Zoë Kravitz for Pop Magazine - Spring/Summer 2020!
HOT!!
#RHOA: Another ‘RHOA’ Spin-off Coming To Bravo With Kandi And The Old Lady Gang!
Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss is adding yet another job to her very lengthy lists of projects. The former Xscape singer is getting another spin-off on Bravo.
Burress’ mother, Joyce Jones (affectionately known on the show as Mama Joyce) and her two aunts, Nora and Bertha will be getting their own reality series, Old Lady Gang, the same name as their popular Atlanta based soul food restaurants. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, production for the show has already started and is said to feature Burress, her husband, Todd Tucker and the staff of the restaurants.
There is no word yet on which of the three restaurant locations (Peters Street, Camp Creek, or the mini-location in the State Farm Arena) the show will focus on, but the Old Lady Gang restaurants have received a number of awards for its popular Southern cuisine.
Old Lady Gang will be the fourth spin-off for Burruss on Bravo since she joined the show in 2009. Her first three were The Kandi Factory, Kandi’s Wedding and Kandi’s Ski Trip
Former Republican Lawmaker Aaron Schock Comes Out As Gay In Instagram Post!
Former Republican Rep. Aaron Schock of Illinois on Thursday came out as gay in a statement posted to his Instagram.
"I am gay," Schock wrote. "For those who know me and for many who only know of me, this will come as no surprise."
Schock, who was elected to four terms in Congress, wrote about growing up in the rural Midwest in a family "centered in a faith and its particular traditions." He described coming out to those close to him, and said it was "unwelcome news to every single person in my family."
While representing Illinois' 18th Congressional District, Schock opposed same-sex marriage and voted against the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that barred gay men and women from serving openly in the military.
"In 2008, as a Republican running in a conservative district, I took the same position on gay marriage held by my party's nominee, John McCain. That position against marriage equality, though, was also then held by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as well," Schock wrote.
"That fact doesn't make my then position any less wrong," Schock continued, "but it's sometimes easy to forget that it was leaders of both parties who for so long wrongly understood what it was to defend the right to marry."
Schock wrote that if he were "in Congress today, I would support LGBTQ rights in every way I could. I realize that some of my political positions run very much counter to the mainstream of the LGBTQ movement, and I respect them for those differences. I hope people will allow for me the same."
Schock resigned in 2015 in the wake of a congressional ethics investigation into reports that he used taxpayer money to fund lavish trips and events. In November 2016, he was charged in a federal spending scandal and indicted on fraud charges. He was indicted on 24 felony counts including mail and wire fraud, theft of government funds, making false statements and filing false federal tax returns.
Federal authorities ultimately dismissed criminal charges against Schock in September 2019, six months after he reached a deal with federal prosecutors. Schock was offered a deferred prosecution agreement if he agreed to pay more than $40,000 in back taxes, reimburse his campaign committees approximately $68,000 and avoid any future legal problems.
Schock repaid the government the $40,000 it had cost to redecorate his office. The Washington Post published an article in February 2015 that said a woman in his office had characterized the style as inspired by the popular PBS drama "Downton Abbey" before the ethics investigation was launched. (In his statement today, Schock said it was an "utterly false story" and that he has never seen the show.)
Who Will Elizabeth Warren Endorse?
Elizabeth Warren on Thursday officially ended her campaign for the Democratic nomination to be president. The Washington Post attributed Warren’s decision to “a series of devastating primary results” that “crippled her once-promising campaign.”
She was expected to make a formal announcement later Thursday after informing her staff of her decision to suspend her campaign.
Once the end of her campaign becomes official, all eyes will be on which remaining candidate Warren decides to lend her endorsement to. The senator from Massachusetts was reportedly set to endorse Bernie Sanders instead of Joe Biden, as they are seen as the two with the most viable paths to the nomination. If Warren does endorse Sanders, she would likely be bringing her devoted coalition of racial justice groups and Black women who support her along, too. Aligning them with the racially diverse group of existing Sanders supporters could help change the trajectory of the primaries that most recently has been controlled by Biden.
With that said, Warren on Thursday asked folks to pump the breaks a bit when it comes to which candidate she will ultimately support.
While it was no surprise that Warren was ending her campaign, the reports that her team was working with Sanders’ to make a dual announcement of ending her campaign along with endorsing his might have caught some folks off guard.
“The conversations, which are in an early phase, largely involve members of Congress who back Sanders (I-Vt.) reaching out to those in Warren’s camp to explore the prospect that Warren (D-Mass.) might endorse him,” the Post reported Wednesday evening. “They are also appealing to Warren’s supporters to switch their allegiance to Sanders, according [sic] two people with direct knowledge of the conversations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss delicate discussions that are supposed to be confidential.”
The two senators had recently exchanged a series of attacks over her allegation that he told her a woman could not be elected president this year.
Biden’s amazing surge past Sanders on Super Tuesday put considerable distance between them and Warren. The race to securing 1,991 delegates seemed mathematically out of reach for the senator from Massachusetts who, after the first 18 primaries and caucuses, has won just 50 delegates. That was in comparison to 453 for Biden and 382 for Sanders.
With the suspension of Warren’s campaign, one of the next logical political steps is for Warren to formally endorse a candidate. But there were two consequential and looming questions: What happens to all the groups and people — racial justice groups and Black women, in particular — who have endorsed Warren, and will they follow her endorsement of either Biden or Sanders.
That last one is an important question because Warren has been able to secure the support of multiple important racial justice groups as well as women’s groups, both of whom represent key demographics that can only benefit a presidential candidate on Election Day.
Warren has been able to win the support of Black activists, but that hasn’t translated into Black voters casting ballots for her. And as many pundits have said, it is impossible to win the Democratic nomination without support from Black voters. With the suspicion that trend could keep up in future primaries in states like and Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi — where Black voters are also expected to play crucial roles — it was only a matter of time before Warren suspended her presidential campaign.
In the meantime, she has garnered an impressive list of Black women supporters, a group that has often been described as the backbone of the Democratic Party. First, influential Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley offered a full-throated endorsement of Warren in November, vowing that “she can win it.” Pressley has been one of Warren’s leading surrogates on the campaign trail, but it wasn’t enough when it came to Massachusetts voting on Super Tuesday in a contest that garnered the candidate just 17 out of the 77 pledged delegates.\\]]
Bill Clinton Says Affair With Monica Lewinsky Helped 'Manage Anxiety'
A new 4-hour documentary called 'Hillary,' is set for release on Hulu on March 6. It's described as:
"An intimate portrait of former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; how she became one of the most admired and vilified women in the world; features never-before-seen footage from her 2016 presidential campaign."
While it is about all of those things, it's really caused a buzz because of what former president Bill Clinton said in the documentary about his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, which eventually led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives, before he was ultimately acquitted in the Senate.
Clinton compared being president to being a boxer in a 30-round fight, and the constant pressure and anxiety of being president has you looking for 'distractions' to take your mind off of it for awhile.
Apparently, Lewinsky was one of those distractions.
"Everybody's life has pressures and disappointments, terrors, fears or whatever. It (the affair) takes your mind off of it for a bit."
He says he used the affiar to 'manage his anxieties'.... until he got caught, that is. In the film he talks about the moment when he had to tell Hillary the truth, after initally lying about it when he was confronted.
"I went and sat on the bed and talked ot her. I told her exactly what happened, when it happened. I said I feel terrible about it. We've been through quite a bit in the last year years. I said I have no defense, it's inexcusable what I did."
Hillary said she was 'devastated' by the admittion and the couple went through years of marital counseling because of it. Even though the counseling was the hardest thing he had ever done, Bill Clinton said both Hillary and Chelsea deserved and needed it. He also says he feels bad that Monica Lewinsky became defined by that moment.
WOW!
#Empire: The Return of Empire has LOW RATINGS! Thanks to Super Tuesday!
Super Tuesday proved a very good night for Joe Biden, but the return of Empire (0.6 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic, 2.46 million) for the second part of its final season helped Fox win the night’s primetime ratings race.
As to be expected in a midseason return for the soapy drama series, there was a body count on the “Can’t Truss ‘Em” episode, on and off the screen. Although Empire and a strong lead-in from The Resident (0.8, 4.80M) pushed Fox to an overall demo win against political coverage on the other Big 4 networks, the series’ 11th episode of its sixth season was down just over 53% from its last midseason return on March 13, 2019. That makes last night’s midseason return the lowest in Empire’s history.
#NewMusic from Joe Little III Releases New Single “Beautiful”
Grammy Award winning artist, Joe Little III is back at it again with his second newly released single “Beautiful”. This R&B Soulful Legend is the lead singer of the 90’s R&B group Rude Boys, most known for their #1 Billboard/smash hit and 1991 Billboard R&B Song of the year, “Written All Over Your Face.” The new electrifying single features powerhouse rapper Pharaoh Loco, and speaks of being beautiful and loving who you are. The song was written and produced by Loco and co-produced by Little, and paints a picture of love at first sight, with both expressing their desire and complete infatuation for their women.
The new track is filled with decadent harmonies, captivating lyrics, and hard-hitting bars which ride through smooth waves of sensuality, while setting a perfectly melodic tone.
Little’s solo career kicked off in 1994 with his Atlantic Records release, ‘Puttin it Down,’ which featured the singles “The Hump is On” and “Me and You.” That year, Little teamed up with his mentor and friend, Gerald Levert for the group Black Men United for the single “U Will Know.”
WATCH AND LISTEN HERE
In addition to his solo career, Little has collaborated with musical legends such as Aretha Franklin and The Temptations, Charlie Wilson, Snoop Dogg and Lay- Z Bone to name a few. Little solidified himself as both a vocal performer, producer, and writer, with writing credits for Men At Large, Keith Sweat, Angie Stone and more. He dabbled in film writing and producing on hit films like Rush Hour 2 and Fast and the Furious. In 2019, Joe Little III was honored to be inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame with his brothers, The Rude Boys.
Pharaoh Loco, also a native of Cleveland, is a gifted recording artist, poet, song writer and producer who has been captivating Hip Hop fans and industry leaders, in the states and internationally. “It’s a pleasure working with such an amazing up and coming talented artist like Pharaoh Loco. She is fire and definitely a future Hall of Famer” says Little.
Little is prepping more new music for the near future, but for now, experience the unmistakable, undeniable, extraordinary vocals that caught the ear of the late great Gerald Levert and millions worldwide.
#HipHopNews: Megan Thee Stallion To Release New Project ‘Suga’ On Friday!
Megan Thee Stallion is moving forward with new music. Despite a highly-publicized battle with her label, the Houston hottie has announced plans to release her new project Suga this Friday, March 6. Taking to social media, Megan revealed the tracklist for the 9-track set, which includes the Tupac-sampled single “B.I.T.C.H.,” plus collaborations with Kehlani and Gunna, with production from The Neptunes.
The album, named after her newest persona Suga, was recorded in Cabo, Miami, Los Angeles, and Texas. Megan had previously revealed a collaboration with SZA, but the track is absent from the tracklist.
She was originally eyeing an early May release to coincide with her late mother’s birthday. The sudden release may have something to do with her label dispute. Suga could potentially fulfill her four-album contract with 1501 Certified Entertainment, the label she signed to when she was 20. Megan has released three prior projects on 1501–2017’s Make It Hot, 2018’s Tina Snow, and 2019’s Fever.
Earlier this week, Meg sued 1501 Certified for blocking her from releasing new music after she requested to renegotiate her contract. “Soon as I said, ‘I want to renegotiate my contract,’ everything went left. It just all went bad,” she told fans on Instagram Live. “It all went left. So now they tellin’ a bitch that she can’t drop no music. It’s really just, like, a greedy game.”
A judge granted her a temporary restraining order, which allowed her to proceed with Friday’s drop. 1501 CEO Carl Crawford has fired back, denying Megan’s allegations. “It’s a whole lie,” Crawford told Billboard. “Nothing is true that she said. Me being greedy and taking money from her, that’s crazy. I never tried to take nothing from her. The only thing we ever did was give, give, give.”
SUGA TRACKLIST
1. “Ain’t Equal”
2. “Savage”
3. “Captain Hook”
4. “Hit My Phone” feat. Kehlani
5. “B.I.T.C.H”
6. “Rich”
7. “Stop Playing” feat. Gunna
8. “Crying in the Car”
9. “What I Need”
Nicki Minaj’s Husband Arrested For Not Registering As Sex Offender!
Nicki Minaj’s husband was arrested by U.S. Marshals for failing to register as a sex offender.
According to TMZ, Kenneth Petty turned himself in to federal Marshals on Wednesday. He is set to face a judge later today. Petty moved to California in July 2019, but his legal troubles started last fall when he was pulled over in Beverly Hills.
During a traffic stop on Nov. 15, the Beverly Hills Police Department determined that Petty was a registered sex offender in New York state but had not registered in California. The L.A. County D.A. charged him for failing to register as a sex offender and released him on a $20,000 bond.
It appears he still didn’t register after the incident and has now been indicted in federal court for failing to register.
Petty was convicted in 1995 for first-degree attempted rape. He served almost four years in NY state prison for the crime and was required to register as a sex offender.
Petty is facing some serious jail time. If convicted on the federal charge for failure to register, he could be sentenced to up to 10 years behind bars.
Minaj and Petty were married last October. They obtained their marriage license at the Beverly Hills Courthouse in July, around the same time they moved to California.
Idris Elba Photographs Sabrina Dhowre For DuJour Magazine!
Sabrina Dhowre Elba’s beauty is breathtaking. Its what caught Idris Elba’s eye in the first place. The two met at a scant bar in Vancouver and it was love at first sight. It’s a fairytale. Elba and Dhowre went on to tie the knot and have been in wedded bliss ever since.
Sabrina covers DuJor Magazine’s Spring digital cover, photographed by none other than her equally as exquisite looking husband Idris Elba. Have you seen a more beautiful couple?
“I feel very blessed that I met my soul mate. Who just happens to be Idris Elba,” she told the high fashion glossy. Sabrina shared the cover on her social media pages, praising her husband for his many talents.
“This one was beyond special….photographed by my amazing husband. Your endless talent never ceases to amaze me. I love you with all my heart,” she wrote.
Idris was equally overjoyed to showcase his photography skills and gorgeous wife. I had the honour of photographing my beautiful wife @SabrinaElba for the cover of @dujurmedia. What an amazing experience! Thank you to everyone that helped make this happen,” he captioned a shot of the cover.
Sabrina dazzled in Dolce & Gabanna on the cover. She donned Boss, Chopard and Victoria Beckham and wore jewels by Buccellati Milan.
Catch the full story in the Spring 2020 issue of DuJour.
Ralph Lauren Cancels Fashion Show Amid Coronavirus Concerns!
Ralph Lauren has canceled its upcoming fashion show due to Coronavirus fears.
The fashion show – which did not participate in New York Fashion Week – was set to take place in April in New York City.
“In light of the ongoing uncertainties related to the novel coronavirus around the world, we have decided to cancel our fall 2020 show as a precautionary measure and out of respect for our teams, partners and consumers. Our primary focus remains on their health and safety,” a Ralph Lauren spokesman said, according to WWD.
Tavis Smiley To Pay $1.5 Million After Losing Legal Battle With PBS Over Sexual Assault Claims!
Tavis Smiley is the latest to undergo a legal battle amid the #MeToo movement.
It was previously reported that film director Harvey Weinstein was convicted on two counts for sexual assault charges last month. Bill Cosby is also serving time in jail after he was convicted for a related crime.
As for Tavis Smiley, PBS sued him for breaching a morals clause as he was accused of sexual assault in 2017, and a jury sided with the network, awarding it $1.486 million earlier this week.
During the trial, several women took the stand and shared their experiences with Tavis Smiley, which included sexual harassment. While he insisted all of his at-work relationships were consensual, the jury wasn’t convinced.
A marketing pro also testified on how the accusations against Smiley could negatively impact the PBS brand as a whole. Tavis Smiley argued that he was the one who suffered a tarnished reputation amid the lawsuit, but again, the jury sided with PBS for the million-dollar award.
PBS said in a statement:
“We are pleased with the jury’s decision. PBS expects our producing partners to provide a workplace where people feel safe and are treated with dignity and respect. It was important for us to ensure that the courageous women who came forward were able to share their stories and that we continue to uphold the values and standards of our organization.”
The trial attorney for the network, Grace Speights, also said,
“With this jury verdict for PBS, companies now have another tool in their arsenal to ensure a safe and respectful workplace culture. Especially in the entertainment industry, the enforcement of the morals clause in contracts hadn’t been previously tested in courts. This decision could impact the next wave of litigation in the #MeToo movement.”
Tavis Smiley has yet to make a public comment. It’s not clear if he plans on filing an appeal.
He did share a cryptic message on Facebook back on Jan. 3.
Around that time, the details of the allegations against him were made public via PBS’s nearly 500-page investigative report. See the full report here.
What do you think about Tavis Smiley losing the $1.5 million case?
Cameron Hamilton’s parents on ‘insane’ ‘Love is Blind:’ ‘Don’t do it’!
Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed — of the smash reality hit “Love Is Blind” — tied the knot at the end of its debut season.
But Hamilton says his family initially urged him not to go on the dating show that led him to meet his wife — and is currently Netflix’s top-streamed series. “My parents were like, ‘Don’t do it. This is insane,’” Hamilton revealed on Page Six’s podcast “We Hear.”
“Love Is Blind” follows couples who date — without the benefit of seeing each other — then head toward the altar. “At first blush, it’s such a crazy premise. You’re talking to a stranger through a wall, and after this short of amount of time … you propose,” Hamilton said. But, “Some [friends] were supportive, and I thought I’d take a shot … I’m glad that I did. Something was telling me, ‘This is the right thing to do.’”
But the payoff when Hamilton’s parents first met his bride-to-be wound up on the cutting-room floor. He revealed of the axed scene: “That’s such a pivotal moment in any couple’s relationship. It was a sweet moment — Mom and Lauren really bonded very quickly … Lauren’s dad came over soon after, and all of us got together and bonded over [the fact] that we were getting married and what that would mean for the future.”
Speed said: “So many people were like … ‘Did you meet his parents? Did they not want to meet you?’ It’s like, ‘No! We met, and it was great — but that did not make it in the show.’”
The couple married in 2018 after the series shot, but they had to keep the union under wraps. Speed said there was one person who believed in her decision to join the show all along: “My mom was kind of excited because she was ready for me to be married. She was like, ‘Yes! Grandbabies maybe? Girl, go on there and find a husband.’ But my family definitely thought that it was odd.”
Suge Knight Ordered To Pay $107 Million Judgment To Former Death Row Investor!
Infamous Death Row Records founder Suge Knight may be serving a 28-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter, but that did not stop a judge from ordering him to pay a $107 million judgment from 2005
The cash is to be paid to Lydia Harris, who claims that she was an early investor in Death Row Records but was later cheated out of the 50 percent stake that she was entitled to. Harris also states that at the time, she was the company’s first vice president, but once the label garnered bigger success, she was booted out.
In a peculiar twist, last year, Harris requested that the judgment be voided citing issues with her former lawyers. She claimed that she was used by her former attorneys, who helped her win the case in order to “wrongfully obtain the judgment.” Initially, the judge agreed to void the judgment. However, it was later reinstated at the attorneys’ request. As part of the judgment, the attorneys are entitled to 40 percent of the judgment as part of the retainer agreement.
Chance The Rapper In Talks With Warner Bros. To Star In The Next ‘Sesame Street’ Film!
It has been revealed that Chance the Rapper and Warner Bros. are currently working out a deal that would have him star in the live-action rendition of Sesame Street. If the deal goes as planned, Chance will take on the role as the mayor’s aide. The musical is already set to star Anne Hathaway and will be directed by Jonathan Krisel.
According to Variety, the film follows the famous Sesame Street characters after they get kicked out of their own neighborhood, forcing them to prove that it exists to the naysayers. The movie will make its way to theaters on January 15th, 2021.
This latest role will find Chance the Rapper exploring his film side yet again. He appeared in the horror-comedy Slice, as well as his cameo in Netflix’s Between Two Ferns: The Movie.
Mariah Carey Cancels Hawaii Show Over Coronavirus!
While the coronavirus rages on, like many others catching flights, Mariah Carey was set to catch one to Hawaii for a show in Honolulu, but is now canceling over concerns of contracting the virus.
While she scheduled to appear next Tuesday, March 10, the legendary songstress took to social to make an official announcement. She states, “Aloha Hawaii!! I’m so so sad to have to announce that I’m postponing my show to November. I was so excited to come back to Hawaii on my “anniversary month” but evolving international travel restrictions force us to consider everyone’s safety and well being.”
She adds, “With that said, I am SUPER excited to be coming to Honolulu in November and perform my special All I Want for Christmas Is You & Hits extravaganza for the first time ever in Hawaii! I can’t wait to see you! Stay safe!! ❤️❤️”
Furthermore, although there aren’t any confirmed cases on the island, it’s reported that economists are anticipating that the coronavirus’ economic impact will be greater than that of SARS.
Economic expert Paul Brewbaker told Hawaii News, “SARS was a $350 million or $400 million cost to Hawaii tourism in today’s dollars. This is probably going to be larger.”
Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx and Martin Lawrence to Headline Netflix’s First Comedy Festival!
Jamie Foxx, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart and Martin Lawrence will headline Netflix’s first-ever comedy festival, called “Netflix Is A Joke Fest.”
The festival will run from April 27 to May 3, and shows will take place in different venues all across Los Angeles. There will also be Q&A’s during the event, as well as sketch comedy showcases and podcast recordings.
There will be more than 100 live comedy performances for the festival as well, and they’ll be held in at least 20 different venues across the city. Other comedians scheduled to take the stage during that week include Marlon Wayans, Wanda Sykes, Arsenio Hall, and Deon Cole.
“It’s our honor to transform L.A. for one week into the funniest place on earth,” said Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos in a press release. “This festival is a unique celebration of the art of comedy, and the role it plays in reflecting our lives and defining culture.”
“It’s a chance for comedy lovers to come together and see their favorite artists, as well as discover new ones, and for us to be able to share the electricity and excitement of the festival in Los Angeles with Netflix members around the world,” added Sarandos.
On the last night of the festival, people like Chappelle, Hart, Chris Rock, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jerry Seinfeld will honor the first class of what’s being called The Hall, which is a hall of fame for comedians. Richard Pryor will be one of the people inducted.
Tickets for the different shows are already available for purchase.
Plus, Foxx will be one of the stars to kick things off, since he’ll be hosting two shows at the Hollywood Palladium on April 29. Lawrence will host another Palladium show the following night.
Cole, meanwhile, will be bringing his “Coleology Tour” to the Regent that same evening, and Chappelle will play The Hollywood Bowl on May 2
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘THE MYTHICAL UNICORN’
If you have money to waste on that stupid onesie then I can safely assume you’re not homeless. So now I just have to assume you can’t handle your liquor. But to be fair I haven’t met a unicorn that can.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!
EFREM
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