Celine Dion for Elle France - May 2019
Céline Dion is writhing on the floor, her reptilian impulses activated by a second-skin emerald-green dress with matching thigh-high sock boots. “I’m a chameleon, whoa oh oh oh,” she’d sung to the tune of Donna Summer’s “On the Radio” during her brief walk between the dressing room and now the studio floor of her ELLE photo shoot. This is the Céline Dion that memes are made of.
For suburban teens in the ’90s, Céline was a regular amid car visor CD sleeves—as likely to be sandwiched between Shania Twain and Mariah Carey as she was, more covertly, between the Fugees and Radiohead. Even the most pretentious music snobs had to admit her octaves-spanning vocal range was pretty impressive. But was it cool to love her? Let’s put it this way: That Céline CD was often “my mom’s.” Now, though…now, loving Céline Dion is undeniably cool. Get more HERE!
#RHOA: Kenya Moore is returning to Real Housewives of Atlanta for only 500,000$???
Now Team Twirl ya’ll need to get on this. We all know that Kenya is returning back to RHoA but for ‘PEANUTS’? Kenya Moore gave up her peach season after she refused to share details of her marriage.
Kenya earned $1.5 million in Season 10 but her secret wedding ended her contract. Kenya refused to have her husband, Marc Daly, film the show that season and then say she tried to RE-negotiate her contract to include him which did not turn out well in her favor.
So after sitting out a season, Kenya has managed to get back onboard for Season 12 with the help of Cynthia Bailey and Kandi Burruss. Unfortunately she’s returning with a near MILLION dollar pay cut! She has reportedly accepted the offer of $500,000 to return for season 12.
As for the rest of the girls
- Nene moved up from $2.75 million to $2.85 million for Season 12. She also signed a 3-year contract guaranteeing her there for a minute.
- Kandi is getting a $100,000 raise to $2.3 million
- Cynthia negotiated her return with the promise of more romance with her boyfriend will get $1.8 million, up from $1.75 million
- Porsha returns for season 12 with a raise, going from $1.25 million to $1.3 million
- Eva Marcille, received a raise in pay from $250,000 to $275,000
- Tanya Sam will be getting $150,000 up from $100k
- Marlo got a $25,000 raise from $275,000 to $300,000
- And Shamari, was earning $250,000 but is said it will be less than that for next season.
But c’mon y’all Bravo should be giving her MUCH MORE than that! What are your thoughts?
#Empire: A Judge to rule next week whether to open ‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett’s case to public
A Cook County judge on Thursday said he would rule next week whether to make fies in “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett’s now dismissed criminal case public.
When Smollett’s disorderly conduct charges were abruptly dropped in March, Judge Steven Watkins put a seal order on the records.
The actor’s lawyers want the case files to remain sealed.
State law enacted in 2017 allows the sealing of records in cases where the charges are dismissed or the defendant is acquitted, but media organizations, including the Chicago Sun-Times, have petitioned Watkins to make Smollett’s files public because of the controversy surrounding the decision to drop the charges.
Watkins said he’d rule on the matter on May 23. At a brief hearing Thursday, attorney Natalie Spears, who represents the media organizations, argued how Smollett’s case was handled has raised questions — including those voiced loudly by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The 2017 law was enacted to prevent people who had been cleared of crimes from having old charges harm their job prospects, but sealing court files will hardly dim the spotlight on Smollett’s arrest for allegedly faking a hate crime attack on himself, Spears said.
“We can’t erase history. We cannot erase the record of Mr. Smollett’s arrest,” Spears said. “This case impacts more than Mr. Smollett. This is about democracy. This is about how our government functions. This is about transparency.”
Smollett’s lawyer, Brian Watson, argued that Smollett is entitled to the same rights and privacy of any defendant, and that the actor did not choose to land himself in the midst of a media firestorm.
“Think of somebody who, in a high-profile case is found not guilty. That defendant who is now not guilty says they want their record sealed, ‘I want my rights back,’” Watson said. “You may be innocent but you don’t get your rights back, because (the media) covered it from here to Helsinki.”
State’s Attorney Kim Foxx initially said that she did not intend to allow Smollett’s records to be completely sealed, and her office has filed a motion to have the case unsealed to allow the county Office of the Independent Inspector General to conduct a review of the case. Assistant State’s Attorney Cathy McNeil Stein on Thursday said the state’s attorney didn’t have a position on whether or not to unseal the records.
There are likely to be few records in the court files that shed much light on Smollett’s case or why the charges were dismissed just two weeks after he was formally indicted. But law enforcement agencies, including the state police and Chicago police have denied public record requests for arrest and investigation records in the case, citing the seal order.
#MusicNews: #PLANETJANET; Janet Jackson Drops ‘Control: The Remixes’ on All Digital Platforms
Janet Jackson has re-released the remix compilation of her Control album, for the first time on all digital and streaming platforms worldwide.
Released a year after the original album in 1987, the alternative version of hits were packaged as Jackson’s first remix album and only issued in select parts of the world, including the United Kingdom and Japan. Comprised of 12 re-imagined tracks, Control: The Remixes features extended versions of the title track and “Nasty,” which were both number one hits.
STREAM IT HERE
The digital release of Control: The Remixes comes weeks before Jackson is scheduled to reissue her Control album on vinyl for the second time. Slated to arrive on June 7 via A&M/UMe, the breakthrough LP will be available in two different color options: black and translucent red.
#HipHopNews: Logic Lands Third No. 1 Album With 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind'
Logic scores his third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which debuts at the top. The LP pushed 80,000 equivalent album units in the week ending May 16, with 24,000 in album sales.The Maryland native previously No. 1 projects include Bobby Tarantino II in 2018 and Everybody in 2017. Logic’s Billboard 200 debut was in 2014 with Under Pressure, which peaked at No. 4.
DaBaby’s Baby On Baby LP entered into the top 10 for the first time, rising from No. 14 to No. 8 with nearly 28,000 equivalent album units pushed. The album debuted at No. 25 on the chart dated March 16, and has never left the top 40 but with the rise of DaBaby’s hit song “Suge,” the album has increased steadily over the last few weeks.
Closing out the new top 10 is Mac DeMarco‘s Here Comes the Cowboy, which marks his first top 10 album. The LP earned nearly 27,000 equivalent album units, with 20,000 of that being album sales.
LOL! Game of Thrones’ series finale left some plastic water bottles on-screen
First it was a coffee cup, now it’s a bottle of water. Poor Game of Thrones just can’t catch a break.
Just a couple of weeks after some eagle-eyed fans discovered a forgotten coffee cup in a Game of Thrones scene, a couple of misplaced water bottles have appeared. The bottles, seen in screenshots below, pop up a few times over the course of several minutes. The first time is at 46:19 on HBO Now, and then a few minutes later. One is tucked just behind Samwell Tarly’s foot in the photo below.
Another water bottle can be seen just behind Ser Davos’ chair, in-between him and Gendry.
It’s understandable that long, strenuous meetings about the future of Westeros would leave anyone a little parched, but people clearly forgot to throw the bottles off camera once the director yelled “action!” Although it’s not as glaring as the abandoned coffee cup, one would imagine Game of Thrones’ editing team going through the finale with a fine comb. Game of Thrones is the most scrutinized show on television. Its fans are known for finding these things, and they’re already on to this goof.
HBO responded to criticism the last time this happened by joking along. “The latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake,” a statement from HBO read. “Daenerys had ordered an herbal tea.” The company also went in to digitally remove the cup following dozens of articles and thousands of fans tweeting about it. Bernie Caulfield, an executive producer on Game of Thrones, remarked in an NPR interview that these things happen, adding, “if that’s the worst thing they’re finding, then we’re in good shape.”
Ah, foreshadowing! Apparently, the worst thing people could discover is Westeros’ most powerful lords and ladies not being entirely eco-friendly and relying on bottles instead of tap water. Or perhaps well water considering the time period? Don’t feel too bad, HBO — you’re not the only one who has forgotten about water bottles.
Laine Hardy Wins Season 17 of American Idol
Laine Hardy has won American Idol! During Sunday’s finale, the Louisiana native was crowned the winner for ABC’s 2nd season of Idol.
Hardy, who appeared on the 16th season of American Idol, wasn’t planning on auditioning for the show a second time. However, after accompanying a friend to her audition, judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie asked if Hardy would be willing to give it another try.
“He got good,” Perry, 34, said during his unplanned audition. “What’s your problem? Why don’t you want to come back? Take this ticket. You found your confidence!”
Taking that golden ticket to Hollywood turned out to be a huge blessing to Hardy.
Throughout the season, the 19-year-old heartthrob received praise for his Southern charm and raspy vocals.
Earlier this week, EW confirmed that ABC has renewed the reality singing competition hosted by Ryan Seacrest for a third season. The show has regularly been winning Sunday nights in both viewers and the coveted adult 18-49 demographic.
While the future of the show is sure, that of Seacrest and its judges — Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie — is not. While offers have been made and a source close to the production says the network hopes all of the talent will return, EW has learned there is also no timing regarding an announcement, meaning those negotiations could take a while.
Transgender Woman Muhlaysia Booker Shot To Death Weeks After Brutal Assault Went Viral
Muhlaysia Booker of Dallas, TX was found face down in the street, dead from a gunshot wound over the weekend. Booker is the transgender woman who was assaulted by a group of men last month following a minor traffic incident. The incident went viral on social media and caused major outrage amongst the LGBT community.
Police say they responded to reports about a shooting around 7 a.m. on May 18th when they discovered Booker outside on the ground, unresponsive. Dallas Police Lt. Vincent Weddington attributed Booker’s death to “homicidal violence” but did not provide additional details. There is no confirmation on if her death is a direct result of the previous assault or a separate incident.
The April assault on Booker was being investigated by police as a possible hate crime. Edward Thomas was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for the incident. Weddington said Thomas is no longer in custody and his whereabouts are unknown, but there is currently nothing connecting Thomas to Booker’s death. Police are still working to identify additional suspects seen in the video participating in the assault on Booker.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings tweeted his reaction to Booker’s death writing, “I am deeply saddened to learn of the murder of Muhlaysia Booker. I call on anyone with information on this homicide to please contact the Dallas Police Department.”
According to the Human Rights Campaign, there have been at least 26 deaths of transgender people in the U.S. in 2018 due to fatal violence. The majority of those deaths were Black transgender women.
Melvin Edmonds Of R&B Group After 7 Passes Away At 65
It’s with a heavy heart that I report Melvin Edmonds, the founding member of the R&B group, After 7, and the older brother of Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, has passed away.
Melvin died on Saturday, May 18, according to his son, Melvin Jr.
He was reportedly dealing with failing health and had suffered multiple strokes. Melvin Edmonds was 65.
Via Indy Star: After 7 landed three singles in the Top 20 of Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 chart in the early 1990s: “Can’t Stop,” “Ready or Not” and “Heat of the Moment.” A 2016 comeback album, “Timeless,” sent three songs — “Runnin’ Out,” “I Want You” and “Let Me Know” — into the Top 10 of Billboard’s adult R&B songs chart.
Melvin Edmonds, who attended North Central High School, was the second oldest of six sons born to Marvin Edmonds Sr. and Barbara Edmonds: Marvin Jr., Melvin, Michael, Kevon, Kenny, and Derek. Marvin Sr. died in 1972, followed by Marvin Jr. in 2011 and Barbara in 2012.
We extend my sincerest condolences to the Edmonds family
Rihanna Confirms a Reggae Album Is Coming!
Rihanna is opening up about her new music! The 31-year-old entertainer’s fans have been waiting for new music for years now and she finally confirmed some details about her upcoming album.
Rihanna told T Magazine that she is indeed doing a “reggae album,” though she doesn’t know when it will be released yet and she doesn’t yet have a title.
“So far it’s just been R9, thanks to the Navy. I’m about to call it that probably, ’cause they have haunted me with this ‘R9, R9, when is R9 coming out?’ How will I accept another name after that’s been burned into my skull?” Rihanna said.
Rihanna also confirmed that the album will not feature collaborations with Lady Gaga or Drake.
Magic Johnson Is Spilling TEA about the 'Backstabbing' GM Rob Pelinka did to him while at The Los Angeles Lakers!
In April, Magic Johnson shocked EVERYBODY when he abruptly stepped down as the Los Angeles Lakers' president of basketball operations after serving in the role for nearly two years. When he first quit, he explained he made the move because he wanted to get back to enjoying life as a wealthy businessman.
Then, it was reported that some shady emails between Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka. Apparently, management was trashing Magic's performance as president. And since he somehow was copied on all the emails, he decided he was DONE.
WATCH HERE
Now, the former Lakers player (who balled out for the team for 13 years during his career) and spilling more tea about his exit.
During today's "First Take" episode, Magic told analyst Stephen A. Smith that general manager Rob Pelinka betrayed him during his time as Lakers president:
"If you're going to talk betrayal, it's only with Rob. But, again, I had to look inside myself," Magic said. "I had been doing that for months. Because I didn't like that Tim Harris was too involved in basketball. He's supposed to run the Laker business, but he was trying to come over to our side. Jeanie's gotta stop that. You gotta stop people from having those voices."
According to Magic, Pelinka was trashing his name behind his back because he felt like Magic wasn't working hard enough and that he wasn't at the Lakers' facilities enough. Not only was he talking ish to other Lakers staffers, he was also bashing him to some of his friends.
"Things got going in the right direction, and then I start hearing, you know, 'Magic, you're not working hard enough. Magic's not in the office.' So people around the Laker office was telling me Rob was saying things—Rob Pelinka—and I didn't like those things being said behind my back, that I wasn't in office enough and so on and on. So I start getting calls from my friends outside of basketball saying those things now were said to them outside of basketball. Now not just in the Laker office anymore, now it's in the media and so on. ... And people gotta remember something, being in this business for over 40 years, I got allies, I got friends everywhere."
Caught! Magic said the last straw for him was when he realized he would not have a say so in firing former Lakers coach Luke Walton and hiring a new head coach.
"The straw that broke the camel's back was I wanted to fire Luke Walton, and we had ... three meetings. I showed her the things he did well and the things he didn't do well. And I said listen, we gotta get a better coach. I like him, he's great, former Laker, the whole thing. So, the first day, 'Well, let's think about it.' Second day, 'OK, you can fire him.' Then the next day, 'No, we should try to work it out.' So when we went back and forth like that, and then she brought Tim Harris into the meeting, you know, some of the guys. And Tim, you know, wanted me—he wanted to keep him, because he was friends with Luke. Luke's a great guy, great guy. And so when I looked up and said, 'Wait a minute, I only really answer to Jeanie Buss.' Now, I got Tim involved, and I said it's time for me to go. I got things happening that was being said behind my back, I don't have the power that I thought I had to make the decisions, and I told them, 'When it's not fun for me, when I think that I don't have the decision-making power that I thought I had, then I gotta step aside.'"
From the very beginning, Magic said Jeanie Buss told him that he would have final say on all personnel decisions. Apparently, that wasn't the case, so he dipped.
BOOM!
Oprah Claps Back After She’s Called Out Over Comparison to Billionaire Paying Off Loans
Oprah was all about education over the weekend, because after speaking at the University of Colorado, she dropped some knowledge about her humanitarian efforts to a critic who tried to call out the queen.
O spoke at Colorado’s commencement ceremony and announced, “I shook hands with all 571 members of @coloradocollege’s Class of 2019 and gave them a copy of The Path Made Clear.”
However, the big news of the weekend was billionaire entrepreneur Robert F. Smith paying off all the student loans from the graduating class at Morehouse College, and one of Oprah’s fans let her know how they felt about her giving out her book.
“Should have paid off their student debt,” the follower quipped. Oprah didn’t waste any time about clapping back though, and wrote, “already paid 13m in scholarships. Have put over 400 men through Morehouse.”
Boom…….The comment by the critic was quickly deleted, but Oprah’s Instagram feed has been flooded with people supporting the TV mogul. As we reported, Smith is expected to pay over $40 million to the 400 graduates from Morehouse.
Whitney Houston Estate Launching Hologram Tour and Never-Before-Heard Music
Whitney Houston’s estate is jumping into action on the star’s posthumous career by planning a hologram tour, new album and possible Broadway show.
Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law and one-time manager, spoke to the New York Times on Monday about the upcoming projects the estate has in the works.
She explained that since Whitney’s death in 2012, the people in charge of the estate have been grieving and not interested in business deals, but now they are ready to work on the next phase of Whitney’s legacy.
Pat says they are working on a touring hologram concert show and a new album of unreleased tracks. The never-before-heard songs will be from tracks recorded from her debut album “Whitney Houston.”
The other possible projects include a Broadway show, and apparently negotiations with producers involved is already underwear.
The estate, which is reportedly valued at $14 million, recently signed a deal with Primary Wave Music Publishing to start a bunch of new business deals based on Whitney’s music and likeness.
Pat Houston is the executor of the estate, with the beneficiaries including Whitney’s mother, Cissy Houston, and her brothers.
Mel B Fears Going 'Totally Blind' After Recent Hospitalization: Report
Mel B is reportedly afraid of losing her complete eyesight after being rushed to the hospital on Friday (May 17).
The singer, who was weeks away from reuniting with her fellow Spice Girls members for their reunion tour, was supposedly taken to London's Moorfields Eye Hospital a few days ago after she supposedly lost sight, according to The Sun. According to the publication, the 43-year-old believed she was going "totally blind" and said "she couldn't see anything" out of her right eye. Mel lost vision out of her left eye 20 years ago as a result of a failed laser surgery.
"Mel was in a really bad way. The other girls and their managers were really worried," said a source. "'Mel was frantic and screaming that she couldn't see a thing. She went to the hospital in a chauffeur-driven car with an assistant, who was holding her hand."
While the insider asserts "no one knew what brought it on," the musician "had very swift, and very good, treatment." Additionally, a spokeswoman for the star assured the Daily Mail that "the situation with Mel is under control" and "she is looking forward to the tour."
Mel's latest medical scare comes less than six months after she severed her hand and broke two ribs when she fell down a narrow staircase in December 2018.
"Thank you to all the wonderful nurses [doctors] and my amazing surgeon for the care and expertise given to me here at the hospital I've been staying at, suffering 2 broken ribs a severed right hand," Mel captioned a photo of her cast from the hospital, where her bandmates came to her aid. "[From] needing [emergency] care, to having had to have over a 3 [hour] surgery to repair the damage hence the purple sling."
The Spice Girls start their 13-show reunion tour on May 24.
Sybrina Fulton, Mother of Trayvon Martin, Is Running For Miami-Dade County Commission
Sybrina Fulton, the mother of the unarmed black teen who was gunned down by a racist in Florida in 2012, is running for public office in Miami-Dade County.
Fulton confirmed her candidacy for a spot on the County Commission yesterday.
“Since 2012, I have advocated tirelessly to empower our communities and make them safer,” she told The Miami Herald. “But the work is not done. I am proud to announce that I will run to represent District 1 on the county commission.”
Ms. Fulton was thrust into the national spotlight after the death of her son, Trayvon Martin, in February of 2012. Propelled by the loss of her son, Ms. Fulton became a fiercely vocal advocate against racism and Florida’s problematic “Stand Your Ground” law that allowed George Zimmerman, her son’s killer to get away with murder legally.
Trayvon’s senseless death sparked the Black Lives Matter movement and helped form the Trayvon Martin Foundation.
The foundation, which is a standing testament to Trayvon’s legacy, has launched initiatives to help “empower families and communities through violence prevention, mental health access and awareness and educating children.”
Fulton will be running against the Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez for the seat, which is being vacated by Commissioner Barbara Jordan in 2020.
Jay-Z and Timbaland Sued Over Uncleared Sample On “Paper Chase”
Jay-Z and Producer Timbaland are being sued by a soul artist named Ernie Hines over a song called “Paper Chase.”
Hines recently filed a lawsuit against Hov, Roc-a-fella Records, Sony Music, and Timbaland, who produced the track featured on Jay’s 1998 album “Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life,” claiming the parties used a sample from his 1969 song “Help Me Put Out The Flame (In My Heart)” without his permission.
Hines says he only became aware of the song using his sample last year and he was never asked for clearance nor was he paid for the use of the sample.
According to copies of the court documents obtained by TMZ, Hines asserts that he’s a senior citizen and he doesn’t listen to rap music which is why he only learned about the alleged unauthorized use of his song in 2018. In fact, that is presumably the reason why he’s filing suit now, 21 years later, well past the statute of limitations.
TMZ claims the “Help Me” track is clearly listed on Tidal’s sampling page and Hines is also claiming that Timbaland used his song on Ginuwine’s “100% Ginuwine” album.
Hines is suing for damages exceeding $2 Million, claiming that the songs have been played on many platforms over the years and he feels he is owed a lot of money because of it.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS’
Sick impression of my kid when I leave her alone for 5 minutes and tell her to dress herself.
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Brent
Meet Brent! 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!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD ALL!
EFREM
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