British GQ, October 2021-Men of the year issue, Regé-Jean Page!
Rege-Jean Page was among the winners at the GQ Men of the Year Awards 2021.
The ‘Bridgerton’ star won the Standout Performance of the Year trophy at the annual awards ceremony on Wednesday (01.09.21) for his role as the Duke of Hastings in the hit Netflix period drama.
And speaking after his win, the 31-year-old actor said he loved being able to portray a person of high status as a Black man.
Speaking to GQ magazine about his role in the drama, he said: "I think it becomes very obvious who was excluded from the game previously. It just became vaguely ludicrous that it was such an issue before. You know, 'How will this work?' Um, we'll do the acting!"
And of his scenes on horseback, he added: "Being on a horse is literally lifting people into a position of aspiration, power, possibility and agency that they've not been afforded before. That's what's ridiculous. That we are not creative enough in the creative industries - that's the failure. But the second you start doing that? It's like, 'This is so easy!' Yes, it is, so keep doing that."
Rege-Jean will not be returning to ‘Bridgerton’ for season two, but has denied rumours he was booted from the production.
He insisted: "No, I respectfully exited. I didn't want to put them in an awkward situation where they had to kick me out."
Elsewhere, Ed Sheeran was named Solo Artist of the Year, while Sir Anthony Hopkins took home the Legend award and Sacha Baron Cohen won the Icon gong.
There were also awards for the team behind the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, as well as all the Olympic and Paralympic athletes of Great Britain.
#RHOA: #RIP💔🙏😥🌺: Gregg Leakes, Husband of ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ Star NeNe Leakes, Dies at 66!
Gregg Leakes, the husband of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member NeNe Leakes and staple on the Bravo reality show, died Wednesday at age 66.
“Today the Leakes family is in deep pain with a broken heart,” publicist and family friend Ernest Dukes said in a statement. “After a long battle with cancer, Gregg Leakes has passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by all of his children, very close loved ones and wife Nene Leakes.”
Leakes was diagnosed with colon cancer in June 2018 but went into remission. In June 2021, his wife announced that his cancer had returned and he was recovering in a hospital after surgery.
“We ask that you pray for peace and strength over their family them allow them to mourn in private during this very very difficult time,” Dukes’ statement said.
Last week, NeNe said that Gregg was “transitioning to the other side” amid his cancer battle. She followed that up with an Instagram post that simply read “broken” with a prayer and broken heart emoji.
Gregg married NeNe in 1997, and the couple divorced in 2011 but remarried in 2013. Their second wedding was chronicled in the series, “I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding.”
NeNe Leakes was an original cast member of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” which debuted in 2008. Her and Gregg’s relationship woes and reconciliation were chronicled on the series over 12 seasons. The couple have a son, Brentt. Gregg was also stepfather to Nene’s son Bryson and four other children.
#MusicNews: Sevyn Streeter Announces Release Date For Upcoming Album “Drunken Wordz Sober Thoughtz”!
R&B singer/songwriter Sevyn Streeter has announced the release date for her upcoming album “Drunken Wordz Sober Thoughtz”. The highly anticipated follow up to her debut album “Girl Disrupted” is set to drop September 17th, 2021.
The album is spearheaded by the Chris Brown assisted single “Guilty”. The single which samples the Total classic “Can’t You See” is easily one of our favorite songs of the year.
Sevyn also most recently released the single “Nasty Girl” with BIA. The hypnotic song is yet another example of why Sevyn is considered one of the most prolific songwriters in R&B.
This will be Sevyn’s first independent album as her last project “Girl Disrupted” was released on Atlantic Records. Features on the upcoming album include A$AP Ferg, Jeremih, Lucky Daye, BIA, and Lavish.
#HipHopNews: Drake’s Mom Sends Him Flowers And Notes Leading Up To ‘Certified Lover Boy’ Release!
Everyone including Drake’s mother is counting down to Certified Lover Boy.
In the days leading up to the album’s release on Friday, Sandi Graham sent flowers to her son. On Tuesday, Drake shared the red roses his mom sent to his house in the shape of a “3.” Along with the flowers, she penned a sweet poem addressed to “Lover Boy.”
“Three more days we’re counting down / For us to hear the best / Everyone’s excited / ‘Cause you’re nothing like the rest / Three more days my pookaroo I couldn’t be more proud of you,” wrote Sandi, who signed it “Loving Mom.”
On Wednesday, another floral arrangement arrived at The Embassy in the shape of a number “2,” which included more touching words from Sandi.
“Day two is here, one more to go,” she wrote. “We go high when they go low / Certified – it’s been quite a ride / I forever admire your relentless drive.”
In advance of the album’s release on Friday, billboards have appeared in Toronto with what appear to be song lyrics. There have also been CLB pop-ups at wedding chapels in L.A. and Las Vegas where fans can get their hands on free CLB merch.
#HURRICANEIDA: Ida Remnants Bring Severe Weather And Flooding To The Northeast!
Ida remnants bring severe weather and flooding to the Northeast
Less than two weeks after the historic flooding from Henri, parts of the Northeast are faced with another round of flooding thanks to the remnants of Ida.
Even though Ida is now just a remnant low, it continues to pull rich, tropical moisture into the Northeast. Rain totals are expected to range from 3 to 6 inches for most areas. However, localized values in the double digits are not out of the question.
On a normal day, these rain totals would create flooding concerns, however the ground remains saturated after the prolific flooding event from Tropical Storm Henri less than two weeks ago. With saturated grounds and swollen waterways, additional rainfall will quickly lead to significant flooding for these areas.
Flash flood watches and warnings extend from Virginia through Maine as widespread flooding is expected through tonight. The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has even issued a rare high risk for excessive rainfall for a large swath of the Northeast.
Severe weather is also a major part of the story, with a high tornado threat present for much of the Mid-Atlantic tonight.
At least one tornado has already been confirmed in Annapolis, Maryland this evening with photos and videos circulating across social media. This severe weather and flooding threat will subside Thursday as the remnants of Ida finally moves offshore and away from the United States.
Lil Nas X Wil be honored by anti-suicide group The Trevor Project!
NEW YORK (AP) — Lil Nas X has been awarded the inaugural Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year Award from the advocacy group The Trevor Project.
The Trevor Project is a nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention and crisis intervention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning young people.
The group cited Lil Nas X’s “openness about struggling with his sexuality and suicidal ideation, his continued advocacy around mental health issues, and his unapologetic celebration of his queer identity.”
In an interview, Amit Paley, CEO and executive director at The Trevor Project, said the awareness that the “Old Town Road” artist has brought to suicide prevention and mental health has been “profound.”
“He has done it in a way that has resonated and impacted communities where these conversations are often taboo, but where they are so needed,” Paley said.
“The fact that he has been so open, so vulnerable about his mental health journey, his thoughts of suicide, he is really helping to destigmatize conversations that are too often shrouded in shame.”
In February, Lil Nas X shared a series of intimate TikTok videos documenting his life story, including his battle with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation during his rise to fame. In May, he released a music video which depicts Lil Nas X uplifting a younger version of himself in high school when he was contemplating suicide and struggling to come to terms with his sexuality.
“It’s particularly inspiring to see someone who is Black and LGBTQ and proud and unapologetic,” said Paley. “And to see someone talk about their experiences with depression and anxiety and suicidal ideation and to talk about those as part of their art and part of their platform to make other people comfortable talking about the challenges that they are going through.”
The Trevor Project’s national survey on LGBTQ youth mental health in 2021 found that 42 percent of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Paley said the past year has been an especially challenging time for LGBTQ youth, both from a public health perspective and also financially and emotionally. The pandemic may have cut them off from school and resources there for support.
“They might have been trapped in homes with families that were unsupportive or at times rejecting. They might be encountering emotional or even physical abuse or at times thrown out of their homes and experiencing housing instability,” said Paley.
“We had a political climate that has been very challenging for LGBTQ people and especially we’ve seen in states across the country legislation targeting transgender and non-binary young people. All of these things have an impact on people’s mental health.”
If you or someone you know has talked about contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Britney Spears Will Not Face Charges After Being Accused of Misdemeanor Battery by Housekeeper!
Britney Spears will not face criminal charges after being accused of misdemeanor battery by her housekeeper.
via People: The singer, 39, had been accused of slapping a phone out of her housekeeper’s hand during an argument on Aug. 16 regarding the veterinary care of Spears’ dogs. The housekeeper filed a report with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department for alleged misdemeanor battery, indicating damage to the phone’s screen protector. The employee had no visible injuries.
Misdemeanor Unit Supervisor Blake Heller reviewed the case; however, prosecutors declined to press charges against Spears based “upon insufficient evidence that a crime had occurred and the lack of injury to the housekeeper or significant damage to the phone,” according to a news release from the DA’s office.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Spears’ lawyer Mathew Rosengart said, “To its credit, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office has now, not surprisingly, formally rejected the misdemeanor allegation against Britney Spears, which the Sheriff’s Department itself has acknowledged was a ‘very minor’ or ‘extremely minor’ incident, even as alleged, and there also was no striking and obviously no injuries.”
“As I have previously-stated, this was nothing more than sensationalized-tabloid fodder — an overblown ‘he said, she said’ regarding a cell phone. If this involved Jane Doe rather than Britney Spears it would not have been pursued or covered at all.”
“This should never have made it this far and we are glad the DA’s Office has done the right thing. Sadly, it is apparent that some have learned nothing from the past, and we sincerely hope the media and others will be more respectful of Ms. Spears in the future.”
TMZ previously reported that the incident occurred after the employee took Spears’ dogs to the veterinarian, and they argued about the animals’ well-being.
Though the animals were reportedly removed from Spears’ home, the pop star was “reunited with her dogs before the weekend,” a source told PEOPLE.
“Her dogs are a sensitive breed that often has health issues. She has gotten clear instructions about how to care for the dogs now,” the insider said, adding that “the housekeeper no longer works for her.”
Effie T Brown, Gabrielle Union and Taraji P Henson to Produce Film Based on Graphic Novel ‘Sorcerority’!
Effie T. Brown, Gabrielle Union and Taraji P. Henson are teaming up to produce a film adaptation of a fantasy graphic novel called “Sorcerority.”
Brown’s Gamechanger Films, which secured the rights to the book earlier this year, will partner with Union’s I’ll Have Another Productions and Henson’s TPH Entertainment on the film adaptation of “Sorcerority.” The three companies will develop the graphic novel for the big screen based on the book co-written by Mikhail Sebastian and George Watson from 2018.
“Sorcerority” chronicles the story of a young African American girl, who, following in the footsteps of her late mother, enrolls into a historically African American coven and university of magic. She soon discovers her enrollment into the school may not be entirely of her own choosing, but rather the calculated actions of a higher authority. In between her studies, she uncovers her familial connection to the school’s mysterious past, as well as her pivotal role in its future.
Effie T. Brown will be producing on behalf of Gamechanger, Gabrielle Union will produce alongside Kian Gass, who will oversee from I’ll Have Another Productions, and Taraji P. Henson and Christine Conley will produce on behalf of TPH Entertainment.
“Taraji and I have been looking for a project to work on together for a few years now and I’m excited to be partnering with her, TPH Productions and Gamechanger Films on this project. I’m looking forward to bringing this graphic novel to the big screen,” Union said.
“I created TPH Entertainment as a way to help push forward stories that better represent what our society looks like and to help share voices that may not have been given the opportunity to be heard. Joining incredible, like-minded women like Effie and Gabrielle on this exciting adaptation is a thrill for me and I cannot wait to begin this journey with them,” Henson said.
Gamechanger is behind another film that will star Union, a recently announced project from director Elegance Bratton called “The Inspection” that will star Jeremy Pope and will be co-financed and distributed by A24. Gamechanger also recently consulted on Amazon Studios’ inclusion policy and playbook initiative for its content and productions – a testament to its leadership in elevating projects by and about underserved communities including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities across all platforms.
“I could not have imagined a better equipped or more inspiring dream team of female producing partners than Gabrielle and Taraji on a project about such powerful black women. ‘Sorcerority’s’ depiction of black girl magic and sisterhood offers such a fresh and unexpected perspective, and we can’t wait to bring Mikhail and George’s beautiful graphic novel to life,” Brown said.
Gabrielle Union is represented by CAA, Range Media Partners, Patti Felker and The Lede Company. Taraji P. Henson is represented by M88, Ziffren Law and The Lede Company.
The Reboot Of ‘The Game’ Gets An Official Premiere Date!
On November 11th, the show will stream on Paramount + and it will have some familiar characters in it. Wendy Raquel Robinson, who played Tasha Mack, and Hosea Chanchez, who played Mack’s son, Malik Wright, are both set to be in the reboot.
However, Tia Mowry, who played the beloved Melanie “Med-School” Barnett, will not be reprising her role, as she confirmed her on Tik-Tok.
There will also be some new characters that will be introduced to the audience. Paramount stated, “The Game returns with a mix of new players and original cast to offer a modern-day examination of Black culture through the prism of pro football.’
The statement also went on to read, “The team will tackle racism, sexism, classism, and more as they fight for fame, fortune, respect, and love – all while trying to maintain their souls as they each play The Game.”
Kanye West Reportedly Asked Donald Trump To Appear At ‘Donda’ Event!
Kanye West stirred controversy when he brought out DaBaby and Marilyn Manson at his DONDA listening experience, but that wasn’t the only surprise he was planning.
According to a new report, Ye invited former President Donald Trump to take the stage with him at Chicago’s Soldier Field, where he debuted his 10th studio album.
“Kanye reached out to Donald Trump’s team to get the former President to make an appearance alongside him and join DaBaby, Marilyn Manson, and Kim Kardashian in Chicago,” a source tells Radar.
“Getting a former President to help sell his new album would have been huge for Kanye, who was a big supporter of Donald Trump. As far as Kanye is concerned, all press is good press,” adds the insider.
Kanye was an outspoken supporter of Trump’s and even met with the former president at the White House in 2018.
“This is a man who ran for President after everyone told him not to do it,” said another source. “This is a man who wore a red ‘Make America Great Again’ hat and visited the Oval Office. Kanye loves to press buttons. Expect a lot more press stunts over the next few days. I wouldn’t put it past him to turn up with Bill Cosby.”
In addition to DaBaby and Marilyn Manson, Kim Kardashian made a surprise appearance at Kanye’s DONDA listening event in a wedding dress while recreating the couple’s 2014 wedding. Other guests at the event included Travis Scott, Don Toliver, and Shenseea.
Kanye had other lofty plans for his Chicago party. Earlier this week, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that he wanted to move his mother’s actual house into Soldier Field, but the city denied him permission. Instead, he built a replica of the 1,600-square-foot home in the stadium.
3 police officers, 2 paramedics indicted in Elijah McClain’s death!
Three police officers and two paramedics were indicted by a grand jury on Wednesday (Sept. 1) in Elijah McClain's death. The news arrives after an eight-month grand jury investigation into the Black 23-year-old’s in-custody death, which occurred in Aurora, Colorado in 2019.
According to State Attorney General Phil Weiser, who announced the grand jury’s 32-count indictment, all five of the defendants face one count each of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, among other charges. Officers Nathan Woodyard and Randy Roedema and ex-officer Jason Rosenblatt are charged with second-degree assault with intent to cause bodily injury and one count of a crime of violence.
Paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec are charged with second-degree assault with intent to cause bodily injury, second-degree assault for recklessly causing serious bodily injury by means of a deadly weapon and second-degree assault for a purpose other than lawful medical or therapeutic treatment. Each of the paramedics’ assault charges also carries two counts of crimes of violence.
According to NBC News, McClain’s father LaWayne Mosley cried “tears of joy” after learning about the indictment.
“Nothing will bring back my son, but I am thankful that his killers will finally be held accountable,” he said in a statement.
The announcement arrives just over two years after McClain’s death, which began with him being detained and placed in a chokehold by Aurora police. On Aug. 24, 2019; cops confronted McClain while responding to a report about a suspicious person in the area and claimed he “resisted contact.” In a body camera video, the 140-pound massage therapist could be heard telling police he was an introvert and asking them to “please respect the boundaries that I am speaking.”
Father and son found guilty of hate crimes for chasing, shooting at Black teens on ATVs
One officer said he thought McClain was reaching for a holstered gun and grabbed him. “A struggle ensued,” police said, and cops used a carotid control hold, which restricts blood flow to the brain. When paramedics arrived, they injected McClain with a dose of ketamine, which an investigative panel later said would have been enough to sedate a 190-pound man.
Around seven minutes after receiving the drug, McClain went into cardiac arrest and had no pulse. Medics were able to revive him, but he was declared brain dead at a hospital and taken off life support less than one week later.
Woodyard and Roedema were placed on desk duty after the incident and are still employed by the department. Rosenblatt, however, was fired last July after posing for photos mocking McClain’s death. A fourth cop also resigned from the department.
In February, an independent investigation commissioned by the city found that the officers and paramedics had no legal basis to detain and drug McClain “without conducting anything more than a brief visual observation.”
R. Kelly trial: Witness testifies R&B star forced sex acts, told her 'I'm a legend'!
NEW YORK – R. Kelly's sex-trafficking trial continued into Day 10 on Wednesday with more graphic testimony from a witness who says he forced her into sex acts, told her he's a "legend" and that he likes a woman "who reminds him of a puppy, his daughter or his mom.”
The witness, who testified as "Faith," is one of the six complaining witnesses whose allegations underlie the sex trafficking, racketeering and other charges Kelly faces at the trial in federal court in Brooklyn. So far, the jury has heard testimony from or about five of those women.
On Tuesday, Faith told the jury that she wasn't a fan of Kelly's but he enticed her to join him on the road after she met him at a concert in Texas.
On Wednesday, under direct questioning from Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadia Shihata, Faith described meetings with Kelly in Texas, Los Angeles and New York during which she was reluctant to engage in sex acts, he forced her anyway, and once showed her a gun as a way of intimidating her.
"He had a weapon, so I wasn't going to step out of line," Faith told the jury about a 2018 encounter in Los Angeles.
During that meeting, she said she told him she didn't want to have sex. He put a pillow on the floor and demanded oral sex, she said. “He grabbed the back of my neck forward,” she said, forcing her to perform the sex act. He told her that he wanted her to greet him with excitement when he entered a room, and that she failed to comply.
They continued to communicate through phone calls, texting and FaceTime. In February 2018, they met at a New York City hotel. Why did she go? “Let me see how it’s going to go one more time,” Faith testified.
She said she was left alone in a hotel suite for a long time. Why didn’t she leave? It was part of Kelly’s rules, Faith said. "Don’t leave anywhere without his permission,” she told the jury.
When he arrived, she resisted when he tried to have sex with her, she said, so he began masturbating to videos on his iPad of himself having sex with other women. Faith said Kelly told her she needed to be more like the women in the videos.
Eventually, Faith said, she concluded “I don’t want to be a part of this.” When Kelly's assistant summoned him for a meeting, she said he patted her on the shoulder as he left and told her she had a lot to learn.
He warned her not to defy him, telling her “I’m a (expletive) legend.”
She left the next day and flew home to Texas. She said she sent him an apology text. “I didn’t hate him,” Faith said. “I just hoped he didn’t have any hard feelings toward me.”
Later, when she discovered bumps in her mouth, she went to a doctor and was told she had herpes. She tried to contact Kelly; he didn't respond, she said. “He totally cut off communication with me.” She contacted a lawyer and filed a police report with the Dallas police, later suing him for failing to disclose a sexually transmitted disease.
Eventually, she said, Kelly called and told her “you still have a friend in me,” a call recorded by her lawyer. But when she asked him about the herpes, she said he told her, “If he had something, we weren’t going to discuss it over the phone.”
Later, after she appeared in the "Surviving R. Kelly" Lifetime series, Faith said she was contacted by a woman who worked with Kelly, who told her the star planned to publish nude photos of the witness if she continued to speak publicly. Faith testified the photos were later posted to a Facebook page called "Surviving Lies."
On cross-examination by one of Kelly's lawyers, Deveraux Cannick, Faith acknowledged she visited Kelly at least five times on the road, and that each encounter featured some form of unwanted sexual contact, abuse or intimidation.
“After all that … you went to visit him again?” Cannick asked. "Correct," she said. “Your choice, right?” "Yes," she said. “You felt like he violated you … in each and every one of these trips?” “Correct,” she said.
Faith acknowledged she had appeared on at least five to seven talk shows and on social media programs but did not get paid for them. She said she received $1,000 for a picture of herself, her sister and Kelly that was used in "Surviving R. Kelly."
Cannick read her a transcript of a podcast called Paper Route where she said, “I don’t like the word 'victim,' I don’t feel like a victim. … I made a choice to be with that man. … That’s why I walked away.”
“And you’re not a victim?” Cannick asked. “Correct,” she replied.
On re-direct, Shihata asked her if she testified there were “two sides to the defendant.” "Yes," she said. "It wasn’t all bad, correct?” "Correct," she said.
Kelly, 54, is facing multiple sex-trafficking and racketeering charges dating back decades and involving six complaining witnesses, including the late singer Aaliyah, called Jane Doe No. 1 by prosecutors.
The star has repeatedly denied accusations that he preyed on women during a 30-year career highlighted by his 1996 smash hit "I Believe I Can Fly." His lawyers have portrayed his accusers as groupies who are lying about their relationships with him.
What's happened in the R. Kelly trial so far?
The government accuses Kelly of leading "a criminal enterprise" of managers, bodyguards and other employees who allegedly helped Kelly to recruit women and underage girls for sex and pornography, and to cross state lines for that purpose.
Jerhonda Johnson Pace, the first Kelly accuser to testify at the trial (who has previously shared her story publicly), said she had sex with the singer when she was 16, although she initially told him she was 19, which is over the age of consent.
Pace testified she had to be granted permission by the singer to use the bathroom and that Kelly sometimes recorded their frequent sex sessions and would later show the recordings to her to point out where she could use “improvement.” She said she "ended up contracting herpes" while she was with Kelly in 2009.
The second accuser, who called herself "Jane" on the stand, testified last week that Kelly made his girlfriends practice answering questions about him, in an effort to better defend him during his volatile CBS interview with Gayle King.
The witness said when she first met Kelly, he pressured her for sex before an audition. She said she eventually moved in with him while still a junior in high school and testified Kelly chastised or punished her for various reasons during their time together, including forcing her to have sex with another man while Kelly recorded it on an iPad. She wept when she testified she contracted herpes after sex with Kelly. She said Kelly hadn't disclosed he had a sexually transmitted disease.
The third complaining witness, who called herself "Stephanie" on the stand, said in 1999 she sought out Kelly to help a friend with her singing aspirations. She testified Kelly subjected her to a months-long abusive sexual relationship when she was 17, during which he frequently videotaped their sexual encounters.
His sexual demands and his frequent videotaping of her in humiliating positions left her "disgusted" and feeling "less than," she told the jury, also describing a traumatic trip she took at his behest to Orlando.
Another complaining witness, Faith, said she was exposed to a sexually transmitted disease after meeting Kelly at a backstage after-party in 2017 when she was 19. She said the singer paid for her flights and hotel rooms to attend his concerts in cities where he demanded sex from her. When questioned by the prosecution, she said Kelly did not tell her he had herpes and did not wear condoms.
Kelly's former assistant and tour manager, Demetrius Smith, testified under subpoena and immunity from prosecution that he helped facilitate Kelly's illegal 1994 marriage to the late singer Aaliyah, who was 15 at the time.
Other witnesses have testified about uncharged crimes, including a male ("Louis") who said Kelly performed oral sex on him in 2007 when he was a 17-year-old high school student, and a woman ("Addie") who said Kelly raped her at age 17 following a performance in Miami in 1994.
Kelly's primary care doctor, Kris McGrath, also testified under subpoena that he was the star's doctor for 25 years until 2019. McGrath said he diagnosed Kelly with genital herpes, informed the star and told him to tell his sexual partners. He said he'd been prescribing Valtrex for Kelly since at least 2007, but could not say specifically when he concluded Kelly actually had herpes.
Kelly is also accused in the two-year-old indictment of knowingly infecting some victims with a sexually transmitted disease, bribery, kidnapping, forced labor and producing child pornography.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Ellen DeGeneres announces slew of celebrity guests for last season!
Ellen DeGeneres is saying adios to her eponymous talk show after 19 years on the air.
The host announced that the first episode of the final season will air on Sept. 13 and a plethora of celebrity guests will be joining her to say goodbye.
The show will include fully vaccinated audiences and feature live studio tapings.
Jennifer Aniston will be making her 23rd appearance on the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” this season and Jimmy Kimmel will make his 20th appearance.
Kim Kardashian will be joining the 63-year-old back on the blue couch in her first interview since concluding her reality show, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”
“Girls Trip” comedian Tiffany Haddish and pop-rock band Imagine Dragons will also have a sit-down chat with DeGeneres in her final episodes.
Other guests who will be making appearances include Melissa McCarthy, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Julianne Moore and Melissa Etheridge.
The show will feature guest stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Fallon and more.
Before announcing the end of her long-running chat show, DeGeneres was embroiled in several controversies after allegations arose last year that the set had a toxic workplace environment behind the scenes. A Buzzfeed report was released in July 2020 that alleged former staffers raised concerns over issues of racism and sexual misconduct from producers.
“As you may have heard, this summer there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show and then there was an investigation,” DeGeneres said in a Season 18 monologue. “I take that very seriously and I want to say I am so sorry to the people that were affected … I take responsibility for what happens at my show.”
Sources told The Post in May that her contract was up in 2022 regardless of the allegations and the official reason for the end of her talk show is that it’s “not a challenge anymore.”
The Johnson & Johnson HIV Vaccine Trial Fails
Looks like Johnson & Johnson will have to go back to the drawing board.
The company announced Tuesday that its clinical trial of an experimental HIV vaccine had failed to provide sufficient protection for young women in sub-Saharan Africa who were at high risk of acquiring HIV.
J&J explained that its Imbokodo study posed no safety concerns, but will not continue. According to The Hill, the study enrolled approximately 2,600 young women across five countries in sub-Saharan Africa, a region where women and girls accounted for 63 percent of all new HIV infections in 2020. Participants were randomly selected to receive either the vaccine or a placebo. Although researchers found the vaccine’s efficacy was only about 25 percent, it was just not statistically significant.
“Although this is certainly not the study outcome for which we had hoped, we must apply the knowledge learned from the Imbokodo trial,” said Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Mitchell Warren, executive director of AVAC, an HIV prevention advocacy group, also said in a statement: “This is in no way the end of the search for an HIV vaccine.”
Honey Boo Boo Fans Concerned Over Her Relationship With 20-Year-Old Man!
Honey Boo Boo revealed that she is dating a 20-year-old college student, leaving fans side-eyeing the relationship.
According to a source close to the 16-year-old reality star, whose real name is Alana Thompson, she has been dating Dralin Carswell for the past six months. The insider claims that the two are “attached at the hip.” Despite the age difference, Thompson’s family approves of the relationship.
Back in March, Carswell changed his Facebook status to “in a relationship.” A private Facebook page for Thompson previously showed a cover photo of the couple together, but it has since been changed.
Tyrese Gibson Speaks on Experiencing Colorism in Hollywood; Says Terrence Howard Has Been Chosen for Roles Over Him Because of His Complexion!
Tyrese Gibson speaks out about how colorism affects the opportunities dark-skinned actors get versus light-skinned actors.
Colorism is a vertical of white supremacy that plagues the Black community and all communities of color. Colorism, the prejudice or discrimination against people of a darker complexion, can directly impact darker-skinned people’s opportunities, resources, and lifestyle. People of the same ethnicity and race can also perpetuate colorism amongst one another.
Colorism is has been used throughout history to break down communities of color, and Gibson says he’s experienced that first-hand in Hollywood.
“Terrence Howard has no idea how many roles that I was about to book, and they went with him because he’s the lighter-skinned black man with the green eyes,” said Gibson. “It’s crazy to me, like, I’m No. 1. I’m the star. I’m this blue-black, you know, all of the things that I was laughed about in the ‘hood.”
Gibson went on: “And then you look at Lupita [Nyong’o] and the Viola Davises of the world, and there is this kind of, this shift that has happened. I think we should all stay humble because it’s interesting how white people created this kind of colorism. The mixed-race gets to be in the house, and the black blacks get to work in the hot sun and pick cotton.”
He added that he also experienced colorism as a child growing up.
“Throughout my whole childhood, it was not cool to be dark skin in the hood. It was always the light-skinned black people that seemed to have gotten all the attention and all the love and considered pretty, or attractive, or handsome,” he said. “And since I’ve been in Hollywood, we dealt with the same thing.”
Jonathan Owens, Simone Biles' boyfriend, among those cut by Texans!
The Texans cut safety Jonathan Owens on Tuesday ahead of the deadline for each NFL team to trim its roster down to 53 players.
Owens, a reserve safety who has played in eight regular season NFL games since coming out of Missouri Western as an undrafted free agent in 2018, probably is best known as the boyfriend of Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. The couple recently celebrated their one-year anniversary and Biles turned heads at Texans training camp when she showed up to watch a practice the day after returning from the Tokyo Olympics.
The 26-year-old Owens has been cut before the regular season four straight times, but each time he has ended up sticking around the league on the practice squad. On Wednesday, the Texans signed him to their practice squad again.
Owens spent the 2018 season on the Arizona Cardinals injured reserve, then was signed to the Texans' practice squad after the Cardinals let him go in 2019. Owens played one game in the regular season for the Texans in 2019. Last season, the Texans cut Owens on the final day of roster cutdowns, but signed him to the practice squad the next day. He ended up playing six regular season games for the Texans.
Sixers' Joel Embiid Dismisses Rumored Rift with Ben Simmons!
The Philadelphia 76ers had a disappointing end to their 2020-21 season, which prompted speculation that a deeper issue between the franchise's stars existed and possibly held the team back.
Word coming out of Ben Simmons's camp is that the relationship between him and the team is irreparable, and he is open to going to any of the other 29 teams in the league. But for whatever the irreparability of Simmons's relationship with the team is from his perspective, his Sixers co-star Joel Embiid spoke out that there isn't a rift between the two.
"Sources “Trust me bro”!! Stop using my name to push people’s agendas. I love and hate drama. I love playing with Ben. Stats don’t lie. He’s an amazing player and we all didn’t get the job done. It’s on me personally. I hope everyone is back cuz we know we’re good enough to win," he tweeted.
Embiid later expounded on his thoughts, tweeting, "From my own experience, y’all have no idea how much this media makes up stuff for followers and shame on you for believing them."
"I haven’t forgotten but 2 years ago, I got booed, people in Philly wanted me to be traded. I even shushed them. Only the real ones didn’t but I just put the work in that offseason to be better cuz I knew I wasn’t playing up to my potential. Philly fans, y’all also gotta be better," he concluded.
Joe Rogan's COVID treatment blasted by CNN medical analyst: 'He's not helping matters'!
CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner laid into influential podcast host and comedian Joe Rogan on Don Lemon Tonight Wednesday. In an Instagram post earlier in the day, Rogan revealed that he has COVID-19, and went on to list multiple unproven or disproven drugs he took in an attempt to fight the virus.
In the video, Rogan said, “Turns out I got COVID, so we immediately threw the kitchen sink at it. All kinds of meds. Monoclonal antibodies, Ivermectin, Z-Pak, Prednisone, everything.”
Rogan walked back anti-vaccination comments he made earlier this year, saying, “I am not a doctor. I am a f**king moron.” Reiner quoted that statement and said he doesn’t “quibble with that” before moving on to Rogan’s latest remarks.
“He’s, again, causing a great deal of public disservice,” Reiner said, “when he describes a completely jumbled, sort of self-created medical regimen that he's on right now.”
Reiner then went on to explain why each medicine Rogan named won’t work in this situation. Of Ivermectin, the horse de-wormer that has recently become popular among some who refuse to get vaccinated, Reiner flat out said that it does not work for COVID and “we know that.” Reiner said that monoclonal antibodies are not for Rogan, they’re for people with mild to moderate symptoms at high risk of progression, and that it doesn’t seem like Rogan falls into that category. Reiner said that Z-Pak is antibacterial which in no way will work for a viral illness, and that Prednisone is for hospitalized patients on oxygen therapy.
“He’s promoting, kind of a crazy jumble of, you know, sort of folk remedies and internet-prescribed drugs. It's, again, dangerous now,” Reiner said. “He should have more sense. After encountering the disease, and again, I hope he does well and gets well quickly, he’s not helping matters when he promotes this sort of nonsense therapeutic mix.”
Rogan is just the latest in a string of COVID skeptics to be stricken with the virus, which Reiner hopes will compel him to push vaccination.
“This is the missed opportunity for people like Mr. Rogan,” Reiner said. “He has all of these listeners, and the people that are listening to him are the least vaccinated group in the United States, sort of this 18 to 30-year-old group, people who think they're invulnerable who have listened to him, and who have decided they don't need to be vaccinated. He has the ear of these people. He could be a force for vaccinating this country, for putting the virus down by simply saying, ‘You know something? I was wrong.’”
Rogan recently struck a huge deal with Spotify, and reaches millions of people over multiple platforms. Don Lemon believes Rogan has a responsibility to tell the truth about COVID.
“As someone who has that huge a platform — what does he have, 13 million followers on Instagram and however many people listen to his podcast — he has a responsibility to tell people the truth, and to help people,” Lemon said. “Quite honestly, in this environment when there’s a global pandemic, to tell people to get vaccinated, to keep themselves healthy.”
Lemon also pointed out that not everyone can afford all the treatments Rogan tried, which also includes an NAD drip and a vitamin drip.
“All of that costs money, the vaccine is free,” Lemon said. “Joe Rogan has a lot of money. I’m sure a lot of people who listen to him don’t have a lot of money.”
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘FRESH PRODUCE PICKUP’
Pick up on aisle #2?
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!
EFREM
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