#FASHIONFILES: Moschino Salt and Pepper Shoes
Moschino Salt and Pepper Mary Janes
Moschino Salt and Pepper Sandals:
Ladies, Would you wear these??
#RHOA: HOT or NOT? Marlo Hampton Rocks a Bold All-Black Chanel Look
Marlo Hampton continues to prove that any occasion can be a stylish one, so it should come as no surprise that The Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member turned a casual evening into a fashion-filled affair.
In a series of March Instagram Stories, Marlo showed off her look for a "movie date night" with her two nephews, Michael and William. The RHOA business owner was stunning in an all-black ensemble which included a sleek button-down shirt, skin-tight pants, and pointed-toe booties. Of course, Marlo didn't stop there. The fashionista draped herself in a fur jacket that matched her fuzzy black hat. She accessorized with a Chanel belt with gold chains and a Chanel purse.
Marlo's nephews rocked their own sophisticated attire for the night out. The eldest of the two, Michael, sported a Nike t-shirt, black peacoat, blue pants, and white sneakers. Marlo's other nephew William was equally dapper in a white sweatshirt, beige peacoat, black jeans, and tan boots.
Marlo recently opened up about how her family, and nephews in particular, inspired her to launch a fashion business. In 2020, the RHOA cast member brought LĂŠ Archive (a fashion showroom that has over 5,000 luxury designer items available for rent) to life after she realized she "had to take care" of the boys. LĂŠ Archive includes an exquisite selection of runway and archival pieces, all from her personal collection.
#MusicNews: Chris Brown Teases Joint Tour With Mystery Co-Headliner
Breezy season is in full effect. Days after announcing a new single, Chris Brown is teasing a joint tour. Taking to his Instagram Story, he revealed plans to return to the road this summer with a mystery co-headliner.
“TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT SOON… me and đ…. Finna f**k the summer up,” he said.
In the meantime, fans have weighed in with who they would like to see as his tourmate, with guesses including Drake, Tory Lanez, Bow Wow, and Trey Songz.
Chris hasn’t toured since 2019’s “Indigoat Tour,” which featured special guests Tory Lanez, Ty Dolla $ign, Joyner Lucas, and Yella Beezy.
Earlier in the week, he announced that his new single “Warm Embrace” will hit streaming on April 1. “Is this the BREEZY you’ve been waiting for?” he asked fans.
“Warm Embrace” follows “Iffy” and arrives ahead of Chris’ upcoming 10th studio album Breezy.
#HipHopNews: Lil Nas X Returns To Social Media, Teases NBA Youngboy Collaboration
On Wednesday, the “Industry Baby” rapper returned from his months-long social media hiatus to tease a song with NBA YoungBoy.
He shared a screenshot of an audio file labeled “Late to the Party” featuring YoungBoy alongside another song with Saucy Santana titled “Down Souf Hoes.”
“which one y’all want first?” he asked fans.
He also retweeted a fan who called the YoungBoy collaboration a “God tier move” in the wake of the “YoungBoy better” meme.
It’s unclear if he plans to actually release the two tracks or if he’s just trolling. However, he did share a photo of himself with Santana.
Nas returned to social media after a nearly four-month absence. “why are people surprised i’ve been away for so long? have y’all really never heard of maternity leave?” he asked in his first tweet since Dec. 6.
“i’m so happy i’m back on the internet. i missed me so much,” he added while also sharing his “random hairstyles” from the past four months.
Court Orders Jussie Smollett Release From Jail During Appeal
CHICAGO (AP) — Jussie Smollett was ordered released from jail Wednesday by an appeals court that agreed with his lawyers that he should be released pending the appeal of his conviction for lying to police about a racist and homophobic attack.
The ruling came after a Cook County judge sentenced Smollett last week to immediately begin serving 150 days in jail for his conviction on five felony counts of disorderly conduct for lying to police. In an outburst immediately after the sentence was handed down, the former star of the TV show “Empire” proclaimed his innocence and said “I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that.”
The appeals court, in a 2-1 decision, said Smollett could be released after posting a personal recognizance bond of $150,000, meaning he doesn’t have to put down money but agrees to come to court as required. It was unclear late Wednesday how soon he may be released.
Smollett’s attorneys had argued that he would have completed the sentence by the time the appeal process was completed and that Smollett could be in danger of physical harm if he remained locked up in Cook County Jail. The office of the special prosecutor called the claim “factually incorrect,” in a response to the motion.
The court’s decision marks the latest chapter in a strange story that began in January 2019 when Smollett, who is Black and gay, reported to Chicago police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack by two men wearing ski masks. The manhunt for the attackers soon turned into an investigation of Smollett himself and his arrest on charges that he’d orchestrated the attack and lied to police about it.
The investigation revealed Smollett paid two men he knew from his work on “Empire” to stage the attack.
A jury convicted Smollett in December on five felony counts of disorderly conduct — the charge filed when a person lies to police. He was acquitted on a sixth count. Judge James Linn sentenced Smollett last week to 150 days in jail, but with good behavior he could have been released in as little as 75 days. Smollett maintained his innocence during the trial.
Appellate Court Justices Thomas Hoffman and Joy Cunningham signed the order, while Justice Maureen Connors dissented.
New Ralph Lauren collection explores collegiate style on historically Black campuses
Ralph Lauren has released a limited fashion collection that collaborates with two leading historically Black colleges. It draws on the work of an all-Black creative team.
Ralph Lauren
A young woman in a powder blue sweater glances up dreamily from a book she's perusing on a pristine campus lawn.
Four impossibly strong-jawed college men pose jauntily against an autumnal landscape, one with argyle socks showing off a well-turned calf.
These images and aesthetics are the sort one might expect from Ralph Lauren, the billion-dollar brand associated with prepster chic. But these pictures represent a new collection the company developed with historically Black Morehouse College and Spelman College for a limited release on March 29. It celebrates an extensive history of elite Black collegiate style.
"The white patchwork eyelet and silk wrap dresses, which anchor the Spelman collection, symbolize the highly anticipated white attire ceremony, marking students' induction into the college," the company explains in a press release. "Similarly, the wool flannel blazer serves as an homage to the Morehouse blazer, a garment traditionally bestowed to students during their first days on campus."
The campaign is Ralph Lauren's first with an entirely all-Black cast: creative directors, cinematographers, models (including students, faculty and alumni at both institutions) and the photographer, Nadine Ijewere.
"There are those who might look at this collection and see it as an anachronism at a time when track pants and leggings are as dressed up as many people want to be," noted Washington Post fashion critic Robin Givhan in a lengthy analysis of the collection. "There's a polish to these images that may feel stilted at a time when improvisation is valued. The entire project is a risk in an era when social media watchdogs are always on the prowl for missteps."
Social media watchdogs never sleep, and Twitter immediately did what it does, with concerns raised around cultural appropriation, respectability politics, the glamorization of Jim Crow-era fashion and the responsibilities of corporations when they step into Black spaces, such as the historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
"It's important to have those types of tensions and it's absolutely important for us to have that type of critique," says David Wall Rice, a Morehouse College psychology professor who consulted on (and appeared in) the Ralph Lauren campaign. "We're in an important partnership, with a multibillion dollar corporation that really is an aspirational brand. So, it's something that does not necessarily speak to the least of us, or the marginalized among us."
What this campaign emphasizes, Rice says, is one part of a complex history of Black expression, one that Ralph Lauren himself was completely unaware of until just a couple of years ago, when the 82-year-old took part in a series of company-wide conversations about race in 2020. He found himself talking with a young designer named James Jeter, whose association with the company began right before college, when he worked as a salesperson in one of its stores.
"As a student at Morehouse, my chapter advisor would take us through these old yearbooks from the 1920s and '30s to show us some of the earlier chapter memories from our fraternity," Jeter told NPR. "And I couldn't help but see all the beautiful images from the '20s, '30s and '40s of the students within those yearbooks. I presented those images to Ralph and he had not been aware of that history from HBCUs and had not seen those photos before. And he was immensely inspired by what was shown, and really, from that point empowered me to take the lead on making this a collection and presenting this to the world."
Jeter worked closely to develop the new collection with Dara Douglas, a Spelman College graduate who directs "inspirational content" at the Ralph Lauren Library.
"When Mr. Lauren started his career," Douglas points out, "People questioned his ability to even use this kind of iconography supposedly just associated with this WASP-y ideal."
Lauren, who was born Ralph Lifshitz in the Bronx, himself had a complex cultural relationship with the monied Mayflower aesthetic his brand has tirelessly promoted, she says. "Him being a kid from the Bronx who didn't go to Princeton, didn't go to Yale. So it's interesting that the conversation is coming back up again with this collection."
It's no surprise to Professor Adrienne Jones that this conversation has prompted pushback and dialogue. She teaches fashion at Pratt Institute, where she curated an exhibition called Black Dress, about the history of Black design.
"There will always be a lot of complaints when it's a white brand telling a Black story," she says. But it's meaningful, she says, because of restrictions on Black history and stories from schools beleaguered by complaints about critical race theory, for Ralph Lauren's giant global company to make space for its Black designers, archivists and executives to explore Black style and its implications.
"What did being an educated Black professional mean in the '20s and '30s?" she says. "To tie together black history along with black fashion history, with a brand that is known for their take on Americana — I think it's a great step in this complicated, difficult conversation. We're going to need to do it together."
Black people have always looked great, Jones adds firmly, whether or not they attended Spelman or Morehouse, and there was nothing in the collection she hadn't seen before. And while Ralph Lauren is one of the richest people in America, with a company that earned an estimated $6 billion dollars in 2018, Jones notes that this campaign made much of a $2 million dollar donation last year for student scholarships at 12 HBCUs, including Spelman and Morehouse, through the United Negro College Fund.
Consider Jones unimpressed. "If you say $2 million per semester per school," she says. "Now you've got my attention."
50 Cent Says He Had A Conversation With Tyler Perry About Mo’Nique: Director Supports Her Comeback, Denies Telling Anyone Not To Hire Her
Rapper and entertainment mogul 50 Cent is following up on his word and defending Mo’Nique, the Oscar-winning actress and comedian who was allegedly blackballed by the film industry in Hollywood back in 2009.
On Monday (March 14), 50 Cent took to Instagram to issue out a statement intended for film series creator Tyler Perry, 52, and television CEO Oprah Winfrey, 68.
50 Cent calls out the two and addresses the influence that they have that has ultimately damaged the career of Mo’Nique.
The next day (March 15), 50 is back on Instagram with an updated post that he had a conversation with Tyler Perry regarding the situation with Mo’Nique that has been going on for far too long. According to 50, Tyler Perry is on board to get Mo’Nique’s career back on track.
Mo’Nique’s unfortunate issues in the film industry came shortly after she won an Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in 2009’s Precious. Since then, Mo’Nique has made it no secret that she believes influencers in the industry such as Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry and filmmaker Lee Daniels played a role in blackballing her.
At the beginning of the month of March, 50 began showing his support for Mo’Nique with a series of posts. From supporting her stand-up show during Super Bowl LVI weekend to posting a clip that merges her role in Precious with the actors of Power, 50 is attracting the attention of his fan-base along with the big players needed to resolve the issue.
In an interview last month with Turnt Out with TS Madison, Mo’Nique states that Tyler was not on board with revisiting the blackballing situation when contacted by fellow colleagues and friends. Having a change of heart, Tyler instead decides he does want to meet with Mo’Nique, under two conditions: that they meet without her husband/manager, Sidney Hicks and that she apologize to him and Oprah for saying that they had anything to do with ruining her career.
Do you think Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey owe Mo’Nique an apology? Let us know in the comments!
Trump says Pence partnership over as ex-president eyes 2024 comeback bid
Former President Donald Trump is effectively ruling out tapping former Vice President Mike Pence as his running mate should he mount a third White House bid in 2024 and win the Republican nomination.
“I don’t think the people would accept it,” Trump told the Washington Examiner Tuesday evening during a wide-ranging telephone interview from Mar-a-Lago, his private social club and political headquarters in Palm Beach, Florida.
The former president cited friction stemming from the aftermath of the 2020 election, suggesting their differences are too stark to overcome. Trump claimed the contest was stolen and wanted Pence to overturn the results during the congressional certification of President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. Pence, who in his capacity as Senate president was presiding over the certification proceedings, refused, explaining the Constitution granted him no such authority.
Trump continues to insist otherwise. He pointed to bipartisan talks on Capitol Hill to reform the Electoral Count Act, the law governing the congressional certification of Electoral College results, as proof his vice president could have thrown out electoral votes from various states and facilitated a second term for the Trump-Pence ticket. The former president called Pence a “really fine person” but signaled their relationship might be irrevocably broken.
“Mike and I had a great relationship except for the very important factor that took place at the end. We had a very good relationship,” Trump said. “I haven’t spoken to him in a long time.”
'I THOUGHT HE WAS NEGOTIATING': TRUMP DIDN'T THINK PUTIN WOULD ORDER UKRAINE INVASION
More than one year after the Trump administration gave way to the Biden administration, enmity between the pair of two-time running mates runs both ways.
Pence is considering a 2024 bid. He has let it be known he would not automatically stand aside if Trump ran and has accelerated efforts to establish his independence from the former president. Pence recently told a gathering of conservative lawyers Trump is flat “wrong” to claim the vice president is constitutionally empowered to throw out the results of a presidential election. Pence also took aim at Trump in a March speech to Republican donors.
“There is no room in this party for apologists for Putin,” he said during remarks to party financiers gathered for a Republican National Committee donor retreat, adding later: “We cannot win by fighting yesterday’s battles or by relitigating the past.”
Trump has often praised Vladimir Putin’s geopolitical acumen and hesitated to criticize him directly, although the former president told the Washington Examiner he was “surprised” the Russian strongman invaded Ukraine and declared “he’s very much changed.” Meanwhile, Trump argued that shifting the GOP’s focus to the 2022 midterm elections, and 2024, would be a political mistake, saying that resolving what happened in the 2020 election matters most to Republican primary voters.
Trump, throughout his political career, has often feuded with close associates — even appearing to excommunicate them from his inner circle, only to welcome them back later with open arms.
That is always a possibility with Pence. The two developed a close and productive working relationship in 2016 after Trump tapped the Indiana governor and former 12-year House member to be his running mate. He gave Pence an unusual amount of autonomy to operate politically and shape his administration’s agenda. In return, Pence gave Trump near-unquestioned loyalty, at least publicly.
Amid Trump’s repeated criticism of Pence Tuesday during his conversation with the Washington Examiner, the former president occasionally signaled that he retains at least some level of appreciation for the vice president who served him. “I still like Mike,” Trump said. But on balance, Trump’s comments were cold and critical.
The former president has no intention of dropping his complaints about the 2020 election.
Neither is Trump in the mood to forgive Pence for declining to go along with a scheme to send electoral votes from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and possibly more states, back to their respective Republican-controlled legislatures, where the former president believes sympathetic state lawmakers would have awarded him the Electoral College votes he needed to defeat Biden.
“Mike thought he was going to be a human conveyor belt, that no matter how fraudulent the votes, you have to send them up to the Old Crow,” Trump said, using his nickname for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
“But that turned out to be wrong. Because now, as you know, they are feverishly working to try and get it so that the vice president cannot do what Mike said he couldn’t do,” the former president added, referring to proposals to overhaul the Electoral Count Act. “Obviously, they were either lying, misrepresenting, or they didn’t know."
"I was disappointed in Mike,” Trump said.
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Fired Chris Cuomo Demands $125M From CNN, Claims ‘Journalistic Integrity’ Was ‘Smeared’
Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo is seeking a $125 million arbitration award, alleging that his former network wrongly terminated him.
via: Page Six
Lawyers for the disgraced newsman argue that “Cuomo has been damaged in countless ways” by being “unceremoniously” fired late last year.
The filing states that the amount former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s brother is demanding is based on lost back pay, bonuses and future earnings — but mostly because Chris was disparaged by former boss Jeff Zucker and fellow CNN anchors.
Chris was fired for helping his brother fight sexual harassment allegations, which led to the governor’s rapid fall from grace and his eventual resignation. Zucker and lover Allison Gollust were also fired by CNN when it was revealed they were in an undisclosed relationship, while also having had their own close ties to Andrew Cuomo.
Cuomo’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, told The Post in a statement, “It should by now be obvious to everyone that Chris Cuomo did not lie to CNN about helping his brother.
“In fact, as the limited information released from WarnerMedia’s investigation makes clear, CNN’s highest-level executives not only knew about Chris’s involvement in helping his brother but also actively assisted the Governor, both through Chris and directly themselves.”
Referencing reports that Zucker and Gollust advised then-Gov. Cuomo about how to handle his infamous COVID daily briefings, Freedman continued, “As CNN has admitted, network standards were changed in a calculated decision to boost ratings. When those practices were called into question, Chris was made the scapegoat.
“The legal action filed today makes clear that CNN wrongfully terminated Chris and further violated the express terms of his employment agreement by allowing its employees to disparage him. Chris is owed a full apology from those responsible.”
The demand for arbitration filed Wednesday states, “As a result of Turner’s indefensible choice to unceremoniously fire him, Cuomo has been damaged in countless ways.”
“Cuomo has had his journalistic integrity unjustifiably smeared, making it difficult if not impossible for Cuomo to find similar work in the future and damaging him in amounts exceeding $125 million, which includes not only the remaining salary owed under the Agreement, but future wages lost as a result of CNN’s efforts to destroy his reputation in violation of the Agreement,” the court document said.
The filing adds. “Cuomo now seeks to recover the full measure of his damages against Turner and CNN.”
That $125 million breaks down into around $18 million for earnings and bonuses allegedly owed to Cuomo on his CNN contract and anything he would have made in the future.
But sources say there are “consequential damages” of around $100 million because Cuomo has a “non-disparagement clause” in his contract that was not honored when he was terminated “effective immediately” on December 4 after claims of sexual misconduct were made against the already suspended host.
One source said, “Chris has a clause in his contract which states that CNN and WarnerMedia has to instruct their employees not to disparage him, even upon termination.
“But instead Zucker came out and said Chris was a liar and he didn’t tell us everything he did for his brother. Then all those anchors started hammering Chris both on air and behind the scenes.
“The truth is that even if CNN had grounds to fire him — which Chris believes they didn’t — even if he loses the wrongful termination action — he will win on breach of contract based on the non-disparagement agreement. And the damages for that will be astronomical.”
Reps for CNN and its parent company WarnerMedia didn’t immediately comment.
Britney Spears’ Instagram Account Was Deactivated After She Angrily Declared She Doesn’t Want Pity
In recent months, Britney Spears has frequently used her Instagram page to tell stories about her conservatorship, show off some skin, and tease some upcoming projects. At the moment, though, her Instagram account is currently not active. The account was viewable this morning, but this afternoon, fans started noticing trying to access it now yields an error page.
In one of the last posts Spears shared before the account was deactivated, she wrote about visiting Las Vegas and an experience she had with a masseuse, saying, “The only thing I’ve known when I used to go to Vegas was hour long meet and greets with 40 people every night getting the worst pics of me and then a two hour show !!!! Let’s just say THIS TIME visiting it gave me a whole new perspective on what it means to live !!!! Being able to go to the spa was a highlight as well and you know what ??? Don’t ever pity me like my masseuse does …. ‘People do love you!’ …. Huh ???? Huh ???? I don’t want to be loved … I want to be feared !!! Being loved and being nice got me taken advantage of so take your pity and go f*ck yourselves !!!!”
This isn’t the first time Spears’ Instagram page has been deactivated: When it was back in September, Spears noted on Twitter, “Don’t worry folks … just taking a little break from social media to celebrate my engagement !!!! I’ll be back soon.”
Bradley Cooper Reacts to Will Smith Saying He's 'So Beautiful'
Will Smith is swooning over Bradley Cooper! On Tuesday night (March 15), the two actors both attended the 2022 National Board of Review Awards Gala in New York City where Will was honored with the Best Actor award for his role in King Richard.
While on stage giving his acceptance speech, Will took a moment to gush over Bradley.
“I look at Bradley Cooper,” Will started, according to USA Today.
“I’ve seen pictures of him when he was young. He didn’t look like this! He grew into that!” Will continued. “He let the dream blossom inside of him! I can’t even concentrate, he’s so beautiful.”
Later in the show, Bradley took to the stage to honor his Licorice Pizza co-stars Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman with the award for Best Breakthrough Performance, but first decided to react to Will‘s comments.
“I’m not gonna forget that, Will,” Bradley said with a smirk.
It was recently announced that this actor will be paying Bradley Cooper‘s lover in a new movie.
Gabrielle Union & Daughter Kaavia Wear Matching Outfits to 'Cheaper by the Dozen' Premiere!
Gabrielle Union and her three-year-old daughter Kaavia are matching at the Cheaper by the Dozen premiere!
The 49-year-old actress walked the red carpet with her family at the premiere of the Disney+ movie remake on Wednesday (March 16) in Los Angeles.
Gabrielle was also joined by husband Dwyane Wade and 14-year-old daughter Zaya, plus on-screen husband Zach Braff.
Here’s the logline of the movie, which debuts on the streaming service on March 18: “Cheaper By the Dozen is a funny and heartwarming story of the raucous exploits of a blended family of 12, the Bakers, as they navigate a hectic home life while simultaneously managing their family business.”
FYI: Gabrielle and Kaavia are both wearing Look 37 from Altuzarra‘s Fall Winter 2022 collection. Gabrielle wore the top and skirt which are both engineered knitted scalloped layers while Kaavia wore the halter top as a dress.
Kelly Rowland talks reuniting with her father after 30 years
After more than 30 years of no contact with her father, Kelly Rowland and her dad later reconnected. She opened up about the journey during a recent episode of “Today” with Hota Kotb.
According to the singer, her mother raised her as a single parent after determining that Christopher Lovett “was not really ready as a father.” The decision led to “feelings of abandonment” as she felt like her father was absent simply because he wanted to be. When she and Destiny’s Child took off, she purposely instructed security to ban him from certain events unaware that he was only trying to let her know he’d never abandoned her.
“People used to tell me, ‘I saw your daughter,’ and I used to sit there and say, ‘Well, I didn’t,’ and it used to hurt,” Lovett told Kotb. “So when Kelly started performing in certain places, I followed her. And when I did go to a couple of places, I didn’t get a chance to see her because security wouldn’t let me see her. It was sad really…I wanted to tell Kelly that I love her and that I never gave her up.”
Though Kelly Rowland “wasn’t ready to deal with those feelings” at the time, she considered rekindling their relationship after the birth of her first son, Titan and approached JAY-Z for advice. “He said, ‘Love is all about risk. You gotta decide if you’re gonna jump,’” the mother-of-two recalled. “‘You gonna jump?’ That’s what he asked me: ‘Are you gonna jump?’” In short, her answer was yes.
The two eventually met at an Atlanta hotel, where they talked for two hours. “I can only imagine what it felt like to have everything that you want to say for so many years to your child,” she said. “I just allowed him the space, and it was incredible. Underneath all of the disappointment and hurt and anger and fear, that’s somebody you love.”
“I had to give my dad grace,” she continued. “As parents, we have to give our parents grace. It’s never too late. Forgiveness is always right there.”
U.S. Congressman Collin Allred reveals Brittney Griner is doing "OK" in Russia
After roughly a month in Russia’s custody, WNBA star Brittney Griner is said to be doing “okay.” The athlete’s friend U.S. Congressman Collin Allred provided the update during an interview with TMZ, noting that further details are being withheld with hopes that the silence will help to keep Griner safe.
“Right now, we want to see her treated normally as anyone else would be and come home as soon as possible,” Allred said. “We have to make sure that she’s treated as anyone else would be and she’s not a symbol or a hostage or anything like that.”
As previously reported, Griner was detained last month in connection with her “large-scale transportation of drugs.” The Russian Customs Service particularly noted she was carrying cannabis-derived hash oil, an act punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison, and has since placed her under investigation. In the meantime, her wife, fans, peers and fellow athletes on the Phoenix Mercury and WNBA have rallied for her safe return.
“We remain in constant contact with her family, her representation, the WNBA and NBA. We love and support Brittney and at this time our main concern is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home,” Mercury said in a statement.
Given the U.S.’ involvement in the Ukraine and Russia conflict, Secretary of State Antony Blinken generally noted that the country would “provide every possible assistance” to Americans being detained overseas. Allred has since confirmed that they are purposely keeping mum about the case and Griner’s status as a WNBA star to prevent Russians from using her as a pawn.”There’s a lot going on in the world,” he said in the interview with TMZ. “There’s a lot going on between us and Russia, but Brittney should not be swept up in that.”
Ellen DeGeneres Is Reportedly Giving Her Staff ‘Millions’ Of Dollars In Bonuses As Show Ends
The final episode is set to premiere on May 26. A source close to the daytime talk show host told The Post “Ellen and [production company] Warner Bros. worked together to make sure every person was taken care of.”
The exact seven-figure number that will be dispersed to staffers was not revealed, but the source said: “It was not even a question for Ellen to cover bonuses … That was very important to her.”
The insider also wanted to clear a few things up after rumors began to spread saying Ellan wasn’t so nice to her employees. The insider shared that Ellen, “has been incredibly generous” since the show first started which was back in 2003.
Netflix Tests Out Fees To Crack Down On Password Sharing
Then world’s largest streaming service may soon get more (official) subscribers as Netflix announced today that it would begin a rollout to test an initiative that would crack down on illicit password-sharing.
In the past, Netflix had generally turned a blind eye to password sharing. Last spring, Netflix began implementing slightly stricter security protocols, prompting users to re-enter their login credentials, even if they had previously been logged onto a device. However, many viewers found ways to circumnavigate that measure, namely by re-entering their login and password.
This week, Netflix announced that it would be rolling out a pilot program in three markets (Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru). The new “add an extra member” feature would prompt Standard and Premium subscribers to add subsidiary accounts for up to two people they don’t live with, each with their own profile, personalized recommendations, login and password for about $2.99 USD per new account.
In an official statement on their website, the company explained the basics of the plan as well as the rationale behind the move, saying: “We’ve always made it easy for people who live together to share their Netflix account, with features like separate profiles and multiple streams in our Standard and Premium plans. While these have been hugely popular, they have also created some confusion about when and how Netflix can be shared. As a result, accounts are being shared between households – impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films for our members.”
However, Netflix did not provide specific details about what they categorized as a household and how household members would be identified if they were not all on the home IP address (watching at work, at the gym, while traveling, etc.).
Netflix has not announced any plans to test any similar programs in the United States in the immediate near-term future.
As usual, social media had a lot to say about the proposed initiative.
Samuel L. Jackson reveals the secret to his 41-year marriage
Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson have been married for 41 years, thanks to the pact they made to stay together forever when they said “I do.”
“In the beginning, we always said the most revolutionary thing that Black people could do was stay together, raise their children with the nucleus of having a father and a mother, since everybody likes to pretend that that’s not the dynamic of the African American family. That it’s just children out here being raised by women, which we know is false,” LaTanya told People in a joint interview published on Wednesday.
“In order to change that narrative, we made a decision to say, ‘We are going to stay together no matter what. We’ll figure it out.'”
Her husband echoed that sentiment, telling the outlet, “It’s two people who respect each other, love each other and look out for each other.”
The lovebirds met in 1970 while they were both attending college in Atlanta. They tied the knot a decade later, promising to take their vows seriously.
LaTanya’s pledge to stay by her husband’s side “in good times and in bad” was especially put to the test in the late 1980s when the actor’s drug addiction began to spiral.
Samuel credits his wife for getting him to rehab in the early 1990s and taking care of their family while he got himself clean. The movie star has now been in recovery for more than 30 years.
“She gave me the chance to be the man I was supposed to be,” he gushed.
After he got out of treatment, Samuel landed a starring role in Spike Lee’s 1991 movie, “Jungle Fever,” and his career took off. To date, his films have raked in nearly $18.5 billion worldwide.
“Coming from the kind of backgrounds we come from, and the people that raised us, we learn that we’re not better than anybody else,” the humble actor explained. “A job is a job. We were fortunate enough to have a job.”
LaTanya – who scored a Tony nomination in 2014 for her starring role in “A Raisin in the Sun” – noted that her husband is truly a one-of-a-kind actor because he “loves every job” he takes. “‘Snakes on a Plane,’ I’m like, ‘Really?'” she joked.
Despite “how busy” they still are in their “seventh decade,” the couple always makes time for family.
The two revealed that every July, they stop working to spend quality time together with their 39-year-old daughter, Zoe.
North Carolina Superintendent Publicly Apologizes To Parents After Children Were Sold in Mock “Slave Auction”
According to the Associated Press, a North Carolina school district superintendent apologized to parents after discovering that white students allegedly sold Black classmates in a fake “slave auction.“
The news was revealed after a parent, Ashley Palmer, posted on Facebook that her son was “sold” by classmates at J.S. Waters School in Chatham County.
“His friend ‘went for $350,’ and another student was the Slavemaster because he ‘knew how to handle them,’” the mother wrote. “We even have a video of students harmonizing the N-word. Since when were children so blatantly racist? Why is this culture acceptable? Chatham County was made aware and is intervening but hug your babies, especially the ones that are subject to racism by students and faculty. Parents teach your kids that this behavior isn’t OK.”
During a school board meeting on Monday, superintendent Anthony Jackson apologized publicly to parents and said that such actions by students “will not be tolerated in the school system.”
“I want to do something that needs to be done here publicly. I want to offer an apology,” Jackson said. “An apology to every single student who has ever felt unsafe while in our care, to every student who has ever felt demeaned, disrespected, or marginalized because of their race, ethnicity, sex, gender, religion or disability.”
He continued, “moving forward, it will be our intentional focus to ensure that this celebration includes everyone. Moving forward, my personal commitment to you, is that we will do better.”
Local groups urged school officials to increase penalties for those who commit racist acts, and they have requested that the students responsible apologize.
On Monday, Ronda Taylor Bullock, an anti-racism trainer, said the situation was an “act of white supremacy in broad daylight“ and encouraged the district to respond accordingly.
“How many students have to go to J.S. Waters with a similar story?” Bullock said. “How many more have to go through seared, branded as a slave by these horrible memories that we will not forget?”
The district will now make efforts to hold people accountable for racist incidents and provide more training to counteract them.
Jackson asked for the board to “authorize us to look at our staffing needs to ensure that we have the tools and the staff to appropriately reach out to our community to support these community agencies.”
“The reality is these acts of racism are not only happening here in Chatham County but across North Carolina and across the country,” said parent Christy Wagner, whose son was “sold” in the mock “auction.” “More should be done around addressing racism in schools, because no parent should have to stand here after hearing their son was sold in a slave trade at school.
Las Vegas Raiders release DE Carl Nassib ahead of new NFL league year
The Raiders continue to make moves to gain cap space ahead of the new league year, which officially began yesterday at 4 PM ET.
To create more room, the team has decided to release defensive end Carl Nassib, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Nassib was a free-agent signing by the Raiders during the 2020 offseason under Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock. He went on to start just five games with the team, totaling only four sacks and eight tackles for a loss.
The Raiders will designate him as a June 1 release and the team nearly $8 million in cap space in 2022, according to Schefter. That will give the Raiders over $35 million in cap space before they officially announce the deals of Bilal Nichols and Darius Phillips.
Nassib is now free to sign with another team. at just the age of 28 and with multiple years of starting experience, he shouldn’t have any trouble finding a job soon.
HBO Max and Discovery Plus Expected to Merge Into One Platform This Summer
Discovery, which is set to become Warner Bros. Discovery within the next month,plans to combine its current streaming service Discovery Plus with WarnerMedia‘s HBO Max rather than separating the two services.
On Monday during the Deutsche Bank 30th Annual Media, Internet & Telecom Conference, Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels, who will also serve as CFO of the newly combined Warner Bros. Discovery, said there has been speculation that Discovery may remain a solo streaming platform with bundling options despite plans to connect Discovery Plus and HBO Max.
According to Wiedenfels, the first step of the integration will be to bundle the two platforms while the new company figures out how to merge them.
“One of the most important items here is that we believe in a combined product as opposed to a bundle… We believe that the breadth and depth of this content offering are going to be a phenomenal consumer value proposition,” Wiedenfels said. “The question is, in order to get to that point and do it in a way that’s actually a great user experience for our subscribers, that’s going to take some time. Again, that’s nothing that’s going to happen in weeks — hopefully not in years, but in several months — and we will start working on an interim solution in the meantime. So right out of the gate, we’re working on getting the bundling approach ready, maybe a single sign-on, maybe ingesting content into the other product, etc., so that we can start to get some benefits early on. But the main thrust is going to be harmonizing the technology platform. Building one very, very strong combined direct-to-consumer product and platform, that’s going to take a while.”
Discovery Plus costs $4.99 per month with advertisements or $6.99 without ads. It accounts for the majority of Discovery’s streaming sub-total of 22 million global consumers as of the end of 2021.
Last year, HBO Max and HBO had a combined global subscriber base of 73.8 million. HBO Max is available for $9.99 per month with advertisements or $14.99 without ads.
Gunnar did not say how much the combined streaming platform would cost consumers on Monday, but he did say Warner Bros. Discovery will offer both ad-free and ad-lite options.
“The direct-to-consumer business is obviously further along now than what we had four years ago,” Wiedenfels said. “There’s a greater risk, you want to get that right. Between the two direct-to-consumer products, by the time we close, close to 100 million people are going to be affected as we make those changes. So that will need some very, very detailed and disciplined planning.”
Following Discovery shareholders’ approval decision on Friday, Wiedenfels believes the $43 billion Discovery-WarnerMedia merger will close early in the second quarter between April 11-28.
Weidenfeld anticipates a “blowout DTC product” with the merger of HBO Max and Discovery Plus once WarnerMedia is officially in Discovery’s hands and believes the Discovery and WarnerMedia brands would have “some very nice marketing synergy right out of the gate.”
“The combination could not make more sense than what we’re doing here,” Wiedenfels said. “We have HBO Max, with a more premium, male-skewing positioning, and then you’ve got the the female-positioning on the Discovery side. You’ve got the daily engagement that people enjoy with Discovery content versus sort of the event-driven nature of the HBO Max content. Take that together, I have no doubt that we will be creating one of the most complete, sort of four quadrant, old-young-male-female products out there. And I’m really excited about it. I can’t wait to see the first combined direct-to-consumer metrics because, in theory, the acquisition power of HBO Max, combined with the retention power of the Discovery content I think is going to make for a blowout DTC product, and that should certainly drive very healthy revenue growth for years to come.”
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
KERMIT OR ST PATRICKA
Suit is confusing!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!
EFREM
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