#FASHIONFAB: Julia Garner, A$AP Rocky and Elliot Page for Gucci’s Guilt Fragrance Ad Campaign
An ode to self-acceptance, friendship and love in all its forms, Gucci Guilty debuts with a new campaign that is both bold and tender at the same time, led by Grammy Award-nominated musician A$AP Rocky, Emmy Award-winning actress Julia Garner, and Oscar-nominated actor, Elliot Page.
Shot by Glen Luchford, the campaign invites each of us home – a metaphorical place where we are free to accept who we are and let our authentic selves be seen. In this space of imagination, the protagonists celebrate the countless iterations of love, embodying complete self-acceptance and showing how openness unleashes the purest form of expression.
Every encounter with the Gucci Guilty Pour Femme and Pour Homme fragrances extends a loving invitation to explore, create, and connect to our truest selves from the safety of our hearts. The iconic Gucci Guilty fragrances–fresh, complex, and uninhibited blends of enduring sensuality–continue to inspire new ways of living authentically.
#RHOA: Married to Medicine Dr. Contessa Metcalfe and Anila Sajja are out, and Phaedra Parks is in!
After months of rumors swirling as to who would be making the cut for the Married to Medicine season 10 cast, it has been reported that Dr. Contessa Metcalfe and Anila Sajja are out, and making way for Real Housewives of Atlanta alum, Phaedra Parks
In a statement given to LoveBScott.com, Dr. Contessa revealed that she “decided to quit” last season after a four-year run with the long-running Bravo reality show.
“I needed a break because it wasn’t highlighting me as a [doctor] or as a mom…Plus it’s been 5 years! I’m sick of cussing and crying,” she told the outlet.
As for her thoughts on Phaedra’s addition to the cast, Contessa thinks she will make a “fun addition” adding that the two are “neighbors.” However, she didn’t share the same sentiments when it came to Anila confessing to the outlet that she didn’t believe her former costar was “a good fit anyway.”
On the most recent episode of his podcast, Reality with the King, host Carlos King all but confirmed that Phaedra would be making her grand entrance to the franchise as Married to Medicine costar, Quad Webb‘s, friend. Phaedra is also rumored to have been in a long-term relationship with an unidentified doctor for some time now giving her the necessary tie-in to the show.
He also seemingly confirmed that Contessa had left the show of her own accord, while alleging that Anila was fired. The reason being that Bravo needed to cut some fat from the cast in order to pay Phaedra’s salary.
“Phaedra ain’t cheap. She’s a staple in reality television. So, in order to afford Phaedra, you have to get rid of some people. And this is where the alleged report…so allegedly, two people from ‘Married to Medicine’ won’t be back on the upcoming season of the show. Because one person doesn’t want to come back…at least that’s what I was told. And the other person, allegedly, was fired,” Carlos stated.
The reality television producer backed up Contessa’s claim that “she wants to do other things,” but to him, Anila “never made sense” as a cast member on the show and was only featured because of her friendship with former Married to Med cast member, Mariah Huq.
“Now with Anila, I’ve said this from day one, Anila never made sense to me. The math wasn’t mathing. And the match wasn’t matching…Period. Point. I’ve always felt like Anila’s culture was the reason she was hired due to the fact that the creator honey, the legend, the executive producer Mariah Huq brought to the show…”
A filming date for season 10 of Married to Medicine has yet to be announced.
#NewMusicVideo from Babyface & Ari Lennox – Liquor
Legendary singer/songwriter Babyface and R&B sensation Ari Lennox have just unveiled the visual for their collaborative single “Liquor”.
The video finds the pair at a club where Babyface is the bartender and Ari Lennox is starring as the sultry vocalist. The visual was directed by Jean Estene.
“Liquor” was included on the extended version of Babyface’s latest album “Girls Night Out” which was released recently.
WATCH
This comes on the heels of another single recently released by Babyface called “As a Matter of Fact”.
Babyface also recently launched a North American tour with Anita Baker earlier this month.:
#HipHopNews: Metro Boomin Sells Part Of His Catalog For $70 Million
Metro Boomin has sold a portion of his existing publishing catalog to Shamrock Capital in a deal valued close to $70 million, reports Billboard.
As one of music’s most proven hitmakers, Metro Boomin is behind hits including Migos’ “Bad and Boujee,” Future’s “Mask Off,” Post Malone’s “Congratulations,” 21 Savage’s “Bank Account,” Drake and Future’s “Jumpman,” and The Weeknd’s “Heartless.”
In December, he released his second album Heroes & Villains, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and featured Young Thug, Travis Scott, Future, Don Toliver, Chris Brown, and more.
He has charted 99 total entries on the Hot 100 as a producer, including two No. 1s and 10 top 10s. As an artist, Metro Boomin has 46 total entries on the Hot 100.
His catalog becomes the latest acquisition for Shamrock, who acquired Dr. Dre’s music assets as part of a $200 million deal.
Last year, a majority stake in the late Juice WRLD’s catalog was quietly sold to Opus Music Group for nine figures.
Justin Bieber recently sold his music rights to Hipgnosis Songs Capital for over $200 million, while Future’s catalog commanded between $65-75 million.
Lifetime, A+E Networks Greenlights ‘Janet Jackson: Family First,’ Docuseries!
(Via Variety) On the heels of her successful self-titled limited docuseries, Lifetime and A+E Networks has greenlit “Janet Jackson: Family First.”
Serving as a continuation of the story told with Janet’s 2022 documentary, the series will follow the singer, songwriter, producer, and actor, as she embarks on her 2023 “Together Again” tour, as well as her collaboration with brother Randy Jackson to reunite the family band after 40 years since their last performance. The series is currently filming.
Executive producer Janet Jackson said, “I was touched by the love and support from the wonderful fans who enjoyed the documentary last year. I am excited to continue to share my story, and welcome fans into my life and the ‘Together Again’ tour. Thank you for your never-ending support, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter.”
“In this next chapter in the documentary, Janet and I are thrilled to welcome viewers on the road with us as we embark on the ‘Together Again’ tour, celebrating the milestone of 50 years of Janet’s career with fans across the country,” said Randy. “We look forward to the continued partnership with Lifetime and A&E, and to sharing our family with viewers.”
“Janet Jackson: Family First” is directed by Ben Hirsch. It is produced for Lifetime and A&E by Workerbee. AEC (Associated Entertainment Corporation) are co-producers. Janet and Randy Jackson are both attached to executive produce. Rick Murray executive produces for Workerbee. Brie Miranda Bryant serves as an executive producer for A&E Network.
In addition to the upcoming docuseries, Lifetime has announced the network will air its “TLC Forever” documentary with A+E Networks in a joint simulcast on Lifetime and A&E on June 3rd at 8pm ET/PT.
Survivors of deadly Mexico kidnapping being treated at Texas hospital
A road trip to Mexico for cosmetic surgery veered violently off course when four Americans were caught in a drug cartel shootout, leaving two dead and two held captive for days in a remote region of the Gulf coast before they were rescued from a wood shack, officials said Tuesday.
Their minivan crashed and was fired on shortly after they crossed into the border city of Matamoros on Friday as drug cartel factions tore through the streets, the region’s governor said. A stray bullet also killed a Mexican woman about a block and a half away.
The four Americans were hauled off in a pickup truck, and Mexican authorities frantically searched as the cartel moved them around — even taking them to a medical clinic — “to create confusion and avoid efforts to rescue them,” Tamaulipas Gov. Américo Villarreal said.
They were found Tuesday in a wooden shack, guarded by a man who was arrested, in a rural area east of Matamoros called Ejido Tecolote on the way to the Gulf called “Bagdad Beach,” according to the state’s chief prosecutor, Irving Barrios.
The surviving Americans were whisked back to U.S. soil on Tuesday in Brownsville, the southernmost tip of Texas and just across the border from Matamoros. The convoy of ambulances and SUVs was escorted by Mexican military Humvees and National Guard trucks with mounted machine guns.
A relative of one of the victims said Monday that the four had traveled together from the Carolinas so one of them could get a tummy tuck surgery from a doctor in Matamoros.
The governor said the wounded American, Eric Williams, had been shot in the left leg and the injury was not life threatening.
“It’s quite a relief,” said Robert Williams, 38-year-old Eric’s brother, reached by phone Tuesday in North Carolina. “I look forward to seeing him again and actually being able to talk to him.”
Robert Williams was not sure if the other survivor, Latavia Burgess, was the one seeking the surgery.
The survivors were taken to Valley Regional Medical Center with an FBI escort, the Brownsville Herald reported. A spokesperson for the hospital referred all inquiries to the FBI.
The two dead — Shaeed Woodard, age 33, and Zindell Brown, in his mid-20s — will be turned over to U.S. authorities following forensic work at the Matamoros morgue, the governor said.
Video and photographs taken during and immediately after Friday’s abduction show the Americans’ white minivan sitting beside another vehicle, with at least one bullet hole in the driver’s side window. A witness said the two vehicles had collided. Almost immediately, several men with tactical vests and assault rifles arrived in another vehicle to surround the scene.
The Mexican authorities’ hypothesis is “that it was confusion, not a direct attack,” the state prosecutor said.
The gunmen walked one of the Americans into the bed of a white pickup, then dragged and loaded up the three others. Terrified civilian motorists sat silently in their cars, hoping not to draw attention. Two of the victims appeared to be motionless.
The shootings illustrate the terror that has prevailed for years in Matamoros, a city dominated by factions of the powerful Gulf drug cartel who often fight among themselves. Amid the violence, thousands of Mexicans have disappeared in Tamaulipas state alone.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the people responsible would be punished. He referenced arrests in the 2019 killings of nine U.S.-Mexican dual citizens in Sonora near the U.S. border.
López Obrador complained about the U.S. media’s coverage of the missing Americans, accusing them of sensationalism. He said that when Mexicans are killed, the media “go quiet like mummies.”
“We really regret that this happens in our country,” he said, adding that the U.S. government has every right to be upset by the violence.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland put blame for the deaths squarely on the drug cartels
“The DEA and the FBI are doing everything possible to dismantle and disrupt and ultimately prosecute the leaders of the cartels and the entire networks that they depend on” Garland said.
The FBI had offered a $50,000 reward for the victims’ return and the arrest of the abductors.
Robert Williams said in a telephone interview that he and his brother Eric are from South Carolina but now live in the Winston-Salem area of North Carolina.
Williams described his brother as “easygoing” and “fun-spirited.”
He didn’t know his brother was traveling to Mexico until after the abduction hit the news. But from looking at his brother’s Facebook posts, he thinks his brother did not consider the trip dangerous.
“He thought it would be fun,” Williams said.
When told that his brother was among the survivors Tuesday, Williams said that when they meet, “I’ll just tell him how happy I am to see him, and how glad I am that he made it through, and that I love him.”
Ja Morant Could Face Lengthy Suspension If The NBA Finds He Brought A Gun On The Grizzlies Team
Ja Morant is currently not with the Grizzlies after an Instagram Live video from late Friday night/early Saturday morning in Denver showed him holding a gun in a nightclub following Memphis’ loss to the Nuggets.
The Grizzlies announced Morant would miss at least their next two games in L.A., but head coach Taylor Jenkins provided the update on Sunday that there is no timetable for Morant’s return. While the Grizzlies are working with Morant to lay out a path for what he must do to return to the team, there is the lingering question of the NBA’s own investigation, as well as Colorado police. From a legal perspective, it is illegal in Colorado to be in possession of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol, which is what Colorado police are apparently investigating.
From an NBA perspective, the fact that Morant had the gun on a road trip raises questions about whose gun it was, how he got it to Denver, and more. As Marc Stein laid out on the latest episode of This League Uncut, if the league determines that Morant brought the gun on the team plane, it could lead to a lengthy suspension.
“The CBA element is something that we do know because that’s happened before with the Gilbert Arenas-Jarvaris Crittenton thing in Washington,” Stein said. “Basically the CBA says if there is a firearm on team premises or on a team plane or anything like that, that’s an automatic 50-game suspension. So that’s why I think, as you alluded to, the league is trying to ascertain where was the gun before the Instagram video and all other manner of questions tied to that.”
UPDATE: Stein corrected himself on Twitter afterwards, saying it would violate the bylaws but would not automatically lead to a 50-game suspension, that is just the number Gilbert Arenas got in his incident with Crittenton, and the suspension length would be at Adam Silver’s discretion.
While the team plane isn’t explicitly listed as a team or NBA facility, the CBA does state that “whenever a player is traveling on any NBA-related business…such player shall not possess a firearm of any kind or any other deadly weapon.”
For now, Morant’s absence is indefinite as the league investigates the situation, but it could be a very lengthy absence for the young star guard should it be determined the gun was his and he brought it with him to Denver.
Zaya Wade Makes Her Debut as a Runway Model
Zaya Wade is following in the footsteps of many a cool teen nepo baby before her: She’s now a runway model. She made her debut in Miu Miu’s show on Tuesday at Paris Fashion Week, sporting an oversized brown tweed blazer and dress that were very chic, but also looked like something an Upper East Side divorcee might wear to her lawyer’s office.
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, ever the proud parents, were sitting in the front row. Dwyane posted a video to his Instagram feed of Zaya walking down the runway—as well as shots of him and Union looking unbearably cool in sunglasses and all-black outfits—captioned, “She’s arrived.”
Thomas Christos, a stylist who regularly works with the family, also posted a video from the front row, saying he had “tears” in his eyes as she walked down the runway. “Thank you @zayawade for showing me what it means to believe in yourself,” he added.
Though Tuesday marked the 15-year-old’s first time going down the runway, Zaya attended Miu Miu’s Paris show last year, wearing a cute plaid skirt and denim jacket combo—which, to be honest, felt much more age appropriate for the teenager than the matronly getup she wore on Tuesday.
Dwyane has been extremely supportive of his daughter’s transition, which his ex-wife (Zaya’s mother) has fought in court, accusing the NBA legend last year of being “positioned to profit” from his minor daughter’s name and gender change. Dwyane shot back, calling her claims “libelous” and “nonsensical.” Late last month, a Los Angeles judge officially changed her name to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade, which allows her gender identity to be reflected on legal documents.
In February, Dwyane and Union were given the President’s Award at the NAACP Image Awards, and they dedicated their speech to Zaya.
“To say that your village is proud of you is an understatement,” Dwyane said, going on to add that his role as her father “is to be a facilitator to your hopes, your wishes, your dreams.”
And Zaya’s runway debut certainly looked like a teenage girl’s wish come true.
Tom Brady squashes NFL comeback rumor, says he's busy helping his daughter raise a kitten
Ever since Tom Brady announced his retirement on Feb. 1, rumors have been swirling about him doing the exact same thing he did last year: unexpectedly un-retiring shortly after hanging up his helmet and cleats.
Brady addressed these rumors on Tuesday after Rich Eisen brought Brady up on his show, saying that the No. 1 rumor he heard at the NFL combine last week was that Brady "might not be done."
So what did Brady say? What was his totally serious comment about this totally serious rumor? He's too busy helping his daughter take care of a 2-month-old kitten they've adopted.
He's not making this up. Brady posted a pic of the kitty on an Instagram Story last week, with a caption that implied he's been a little annoyed with its behavior.
Eagle-eyed readers might notice one important thing missing from Brady's tweet: an actual denial. He implied that he's not coming back, but he never actually said "I am not planning a comeback and will stay retired from the NFL permanently."
But saying that on Twitter isn't nearly as fun as being playful and indirect. Besides, even if he actually said those words, people would still wonder if he'd try to make a comeback. When you play until you're 45, expect to hear people say "oh come on, you could still hack it in the NFL!" until you're at least 60.
Former BET CEO Debra Lee Says She Had An Affair With Founder Bob Johnson, Claims He Threatened Her Job If They Split
Former BET CEO Debra Lee reveals how her relationship with former BET head Bob Johnson turned toxic in her new book, I Am Debra Lee.
Lee spoke with Robin Roberts Tuesday on Good Morning America about her book and revealed how her relationship with Johnson developed while he was the head of the network. She alleges relationship eventually became something that Johnson held over her. Both were married when they had the affair.
The post Former BET CEO Debra Lee Says She Had An Affair With Founder Bob Johnson, Claims He Threatened Her Job If They Split appeared first on Blavity.
“I wanted to tell that story because power dynamics are so important in a relationship, especially if you’re having a relationship with someone you work for. We all know the potential pitfalls. I worked for Bob Johnson for 10 years before we had a personal, romantic relationship,” she said. “He was a mentor and he pushed me and he was responsible for a lot of my success. We did have a relationship while we were both married, we ended up both divorced, and then people knew about the relationship. The company knew, we started going places together.”
“The downfall of a relationship like that is if you want to get out of it and that’s a part where it came and I wanted to break up,” she continued. “I saw it wasn’t a long-term relationship, and my job and my career were held over my head. It was like, ‘Well, if you want to break up with me, then you can leave tomorrow.’ And that was 20 years into my career at BET so I would have lost everything.”
“What saved me was therapy, and eventually, Bob left the company and I became CEO, and I was CEO for 13 years without him being there and…to live my dream without any form of harassment,” she said, adding that after the rise of Me Too and the Time’s Up movement, she began recontextualizing the relationship to ask herself how much consent she actually had in and during its development.
In a separate interview earlier this week with The Washington Post, Lee also spoke about the affair.
“Oh yeah, I was told that many times,” she said. “It’s like, ‘Okay, if you’re going to break up with me, let’s get on the phone and tell people you are leaving right now.’ And as a working mother, how does one recover from something like that? How does one say, ‘The man I worked for for 20 years won’t give me a recommendation and fired me because we were in a relationship and now it’s over.’”
On why she is deciding to speak about it now, Lee said, “We’ve heard so much about the guys who come to the door with their robe open and they come out naked. That wasn’t the kind of experience I had. … It turned into a situation where my job was at issue anytime I thought about breaking up the relationship. That’s very much sexual harassment, but it’s a different kind of sexual harassment. I wanted young women to know that if you’re in a relationship that’s uneven in terms of the power structure, that it can turn abusive.”
Teyonah Parris And Her Husband James Share First Images Of Their Baby Girl
Marvel star Teyonah Parris and her husband, James, have officially announced the arrival of their first child.
Parris, who gave birth a month ago, went to social media on Monday to share photos and videos of her bundle of joy along with a heartwarming message, Bossip reported.
The new mother said it has been “a friggin whirlwind” and she is “too sleep deprived and delirious to really articulate it all.”
“What I will say is- God bless all yall parents out there,” she wrote. “Never in my life could I have imagined all that parenthood requires. It truly takes a village and my God I’m so grateful for the one we have. From coming by and holding the baby, calls to encourage us, sending thoughtful and helpful gifts and parenting hacks, to simply just being on the phone to listen to me cry at 3 in the morning. Thaaaank you a million times over!!!”
Parris said the couple started their pregnancy journey intending a hospital birth, but that “shifted late in the game.”
“Thank you to our amazing midwife @midwifeangelina who ushered our baby girl Earth side!!” the Hollywood star wrote. “Everything truly happens for a reason and being at home was an incredible experience and opportunity for our whole family. I have so much I want to talk about as it pertains to our journey in how we landed at this decision and what it was like. So, more to come!”
Parris also thanked her “bomb doula and lactation consultant- Jamecia.”
“You kept it light, funny and informative always, ” she wrote.
The Marvel star still had many more people to thank, including her photographer, her mom and her fans.
“Thank you to my Momma who came down and spent weeks with us helping us figure out up from down, left from right. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and in awe of you, Mom,” she wrote. “And seeing you still taking care of me at my big grown age (yall I’m talking rubbing my back and head as I cry in her lap cuz I don’t know wtf I’m doing and who trusted me with a whole human!), to cooking for us, and being the daily in home daycare so we could get more than 90mins of sleep at a time. I love you and appreciate you dearly!”
The images in the Instagram post show James holding his wife during labor and cradling his new family later.
“Baby Girl and I are well and her Daddy has been holding us both down like no other,” Parris wrote. “Hoping to share more as we go along, but judging how its taken me a month to get this post up who knows!!”
Parris first announced her pregnancy on Instagram in September.
Mary J. Blige reveals first copy of debut children's book "Mary Can!": "I almost want to cry"
Mary J. Blige is ready to share her debut children’s picture book, “Mary Can!” with the world. Earlier today (March 7), the undisputed queen of hip hop soul took to social media to unveil its first copy. The book is an inspirational and motivational tale about a little girl who shows that anyone can turn their dream into a reality if they believe in themselves. “I’m so excited about ‘Mary Can!’ I almost want to cry because it’s funny how you can go through so much hell, and it can turn into someone else’s heaven. This book is dedicated to little kids all over the world that feel like they can’t. Remember, I said ‘Mary Can!’ and you can too. It was inspired [by] a real part of my life.”
Blige has previously stated that, like the story’s character, people used to tell her “no” and what she couldn’t do. But instead of letting it tear her down, she said it motivated her even more. “And I use all of that to help someone, a little girl somewhere in the world whose being told that she can’t, that you can do whatever that you put your mind and your heart to,” she continued. “Remember you can do it ’cause ‘Mary Can!’ too.”
“It feels unreal opening the first copy of my picture book!” Blige captioned her IG post. “This is so personal for me. Thank you, Harper Kids and Ashleigh Corrin, for making this dream come true. Preorders are available through the link in my bio.”
In November 2022, the New York native announced on IG that she had written the book based on her childhood and adult experiences. “My hope with this book is that it instills in kids from an early age that they can do anything they aspire to do,” she wrote about “Mary Can!” “There are no limits to what they can accomplish!” “Mary Can!” will be officially out on March 28.
Michael Jackson's nephew thanks Will Smith following Chris Rock's Netflix special
Many comedians will say their material is meant to get people talking, but some bits can be viewed as downright offensive. Following the March 4 Netflix release of Chris Rock’s Selective Outrage comedy special, one of Michael Jackson’s relatives is thanking Will Smith for the Oscars slap seen around the world.
By now, it’s been pretty hard to escape the Smith-Rock saga. As previously reported by REVOLT, at the 2022 Oscars, “The Fresh Prince” left his seat at the coveted awards show and forcefully smacked the “Everybody Hates Chris” actor on live television for making an insensitive joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s lack of hair. The actress suffers from the hair loss disease alopecia. Rock declined to press charges and declined Will’s apology but has never really stopped using the incident as a punch line for his comedy shows. This past weekend, the comedian released his frustrations on stage for millions to see. During the hour-long program, Rock also compared Michael Jackson to R. Kelly, which didn’t sit well with the “King of Pop’s” family members.
Both Kelly and Jackson have been plagued with accusations of pedophilia throughout their careers; however, Jackson was acquitted and never served jail time. “Chris Rock has used my family as punching bags for his entire career, yet I am supposed to feel bad for him getting slapped and humiliated [at] the Oscars. After seeing a new clip of him attacking my dead uncle in the first minutes of his ‘Retaliation — l’m still relevant’ special, I have [three] things to say,” Taj Jackson, Michael’s nephew, tweeted yesterday (March 6). First, he asked, “What did my family ever do to you to warrant these decades of harassment and your constant bullying [disguised] as jokes?” Second, he stated, “Just because you were bullied early on in life doesn’t give you the excuse to bully others now.”
Last but not least, Taj wrote, “Thank you, Will Smith.” Rock also faced backlash for admitting during the show that the only reason he watched Will’s latest movie was to see him get beat. “The other day, I watched Emancipation just so I could watch him getting whipped,” the “In Living Color” alum said of the film set during slavery. After hearing the crude jokes, many on Twitter felt that “Will didn’t smack him hard enough.” Taj and others also noted that Rock previously allowed two white comedians to repeatedly say “n**ger” in his presence and wished “he’d look in the mirror regarding his own Selective Outrage.”
A Pipe Burst In Christian Siriano's Studio Just Days Ahead of Oscars!
Christian Siriano is doing some damage control – literally.
The designer revealed to his followers on social media that a pipe had burst in his studio over the weekend, as he and his team are prepping for the 2023 Oscars where a handful of celebrities will be wearing his designs.
In the first video, which was posted on Monday, March 6, Christian showed off the water damage inside the studio space.
“Well it’s 6 days before the Oscar’s and a pipe burst in our studio yay happy Monday to us! Ughghghg 😩😫🥺😫 THE WORST EVER! Only a few dresses ruined 😩😩” he wrote.
In that video, his employees and design assistants, as well as utility workers are seen trying to control the water damage.
After sharing the clip, Christian took to the comments with the hashtag #SAVETHEGOWNS.
The next day, Christian gave an update about the situation on his Instagram Stories; and revealed that he had set up another studio in the meantime.
In the update, Christian added that there was still no internet in the space: “Water damage is no fun.”
Kerry Washington, Janelle Monáe And More Honored At 9th Annual ABFF Honors
One of black Hollywood’s biggest nights took place on Sunday, March 5th, as the American Black Film Festival Honors honored major players in the industry as well as an iconic film.
Kerry Washington, Courtney B. Vance, Charles D. King, and Janelle Monáe were the biggest stars of the night as each one of them were recognized for their work not only in front of the screen but behind the screen as well.
Washington was honored with the Excellence in the Arts Award (Female) while Vance was honored with the Excellence in the Arts Award (Male), King was honored with the Industry Leadership Award, and Monáe was honored with the Renaissance Award. But they were not the only honorees of the night, the ABFF also honored the cast and director Kasi Lemmon for their work on the film ‘Eve’s Bayou’ with the Classic Cinema Award honoring their 25th anniversary.
Related: Kerry Washington And Delroy Lindo Star In The New Hulu Series ‘UnPrisoned’
The American Black Film Festival originally called the Acalpulco Black Film Festival, created by Jeff Friday, has been around since 1997, changing the name from Acalpulco to American in 2002. Its’ roots stem from Friday’s desire to use them “as a vehicle to strengthen the Black entertainment community by fostering resource sharing, education, and artistic collaboration.”
From the festivals’ 27 years of service came the ABFF Honors which in the past 5 years has honored names like Denzel Washington, Ava DuVernay, Regina King, Tiffany Haddish, Ryan Coogler, Don Cheadle, Will Packer, Queen Latifah, Lena Waithe, television shows including Martin, Love Jones and more.
Congratulations to this year’s honorees!
Raven-Symoné Says She Faced ‘A Lot Of Challenges’ After Publicly Coming Out As Gay In 2013: ‘I Felt Very Vulnerable’
While Raven-Symoné has previously said that she knew she was gay by the age of 12, she didn’t publicly disclose her sexual orientation until 2013 when the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, resulting in federal recognition of same-sex marriages. Now, the “That’s So Raven” star is reflecting on that time and how the road to fully accepting her sexuality had led her to face plenty of challenges which made the experience that much more difficult. In an interview with E! News, Raven-Symoné explained, “There was the crumbling of the wall that I had put up for so many years. And I felt very vulnerable, it was an interesting wound that was opened up in public.”
Back in 2016, the actress said she never thought that coming out was even an option because she was a celebrity and her personal life didn’t matter. Given that she’d been told what to say and who she was supposed to be since starring as Olivia on “The Cosby Show,” Raven-Symoné admitted in an It Gets Better video clip that she only found the courage of announcing she’s gay because she’d been seeing someone and was already “kind of over the industry” at the time. “I didn’t have to have a ‘beard.’ I didn’t have to have a man standing by me,” she continued. “I felt lighter, I felt like I could go out and not have to put on 17 different hats to be myself.”
The 37-year-old, who previously expressed plans to commit to more directorial projects in the near future, continued telling E! News that she expects to continue creating content that not only shows representation but also reflects the community she and her wife Miranda Maday are both part of. Last year, for instance, Disney made history when Raven-Symoné’s spin-off “Raven’s Home” introduced its first-ever transgender character played by Juliana Joel.
The remarkable move for Disney to focus its attention on inclusion on a family network became a talking point on social media for weeks, with people feeling torn between the decision, as some argued that children shouldn’t be “influenced” by the LGBTQ+ community on a channel aimed at kids.
Regardless of other people’s opinions, though, Joel couldn’t contain her excitement to finally share the news of his casting in a sentimental Instagram post, where she wrote, “Growing up as a kid in Florida (like many other kids) I dreamt of being on the Disney Channel, specifically on That’s So Raven.
“It was my favorite show & Raven Baxter was my best friend in my mind. It was my escape from what I was going through internally. Coming from a typical Puerto Rican family, I didn’t think being an actor was possible esp for someone like me, I thought you had to be born into that world.”
Raven-Symoné married her longtime partner Miranda Maday in a private wedding ceremony held in Los Angeles.
The DOJ Sues to Block JetBlue-Spirit Merger
On Tuesday, the Justice Department sued to block JetBlue Airway’s acquisition of Spirit Airlines. The Biden administration blocked the $3.8 billion takeover in their latest attempt to prevent industry consolidation.
Although Spirit agreed to the acquisition last summer, there are many challenges for JetBlue from regulators and now the DOJ.
If JetBlue moves forward with the acquisition, it will become the fifth-largest airline in the country and dissolve Spirit, a Florida-based airline.
“JetBlue’s plan would eliminate the unique competition that Spirit provides—and about half of all ultra-low-cost airline seats in the industry—and leave tens of millions of travelers to face higher fares and fewer options,” the Justice Department said in its complaint, filed in a Massachusetts court on Tuesday. “Spirit itself put it simply: ‘A JetBlue acquisition of Spirit will have lasting negative impacts on consumers.’”
At a Tuesday press conference, Attorney General Merrick Garland spoke about the harm the merger would cause for “working and middle-class Americans who travel for personal rather than business reasons and must pay their own way.”
The DOJ noted Spirit’s internal documents that show when the airline offers a new flying route, average fares fall by 17%, CNBC News reported.
However, JetBlue’s stance is that the takeover would allow it to better compete with large airlines that currently dominate the U.S. market and enable the company to access more Airbus jetliners and pilots–which are both scarce.
JetBlue introduced plans to remodel Spirit’s infamous yellow planes with seats that include seatback screens and more legroom.
“JetBlue competes hard against Spirit and views it as a serious competitive threat. But instead of continuing that competition, JetBlue now proposes an acquisition that Spirit describes as a high-cost, high-fare airline buying a low-cost, low-fare airline,” the DOJ said.
JetBlue and Spirit said in a joint statement Tuesday that they will “continue to advance our plan to create a compelling national challenger to the Big Four airlines.”
“We believe the DOJ has got it wrong on the law here and misses the point that this merger will create a national low-fare, high-quality competitor to the Big Four carriers which – thanks to their own DOJ-approved mergers – control about 80% of the U.S. market,” JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said in a statement.
California Governor To Cut Ties With Walgreens After They Decide To Stop Carrying Abortion Drug In 20 States
California Governor Gavin Newsom is ready to cut ties with Walgreens after they decided to stop distributing abortion medication in 20 states.
The retail pharmaceutical company made the announcement last week that it would no longer provide mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in medicated abortion. It is typically used in conjunction with misoprostol to terminate a pregnancy that is no more than 70 days along, per the Mayo Clinic. To honor abortion laws in several Republican states, Walgreens will no longer offer the drug in those areas. Instead, they’ve pledged to only provide this vital medication “in those jurisdictions where it is legal and operationally feasible.” The decision came after attorney generals in those states threatened Walgreens if they continued to offer the drug in states that didn’t allow abortions.
Newsom, a Democratic who has continuously supported women’s rights to abortions, is not pleased with the company’s decision to deny this potentially life-saving medicine. After the Supreme Court’s decision overturned Roe v. Wade, Newsom vowed to make California a safe haven for residents and anyone who needed to visit the state to receive the procedure. In November, voters approved a ballot making access to abortion and contraception a permanent statute in the state constitution.
“California won’t be doing business with Walgreens or any company that cowers to the extremists and puts women’s lives at risk. We’re done,” Newsom confirmed in a tweet on Monday.
It’s unclear how Newsome will go about getting rid of Walgreens in California. The company has not responded publicly to this latest development.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
She Ain’t Happy
Colorful Dress, Dark Desires
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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