Lizzo Looks Radiant For Vogue’s October Issue!
Lizzo covers the October 2020 issue of Vogue magazine photographed by Hype Williams and styled by Carlos Nazario.
Lizzo is committed to positivity. This despite the trolls going after her for her race, her weight, her sexuality. Anyone who could understand what it was like to be targeted felt spoken to by Lizzo. They were seen by Lizzo and were taking her lead to love themselves a little bit harder.
On the role she wants her music to play: “I want to make music that helps. ’Cause that’s the way that I help. I’m not a doctor, I’m not a lawyer, I don’t work in the government. I make music.”
On police violence: “They don’t actually care. And ‘they’—I don’t know who ‘they’ are. But I know that they don’t care, because if shit like this is still happening, there has to be a ‘they.’ They don’t care about somebody’s actual life.”
On the appropriation of the body-positivity movement: “It’s commercialized. Now, you look at the hashtag ‘body positive,’ and you see smaller-framed girls, curvier girls. Lotta white girls. And I feel no ways about that, because inclusivity is what my message is always about. I’m glad that this conversation is being included in the mainstream narrative. What I don’t like is how the people that this term was created for are not benefiting from it. Girls with back fat, girls with bellies that hang, girls with thighs that aren’t separated, that overlap. Girls with stretch marks. You know, girls who are in the 18-plus club. They need to be benefiting from…the mainstream effect of body positivity now. But with everything that goes mainstream, it gets changed. It gets—you know, it gets made acceptable.”
On Senator Harris’s VP nomination: “Having a Black woman as vice president would be great because I’m just always rooting for Black people. But I want actual change to happen…in the laws. And not just on the outside, you know? Not a temporary fix to a deep-rooted, systemic issue. A lot of times I feel like we get distracted by the veneer of things. If things appear to be better, but they’re not actually better, we lose our sense of protest.”
On encouraging her fans to see voting as a form of protest: “I just want to encourage people to register to vote. That is the most important thing to me. Because there’s a lot of upset people, and there’s a lot of people who have power. There’s a lot of voter suppression in Black communities. But there’s a lot of angry white kids now. And I’m like, ‘Yo, register to vote. Go out. You won’t get suppressed if you try to go to your ballot box.’ You know? I think it’s important to remind people of what they can do. My job isn’t to tell you how to vote. But my job is hopefully to inspire you to vote…to activate you, so that you can take your protest to the ballot box.”
Vogue’s October 2020 issue is available on newsstands nationwide on October 6th.
Style Credits:
Cover: Dress by Valentino | Earrings by Jason of Beverly Hills | Rings and Bracelets by Chopard and Tiffany & Co. | Shoes by Manolo Blahnik
Image 1: Beaded Top and Skirt by LaQuan Smith | Sylva & Cie Earrings
Image 2: Taffeta Dress by Moschino Couture | Sylva & Cie Earrings | Rings and Bracelets by Chopard and Tiffany & Co.
#RHOA: Kenya Moore is 'Thirst Traping' Her Fans In Sexy Red Lingerie!
'RHOA' star Kenya Moore just lit the internet on fire after dropping a 'thirst trap' lingerie photo that will blow your mind!!
The 'Real Housewives Of Atlanta' star shared a stunning picture o herself in skimpy red lingerie and even started her Instagram story with a message 'thirst trap warning!' before the image flashed on the screen!
In the sexy snap, Kenya is sporting a hot red lace number that fits perfectly in all the right places. She is posed down in front of a mirror that appears to be in her bedroom, so it may be adult time with her husband!
Check This Out! It's Red Lingerie Time!
As you can see, the mind-blowing picture is lighting up Instagram and her millions of followers can't help but get their two cents in about how bomb she looks in the snap!
Last week, the reality star got candid about gaining weight during quarantine but continuing to love her body. The 49-year-old posted a different photo showing off her fit physique, saying, "183 lbs!!! The Quarantine has added 25lbs to my 5’10” frame." Adding, "I don’t mind if you don’t mind 😘💯."
After posting the stunning pictures, the 'RHOA' star included a body-positive message to make sure others 'love the skin you're in.'
Several of Kenya's celebrity friends jumped into the comment section to let her know just how stunning she is, "Still drop-dead gorgeous 🙌🏽😍❤️," said 'Real Housewives of Potomac star Robyn Dixon.
'Real Housewives of New York' star Luann de Lesseps added, "Looking gorgeous 💕😘" And, the best one, Moore's 'RHOA' co-star Eva Marcille wrote, "183 I don't mind 🌻🌻🌻."
The good news is that many fans thanked Kenya for putting out such a good body image message. One fan wrote, "Every woman needs to see this! This is girl power at its best. Your honesty is everything. As always, you look absolutely amazing."
As we reported, Kenya's co-star Kandi Burress was just in the same locations - on the beach - shooting and posting sexy shots. Both of the 'RHOA' stars look AMAZING, and it appears they are posing down for photoshoots in sexy gear!
Quarantine is doing a body good!
#MusicNews: Ella Mai Announces New Single ‘Not Another Love Song’!
Two years since she released her debut album, Ella Mai is ready to embark on a new chapter.
After teasing new music earlier in the week, the R&B songstress has officially announced her new single “Not Another Love Song,” which is set to arrive Oct. 2. The track was produced by Boi-1da, Jahaan Sweet, and The Rascals, and co-written with Varren Wade.
“[The song] is about falling in love but not wanting to admit it, so it’s quite vulnerable but still has an edge to it,” Ella says.
She has been in the studio working on the follow-up to her self-titled 2018 debut, which will showcase her evolution. “Everything on my debut album was pretty much about love…I just turned 25, I’m growing up, I’m maturing, I’m turning into a new woman,” she told Billboard last year. “Just the new chapter and everything that I’ve been experiencing in this last year, it’s been crazy.”
The Grammy winner is set to perform during Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty Show Vol. 2 show, streaming Oct. 2 on Amazon Prime. Other performers include Travis Scott, Lizzo, Miguel, Roddy Ricch, Rosalía, and more.
#HipHopNews: T.I. Announces New Album ‘The Libra!’
T.I. is ready for Libra season. In honor of his 40th birthday, the Grand Hustle chief has announced his 11th solo studio album The Libra, which stands for The Legend Is Back Running Atlanta. It is heralded by the first single “Ring” featuring Young Thug, for which he also dropped a video.
The self-directed clip, which premiered on a billboard in Times Square, stars Tip as a therapist. Thugger plays his patient, who embraces the “chaos and confusion” in his life. Tip then snaps his fingers before the duo is surrounded by beautiful women and luxury cars on the vibrant set of their video, which features a cameo from Gunna.
The Libra marks T.I.’s first album in two years. His last project, 2018’s Dime Trap, debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200.
The soon-to-be grandfather is celebrating his 40th birthday today. “Dis Young Wild&Reckless Ni66a made it to 40‼️” he said while reflecting on the milestone.
Michael Jackson Cousin Is Selling His Alleged Last IV Drip Bag!
Michael Jackson fans could soon own a very strange and unique piece of macabre memorabilia. Marsha Stewart, one of the King of Pop's cousins, said she is auctioning off a blood-stained IV drip bag used to administer drugs to the singer during his last days. The drip bag is part of an auction that includes other items once owned by Jackson's late father, Joe Jackson.
Stewart showed off the bag in a video that surfaced on YouTube in August. It was allegedly used by Dr. Conrad Murray to administer the drug Propofol to Jackson, who died in June 2009. The Propofol "later dissolved," but Stewart claimed Jackson's DNA is still in the bag, reports The Mirror. She claims there are even traces of his blood in the tubes and it was the "last one he had in his arm when he died." Stewart said she and Joe kept it at Joe's house until he died in June 2018.
The bag was put up for auction by Memorabelia Expert in Las Vegas. The auction ends on Sunday night and is up to $4,356 after seven bids. While the auction house notes that the bag unlikely delivered the fatal dosage of Propofol that killed Jackson, it was possibly used as evidence in Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial. "We believe if this was used as evidence for the trial against the doctor, Joe would not have been able to obtain it," the auction house noted. "However, within Joe’s personal paperwork was the Minute Order 1/25/11 Case No. SA 073164 The People of the State of California vs. Conrad Robert Murray."
The IV drip bag is not the only strange item from Stewart's collection included in the auction. While the collection includes some unsurprising items like worn costumes and gold records, fans can also bid on one of Jackson's wigs and Joe's dentures. There are no bids on the dentures, which started at $250. "Presented is one of Joe Jackson’s personal items from Stewart’s collection," the auction house's listing reads. "It’s actually the most personal you can get. It’s his dentures. That’s right, his dentures. The top portion of his chompers. Something for someone that thought they had just about everything in their collection from a famous person. Or, perhaps the ultimate gift for the dentist in your family. We will leave it at that."
Jackson died on June 26, 2009, from a massive overdose of Propofol. In 2011, Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to four years in prison but was released after serving just two in October 2013. Jackson's father Joe died in June 2018 at age 89, following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
'The Game' Revival Is Coming to Paramount+!
ViacomCBS announced in mid-September plans to rebrand the CBS All Access streaming service to Paramount+. Now more information has surfaced about one of the upcoming projects. A revival of The Game is in the works at CBS Television Studios and Grammnet Productions.
According to Shadow and Act, very few details are known about the upcoming revival. Specifically, the original series' creator, Mara Brock Akil, may or may not be involved. Akil just signed an overall deal with Netflix. Finally, no details are available about whether this revival of The Game is the same version as the one Akil and American Soul writer Devon Greggory developed for the CW in 2019.
A spinoff of Girlfriends, The Game focused on a group of women who had relationships with professional football players. The show originally ran from 2006-2009 on the CW. A revival then ran from 2011-2015 on BET. A second planned revival was set for the CW, which would turn The Game into an hour-long comedy. The original series was a multi-cam sitcom while the first revival was a single-camera, half-hour dramedy.
The original series featured Tia Mowry, Pooch Hall, Hosea Chanchez, Coby Bell, Brittany Daniel and Wendy Raquel Robinson in starring roles. Brandy, Lauren London and Jay Ellis joined the cast during the first revival on BET. Mowry and Hall left the series after the first two seasons of the revival.
With a focus on professional football, The Game included guest appearances from several high-profile figures. The list of stars included former defensive end Jared Allen, wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and former basketball player Jalen Rose among others. Additionally, rappers Too Short, Chamillionaire and Lil Kim all made guest appearances.
In addition to The Game, Paramount+ will feature multiple other original projects. Taylor Sheridan — creator of Paramount Network's wildly successful drama Yellowstone — is creating the CIA-based terrorism drama, Lioness. Additionally, Paramount+ will also deliver a 10-episode limited scripted-series based around the making of Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather.
"Paramount is an iconic and storied brand beloved by consumers all over the world, and it is synonymous with quality, integrity and world-class storytelling, "ViacomCBS Bob Bakish said. "With Paramount+, we're excited to establish one global streaming brand in the broad-pay segment that will draw on the sheer breadth and depth of the ViacomCBS portfolio to offer an extraordinary collection of content for everyone to enjoy."
The Paramount+ streaming service will launch in early 2021. It will feature ViacomCBS' content from networks like MTV, BET, Comedy Central, CBS, Nickelodeon, and Smithsonian Channel. The service will also feature movies from Paramount Pictures.
NeNe Leakes Claims Bravo 'Forced' Her Out of 'Real Housewives of Atlanta'
NeNe Leakes is opening up to her fans. Several weeks after she announced that she made the “difficult decision” to leave The Real Housewives of Atlanta, the 52-year-old reality star is claiming she was “forced” out by Bravo.
In a Twitter exchange with fans on Saturday (September 26), one fan asked if NeNe would be getting her own spinoff series on Bravo. She replied, writing, “They don’t think I deserve to work at all in any [capacity].”
Another fan then wrote, “It sound[s] like they forced you out!” to which NeNe responded: “The definitely did.”
As of right now, neither Bravo or Andy Cohen have addressed NeNe‘s claims.
Aldis Hodge Set to Star in New Line's take on DC Comic's antihero 'Black Adam'!
Aldis Hodge is the latest addition to New Line's take on DC Comic's antihero, Black Adam.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Hodge will play the role of Hawkman in the live-action film. Hodge will appear in the film alongside Dwayne Johnson, who will take on the starring role, and Noah Centineo, who is set to portray Atom Smasher.
The Black Adam storyline is centered around a character that was developed as Shazam's arch-nemesis. He has since morphed into an antihero who was part of the Justice Society of America—a multigenerational group that preceded the Justice League. Hawkman is a member of the Justice Society of America whose hawk-like powers derive from Ancient Egypt.
Along with Black Adam, Hawkman, and Atom Smasher, Doctor Fate and Cyclone will appear in the film but have yet to be cast. Jaume Collet-Serra will direct the movie and Beau Flynn is producing the movie through FlynnPictureCo. The company's Scott Sheldon will serve as the executive producer. Also, Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia will handle production via their Seven Bucks Productions company.
Black Adam is set to start production in the late winter or spring of 2021. This continues Hodge's hot streak as he's also starring in Regina King’s historical drama, One Night in Miami, which is generating Academy Award attention. He also co-starred in The Invisible Man with Elisabeth Moss.
Jaguar Wright Outs Mary J. Blige!
Over the past few months 90s neo-soul singer Jaguar Wright has been grabbing attention by making shocking allegations against her fellow artists [click here if you missed that].
Mary J. Blige is Jaguar's latest target...
In a comment and rambling video message posted on Instagram Jaguar claims Mary J. Blige is a closeted lesbian and attributes all her problems to her refusal to come out.
Jaguar also demands an apology from Mary and accuses her of trying to sabotage her career when she first came out.
Jaguar starts talking about Mary at the 24:28 mark and accuses Mary of talking about her behind her back and being a puppet for Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
Jaguar also threatens to expose everyone in the industry with 25 years worth of videos.
Alicia Keys’s Skin-Care Line Is Here!
Hello, beautiful masterpieces. My radiant fam! It is I, Alicia Keys. I’ve created something very special for you and the world, and it has finally launched today: My skin-care and lifestyle beauty brand, Keys Soulcare. [Plays a few bars of “Empire State of Mind” softly on the piano.]
Let’s connect for a moment on a sacred truth. It’s important to take care of your soul and to take care of that part of yourself that you can’t see but you can feel. I’m talking about the biggest of the 78 organs in your body: your skin.
Hug it. Nourish it. Love yourself. Cherish yourself. Embrace your inner power and know that you are the strongest lioness of the pride. Your thoughts are seeds, and you can grow flowers or weeds. [Absentmindedly riffs on the opening chords to “Girl on Fire.”] Mind, body, soul, and spirit are the four Keys to Soulcare. (Get it? Keys? Like me, Alicia Keys?)
The Soulcare line is clean, cruelty free, and dermatologist developed (because dermatologists are incredible gardens who have been watered throughout medical school). I’m a self-professed “candle fanatic” (plus my voice feels like a scented candle already), so Soulcare’s first “ritual” is a special one. It’s a mix of sage and oat milk, because no one’s practice needs the acid reflux that comes from dairy, and a cow-milk candle sounds like it could be a little gross.
The Soulcare experience begins today (with the full editorial site to launch on Tuesday, September 29), and I’d love for you to glow and shine with me, Alicia. Because I am the celebrity with probably the most legit reason for starting a skin-care line, and my skin-care-routine videos would win me an ASMR Grammy.
The Neighborhood: Black Lives Matter to Serve as Focus of Season 3 Premiere!
The CBS sitcom The Neighborhood intends to use its platform to address systemic racism and police misconduct this fall.
TVLine can confirm exclusively that the Cedric the Entertainer-led comedy will open Season 3 with an episode focused on racial unrest and the Black Lives Matter movement. In the premiere, a recurring character becomes the victim of police brutality, which ignites a conversation among members of the Butler family.
“Like most Black families, when it’s close enough to home, it’s enough to get you nervous,” series star and executive producer Cedric the Entertainer tells TVLine. “You realize, ‘Oh! I was on that street,’ or ‘I know that guy’s family’ or whatever. It’s enough to make you really identify [with] it.”
From there, the Butlers and the Johnsons set out to help the victim, at which point the situation places Calvin and Tina’s son Malcolm (played by Sheaun McKinney) in jeopardy.
“We felt that our show is… uniquely positioned to address the Black Lives Matter movement and the call for social justice,” showrunner Jim Reynolds says. “Being a show that addresses issues of race, we really have a responsibility to use our platform to say something — both to validate and honor the experiences of some of our audience, while also trying to give insight to and enlighten other parts of our audience.”
One real-world situation that the sitcom won’t be incorporating into its third season is the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “I felt strongly that we should not set the show in a COVID world,” Reynolds explains. “Initially we were wondering if we could figure out a way that we could kind of address it without featuring COVID, through some sort of analog experience that the community would go through together. However, when the Black Lives Matter movement really took off, we knew that that was the issue that would be a more appropriate one for us to deal with.”
Cedric the Entertainer confirms that the focus shifted once the murder of George Floyd begat a nationwide discussion. “At the time, it was ‘Do we address the pandemic? Do we talk about what everybody’s going through in quarantine?’ And then George Floyd happened, and it just felt like a more important [conversation],” he says. “Our show is… about white neighbors moving into a Black neighborhood, and how we have to learn and grow and come to understand each other. We felt like it was far more interesting to talk about systemic racism and policing.”
CBS has not yet announced a return date for The Neighborhood.
Demi Lovato’s Ex Max Ehrich Learned Relationship Was Over ‘Through A Tabloid’!
Demi Lovato’s now-ex Max Ehrich has revealed that he learned he’s a single man from a “tabloid.”
It was reported this week that Demi Lovato and Max Ehrich’s relationship was on the rocks, only for a source close to Lovato to confirm their split just hours later.
“Imagine finding out about the status of your relationship through a tabloid,” he wrote in the first of three posts about the split. “While your [sic] in the middle of filming a biopic movie about a Pastor in a Christian Church whose intention of the film is to help people,” Ehrich added in the second post.
The actor didn’t specify which tabloid revealed the disheartening news.
He ended the Instagram story with simply, “God bless.”
Leading up to the split, a source told Page Six that the pair was struggling to make their relationship work.
“It’s not over yet,” our insider shared hours before the breakup, “but it’s on its way there.”
Fans began speculating that the two called it quits after Lovato’s bodyguard and sister both unfollowed the soap star on Instagram.
Rick Ross and Tory Lanez Beef Over 'Daystar' Album, Breonna Taylor Protests
Rick Ross and Tory Lanez are sparring on social media following the release of Lanez's new album, Daystar.
On the album's lead song "Money Over Fallouts," the 28-year-old Canadian rapper and singer, whose real name Daystar Peterson, denies claims that he shot Megan Thee Stallion in the foot after a Hollywood Hills party in July.
"Gotta see a couple questions: how the f--k you get shot in your foot, don't hit no bones or tendons?" Lanez raps on the track. "Megan people tryna frame me for a shootin' ... Knowin' I ain't do it but I'm comin' at my truest."
Ross clearly wasn't impressed by the Daystar project or the fact that it was released one day after a Kentucky jury brought no charges against Louisville police for the death of Breonna Taylor.
"Tory Lanez, poor decision brother," Ross said on his Instagram Stories. "Dropping that project... Just outta respect for Breonna Taylor, bruh, we gotta respect these sisters. That ain't how you address the accusations you facing. That was a poor choice, homie. You ain't getting no money with that shit."
Ross and Lanez previously collaborated on the song "Super Freak."
Lanez responded to Ross' video on Twitter, writing: "I respect u 2 much as a black man to disrespect you in these times,however I went out and marched 9 DAYS STRAIT for Breonna Taylor ..IN YOUR CITY ...I didn’t see the 'boss' out there once ?...also stop tagging your endorsements in post about her . It’s a poor decision @RickRoss"
Ross fired back again on his Instagram Stories.
"First off, lil boy, I appreciate how you responded swiftly to Rozay, but that's how you should've did the sister that accused you of shooting," the rapper said. "That's what you owed her family, that's what you owed all the Black women in America."
Ross also responded to Lanez's claim that he wasn't present during protests for Taylor in Miami.
"But more importantly, let's get to you protesting," Ross said. "You ain't protest in Miami, the only reason you was out there was cause the condo that you stayed in $1,500 a month and the dam protest was coming right down there, so you went down there and took a photo opp... Poor decisions is putting together an album and trying to profit off some shit that people like myself was wishing to hear you address this shit and move on. Not get a wax on or a wack album that's ain't gonna get you no money, nor no new supporters. So lil boy, boss up."
Yara Shahidi To Play Tinker Bell In Disney’s Live-Action ‘Peter Pan’ Pic!
Disney continues to make strides in diversifying its classic characters and is doing it again as sources tell Deadline that Grown-ish star Yara Shahidi is set to play Tinker Bell in David Lowery’s Peter Pan and Wendy. This would mark the first time a person of color has filled the role that traditionally has featured a white actress and follows in the footsteps after Disney set Halle Bailey to play Ariel in The Little Mermaid.
Shahidi joins Jude Law, who will play Captain Hook, as well as Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson, who will play the title characters. Lowery is on board to direct the project and also co-wrote the script with Toby Halbrooks. Jim Whitaker is producing.
Sources say the release is expected to be theatrical and not go the Disney+ streaming route.
Disney’s 1953 animated classic is still the most successful adaptation of the J.M. Barrie novel about Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn’t age, and the children he whisks away to the magical world of Neverland. Many other studios have made their own versions on the big and small screens including Steven Spielberg’s Hook starring Robin Williams and Joe Wright’s Pan, both of which disappointed at the box office.
In novel and films, Tinker Bell is a fairy and Pan’s closest friend and was famously played by Julia Roberts in Spielberg’s retelling. In recent years, Disney has been open to any actor playing a role that originally was limited to Caucasian talent, making waves after setting Bailey to play the mermaid Ariel. With Tinker Bell, the studio and Lowery wanted to do the same from the get-go and quickly pursued Shahidi, whose star has been on the rise for some time.
Shahidi had her breakout role on the ABC sitcom Black-ish as Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross’ daughter Zoey. Her character became so much a fan favorite that she was given the spinoff series Grown-ish, which chronicles Zoey’s college years. Following the success of the show, ABC Studios recently signed her to an overall deal.
On the film side, she recently starred in the YA adaptation of The Sun Is Also a Star opposite Charles Melton.
She is repped by CAA, Principal Entertainment LA and attorney Ryan Nord.
Jamie Foxx Says He And Garcelle Beauvais ‘Should Have Been Together’!
Are there sparks still flying between Jamie Foxx and Garcelle Beauvais?
On her latest episode of Going to Bed with Garcelle, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star interviewed Foxx as the two looked back on their longtime friendship and why they never became romantically involved.
The pair starred on The Jamie Foxx Show, which ran from 1996 to 2001, playing the couple Jamie and Fancy. They would later reunite on-screen in 2013 for the action movie White House Down. Foxx and Beauvais apparently made a pact that they wouldn’t date while acting together and by the time filming was over, Beauvais was in another relationship. However, the two have remained close ever since.
"I seen you with the dude, you introduced me — 'This is my man,' and it was all uncomfortable," Foxx said, referring to her former relationship with Michael Elliot on the latest season of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
"By the way, you never really give any guy that I'm with any real attention," Beauvais replied.
"Ever. I hate them all," Foxx jokes. "I think me and you should have been together. So every time I see them, I'm like, 'Damn. I f***ed up.' So every dude, I give them a really s***y look."
"I feel it and they feel it," Beauvais said.
"Listen, we are in a relationship forever," Foxx said.
"Forever, no matter what," Beauvais added. "You know what I always say? Kandi Burruss was on the podcast and she goes, 'You know, I don't get it. Why aren't you and Jamie together?' And I said, 'Well, you know, we have a really great relationship now.’”
Foxx replied with, "I don't know, it's a tough thing when it comes to relationships, because you've got to find something, I think, that's someone that you can really understand and be yourself with, especially in our business because it's an up and down thing."
He added: "And there's a lot of emotions that people don't understand. Somehow, being a celebrity, they feel like you're not human, and we do have things that are afforded to us or rewarded to us because we are [celebrities]. But on the inside, we're still the same people from Texas or from Haiti. We're still the same people. And that's so hard, but it has to be a person that really understands. And that's been tough."
Megan Thee Stallion Booked As Musical Guest For 'SNL' Season 46 Premiere!
Megan Thee Stallion is heading to Saturday Night Live on October 3 on NBC.
On Thursday (September 24), Hot Girl Meg was announced as the first musical guest of the NBC variety show's season 46 premiere episode. Meanwhile, Chris Rock will host the first live episode of the show since the COVID-19 pandemic started. This will mark Rock's third time hosting the show after gigs in 1996 and 2014. Meg previously appeared on the show as a guest as part of Chance the Rapper's rendition of "Handsome" in October 2019.
"HOTTIES Oct 3 the mf hot girl coach will be on the SEASON PREMIERE of SNL with @chrisrock @nbcsnl," Meg captioned her Instagram announcement, which racked up more than 360,000 likes. The pair’s episode will mark the first installment of SNL filmed at 30 Rock since March.
SNL will air live from its Studio 8H home in New York's Rockefeller Center, with a limited studio audience. As per a recent announcement, Jim Carrey has been announced as a star on the upcoming season to impersonate Joe Bidden. Woody Harrelson previously impersonated the Democratic presidential nominee, while Jason Sudeikis played Biden while he was in office as VP.
Trump Names Amy Coney Barrett As His 3rd Supreme Court Pick!
President Trump on Saturday announced that he is nominating Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Sept. 18. The move was the first step in a rapid confirmation push aimed at having Barrett seated before the presidential election. If confirmed, she is likely to cement a conservative majority on the nation’s highest court for years to come.
Trump unveiled his choice, which was widely expected, to an audience of about 200 people in the White House Rose Garden.
“Today it is my honor to nominate one of our nation’s most brilliant and gifted legal minds to the Supreme Court,” Trump said. “She is a woman of unparalleled achievement, towering intellect, sterling credentials and unyielding loyalty to the Constitution, Judge Amy Coney Barrett.”
Trump described the nomination as one of his “highest and most important duties” and a “very proud moment indeed.” He also praised Ginsburg as a “legal giant” and a “pioneer for women.” The president was accompanied to the podium by his wife, Melania. Barrett was joined by her husband and their seven children. As they walked onto the stage, the crowd of assembled VIPs that included Attorney General William Barr cheered.
Following Trump’s remarks, Barrett spoke to the crowd, describing herself as “deeply honored” by the selection.
“I fully understand that this is a momentous decision for a president, and if the Senate does me the honor of confirming me, I pledge to discharge the responsibilities of this job to the very best of my ability,” she said. “I love the United States, and I love the United States Constitution.”
Barrett went on to praise Ginsburg’s work breaking “glass ceilings” that prevented women from succeeding in the legal profession, and spoke about her own family.
“While I am a judge, I’m better known back home as a room parent, carpool driver and birthday party planner,” she said. “When schools went remote last spring, I tried on another hat. [My husband] Jesse and I became co-principals of the Barrett e-learning academy.”
As he introduced Barrett in the Rose Garden, Trump noted that Scalia’s wife, Maureen, was in the crowd along with their son, the current Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “Very good genes in that family, I will say,” Trump quipped.
Trump, who nominated Barrett to the federal judiciary in 2017, went on to tout her achievements. “You are going to be fantastic,” he said to her. “Really fantastic.”
He went on to note Barrett’s devotion to her family, including “two beautiful children” she adopted from Haiti. “If confirmed, Justice Barrett will make history as the first mother of school-age children ever to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court,” Trump said, adding, “That’s good.”
The president went on to predict that she would “decide cases based on the text of the Constitution as written.”
Like her mentor, Scalia, Barrett has earned a reputation as an originalist, someone who favors strict adherence to the Constitution. She has also drawn attention for her religious views, which became an issue during her confirmation to the appeals court. She is a member of a self-described charismatic Christian group called People of Praise, which includes both Roman Catholics and Pentecostals. The group refers to female members as “handmaids.”
A devout Catholic, Barrett faced questions from Democrats about whether her beliefs might influence her decisions on the bench when she joined the federal judiciary in 2017. She has repeatedly insisted that religious and political concerns would not sway her judgments. Nevertheless, liberal groups have pointed to her past commentary as evidence she could seek to erode LGBTQ rights or overturn Roe v. Wade as a Supreme Court justice. On Friday evening, as reports emerged that Trump had selected Barrett, the LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign released a statement blasting her selection.
“Amy Coney Barrett’s history tells a story of anti-LGBTQ ideology, opposing basic rights thought to be settled law, and an anti-choice ideology out of step with popular opinion,” the statement said.
HRC cited past comments Barrett made criticizing the decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, a 2015 case in which the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage was a fundamental right. Barrett has suggested that the question of same-sex marriage should be left to individual states. HRC also pointed to comments Barrett made describing Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that protected abortion rights, as an “erroneous” ruling.
Conservatives have criticized questions about Barrett’s religion, and the potential that it might motivate her to seek to change existing precedents, as anti-Catholic bigotry. In a statement released on Thursday, the Christian activist group Family Research Council accused liberals of engaging in an “anti-Christian smear campaign.”
“The startling level of anti-Christian bias already on display against Barrett reveals how far outside of the mainstream the Left has become and how determined they are to oppose whoever President Trump nominates to fill this vacancy,” FRC president President Tony Perkins said.
Barrett’s confirmation is also likely to be contentious since the timing of her nomination directly conflicts with past statements Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans have made about replacing a Supreme Court justice in the period leading up to a presidential election.
In 2016, after Scalia’s death, Democratic President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland as Scalia’s replacement, which would have meant liberals would have gained a slim majority on the court. At the time, it was about 10 months prior to the presidential election, and McConnell refused to allow a confirmation vote for Garland on the grounds that it would be inappropriate to allow a new justice to be selected before Americans chose a new president.
Hours after Ginsburg’s passing, McConnell reversed course and indicated he would allow a vote on a Trump nominee even though, at the time, only about six weeks remained until the election. In the days since, multiple Republicans who previously indicated they agreed with the precedent that became known as the “McConnell rule” also backtracked and changed their positions.
McConnell’s decision to block Garland allowed Trump to fill the seat with Neil Gorsuch in 2017. Trump also confirmed Brett Kavanaugh the following year. If Barrett is confirmed, it will mean Trump will have appointed three justices, leaving conservatives with a solid, generational majority.
However, some Democrats have already begun fighting Barrett. On Friday evening, following multiple reports that Trump planned to nominate her, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a former presidential candidate, tweeted that the Senate minority should not allow Barrett to be confirmed.
“No confirmation before the inauguration,” Warren wrote.
Republicans have countered that it is necessary to have a full nine-member Supreme Court prior to the election to prevent a potential tie on the bench in the event the presidential race comes down to a court decision.
“One of the biggest reason we will confirm the nominee BEFORE Election Day is to ensure a full 9-Justice majority to resolve any (inevitable) election disputes. Dems desperately, desperately don’t want that,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted on Saturday.
Like many of his colleagues, Cruz had the opposite view in the waning days of Obama’s presidency.
As he introduced Barrett in the Rose Garden, Trump alluded to the coming confirmation fight. He pointed to senators in the audience and declared that it “should be a straightforward and prompt confirmation.”
“It should be very easy,” Trump said. “Good luck. It’s going to be very quick. I’m sure it will be extremely noncontroversial.”
Despite the uproar, it appears unlikely Democrats have the votes to block Barrett’s nomination. Due to the Republican majority, four senators would need to cross party lines to prevent her from taking the bench. So far only two, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski and Maine’s Susan Collins, have indicated they might not vote for Barrett’s confirmation. The pair both echoed McConnell’s past concerns about holding a confirmation near an election.
Some liberals have suggested Democrats might be able to use procedural maneuvers to block Barrett’s nomination. On Friday, progressive writer David Sirota reported that a memo making the rounds on Capitol Hill encouraged Democrats to delay confirmation hearings until after the election by having their House majority propose measures that would take precedence on the Senate floor, among other things.
But others have rejected the notion that Democrats have a path to blocking Barrett without earning votes from across the aisle. In an interview with Yahoo News’ “Skullduggery” podcast, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat who is on the Senate Judiciary Committee, rejected the notion that the opposition party could thwart a Trump nominee who has enough Republican backing.
“If there were some triple-secret procedural trick that we could pull, we would have been pretty negligent in not pulling it in those two earlier proceedings,” Whitehouse said.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘ONE IN A MINION’
Kinda makes sense that a Minion would drive an adorable little car like that. I’m actually going to allow this one.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD ALL!!!
EFREM
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