#MAGFAB: Olivia Rodrigo for Vogue Magazine
Olivia Rodrigo is embarking upon a new decade; moving to a new city; and preparing to drop a new album, “Guts,” commemorating a moment that feels like it’s “about figuring stuff out, about failures and successes and making mistakes,” she says.
For Vogue’s August issue, Rodrigo opens up about becoming a definitive Gen-Z pop star with “Sour”—and how now, at 20, she’s wiser, more settled, and ready for what’s next.
On growing up in the spotlight: “You don’t realize how young you are when you’re young, being on sets, surrounded by 40-year-old guys, talking about the traffic and the weather, learning to make small talk like an adult… I remember being in meetings when I was 13 and they were asking me what I wanted my brand to be, and I was just like, ‘I don’t even know what I want to wear tomorrow.’”
On removing distractions from her life after the release of her debut album, Sour: “I would hang out with my friends every single night and have a sleepover, or I’d cling to a boyfriend, anything to not process what was actually happening in my life… I’m not going on 17, going through my first heartbreak, crying, with words just pouring out of me.”
On being a young woman in pop music: “I was under the impression that the younger you are, the more successful you’ll be in the music industry. I think I believed in these false ideas for a little while. The most painful moment of my life turned into my most successful.”
On the public interest in her relationships: “It’s an interesting thing to think about. I understand it. I could sit here and be like, ‘I don’t get why people do that,’ but I do it so often.”
On who she was during the press tour for Sour: “That girl feels like a different person. I look back at her and I think, ‘Aw. She did well.’ I think she’d be really happy with who she is.
#RHOA: Shocker: Sheree Whitfield Ex Hubby Bob Whitfield Reveals He's Had a Secret Child for 26 Years
A former Househusband dropped one hell of a baby bombshell on the latest Real Housewives of Atlanta.
During the Bravo series' Aug. 20 episode, Shereé Whitfield hosted a Sip & See to introduce friends and family to her newborn granddaughter Mecca Joie Whitfield, the daughter of her 27-year-old son Kairo Whitfield. But while the swanky event was supposed to be about the She By Shereé founder's first grandchild, it was another new member of her family that shocked her and her costars.
Shereé's ex Bob Whitfield—who she shares Kairo and daughter Kaleigh Whitfield, 24, with—arrived to the party with a mystery woman, prompting castmates Kenya Moore, Kandi Burruss and Sanya Richards-Ross to speculate whether she was Bob's new girlfriend or an unknown family member.
After admitting she didn't know the young woman, Shereé asked Bob to introduce her. Then, the former football star dropped a bombshell and revealed the lady, named Candice, is his daughter.
In a confessional, Shereé, who is also mom to 37-year-old daughter Tierra Fuller from a previous relationship, explained her state of shock following the revelation.
"So, before we got married, Bob said he had two kids," the 53-year-old, who was married to the retired athlete from 2000 to 2007, noted. "We then had two more kids. So 26 years later, come to find out, he has three kids."
At the bash, the RHOA ladies grilled Bob about keeping the secret from Shereé. "We were on a need-to-know basis back then," the 51-year-old said, causing Kenya to fire back, "But you were married to her!"
Kandi asked, "Bob, at the baby reveal, you decide to reveal another baby?" to which he jokingly replied, "I thought it was apropos."
He later claimed that Candice "started coming around later in life."
#MusicNews: Lauryn Hill Unveils ‘Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ 25th Anniversary Tour Dates — Fugees to Open U.S. Shows
Five-time Grammy winner Lauryn Hill has announced a 25th anniversary tour for her iconic debut solo album, 1998’s “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” Hill’s former group the Fugees, who abruptly canceled a planned 25th anniversary tour around their multiplatinum album “The Score“ album last year, will open only the U.S. dates, presumably because of member Pras Michel’s legal challenges stemming from his recent conviction on international conspiracy charges.
The 17-date tour will hit arenas around the world, including Brooklyn’s Barclays, Chicago’s United Center, the Kia Forum in Los Angeles as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and more (full dates below). The Fugees will reunite for their first tour in years to co-headline the tour on all U.S. and Canadian dates. The trio announced a world tour in 2021 and played a concert in New York that September, but all other dates were canceled.
With its pioneering fusion of R&B, hip-hop and pop, “Miseducation” was one of the most influential albums of the 1990s. Entered into the Library of Congress in 2015, it was the first hip-hop album to receive an album of the year Grammy Award, and made Hill the first woman to be nominated for 10 Grammy awards in one year and the first woman to win five Grammys in one night. However, she has only released one album since then — an “MTV Unplugged” concert recorded in 2001 — although she has toured frequently.
Hill says, “‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ is and was a love song to my parents, my family, my people, my musical and cultural forebears, my teachers, my loves, my Creator. I wrote love songs and protest songs— (still love songs) about the subjects and interests that inspired and moved me. I was confident that what inspired me would resonate with an audience that had been led to believe that songs of that kind could only live in the past.
“I loved music, I loved people, I truly felt grateful to God for my life, and genuinely blessed to have a platform where I could share wisdom and perspective through music,” she continues. “I felt a charge to challenge the idea that certain kinds of expression and/or certain kinds of people didn’t belong in certain places. I loved showing what could work or happen provided there was imagination, creativity and LOVE leading the way.”
Citi is the official card of the tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time until Thursday at 10 p.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com. Public onsale for the tour begins this Friday at 10 a.m. local time. Tickets are also available to buy on resale sites such as Stubhub, Vividseats and Ticketmaster.
9/8 – Minneapolis, MN @ Mystic Lake
9/23 – New York, NY @ Global Citizen Festival
10/1 – Gold Coast, AUS @ Promiseland Festival
10/3 – Melbourne, AUS @ Rod Laver Arena (with Koffee)
10/5 – Sydney, AUS @ Kudos Banks Arena (with Koffee)
10/7 – Auckland, NZ @ Eden Festival
10/17 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center (with Fugees)
10/19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays (with Fugees)
10/21 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena (with Fugees)
10/23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Arena (with Fugees)
10/26 – Toronto, ON – Scotia (with Fugees)
10/28 – Chicago, IL @ United Center (with Fugees)
10/30 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena (with Fugees)
11/2 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena (with Fugees)
11/5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum (with Fugees)
11/7 Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena (with Fugees)
11/9 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena (with Fugees
#HipHopNews: Drake Unveils For All the Dogs Album Cover Drawn by His Son Adonis
Drake's new album now has a face to go with the anticipation as the rapper just revealed the cover art, which was done by his son Adonis.
On Monday (Aug. 21), Drake provided more evidence that his highly anticipated new album For All the Dogs is loading by sharing the album art for the new LP on Instagram. The cover for Drizzy's new album, which can be viewed below, features a hand-drawn image of a dog done by the rap star's son Adonis. The rudimentary drawing shows a white dog with bright red eyes on a black background.
Drake has been teasing his eighth album For All the Dogs since June. Since his It's All a Blur Tour started in July, Drizzy has been revealing more details about the new project, which will feature Nicki Minaj, Bad Bunny and more. As for a release date, Drake is still keeping fans guessing. Back on July 26, during an It's All a Blur Tour stop in New York City, he told fans it would be coming in a few weeks.
"I have a album dropping for you in, like, two weeks or some s**t," Drake said. "But until then, just know, you're always with me and I'm always thinking of you. Everything I do is for you. Every time I step in that booth, I hope I make you proud."
Serena Williams Gave Birth to Her Second Child With Husband Alexis Ohanian
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian’s family just got bigger! The couple welcomed their second child, a baby girl named Adira, on August 22. Ohanian confirmed the name and date in an Instagram post showing a portrait of the family of four today.
“Welcome, Adira River Ohanian,” he wrote in the caption. “I’m grateful to report our house is teaming with love: a happy & healthy newborn girl and happy & healthy mama. Feeling grateful. @serenawilliams you’ve now given me another incomparable gift — you’re the GMOAT. Thanks to all the amazing medical staff who took care of my wife & our daughter 🙏 I’ll never forget the moment I introduced @olympiaohanian to her baby sister.”
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Williams and Ohanian welcomed their first child, five-year-old daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., in September 2017.
Williams announced her second pregnancy at the 2023 Met Gala, where she debuted her baby bump while wearing a body-hugging black Gucci gown. Later on Instagram, she confirmed the baby news by expressing her excitement over “the 3 of us [going] to the Met Gala,” referencing her and Ohanian’s incoming addition as the third guest.
In an emotional essay published last year about her retirement from tennis, the superstar athlete revealed her intention to expand her family.
“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution,” she wrote at the time. “I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me. A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family.”
Nia Long Files For Full Custody Of Son She Shares With Ime Udoka
Nia Long has been through it over the past year but seems to be moving on gracefully and focusing on motherhood. Speaking of which, the mom of two has filed for full custody of her son Kez whom she shares with former fiancé Ime Udoka. She also requested the newly appointed Houston Rockets basketball coach receive visitation rights. This is following the former NBA player’s cheating scandal in 2022.
The petition, which was filed by celebrity attorney Samantha Spector, is seeking to “determine a parental relationship” seeing as the former couple never officially wed despite being engaged for years. Long is also requesting Udoka cover all attorney fees.
For a quick recap, Udoka was suspended from coaching and eventually axed by the Celtics after having a consensual but improper relationship with a team staffer. The actress initially broke her silence by thanking fans for their love and support. Afterward, she opened up about how “devastating” the ordeal was for her and Kez.
“I think the most heartbreaking thing about all of this was seeing my son’s face when the Boston Celtics organization decided to make a very private situation public,” Long said to The Hollywood Reporter. “It was devastating, and it still is. He still has moments where it’s not easy for him. If you’re in the business of protecting women—I’m sorry, no one from the Celtics organization has even called to see if I’m OK, to see if my children are OK. It’s very disappointing.”
The last time the 52-year-old openly discussed the cheating scandal was in January during an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment.
“I’ve had some pretty devastating moments in my life over the last couple of months. And I’ve had just to say, ‘It’s all right. You’ll pick yourself back up and’ — oh my God. I’m about to cry,” she said as she fanned her face with her hands to stop herself from tearing up. “‘You’ll pick yourself back up and keep moving.’”
Udoka and the Best Man actress began dating in 2010 and gave birth to their only child together, Kez, in 2011. Long also has another son named Massai from a previous relationship with actor Massai Z. Dorsey.
Custody battles can get nasty, but we hope things go smoothly for the family and they can heal.
Long was never into marriage and has been public about that stance. In this case, maybe it’s ideal that they didn’t get formally married so the family doesn’t have to go through a complex divorce. We wish all parties well on this path forward.
Lucy Letby British nurse to spend rest of her life in prison for murdering seven babies
A British nurse was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Monday for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the UK hospital where she worked.
Lucy Letby, 33, was handed a whole life order by Manchester Crown Court in northern England, meaning she will never be released. Letby refused to appear in the dock, prompting calls for laws to be changed so that defendants must attend their sentencing hearings.
She was found guilty on Friday by a jury, in a case that horrified the country and made her Britain’s most prolific child serial killer of recent times
Explaining why he decided Letby must spent the rest of her life in prison, Justice James Goss said: “This was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children.”
The judge addressed Letby as if she was in court during the sentencing. He ordered his remarks and the victim impact statements read in court earlier in the day to be handed to the convicted serial killer.
“There was a deep malevolence bordering on sadism. During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for your wrongdoing. You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors,” he said.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday condemned Letby for failing to appear in court. “I think it’s cowardly that people who commit such horrendous crimes do not face their victims and hear first hand the impact that their crimes have had on them and their families and loved ones,” PA Media reported.
“We are looking and have been at changing the law to make sure that that happens and that’s something that we’ll bring forward in due course.”
Letby attacked babies in her care by administering air into their blood and stomachs, overfeeding them with milk, physically assaulting them and poisoning them with insulin, the court heard on Friday.
The allegations against Letby and her subsequent conviction triggered a government inquiry amid questions over how she was able to escape detection for so long.
She secretly assaulted 13 babies on the neonatal ward at the Countess of Chester hospital between 2015 and 2016, Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said in a statement on Friday.
Prosecutors argued that Letby’s intention was to kill the babies while duping her colleagues into believing there was a natural cause of death.
Letby wrote note, saying, ‘I am evil I did this’
The parents of the babies that Letby murdered were given a chance to tell the court about the impact of her horrific acts before Friday’s sentencing. Many have spoken about their lives being forever changed, PA reported.
The parents of several of the babies that survived Letby’s assaults said their children now require around-the-clock care.
As with the sentencing, Letby was not in the courtroom when the victim impact statements were read.
Throughout the trial, the court heard harrowing testimony from parents, including in one case where Letby had tried to kill a baby boy after murdering his twin brother.
The mother of Child E and Child F said she “completely” trusted Letby’s advice, while giving evidence to the court.
However, she said she “knew there was something wrong” when her baby, Child E, started screaming in the intensive care unit one night.
It emerged that before Letby murdered Child E, he started bleeding when she tried to assault him. That baby’s twin brother, Child F, later survived an attempt by Letby to kill him by insulin poisoning. And it was revealed that police had found a series of handwritten notes by Letby.
“I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them,” she wrote in one memo, adding in another, “I am a horrible evil person” and in capital letters, “I am evil I did this.”
In 2018 and 2019, Letby was arrested twice by police in connection with their investigation, PA said. She was arrested again in November 2020.
Authorities found the notes Letby had written, as well as handover notes she had taken from the hospital during searches of her address.
During the sentencing, the judge said Letby has kept the hospital documents “as morbid records of the events surrounding the collapses” of the babies.
The UK government issued an independent inquiry into the murders on Friday, including how regulators and Britain’s National Health Service dealt with the concerns raised by consultants.
Doctors at the hospital noticed a spike in the number of babies who were dying or unexpectedly collapsing in the neonatal unit, the court in Manchester heard.
But the hospital’s management initially dismissed concerns raised by clinicians over the increased mortality rate of patients under Letby’s care, PA reported.
Lawyers for the victims’ families have said the inquiry was “not good enough” as it does not have powers to summon witnesses.
In 2016, Letby won a grievance complaint that she had filed against her employers after learning of their initial allegations.
She was scheduled to return to the neonatal department in March 2017, but her return did not take place. The hospital trust contacted the police, who opened an investigation.
Al Roker Says He's 'Glad to Be Alive' as He Celebrates 69th Birthday with His Family and First Grandchild
Al Roker is "more than grateful" as he celebrates his 69th birthday with his family and new granddaughter.
On Sunday, the TODAY co-anchor kicked off "another trip around the sun" by posting an Instagram video of himself on a nature walk, expressing how glad he is to be alive after last year's health problems.
"This is my 69th anniversary of orbiting the sun," Roker began. "And after everything I went through at the end of last year, I am more than grateful."
Roker, who beat prostate cancer in 2020, suffered new health issues last November when he woke up in the middle of the night with severe stomach pains. His internist determined that he had blood clots in his lungs and Roker was released after treatment — but was soon readmitted to the hospital for a 7-hour surgery.
It turned out that the bleeding was due to a perforation in his duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. His medical team repaired it, resectioned part of his colon and removed his gallbladder.
"I'm blessed to be alive," he told PEOPLE exclusively at the time. He thanked his wife Deborah on Sunday for "getting him out of the hospital."
A little over six months later, on July 3, Roker was able to experience the joy of becoming a first-time grandfather. "I could look into this face all day," he captioned his first post of Sky Clara later that month.
In a new photo posted on Sunday, the TV personality held his granddaughter, who was dressed in a red onesie with a white bow around her head.
"Best #birthdaypresent," Roker captioned the photo of his 36-year-old daughter Courtney's first baby.
Roker and his family had dinner at Bimi's Canteen & Bar in Hudson, New York, where the weatherman has a home with his wife Deborah Roberts, 62. Then they took their son Nicholas, 21, to college.
"Back to the #emptynest after dropping our young man at college for sophomore year," he wrote next to a photo with Deborah and Nicholas. The couple also shares a third child, Leila, 24.
Shortly after Sky was born, Roker spoke with Today co-hosts Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones about becoming a grandparent. "It is magical, it really is," he said.
"The thing is, everyone tells you it’s going to be 'this thing' and you don’t know; it’s like when they tell you about having your first child. And then to hold this little girl, knowing almost 35 years ago I held her mom? And here she is, 5 lbs., 15 oz. 19 inches long and she’s just perfect."
"I’m telling you, she’s a great sleeper," he added of Sky. "Sleeps for four hours, wakes up, goes to the bathroom, sleeps another four. We’re on the same schedule!"
Scooter Braun: Music mogul reportedly dumped by Demi Lovato and Ariana Grande after Justin Bieber rumours
Pop star manager Scooter Braun, who courted controversy when he apparently refused to allow Taylor Swift to own her masters' recordings, appears to have lost more big-name clients this week, according to US media.
According to media outlet Billboard, both Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato have parted ways with their manager, though the reason is unknown.
It follows rumours last week that Justin Bieber had also left Braun's management company - though the claims were later refuted by sources for both men, but not publicly.
Both Grande and Lovato are said to be seeking new management.
Grande has been signed with Braun for her entire music career so far and has not released an album since 2020.
She is due to play the role of Glinda in the film adaptation of musical Wicked, and had nearly wrapped production before film and TV industry strikes shut it down.
Lovato linked up with Braun in 2019, saying at the time: "Dreams came true for me. I officially have a NEW MANAGER. And not just any manager but the one and only Scooter Braun.
"Couldn't be happier, inspired and excited to begin this next chapter - thank you for believing in me and for being a part of this new journey."
Her split with Braun has been described as "amicable" by Variety.
But the timing could prove tricky for the former Disney Channel star, as she is about to release her new album Revamped - full of re-recorded rock versions of earlier songs.
The pair join J Balvin, a Colombian singer, who also left Braun's management last month, going on to join Jay-Z's Roc Nation.
Braun is embroiled in a long-running feud with Taylor Swift, who claimed he would not allow her to buy her master recordings when she left his management company.
It meant Swift did not officially own her music, and was unable to make money from the sale and performance of her records.
Braun then sold her master recordings to an investment company.
n, known as Taylor's Versions - which have been backed by scores of her fans.
'And Just Like That' Renewed for Season 3 at HBO's Max!
And Just Like That, the Sex and the City reboot, has been renewed for a third season!
The news comes just two days before the season 2 finale drops on HBO Max. Fans are eagerly awaiting the finale as Kim Cattrall, aka Samantha on the original show, has a cameo.
Season two saw the return of Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte – Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis – as well as season 1 stars Sara Ramírez, Sarita Choudhury, Nicole Ari Parker, Karen Pittman, and more.
Season 2 also saw the return of fan fave character Aidan Shaw, played by John Corbett.
Executive producer Michael Patrick King said in a statement, “We are thrilled to spend more time in the Sex And The City universe telling new stories about the lives of these relatable and aspirational characters played by these amazing actors. And Just Like That… here comes season three.”
For Vogue’s August issue, Rodrigo opens up about becoming a definitive Gen-Z pop star with “Sour”—and how now, at 20, she’s wiser, more settled, and ready for what’s next.
On growing up in the spotlight: “You don’t realize how young you are when you’re young, being on sets, surrounded by 40-year-old guys, talking about the traffic and the weather, learning to make small talk like an adult… I remember being in meetings when I was 13 and they were asking me what I wanted my brand to be, and I was just like, ‘I don’t even know what I want to wear tomorrow.’”
On removing distractions from her life after the release of her debut album, Sour: “I would hang out with my friends every single night and have a sleepover, or I’d cling to a boyfriend, anything to not process what was actually happening in my life… I’m not going on 17, going through my first heartbreak, crying, with words just pouring out of me.”
On being a young woman in pop music: “I was under the impression that the younger you are, the more successful you’ll be in the music industry. I think I believed in these false ideas for a little while. The most painful moment of my life turned into my most successful.”
On the public interest in her relationships: “It’s an interesting thing to think about. I understand it. I could sit here and be like, ‘I don’t get why people do that,’ but I do it so often.”
On who she was during the press tour for Sour: “That girl feels like a different person. I look back at her and I think, ‘Aw. She did well.’ I think she’d be really happy with who she is.
#RHOA: Shocker: Sheree Whitfield Ex Hubby Bob Whitfield Reveals He's Had a Secret Child for 26 Years
During the Bravo series' Aug. 20 episode, Shereé Whitfield hosted a Sip & See to introduce friends and family to her newborn granddaughter Mecca Joie Whitfield, the daughter of her 27-year-old son Kairo Whitfield. But while the swanky event was supposed to be about the She By Shereé founder's first grandchild, it was another new member of her family that shocked her and her costars.
Shereé's ex Bob Whitfield—who she shares Kairo and daughter Kaleigh Whitfield, 24, with—arrived to the party with a mystery woman, prompting castmates Kenya Moore, Kandi Burruss and Sanya Richards-Ross to speculate whether she was Bob's new girlfriend or an unknown family member.
After admitting she didn't know the young woman, Shereé asked Bob to introduce her. Then, the former football star dropped a bombshell and revealed the lady, named Candice, is his daughter.
In a confessional, Shereé, who is also mom to 37-year-old daughter Tierra Fuller from a previous relationship, explained her state of shock following the revelation.
"So, before we got married, Bob said he had two kids," the 53-year-old, who was married to the retired athlete from 2000 to 2007, noted. "We then had two more kids. So 26 years later, come to find out, he has three kids."
At the bash, the RHOA ladies grilled Bob about keeping the secret from Shereé. "We were on a need-to-know basis back then," the 51-year-old said, causing Kenya to fire back, "But you were married to her!"
Kandi asked, "Bob, at the baby reveal, you decide to reveal another baby?" to which he jokingly replied, "I thought it was apropos."
He later claimed that Candice "started coming around later in life."
#MusicNews: Lauryn Hill Unveils ‘Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ 25th Anniversary Tour Dates — Fugees to Open U.S. Shows
Five-time Grammy winner Lauryn Hill has announced a 25th anniversary tour for her iconic debut solo album, 1998’s “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” Hill’s former group the Fugees, who abruptly canceled a planned 25th anniversary tour around their multiplatinum album “The Score“ album last year, will open only the U.S. dates, presumably because of member Pras Michel’s legal challenges stemming from his recent conviction on international conspiracy charges.
The 17-date tour will hit arenas around the world, including Brooklyn’s Barclays, Chicago’s United Center, the Kia Forum in Los Angeles as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and more (full dates below). The Fugees will reunite for their first tour in years to co-headline the tour on all U.S. and Canadian dates. The trio announced a world tour in 2021 and played a concert in New York that September, but all other dates were canceled.
With its pioneering fusion of R&B, hip-hop and pop, “Miseducation” was one of the most influential albums of the 1990s. Entered into the Library of Congress in 2015, it was the first hip-hop album to receive an album of the year Grammy Award, and made Hill the first woman to be nominated for 10 Grammy awards in one year and the first woman to win five Grammys in one night. However, she has only released one album since then — an “MTV Unplugged” concert recorded in 2001 — although she has toured frequently.
Hill says, “‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ is and was a love song to my parents, my family, my people, my musical and cultural forebears, my teachers, my loves, my Creator. I wrote love songs and protest songs— (still love songs) about the subjects and interests that inspired and moved me. I was confident that what inspired me would resonate with an audience that had been led to believe that songs of that kind could only live in the past.
“I loved music, I loved people, I truly felt grateful to God for my life, and genuinely blessed to have a platform where I could share wisdom and perspective through music,” she continues. “I felt a charge to challenge the idea that certain kinds of expression and/or certain kinds of people didn’t belong in certain places. I loved showing what could work or happen provided there was imagination, creativity and LOVE leading the way.”
Citi is the official card of the tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time until Thursday at 10 p.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com. Public onsale for the tour begins this Friday at 10 a.m. local time. Tickets are also available to buy on resale sites such as Stubhub, Vividseats and Ticketmaster.
9/8 – Minneapolis, MN @ Mystic Lake
9/23 – New York, NY @ Global Citizen Festival
10/1 – Gold Coast, AUS @ Promiseland Festival
10/3 – Melbourne, AUS @ Rod Laver Arena (with Koffee)
10/5 – Sydney, AUS @ Kudos Banks Arena (with Koffee)
10/7 – Auckland, NZ @ Eden Festival
10/17 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center (with Fugees)
10/19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays (with Fugees)
10/21 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena (with Fugees)
10/23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Arena (with Fugees)
10/26 – Toronto, ON – Scotia (with Fugees)
10/28 – Chicago, IL @ United Center (with Fugees)
10/30 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena (with Fugees)
11/2 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena (with Fugees)
11/5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum (with Fugees)
11/7 Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena (with Fugees)
11/9 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena (with Fugees
#HipHopNews: Drake Unveils For All the Dogs Album Cover Drawn by His Son Adonis
On Monday (Aug. 21), Drake provided more evidence that his highly anticipated new album For All the Dogs is loading by sharing the album art for the new LP on Instagram. The cover for Drizzy's new album, which can be viewed below, features a hand-drawn image of a dog done by the rap star's son Adonis. The rudimentary drawing shows a white dog with bright red eyes on a black background.
Drake has been teasing his eighth album For All the Dogs since June. Since his It's All a Blur Tour started in July, Drizzy has been revealing more details about the new project, which will feature Nicki Minaj, Bad Bunny and more. As for a release date, Drake is still keeping fans guessing. Back on July 26, during an It's All a Blur Tour stop in New York City, he told fans it would be coming in a few weeks.
"I have a album dropping for you in, like, two weeks or some s**t," Drake said. "But until then, just know, you're always with me and I'm always thinking of you. Everything I do is for you. Every time I step in that booth, I hope I make you proud."
Serena Williams Gave Birth to Her Second Child With Husband Alexis Ohanian
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian’s family just got bigger! The couple welcomed their second child, a baby girl named Adira, on August 22. Ohanian confirmed the name and date in an Instagram post showing a portrait of the family of four today.
“Welcome, Adira River Ohanian,” he wrote in the caption. “I’m grateful to report our house is teaming with love: a happy & healthy newborn girl and happy & healthy mama. Feeling grateful. @serenawilliams you’ve now given me another incomparable gift — you’re the GMOAT. Thanks to all the amazing medical staff who took care of my wife & our daughter 🙏 I’ll never forget the moment I introduced @olympiaohanian to her baby sister.”
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Williams and Ohanian welcomed their first child, five-year-old daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., in September 2017.
Williams announced her second pregnancy at the 2023 Met Gala, where she debuted her baby bump while wearing a body-hugging black Gucci gown. Later on Instagram, she confirmed the baby news by expressing her excitement over “the 3 of us [going] to the Met Gala,” referencing her and Ohanian’s incoming addition as the third guest.
In an emotional essay published last year about her retirement from tennis, the superstar athlete revealed her intention to expand her family.
“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution,” she wrote at the time. “I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me. A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family.”
Nia Long Files For Full Custody Of Son She Shares With Ime Udoka
The petition, which was filed by celebrity attorney Samantha Spector, is seeking to “determine a parental relationship” seeing as the former couple never officially wed despite being engaged for years. Long is also requesting Udoka cover all attorney fees.
For a quick recap, Udoka was suspended from coaching and eventually axed by the Celtics after having a consensual but improper relationship with a team staffer. The actress initially broke her silence by thanking fans for their love and support. Afterward, she opened up about how “devastating” the ordeal was for her and Kez.
“I think the most heartbreaking thing about all of this was seeing my son’s face when the Boston Celtics organization decided to make a very private situation public,” Long said to The Hollywood Reporter. “It was devastating, and it still is. He still has moments where it’s not easy for him. If you’re in the business of protecting women—I’m sorry, no one from the Celtics organization has even called to see if I’m OK, to see if my children are OK. It’s very disappointing.”
The last time the 52-year-old openly discussed the cheating scandal was in January during an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment.
“I’ve had some pretty devastating moments in my life over the last couple of months. And I’ve had just to say, ‘It’s all right. You’ll pick yourself back up and’ — oh my God. I’m about to cry,” she said as she fanned her face with her hands to stop herself from tearing up. “‘You’ll pick yourself back up and keep moving.’”
Udoka and the Best Man actress began dating in 2010 and gave birth to their only child together, Kez, in 2011. Long also has another son named Massai from a previous relationship with actor Massai Z. Dorsey.
Custody battles can get nasty, but we hope things go smoothly for the family and they can heal.
Long was never into marriage and has been public about that stance. In this case, maybe it’s ideal that they didn’t get formally married so the family doesn’t have to go through a complex divorce. We wish all parties well on this path forward.
Lucy Letby British nurse to spend rest of her life in prison for murdering seven babies
A British nurse was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Monday for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the UK hospital where she worked.
Lucy Letby, 33, was handed a whole life order by Manchester Crown Court in northern England, meaning she will never be released. Letby refused to appear in the dock, prompting calls for laws to be changed so that defendants must attend their sentencing hearings.
She was found guilty on Friday by a jury, in a case that horrified the country and made her Britain’s most prolific child serial killer of recent times
Explaining why he decided Letby must spent the rest of her life in prison, Justice James Goss said: “This was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children.”
The judge addressed Letby as if she was in court during the sentencing. He ordered his remarks and the victim impact statements read in court earlier in the day to be handed to the convicted serial killer.
“There was a deep malevolence bordering on sadism. During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for your wrongdoing. You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors,” he said.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday condemned Letby for failing to appear in court. “I think it’s cowardly that people who commit such horrendous crimes do not face their victims and hear first hand the impact that their crimes have had on them and their families and loved ones,” PA Media reported.
“We are looking and have been at changing the law to make sure that that happens and that’s something that we’ll bring forward in due course.”
Letby attacked babies in her care by administering air into their blood and stomachs, overfeeding them with milk, physically assaulting them and poisoning them with insulin, the court heard on Friday.
The allegations against Letby and her subsequent conviction triggered a government inquiry amid questions over how she was able to escape detection for so long.
She secretly assaulted 13 babies on the neonatal ward at the Countess of Chester hospital between 2015 and 2016, Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said in a statement on Friday.
Prosecutors argued that Letby’s intention was to kill the babies while duping her colleagues into believing there was a natural cause of death.
Letby wrote note, saying, ‘I am evil I did this’
The parents of the babies that Letby murdered were given a chance to tell the court about the impact of her horrific acts before Friday’s sentencing. Many have spoken about their lives being forever changed, PA reported.
The parents of several of the babies that survived Letby’s assaults said their children now require around-the-clock care.
As with the sentencing, Letby was not in the courtroom when the victim impact statements were read.
Throughout the trial, the court heard harrowing testimony from parents, including in one case where Letby had tried to kill a baby boy after murdering his twin brother.
The mother of Child E and Child F said she “completely” trusted Letby’s advice, while giving evidence to the court.
However, she said she “knew there was something wrong” when her baby, Child E, started screaming in the intensive care unit one night.
It emerged that before Letby murdered Child E, he started bleeding when she tried to assault him. That baby’s twin brother, Child F, later survived an attempt by Letby to kill him by insulin poisoning. And it was revealed that police had found a series of handwritten notes by Letby.
“I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them,” she wrote in one memo, adding in another, “I am a horrible evil person” and in capital letters, “I am evil I did this.”
In 2018 and 2019, Letby was arrested twice by police in connection with their investigation, PA said. She was arrested again in November 2020.
Authorities found the notes Letby had written, as well as handover notes she had taken from the hospital during searches of her address.
During the sentencing, the judge said Letby has kept the hospital documents “as morbid records of the events surrounding the collapses” of the babies.
The UK government issued an independent inquiry into the murders on Friday, including how regulators and Britain’s National Health Service dealt with the concerns raised by consultants.
Doctors at the hospital noticed a spike in the number of babies who were dying or unexpectedly collapsing in the neonatal unit, the court in Manchester heard.
But the hospital’s management initially dismissed concerns raised by clinicians over the increased mortality rate of patients under Letby’s care, PA reported.
Lawyers for the victims’ families have said the inquiry was “not good enough” as it does not have powers to summon witnesses.
In 2016, Letby won a grievance complaint that she had filed against her employers after learning of their initial allegations.
She was scheduled to return to the neonatal department in March 2017, but her return did not take place. The hospital trust contacted the police, who opened an investigation.
Al Roker Says He's 'Glad to Be Alive' as He Celebrates 69th Birthday with His Family and First Grandchild
On Sunday, the TODAY co-anchor kicked off "another trip around the sun" by posting an Instagram video of himself on a nature walk, expressing how glad he is to be alive after last year's health problems.
"This is my 69th anniversary of orbiting the sun," Roker began. "And after everything I went through at the end of last year, I am more than grateful."
Roker, who beat prostate cancer in 2020, suffered new health issues last November when he woke up in the middle of the night with severe stomach pains. His internist determined that he had blood clots in his lungs and Roker was released after treatment — but was soon readmitted to the hospital for a 7-hour surgery.
It turned out that the bleeding was due to a perforation in his duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. His medical team repaired it, resectioned part of his colon and removed his gallbladder.
"I'm blessed to be alive," he told PEOPLE exclusively at the time. He thanked his wife Deborah on Sunday for "getting him out of the hospital."
A little over six months later, on July 3, Roker was able to experience the joy of becoming a first-time grandfather. "I could look into this face all day," he captioned his first post of Sky Clara later that month.
In a new photo posted on Sunday, the TV personality held his granddaughter, who was dressed in a red onesie with a white bow around her head.
"Best #birthdaypresent," Roker captioned the photo of his 36-year-old daughter Courtney's first baby.
Roker and his family had dinner at Bimi's Canteen & Bar in Hudson, New York, where the weatherman has a home with his wife Deborah Roberts, 62. Then they took their son Nicholas, 21, to college.
"Back to the #emptynest after dropping our young man at college for sophomore year," he wrote next to a photo with Deborah and Nicholas. The couple also shares a third child, Leila, 24.
Shortly after Sky was born, Roker spoke with Today co-hosts Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones about becoming a grandparent. "It is magical, it really is," he said.
"The thing is, everyone tells you it’s going to be 'this thing' and you don’t know; it’s like when they tell you about having your first child. And then to hold this little girl, knowing almost 35 years ago I held her mom? And here she is, 5 lbs., 15 oz. 19 inches long and she’s just perfect."
"I’m telling you, she’s a great sleeper," he added of Sky. "Sleeps for four hours, wakes up, goes to the bathroom, sleeps another four. We’re on the same schedule!"
Scooter Braun: Music mogul reportedly dumped by Demi Lovato and Ariana Grande after Justin Bieber rumours
Pop star manager Scooter Braun, who courted controversy when he apparently refused to allow Taylor Swift to own her masters' recordings, appears to have lost more big-name clients this week, according to US media.
According to media outlet Billboard, both Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato have parted ways with their manager, though the reason is unknown.
It follows rumours last week that Justin Bieber had also left Braun's management company - though the claims were later refuted by sources for both men, but not publicly.
Both Grande and Lovato are said to be seeking new management.
Grande has been signed with Braun for her entire music career so far and has not released an album since 2020.
She is due to play the role of Glinda in the film adaptation of musical Wicked, and had nearly wrapped production before film and TV industry strikes shut it down.
Lovato linked up with Braun in 2019, saying at the time: "Dreams came true for me. I officially have a NEW MANAGER. And not just any manager but the one and only Scooter Braun.
"Couldn't be happier, inspired and excited to begin this next chapter - thank you for believing in me and for being a part of this new journey."
Her split with Braun has been described as "amicable" by Variety.
But the timing could prove tricky for the former Disney Channel star, as she is about to release her new album Revamped - full of re-recorded rock versions of earlier songs.
The pair join J Balvin, a Colombian singer, who also left Braun's management last month, going on to join Jay-Z's Roc Nation.
Braun is embroiled in a long-running feud with Taylor Swift, who claimed he would not allow her to buy her master recordings when she left his management company.
It meant Swift did not officially own her music, and was unable to make money from the sale and performance of her records.
Braun then sold her master recordings to an investment company.
n, known as Taylor's Versions - which have been backed by scores of her fans.
'And Just Like That' Renewed for Season 3 at HBO's Max!
The news comes just two days before the season 2 finale drops on HBO Max. Fans are eagerly awaiting the finale as Kim Cattrall, aka Samantha on the original show, has a cameo.
Season two saw the return of Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte – Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis – as well as season 1 stars Sara Ramírez, Sarita Choudhury, Nicole Ari Parker, Karen Pittman, and more.
Season 2 also saw the return of fan fave character Aidan Shaw, played by John Corbett.
Executive producer Michael Patrick King said in a statement, “We are thrilled to spend more time in the Sex And The City universe telling new stories about the lives of these relatable and aspirational characters played by these amazing actors. And Just Like That… here comes season three.”
‘Good Burger 2’ Drops First Teaser for Paramount+ Sequel Starring Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell
The first “Good Burger 2” teaser has been unveiled by Paramount+.
The sequel to the cult classic Nickelodeon film is slated to debut on Paramount+ this fall. The official logline for the film states that it “follows Dexter Reed (Kenan Thompson) and original cashier Ed (Kel Mitchell), as they reunite in the present day at fast-food restaurant Good Burger with a hilarious new group of employees.”
The film was originally announced back in March. Along with Thompson and Mitchell, the cast for the sequel includes Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, Kamaia Fairburn, Alex R. Hibbert, Fabrizio Guido, Elizabeth Hinkler and Emily Hinkler as Cindy and Mindy, and Anabel Graetz as Ruth. The film will also feature original “Good Burger” cast members Josh Server, Lori Beth Denberg, and Carmen Electra.
Nickelodeon Studios is producing the film. Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert, who co-wrote the original film and worked on “All That”, serve as writers and executive producers on the sequel. James III is also a writer on the film. Phil Traill serves as director. Nickelodeon Studios will produce. Both Thompson and Mitchell are producers, while John Ryan Jr. of Artists for Artists serves as an executive producer. Production of the movie for Nickelodeon Studios is overseen by Shauna Phelan and Zack Olin, co-heads of Nickelodeon & Awesomeness Live-Action. Brittany Cope serves as Nickelodeon’s executive in charge of production.
WATCH
“Good Burger” originated as a sketch on the Nickelodeon series “All That” in which Mitchell starred as Ed. It was then spun off into the 1997 film. It proved to be a box office success, grossing just under $24 million against a reported budget of $8 million. It has gone on to achieve cult status, with Mitchell and Thompson reuniting for a “Good Burger” sketch on “The Tonight Show” in 2015 and subsequently stating over the years they were open to a new iteration of the film. Mitchell also appeared as Ed in the “All That” revival series in 2019.
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ Spinoffs Score New Seasons
After initially bowing on Logo back in 2009, Drag Race has since expanded internationally, too, with local editions in the U.K., Canada and Australia, featuring local “queens” and runway challenges. The U.S. edition has done stints on several of the cable networks in what is now the Paramount ecosystem, moving from LGBTQ+ channel Logo to VH1 to MTV, in addition to streaming on Paramount+.
The franchise has waded into activism, too, as drag performers and the larger LGBTQ+ community has increasingly faced backlash and censorship. In fact, the show’s production company, World of Wonder, created the first-ever Drag Defense Fund with a donation from MTV and Drag Race. The 501C3, which supports the ACLU’s work to defend and ensure LGBTQ+ rights, has already raised more than $1.5 million. (For their art and activism, World of Wonder founders Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey received THR’s Impact Award at June’s Banff World Media Festival.)
“Drag queens are the Marines of television. They speak television fluently. They dance, they sing, they lip-synch, they do makeup, they do hair,” Bailey told THR earlier this spring, before acknowledging that despite the ratings success of the franchises around the globe, it hasn’t been easy to get execs to sign on to local editions. Added Barbato: “Our whole business is built on no. We’ve only had one pitch that was ever greenlit in the room, and the next day that person called us back and said they changed their mind.”
Tiffany ‘New York’ Pollard to Battle Omarosa for $200K on ‘House of Villains’
*E! is set to premiere a new show featuring Omarosa and Tiffany “New York” Pollard to find out who’s the biggest villain of all reality TV series
Omarosa (“The Apprentice”) and Pollard (“Flavor of Love”) will face off under the same roof where they will live and compete against eight other reality TV veterans on “House of Villains,” according to a press release from the cable network.
As Urban Hollywood 411 reports, contestants will compete every week in a battle-royale challenge. The challenge winner is safe from elimination, but one villain is eliminated at the end of the week.
The “House of Villains” cast also includes “90 Day Fiancé’s” Anfisa Arkhipchenko; “Love is Blind’s” Shake Chatterjee; “Survivor’s” Jonny Fairplay; “Love & Hip Hop: Miami’s” Bobby Lytes; “The Bachelor’s” Corinne Olympios; “Vanderpump Rules’” Jax Taylor, and “Bad Girls Club’s” Tanisha Thomas.
On Twitter, one person wrote, “Omarosa got this in the bag. No one is more evil than her! Congrats!”
Another user added, “I’ll tune in for New York and Bobby.”
“House of Villains” is hosted by Joel McHale and the 75-minute premiere episode airs Thursday, Oct. 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Mississippi Police Officer No Longer Employed After Arresting 10-Year-Old For Peeing Behind Mother’s Car
The incident unfolded on Thursday, August 10th, when Latonya Eason stopped by a lawyer’s office in Senatobia. As she was inside seeking legal advice for a separate matter, her son, Quantavious Eason, was outside. However, an officer approached her inside the building to let her know he’d caught Quantavious using the bathroom at the rear of her vehicle. She spoke with her son and verbally reprimanded him in front of the officer, who was only going to issue the child a warning. Several other deputies and a lieutenant responded to the scene and informed Latonya that her son was being arrested. The child was placed in a police car and taken to jail, and placed in a cell for a short while before being released.
“Him urinating in the parking lot was not right, but at the same time, I handled it like a parent, and for one officer to tell my baby to get back in the car, it was okay, and to have the other pull up and take him to jail, like no. I’m just speechless right now. Why would you arrest a ten-year-old kid?” she shared with Fox 13 Memphis.
On Tuesday, Senatobia Police Chief Richard Chandler shared an update via the department’s Facebook page. He confirmed that the arresting officer went against “prior training on how to deal with these situations.” That officer is no longer with the Senatobia Police Department, and others who participated in detaining the child are expected to face discipline. In a separate statement to Fox 13 Memphis, Chandler called the matter an “an error in judgment” but insists Quantavious was not handcuffed during the ordeal.
Nevertheless, Latonya says the incident could traumatize the young boy permanently.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
Not Clingy Enough
Need Velcro?
Need Velcro?
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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