Janelle Monáe for Vanity Fair - June 2020!
Many in the music industry and Hollywood have criticized Trump’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak in America, particularly how misleading he’s been when it comes to relaying the seriousness and scale of the danger of the pandemic.
In a Vanity Fair cover story, Janelle Monáe is calling out the failures of the Trump Administration.
“The way our government is handling things—especially this administration—is evil,” she says.
In this interview and many others, Monáe refuses to say 45’s name.
“We can’t trust this administration to tell us the truth, to protect us. It’s always going to be power first. It’s always going to be capitalism first.”
Also during the cover story feature, Janelle Monáe says her social conscience led her to her upcoming role in the summer horror movie Antebellum. She plays Veronica Henley, an experienced present-day author who, after speaking out about systemic racism, suddenly finds herself living as a slave on a plantation. Janelle says she had to think long and hard about the role before accepting it.
“I knew that taking on this role was going to take a lot of deep diving emotionally,” she explained.
“This role is the hardest role that I’ve done, because it directly connects the past, present, and the future. I went back and forth with, ‘Should I do this? People are gonna think I’m crazy.’ It wasn’t until I did some deep meditation—and I saw so many women that reminded me of Veronica, from Maxine Waters to AOC to all of the strong women in our government—that I said, ‘Yes, I should do this.’ This scares me, and the conversations need to be had because our past will directly determine our future.”
#RHOA: Kandi Burruss' Turnt-Up "Mask On" Birthday Party Featured a Shady Nod to Nene Leakes!
Kandi Burruss went all out for her birthday celebration! The Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member turned 44 on May 17, and threw a wild “Mask On” themed party to commemorate the occasion, complete with a shady nod to the RHOA reunion that aired the same day.
In a series of Instagram Stories, Kandi and her close friends and family are seen hanging out in an outdoor space, dancing to music played by a DJ, sipping drinks, and rocking a variety of face masks. The space included tons of playful party decorations, like a balloon arch and a step and repeat with the hashtag #KandisMaskOnBday displayed all over it.
Perhaps the most iconic part of Kandi’s birthday was the nod she made to an explosive moment that went down during part two of the RHOA season 12 reunion. The birthday girl sported a customized face mask that said “I’m embedded in your mf’ing brain” in red letters, which is something she said to Nene Leakes during the reunion, while the two were arguing over whether Nene had thrown shade at Kandi in a YouTube video posted after the season had finished.
“I texted Kandi and told her it had nothing to do with her. She still went to the next level with it. I’ve never been the type of girl to back down from nobody, OK?” said Nene during the disagreement, which you can watch in the video above. “If I wanted to talk about Miss Boring, I would have talked about her.”
As the conversation continued to escalate, Nene called Kandi “forgettable” and said “girl, bye,” which prompted Kandi to deliver the instantly infamous response that inspired her face mask.
“You been knowing me, and you’re gonna keep knowing me. I’m embedded in your brain, bitch. I’m embedded in your motherf--king brain, bitch,” replied Kandi.
Kandi wasn’t the only one rocking the clapback mask. She also posted a photo where her husband, Todd Tucker, was also wearing one, and in some of the footage from the party, you can spot a few other guests sporting them, too.
Want more RHOA? New episodes air every Sunday at 8/7c
#MusicNews: 'After 7' Singer And Babyface’s Brother Melvin Edmonds Dies At 65!
Melvin Edmonds, a vocalist for 90s R&B group After 7—and the older brother of Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds—died Saturday after a short illness. He was 65.
His death was confirmed by his son, also named Melvin.
Melvin was the second oldest of six musical sons, born to Marvin Edmonds Sr. and Barbara Edmonds, a reason why the Edmonds children have been described as Indiana’s most prominent musical family since The Jackson 5.
The group, After 7, which he co-founded with his brother, Kevon Edmonds and Keith Mitchell, landed three singles in the Top 20 of Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 chart in the early 1990s: the Grammy Award-nominated “Can’t Stop,” “Ready or Not” and “Heat of the Moment.”
Melvin is immediately survived by four children: Melvin, Jason, Chris, and Courtney.
Our thoughts are with the family during this time.
Bow Wow Teases Omarion Album Sequel After Confirming Retirement?
Bow Wow and Omarion were supposed to be wrapping up The Millennium Tour 2020 at The Forum in Los Angeles this month. Instead, the coronavirus pandemic forced them to cancel the run early.
But in the wee hours of Tuesday (May 19), the Growing Up Hip Hop star hinted the two longtime artists have something up their sleeve and it could be a sequel to their 2007 collaborative album Face Off.
“Bow Wow/Omarion 2020,” he tweeted, alongside a CD emoji.
The duo sat down for a rare interview with Rap Radar in February and discussed the possibility of a Face Off 2, although they didn’t confirm it was actually happening.
Face Off was released on December 11, 2007 and included the singles “Girlfriend” and “Hey Baby (Jump Off).” It debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with roughly 107,000 copies sold in the first week. It was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in February 2008.
Bow Wow’s tweet does come at somewhat of a surprise considering he once again claimed he was retiring during a Twitter Q&A on Monday (May 18).
In 2016, Twitter threw him a “retirement party” after he said Snoop Dogg would be executive producing his final album. Only time will tell if the Omarion collab he’s referencing will serve as his swan song.
BREAKING! Body found on Venice Beach identified as former WWE star Shad Gaspard!
A body discovered early Wednesday morning along Venice Beach has been identified by authorities as that of former WWE star Shad Gaspard, who disappeared while swimming in the ocean Sunday.
Officers were notified of the discovery just before 1:30 a.m. by a citizen who reported finding a body near 27th Avenue and Ocean Front Walk, the Los Angeles Police Department stated in a news release.
Police held a news conference early Wednesday morning to announce the discovery, but did not initially identify the person.
An investigator from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office later identified the body as Gaspard’s and notified next of kin, the news release stated.
Gaspard, 39, had last been seen by a Los Angeles County lifeguard about 3:40 p.m. Sunday as he was swimming with his son about 50 yards off of Venice Beach.
The two found themselves caught up in dangerous surf and in need of help from lifeguards.
Rescuers went into the water and managed to bring the child out safely but could not locate Gaspard after he was struck by a large wave and pulled out to sea.
The Coast Guard and other agencies spent the rest of Sunday looking for Gaspard before calling off the search at sundown.
Crews were out again on Monday and Tuesday using sonar in hopes of finding the former professional wrestler.
L.A. County reopened its beaches last Wednesday for physical activities, which includes walking, running and swimming. The beach had been closed to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.
There’s a ‘Greenleaf’ Spinoff In The Works From OWN!
As OWN’s Greenleaf approaches its fifth and final season, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and Lionsgate have put in development a spinoff of the critically praised hit megachurch drama, from creator and executive producer Craig Wright. The network revealed the spinoff news with a teaser spot. You can watch below.
Wright and Winfrey envisioned from the inception of the series that the story would span five seasons, with Wright contemplating a spinoff. Those plans accelerated when fans expressed their support for the show after its final season was announced, reaffirming its passionate fan base.
Additionally, the network announced Greenleaf’s final season 5 will premiere on Tuesday, June 23 at 9 PM.
Beyonce Will Deliver Inspirational Message To Class of 2020!
Beyonce Added To YouTube’s Virtual Commencement As They Reveal A Lineup Of Celebrities
Singer Beyonce will be joining in on the virtual commencement special created by YouTube called “Dear Class of 2020”. YouTube announced the addition of Beyonce in an instagram post on Tuesday (May 19). It is reported that Beyonce will be delivering an “inspirational message” to the class of 2020 seniors.
YouTube also announced that alongside Beyonce they have added Taylor Swift and Jennifer Lopez to the festivities. So far the former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama are the headliners of the event, which is scheduled to be streamed live on June 6. The former president and first lady will be giving a commencement address along with singer Lady Gaga and mega K-pop band BTS.
How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Celebrating Their Second Wedding Anniversary!
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are celebrating their second wedding anniversary today.
They took the day off work and won’t be answering any phone calls or emails.
Meghan has also been spending time with her mother, Doria Ragland, since moving back to Los Angeles.
It feels like we’ve all aged 36 years since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry got married at Windsor Castle, but that was actually just two years ago. *tears* Typically, a couple’s second wedding anniversary involves unwrapping gifts of cotton (to symbolize comfort and strength) and china (delicate and resilient…like a new marriage?), but this is no typical year.
Last year, Meghan and Harry had just welcomed Archie, so for their wedding anniversary, they simply posted an Instagram thanking their followers for all the well wishes. That said, their Instagram is no longer active, so sadly, we shouldn’t expect anything similar this year. It’s not clear what Meghan and Harry initially had on the books for today’s celebration, but they’re now spending it by taking a break and not doing a single ounce of work. Much respect!
Harper’s Bazaar obtained some intel on Meghan and Harry’s grand plans today, and according to their report, which was written by royal insider Omid Scobie, “The day will simply be quality time with one another and as a family. They’re not going to be doing any work and made sure they have no meetings or calls in the diary.”
The source went on to say, “Like everyone else, they are in lockdown at the moment, so they will just be hanging out together at home. But it will still be a lovely day.” Sounds like the perfect anniversary, all things considered.
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Although the Sussexes are remaining at home today, Us Weekly sources said Meghan has found a few opportunities to visit her mother, Doria Ragland, since moving to Los Angeles. Although their time together has obviously been limited these days, it’s way more than the one or two times a year they would see each other while Meghan was filming Suits.
'The Voice' Crowns Season 18 Winner and that is Todd Tilghman!
After an uncharacteristic season which saw NBC’s The Voice send all its contestants home to perform in isolation, one person has been crowned the champion: Team Blake’s Todd Tilghman.
The 41-year-old emerged winner on Tuesday night (May 19) after a fiercely fought final which, for the first time, featured five hopefuls, Toneisha Harris and Tilghman (Team Blake), Micah Iverson (Team Kelly), CammWess (Team Legend) and Thunderstorm Artis (Team Nick), with each performing for America’s vote.
In another first, The Voice finale had a crossover with another NBC brand, Songland, with competitors getting to collaborate with the latter series’ songwriters.
Tilghman, the lead pastor of Cornerstone Church in Meridian, Mississippi, wins $100,000 and a recording contract.]
Britney Spears' '...Baby One More Time' Named Greatest Debut Single of All Time!
Britney Spears is celebrating yet another achievement.
The 38-year-old Glory pop icon’s debut 1998 single, “…Baby One More Time,” was ranked at No. 1 on Rolling Stone‘s 100 Greatest Debut Singles of All Time list published on Tuesday (May 19).
“In the great tradition of debut singles, it was a divisive statement that drew a line between past and future…with ‘…Baby One More Time,’ this girl changed the sound of pop forever: It’s Britney, bitch. Nothing was ever the same,” the publication wrote of the song.
“Number ONE 😱 ??!!? Thank you @RollingStone …. what an honor 💋💋💋 !!!!!!,” she wrote on Twitter.
Marlon Wayans to star in buddy-cop rom-com Ride or Die!
The 47-year-old actor co-wrote the script with Rick Alvarez for the romantic buddy-cop action-comedy, which he describes as "'Bad Boys' with romance. Or 'When Harry Met Sally'... with guns."
'Ride or Die' tells the story of robbery detective Martin Banks (Wayans) and narcotics detective Tami Moore, who are total opposites but partner up to track down a billion-dollar supply of opioids and it will be produced by Wayans, Alvarez and Neal H. Moritz.
Marlon told The Hollywood Reporter: "Rick and I conceived this as a franchise and collaborating with Neal, who has mastered the art of franchises, makes it a perfect fit."
'Fast and Furious' franchise producer Moritz added: "I was lucky enough to get a chance to read this script early ... and I had to jump on it ... rarely do you read scripts with such a great concept and relationship."
Wayans and Alvarez will produce via their Ugly Baby production company, while Moritz and Toby Ascher's Original Film has joined the production team.
Meanwhile, Marlon previously revealed he was cast to play Robin in the 1992 film 'Batman Returns' and even though the character was cut from the movie and recast for the sequel, he still gets residual checks.
He explained: "I was actually supposed to play Robin, in 'Batman Returns'. But there was too many characters. I was cast, I was paid and everything. I still get residual checks. Tim Burton didn't wind up doing three, Joel Schumacher did it and he had a different vision for who Robin was. So he hired Chris O' Donnell."
He went on to joke about the experience, saying: "Look - I get why they picked Chris O' Donnell, because it would be messed up to have Batman and you've got Robin, and his bulge is somewhat bigger than Batman's. Batman would have a serious problem with that."
Brandy Says She Heard Monica Declined Their #VERZUZ Battle: “She Doesn’t Wanna Be A Part Of That, But I Understand”!
The #VERZUZ battle between #Brandy and #Monica might not be happening, and Brandy says it’s because Monica doesn’t want to do it.
According to BOSSIP, both singers initially agreed to partake in a battle of hits like we’ve previously witnessed with other artists, including Jill Scott, Erykah Badu Nelly, Ludacris, T-Pain, Lil Jon, Babyface, Teddy Riley and more. The two have been thought of as enemies for the past 20 years, but Monica said she’s only here for positive vibes. “I can handle a celebration,” Monica said to V-103’s Frank Ski during an interview.
Monica continued: “The reality is, I think ‘Boy Is Mine’ is such a phenomenal record because we’re polar opposites. And I think that’s dope. And she’s one of the greatest artists of our time as well, so could we do a celebration or something of that sort?” Brandy told Essence that she’s totally down for battle though it hasn’t crossed her mind much. “I’m open to it, but I haven’t really thought about it. I don’t know. I’m open. I’m open for sure. I’m not closed-minded,” said Brandy.
However, Brandy spoke with Frank Ski this week, saying, “she heard,” Monica declined the VERZUZ battle. “She doesn’t wanna do it, the last thing I heard is she pretty much turned it down,” she said. “She doesn’t wanna be a part of that, but I understand.” BOSSIP reports that hearsay about Monica not participating came after #Timbaland, VERZUZ battle co-creator, said Brandy has “paperwork on the way” that would solidify her entering the battle against Monica. “We getting the paperwork to Brandy for somebody else,” Timbaland said in response to FOX Soul’s panel discussing possible contenders for Brandy.
While we all try to speculate why Monica stepped away from the battle, the singer and reality star is focusing on promoting the current season of “Friends & Family Hustle” with her co-stars #TinyHarris, #LeToyaLuckettWalker and #ToyaJohnson.
Brooke Nevils, Ronan Farrow respond to Matt Lauer accusations!
Former NBC staffer Brooke Nevils, who claims that Matt Lauer raped her in 2014, has responded to the disgraced NBC anchor’s attack on Ronan Farrow‘s reporting.
Eyes were on Nevils’ social media accounts for a response to Lauer’s probe Tuesday, and she provided a succinct one via Twitter in the evening: “DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.”
The acronym is shorthand for common behavior by those accused of wrongdoing (particularly that of a sexual nature); it was first introduced in 1997 by the University of Oregon’s J.J. Freyd in the peer-reviewed journal Feminism and Psychology. “South Park” featured the term in a November 2019 episode.
“The perpetrator or offender may Deny the behavior, Attack the individual doing the confronting, and Reverse the roles of Victim and Offender such that the perpetrator assumes the victim role and turns the true victim — or the whistle-blower — into an alleged offender. This occurs, for instance, when an actually guilty perpetrator assumes the role of ‘falsely accused’ and attacks the accuser’s credibility and blames the accuser of being the perpetrator of a false accusation.”
“I was shaken, but not surprised, that few in the media were willing to thoroughly challenge the accusations against me, or the person making them,’’ Lauer wrote Tuesday in a piece on the website Mediaite that joined The New York Times’ Ben Smith in questioning Farrow’s reportage and, by extension, his best-selling book “Catch and Kill.”
Farrow himself responded to Lauer’s piece Tuesday evening — also on Twitter — writing, “All I’ll say on this is that Matt Lauer is just wrong. Catch and Kill was thoroughly reported and fact-checked, including with Matt Lauer himself.”
Usain Bolt And Kasi Bennett Welcome Baby Girl!
Congratulations to Usain Bolt and his girlfriend, Kasi Bennett, on the arrival of their baby girl! The couple welcomed their daughter on Monday (May 18).
“Congratulations to our sprint legend, Usain Bolt, and Kasi Bennett on the arrival of their baby girl,” Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness tweeted. The news of Usain and Kasi’s newest family addition comes after the celebrity couple announced their expectancy in January.
“I just want to say a king or queen is about to be here,” Usain captioned underneath a candid from Kasi Bennett’s maternity photoshoot. Kasi also shared candids fro her photography session. “Our biggest blessing,” Usain’s girlfriend captioned underneath one picture. “Our Golden Child,” she added in reference to her then-unborn child.
Usain Bolt discussed the notion of building a family with his longtime girlfriend during a 2017 interview. “I have [had] a girlfriend for four years now [and] it’s going steadily, so we’re thinking about kids very soon,” Usain revealed. “We’ll see how it goes,” the Olympian added. “We’re taking our time.”
Kasi Bennett and Usain Bolt’s daughter is their first child together.
Netflix Fires Back At Former New York Prosecutor Linda Fairstein Over Her “When They See Us” Defamation Suit!
Netflix has responded to former New York prosecutor Linda Fairstein, who filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix for the manner in which they depicted her in the award-winning Ava DuVernay directed series When They See Us.
“No less than a dry, abstract expression of opinion, the dramatized dialogue of which Plaintiff complains is protected speech,” Netflix’s attorneys argued on Monday in a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. “And here, criticism of Plaintiff’s actions as a powerful public official is at the heart of what the First Amendment protects.”
In addition to Netflix, Fairstein also included DuVernay in her lawsuit, claiming that she was falsely portrayed by Felicity Huffman as a prosecutor who was motivated by her racism to convict the five young men known as the Central Park 5. She said her depiction negatively affected her career as a public speaker and legal consultant, including the film’s claims of her using racial slurs and other inflammatory language, which she claims never to have used. In the suit, she said she was also depicted as having called for a roundup of “every young black male who was in the park last night,” directing police officers to go to Harlem and “stop every little thug you see.” One scene in particular that struck a nerve with the former prosecutor was an interrogation scene where she is shown asking one of the detainees if he was out “wilding” with one of his friends, which was used to refer to the fear of roaming groups of violent teenagers at that time. Fairstein claims that not only did she never interrogate anyone in the case, but she was not familiar with what the term “wilding” even meant.
However, Netflix responded by quoting Fairstein publically referring to the attacks as “wilding” in a statement in 2003. She also refers to the suspects as “vicious marauders” in her 1993 non-fiction book.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“Plaintiff’s own words alone bar any claim that this dialogue is less than substantially true,” Netflix’s attorneys responded.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The film streaming giant also noted that the mother of a 15-year-old detainee was told by Fairstein that she could not see her son until after the interrogation was over, another scene that is depicted in the series.
“A false statement is not actionable if it could have produced no worse an effect on the mind of the reader than the truth,” Netflix said
The Met Gala 2020 Is Officially Canceled!
Roll up the red carpet, because there will be no Met Gala in 2020.
Following the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s mid-March decision to close its doors and postpone the glitzy ball “indefinitely” in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Met announced on Tuesday that this year’s event has been called off entirely.
The Costume Institute’s “About Time: Fashion and Duration” exhibit, which would have set the theme for the 2020 fête, is still set to open on October 29 and run through February 7, 2021. The Met now plans to reopen around mid-August, although all talks, tours, concerts and events have been canceled through the end of the year.
A spokeswoman for the Met told WWD that the 2021 gala will be focused on next year’s Costume Institute exhibition, which has not yet been announced.
When it was initially announced that the Vogue-hosted bash wouldn’t take place on the usual date, fashion-hungry fans sprang into action, recreating iconic looks from past Met Galas at home. Celebrities like Mindy Kaling and Adam Rippon got in on the fun, too — and Katy Perry even shared a glimpse at the baby bump-accommodating look she’d planned to wear on the big night.
Time to start looking forward to the first Monday of next May.
Louisville Cops Are Now Required To Wear Body Cameras After Officers Shot Breonna Taylor in Her Own Home!
Cops in Louisville, Kentucky, are now required to wear body cameras after officers entered Breonna Taylor’s home and shot her dead in March.
Breonna Taylor, 26, was killed in March after police entered her home unannounced, searching for drugs. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot one of the cops during the altercation and has since been charged with attempted murder.
Walker, who is a licensed gun owner, said he thought someone was breaking into their home and was protecting himself and Taylor.
The officers had a no-knock warrant but entered the wrong home. They claimed Walker shot at them first, but none of the altercation was caught on tape because officers were not wearing body cameras.
Neither Walker nor Taylor had a criminal history of drugs or violence, and no drugs were even found during the raid.
Taylor’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit and accused the officers of using excessive force and gross negligence.
Mayor Greg Fischer said Monday that the police chief will now have to sign off on all no-knock warrants before sending them to a judge for approval. The new policy will also be extended to uniformed officers.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The police department’s current policy requires that officers turn on their body cameras when responding to any call for service and “prior to engaging in all law enforcement activities or encounters.”
But now all sworn officers will be required to wear cameras when serving warrants or in any situation where they identify themselves as police.
The policy makes exceptions for the bomb squad, SWAT team, hostage situations, and inside youth detention centers.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘THE YEAR 2020’
Protect yourself from Coronavirus and the murder hornets. Is this a win-win or a lose-lose?
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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