Patti LaBelle on Being an OG for Oprah Magazine!
Patti LaBelle opens up to Oprah magazine about her career resurgence at 76, her relationships with Gladys Knight and Nina Simone, her 2020 holiday plans, why she hates being called a diva and more.
On her 2020 holiday plans: She’ll be celebrating in a 13-person bubble: “Because I am an OG, nobody wants to come around me with anything suspect, so we’re not taking chances. Still she’s cooking for friends outside her circle, who’ll pick up their dinner plates at her front gate. “I said, ‘You can eat, but you can’t come in.’” She’s planning to make a virtual appearance during Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen’s CNN New Year’s Eve broadcast—but the stricter precautions in place for filming won’t stop her from having a good time. “I’m going to have fun, I’m going to have ‘California Love’ playing, and dance by myself, because I love to dance,” she says. “California Love” by Tupac Shakur is LaBelle’s favorite song. “People think certain songs are not age-appropriate for a 76-year-old woman,” she says. “‘California Love’ is appropriate for me, and I am 76.”
On auditioning for The Color Purple and Ghost: “Okay, so, listen, I went to an audition for Ghost, got stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel. When I got there, it was too late, because Whoopi had gotten the part that I was going to read for,” she says. “And then, The Color Purple, I was afraid to play Shug Avery. I was afraid of acting, period. And I talked to Steven Spielberg and said, ‘I just can’t pull off this part.’ I knew I couldn’t. Then again, maybe I could have, but I didn’t give myself the chance.”
On her unique relationship with mentor Nina Simone: “She’d say, ‘Did you find me a man yet, girl?’ I’d say, ‘No, honey, I can’t find no man for you,’” LaBelle laughs before discussing how tender their relationship was. “When she was going through her bad times, she let me see her breast. She said, ‘Nobody can see this,’ because she had them removed. She let me see her head, because her hair was gone. She just felt so comfortable with me,” Labelle recalls of Simone’s battle with breast cancer. But then she perks up again at the memory of doing a show at Carnegie Hall, when a handler delivered a paper cup of wine to her dressing room. Simone was incensed. “Honey, she turned that place out! She told me: ‘Don’t you ever drink out of anything except crystal, darling. Just crystal for you, Patti!’ I said, ‘Okay, girl. Take that paper cup back, boo.’ They took the paper cup back and brought me the best glass in the house. Nina said, ‘That’s who you are. You’re a star.’”
On rumors of a rivalry between her and Gladys Knight: “[Verzuz] was a day that me and Gladys got married. That’s my best friend. It was like we were a real couple of OGs in the house. There’s no competition with me and Gladys,” she explains. “It’s like we’re family. There’s never anything for us to talk negatively about each other. Now, we might talk about somebody behind their back, but I’ll fight anybody who says anything bad about Gladys. There’s never been ‘You sing better than I’ or ‘I sing better than you,’ and I think that has a lot to deal with getting a good friend in this industry, because it’s always peer pressure. It’s always somebody trying to outdo you. And, with us, we don’t roll like that.”
Patti on her alter ego, Priscilla: “She is a mess,” she laughs. “I am a Gemini, I have so many personalities. I never know when she’s going to show up and show out, and a lot of times, she shows out—and then, the next day, I feel bad for the person who had to deal with Priscilla, because she’s a witch with a capital B, and I can’t help it.”
On her favorite people to cook for, including Mick Jagger & Whoopi Goldberg: “I’ve cooked for Mick Jagger, I’ve cooked for Arsenio [Hall], I’ve cooked for Richard Pryor. I’ve cooked for Whoopi Goldberg, who hates green vegetables,” she says. And then, with a bit of playful mischief: “The only thing green she wants is money.”
On the recent controversy around her republican nephew, Byl Holte: “Guess what? I didn’t choose my family. I choose my friends,” she says. “I love Billy. He has a Republican mind. And, guess what? I don’t. But do I hate him for having the mind that he has? No, I can’t.”
#RHOA: NeNe Leakes Posts Petition And Says Fans Should Boycott The Real Housewives Of Atlanta!
NeNe Leakes left Bravo and it sounds like she wants her fans to join her. The TV personality and actress recently spoke out against the network and posted a #BoycottBravo petition to her Twitter account on Monday. Leakes blasted Bravo for not treating the “Black women who created shows” fairly and instead claimed they were demoted.
‘Y’all ready to start this boycott yet? What has happened behind the scenes is WRONG! While others were being promoted, BLACK WOMEN who created shows, created genres, built franchise and built networks were being DEMOTED… TURN OFF YOUR TV’S,” the reality star tweeted.
The petition calls out Bravo for racial bias and also mentions Married to Medicine star Mariah Huq.
“This petition is putting Bravo TV on notice that fans of the shows Real Housewives of Atlanta and Married to Medicine hold them accountable for their dirty deeds, particularly as it relates to the unfair and biased treatment they have displayed towards their African American talent, more specifically NeNe Leakes and Mariah Huq,” per the petition.
The petition is close to reaching its goal of 10,000 signatures.
“This action by Bravo network is affirmation of systemic racism and inequality that the African American community faces and struggles with currently in society. Which NeNe as an African American woman is advocating to change,” the petition continued.
“Bravo, we the fans are aware of our power and how a lack of our viewership would be a detriment to the future success of said network. Fans we ask that you sign this petition and stand in support of equality for NeNe and Mariah as well as all African American talent on this network.”
Leakes left the RHOA franchise in 2015 but returned in 2017, per US Magazine. In September, she announced she was leaving the show again.
“It wasn’t an easy decision for me. It was hard,” she said in a YouTube video. “I’m just so happy that I can say that I was a part of a genre that opened up doors for Black ensemble reality shows. I want to thank everybody that has looked up to me over the years. … I want to thank Bravo for all the memories. … Thank you to the cast for all of the memories.”
#NewMusic from Robin Thicke – Fire It Up!
R&B star Robin Thicke has partnered up with up with the NFL for his new single “Fire It Up”. The song is part of the NFL’s Songs of the Season initiative.
LISTEN HERE
The song is the first offering from Robin since the release of “Forever Mine” which was a nod to his mentor Andre Harrell. “Fire It Up” is set to appear on Robin’s upcoming album which will be his first since “Paula” in 2014.
#HipHopNews: Potential Juror For Martin Shkreli’s Trial Was Reportedly Dismissed!
A new report has revealed that potential jurors for former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli's trial were dismissed from the courtroom over claims Shkreli made about the Wu-Tang Clan.
According to an article in Elle magazine on (Dec. 20), during the very first day of Shkreli's trial in June of 2017, potential jurors were dismissed for claiming that he was "the face of corporate greed" and that "he disrespected the Wu-Tang Clan."
If you recall, Shkreli, who is currently serving time in prison on federal charges of securities fraud, won Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon a Time in Shaolin album in an auction and sold it on via Paddle8 on November 24, 2015 for $2 million.
The album was the veteran rap group's seventh effort, but it was also limited to a single copy. The copy was the one sold to Shkreli and is the Wu-Tang Clan's most expensive album sold to date. Within the legal agreement on the sale of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, it was said that the album could not be commercially exploited until 2103, but it could be played casually during parties.
In 2016, Shkreli claimed that he would drop the limited and unreleased Wu-Tang album if Donald Trump won the presidential election. He also said he would break the album if Hillary Clinton won the election. Instead, he released the intro and one track from the LP. Shkreli has also beefed with members of the Staten Island, N.Y. rap crew, threatening to smack Ghostface Killah in the face at one point.
Three years after Shkreli won the auction, in 2018, he was convicted of securities fraud after getting the manufacturing license for the drug Daraprim and hiking the price from $13.50 to $750 per pill. As a result of his conviction, the federal court seized Shkreli's assets, which included the Wu-Tang Clan album and Lil Wayne's Tha Carter V album.
Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in prison and up to $7.4 million in fines.
Rihanna Is Planning A Cookbook Full Of Her Favorite Caribbean Recipes!
Not only is Rihanna a musician, beauty guru, and fashion icon but now, she’s trying her hand at being a chef. The singer is looking to bring traditional food from her Barbadian roots to the table with an upcoming cookbook.
Rihanna revealed her plans in an interview with the UK tabloid Closer this week. Apparently, the inspiration to start a cookbook came from having the time to make home-cooked meals in lockdown. The singer said she “loves food from my Barbadian roots,” primarily the use of fresh fish. But even with the healthy options, Rihanna said Caribbean cooking can also lend itself to comfort food like mac ‘n’ cheese, shepherd’s pie, and rum punch (which are among her favorites).
Elsewhere in the interview, Rihanna spoke about how quarantine offered her a much-needed break from her busy schedule. “I love what I do – but I am always busy and quarantine gave me the time to do things I wouldn’t always have been able to do – watch an entire box set in a day, cook, go for walk,” she said. “It’s important we do little things we enjoy and are kind to ourselves.”
With her newfound down-time, the singer added that she’s been able to unlock a new kind of creativity. “At first it was strange because I am not used to being still – but during quarantine you have no choice but to be still,” she said. “Then you start to realize during lockdown you are stuck there with your own thoughts and your imagination and it really helped my creativity blossom.”
Rihanna has yet to unveil more details about the cookbook project, but time will tell when the singer is ready to announce the endeavor.
Twitter Turns a Dionne Warwick Tweet Into NYC Billboard to Turn the Page on 2020!
Dionne Warwick has become the viral Twitter phenom nobody knew they needed to close out 2020.
The iconic 80-year-old hitmaker joined Twitter in 2012, but only recently has become a bona fide Twitter star. From asking Chance the Rapper why he put “rapper” in his stage name and calling out The Weeknd to sending good wishes to Taylor Swift, her offbeat and hilarious tweets were the basis for a “Saturday Night Live” skit two weeks ago.
Now one of Warwick’s tweets has gotten its own billboard in New York City’s Bryant Park: “Please do not bring that foolishness into 2021,” the Dec. 11 tweet reads.
Warwick has even been dubbed the, well, honorary CEO of Twitter by actual chief exec Jack Dorsey. In response to a fan asking Warwick if she was the CEO of Twitter, the singer on Friday asked, “Am I, @jack?” To which Dorsey replied, within minutes, “Yes, you are.”
The billboard with Warwick’s tweet is one of several humorous and uplifting tweets from real people in Twitter’s end-of-year out-of-home campaign. In addition to New York, the social network has bought billboards and murals in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco/Oakland — all to pitch the idea that Twitter was the place to keep it real. According to Twitter, users have posted more than 6 million tweets about 2020 to date.
Twitter’s main account tweeted the photo of the Warwick billboard on Monday, along with pics of the others in the campaign
Shaq Speaks On ‘Booty’ Comment, Denies Shooting His Shot At Megan Thee Stallion!
Shaq denies shooting his shot at Megan Thee Stallion after he left an interesting comment on her Instagram live.
While Megan Thee Stallion was turning up and dancing on Instagram live, fans caught Shaquille O’Neal comment creeping. A fan asked Shaq what he was doing on the live, and he replied “watching that booty.”
Shaq’s comment went viral as social media assumed he was shooting hit shot. Shaq’s son Shareef, even commented on the comment, saying “I feel you pops.”
Now, Shaq is clearing up his comment. He says he wasn’t shooting his shot, just simply admiring…that booty? “This is what happened America … I was in [the IG Live session]. Somebody said, ‘What are you doing in there?’ And, I typed what I typed. I wasn’t trying to hit on her.”
Naomi Campbell Teams With Cipriani For Holiday Food Drive!
Supermodel-turned-philanthropist Naomi Campbell has partnered with Cipriani Restaurants NYC for her first “Nourishment with Naomi” holiday food drive.
Campbell and the hospitality brand are donating 1,000 food gift-bags to five hospitals across New York City, including Mt. Sinai, Montefiore, Harlem Hospital, Coney Island Hospital and Elmhurst Hospital.
Campbell, a longtime friend of the Cipriani family, said the partnership was a “natural fit” and thanked frontline medical workers.
“Thank you for devoting yourself to being a frontline worker during the pandemic of COVID-19. I wanted to acknowledge and appreciate the risk you have been taking these past nine months to keep New York City safe. Please enjoy this small token of appreciation as a form of gratitude for your hard work and efforts during these difficult times,” Campbell said.
Each hospital will receive 200 baskets of meals between Monday and Tuesday.
Connie Chung Says She 'Was Invisible' to 'Today' Co-Host Bryant Gumbel!
Former ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN anchor Connie Chung is dishing on her experience with her old 'Today' show co-host Bryant Gumbel, saying at times she felt she was "invisible" next to the famous sportscaster. Chung opened up about her long journalism career on Andrew Goldman's The Originals Podcast where she revealed she faced challenges when it came to dealing with her some of her male counterparts.
“I didn’t have a very good experience with a lot of male co-anchors, because they suffer from something called bigshot-itis," she said. "And it’s sort of delusions of grandeur and sort of narcissistic behavior and a feeling of inability to stop talking.”
When it came to her former co-host, Chung admitted he was no exception. "I would say so. I’d be sitting beside him, but I was invisible.”
Though it wasn't all bad. She continued to say, “in recent years he’s become a different guy. He married a wonderful woman [Hilary Quinlan]. She said, ‘Whatever it is between the two of you, we’re not doing that anymore.’”
The latter Bryant Gumbel conversation was cut from the episode, but was released as part of a Q&A for Los Angeles Magazine.
Additionally, Chung discussed some of the rising tensions between her and other popular journalists Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, and Dan Rather, as well as how she got under the skin of Undoing star Hugh Grant in her time on set.
Chung thought when she started working with Walters and Sawyer that the experience would be fun and exciting considering that it would be three female journalists working together. Her time was another experience entirely, she describes.
"When I got to ABC, both Diane and Barbara were in the same sort of arena of trying to get these big interviews," she said on the podcast. "So when I tried to go after them, I was told I could not. That Barbara and Diane were the only ones who could compete for the interview and I had to stand down. And I said, ‘Really?'”
Of her time working with Rather, the 74-year-old news anchor describes working with him as an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Chung told Goldman, though he may have appeared “very Texas gentlemanly” on the outside, “if I turned my back, I felt like I might be in a scene of ‘Psycho’ in the shower.”
Listen to the full episode HERE
Ray J & Princess Love Hint They May Have 3rd Child Despite Ongoing Divorce!
Ray J and Princess Love may be in the middle of a divorce, but that's not stopping them from planning to expand their family.
In a sneak peek, shared by TMZ, of the upcoming VH1 special Love & Hip Hop: Secrets Unlocked, the former couple talked about the possibility of having a third child sooner rather than later.
"All you need is sperm to get pregnant," Princess said after Erica Mena complained that her husband Safaree Samuels changed his mind about having more kids after they got married.
Ray J then joined the conversation, saying, "Princess is requesting more of my sperm," to which Princess responded by jokingly handing him a bottle, saying, "You could put it in here."
"You know we can't do it the traditional way," she added, before revealing that she and Ray "haven't had sex in over three months."
"Princess will get my sperm tonight," Ray shared.
The on-again-off-again couple shares two children: a 2-year-old daughter named Melody and an 11-month-old son named Epik.
Ray and Princess's recent revelation about possibly having a third child comes amidst their ongoing divorce drama. Back in May, Princess filed for divorce. However, she later requested to dismiss the filing after she and Ray J reconciled. Then in September, Ray J filed for divorce.
“I really don’t know what’s going to happen, how it happens, but I just want to make sure that my babies and my Princess is in a great place mentally and that they can enjoy life,” he said at the time. “My wife, if there’s somebody better out there that she wants to be with, then I have to respect that as well. But hey, I don’t know…I can’t say too much, but I love you, Princess. That’s what I can say.”
Despite his filing, the two appeared to be back together last month when Princess posted a photo that showed her walking side-by-side with her husband
Lizzo Flaunts Curves In Lingerie Following Juice Cleanse Backlash!
Lizzo isn't worried about the haters! On Sunday (December 20) the "Juice" singer took to Instagram Story to show off her famous curves following backlash over her recent juice cleanse. "Good Morning," she captioned a video of herself modeling PrettyLittleThing lingerie.
The post came just days after Lizzo was slammed for "promoting diet culture" after she shared the results of a recent juice cleanse she went on.
“So I drank a lot and ate a lot of food and f**ked my stomach up in Mexico so I decided to do JJ Smith’s 10-day smoothie cleanse,” the "Truth Hurts" singer said in a TikTok video that showed what she ate in a day while on the cleanse.
In the same video, Lizzo additionally showed off the physical effect of the cleanse, showing off her results on the final day of the detox. “I’m going to give you a full twirl. I feel amazing and I think it’s great to re-set your stomach […] especially when you deal with gastrointestinal issues like I do but I think I look f**king great too, so, period," she explained.
Famous Dex Checks Into Drug Rehab After Disturbing Images Go Viral!
According to a report from AllHipHop, Famous Dex has checked himself into drug rehab after several concerning images went public over the weekend, leaving fans and critics to express their concern online.
Dex posted a video on IG over the weekend, seemingly inebriated, rapping while showing off his “Sad” and “Love” tattoos. the Chi-Town emcee later posted on Twitter, “I don’t wanna smile no more,” which prompted his followers to tell him to seek help.
Dex’s Instagram page no longer has any posts available.
It has not been confirmed what substance or addiction Dex, whose real name is Dexter Gore Jr. is being treated for, but Dex has been struggling with substance abuse for a good portion of his career.
Last month, NLE Choppa begged Dex’s label to get him some help, to which Dex replied, “He cares, at least somebody cares. He didn’t say nothing wrong, at least somebody cares. I just wanted to say I really appreciated the love and support, but the world on drugs and I look mighty dam fine.”
Benzino and Shauna Brooks Set the Record Straight!
Over the weekend former Love and Hip Hop Atlanta cast mate Althea Heart implied her son's father, Raymond 'Benzino' Scott had been hooking up with transgender party girl Shauna Brooks
Benzino and Shauna set the record straight...
Apparently the two are just good friends who met on a movie set and kept in touch after Shauna hooked Benzino up with investors for his resturant.
Well alrighty then……
Man Gets Life Sentence For Killing Two Black Shoppers In Racially Motivated Attack in Geotrgia!
Gregory Bush walked into a Kroger grocery store and spontaneously shot two Black men.
A Kentucky man has received the life sentence for the double homicide of two Black shoppers at a grocery store, CNN reported. Gregory Bush pleaded guilty to killing Vickie Jones and Maurice Stallard on Tuesday (Dec. 15).
In October of 2018, Bush walked into the Jeffersontown Kroger and shot Maurice Stallard — who was getting school supplies with his nephew — in the back of the head, continuing to shoot him while he was on the floor. On his way out, he fatally shot Vickie Jones. He reportedly tried to visit a predominately Black church ahead of the shootings, but was unable to enter because the doors were locked.
Man sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing Black teen at Oakland BART station
According to Louisville Metro Public Defender Angela Elleman, Bush — who suffers from schizoaffective disorder — had not been treated on the day of the murders.
“On the day of this tragedy, Mr. Bush’s schizophrenia was not medicated, so he was tortured by voices that threatened to kill him and his family,” she told CNN. “He acted out of his psychosis and his illness while at the very same time, his elderly parents were downtown seeking a mental inquest warrant to hospitalize him for everyone’s safety.”
White man seeks forgiveness after shooting into Black family’s home
Bush was sentenced to life without the possiblity of parole, but he will receive the death penalty, according to Attorney General William Barr. He pleaded guilty, but mentally ill to charges of murder, attempted murder, wanton endangerment and federal hate crime charges. As a result, he is required to receive medication for his illness while in jail.
“Vickie Jones and Maurice Stallard were senselessly murdered because of the color of their skin. Our entire community and commonwealth had suffered a loss because of racial enmity,” the Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine said in a statement.
The victims’ families are suing Kroger for permitting customers, like Bush, to enter the store with a weapon.
Megachurch Pastor Jentezen Franklin Tests Positive After Attending White House Christmas Party!
The New York Post reported that Georgia-based evangelical pastor Jentezen Franklin has tested positive for the coronavirus following the White House Christmas Party.
The news was made public to the congregation after Franklin didn’t show up for church on Sunday at the Free Chapel in Gainesville.
According to local media reports, his colleague, Pastor Javon Ruff, said, “We want to make you aware that Pastor Franklin has come in contact with COVID, but he is doing perfectly fine.” He said, “He actually is doing great. He went and got tested, and his test came back positive, so he is doing the right thing to do and staying quarantined and continuing to be distanced.”
Video footage of that day’s service reportedly shows at least 100 churchgoers, many unmasked, the Independent reported.
“We’ll continue to pray and lift him up,” Ruff said in his statement, which included the news that the Free Chapel’s Christmas Eve service will go on virtually this year, “out of an abundance of caution.”
Franklin’s congregation spans out to five houses of worship throughout Georgia, in Gainesville, Gwinnett, Braselton, Cumming, and Atlanta, plus one in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and another in Orange County, California — each of which is led by a different minister and holds between 1,200 and 3,000 seats. His sermons are also broadcast on television and online, where the Free Chapel has a following of more than 229,000 on Facebook and over 18 million views on its YouTube channel.
On Dec. 15, Franklin shared images from the White House on Instagram with his 717,000 followers.
“Thank you @flotus and @realdonaldtrump for inviting us. It was gorgeous! Merry Christmas, everyone!” he captioned the post.
Ruff reportedly told the Free Chapel congregation that Franklin tested positive for COVID-19 after coming into contact with an infected member of the church.
While there is no evidence to show Franklin contracted the coronavirus at the Christmas party, a previous gathering at the White House Rose Garden in late September is thought to have caused an outbreak among dozens of administration staffers.
“We had a super spreader event in the White House, and it was in a situation where people were crowded together, were not wearing masks. So the data speak for themselves,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told CBS News at the time.
AOC Responds To Critics Of Her Getting COVID-19 Vaccine!
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is responding to critics who have slammed her for taking the COVID-19 vaccine ahead of the elderly and frontline workers.
AOC received the first dose of the vaccine on Friday. This did not sit well with Republican Senator Rand Paul and Democratic U.S. representative Ilhan Omar who blasted the 31-year-old for jumping ahead of at-risk Americans who urgently need the vaccine. She shot back on Twitter by slamming the GOP for failing to take the virus seriously in the first place. She followed up her tweet with “@ me next time” seemingly directed at Rand.
In a follow-up tweet, the congresswoman doubled down on her stance, telling Rand that it was important to show that members of the government are also willing to take the vaccine and not just asking the public to do so in an effort to build trust.
“Our job is to make sure the vaccine isn’t politicized the way masks were politicized,” AOC tweeted.
This was in response to Rand tweeting on Monday that it is “unconscionable for AOC, who’s 30 years old, to be smiling gleefully and getting the vaccine when you got 85-year-old people in nursing homes who haven’t gotten it.”
Rand has stated that he would not be taking the vaccine ahead of the high-risk population because he has “immunity.”
“I was asked about getting vaccinated with others in Congress: It is inappropriate for me – who has already gotten the virus/has immunity – to get in front of elderly/healthcare workers,” Rand tweeted Monday.
Omar also voiced her disdain for fellow Congress members who jump in front of the vaccine line calling it “distrubring.”
“It’s now clear that we don’t have enough vaccines for everyone and there is shortage of supply, we have to prioritize those who need it most,” Omar tweeted on Sunday.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
'THE RETURN OF THE MIGHTY MCRIB'
The McRib is back!
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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