#FASHIONFAB: Actress Whitney Peak Named Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Ambassador
Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle Fragrance has a new ambassador — 20-year-old actor Whitney Peak [IG], who now follows in the footsteps of Kate Moss and Keira Knightly.
The Ugandian-Canadian actor has an existing relationship with Chanel. Peak had a major role in the 2021 HBO Max reboot of the Gossip Girl series, the Apple TV+ series Home Before Dark, the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and the Disney+ film Hocus Pocus 2.
The Coco Mademoiselle fragrance and Whitney Peak are a perfect match.
Chanel proposes that its hints of vibrant oranges, jasmine, and patchouli exude an unmatched powerful and sexy touch like no other fragrance. Whitney Peak isn’t a shy femme; rather she embraces her bold and carefree side, as expressed in her natural, 2023 Diana Ross hairdo.
“She is the embodiment of today’s youth whose curiosity, confidence in life, appetite for experiences and lack of preconceptions echo the temperament of the young Coco Chanel.”
The new Whitney Peak for Coco Mademoiselle campaign is lensed by photographers Inez and Vinoodh [IG]./ Hair by James Pecis; makeup by Dick Page
#RHOA: Kandi Burruss Reacts To LaTocha Scott-Bivens "Blaming" Her For Career Woes
Kandi Burruss is finally "Understanding" what's really going on between her and LaTocha Scott-Bivens.
The XSCAPE singers have feuded for many years, creating a complex dynamic between the group, comprised of Kandi, LaTocha, Tamika Scott, and Tameka "Tiny" Harris. To make a long story short, Kandi felt that LaTocha was given preferential treatment by the group's manager: LaTocha's husband Rocky Biven, who was dating LaTocha at the time.
"I’m not saying that he didn’t try his best but he had never managed before and it’s clear to say he had favoritism in the girl," she said in the 2017 series XSCAPE: Still Kickin’ It.
As for LaTocha, she felt that Kandi was always jealous of her success — and that she might've had a role in preventing the release of her solo album.
But it seems Kandi was unaware of the latter issue — at least, until the Sunday, March 12 episode of Bravo's SWV & XSCAPE: The Queens of R&B. The second episode of the limited series saw LaTocha say in a confessional that she has questioned whether Kandi had a role in hampering her solo career.
Kandi Just Joked the RHOA Ladies Don't "Want to Admit" This to Her
"I know back in the day, in 1998, I said I wanted to do a solo project. I think everybody was happy for me, except for Kandi. She was just like, 'You’re not coming back,'" LaTocha said in SWV & XSCAPE: The Queens of R&B. "For some reason, my project got shelved and then within that same timeframe, Kandi got signed and her album came out. It was a little odd, the timing of it all."
Now that Kandi knows the truth about LaTocha's feelings, she's revealing her own opinion about what happened between them.
"God’s favor ain’t fair! How did my album have anything to do with her album not coming out?…. I was on Columbia records & she was on SosoDef. Please ask Jermaine why your album didn’t come out & stop blaming me," she tweeted.
Kandi also weighed in on the drama between LaTocha and her sister Tamika, who were involved in an explosive fight about money in the debut episode. (As a refresher: Tamika claimed that LaTocha stole money from her while she was pregnant with her daughter Armani. LaTocha denies the allegations.)
Kandi suggested that LaTocha was trying to deflect from the real problem at hand, tweeting, "She had a whole situation going on in the family but was really trying to make me the focus of the problem once again."
As one Twitter user pointed out, "Why are we talking about Kandi when Tocha and Tamika are the ones beefing?! Kandi didn’t even do anything!" to which Kandi replied, "Right!"
While Kandi is upset that LaTocha and Tamika are at odds, one Twitter user helped her find a silver lining: "The perks of #TheQueensOfRB is that Kandi's name is finally cleared as the 'problem child,' and Tamika gets to separate herself from her sister's toxic ways."
"I didn't think of it like that," Kandi replied.
Will this drama cause the group to breakup yet again? Or will they be able to overcome their differences in time to go on tour? Find out when new episodes of SWV & XSCAPE: The Queens of R&B premiere on Bravo Sundays at 9:30/8:30c
#MusicNews: TLC And Shaggy To Embark On Tour With En Vogue And Sean Kingston
It’s a nostalgic mashup tour of epic proportions. This summer, TLC and Shaggy will headline their joint ‘Hot Summer Nights’ Tour with special guests En Vogue and Sean Kingston.
The 26-city tour kicks off on June 1 at Oak Mountain Amphitheater in Pelham, Ala. and will hit major cities across the U.S. and Canada including Miami, Toronto, and Phoenix, before concluding in Calgary, AB on July 14.
Fans can anticipate hearing their respective hits like TLC’s “No Scrubs,” and “Creep”; Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me,” and “Angel”; En Vogue’s “Don’t Let Go (Love)”, and “Free Your Mind”; and Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls” and “Eenie Meenie.”
The CrazySexyCool artists will also be releasing their new documentary, TLC Forever, on Lifetime/A+E near the start of this tour on June 3. The two-hour film will chronicle the revolutionary group’s dynamic and influence as surviving members T-Boz and Chilli tell their story in their own words.
Presale tickets for Citi cardholders start Tuesday (March 14) with general on-sale to follow on Friday (March 17) at 10 a.m. local time. Select VIP packages will also be available for purchase. Additionally, all four acts will not be in each city as noted below.
See the full tour dates below.
^Not a Live Nation Date | ~Tickets for this show will go onsale at a later date
June 01 – Pelham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
June 03 – Miami, FL – FPL Solar Amphitheater @ Bayfront Park
June 04 – St. Augustine, FL – The St. Augustine Amphitheatre
June 07 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park @ Walnut Creek
June 09 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
June 10 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
June 11 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
June 13 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
June 15 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
June 16 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
June 17 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre
June 21 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
June 23 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 24 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
#HipHopNews: Drake Announces 'It’s All A Blur' Tour With 21 Savage
After five years, the Toronto rapper will return to the stage this summer on his “It’s All a Blur” tour with special guest 21 Savage. Produced by Live Nation, the 29-date arena trek kicks off June 16 in New Orleans with stops in Chicago, Boston, New York, Miami, and Los Angeles before wrapping in Glendale, Ariz. on Sept. 5.
“It’s All a Blur,” presented by Cash App, Visa, and Sprite, marks Drake’s first tour since “Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour” in 2018. According to a press release, the title celebrates the past decade and “sums up Drake’s sentiment of the unprecedented run as he gets ready to hit the road.”
Drake hasn’t toured since his 2018 album Scorpion. He has released three albums since then including Certified Lover Boy, Honestly, Nevermind, and his latest, Her Loss with 21 Savage, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and charted 16 songs on the Hot 100.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 17 beginning at 12 p.m. local time on drakerelated.com.
A pre-sale will be available exclusively to Cash App Card holders via the Cash App starting Wednesday, March 15 at 12 p.m. local time, followed by a Sprite pre-sale on Thursday, March 16 at noon local time.
Drake It’s All a Blur Tour Dates
June 16 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
June 19 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
June 21 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
June 24 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
June 28 – Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena
July 1 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
July 2 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
July 5 – Chicago, IL – United Center
July 6 – Chicago, IL – United Center
July 8 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
July 11 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
July 12 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
July 14 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
July 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
July 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
July 25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
July 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
July 28 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
July 31 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Aug. 12 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum
Aug. 13 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum
Aug. 18 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Aug. 21 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Aug. 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Aug. 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Aug. 28 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Sept. 1 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
Sept. 5 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena
Tiger Woods' attorney says Erica Herman is 'jilted' ex-girlfriend' with meritless claims
An attorney for Tiger Woods filed court documents Monday that said Woods’ ex-girlfriend, Erica Herman, is not a victim of sexual assault or abuse but is instead a “jilted ex-girlfriend” who wants to publicly litigate “specious” claims in public court.
The attorney, J.B. Murray, filed the documents in response to two lawsuits Herman has filed against the famed golfer and the trust he established for his mansion on the Treasure Coast of Florida.
Herman sued the trust after her breakup with Woods in October, claiming more than $30 million in damages and stating she had an oral tenancy agreement with Woods to stay at the residence for about five more years.
Last week, she also filed a separate lawsuit against Woods that seeks to release her from her nondisclosure agreement (NDA) with Woods that the couple signed in 2017, near the beginning of their relationship. The lawsuits are related because the NDA requires disputes between the two to be resolved in confidential arbitration instead of public court. To get out of this requirement, Herman has invoked federal laws that invalidate NDAs and bypass confidential arbitration in cases of sexual harassment or assault.
Herman has not made specific allegations of such misconduct by Woods in her lawsuits. But her lawsuit against Woods implied she would say more if the court released her from the NDA. Her attorney also made the following reply when filling out a form for her lawsuit against Woods:
“Does this case involve allegations of sexual abuse?” asked the form.
“Yes,” answered Herman’s attorney.
Her attorney answered the same question with a “no” in the other lawsuit against the trust filed in October.
Tiger Woods and ex-girlfriend Erica Herman
“Ms. Herman argues that she cannot be required to arbitrate her claims because a new federal statute … provides that a party to an arbitration agreement cannot be required to arbitrate a 'sexual assault dispute’ or a 'sexual harassment dispute,' ” said the filing by Woods’ attorney.
“Ms. Herman’s position is utterly meritless. Nevertheless, (the statute) makes it clear that whether the federal statute applies and thus bars an arbitration 'shall be determined by a court, rather than an arbitrator.’ Accordingly, Defendant asks this Court for an order determining that (the statute) does not apply to the claims in this case.”
Murray said in court documents filed last week that Herman did not have an oral or written tenancy agreement with Woods and instead was merely a guest at his residence.
In her lawsuit against Woods, Herman is asking the court to declare that her NDA is invalid under the federal Speak Out Act, which prohibits the judicial enforceability of NDAs in disputes involving sexual assault or harassment. She also wants the court to determine the arbitration clause in the NDA is unenforceable and that “any determination of its applicability in this case must be decided by the Court, not by an arbitrator, under the federal Ending Forced Arbitration Of Sexual Assault And Sexual Harassment Act of 2021.”
Murray, who is the attorney for Woods and the trust, wants to push the dispute back into private arbitration and wants the court to determine such federal statutes do not apply here.
“Ms. Herman is a not a victim of sexual assault or abuse sought to be protected by Congress when enacting the statute,” said the document Murray filed Monday. “Rather, Ms. Herman is a jilted ex-girlfriend who wants to publicly litigate specious claims in court, rather than honor her commitment to arbitrate disputes in a confidential arbitration proceeding.”
Her NDA with Woods said she agreed to arbitrate any dispute with him in consideration for the opportunity to continue to spend time with him and to be privy to certain private and confidential aspects of his personal life and his professional and business endeavors
“For more than six years, Ms. Herman enjoyed the benefits of her agreement,” Woods’ attorney stated in court records Monday. “Now that her relationship with Mr. Woods has ended, however, she seeks to disregard her obligation to arbitrate disputes with Mr. Woods. Even worse, she seeks to justify her refusal to arbitrate by making salacious and insidious implications to federal statutes applying only to claims relating to sexual assault disputes and sexual harassment disputes.”
Diddy looking to purchase majority stake in BET to return the network to Black ownership
Sean “Diddy” Combs is looking to expand his empire in a way that will undoubtedly elevate the culture and build wealth in the Black community. The massively successful mogul has expressed interest in purchasing a majority stake in BET after Paramount Global announced the network was up for sale. The news came today (March 13) via Variety. As the founder and chairman of REVOLT, Diddy is already the mastermind behind one successful network and is intent on leading BET in a return to Black ownership.
A source close to the icon and businessman told Variety the Bad Boy is “exploring the opportunity to purchase BET as a part of his strategy to build a Black-owned global media powerhouse.” The sure-to-be lucrative deal would include BET, BET+, and VH1. Nothing is final with the industry powerhouse at the moment, as reports state Paramount Global has yet to seriously discuss the possibility with any contenders.
Diddy has been hands-on in the industry since he began his award-winning career in the ’90s. He’s played a monumental role in launching artists like Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Boyz II Men and more. In 2013, his business acumen saw new heights when he launched multi-platform media company REVOLT. The network reaches more than 80 million homes, and boasts 12 million monthly digital visitors and 18 million social media followers, along with a fast-growing streaming business. Millions tune in globally to view the network’s wide selection of original programming, such as “REVOLT Black News,” “Drink Champs,” “Kingdom Culture With T.D. Jakes” and “Caresha Please.” Diddy’s track record in producing successful TV and growing a prosperous media and entertainment platform is already proven — and a REVOLT and BET link-up would be historic.
While Diddy has not given any public comment regarding the potential deal, Variety’s source revealed his dream to see BET, which stands for Black Entertainment Television, return to Black ownership. The “Gotta Move On” artist believes the acquisition would be “better for the business, for the culture and for building wealth in the Black community,” according to the source.
As previously reported by REVOLT, earlier this month, it was announced that Tyler Perry was also interested in acquiring BET. Variety adds that businessman and television producer Byron Allen is a contender for the buyout as well.
Oscars Draw 18.7 Million Viewers, Up 12% From Last Year
Viewership was up Sunday when an average of 18.7 million viewers tuned in to see “Everything Everywhere All at Once” earn best picture honors and dominate the 95th Oscars on ABC with seven wins. That’s according to early, time zone-adjusted ratings from Nielsen, which includes out-of-home viewing — but keep in mind, that number could change when the final nationals are in.
The Oscars, which repped the return of host Jimmy Kimmel for the first time since 2018, was up 12% from last year’s ratings. And according to those time-zone-adjusted fast-national numbers from Nielsen, it bested the previous year’s 3.8 rating by 5% in key adults 18-49, earning a 4.0 in the demo.
This year’s telecast faced tough competition from HBO’s season finale of breakout smash “The Last of Us” — whose star, Pedro Pascal, was ironically a presenter on the kudocast. But it also benefited presumably from more interest in this year’s Oscars competition given the presence of popular films like “Everything Everywhere,” “Avatar” and “Top Gun Maverick” in the race — not to mention the fact that audiences might have been curious about how Kimmel and the teleast would address last year’s slap by Will Smith against presenter Chris Rock.
Looking at last year’s similarly preliminary fast-national data, the 2022 ceremony drew 15.36 million viewers and a 3.2 rating among adults 18-49.
The 2023 Oscars, which aired live from 8 p.m. to roughly 11:39 p.m. ET, were also the first from producing team of Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner — live TV vets who filled that role after several years of film producers overseeing the event.
Final “live + same day” Nielsen data for the 95th Oscars will be available Tuesday. Early fast-affiliate Nielsen numbers for Sunday’s Oscars reported by some outlets Monday are not time-zone adjusted and do not factor in West Coast viewing of the awards show.
ABC execs were also bracing for unusual numbers because Sunday marked the start of Daylight Saving Time, and it was possible viewership could’ve been affected by the hour time change.
Ratings for the Oscars have been critically lower in recent years hitting a record low in 2021 of 10.5 million viewers and a 2.2 rating among the key adults 18-49 demographic.
The 2022 telecast, which featured a remote performance from Beyoncé as well as that shocking altercation between Rock and Smith, drew 16.6 million viewers according to live + same day Nielsen data — that’s a 58% jump from the previous year and averaged a 3.8 rating (73% increase from 2021) in the key adult 18-49 demographic. After additional time-shifted viewing in the days that followed, the telecast wound up pulling 17.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched non-sports program of last year.
But despite the good growth, the show still only managed to rank as the second-worst viewership and ratings performance in the history of the Oscars.
Last year’s show was touted as “the most social Oscars telecast on record,” according to ABC and the Academy, with 22.7 million total social interactions and spiking 139% over last year’s broadcast (9.5 million). The broadcast garnered 16 million video views across Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
The record for an Oscars telecast remains the landmark 1998 entry, where an average of 55.3 million viewers watched “Titanic” win best picture. As recently as 2014, the Oscars still drew 43.6 million viewers (when “12 Years a Slave” won). The last time the Oscars scored more than 30 million viewers was 2017 (33 million, when “Moonlight” won) and the last time it crossed the 20 million threshold was the pre-pandemic 2020 show (23.6 million, the year “Parasite” was victorious).
Mira Sorvino Calls Out The Academy Over Leaving Paul Sorvino Out Of In Memoriam Segment During Oscars 2023
Mira Sorvino isn’t happy with The Academy right now.
The 55-year-old actress, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1996, called out the organization after her father, Paul Sorvino, was missing from the In Memoriam segment from The Oscars over the weekend.
Paul, who passed away last year at the age of 83, was one of five major stars who was left out of the show’s on-air segment.
He, and the four other stars left out, were mentioned in The Academy’s online gallery.
In response to the omission, Mira took to social media with her disappointment.
“It is baffling beyond belief that my beloved father and many other amazing brilliant departed actors were left out,” she wrote. “The Oscars forgot about Paul Sorvino, but the rest of us never will!!”
Mira‘s step-mother, Dee Dee, also called out The Academy over it.
“Paul was not the only deserving soul left out, and a QR Code is not acceptable,” she told People. “The Academy needs to issue an apology, admit the mistake and do better. Paul Sorvino deserves better, the audience deserves better. Is the Academy so jaded they forget people who are loved, who have given their hearts to this industry?”
Tyler Perry 'Had To Leave The Room' To Calm Down As He Got 'So Emotional' When Disciplining Son
Tyler Perry became "so emotional" when disciplining his son. The 53-year-old actor shares eight-year-old Aman with ex-girlfriend Gelila Bekele and explained that he "had to leave the room" after having to tell the little one off for not wanting to brush his teeth.
"I walk in the room and we have a nanny who was helping us out and [Aman's] just giving them business, he didn't want to brush his teeth," he told the former First Lady in a preview for an upcoming episode of "Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast".
"He's about five or six then and didn't want to brush his teeth. He didn't know I was in the door, I watched him for a minute, and then I had the nanny leave and I got down eye-to-eye and talked to him. I said, 'Listen to me, you are not going to be this way. We love you.' "
"We are your parents. You will not behave this way. We taught you better than this. You are a better kid than this. You're going to be a better man than this. And I'm talking to him. I started to get emotional in the moment and I had to leave the room."
The "A Madea Homecoming" star went on to add that during his own upbringing, there was just "yelling and cussing" whenever his parents had to discipline him and the "beautiful moment" with his son helped him "heal" from his own trauma.
He added, "I went out on the balcony I was in tears because I realized that nobody had ever talked, got down and talked to me eye-to-eye and had a conversation with me that I could understand. There was just yelling and cussing and what you're not and what you're never going to be."
"So to have a moment where I had a chance to have a conversation with a child, who is my spitting image, I was not only correcting and leading him the right way but helping my own little boy inside of me heal, it was a beautiful moment."
Olivia Newton-John Sent 'Grease' Co-Star Sweet Gift While In Hospital Just Weeks Before Her Death
Didi Conn received a sweet gift from her "Grease" co-star Dame Olivia Newton-John just weeks before her death. The 71-year-old actress - who portrayed Frenchy in the 1978 movie-musical - has revealed the pair kept in touch over the years and they had a poignant chat when Olivia was being treated for a broken leg in hospital shortly before she lost her battle with cancer.
"We spoke like once a month or so," Didi told New York Post column PageSix, explaining the kind star even sent her an orchid from her hospital bed after hearing she also hadn't been well.
"She was in the hospital at the time [we last spoke]. She had broken a leg and didn't even notice. Like, her bones were just cracking ... She [Olivia] said, 'What?! Why didn't you tell me [you had been ill]?' And the next day, I got this beautiful orchid plant."
However, Didi saw a bad omen when one of the orchid's flowers dropped three days before her friend's death last August at the age of 73. Didi added, "Three days before she died one of the orchid flowers fell down and my heart stopped. I said, 'I hope that's not a sign.' "
Olivia's contribution to Hollywood was recognised at the 2023 Academy Awards on Sunday night, March 12 when her "Grease" co-star John Travolta introduced the In Memoriam segment. John - who also lost his "Look Who's Talking" co-star Kirstie Alley - battled tears during his turn on stage at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre.
He said, "In this industry, we have the rare luxury of getting to do what we love for a living, and sometimes getting to do it with people that we come to love. And since tonight is a celebration of the work and the accomplishments of our community in this past year, it is only fitting then that we celebrate those we've lost, who dedicated their lives to their craft, both in front of and behind the camera."
John's voice then cracked as he referenced Olivia's song from "Grease", "Hopelessly Devoted to You", and said, "Through their immeasurable contributions, each of them left an individual and indelible mark that shared and informed us. They've touched our hearts, they've made us smile, and became dear friends who we will always remain hopelessly devoted to."
Black Family Awarded $8.25 Million in Wrongful Detention at California Starbucks
A court jury found Northern California sheriff’s deputies guilty of wrongly detaining a Black family at a Starbucks. They were granted $8.25 million in compensation for the injustice detention.
According to NBC News, Aasylei Loggervale and her two daughters, Aaottae Loggervale and Aasylei Hardge-Loggervale, went to Starbucks located in Castro Valley in September 2019, which is located about 25 miles from downtown San Francisco. While they were there, the Alameda County sheriff arrested them based on relations to auto thefts around the area.
The white deputies allegedly told them they were being arrested for “car burglaries committed by unidentified Black men.” The mother denied access to her driver’s license when asked. She and her daughters stated that “they had not done anything wrong and had no connection whatsoever to any auto burglaries,” per civil suit documents.
The three females were handcuffed as the police searched their purses, car, and cell phones for evidence. They were released with no charges.
The jury found that the officers and Alameda County breached the constitutional rights of the women and violated civil protections against the police. The three women were awarded $2.75 million each. “This is vindication and validation for the Loggervales that they’ve been wronged, and that means a lot,” said attorney Craig Peters, per NBC News.
Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez responded to verdict and said, “The community’s trust in my agency is foundational to my mission of maintaining a positive relationship with those we serve. The facts of this case are extremely important to me and our community members; however, I must reserve my comments until the case has been fully adjudicated through the court system.”
The two officials are currently still employed by the police department.
South African Rapper Costa Titch Dies After Collapsing On Stage
According to several reports and video footage that surfaced, South African rapper and amapiano star Costa Titch died on stage after collapsing during a performance this past weekend. He was 28 years old.
Costa was performing at the Ultra Music Festival in South Africa when he suddenly dropped to the ground while moving across the stage. Someone lifted him up to his feet, to which Costa, whose real name is Constantinos Tsobanoglou, only collapsed again in a few seconds.
His family issued a statement on IG, saying, “It is with deep pain that we find ourselves having to acknowledge his passing at this time. We are thankful for those emergency responders and all those present in his last hours on this earth.” A cause of death hasn’t been revealed.
Mo’Nique Reportedly “Still Demands and Expects Public Apologies from Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry”
Actress and comedian Mo’nique reportedly “still demands and expects public apologies from Winfrey and Perry.”
Over the past few years, it’s been reported that the Precious star had beef with a few big names in Hollywood, ultimately getting her blackballed from the industry.
When that happened, both Winfrey and Perry (executives on Precious) appeared to have hopped on the hate train after she refused to participate in the promotion campaign for the film.
Shortly after, she said, “Next thing I know, I am considered ‘difficult’ and ‘hard to work with.”
Just last year, Monique made up with and forgave film producer Lee Daniels after he publicly apologized to her and offered her a role to replace Octavia Spencer in the upcoming Netflix film The Deliverance.
During her interview with the Hollywood Reporter, she opened up about Oprah for inviting her brother, who sexually abused her, and her family onto her talk show in 2010.
“I see the show, and I can tell my mother is trying to make a dollar. I know my family,” she recalled. “I reached out to everybody I could to get to Oprah. No. Nothing. It just went dead.”
In 2014, Mo’nique questioned Oprah’s involvement in the episode.
“I said, ‘Since you didn’t want to return my calls, for whatever reason, I’m going to say this right here.” She then questioned the talk show host about having her estranged family on the show. However Winfrey claimed to have only invited Mo’Nique’s brother, who showed up with the rest of the fam.
According to Mo’Nique, Winfrey said, “I’m going to look into your mother and father being on the show, because I didn’t know anything about that.” The comedian said Winfrey went on to say, ‘If I’ve done anything to offend you, I apologize.’ However, this apparently wasn’t enough. As per the Hollywood Reporter, she “still demands and expects public apologies from Winfrey and Perry.”
Mo’Nique claims that her life is currently in “a chapter of forgiveness,” but it doesn’t imply that she is prepared to move on.
Peppa Pig Theme Park Set To Open In Texas
A Peppa Pig theme park is in the works. Kids will soon be able to enjoy a theme park centered around the children’s series and books.
A second Peppa Pig theme park is scheduled to open in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas. The first of its kind was placed in Winter Haven, Florida.
The Texas location will feature playscapes, interactive attractions, rides, and shows, all based on the popular character. Families will also be able to meet life-sized versions of Peppa and other characters from the series when visiting the park, Momtastics reported.
The attraction was created after the partnership of Merlin Entertainments and Hasbro, the owner of the Peppa Pig brand.
“Merlin is the definitive partner of choice for brands engaging children, holding the research, care, experience, and interest in bringing iconic brands to life through location-based attractions. Thank you to our friends at Hasbro for partnering with us to bring the playful world of Peppa Pig to this vibrant community,” Chief Executive Officer of Merlin Entertainments Scott O’Neil said.
“Peppa Pig Theme Park will bring more energy to an area already known as a destination for family fun. I’m certain it will provide unforgettable entertainment that keeps families coming back again and again,” North Richland Hills Mayor Oscar Trevino said, is the town where the park will be located.
“We cannot wait for more guests to create lifelong memories with Peppa and her friends,” added Matt Proulx, vice president of location-based entertainment at Hasbro.
Former Rep. Pat Schroeder, pioneer for women's rights, dies
Former U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder, a pioneer for women’s and family rights in Congress, died Monday night. She was 82.
Schroeder's former press secretary, Andrea Camp, said Schroeder suffered a stroke recently and died at a hospital in Celebration, Florida, the city where she had been residing in recent years.
Schroeder took on the powerful elite with her rapier wit and antics for 24 years, shaking up stodgy government institutions by forcing them to acknowledge that women had a role in government.
Her unorthodox methods cost her important committee posts, but Schroeder said she wasn’t willing to join what she called ``the good old boys’ club″ just to score political points. Unafraid of embarrassing her congressional colleagues in public, she became an icon for the feminist movement.
Schroeder was elected to Congress in Colorado in 1972 and became one of its most influential Democrats as she won easy reelection 11 times from her safe district in Denver. Despite her seniority, she was never appointed to head a committee.
Schroeder helped forge several Democratic majorities before deciding in 1997 it was time to leave. Her parting shot in 1998 was a book titled “24 Years of Housework ... and the Place is Still a Mess. My Life in Politics,″ which chronicled her frustration with male domination and the slow pace of change in federal institutions.
In 1987, Schroeder tested the waters for the presidency, mounting a fundraising drive after fellow Coloradan Gary Hart pulled out of the race. She announced three months later that she would not run and said her “tears signify compassion, not weakness.” Her heart was not in it, she said, and she thought fundraising was demeaning.
She was the first woman on the House Armed Services Committee but was forced to share a chair with U.S. Rep. Ron Dellums, D-Calif., the first African American, when committee chairman F. Edward Hebert, D-La., organized the panel. Schroeder said Hebert thought the committee was no place for a woman or an African American and they were each worth only half a seat.
Republicans were livid after Schroeder and others filed an ethics complaint over House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s televised college lecture series, charging that free cable time he received amounted to an illegal gift under House rules. Gingrich became the first speaker reprimanded by Congress. Gingrich said later he regretted not taking Schroeder and her colleagues more seriously.
Earlier, she had blasted Gingrich for suggesting women shouldn’t serve in combat because they could get infections from being in a ditch for 30 days. According to her official House biography, she once told Pentagon officials that if they were women, they would always be pregnant because they never said “no.″
Asked by one congressman how she could be a mother of two small children and a member of Congress at the same time, she replied, “I have a brain and a uterus, and I use both.″
It was Schroeder who branded President Ronald Reagan the “Teflon” president for his ability to avoid blame for major policy decisions, and the name stuck.
One of Schroeder’s biggest victories was the signing of a family-leave bill in 1993, providing job protection for care of a newborn, a sick child or a parent.
“Pat Schroeder blazed the trail. Every woman in this house is walking in her footsteps,” said Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., who took over from Schroeder as Democratic chair of the bipartisan congressional caucus on women’s issues.
Schroeder said legislators spent too much attention on contributors and special interests. When House Republicans gathered on the U.S. Capitol steps to celebrate their first 100 days in power in 1994, she and several aides clambered to the building’s dome and hung a 15-foot red banner reading, “Sold.”
A pilot, Schroeder earned her way through Harvard Law School with her own flying service. Schroeder became a professor at Princeton University after leaving Congress, but said politics was in her blood and she would continue working for candidates she supported.
For a while, she taught a graduate-level course titled “The Politics of Poverty.” She also headed the Association of American Publishers.
Schroeder continued working in politics after moving to Florida, going door to door, speaking to groups and mentoring candidates. She was politically active for issues and candidates across the country and campaigned for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Among other activities she served on the board of the Marguerite Casey Foundation.
Schroeder was born in Portland, Oregon, on July 30, 1940. She was a pilot who paid for college tuition with her own flying service. She graduated from the University of Minnesota before earning her law degree in 1964. From 1964 to 1966, she was a field attorney for the National Labor Relations Board.
She is survived by her husband, James W. Schroeder, whom she married in 1962. Also surviving are their two children, Scott and Jamie, and her brother, Mike Scott, as well as four grandchildren.
Lt. Gov. McNally ‘pausing’ social media use after Instagram comments surface
Tennessee’s lieutenant governor says he is taking a break from social media after being caught in a controversy on Instagram.
Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) released a statement Monday, saying he will be “pausing” social media use in order to “reflect and receive more guidance on the use of social media”
This comes less than a week after Instagram comments surfaced, showing McNally interacting with a young man who was posting nearly naked pictures on the social media platform.
TN Lt. Gov. official Instagram account repeatedly comments on nearly naked photos of 20-year-old gay man
A 20-year-old man who identified himself as Franklyn posted revealing photos, including one showing some of his backside.
The lieutenant governor’s verified Instagram account commented with heart emojis and fire emojis. His account also said, “you can turn a rainy day into rainbows and sunshine!”
The lieutenant governor’s account also commented on a picture in which it appears the man is not wearing underwear.
McNally’s account said, quote “great picture! Best wishes for continued health and happiness.”
TN Lt. Gov. responds to hypocrisy accusations over Instagram history
These are just two of many other comments on Franklyn’s posts, spanning months.
News 2 spoke with Franklyn last week. He said McNally added him on Facebook in 2020, and then McNally followed his Instagram. He says McNally also sent compliments by direct messages, but they never met in person.
“To me, I’m not a stranger to compliments, so I don’t really read into them because I just think that’s wrong to assume somebody’s hitting on you just because they’re nice to you,” Franklyn told News 2 on Wednesday. “He did not say he wanted to date me or have sex or anything like that.”
News 2 also found the lieutenant governor’s account liking a picture of a woman who says she’s transgender. The picture is captioned “#transgender.”
McNally’s office sent out a statement last Wednesday night saying, in part, “Does he always use the proper emoji at the proper time? Maybe not. But he enjoys interacting with constituents and Tennesseans of all religions, backgrounds and orientations on social media. He has no intention of stopping.”
Now, it appears the lieutenant governor will be taking a larger step back from social media as a whole.
McNally’s office released the following statement Monday, regarding the overall criticism of his social media use:
“I have long been active on social media. I have made a point to engage with people not only in posts, but in comments and messages as well. My comments to Franklin McClure and others, which have recently drawn so much attention, are no different. While I see now that I should have been more careful about how my comments and activity would be perceived, my intent was always engagement and encouragement. I apologize for any embarrassment my postings have caused my family, friends and colleagues. For this reason, I will be pausing my social media activity in order to reflect and receive more guidance on the use of social media.
While I have made some mistakes in my use of social media, the characterization of me and my record as somehow “anti-gay” is inaccurate. On a personal level, nothing could be further from the truth. I believe every person has value and deserves respect regardless of their orientation. I am 79 years old, and was raised in a time when homosexuality was deeply shameful. And I absolutely still hold traditional Tennessee values dear. But I now have friends and even a relative who is gay. I have worked hard to try and understand this community better, and at the same time not compromise trying to protect children and my own values. I notably came down from the Speaker’s podium to speak against a bill that would have curtailed gay adoption. I have also supported legislation that would protect children and keep obscenity out of the public sphere. And I support traditional marriage. There is no contradiction here.
I would encourage everyone to look at my record in its totality. It is both thoroughly conservative and compassionate to others. Though I may disagree with specific policies of certain LGBTQ activists, all people are deserving of love and compassion, no matter their race, gender, or any other attribute.
Criticism of my social media activity is fair, and I have taken it to heart. All I ask is that people look at the facts and my actual record. Again, conservative and “anti-gay” are not synonymous. Not generally and certainly not for me. While I realize it may not happen immediately, I am hopeful this examination of my social media activity will conclude and we can soon all get back to ensuring Tennessee remains the best state in the union to live, work and raise a family.”
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
Hot Horse?
Dog Horse
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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