Odell Beckham Jr. opens up to GQ about sexuality rumors, The Cleveland Browns and NY disrespect!
Recently Odell Beckham Jr. opened up to GQ Magazine for the first time about sexuality rumors, about why he skipped Browns OTAs and about being disrespected by the Giants after he helped build their brand.
In a candid interview with Mark Anthony Green, Beckham covers all the bases and talks openly about his initial reaction to being traded by the Giants to Cleveland, why he hasn’t spent much time here yet, and when he ordered that orange Rolls-Royce with The Catch hood ornament, the car that will make more noise here in Cleveland than the Ghostbusters car did when it resided in Rocky River all of those years.
He also reveals how long he might stay in the game, and what he might do afterwards.
Here are some excerpts, and the full interview from the August issue of the magazine on newstands Tuesday can be found on GQ.com:
On persistent rumors and reports that he’s not straight
“I’ve never had an opportunity to talk about this. Honestly wasn't offended. I've never once had no problem with anybody who has their own personal life that they live. I have friends who are gay. It was almost more funny to me. I almost messed with them even more. It's like when someone gives me an ultimatum, I'm usually always going to go to the opposite way of what you want me to go. So when they would say that, I would almost mess with them even more. I have no problem with anyone's sexual orientation.''
Green observes that "The idea that someone must be gay — or that being gay is in any way shameful — because they're dancing or have blond hair seems so small-minded."
Beckham: "Or because they're 'close with other men.' Even like little videos where they see me leaned back or something, they'll say that I'm looking at a guy's ass. And I'm like, “Bro! You don't even know where my mind is at.” It was just a lose-lose. They'd see me with a white woman and be like, “Why don't you be with any sisters?” I have no problem with any race. Love is love. If you're attracted to somebody, you're attracted to somebody. There was such a stigma built up, [as though] I don't like my own women. It's like, 'no, I don't like anybody who annoys me. [laughs]’"
He said the criticism feels worse when it comes from the black community.
"So someone can't be happy, someone can't be dancing. 'Oh, he's always around guys, he's never around girls.' I just don't want you to see what woman I'm with, and I don't want you in my personal life. I always try to keep my personal life my personal life. I feel like I don't owe that to anybody.''
On if he’s happier now or when he wasn’t as famous and scrutinized
"I always say this: I wouldn't change anything for the world for where I'm at now. I also always say this: Be careful what you ask for and be careful what you speak.''
Why?
"I didn't know that getting to that level — or being on the level, like, where a LeBron is at — that I would have to deal with certain things. People ask me what advice I would give, and I'm just like: 'Be careful what you ask for.' Like I said, I wouldn't change anything for the world, but I wish the world would have more love than hate in it.''
On how he felt when texted at dinner in Paris that he had been traded
"I felt disrespected. ... This team has not been good for the last six years. Period. ... I didn't have a great playoff game. Don't get me wrong, I had a terrible game. But I left the game with seven targets, and I'm supposed to be your number one receiver. I left the game with seven targets. We lost. They scored 40 points. It's just all bad.
"I felt disrespected, because I felt like I was a main reason at keeping that brand alive. They were getting prime-time games, still, as a 5-and-11 team. Why? Because people want to see the show. You want to see me play. That's just real rap. I'm not sitting here like, “It's because of me.” But let's just be real. That's why we're still getting prime-time games. I felt disrespected they weren't even man enough to even sit me down to my face and tell me what's going on.''
On critics who want him to get in line more
"I get made out to be some rule breaker. I'm following your rules and your guidelines, but I'm just having fun doing it! It's crazy because you give us a voice and then you want to control how we use the voice. And I've been having questions about it recently, because it doesn't really make sense to me. It's like you create a monster, but then you don't know how to control it anymore, so then you want to tear it down. It's all backwards.''
On if he’s a good teammate and why he skipped Browns voluntary OTAs and minicamp
"You can literally ask any one of my teammates. My on-the-field football never gets talked about unless people are talking about antics. They don't talk about numbers. ... I feel like I'm one of the only people in the NFL where my personal life and my brand are the only things that get talked about. They'll do a whole segment about the car that I have on ESPN. Why? I've never been arrested. Never have and never will be putting my hands on a woman. I've never done any crimes. I've never done anything but some little petty, dumb stuff that we keep harping on.
"They asked, how could I have changed if I didn't go to OTAs? I have to be the very best me to help my team. We don't get paid to be at OTAs. If you want players to be there, make it mandatory and pay them. I got traded to a new team, I already paid to live here in L.A. for the entire summer.
Are the Giants or Cleveland going to reimburse me for what I've already paid? Are they going to reimburse my trainers, who I've already paid? Are they going to reimburse me for the dogs who I've had to put in kennels? There's a lot of expenses. Are they going to pay for the rehab I was doing? No. They don't do all of that. That stuff is all on our own. So when it gets time for us to have our own life outside of football, they say something.
"When the game is done with you, they chew you up, spit you out. You're done. You're done. I have to take care of myself and my family. Period.''
On who’s the better dancer, him or Baker Mayfield?
"Baker can dance! He's going to have to come see me, though! I try to encourage people to be themselves. I try to encourage Jarvis (Landry) to come out of his shell. Be comfortable being uncomfortable. Like, just live. Life is so precious and so short. That's really how I think.''
On maintaining his brand in a smaller market
"I forever will have love for the New York fans. They gave me my first home. But there's this sense of entitlement — like I was made there. And in my head, that was the first place I had the opportunity to show the world what God had set out for me to do. It didn't matter where I was at. Now, did it help that it was Sunday Night Football for the New York Giants versus the Dallas Cowboys? One thousand percent. But The Catch happened around the entire world. I feel like it wouldn't matter where I was at — once you got hooked onto who I was and what I was doing. And who knows? If I was in another place, you don't know if the numbers would've been more or less."
On when he ordered the orange Rolls-Royce
"(In New York, I felt) I can't do this anymore. I just can't do it. I wasn't happy. I wasn't in a good place. ... I feel like everything is about happiness, and I just was not. And even thinking about my car: I had ordered that car in December.
"I was like, 'Man, I want the one with the orange inside.' And then I get traded to Cleveland, and it's just so funny because it was like I had been feeling a shift in my life. I don't read too much into the signs and all that stuff, but somebody sent me a lot of stuff during that time about what I was going through and how I was feeling a shift, and I was just so ready for Him to take me, and then it happened.
"So I never question what He does. ... I couldn't sit there and be like, 'Oh, yes, I'm happy I'm going to Cleveland. Let me go pick out my house, all my clothes, everything, and I'm just gonna go.' You have to think about it — you're leaving behind an entire life that you created. Moving to another place.''
On if he’s spent much time in Cleveland yet
"Not yet. The only time I've spent time there was when I was playing and when I was there for LeBron — stuff like that. But I think the reason it triggered so much emotion out of me is because it reminded me of how my life worked. Like, I would spend time at a certain place, I would get to know everybody, and then me and my mom would move. I'd spend time somewhere else, and then me and my mom were out. And that was very hard for me, because it's hard to build relationships with people, and care for people, and love people, and then you have to pick up and then you're gone.''
On if he wants to play for 10 more seasons
"Yeah. Or until I can pass Jerry (Rice). That's the goal: 23,000 yards.''
On if he'd be a commentator after football
After hearing analysts like Cris Carter and Ray Lewis criticize him, he's not interested.
"No chance. No disrespect to those guys. If you see me on one of those shows, it's because I'm getting a healthy paycheck," he said. "And I'm going to be up there to empower others. If you see me talking, it would be to uplift us. To catch somebody when they're falling. Not to, like, push them a little more or kick them when they're down. So after football, I could see the movie thing. I can see some shows. I can see some Hollywood-esque stuff. I can also see me mentoring a lot. I just love doing that.
#RHOA: OH Kandi Burruss Her BOOBS Nearly Bursts Out of Her Dress from her Tags Boutique! But Do You Like?
Kandi Burruss is showing off a new look on Instagram that is getting lots of attention from fans.
The star of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” on Saturday posted a boomerang video of her rocking a maxi dress from her Tags Boutique.
“Enjoying the outdoors in my @tagsboutique dress. I hope everyone’s day is going amazing!” the reality star wrote in the caption.
Sporting a voluminous black deep-wave hairstyle, the look was rather attention-grabbing for fans.
But while the hair and the dress were hits, others remarked about how revealing the gown was, noting the singer’s breasts were nearly spilling out of her clothes.
“Tell the “TWINS” heyyyyyy 🤣🤣🤣🤣”
“Good Lord … Girrrrrrrrl…. SMH.”
“nah..to much on show….”
That Burruss was exposing some cleavage isn’t anything new. The star famously transformed a potentially reputation-damaging rumor former “RHOA” cast member Phaedra Parks spread during season 9 into a profitable burlesque show last fall in Atlanta. The following summer, she took that show on the road and spread her sexy performances from Chicago to Houston with her celebrity pals.
As for the rumor in question, Parks reluctantly took responsibility for repeating the claim that Burruss wanted to drug and rape co-star Porsha Williams in a sex dungeon supposedly located somewhere in her home.
Discussing the matter on the YouTube channel LaToya Forever in April, Burruss said the concert is “making fun and making light of what was said.”
“I feel like things went entirely too far,” she explained. “To make up that I would drug someone and take them to a place for sex — that is rape.”
She noted that while the sex dungeon part of the claim was “funny,” Burruss said mentioning she desired to drug and rape someone was no laughing matter.
“I just kinda felt like — and I still feel — in our society today, if somebody is out there drugging and taking advantage of women, we want them in jail, we’re canceling them, we don’t want anything to do with them. I want that same energy for someone who would make that up.”
While Burruss said she doesn’t “have any hate in my heart” for Parks, she did say that if the attorney were to return to “RHOA,” following a two-year absence, the singer would walk away from the franchise. Park later said she found that “amusing,” which Burruss said she found “sad.”
#Empire: A Big Comeback is planned for Jussie Smollett
Actor Jussie Smollett's siblings claim he's working on his big comeback following the fallout from his alleged hate crime hoax...
Jussie's sibs tell People Magazine
"Jussie has a lot in the works now, there's some stuff to come."
The siblings also insist their brother is innocent of staging a hate crime in Chicago.
WATCH HERE
Not much was elaborated on he comeback. So I guess we will have to wait and see!
#NewMusic from Justine Skye – Maybe
Justine Skye kicks off her career as an independent artist with the release of the new single “Maybe”. The new sultry single is afro beats inspired and gives fans a taste of what is to come from her musically. She wrote “Maybe” herself and it was produced by Dre Skull.
LISTEN HERE
Previously, Justine Skye had been signed to Atlantic Records as well as Republic/Roc Nation. She released her debut album “Ultraviolet” last year.
#HipHopNews: 21 Savage Announces “Savage Mode 2”
LOS ANGELES, CA – Roughly three years after Savage Mode, 21 Savage has confirmed he’s coming back with a sequel to the Metro Boomin collaborative project. Aptly titled Savage Mode 2, the album will mark the third EP in his catalog.
21 made the announcement during a recent show at The Shrine in Los Angeles after bringing Metro onstage.
“Los Angeles, California, I want to say R.I.P. to Nipsey Hussle,” he said. “We lost a real soldier. Savage Mode 2 on the muthafuckin’ way.”
21 is luckily able to be back in creative mode and on tour. In February, the 26-year-old was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) after they’d determined he was an illegal alien.
Fans were shocked to find out 21 was actually a citizen of the United Kingdom and not from Atlanta as he originally led people to believe.
The father of three was granted bond on February 12 and released the following day. In April, he was expected at an expedited deportation hearing, but it was later postponed indefinitely.
Leo, Brad, Margot and the Stars Arrive to The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Premiere
Quentin Tarantino and the cast of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood are transporting fans back to the summer of '69.
Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie and more A-listers are expected to hit the red carpet tonight in honor of the highly-anticipated blockbuster's Los Angeles premiere.
See the pics
The film also marks Luke Perry's final role prior to his death in March. Of the experience, Pitt told Esquire that it was "really special" to work with the actor, adding, "He couldn't have been a more friendly, wonderful guy to spend time with. I got to sit down and have some wonderful conversations with him."
Zimbio has more pics HERE
2019 VMA Nominations: Taylor Swift And Ariana Grande Have the most nods at 10 a piece!
The biggest names in music (videos) will face off at the 2019 MTV VMAs next month, and Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande are already in the lead with 10 nominations apiece. The full list of nominees were announced on Tuesday, putting the Cats star and Scream Queens alumna in a dead heat, with Billie Eilish (9) and Lil Nas X (8) following closely behind.
Hosted by comedian Sebastian Maniscalc. Peruse the full list of nominees below:
COMPLETE LIST OF NOMINEES
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
21 Savage ft. J. Cole – “a lot”
Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy”
Ariana Grande – “thank u, next”
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)”
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down”
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Cardi B
Billie Eilish
Ariana Grande
Halsey
Jonas Brothers
Shawn Mendes
SONG OF THE YEAR
Drake – “In My Feelings”
Ariana Grande – “thank u, next”
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker”
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – “Shallow”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)”
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down”
BEST NEW ARTIST
Ava Max
Billie Eilish
H.E.R.
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
ROSALÍA
BEST COLLABORATION
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)”
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – “Shallow”
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita”
Taylor Swift ft. Brendon Urie – “ME!”
Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber – “I Don’t Care”
BTS ft. Halsey – “Boy With Luv”
PUSH ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bazzi
CNCO
Billie Eilish
H.E.R.
Lauv
Lizzo
BEST POP
5 Seconds of Summer – “Easier”
Cardi B & Bruno Mars – “Please Me”
Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy”
Ariana Grande – “thank u, next”
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker”
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down”
Khalid
BEST HIP HOP
2 Chainz ft. Ariana Grande – “Rule the World”
21 Savage ft. J. Cole – “a lot”
Cardi B – “Money”
DJ Khaled ft. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend – “Higher”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)”
Travis Scott ft. Drake – “SICKO MODE”
BEST R&B
Anderson .Paak ft. Smokey Robinson – “Make It Better”
Childish Gambino – “Feels Like Summer”
H.E.R. ft. Bryson Tiller – “Could’ve Been”
Alicia Keys – “Raise A Man”
Ella Mai – “Trip”
Normani ft. 6lack – “Waves”
BEST K-POP
BTS ft. Halsey – “Boy With Luv”
BLACKPINK – “Kill This Love”
Monsta X ft. French Montana – “Who Do You Love”
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Cat & Dog”
NCT 127 – “Regular”
EXO – “Tempo”
BEST LATIN
Anuel AA, Karol G – “Secreto”
Bad Bunny ft. Drake – “MIA”
benny blanco, Tainy, Selena Gomez, J Balvin – “I Can’t Get Enough”
Daddy Yankee ft. Snow – “Con Calma”
Maluma – “Mala Mía”
ROSALÍA & J Balvin ft. El Guincho – “Con Altura”
BEST DANCE
The Chainsmokers ft. Bebe Rexha – “Call You Mine”
Clean Bandit ft. Demi Lovato – “Solo”
DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B – “Taki Taki”
David Guetta, Bebe Rexha & J Balvin – “Say My Name”
Marshmello & Bastille – “Happier”
Silk City & Dua Lipa – “Electricity”
BEST ROCK
The 1975 – “Love It If We Made It”
Fall Out Boy – “Bishops Knife Trick”
Imagine Dragons – “Natural”
Lenny Kravitz – “Low”
Panic! At The Disco – “High Hopes”
twenty one pilots – “My Blood”
VIDEO FOR GOOD
Halsey – “Nightmare”
The Killers – “Land of the Free”
Jamie N Commons, Skylar Grey ft. Gallant – “Runaway Train”
John Legend – “Preach”
Lil Dicky – “Earth”
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down”
BEST DIRECTION
Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy” (Directed by Dave Meyers)
FKA twigs – “Cellophane” (Directed by Andrew Thomas Huang)
Ariana Grande – “thank you, next” (Directed by Hannah Lux Davis)
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)” (Directed by Calmatic)
LSD ft. Labrinth, Sia, Diplo – “No New Friends” (Directed by Dano Cerny)
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” (Directed by Drew Kirsch & Taylor Swift)
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Billie Eilish – “when the party’s over” (Visual Effects by Ryan Ross, Andres Jaramillo)
FKA twigs – “Cellophane” (Visual Effects by Matt Chandler, Fabio Zaveti for Analog)
Ariana Grande – “God is a Woman” (Visual Effects by Fabrice Lagayette, Kristina Prilukova & Rebecca Rice for Mathematic)
DJ Khaled ft. SZA – “Just Us” (Visual Effects by Sergii Mashevskyi)
LSD ft. Labrinth, Sia, Diplo – “No New Friends” (Visual Effects by Ethan Chancer)
Taylor Swift ft. Brendon Urie – “ME!” (Visual Effects by Loris Paillier & Lucas Salton for BUF VFX)
BEST EDITING
Anderson .Paak ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Tints” (Editing by Elias Talbot)
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)” (Editing by Calmatic)
Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy” (Editing by Billie Eilish)
Ariana Grande – “7 Rings” (Editing by Hannah Lux Davis & Taylor Walsh)
Solange – “Almeda” (Editing by Solange Knowles, Vinnie Hobbs, Jonathon Proctor)
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” (Editing by Jarrett Fijal)
BEST ART DIRECTION
BTS ft. Halsey – “Boy With Luv” (Art Direction by JinSil Park, BoNa Kim (MU:E))
Ariana Grande – “7 Rings” (Art Direction by John Richoux)
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)” (Art Direction by Itaru Dela Vegas)
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita” (Art Direction by Tatiana Van Sauter)
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” (Art Direction by Brittany Porter)
Kanye West and Lil’ Pump ft. Adele Givens – “I Love It” (Art Direction by Tino Schaedler)
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
FKA twigs – “Cellophane” (Choreography by Kelly Yvonne)
ROSALÍA & J Balvin ft. El Guincho – “Con Altura” (Choreography by Charm La’Donna)
LSD ft. Labrinth, Sia, Diplo – “No New Friends” (Choreography by Ryan Heffington)
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita” (Choreography by Calvit Hodge, Sara Biv)
Solange – “Almeda”(Choreography by Maya Taylor, Solange Knowles)
BTS ft. Halsey – “Boy With Luv” (Choreography by Rie Hata)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Anderson .Paak ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Tints” (Cinematography by Elias Talbot)
Billie Eilish – “hostage” (Cinematography by Pau Castejon)
Ariana Grande – “thank you, next” (Cinematography by Christopher Probst)
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita” (Cinematography by Scott Cunningham)
Solange – “Almeda” (Cinematography by Chayse Irvin, Ryan Marie Helfant, Justin Hamilton)
Taylor Swift ft. Brendon Urie – “ME!” (Cinematography by Starr Whitesides)
This year’s VMAs will air live on Monday, Aug. 26 at 8/7c
The Louisiana Polica Officer Who Said AOC “Needs A Round” Just Got Fired
The Louisiana cop who called AOC a “vile idiot” who “needs a round” has reportedly been fired, along with a fellow cop who “liked” the post.
Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson on Monday afternoon fired officer Charlie Rispoli and another officer, Angelo Varisco, according to WDSU-NBC reporter Christina Watkins.
“It’s very, very disappointing,” Lawson said in a press briefing. "To insinuate a violent act against a seated U.S. congresswoman... it's completely irresponsible and intolerable."
The timing was particularly bad for Rispoli: He'd just completed social media training when he shared a fake news article about Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, saying: “This vile idiot needs a round...and I don’t mean the kind she used to serve.”
Rispoli, a 14-year-veteran of the police department, appeared to be alluding to Ocasio-Cortez’s past as a bartender. The article he shared, headlined “Ocasio-Cortez On the Budget: ‘We Pay Soldiers Too Much’” came from a satire website called “Taters Gonna Tate.” The website proclaims on its “About” page that all of its content is fictional.
Rispoli’s post was first uncovered by nola.com on Saturday. Rispoli took it down, and appears to have since removed his personal Facebook page entirely.
Lawson had earlier told the New Orleans-based newspaper that he didn’t consider the post to be an actual threat, but still wasn't “taking this lightly” and would open an internal investigation.
The officer’s threat followed a week of AOC and “squad”-bashing from President Donald Trump, who called Ocasio-Cortez, Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib racist “troublemakers” on Monday. The four minority Congresswomen were also the subject of a since-deleted Facebook meme of a movie-style poster calling them “The Jihad Squad,” which was shared by the Republican County Chairmen's Association of Illinois.
Nicole Murphy Homewrecker? Antoine Fuqua Kisses Nicole Murphy In Italy, His Wife Lela Rochon Leaves Instagram!
Actress Lela Rochon deactivated her Instagram page on Monday after photos of her husband Antoine Fuqua and Nicole Murphy kissing in Italy surfaced online.
Lela and famed director (Training Day, The Equalizer) have been married for over 20 years (1999) and they share two beautiful children together.
So, people had A LOT of questions when the photos hit the net!
Nicole Murphy did speak with B. Scott and said the kiss was nothing more than a friendly hello.
Antoine and I are just family friends. I ran into him in Italy and we exchanged a friendly hello and that was it.
Well, The photos show them kissing…ahem…”saying hello” on more than one occasion. Antoine and Nicole look like they were on a whole baecation.
Antoine has been married for almost 20 years to Lela Rochon.
BTW, Nicole and Antoine are no strangers to snapping pics together.The duo was photographed together in May when she attended the premiere of his documentary, What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali.
Lela Rochon wasn’t pictured at the event. It’s unclear if she was even there.
Matter of fact, the last time she acknowledged Antoine as her husband on social media was in February.
Antoine Fuqua ain’t new to this MESS
The famed director has allegedly fathered three children outside of his marriage to Lela.
Antoine fathered a son with a woman named Ruth Jimenez and filed court documents in August 2010 in an attempt to lower his $10,000/mo child support payment because he couldn’t afford it.
Two years later, he allegedly fathered a baby girl.
A British model/actress he was having an affair with spilled the beans when the alleged baby’s mother popped up his home in Venice Beach, starting wilding out and threatening to tell Lela about her baby.
Oh, and he allegedly got a bartender in Toronto pregnant while he was there filming Training Day.
The plot thickened even more when LisaRaye slid into The Shade Room‘s comments and implied this isn’t the first time Nicole Murphy has gone after someone else’s husband.
WOW, I feel bad for Lela Rochon.
R. Kelly’s Publicist Darrell Johnson Quits ‘For Personal Reasons’
R. Kelly’s crisis manager has reportedly stepped down. Darrell Johnson was known for defending Kelly despite the singer facing several counts, most recently 18, for child pornography and racketeering for allegedly recruiting young girls at his concerts for sexual encounters.
Johnson made a statement and said,
“I step down as crisis manager for personal reasons. Mr. Kelly is in good hands with [his attorney] Mr. [Steve] Greenberg.“
Greenberg also released a statement,
“As has been reported, Darrell Johnson has decided to take some time off, for personal reasons, from the efforts on behalf of R. Kelly. The defense wants to thank Mr. Johnson for his tireless assistance and looks forward to his return. He shares our confidence that this is an unprecedented assault against R. Kelly by others, for their own personal gain, and in the innocence of R. Kelly.”
Interestingly enough, Johnson’s resignation comes after he sat down with CBS This Morning and responded when asked if he would leave his daughter, who’s in her 20s, alone with Kelly.
“Absolutely not. I would not leave my daughter with anyone who’s accused of pedophilia. I would not leave my daughter with anyone that’s accused of being a pedophile. I would not. I wouldn’t leave my daughter with anyone — I’m going to say it again — that’s accused of being a pedophile.”
He also spoke on backing the singer amid the several claims against him.
“Here’s what I say: I never call anybody a liar. I came on seven months ago. I walked into a front door, and I seen Mr. Kelly being a normal person … Mr. Kelly was recording. Twenty minutes later, [the two women] walked in with shopping bags, no security, free [to go], doing what they wanted to do, and I spent a lot of time with Mr. Kelly. And I still say my eye is trained. I haven’t seen anything that would cause me to be suspicious.”
“They’ve indicted Mr. Kelly. He’s in jail right now. He will have his day in court. And they’ll have to bring the evidence. And that’s what has to be done. If the evidence stick, Mr. Kelly will spend the rest of his life in the penitentiary.”
What do you think about Darrell Johnson stepping down?
#UK #BREXIT Boris Johnson will become new British prime minister
After the slow-moving catastrophe of Brexit overtook her administration, Theresa May stepped down as prime minister of Great Britain. That announcement came in May, one final screw-you from the Tories, the party which started the whole Brexit debacle in the first place. For the past two months, there’s been a lowkey sadness and angst about what was coming next, post-May, for Britain’s leadership. The argument I kept hearing was that the Tories would of course retain power but it was just a matter of who would be appointed within Conservative leadership, and the choices weren’t great. Well, guess who the next prime minister will be? Boris Johnson.
Boris Johnson will become Britain’s next prime minister after being elected leader of the Conservative party, defeating Jeremy Hunt in the party’s leadership contest. The former mayor of London, who has long cherished an ambition to lead his country, won the contest by a convincing margin 92,153 votes to 46,656, with 66% of the vote. Turnout was 87.4% among 159,320 party members.
In a characteristically flippant acceptance speech, Johnson conceded that even some of his own supporters may “wonder quite what they have done”. He said that at a pivotal moment in history, his party must show its “historic ability to balance competing instincts – marrying the desire to maintain a close relationship with the EU, with the desire for democratic self-government in this country”.
He reminded his audience of ministers and party staff of his campaign mantra: “Deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn.” Pointing out that that spells “dud”, he joked that the final e – “energise” – had been left out. “I say to all the doubters, ‘dude, we are going to energise the country!’”.
Johnson will not take office formally until Wednesday afternoon. Theresa May will face her final prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons before tendering her resignation to the Queen. Johnson will then go to Buckingham Palace himself for his appointment to be confirmed – before being driven to Downing Street to give a speech in front of the black door of No 10.
Looks who’s shopping at Whole Foods? It’s Naomi Campbell!
Naomi Campbell is interesting and she wants us to see how interesting she is. Naomi has a YouTube channel and she’s been posting videos from her life and they are SO good. I covered the “how Naomi flies” video last week, and I was fascinated by how well she hydrates, how she cleans her plane seat and area with disinfecting wipes, and how she even wears a face mask for much of her flights.
Well, Naomi has a new video! She’s apparently taking requests, because she posted the video on Twitter with this message: “New episode on my YouTube channel…Many of you have asked about my diet and the types of foods I eat, so I decided to bring you all grocery shopping with me to learn first hand.” YES. I want to watch Naomi shopping at Whole Foods. Here we go:
Just in the first seconds of the video, I’m already delighted. Like Naomi, I cannot order food online. I have to go grocery shopping myself so I can pick out my fruit and price-compare and walk through the aisles to remember what I actually need. I also find it “therapeutic,” thank you Naomi for agreeing with me. She’s also honest about her restrictive diet (no dairy, no gluten, no wheat, no alcohol and less chocolate) and how it’s thrown her for a loop because she can’t eat many of her favorite snacks.
Then she talks about how since she stopped smoking, she notices that she wants to pick up candy more, and she wants to replace that candy urge with fruit. She picks up some Japanese pears, lemons, red grapes, peaches, Mandarin oranges, basil and essential oils. She also picks up spicy olives, talks about how she of course has hot sauce at her house, and she calls bagging her own nuts “tedious.” She gets a lot of yogurt, she picks up some yellow roses for her bathroom (lol) and she stops and takes a selfie with a fan. She has a moment where she stares at the baked goods and has to stop herself from grabbing all of them (same!).
WATCH
Honestly, getting to see this side of her life is amazing, isn’t it?
‘The Lion King’ Rises To $544M Global In 10 Days!
With an even mightier roar, Disney’s The Lion King came in higher than the Sunday estimate, lapping up a $275.2M weekend at the international box office. The adaptation of the classic animation was No. 1 in all of its 51 opening markets, which joined China after the early bow there last week. Through 10 days, the Jon Favreau-helmed film grossed $351.8M overseas for $543.6M worldwide when including domestic, where it set a new July record, and also rose in the actuals.
The global launch tally this frame (ie, outside China) was $446.1M, the 9th biggest of all time. Factoring in China’s $97.5M through Sunday, The Lion King is already the No. 7 movie of the year worldwide. Disney has five out of the Top 7 titles thus far.
Any concerns this weekend about lukewarm critical response on Lion King started flying out the window as Simba got going mid-week last week. Pre-weekend industry projections for the new hubs — ie excluding the China holdover — were dusted and we quickly saw that the international total would be above $300M through Sunday.
Still to come are Japan, Hong Kong and Italy and it looks safe to project at least a $900M+ finish on Lion King overseas. There is clear play ahead — although not in China where local animated title Ne Zha has folks buzzing for the coming frame, and after another local title, Looking Up, dominated the current weekend. But overall, reactions from offshore have been strongly positive with good social chatter and momentum ahead.
Looking at international debuts, Simba and pals were tops everywhere and landed within the Top 5 industry opening weekends ever in several hubs, including Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Australia and the entire Latin America region. The launch is above Beauty And The Beast in nearly all material markets and tops The Jungle Book and Aladdin in each.
Speaking of Aladdin, the surprise juggernaut is zooming to the $1B worldwide mark having now grossed $989M after a 40% offshore drop this session. In Korea, the Will Smith-starrer has passed Avengers: Age Of Ultron to become the No. 4 western release ever, behind Avatar, Endgame and Infinity War. Aladdin, like Lion King, faced tough reaction from the Rotten Tomatoes crowd, and has flown in the face of a soft score.
A Georgia Mother is Charged With Felony Murder After Dropping Her 3-Month-Old Baby During Fight
A Georgia mother is facing felony murder charges after she dropped her 3-month-old baby boy during a fight with another woman.
Karen Lashun Harrison, 26, was charged with felony murder, cruelty to children and simple battery.
Harrison got into a fight with another woman outside of a beauty supply store in Moultrie, Georgia, while holding her 3-month-old in her arm.
The baby fell from Karen’s arm and hit the pavement. Another woman at the scene retrieved the baby as Karen and the other woman continued to fight.
The next day, the baby was taken to the hospital with a head injury and later died.
Karen Harrison lied to police and told them the baby was injured when a family friend, Carneata Clark, accidentally dropped him.
Carneata corroborated the story. She has been charged with making false statements and obstruction of an officer.
Here’s the kicker: the woman who attacked Karen while she was holding her baby boy has NOT been charged.
Moultrie Police Lt. Freddie Williams says more arrests are possible.
Is Mike Johnson the Next 'Bachelor'?
Is fan favorite Bachelorette contestant Mike Johnson set to be the next Bachelor? Many fans want him to get the job, but he hasn’t spoken to any producers about the coveted position.
“I haven’t spoken to no one about it,” Mike told ET. “Yes, my homies from the show were speaking on it, and it’s really cool to hear that [they support me becoming The Bachelor].”
“I tried to be myself the entire time. That’s what I was,” Mike continued about his approach to the show. “Hannah said I was a leader in the house. I wasn’t trying to be a leader in the house, so I guess it’s just my natural personality. And there’s so many fun stuff that you guys didn’t get to see. I’m stupid goofy.
Vice President Mike Pence’s Aspen visit to Gay Owner’s Private Club Brings out Supporters, Protesters
Vice President Mike Pence hosted the well-heeled Monday afternoon at a private club fundraiser in downtown Aspen and is expected to leave Tuesday morning after meeting with a group of Republican governors in town for a meeting.
Pence’s Gulfstream V airplane landed at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport about 2 p.m. after he attended a fundraiser for Colorado Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in Windsor near Greeley.
He greeted and talked with a group of about 30 supporters at the airport and waved to reporters from The Aspen Times and a Denver news station but did not take questions from the media.
Anna Zane, chairwoman of Pitkin County Republicans, was within the group of supporters at the airport and said she appreciates that Aspen draws politicians from both parties.
“(Pence) was very gracious and he spoke to every one of us,” she said. “It’s an honor to have the vice president come to town. I don’t know that we’ll ever turn Pitkin County (blue), but we can change some minds.”
Roger Nicholson of Snowmass Village said he was “thrilled” to meet Pence and praised the vice president’s politics.
“I admire him sticking to his faith and sticking to his principles, and I asked him to please stick with them,” Nicholson said. “And he said, ‘That means so much to me.’”
Pence’s motorcade almost immediately left the airport, though he didn’t arrive in downtown Aspen until about 3:15 p.m., when his motorcade came down Main Street, turned right onto Galena Street and parked in the alley behind the Caribou Club, located on Hopkins Avenue.
The VIP reception at the club was not originally scheduled to start until 5 p.m., according to an invitation sent out last week. Well-dressed couples who paid $35,000 a pair to attend the reception could be seen entering the club in the mid-afternoon.
Bob Jenkins, Pitkin County Republicans vice chair, had said he expected a relatively small crowd of about 25 couples to attend the fundraiser, which will benefit both President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee. Trump will receive $2,700 per person from each $35,000, while the RNC will receive the rest, Jenkins has said.
A small group of mainly young women with a rainbow banner that read “Hypocrite” on it protested Pence’s appearance from in front of the Isis Theater across from the Caribou Club entrance. A lone man carried a sign that read: “Mike Pence Satan Thanks You” on one side and “Mike Pence Hitler Thanks You” on the other.
By the time Pence left the club about 4:45 p.m., a group of pro-Trump fans had gathered across from the women with the rainbow banner, and shouted “Go Trump” as his motorcade passed on Mill Street. Pence’s Suburban slowed down and he waved to the supporters on his way out of downtown.
As a congressman, governor of Indiana and as vice president, Pence has repeatedly opposed efforts to legalize gay marriage and other measures meant to improve the lives of members of the gay community.
The Caribou Club is owned by two gay men, one of whom did not return a phone message last week seeking comment about his decision to hold the event. Also, efforts to reach members of AspenOut, the group behind Aspen’s Gay Ski Week in January, for comment on the event were not successful Monday.
However, the issue appeared to be resonating within the larger, national gay community with online publications like Queerty, Out Magazine and LGBTQNation running articles on the subject. Newsweek, The Denver Post and talkingpointsmemo.com also published pieces emphasizing the gay issue.
Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group, issued a statement Monday about Pence’s Aspen visit.
“Vice President Pence has made a career out of demonizing LGBTQ people and undermining our rights,” said Lucas Acosta, HRC’s national press secretary. “Coloradans deserve to know more about Pence’s opposition to basic hate crime protections and the Equality Act as well as his failure to combat HIV transmissions.
“Equality voters will remember Gardner and Pence’s horrific record on LGBTQ issues and will hold them accountable in 2020.”
AND FINALLY FROM THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART FILES
‘NOTHING BUT NET’
Fortunately, thanks to the netting, we can all plainly see what you can catch.
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Bryce! 🐻
Meet Bryce! You can see more when CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PICS! And remember they’re NSFW!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
Enjoy!
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYBODY!!!
EFREM
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