#MAGFAB: Viola Davis for Ebony Magazine
The Strength of a Woman. VIOLA DAVIS is more than the iconic characters—a mother, maid, wife, First Lady, and warrior queen—we have seen on screen. In a world that often deems Black women invisible, the explosive and pressure-filled eruptions, also known as her life, brought a diamond to the surface. No challenge has broken or ever will break her.
Story by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms
Written instructions accompanying the invitation to the grand opening of Tyler Perry Studios were clear: “No photographs.” The unspoken rules—such as, “Act like you’ve been somewhere before”—not so much. When I bump into Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham during the cocktail reception, I breathe deeply and make small talk. When I see Beyoncé and Jay-Z at dinner, I smile pleasantly and resist the urge to ask for a selfie. When chatting with Anthony Anderson, I laugh, but not too loud. When I spot Halle Berry, Maxwell and Michael Ealy across the venue, I know not to stare. But with Viola Davis, I couldn’t resist; the rules were dismissed.
It was my first introduction to the incomparable actor, who has an Emmy, two Tonys, an Oscar, and six SAG Awards to her name. In a room of stars among stars, Viola and her husband, Julius Tennon, were the ones who made me giddy. I pounced on them, eager and hard.
“Hi! I’m the mayor. Welcome to Atlanta! I adopted my children, too!” I exclaimed. And just like that, the ice was broken. What began as a pleasant exchange turned into a lengthy conversation that I cannot fully recall. To paraphrase Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you did, but not how you made them feel.”
I felt a genuine connection with Viola that night, thinking it was because we shared the joy of having children born of our hearts. When we next spoke, this time over a quiet Zoom chat for EBONY, I knew my connection to her that magical evening went much deeper. I had read her memoir Finding Me, discovering it to be a shared sisterhood that speaks to the lives of so many who have searched for worth, fought imposter syndrome, resisted survivor’s remorse, battled demons, overcome the odds and proudly worn the “S” on their chest. Viola was much more than the characters I had seen on screen. Viola is a Superwoman—not because she is a star but because she is a survivor—and her secrets are no longer her kryptonite.
Viola Davis wears an Oscar de la Renta kaftan and Omi Woods jewelry.
Keisha Lance Bottoms: What was it like to attend the unveiling of Tyler Perry Studios?
Viola Davis: What I saw that night was the solution. I saw legacy, vision, purpose. It was the answer for those who have a larger vision of what they want their world to look like. They grab that rope and create for themselves as opposed to waiting. It was very emotional for me.
KLB: It was emotional to read your book. I cannot begin to imagine what it was like for you to write it. What was that process like?
VD: It was a journey and just the power of memory—how it could still affect you and what you choose to remember. It was emotional because when you write it, you feel the moments that were and are still very painful. Then you see the moments that were also filled with strength and resilience. I began to revisit the Viola who was a survivor, who I sort of left behind. I always just thought I was a bad kid. We want kids in a category of either bad or good; it’s way more complicated than that. I was not a bad kid; I was a kid who was trying to work things out, who had a lot going on at home, who probably needed a creative outlet. I was a kid who probably had a lot of compassion and empathy, but who was hurt. All those things I began to remember. So it blew a hole in my world today, in terms of how I see myself. It blew a hole in the power of memory—a reintroduction to the fact that the past doesn’t have a hold on me anymore, but it absolutely created the person that I am today. I thought of all those things as I went back in time because I really needed to be reintroduced to her.
As a mom, you begin to see your own shortcomings, that part in your life where your child becomes a mirror to your unfinished work.
—Viola Davis
KLB: As I read your book, I thought, “Is this about me? Or will it resonate with Black women everywhere?” Did you write it for you or for us?
VD: I wrote it for everyone. As a mom, you begin to see your own shortcomings, that part in your life where your child becomes a mirror to your unfinished work. Nobody wants to fess up to their mess. You sit down with other women and nobody remembers a time when they felt awkward, sort of funky or didn’t fit in. I thought of all the people who feel like they’re going through something in life and all coming out of something in life—I guarantee you they feel very much alone. I did this to give people a great dose of truth. Yes, I have so-called made it to the “mountaintop,” but not without scars and bruises. That’s what life is; it’s the moment that you open up and say something that makes people feel less alone.
KLB: Your life with your family is so different from your childhood. How do you impart what’s needed to your daughter Genesis without her having to experience the trauma and the heartache and all those things that made you into who you are?
VD: That’s the hardest part of parenting; it’s impossible to protect your kids from the world. The only thing that I could do is give her what is in me. I don’t subscribe to any parameters; [what] I subscribe to is what I needed, what I longed for and was afraid to ask for. Those are the things that I give her, and I see her eyes light up. I wanted someone to guide me, but also wanted to see my parents as human. I wanted to see what was making my dad mad all the time. I wanted to understand how my mom got pregnant at 15, what she was afraid of and what she lived for—those were the things that would have helped me. Then when I went through them, I would’ve had at least some palette for it; I didn’t have a palette for self-love or self-anything.
KLB: What’s the biggest lesson Genesis has taught you?
VD: I said, “Genesis, you look so cute.” She said, “I know, right?” Oh, there is a party going on inside that head at 11 years old that defines absolutely who she is. The thing about that girl is that she absolutely celebrates every inch of who she is. That has absolutely been the biggest obstacle in my life, but not for her. I don’t see it [in myself] naturally. I love her confidence. We could all learn a lot from Genesis.
KLB: Did it hurt to expose so much? You’ve had to relive a lot of the trauma in writing. How did you get past that and say, “I’m still going to do it anyway?” That could have just been your little secret. We’ve heard you talk about growing up in poverty. But in this book, you get into so much more of the layers and how it impacted you.
VD: I really hit a wall with the pandemic. Then it was Black Lives Matter, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery. In my life, what was being played out is the disillusionment of being on top. There’s a huge part of that which I feel extraordinarily grateful for—and a lot of that is [crap]. I thought once you hit it, that’s it. All I felt was exhaustion, all I’m thinking about is getting back to my daughter and my house. All I’m facing is criticism and scrutiny and pressure. I’m like, “Is this it?” The strongest tool I had was to go back to a time when the world didn’t label me and I was still the purest form of who I was. I had to get the part of me out that is holding me back. I had to go back to who Viola truly was. What are my dreams? What brought me joy and peace? What would make me just scream and squeal with happiness? Every culture out there has some level of a ritual or a myth to help them navigate the mysteries of life—songs, chants, dances—they have community; they have a way to connect to the earth. We don’t have that. So when you lose meaning, the only ritual I had that I could find in the midst of this pandemic was to write my story. To put out all the piss and friggin’ broken glass out there. It’s like putting all the pieces of the puzzle on a big table and figuring out how to put it back together again. I knew it was going to hurt—I was going to feel vulnerable. But I knew I had to work through it. I still feel a huge level of fear because I’m a private person, but I was stuck in life and this memoir was the answer to it.
The world and life belongs to the people who are brave and courageous enough to go out there and harness it.
—Viola Davis
Viola Davis wears a Greta Constantine dress, We Dream in Color earrings and stylist's own cuff.
KLB: You write about secrets—how you were taught to keep them, and how they were weighing you down. We often don’t like to tell our stories. We want people to think that we woke up just like this. Then you write this book, and you tell so much. How do you think your family will feel?
VD: I hope my family sees it as a love story to them. bell hooks talks about it all the time. She’s like, “Why do you have to call me angry? I’m just speaking my truth. That’s a part of loving you. That’s a part of wanting to connect with you.” Secrets disallow you to do it. They disallow you to connect with yourself and the world. By the time I go to my grave, I want my daughter to know who I am. So when she goes through her life, she doesn’t have to feel like, “Am I a unicorn? Am I a monster? Oh, that feels bad,” as opposed to, “That’s a decision I made, but my mom told me something similar when she went through this.” She has a tool to unlock something. Secrets are rooted in shame. When you roll into that grave without ever sharing your truth, you are a mystery to the world. You might as well not have even lived. You haven’t left any sort of piss or anything in this world.
KLB: What was it that Denzel Washington said about he’s never seen a hearse with a U-Haul attached to the back?
VD: You can’t bring your makeup or billion-dollar salary to your grave and nobody has it on their gravestone. So then what is your life about? Everything I went through has made me who I am. I don’t care how many degrees and awards you had; you’re still going to go through some stuff in life. How you get through it and the tools you use absolutely makes you who you are.
Yes, I have so-called made it to the 'mountaintop,' but not without scars and bruises.
—Viola Davis
KLB: You talk about your struggles with fibroids, the surgeries and the adhesions. I’ve heard fibroids described as bundles of stress. Do you think that’s the manifestation of stress and trauma for Black women?
VD: Absolutely. A Black doctor said to me, “You’re prediabetic, but I’m going to treat you like you have Type 2 diabetes.” My theory is that only a certain percentage of us made it through the Middle Passage. We don’t talk about those millions of souls that are at the bottom of the ocean. The ones that did survive, this is what we’ve inherited: autoimmune diseases, inflammation, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fibroids, anxiety, being an enabler—all those things are in my DNA. I cannot stand it when people say you have to work 10 times as hard. I work really hard. But how the hell do you work 10 times as hard? I cannot tell you how many times I almost drove into a truck falling asleep behind the wheel. I have no memories of certain jobs. Stress, fibroids—that’s all I got from working 10 times as hard. What happens after you start feeling the anxiety and the stress from working that hard but you don’t listen to it? The only thing you think is, “I gotta just work harder. Someone else is handling it better than I am.” You begin to stop listening to that inner voice. It’s that inner voice that is your voice of truth.
[There] is this sort of puritanical notion in our culture that when you're idle and at peace, the devil is working. Idleness is the quiet meditation, the leaning into yourself. That’s God's way of telling you that's where you need to be.
—Viola Davis
KLB: I remember when I got my fibroids removed thinking, “Well, if these are my bundles of stress, then where’s the stress gonna go?” Because I didn’t remove the stress. I just removed the fibroids. How did you claim yourself for yourself and not feel the guilt that comes along with that?
VD: It’s ongoing. I started therapy [years ago, but] you can’t undo in a minute, week, or month what took decades of doing. There’s no conversation going on about mindfulness. How many people encourage you to listen to that inner voice? What if the inner voice tells you I’m not loving myself enough? [There] is this sort of puritanical notion in our culture that when you’re idle and at peace, the devil is working. The devil is getting in there to tell you that you’re lazy. That “idleness” is the quiet meditation, the leaning into yourself. That’s God’s way of telling you that’s where you need to be. He’s given you the biggest gift of navigating your life. You’re just not listening when you’re listening to the world. It’s an ongoing struggle and journey. Being at peace, not listening to the world and not measuring myself by what the world is doing is constant.
KLB: Your family’s story is incredible on so many levels. The forgiveness of your dad, the strength of your mom. Do you experience any type of survivor’s remorse? How do you put those boundaries up to protect yourself when everybody else seems to be looking to you to save them?
VD: That’s ongoing, and people have a real sort of messed up relationship with money. They just see you as the meal ticket and ATM when you’re in the public eye and your survivor’s guilt sometimes feeds into that. Like there is no way to celebrate your successes if you don’t give someone something. It’s your way of also keeping people close to you, until you get tired of it.
KLB: Your mom and dad, the two who in many ways you did want to save, lived in an 800-square-foot apartment with 14 people and wouldn’t move. What made them hold on to that physical space?
VD: Money cannot change anything that’s not manifested internally. I could’ve gotten my parents a 10,000-square-foot house and it would not have changed anything. The enabling addiction issues would’ve made the problem bigger. When I started therapy, my therapist said, “You wouldn’t be able to cross the street unless it was covered in crap and piss because you wouldn’t see it as normal. What you see as normal is messy.” You sort of follow what you know, even if it’s negative. That was a huge part of my parents, just doing what they knew to do—growing up with no indoor toilet, parents who were alcoholics. You don’t just read a book, go to therapy or on social media and go, “Oh, I saw a Ted Talk, ‘10 Rules to How to Succeed in Life and How to Overcome a Traumatic Past.’” It doesn’t work that way. It’s hard-core work to transform, and I’m tackling it like a friggin’ warrior. I give my parents huge credit for surviving. I give my dad huge credit for transforming his life into a very loving man. But in terms of their physical space, that was a hard one.
KLB: You and your husband seem to balance each other well. How do you keep that balance when you are the one in the spotlight?
VD: We put us first. There’s got to be a sacred space in your life that is untouched by the outside world, something that you hold tried and true, that cannot be defined by anyone else, that can’t be touched by anyone else—the place you call home, metaphorically and literally speaking. That’s what we have. When I prayed for a man, I was very intentional. The first thing I said was country; that’s the code word for a mensch, for people who live in that truth no matter what. They don’t care how many people are judging them; they are absolutely who they are, without apology. We laugh a lot. I mean, every single day rolling-on-the-floor laughing. He loves coming in and just saving me; he loves being the fixer. He has my back; he stands in the gap. I tell Genesis that the key to life is to find people who love you—even if it’s one or two people. You can do a lot on your own, but you need people in your life who just love you. They see all the ragged edges, but they love you. They’re rooting for you. They’re sitting by you when you’re crying, when you’ve failed, and when you’ve succeeded.
Secrets are rooted in shame. When you roll into that grave without ever sharing your truth, you are a mystery to the world. You might as well not have even lived.
—Viola Davis
KLB: I remember the first time I bought a set of tires while dating my husband and he couldn’t believe it. It took me a long time to figure out ways to allow him to feel needed. Did it take you long?
VD: A long time. When I was single, I’d carry bags on my head, two on my shoulder and I’d go up five flights of stairs. Suddenly, I had Julius who was saying, “Let me help you.” I was like, “No, I could do this on my own.” Once again, it’s subscribing to everything everyone has told you about relationships, being independent, being successful, being Black, being confident. You subscribe to every definition out there until you get to a part of your life where you’re like, “I really reject it.” I reject anyone saying, “I don’t compromise even in marriage. I don’t believe in compromising.” And I’m like, “There’s no compromise?”
KLB: That marriage is not going to last very long
VD: That’s the narrative that’s out there. You do whatever you do on your own and that’s it. No, that’s not it. You have to be on a no-carb diet and lighter than a paper bag to be classically beautiful. You have to have a thinner nose and lips. You can’t be sexual if you have a deeper voice. I got to the point where I’m like, “Who said that? I make my own rules.” Inner truth is a revolutionary radical disconnecting from any definitions of the world and creating a definition for yourself. The only agreement is you sort of got to love each other and love yourself through it. Everything else I reject—even the people who said I was ugly. Looking back, can I just tell you how many dudes thought I was pretty cute? So, it’s a lie; fitting in and acceptance is for the oppressors. The world and life belongs to the people who are brave and courageous enough to go out there and harness it. I love the quote that says, “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.
KLB: Amen, Viola! Amen.
#RHOA: Shereé Whitfield Accused of Not Paying Her Assistant by 'Multiple People'
Shereé Whitfield is already in the hot seat! During Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, the RHOA star — who was last seen during season 10 of the Bravo reality show before making her return this season — found herself at the center of one wild rumor: that she's skipped out on a bill or two.
Speaking with newly promoted housewife Marlo Hampton, Shereé discovered fellow costar Kandi Burruss was spilling some not-so-fun tea to other cast members.
"Guess what Kandi told me, that you [and fellow cast member Drew Sidora] have the same assistant and you don't pay him," said Marlo.
"He didn't do anything!" Shereé said, referring to her assistant Anthony.
"Why the hell wouldn't Kandi call and tell you?" asked Marlo. "She should've came to me first," Shereé responded. "I'm surprised you're saying any of this."
Speaking with the camera, Shereé spilled some tea of her own.
"Anthony has told me a s—load of things about her husband, her household, everything," she said. "The streets be talking baby.
Later, Drew caught up with Anthony to get the real story.
"Let me say this, I love Shereé deeply," he said. "That's one of my good, good girlfriends, but I had to cut off all business ties with her. We all know, and it's no shade, but she don't like to pay."
"I'm not trying to be messy, but Anthony said she never paid him and I've heard that from multiple people," Drew told cameras.
Later, Drew brought up the rumor during Kenya Moore's daughter's third birthday party.
"Anthony said that he was your assistant, but that he had to cut ties because you never paid him," she told Shereé. "I don't know for sure because I don't know you."
"If you don't know for sure then why are you spreading it?" Shereé asked. "Did you not tell Kandi? And then Kandi told Marlo. Can you please tell me what you're talking about?"
"He just said you never paid him," said Drew.
"Anthony was never my assistant," Shereé responded. "Why the f— would I pay somebody if they're not my assistant?"
"He said he had emails about She By Shereé (Shereé's clothing line) that he was trying to put together the line and you didn't want to pay the money for it," said Drew.
"Are you that desperate that you need an assistant that's going to talk about all your friends?" she asked. "I thought you were a cool girl when I first met you, but then this stuff comes up, I was like, 'Okay this is a ditsy b—.' "
Drew then admitted that Anthony is "on probation," despite the countless "rumors" he's allegedly spreading — including one in particular where he told Shereé that Drew's husband Ralph is gay.
Last month, Kandi said she was in full support of Shereé returning to RHOA.
Burrus joined Access Hollywood's Housewives Nightcap, where she addressed the rumors surrounding Shereé's potential return to the show.
"I always love Shereé," Burruss, 45, said. "She's always good TV to me. She's had some very explosive moments in some of these past seasons. So, I'm here for it, honestly. If they decide that they want Shereé to come back, I'm here for it."
Whitfield, 52, was an OG Atlanta cast member. After leaving ahead of RHOA's fifth season, Whitfield officially returned for season 9 but left again after season 10.
Despite Whitfield's departure in 2018, Burruss said that they have continued to stay in touch over the years.
"I always considered myself to have a good relationship with Shereé," she said on Housewives Nightcap. "I mean, we've had our moments on the show where sometimes we didn't see eye-to-eye. But, for the most part, you know, I still see her outside of the show sometimes. We still run into each other and I've got much love for Shereé."
The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
#MusicNews: Kehlani Announces ‘Blue Water Road Trip’ Tour
Kehlani is bringing Blue Water Road to a city near you. The singer has announced dates for her “Blue Water Road Trip” with special guests Rico Nasty and Destin Conrad.
The North American leg kicks off July 30 in Raleigh, North Carolina before traveling across the U.S. and Canada, with stops in Miami, Atlanta, New York, Toronto, Chicago, and Los Angeles, wrapping Oct. 21 in Honolulu.
She will then head to Europe for a month-long trek, which commences Nov. 17 in Copenhagen and includes dates in Stockholm, Berlin, Milan, Paris, London, and more.
Kehlani will perform her newest album, Blue Water Road, which was released last month, as well as 2020’s It Was Good Until It Wasn’t.
“It’s my favorite thing in the world,” Kehlani told Apple Music of touring. “I love when people write to me and stop me and tell me things. But something about them singing the music back to me or the look on their faces when the song is meaningful to them, it’s just priceless. I don’t think there’s anything else like it.”
Tickets go on sale Friday, May 20. See dates below.
BLUE WATER ROAD TRIP TOUR DATES
July 30 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
Aug. 1 – Miami, FL – FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park
Aug. 3 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
Aug. 5 – Charlotte, NC – Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
Aug. 7 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
Aug. 9 – New York City, NY – Radio City Music Hall
Aug. 12 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion
Aug. 13 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater
Aug. 15 – Philadelphia, PA – Skyline Stage, Mann Center for the Performing Arts
Aug. 16 – Pittsburgh, PA – UPMC Events Center
Aug. 17 – Cincinnati, OH – Andrew J. Brady Music Center
Aug. 19 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory
Aug. 22 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre Detroit
Aug. 24 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Aug. 26 – Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom
Aug. 28 – Indianapolis, IN – TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park
Aug. 30 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center
Sept. 1 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater
Sept. 3 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom, Gilley’s
Sept. 6 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
Sept. 9 – Las Vegas, NV – The Chelsea, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
Sept. 10 – Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theater
Sept. 14 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Federal Theatre
Sept. 15 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Amphitheater
Sept. 17 – Portland, OR – Theater Of The Clouds
Sept. 18 – Seattle, WA – Wamu Theater
Sept. 21 – Vancouver, BC – Pacific National Exhibition
Sept. 30 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
Oct. 2 – Honolulu, HI – Waikiki Shell, Neal S. Blaisdell Center
Nov. 17 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Grey Hall
Nov. 18 – Stockholm, Sweden – Annexet
Nov. 21 – Oberhausen, Germany – Turbinhalle
Nov. 22 – Berlin – Germany – Tempodrom
Nov. 24 – Zürich, Switzerland – Komplex 457
Nov. 26 – Vienna, Austria – Gasometer
Nov. 27 – Munich, Germany – Zenith, Die Kulturhalle
Nov. 29 – Milan, Italy – Fabrique
Nov. 30 – Paris, France – Salle Pleyel
Dec. 1 – Paris, France – Salle Pleyel
Dec. 3 – Tilburg, Netherlands – 013
Dec. 4 – London, UK – O2 Academy Brixton
Dec. 5 – London, UK – O2 Academy Brixton
Dec. 7 – Dublin, Ireland – 3 Olympia Theatre
Dec. 9 – Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy Glasgow
Dec. 10 – Birmingham, UK – O2 Academy Birmingham
Dec. 12 – Manchester, UK – O2 Victoria Warehouse
#HipHopNews: Eminem Says He’s ‘Speechless’ After Listening To Kendrick Lamar’s Album
Kendrick Lamar has left Eminem speechless On Friday, the Compton rapper released his highly-anticipated album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers to much acclaim including from Eminem.
Taking to Twitter, the Rap God couldn’t contain his excitement upon hearing the album. In a tweet to Dr. Dre, who signed Kendrick to Aftermath, Em gushed about Kendrick’s latest work.
“Yo @DrDre this Kendrick album is f****** ridiculous. I’m speechless,” he tweeted.
Eminem has previously given props to his “Love Game” collaborator, who he performed alongside at the Super Bowl Halftime Show in February. “Kendrick is at the very top top tier of lyricists. Not just of this generation, but of all time,” he told SiriusXM’s Sway Calloway.
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers has been well received by fans and critics alike. Rolling Stone awarded it 3.5 out of 5 stars, while Pitchfork gave it 7.6 out of 10, calling it “ambitious” and “impressive.”
The album, which features Baby Keem, Kodak Black, and Summer Walker, broke the record for most first-day streams for an album released this year on Apple Music. It is expected to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 325-350,000 units.
Kendrick also dropped a video for “N95” and announced a global tour with support from Baby Keem and Tanna Leone. The “Big Steppers” trek will kick off in the U.S. on July 19 before traveling to Europe and Australia.
Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller 40 (Anniversary Edition)' is set to arrive in November
The release will be “full of surprises for fans.”On Nov. 18, Sony Music and Michael Jackson’s estate will observe the 40th anniversary of the late icon’s classic Thriller by releasing Thriller 40, a double CD set comprised of the original album and a second disc. According to the announcement, the release will be “full of surprises for fans, including never-released tracks which were worked on by Michael for the Thriller album.”
For the U.S., Walmart will sell an exclusive version of the original Thriller album featuring an alternate 40th anniversary cover. Target will have an exclusive version of the original album with a commemorative Thriller 40 vinyl slip mat. Both versions will also be available outside the U.S. through various retailers.
Originally released in Nov. 30, 1982, Thriller went on to have seven top 10 singles on the Hot 100 with two achieving No. 1 status: “Beat It” and “Billie Jean.” In terms of accolades, it has won eight Grammys, was RIAA-certified at 34-times platinum, and amassed more than 100 million in sales worldwide. Music from Thriller as well as Jackson’s other hit albums recently earned 10 Tony Award nominations thanks to Broadway’s “MJ The Musical.”
In related news, back in 2019, Deadline reported that Bohemian Rhapsody producer Graham King secured the rights for a theatrical feature and three-time Oscar nominee John Logan will be writing the script. Now, a Michael Jackson biopic is officially on the way. Lionsgate recently announced that they will be handling global theatrical distribution of the feature, which is officially titled Michael.
According to a press release announcing the distribution deal, the feature will “give audiences an in-depth portrayal of the complicated man who became the King of Pop. It will bring to life Jackson’s most iconic performances as it gives an informed insight into the entertainer’s artistic process and personal life.”
Bobby Brown Sees Late Children Bobbi Kristina and Bobby Jr. in His Dreams: 'They're Always Together'
Bobby Brown has been having a recurring dream and it's a beautiful one.
"I always see them at beaches or in fields," Brown tells PEOPLE in this week's issue of his late children, daughter Bobbi Kristina and son Bobby, Jr., who died at ages 22 and 27 in 2015 and 2020, respectively, both as a result of drug abuse.
He continues, "They're running away, but they're laughing. And they're always together. I didn't have many dreams about Bobbi Kris before Bobby Jr. died. But then all of a sudden — floods of dreams."
The 53-year-old R&B music star is opening up to PEOPLE ahead of the release of his new A&E docu-series Biography: Bobby Brown, premiering May 30. The two-part series delves into his tumultuous life and times, including his battle with addiction, his ill-fated marriage to superstar Whitney Houston, as well as his deepest sadness: the loss of his two children.
On Jan. 31, 2015, Bobbi Kristina was found unresponsive in a bathtub with a mix of drugs in her system, eerily similar to the manner in which her mother Whitney Houston was found inside her Beverly Hills hotel room in 2011. Bobbi Kristina died that July after spending months in a coma.
Bobby, Jr., Brown's son with ex Kim Ward, suffered an overdose of alcohol, cocaine and fentanyl and was found dead inside his Los Angeles apartment on Nov. 18, 2020.
"No family, no father should have to go through this," says Brown, who with the help of wife Alicia Etheredge, has made it his new mission to speak out about the dangers of drug abuse, particularly fentanyl.
Bobbi Kristina and Bobby, Jr. "were both musicians and loved to sing," says Brown. Born just four months apart, "Their relationship was tight. They'd get into their little tiffs but they were thick as thieves."
The pain of losing them is something he's still grappling with today. "I've cried, but not how I want to. I really want to just scream to the top of my lungs and cry, but it's just not there."
Brown, who is sober and in therapy, says his remaining children, including Landon, LaPrincia and his three youngest with Etheredge, Cassius, Bodhi and Hendrix, help him get through his darkest days.
And then there are his dreams. Constantly envisioning Bobbi Kristina and Bobby, Jr. together and happy when he sleeps, "That's enough for a father to feel like God has them."
Mike Tyson Joins Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan in Upcoming Thriller Black Flies
Former boxing champion and legendary fighting figure Mike Tyson is set to join Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan in Black Flies, an upcoming dramatic thriller directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tyson will join the film in a lead role, and will play the superior office of both Penn and Sheridan, two New York City paramedics. Sheridan will play a first-year medic who arrives on the streets of New York eager to help people. However, as he and his partner, played by Penn, continue to have to make tough choices on the streets, his own desire to be helpful will be pushed to the limits.
Black Flies is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Shannon Burke, with Burke, Ben Mac Brown, and Ryan King all having written the script for the role.
“Black Flies is the story of paramedic Ollie Cross and his first year on the job in mid-90s New York,” reads the official synopsis of the novel. “It is a ground’s eye view of life on the streets: the shoot-outs, the bad cops, unhinged medics, the hopeless patients, the dark humor in bizarre circumstances, and one medic’s struggle to balance his desire to help against his own growing callousness. It is the story of lives that hang in the balance, and of a single job with a misdiagnosed newborn that sends Cross and his partner into a life-changing struggle between good and evil.”
NBA Star Rajon Rondo Allegedly Pulled A Gun On The Mother Of His Kids & Threatened Her Life Following A Dispute Over A Video Game
Cleveland Cavaliers player Rajon Rondo allegedly pulled a gun on the mother of his children and threatened to kill her during a heated altercation.
Ashley Bachelor– who is the former partner of Rajon Rondo, 36, and the mother of their two children–was granted an emergency protective order against the NBA star, requesting protection for her, their son and daughter. In the emergency order filing, Ashley wrote:
“I am extremely fearful for my safety and for the safety of my children. Rajon has a history of volatile, erratic, explosive behavior. He is verbally, emotionally, and financially abusive. He physically hits our son and calls him names like ‘p***y’ and accuses him of acting like a ‘b**ch.'” Rajon verbally assaults our daughter. He calls her names like ‘thot, b**ch, and d**khead.’ Rajon has made several threats on my life, saying at various times he will shoot me or shoot up my car.”
Ashley Bachelor detailed the alleged violent outburst that took place on May 11. She says Rajon Rondo became angry after she asked their son to separate laundry when he and his father were playing video games. She claims Rondo then ripped the game console from the wall and smashed things at the house–everything from a teacup to outdoor lights and trash cans. Bachelor says Rondo yelled “you’re dead” when she attempted to “deescalate” the situation.
According to Ashley, Rajon Rondo briefly left the home before returning about 15 minutes later, when he allegedly approached a back door and began banging on the window with his gun. She says he demanded to see his son and then “yanked” him outside and yelled at both children for being afraid of him. Bachelor adds that she did not intervene because she feared for her life since Rondo had a gun and was being violent.
Things finally calmed down when Rajon’s parents arrived at the home, causing him to eventually leave. Ashley Bachelor was granted protection for herself and her two children by a local judge. As of now, Rajon Rondo has not been named a suspect in any crime by police and has not been arrested.
French Montana Reportedly Loses Lawsuit Over Dog Bite Incident Involving Pool Cleaner
A 2018 lawsuit filed against French Montana over a dog bite has wound down to its conclusion, with a jury having determined the plaintiff should be paid tens of thousands of dollars in economic loss.
Per a report from TMZ on Monday, a jury in California has awarded French’s former pool cleaner, Juan Lomeli, with a total of $129,500 in various damages in connection with the bite incident. In short, Lomeli previously accused French’s pet—identified in the report as a German Shepherd by the name of Zane—of “viciously attacking him” while he was working on French’s pool in May 2017.
Due to the injuries Lomeli said he sustained during the incident, he was left unable to continue his work for a period of time, which he further argued resulted in a loss of would-be earnings. Monday’s TMZ update on the lawsuit also includes a rundown of how the aforementioned settlement of just under $130,000 is divided. Past economic loss in the amount of $39,500, past non-economic loss of $60,000, and future non-economic loss of $30,000 are all included in the newly reported figure.
French hasn’t publicly commented on the suit. This past weekend, French was among those enlisted as presenters for the 2022 edition of the Billboard Music Awards ceremony in Las Vegas. In April, he joined DreamDoll on the track “Ice Cream Dream” and shared the solo track “Big Comfy.” The latter, which marked a collaborative effort with ginger ale brand Canada Dry, was also commemorated with an official video.
Bob Mackie Slams Kim Kardashian for Wearing Marilyn Monroe's Dress to Met Gala 2022
Kim Kardashian does not have Bob Mackie‘s stamp of approval. In a new interview, the 82-year-old designer was asked to share his opinion on the 41-year-old reality star wearing the iconic dress he and Jean Louis designed for Marilyn Monroe to the 2022 Met Gala, and Bob called it a “big mistake.”
If you didn’t know, Bob drew the sketch for the original gown back in 1962 when he was working as an assistant to Jean Louis. Marilyn then wore the dress when she famously sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy.
No one has worn the dress since, until Kim was loaned the dress from Ripley’s Believe It or Not! to wear it to the Met Gala.
“I thought it was a big mistake,” Bob told Entertainment Weekly. “[Marilyn] was a goddess. A crazy goddess, but a goddess. She was just fabulous. Nobody photographs like that. And it was done for her. It was designed for her. Nobody else should be seen in that dress.”
Kim only ended wearing the dress for a matter of a few minutes, just to take photos and walk the steps of the Met Gala. She then changed into a replica dress.
While visiting Ripley’s to try on the dress, Kim was gifted a lock of Marilyn‘s hair. However, an expert now claims the hair may not really be Marilyn‘s.
Britney Spears' Fiance Sam Asghari Speaks Out Following the Announcement of Their Pregnancy Loss
Sam Asghari is speaking out after he and fiancee Britney Spears suffered a miscarriage.
On Saturday, the couple announced the loss of their unborn child.
“It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that we have lost our miracle baby early in the pregnancy,” Britney, 40, and Sam, 28, wrote at the time.
On Monday Sam released another statement thanking fans for all their support.
“We have felt your support. We are taking things positively and moving forward with our future,” Sam wrote on his Instagram Story. “It’s hard but we are not alone.”
He added, “Thank you for respecting our privacy. We will be expanding our family soon.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with them both.
Mac Miller’s Drug Dealer Has Been Sentenced To 17.5 Years In Prison For Supplying Counterfeit Pills
49-year-old Stephen Walter, one of the men who sold Mac Miller the pills that caused the rapper’s fatal overdose in 2019, has been sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison after he pled guilty last year to the distribution of fentanyl. Water, who had continued to sell counterfeit oxycodone pills cut with Fentanyl even after Miller’s death, had previously made a plea deal for 17 years, but US District Judge Otis D. Wright, II rejected the deal, saying it was too lenient for the offense, according to Rolling Stone.
“The court has elected not to accept that plea agreement,” he said. “So, sir, if you want, at this point, you can withdraw your guilty plea and go to trial. I may as well lay it out. When you continue to engage in this activity even after your activities killed someone, I’m having a tough time not staying within the guidelines.”
Walter, however, decided not to argue after conferring with his lawyer. Although Walter contended with the characterization given, claiming he had no knowledge that Miller had died from drugs he supplied, he accepted the sentence. However, he did advise the court that he believed that another man charged in the case, Cameron Pettit, to whom he initially sold the pills, wanted them for personal use and Walter did not know Pettit wound up giving them to Miller.
Meanwhile, another man who was also convicted, 39-year-old Ryan Reavis, was recently sentenced to 11 years in prison. Pettit accepted a plea agreement as well, but the record has been sealed.
Kevin Samuels' family says recent GoFundMe page was set up by an imposter
Following the death of their loved one, Kevin Samuels’ family has revealed that a recent GoFundMe account created to cover costs to lay him to rest is fake, TMZ reports.
According to the family, the account set up on the popular crowdfunding platform was made by an “imposter.”
The page was launched by someone whose name was listed as Melanie King with a goal of $50,000. It has since been deleted. Another report revealed that the platform reached out to the popular YouTuber’s family to offer them the funds that had been raised. His family denied the gesture.
Samuels, known for his controversial takes on relationships, specifically within the Black community, died at his Atlanta residence at the age of 57.
In a statement ,GoFundMe confirmed that everyone who donated to the alleged fake page will receive a refund.
“Safety is our top priority. It’s very important to us that donor intentions are honored and that money goes to the right place.” read the statement. “Generally, if the recipient does not want to receive funds raised on their behalf on GoFundMe, we will refund all donors. In this case, we have been in touch with a representative of the family and the family has stated that they do not wish to receive funds from fundraisers. As such, our Trust & Safety team is proactively monitoring the platform for fundraisers created on the family’s behalf, and will remove fundraisers started without family consent.”
It isn’t uncommon for GoFundMe pages to be created in honor of figures such as Samuels without consulting the family. The platform reiterated that the main goal is to protect its donors.
“To note, we often see fundraisers started in response to news like this by friends, neighbors, and even strangers with good intentions, as people want to help,” the statement continued. “Our goal is to always protect donors.”
Lyft driver kicks passenger out for being racist, gets called a "n—gger lover" in return
Not all heroes wear capes. In fact, they sometimes come in the form of a Lyft driver.
James W. Bode rideshare driver is receiving all the praise after he not only decided to remove racist passengers from his vehicle , but also shared video footage to raise awareness.
The driver, James W. Bode, has no intentions of tolerating hatred toward Black people. After a woman called him a “nigger lover,” he proceeded to kick her to the curb for the cruel remarks.
After Bode shared a video of the incident to Facebook, it has since taken off on other popular social media apps. He has also been dubbed a hero.
When Bode originally picked up the passenger under the user name of “Jackie,” he was met with shock from the woman who entered the vehicle with a man.
“You’re like a normal guy,” she said upon entering the vehicle. “Like you speak English.”
After Bode asked that she repeat herself, which she does, he then proceeded to kick the pair out of his car. At that time, the woman attempted to apologize, patting the Pennsylvania driver on the shoulder, however he refused to let up.
“No, you can get out of the car,” said Bode.
From there, things took a turn for the worst. He simply asked for them to exit the car and that he would no longer be a driver for them which set the man, who had otherwise been quiet, off.
As they exited Bode’s car, the man called him a “nigger lover” and then proceeded to threaten him by saying that he would punch him in the face.
WATCH HERE
Now that the video has made rounds across the interweb, the woman was identified as Jackie Hartford. She is the owner of Fossils Last Stand in Catasauqua. The restaurant has since received a 1-star rating on Yelp following the incident.
Jerry Bruckheimer Says Johnny Depp Will Not Play Captain Jack Sparrow Again bringing in Margot Robbie as the Lead
It doesn’t’t look like Johnny Depp is going to be reprising his role as Captain Jack Sparrow for the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
While speaking with The Sunday Times, producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed Depp would not be in the next film. When asked if Depp would be returning to a potential sixth Pirates of the Caribbean, Bruckheimer said it is unlikely “at this point.”
“Not at this point,” Bruckheimer said via The Wrap. “The future is yet to be decided.”
Bruckheimer says he’s trying to rebuild the Pirates franchise with a new protagonist that’ll be played by Margot Robbie. “We’re developing two Pirates scripts. One with her, one without,” he said.
Bruckheimer’s comments come after Depp was asked during his court case against ex-wife Amber Heard whether he would work for Disney again. He said no.
“Right now, based on everything, if they came to me with $300 million and a million alpacas, nothing under this earth, on this earth would get me to go back and work with Disney on a Pirates of the Caribbean film,” he said at the time.
In The Sunday Times interview, Bruckheimer didn’t give much info about who else will be starring in the new movie.
Neil Patrick Harris Issues Apology for Platter Mocking Amy Winehouse Following Her Death
Neil Patrick Harris has issued a statement in regards to a resurfaced image from a party he hosted, which featured a buffet platter created in the likeness of Amy Winehouse’s corpse.
Harris’ party took place in 2011, just a few months after Winehouse died on July 23 of that year due to alcohol poisoning. According to Variety, the singer’s fake corpse featured a cigarette in its mouth with a placard that read, “The Corpse of Amy Winehouse.” There was also another note that showed what was on the platter, including beef ribs, pulled pork, and chicken sausage.
“A photo recently resurfaced from a Halloween-themed party my husband and I hosted 11 years ago,” Harris told Entertainment Weekly. “It was regrettable then, and it remains regrettable now. Amy Winehouse was a once-in-a-generation talent, and I’m sorry for any hurt this image caused.”
Justin Mikita, actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s husband, initially shared the image on Twitter, though it was later deleted. The photo made its way back to people’s attention when writer Ashley Reese took to Twitter, writing, “I cannot believe how many very online people over the age of 25 are just now finding out about Neil Patrick Harris’s disgusting Amy Winehouse cake,” according to Variety.
Winehouse died at the age of 27 after winning five Grammy Awards in 2008 for her sophomore album Back to Black. Later, in 2015, the documentary Amy—which chronicled her career and substance abuse issues—won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
Sean Paul addresses rumors he had a relationship with Beyoncé during 'Baby Boy' collab
"Baby Boy," the 2003 Beyoncé song that features Sean Paul was a massive hit — his first No. 1 single — and, even today, he continues to be asked about his rumored relationship with the star.
When asked by The Daily Beast's Marlow Stern in a story published Monday whether he had hooked up with the Grammy winner, Paul answered, "Nah! I wish I did! She's beautiful." And the Jamaican artist described their song as "a bangin' track, mon."
He said he'd been excited when she asked him to work with her, but soon there was gossip the two were together. This was despite the fact she was dating rapper Jay-Z.
"We had to have a speak about it," said Paul, explaining that their talk came after the first two times they performed the song.
"We had just three performances, and one was at Reggae Sumfest. At the time, we were both on the Rock the Mic Tour. This was 2003," Paul said. "She wasn't on it every day, but she would come on certain dates and do the song ["Crazy in Love] with [Jay-Z]. One day, we left to do the video and then played Sumfest. That was the first time. The second time was in L.A., and a strange thing happened — and I think that's what started the rumors. Strange things started to happen at the performances, which was weird."
Paul, who was born Sean Henriques, recalled that the Los Angeles concert didn't quite go as planned.
"I did my show and then she was performing, and they told me to stick around because we'll do 'Baby Boy.' We do it and I run out there and the crowd goes wild, but after a while it seems like I lost their energy," Paul said. "And it's weird because I was going wild out there. When the song finished, I came backstage and my own band was all pissed off, like 'Man, that's f***ed up. You heard yourself? We couldn't hear you in the crowd. Your mic was off.' I was like, 'How the f*** did that happen?'"
Then came that third performance in Scotland.
"That's when we had the talk, because the rumors got really crazy. I landed in Scotland and it was this MTV event, and there were paparazzi everywhere," Paul said. "We ended up doing the rehearsal and everything was good, and the performance was going to be where I come up from under the stage, and then we both walk to a big center thing in the middle of the stadium which was surrounded by fire. That all happens, and then it reaches my part — 'You're a top, top, girl' — and the track keeps going, 'Baby boy, you stay…. Baby boy, you stay…' just repeating. I was like, 'What's going on here!?' She was pissed and was like 'I need to speak to you.' So, we go back and talk and she's like 'What's all these rumors about?' and I'm like 'Yo, I'm not saying s***,' and she's like 'These rumors f*** with my career. I just want you to know that.' I was like 'They don't fuck with mine. So, listen: I met Jay before you, and we was friends, so me and him should talk. If he feels a way about that, then we should talk, because it's not coming from me.'"
Paul was asked if he thought Jay-Z had anything to do with the audio issues.
"It couldn’t be because he wasn't even there. But people started to say this s***," he said. "And there was one more performance we were supposed to do at the VMAs, and she said to me 'We're gonna have rehearsal, so look out.' The day before the VMAs happens, there's this press day where you speak to every radio station, and I'm hearing somebody rehearsing "Baby Boy." So, I'm like 'What's going on?' We went to the label and they were like 'Yo…they're not gonna do the song with you.' So, I'm sitting there in the crowd with my present wife and Paris Hilton is sitting in front of me. Beyoncé is coming down the stairs singing the song and Paris Hilton turns to me and goes 'Why aren't you up there?' It was embarrassing and weird."
Paul still planned to do "Baby Boy" again.
"So, the next day, I was supposed to perform in Washington, D.C., and do the song with her for her father," said. "I went there, did my show, and then waited around for a while. And I got pissed off. They were like 'There are 3,000 influential people waiting out there for you to do it.' And I was like, 'There were 50 million people watching the VMAs. I'm not doing it.' And I left. That was the last time we did the show, and by that time I was saying publicly that there was nothing going on. It fell on me. Nobody was asking them about it. But you know what? It was a big, fat, sexy song."
In a March 2020 appearance on Access Daily, Paul said that his song with the "Single Ladies" artist was "an amazing thing" for him.
He had only good things to say about her, too, on the 15th anniversary of the track in 2018.
"When you're around [Beyoncé] and she's working, that's what it was," he told ET. "It was just amazing focus and you saw that she had this plan from forever, but she wasn't going to let little problems kind of get in the way. She was going with the flow also but very professional. That's what I got from her. Amazing song, I was glad to be on it. I was glad that she wanted to do dancehall music."
Ciara admits Russell Wilson moving to Denver has had an unforeseen impact on her career
On Monday's The Late Late Show With James Corden, Ciara discussed her recent move to Denver, after husband Russell Wilson was traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos in March. The singer also revealed the one part of her life that has become much harder ever since.
When Corden asked about the altitude in Denver, Ciara replied, "Oh my goodness, you feel it. My last rehearsal was crazy. I was, like, I need a break. We had a couple breaks in the schedule, like, just take a moment and pause and breathe. You can really feel it. Going upstairs is like I literally worked out for one hour." However, on the other hand, Ciara said there is a silver lining to the change in altitude.
Ciara shared, "But there's an advantage to that as well, you know. Training there for a good bit, then you're going to be ready for the opponents, you're going to be ready for when it's time to hit the stage. I had extra wind. I was like, 'Let's go!'"
Corden asked Ciara if her husband Wilson also found there to be an advantage for him on the field due to practicing in such a high altitude, but Ciara only spoke for herself as she stated, "I mean, I'm just saying, I'm kinda competitive so I think there is an advantage to that, you know what I mean? How could it not be?"
Fellow guest Jenna Dewan agreed, as she told Ciara, "Yes because then when you actually get to your performance you are extra extra."
"You're conditioning at an abnormal altitude, so you're, like, really extra — you have strong endurance. Like, you're really ready," added Ciara.
3 escaped teens and juvenile detention center guard who assisted arrested in Houston
RED RIVER PARISH, La. — The three teenagers who escaped from the Ware Youth Center in Red River Parish have been arrested in Houston, along with the 21-year-old guard who assisted in their escape.
The 3 escapees and the security guard were all found at a motel in Houston, and according to authorities all 4 were arrested early Sunday morning and sent back to Louisiana.
According to the Red River Parish Sheriff's Office, surveillance video showed the guard, 21-year-old Victoria Tune, driving the three teenagers out of the juvenile detention center.
All three teens had been held for various felonies.
A warrant had been issued for Tune's arrest as well for three counts of accessory to simple escape.
All four have ties to the Shreveport, Bossier, and DeSoto Parish areas, according to police.
McDonald’s Is Permanently Exiting Russia
McDonald’s has decided to leave Russia after over 30 years in business.
The move comes as the fast-food chain restaurant temporarily sold over 850 of its stores in March. Now, The company has decided to remove the golden arches for good.
The company stated that the “humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, and the precipitating unpredictable operating environment, have led McDonald’s to conclude that continued ownership of the business in Russia is no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald’s values.”
The first McDonald’s was built in Russia in 1990.
McDonald’s president and chief executive, Chris Kempczinski, said the decision was “tough,” but “our commitment to our values means that we can no longer keep the Arches shining there.”
According to BBC, the fast-food chain will sell all of its locations to a local buyer, and they will begin “de-arching” the restaurants, which entails removing the company’s name, branding, and menu.
McDonald’s said it would continue to pay its 62,000 employees in Russia until the deals are completed and that any of the potential buyers will hire them.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
DID HE WHAT?
Well, I think you should try your luck at the arcade.
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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