and the US rapper Quavo walking together as the words "wake up" appeared behind them. 
The European Broadcasting Union, which co-produced the contest alongside Israel's national broadcaster, issued a statement immediately after. 

"This element of the performance was not cleared with the EBU and the Host Broadcaster, KAN. The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political event and Madonna had been made aware of this," it said.

The 60-year-old singer's participation in the event brought protests from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement earlier. 
BDS has for years been pushing for investors and artists to shun Israel over its decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories, and led calls for a boycott of this year's Eurovision, calling it an "art-wash".
She defended her decision, issuing a statement earlier in the week saying that she would always speak up to defend human rights, and that she hoped to see "a new path toward peace".
After her performance some condemned her decision to make a statement, while others praised her for using her platform to make a point.

But Madonna was not the only one to raise controversy.
Hatari, Iceland's entrant, drew boos from the audience when the band held up small Palestinian banners live on air during voting. The EBU said the political display "directly contradicts the contest rules".

Israel won the right to host the extravaganza thanks to last year's victory by Israeli singer Netta Barzilai, who opened the show on Saturday night at a Tel Aviv concert hall. 

At a beach across town, crowds gathered to party at a Eurovision Village set up for the event. 
After performances by all 26 finalists, Duncan Laurence of the Netherlands took the prize with the stirring power ballad "Arcade". 
Italy finished second and Russia third in the results that combined votes from juries from participating countries as well as viewers at home. 
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Twitter that he had spoken to Laurence and congratulated him, calling his performance "sublime and powerful".
Rival Palestinian contest
Meanwhile, Palestinians, Israeli and international activists planned a simultaneous alternative event dubbed "Globalvision". 
Parties were to take place in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Haifa in northern Israel - home to a significant Arab population - and London and Dublin. 
Anti-occupation NGO Breaking the Silence erected a billboard in Israel with the slogan "Dare to Dream of Freedom," playing on the 2019 contest's slogan "Dare to Dream".

The performances were live streamed around the world on the night of Eurovision's finale in Tel Aviv.


#BoxOfficeNews: 'John Wick 3' has ended 'Avengers: Endgame' with $57 million
The box office has a new king and his name is John Wick. The third installment of the hyper violent Keanu Reeves franchise has taken the top spot at the North American box office and ended the three-week reign of "Avengers: Endgame."
Studios on Sunday say "John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum" has grossed an estimated $57 million in its opening weekend. Not only did it far exceed expectations, it's a franchise best that nearly doubled the opening of the second film, which itself doubled the opening of the first film from 2014.

The audience, in other words, is growing exponentially for this series about a talented assassin who never seems to get a break. This time, there's a $14 million price tag on his head.

Men made up the majority (63 of the "John Wick 3" opening weekend crowd. Overall audiences gave the film a rare A+ CinemaScore, indicating that word-of-mouth will be strong in subsequent weekends. According to Comscore's PostTrak audience survey, 70% said they would "definitely recommend" to their friends and 21% said they would see it again in theaters.

"This is the best reviewed film of the series so far," said Joe Drake, chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, in a statement. "We believe word-of-mouth will continue to drive strong business for the film all over the world."

Internationally "John Wick 3" earned $35.2 million from 66 territories.
"Avengers: Endgame" slid to second place in its fourth weekend with $29.4 million. Domestically, where the film has grossed $711 million, it's now second only to "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" ($937 million) and globally, with $2.6 billion, it's still second to "Avatar" ($2.8 billion).

In its second weekend, "Pokémon Detective Pikachu" also continued to do well, placing third with $24.8 million. But with the high-performing trifecta of John Wick, the Avengers and Pikachu, there weren't very many moviegoers left over for the less flashy newcomers like "A Dog's Journey" and "The Sun Is Also a Star."

"The marketplace was so dominated by 'John Wick,'" said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. "It's tough when one movie over performs by this kind of magnitude."

Amblin Entertainment and Reliance Entertainment's "A Dog's Journey" opened in fourth with an underwhelming $8 million. The Universal-distributed film is a sequel to the 2017 hit "A Dog's Purpose." But unlike John Wick, the audience for this sequel was less than half of that for the first, which opened to $18.2 million. But audiences who did turn out gave it an A CinemaScore, which could point toward long-term playability.

Most disappointing, however, is the young adult adaptation "The Sun Is Also a Star" which grossed only $2.6 million from over 2,000 screens and landed in eighth place. Although modestly budgeted at a reported $9 million, and featuring popular television actors such as "Riverdale's" Charles Melton and "grown-ish's" Yara Shahidi, the Warner Bros.-released film failed to connect even with the audiences who turned out, 75% of whom were women. It got a poor B- CinemaScore.

It's a far cry from the days of "The Fault in Our Stars'" $48 million debut in 2014, and even the last film based on a Nicola Yoon novel, "Everything, Everything," which opened to over $11 million in 2017.
"As unpredictable and fickle as young adults are, so are the performances of films that target that audience," Dergarabedian said.
In limited release, Joanna Hogg's well-reviewed relationship drama "The Souvenir" did well with $85,851 from four screens.

Even with the success of "John Wick," the weekend itself was down about 31% and the year to date is still down around 9%, but, Dergarabedian said that this is the calm before the storm. In the next few weekends theaters will see an influx of could-be hits such as "Rocketman," ''Aladdin" and "Godzilla: King of the Monsters."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1."John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum," $57 million ($35.2 million international).
2."Avengers: Engame," $29.4 million ($46.8 million international).
3."Pokémon Detective Pikachu," $24.8 million ($53.8 million international).
4."A Dog's Journey," $8 million ($13.9 million international).
5."The Hustle," $6.1 million ($9.5 million international).
6."The Intruder," $4 million.
7."Long Shot," $3.4 million ($1.8 million international).
8."The Sun Is Also a Star," $2.6 million ($484,000 international).
9."Poms," $2.1 million ($396,000 international).
10."Uglydolls," $1.6 million ($3.1 million international).


Kim Kardashian Introduces you all to Her Baby Boy Psalm West 
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West recently welcomed their fourth child, a baby boy, via surrogate and on Friday the proud mom introduced the world to Psalm West.
The mom of four posted a Mother’s Day text message from Ye that included a photo of their newborn son with the caption:
Psalm means: A sacred song or poem used in worship especially.
Congrats to the happy West family.


Billionaire Robert F. Smith Promises to Pay the Morehouse Class of 2019’s Student Loans!
Billionaire investor Robert F. Smith announced in a commencement address at Morehouse College on Sunday that he would pay off the student loans of every member of the class of 2019, according to multiple reports.
“On behalf of the eight generations of my family that have been in this country, we’re gonna put a little fuel in your bus,” Smith said during a speech to the Atlanta college’s graduating class.

“My family is going to create a grant to eliminate your student loans,” Smith added, according to a Twitter post by Morehouse College.
“This is my class, 2019. And my family is making a grant to eliminate their student loans," he was quoted as saying.
An official at the historically-black, all-male college told a local news station that the gift was worth about $40 million. There are almost 400 graduating seniors in the class.

Smith, who has a net worth of $4.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, had already announced a $1.5 million gift to Morehouse.
Students cheered loudly at the news.“If I could do a backflip I would. I am deeply ecstatic,” Elijah Dormeus, a business administration major who’s graduating with $90,000 in student loans, told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Smith is the founder and chief executive officer of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm headquartered in Austin, Texas, with $56 billion under management. Its holdings include workflow manager Autotask and ticket marketplace Vivid Seats. Smith, 56, graduated from Cornell University and Columbia Business School.


Justin Bieber Causes The Icelandic Canyon To Close
Justin Bieber has inadvertently caused the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon in Iceland to be closed off.

The 25-year-old singer showed off the gorgeous scenery in his “I’ll Show You” music video in 2015, and fans have been flocking to take photos of where he filmed.
Icelandic environmental officials decided to close off the area for safety concerns.
“In Justin Bieber’s defense, the canyon did not – at the time he visited – have rope fences and designated paths to show what was allowed and what was not,” environment minister Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson told The Guardian.

Although ropes and signs were put up to protect visitors from the edge of the cliff, some were still ignoring the safety precautions for the photo op. Park ranger Hanna Johannsdottir admitted that people are so desperate to get close that they have tried to bribe her into letting them through.


R. Kelly has Multiple Federal Indictments Expected to Be Filed Soon
The ongoing federal investigation into R. Kelly is close to wrapping up, and there’s a very good chance the singer will be battling dual indictments in both New York and Illinois.
Sources familiar with the investigation tell The Blast officials have been interviewing witnesses, and testimony will be presented in front of the grand juries in both the Southern District of New York and the Northern District of Illinois.

One source directly involved with the investigation tells us they expect everything to be wrapped up within the next few weeks, and anticipate two indictments to be filed. We’re told the charges will mainly deal with sex trafficking and tax evasion.
As reported, officials have been specifically interested in how Kelly and his associates allegedly bought plane tickets for underage girls and moved them around the country while he was performing.

The investigation has been led by officials with ICE Homeland Security Investigations, which is responsible for investigating crimes of human trafficking, sex trafficking and child exploitation. HSI is the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.
Back in March, multiple interviews were conducted in Georgia after investigators traveled from New York to meet with victims and witnesses. One of those interviews included Kelly’s ex-stylist, and another involved a brand new accuser who claims she was a victim of sexual abuse while also witnessing sexual abuse of other women.

A key group of those witnesses were from the family of girlfriend Joycelyn Savage, who met with the team of investigators and provided information and physical evidence, including plane tickets, text messages and photos.
The Tea is that the evidence delivered by the Savage family heavily contributed to the federal case built against Kelly.


Emilia Clarke Shares Heartfelt Post Ahead of ‘Game of Thrones’ Finale
Emilia Clarke is in her feelings ahead of the last ever episode of “Game of Thrones.”
The Mother of Dragons shared a few photos of her castmates on Instagram, sharing her thoughts about the show before Sunday night’s finale.

“Finding the words to write this post has left me overwhelmed with how much I want to say but how small words feel in comparison to what this show and Dany have meant to me,” Clarke wrote.
She continued, “The mother of dragons chapter has taken up the whole of my adult life. This woman has taken up the whole of my heart. I’ve sweated in the blaze of dragon fire, shed many tears at those who left our family early, and wrung my brain dry trying to do Khaleesi and the masterful words, actions (and names) I was given, justice.”

Clarke said the show “has shaped me as a woman, as an actor and as a human being. I just wish my darling dad was here now to see how far we’ve flown.”
She went on to thank the show’s loyal fans, writing, “But to you, dear kind magical fans, I owe you so much thanks, for your steady gaze at what we’ve made and what I’ve done with a character that was already in the hearts of many before I slipped on the platinum wig of dreams. Without you there is no us.”

Clarke concluded her post by saying, “And now our watch has ended. @gameofthrones @hbo #love #motherofdragonsoverandout.”

The final episode of “Game of Thrones” airs Sunday night at 9:00 PM ET on HBO.


Kendall Jenner Explains Why She Keeps Her Relationship with Ben Simmons Private
Kendall Jenner has done a decent job of keeping her relationship with 76ers point guard Ben Simmons on the low — and she says it’s something she’s learned from watching her famous family.

via Page Six: “I got a glimpse of how my sisters dealt with [the attention] and it’s cool to learn from that,” the 23-year-old model said in the June cover story of Vogue Australia. “For me, a lot of things are very special and very sacred, like my friends and relationships, and I personally think that bringing things into the public makes everything so much messier.

Jenner, who was first linked to Simmons, 22, last spring, before confirming their romance on “Ellen” in February, also addressed how crucial privacy is in relationships.
“I’m very young and right now I feel like relationships aren’t always super-certain and I don’t want to bring too much attention to something if you don’t really know long term [what it’s going to be]. A relationship is only meant to be between two people, and the second you make it the world’s business is when it starts messing with the two people mentally,” Jenner explained.

“Like once everyone is let in, you’re letting all these opinions into your relationships, and I don’t think that’s fair,” she continued.
As for the future, it remains to be seen if Jenner will take a trip to the altar.

“Maybe,” Jenner said when asked about marriage. “Definitely not now, but maybe one day.”


YouTuber Cole LaBrant Deleted A Video Of His Black "Cousin Peanut" After Backlash
YouTuber Cole LaBrant is under fire for posting — and later deleting — a video of a young white girl stepping on his "cousin Peanut," who is black.
The tweet, posted Thursday night, shows "Peanut" running toward a girl, who was trying to get on a swing. "Peanut" then crouches on his hands and knees, and the girl steps on his back and gets on the swing.
A woman who is not shown on the video is heard saying, "Oh my goodness, sweet boy."
BuzzFeed News saved the video before LaBrant deleted his tweet Friday morning.
LaBrant, his wife Savannah, stepdaughter Everleigh, and daughter Posie have a very popular YouTube account with more than 9 million subscribers.
Last month, they were criticized for making a video where they played a prank on Everleigh by telling her they were giving away her dog. And last year, they were accused of faking an evacuation from the California wildfires for a video.

"Peanut" — whose real name is Truman LaBrant — is, in fact, Cole's cousin. He's the child of LaBrant's uncle Bobby and aunt Tami LaBrant, who adopted him.

He has appeared in LaBrant's videos before. In 2017, LaBrant posted a video of his family making slime with "Peanut," Savannah, and Everleigh.


#RIP: Columbine survivor Austin Eubanks found dead at 37
Austin Eubanks, one of the survivors of the 1999 Columbine shooting in Colorado, was found dead at his home early Saturday, according to Routt County, Colorado, Coroner Robert Ryg.
Eubanks was found dead during a welfare check after he didn't answer his phone, Ryg said. Eubanks was 37.
No foul play is suspected, and an autopsy is scheduled for Monday, Ryg said.
Eubanks struggled with opioid addiction after the shooting and later became a public speaker discussing the issues of substance abuse in the country, according to his website. From his Twitter account, it appears he last spoke at the 2019 Connecticut Opioid and Prescription Drug Prevention Conference on May 2.

Eubanks was 17 at the time of the Columbine shooting, according to CNN affiliate KMGH.
He was in the library with his friends, trying to decide whether they were going to go fishing or play golf after school, when they heard the sound of gunshots.
"A teacher ran through the same doors that we just entered into the library, yelling at everybody to get under the tables, that somebody had a gun, and I remember just being in shock," Eubanks told CNN last year.
Eubanks, his best friend and a couple of other students hid under the same table. About 10 minutes later, the shooters entered the library and methodically fired under each table, Eubanks said. He was shot in the hand and knee. His best friend was killed instantly.
"Obviously, after that, my life took a pretty big detour," Eubanks said.
"As a result of my injuries, I was pretty significantly medicated about 45 minutes after being shot. I remember immediately being drawn to that feeling, because it took the emotion away," he said of the pain medication.

Within a matter of weeks, he said, he developed an opioid addiction.
Eubanks continued to struggle with addiction in his 20s, he said. Then, after multiple attempts at residential treatment, he found long-term recovery and decided to devote his time to speaking out about addiction recovery.
His family released a statement to KMGH saying Eubanks "lost the battle with the very disease he fought so hard to help others face. Helping to build a community of support is what meant the most to Austin, and we plan to continue his work."


Arnold Schwarzenegger: Will Not Press Charges On South Africa Attacker
Arnold Schwarzenegger said Sunday via Twitter that he will not pursue any action against the man who attacked him in South Africa at a children’s sporting event.
“A lot of you have asked, but I’m not pressing charges. I hope this was a wake-up call, and he gets his life on the right track. But I’m moving on and I’d rather focus on the thousands of great athletes I met at @ArnoldSports Africa,” said the 71-year-old actor and former California governor.

The man, who has not been identified, apparently has done similar stunts in the past and is known to police, according to the event’s organizer.

The man who attacked Schwarzenegger was immediately subdued after the assault. There was no apparent provocation for the assault, as Schwarzenegger is depicted smiling and relaxed with his back to the attacker. The attacker walked up behind Schwarzenegger just before the attack, holding up his right arm and waving. He was led away by security, but returned with the flying drop kick a few moments later.
On Twitter, Schwarzenegger told fans not to worry.

“Thanks for your concerns, but there is nothing to worry about. I thought I was just jostled by the crowd, which happens a lot. I only realized I was kicked when I saw the video like all of you. I’m just glad the idiot didn’t interrupt my Snapchat.”


AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘SITTING ON HIS TUFFET’
Nobody ever talks about little mister muffett.


EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Mr Wolf
Meet Wolf! 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.

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HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD ALL!
EFREM
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