#MAGFAB: Taraji P. Henson on not fighting age and “aging gracefully” in Hollywood
Taraji P. Henson on not fighting age and “aging gracefully” in Hollywood
Over 20 years into her acting career, Taraji P. Henson is embracing it all … even the roles that come with being an “older” woman in Hollywood. In HelloBeautiful’s recent cover story, she discussed her latest role as a mother, specifically Jeanine Teagues’ mother on Abbott Elementary.
“At first it was like, ah, mom? Why can’t I be her sister? Then I looked at her age and I said, ‘B****, because you old enough to be her mother,"” Henson says. “I’m not going to fight age. I’m going to age gracefully.”
Keeping that in mind, she’s been nurturing her health with a healthier diet, one she had to adopt after having leaky gut syndrome.
“I’ve been training on and off since I started in the film industry with Baby Boy,” she says. “That’s something that I kind of fall on and off the wagon, but … the biggest transition was diet. I hadn’t really leaned on and cleaned up my diet, as well as I had in the past. Understanding that food can heal, [but] it can also hurt.”
Taraji also welcomes her roles as founder of her hair care line TPH by Taraji; co-creator of a sitcom she and Kevin Hart are currently pitching; and mentor to Black women in the industry. “We need each other,” she says of being a mentor. “We ain’t s*** without each other. This world is against us. We are at the bottom of every pay grade, everywhere you go, the Black woman is the last to be thought about. We don’t have time to compete with each other, to go against each other, to fight with each other.”
#RHOA: Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann divorcing amid report they owe $1.1M in unpaid taxes
It's over for Kim Zolciak-Biermann and Kroy Biermann. The former Real Housewives of Atlanta star filed for divorce amid the couple's financial issues, Yahoo Entertainment can confirm. They've been married for 11 years and share four children. The news comes hours after TMZ reported they owe more than $1 million in unpaid taxes.
Zolciak lists April 30 as the date of separation, according to documents obtained by TMZ on Monday. The Don't Be Tardy star declared the marriage is "irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation." She's seeking primary physical custody of the kids and joint legal custody. She requested to legally restore her maiden name.
A rep for Zolciak had no comment when reached by Yahoo.
The NFL alum, 37, and Zolciak, 44, are parents to children Kroy Jagger, 11, Kash, 10, and 9-year-old twins, Kane and Kaia. Biermann legally adopted her two daughters from prior relationships: Brielle, 26, and Ariana Biermann, 21.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Zolciak and Biermann owe $1.1 million to the IRS for unpaid taxes, interest and penalties from 2013, 2017, and 2018. They also reportedly owe the state of Georgia $15,000 for unpaid taxes for 2018. Their home in the Atlanta area went into foreclosure in February.
Zolciak and Biermann met at a charity event went when Bravo cameras were rolling in 2010. They wed the following year and starred in their own spinoff, Don't Be Tardy, which ended in 2020.
In November, Zolciak joked to E! News the secret to her happy marriage is "lots of sex."
"I think one of the biggest secrets is also communication. Choosing to love that person day in and day out, I think it's a choice and a lot of times people are just so quick to throw in the towel," she shared.
#MusicNews: Brandy’s Daughter Sy’Rai Releases Debut Single “On My Own”
Brandy’s daughter Sy’Rai is ready to step into the spotlight on her own. She introduces us to her own talents with the debut single “On My Own”.
“On My Own” was co-written by Eric Bellinger and produced by Keyz Bridgez and Jared Thorne.
LISTEN HERE
The singer has also announced that her debut EP is on the way for release later this year.
#HipHopNews: LL Cool J Admits Canibus Beef Was His Fault
LL COOL J has admitted that his feud with Canibus was his doing, but that at the time he was unable to take the higher road because he “wasn’t there yet mentally.”
The pair began feuding in the late ’90s when they exchanged diss tracks and subliminal shots, but it wasn’t until 2014 that they buried the hatchet on stage at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
In a recent interview with Million Dollaz Worth of Game, LL took responsibility for the way things unfolded while reflecting on their beef more than 20 years later.
“With him, I think it was more my fault because I could have addressed him a little differently,” LL said of Canibus. “He wanted to get a tattoo like mine. I could have said, ‘Good luck with that,’ but I didn’t understand that path at that time.
“I wasn’t there yet mentally so I was like, ‘The fuck you mean you gonna get something like me?’ That shit sounded crazy to me at that time.”
He continued: “My brain was not developed, I was not developed like that…Now I understand it was a compliment, he was just showing love and, you know, admiration. That’s why I don’t go at him now or try to hurt these dudes. I’m not gonna play that.”
The tension between the two rappers started in 1997 when Canibus seemingly jabbed LL COOL J on his own song, “4,3,2,1,” which also featured DMX, Method Man and Redman.
His verse opened with the line: “Yo L, is that a mic on your arm? Let me borrow that,” referencing the rap legend’s famous tattoo.
In an old interview with MTV, Canibus revealed LL called him after he recorded his verse and asked him to change it because he found it disrespectful. ‘Bus said he obliged, but was then “distraught” when he heard LL’s verse had dissed him directly.
The pair eventually down their arms during LL’s annual “Christmas In Brooklyn” event at the Barclays in December 2014, which Cannibus later said was a hilarious moment for the former foes.
“You remember the Barclays? I came out to the Barclays to perform with him, right?” Canibus told Outside With Gorilla NEMS back in February. “Hoodie jawn on and I’m sitting there and this n-gga got so much gold on him. I’m like, ‘Yo, you know what? I can’t go out there with you. I need one of them ropes.’ So nicely, I asked him. I said, ‘Yo I got an idea.’”
He continued: “We staring down. He staring up at me and I’m telling you what I’m saying in my mind. Basically it’s like, ‘Aw, here we go again.’ And he looked at me. I could see the whites of his eyes off the makeup on his cheek. That’s how I could see he was staring straight at me.”
“And I was looking at him like he could read my mind, ‘If you don’t give me that chain!’ That’s what I was thinking. He said, ‘Yo, get Canibus the baby rope!’ That’s why y’all seen me come out with the baby rope!”
In other news, LL COOL J debuted his new single, “The Force,” on Rock The Bells Radio last week. The song serves as the first preview of his upcoming 14th studio album, which will be produced entirely by Q-Tip.
Jury says Trump must pay E. Jean Carroll $5 million for sexual abuse and defamation
A federal jury in New York found former President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and forcibly touching E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s.
Trump was also found liable for defaming the writer last fall when he accused her of making up that account.
A New York federal jury found former President Donald Trump liable on Tuesday for sexually abusing and forcibly touching the writer E. Jean Carroll at a department store in the 1990s, and for defaming her last fall when he denied her claim.
The jury of six men and three women ordered Trump to pay Carroll $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
The verdict in the civil trial came after less than three hours of deliberations in U.S. District Court in lower Manhattan.
The jury notably did not find Trump liable for rape, as Carroll had alleged.
“I have absolutely no idea who this woman is. This verdict is a disgrace,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media site Truth Social.
A spokesman for his 2024 Republican presidential campaign said, “This case will be appealed, and we will ultimately win.”
Carroll’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan said, “We are very happy,” as she left the courthouse with her client. Carroll did not speak to reporters.
The verdict is the latest legal blow against Trump, who leads early polls for the 2024 GOP nomination. In late March he was indicted by a Manhattan state Supreme Court grand jury on nearly three dozen counts of falsifying business records in connection with a 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Trump also faces pending federal criminal investigations related to his efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election, and to his failure to surrender government documents when he left the White House in early 2021. He also faces possible indictment by a Georgia grand jury for his attempt to get officials there to reverse President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election in that state,
Carroll, 79, claimed in her lawsuit that Trump raped her in a dressing room of the Bergdorf Goodman store in the mid-1990s.
Trump cannot be prosecuted for the alleged rape because the statute of limitations for such a crime has long since passed.
Carroll also claimed that Trump defamed her last fall when he said she had made up her account of being raped.
Trump, 76, called the allegations “a complete con job,” and said that she was not his “type.”
Despite that claim, Trump mistook Carroll for his second wife Marla Maples in a photo showing him and Carroll together in the 1980s.
Trump did not testify during the trial.
But portions of a video of his deposition taken last fall by Carroll’s lawyer were played for jurors during the trial, and during closing arguments on Monday.
That deposition included Trump being asked about his comments in 2005 during a taping for the entertainment television show “Access Hollywood,” in which he boasted: “I’m automatically attracted to beautiful women — I just start kissing them, it’s like a magnet.”
“Just kiss. I don’t even wait,” Trump said on that tape. “And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything,” he said, including “grab ’em by the p----.”
Trump told Carroll’s lawyer during the deposition that those comments were “locker room talk.”
But he also said it has been “historically ... true with stars” that they could grab women without their permission.
“If you look over the last million years, I guess that’s been largely true,” Trump testified in his deposition. “Not always, but largely true. Unfortunately or fortunately.”
Carroll took the witness stand.
“I’m here because Trump raped me,” she testified.
In her testimony, Carroll said she encountered Trump by chance in Bergdorf Goodman, where he recognized her as an advice columnist. She testified that when they ended up in the store’s lingerie department he ushered into a dressing room, where he shoved her against a wall and sexually assaulted her.
Two friends of Carroll’s, Lisa Birnbach and Carol Marin, testified she had told them soon after the alleged incident that Trump had raped her.
Two other women testified that Trump had kissed and groped them without their consent in incidents that occurred years apart.
A spokesman for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign said of the jury’s verdict, “The Democratic Party’s never-ending witch-hunt of President Trump hit a new low today.”
“In jurisdictions wholly controlled by the Democratic Party our nation’s justice system is now compromised by extremist left-wing politics,” the spokesman said in a statement. “Make no mistake, this entire bogus case is a political endeavor targeting President Trump because he is now an overwhelming front-runner to be once again elected President of the United States.”
Chris Brown Responds To Lovers And Friends Festival Fight Rumors: "Y'all Dragging It Now"
Rumors have been swirling all weekend long about Chris Brown being involved in more than one altercation. The first was alleged by Hollywood Unlocked when the outlet said the “Run It” singer got into a fight with Usher at his birthday party on Friday night (May 5). However, as previously reported by Rap-Up, the two artists were seen taking the stage at Usher’s Lovers & Friends Festival during their respective time slots the very next day.
A second alleged incident happened when a video emerged of a scuffle backstage during Missy Elliott’s set at the festival. After clips showed Brown getting caught in the mix of people, he decided to set things straight by commenting under an Instagram post that was reporting on the fight.
“Y’all been geeked all weekend. Y’all dragging it now,” he began.
The Virginia star then went on to give a bit more insight on the situation, clarifying that his main concern was his child’s safety. “It was mad people backstage and security was trying to clear everyone off the stage. People started pushing back. I intervened to let them know MY CHILD WAS BACK THERE,” he continued. “So y’all can keep ya narrative.”
Despite all of the non-music related conversations surrounding Brown over the weekend, festival attendees have said they enjoyed his performance. One of the top comments on the official Lovers & Friends Festival Instagram post about his set reads, “He put on such a show! I keep re-watching my videos, because no way I was there.”
The 34-year-old R&B veteran’s most recent album was 2022’s Breezy. The 24-song body of work marked his 10th studio LP and included assists from Blxst, Bryson Tiller, Ella Mai, EST Gee, Fivio Foreign, H.E.R., Lil Wayne, and more. Breezy debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with 72,000 first-week album-equivalent units sold.
LSU's Angel Reese Trolls Critics Of Her Ring Taunt With Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Pose
Angel Reese has just landed on the spreads of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue after becoming the talk of the town in recent weeks. The LSU Tigers star is set to make her debut as Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model in the 2023 issue that will hit the shelves later this month.
For the annual swimsuit issue, the 21-year-old posed for photographer Yu Tsai in Los Angeles, trading in her purple legging for a purple two-piece. In one of the photos which have been published online, she did the ring pose that she threw up in celebration at the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament championship game back in April.
Angel faced backlash over her gestures at the game, which was won by her team. She was called out for her "classless" moves after taunting Iowa's Caitlin Clark toward the end of the game by pointing to her finger, signifying that it was her turn to get that championship ring. She also hit Caitlin with the John Cena "you can't see me" taunt as she walked past the Iowa point guard.
In an interview with the magazine, Angel says, "Caitlin and I are cool. It's just being able to force people to accept that women can talk trash." She claps back at the double standard in sports, claiming, "The women's side gets penalized for it, or we're considered as not being ladylike and that we're not playing by the rules. We work just as hard as the men. Women can be who we are. Women can be competitive."
Despite the backlash, Angel's popularity has soared, with her social media accounts amassing 4 million followers across TikTok, Instagram and Twitter. "Having so many people come back to me and say, 'You guys have changed the game. You guys have been a part of history,' I embraced that," she says of her fans' support. "Just being able to be a part of this has just been amazing for me this year, and it's been a blessing."
Jay-Z's Alleged Illegitimate Son Accuses Rapper Of Dodging Paternity Test In Supreme Court Motion
A man claiming to be Jay-Z's illegitimate son launches a lawsuit against the hip-hop mogul. Rymir Satterthwaite has been trying to reveal the "truth" that the husband of Beyonce Knowles is his biological father and now he's taken the case to the Supreme Court.
Daily Mail reports that Rymir filed the motion in an attempt to unseal 2012 court documents in his case against Jay-Z and force the rapper to take a paternity test. Rymir previously filed a lawsuit against Hov, demanding a paternity test.
However, New Jersey Supreme Court denied Satterthwaite's motion as it noted it did not have jurisdiction to grant his request. It was then re-filed by Rymir in the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court.
In an interview with the news outlet, Rymir insinuated that he doesn't want money from Jay-Z as he only wants justice. "This is not going to be over until justice is served. I just want to live my life and, when it is all said and done, I hope that Jay-Z would want to be a part of my life, if that is God's will," the 30-year-old said. "I won't stop fighting for this until I win. And I will win because the law is on our side."
Rymir claimed that Jay-Z slept with his late mom Wanda back in 1992, when he was 22 and she was 16. The romance, however, was short-lived as Wanda was still with Robert Graves, her high school sweetheart who was by Wanda's side when she gave birth in the hospital. That was why he was listed as Rymir's biological father on his birth certificate. In 2010, Robert took a paternity test to prove that he isn't Rymir's biological father.
Jay-Z, however, denied the claims. The "4:44" hitmaker's attorneys said in a statement, "The allegations have been previously reviewed thoroughly by the courts and have been refuted. I am sure that will be the outcome of whatever filings Mr. Satterthwaite may be currently considering."
‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ Moves Production to New York for Season 5
American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality “The Kelly Clarkson Show” is moving production to New York from Los Angeles.
The Daytime Emmy-winning talk show is set to begin filming Season 5 at NBC Studios in the 30 Rockefeller Plaza in front of a live studio audience for a fall premiere. The show’s current season has finished filming, with new episodes set to roll out for at least the next two weeks. NBCUniversal said production for the remaining episodes of Season 4 were not affected by the Writers Guild of America Strike that began last week.
Host and executive producer Clarkson and executive producer and showrunner Alex Duda will move to New York with the show, and Jason Halbert @MyBandYall, Clarkson’s longtime music director, will also make the move.
“The Kelly Clarkson Show” will film in studio 6A, home of late night talk shows hosted by Jimmy Fallon, David Letterman and Conan O’Brien. Production will take place in a new state-of-the-art studio, technical facility and support space.
Following the expansion of New York’s film tax credit initiative, recently signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul in the fiscal year 2024 budget, New York now provides incentives to eligible television series that relocate to New York, and reduces eligibility requirements for talk and variety shows from five years of filming to two years of filming.
Clarkson’s talk show rose in the ratings since its launch in 2019. The show ranks third among all daytime syndicated talk shows. It averages 1.37 million daily viewers and has won 13 Daytime Emmy Awards. It has recently been nominated for 11 Daytime Emmy Awards.
All previous seasons of the syndicated daytime talk show, which has been renewed through 2025 for a sixth installment, have filmed in Los Angeles on the Universal lot. Past seasons have produced premiere weeks out of New York City.
Season 4 guests this week include Maks and Val Chmerkovsky, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the cast of “Book Club: The Next Chapter including Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen, Diane Keaton and Candice Bergen and Jennifer Lopez.
“The Kelly Clarkson Show” is a Universal Television, LLC production. It is distributed in national syndication by NBCUniversal Syndication Studios. “The Kelly Clarkson Show” airs in 100% of the country on more than 200 stations.
Byron Allen sues McDonald's for allegedly lying about commitment to Black media
The media entrepreneur Byron Allen has filed a second lawsuit against McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) over the fast-food chain's alleged refusal to advertise with Black-owned media.
In a complaint filed last week in Los Angeles, Allen's Entertainment Studios Networks Inc and Weather Group LLC said McDonald's "lied" when it pledged in May 2021 to boost national ad spending with Black-owned media to 5% from 2% by 2024.
Allen said he would know if McDonald's were honoring that pledge because his Allen Media Group represents more than 90% of Black-owned media. He said he relied on McDonald's pledge when seeking new business from the company, only to be rebuffed.
The lawsuit seeks $100 million plus punitive damages for McDonald's alleged violation of a California anti-fraud law against making false promises.
Allen's case is in addition to his $10 billion federal lawsuit saying McDonald's ad practices amount to "racial stereotyping" that violated federal and California civil rights laws.
In a statement, McDonald's said it was proud of its record of investing in diverse communities and partners.
"Byron Allen files baseless lawsuits as part of a public smear campaign against our company to try to line his pockets," it said. "We will not be coerced by these 'in terrorem' tactics and will defend ourselves vigorously."
Allen said in his own statement: "During the Black Lives Matter movement, hundreds of corporations made pledges to Black America.... McDonald's is one of those corporations that has lied and made false promises."
In an April 21 court filing, McDonald's lawyers said mediation to settle Allen's $10 billion lawsuit has been unsuccessful, and accused Allen of trying to "harass and harangue McDonald's into an unmerited resolution."
McDonald's cited an open letter Allen placed in the Chicago Tribune on April 19, one day before scheduled talks, attacking its alleged "horrible systemic racism against Black people."
The letter also called for the replacement of Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski and McDonald's board of directors.
Skip Miller, a lawyer for Allen, in an interview declined to discuss the mediation but called McDonald's filing "totally inappropriate. The point of mediation is that it remains confidential."
The case are: Weather Group LLC et al v. McDonald's USA LLC, California Superior Court, Los Angeles County, No. 23STCV10045; and Entertainment Studios Networks Inc et al v McDonald's Corp, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 21-04972.
Ginuwine takes a tumble at Lovers & Friends
Masses flocked to Las Vegas this weekend for the 2023 Lovers & Friends Festival. The star-studded lineup was a millennial’s dream — Missy Elliott, Nelly, Omarion, Lumidee, 702, Eve, Bow Wow and many, many more! Among the list of performers was R&B living legend Ginuwine, who happened to take a nasty tumble in front of the crowd.
While singing his 2003 hit “In Those Jeans,” the 52-year-old crooner hopped from the stage and attempted to land on a large speaker but fell backward as shocked fans watched. After being helped up by nearby security guards, The Bachelor walked it off and continued with the show. Once attendees saw he was okay, social media to let the jokes roll in. “Ginuwine, [please]. What just happened?” one Twitter user asked with a clip of the dip.
Another wrote, “Record scratch. I bet you’re wondering how I ended up like this… ” with a freeze-frame photo of the hitmaker clinging to his American Sign Language interpreter for dear life. “Why that man didn’t help Ginuwine? Lmao,” one person asked of the employee who watched him fall and continued working. “Not a part of his job description,” another responded with laughing emojis. One supporter confessed, “I was never worried if he was [okay]. He was still singing after he faded into oblivion.” And while he didn’t appear to have any physical injuries, another cheered on his professionalism: “Bruh, Ginuwine split his pants, too! But hey, the show must go on!”
The Saturday (May 6) fall may have caused him to trend online, but amid the laughs, many shared why they became fans in the first place. “Ginuwine’s stripped-down performance is pure fire. No need for flashy gimmicks when you’ve got that voice and those moves!” a post stated. Another hypothetically asked, “Ginuwine asks you to play his best song; what song are you playing?” Some had difficulty narrowing his discography down: “‘Stingy,’ ‘Differences,’ ‘Love You More,’ ‘Wait A Minute’ or ‘I’m In Love.’ One of those.”
'The Little Mermaid' L.A. World Premiere, See Red Carpet Photos!
The world premiere of Disney’s The Little Mermaid live-action remake just took place and the first reactions from critics have been revealed. Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy walked the red carpet for the event on Monday night (May 8) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
They were joined by co-stars Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Javier Bardem, Noma Dumezweni and Art Malik, as well as director Rob Marshall and original Ariel actress Jodi Benson, among others.
The Little Mermaid is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden from interacting with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
The movie will be released in theaters on May 26.
Tiger Woods Faces Accusations of Sexual Harassment in Growing Legal Battle With Ex Erica Herman
Details are emerging after Tiger Woods‘ ex Erica Herman filed new court documents that accuse him of sexual harassment.
The couple of nearly six years made headlines back in March amid claims that Erica was attempting to get around an NDA that she signed by citing a law that pertains to sexual assault and harassment.
Official court documents shed light on the alleged sexual harassment.
In court documents obtained by Extra, Erica and her legal team allege that she was forced to sign an NDA when she and Tiger‘s relationship became romantic. At the time, she was working at his restaurant Woods Jupiter.
“Mr. Woods was Ms. Herman’s boss. On Mr. Woods’s own portrayal of events, he imposed an NDA on her as a condition to keep her job when she began having a sexual relationship with him. A boss imposing different work conditions on his employee because of their sexual relationship is sexual harassment,” the documents read.
The papers also cite the way that the couple broke up as evidence of sexual harassment: “Ms. Herman’s ejection from her home also shows this dispute relates to sexual harassment. When the sexual relationship ended, she was kicked out of her home.”
She was reportedly urged to sign another NDA at the time of the split but refused.
Erica‘s team continued, explaining that the way the breakup was handled voided a previous agreement they had.
“Mr. Woods does not own the house; it is owned by a trust. Ms. Herman had a tenancy agreement with the trust. That agreement was broken, and Mr. Woods and his agents have taken the position that this happened because of the end of the sexual relationship between Ms. Herman and Mr. Woods,” the documents read. “In other words, the landlord made the availability of her housing conditional on her having sexual relationship with a co-tenant. That conduct amounts to sexual harassment under federal and Florida fair housing laws.”
Jonathan Majors makes court appearance as attorney slams assault case as a 'witch hunt' that highlights 'Racial Bias'
Jonathan Majors appeared via Zoom in court on Tuesday as the Creed III star faces charges of assault and harassment. The 33-year-old actor — considered Hollywood's next big thing following the HBO hit Lovecraft Country, a string of lauded indie films and being tapped to play Kang, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's latest existential threat, in several titles leading up to 2025's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty — finds his career hanging in the balance after domestic violence allegations surfaced two months ago.
Tuesday's conference was brief and routine. According to Variety, the judge discussed a motion filed by the actor's defense team and prosecutors have until May 23 to respond. The defense will then have until May 31 to respond back. Majors will next appear in court on June 13 — and he must be there in person or a warrant can be issued for his arrest.
"I obviously don't want that to happen, so just stay in touch with your attorney," the judge reportedly told the rising star.
Majors, through his representatives, has maintained his innocence amid the troubling headlines. The actor's attorney, Priya Chaudhry, issued the following statement on Tuesday after court:
We have provided the District Attorney (D.A.) with irrefutable evidence that the woman is lying, including video proof showing nothing happened, especially not where she claimed. We did this with the explicit promise from the D.A. that they would not 'fix' their case and change it as we proved the woman is lying.
Yet this false case continues, the woman's claimed location shifts and her story morphs. This is a witch hunt against Jonathan Majors, driven by baseless claims. Instead of dismissing the allegations in the face of the woman's clear lies, the D.A. has adjusted the charges to match the woman's new lies. To be clear, there are no new charges against Mr. Majors.
Now, we have obtained even more video evidence of his innocence, but we are hesitant to share it, for fear the D.A. will tip the woman off to change her story again.
The criminal justice system is saturated with explicit and implicit bias. When Mr. Majors showed a white police officer the injuries the woman caused him, the white officer got in Mr. Majors's face and taunted him, saying that if the officer were to slap Mr. Majors, the officer wouldn't break his finger. None of the white officers present investigated the assault of Mr. Majors. Worse, the District Attorney has not indicated any intention to pursue charges against the woman, or even investigate the truth.
This glaring double standard between the treatment of Jonathan Majors, a Black man weighing 200 lbs., and his accuser, highlights the racial bias that permeates the criminal justice system.
Fans and studio executives are anxiously watching how everything unfolds. Did more women come forward? Will the D.A. proceed with the case?
Insiders Claims Don Lemon is Planning Tell-All Book Blasting CNN Execs
*Don Lemon claims he’s not bitter about his firing from CNN but insiders say he plans to write a tell-all book blasting the cable network.
“Don feels like he’s been a gold solider at CNN and that he’s a scapegoat for the failure of the morning show he was forced to co-host with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins,” said a source, RadarOnline.com reports. “He’s looking for payback!”
The network owes Lemon about $25 million under a new contract he signed last September, according to insiders.
Last month, CNN initially tweeted that Lemon and the network “parted ways,” and wrote: “Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”
After many assumed Lemon’s exit was an amicable decision, the journalist turned to Twitter to express shock that he was fired.
“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” Lemon wrote. “After 17 years at CNN I would have though that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play.”
CNN was quick to respond to Lemon’s statement.
“Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate,” CNN Communications tweeted on April 24. “He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”
Days after his firing, Lemon said he was not bitter about exiting CNN.
“It’s not in my nature,” Lemon told Page Six at the TIME 100 gala. “I’m not an angry person, I’m not mad.”
“I’m a very resilient person,” he added.
“I’ve had a very full life with lots of twists and turns. I come from strong, sturdy stock in Louisiana and I am lucky enough to be in a position where I don’t have to worry about, you know, not having a place to live or a home or whatever,” Lemon shared.
Actor Robert De Niro Welcomes 7th Child at 79
Legendary actor Robert De Niro isn’t done expanding his brood. On Tuesday, he revealed he welcomed his seventh child.
A rep for De Niro confirmed the birth with Page Six but did not disclose the age or gender of the baby.
On Monday, the actor corrected an ET reporter who said he was a father of six, saying that he “just had a baby.”
The Oscar winner didn’t say who his baby’s mother was, but he was spotted with his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, a New York-based martial arts instructor, last month. At the time, she reportedly appeared to have a baby bump.
The two were first spotted together in 2021 when De Niro celebrated his birthday in France.
De Niro shares twin sons Aaron and Julian, 27, with ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith, and son Elliot, 25, and daughter Helen, 11, with ex-wife Grace Hightower.
He also shares a daughter, Drena, 51, with ex-wife Diahnne Abbott and a son, Raphael, 46.
Arrests Made in Shooting Death of 24-Year-Old Off-Duty Chicago Police Officer Killed In Front Of Her Home
Arrests have been made in the shooting death of Areanah Preston, the 24-year-old off-duty Chicago police officer who was killed Saturday.
Authorities said Preston had just gotten off work when she was shot and killed around 1:42 a.m. during a robbery in front in front of her home.
A responding officer drove Preston to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries, Fox 32 Chicago reported.
“The officer picked her up, put her in the back of his car, and immediately brought her to U of C hospital where she succumbed to her injuries early this morning,” said Interim Police Supt. Eric Carter said.
Chicago police haven’t released many details about the case but revealed four “persons of interest” — two males and two females — were arrested overnight following long standoff with police in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, The Chicago Tribune reports.
Authorities also reported the officer’s service weapon was stolen.
Preston worked for the department for three years and was set to graduate on May 13 with a Master of Jurisprudence from the School of Law.
Mayor Lightfoot has been in touch with the grieving family members who have asked for privacy.
“When I got the call this morning, I wasn’t just a Mayor, I was a mom thinking about what the parents of this young officer are feeling today,” Lightfoot said.
Dozens of Chicago police gathered as the falling officer’s body was taken from U of C to the Medical Examiner’s office.
“I’m outraged and devastated by this horrific violence against a public servant and will do everything to support the family and CPD during this traumatic time,” said Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson.
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