#FASHIONFAB Dame Maggie for Loewe’s Spring 2024 Ad Campaign!
Dame Maggie Smith, strikes a pose for Loewe’s Spring 2024 Ad Campaign photographed by Juergen Teller.
The Dame!
#RHOA: Marlo Hampton's Nephews Michael And William Attend Homecoming
The Real Housewives Atlanta star Marlo Hampton takes her “muntie” duties seriously. “Muntie” is a term coined by the fashionista to describe the mother and aunt role she takes with her two nephews – Micheal 16, and William, 15. The longtime Bravo star is the legal guardian of the teenage boys, whose mother (and her sister) is in prison dealing with mental health issues. Marlo’s journey with the boys has been documented on The Real Housewives of Atlanta over the years, and fans have watched the boys grow into young men. Recently, Marlo shared a special moment with her nephews on Instagram.
There is nothing Marlo won’t due for her nephews. On the show, fans have watched her help them with homework, cook dinner, and even go on family vacations. She presents herself as a hands-on parent. Things haven’t always been smooth sailing and the boy’s behavior led Marlo to send the boys away to live with her other sister, who is their aunt.
Despite judgment from her fellow housewives, Marlo did what she needed for her and the boys. The boys came back with a better mindset and the trio seems to be thriving as a family. Marlo frequently posts pictures of her and the boys looking amazing but the most recent picture at a school event has fans smiling.
Recently, Marlo posted a picture to Instagram of her nephew Micheal at homecoming. This moment was extra special because Marlo and Michael’s younger brother William escorted him down the field.
Micheal is a junior in high school and represented his junior class in Homecoming Court 2023. The family dressed in all Black looked fabulous as they walked across the school’s field during the Homecoming ceremony. Under the picture, the RHOA star wrote that she was “proud” of William and “full of joy.”
#MusicNews: Brian McKnight Releases Latest Album “McKnighttime Lullabies”
R&B legend Brian McKnight has just released his latest album “McKnighttime Lullabies”.
The singer/songwriter had famously retired from new music following the release of his previous album “Exodus” in 2020, but he finds new inspiration for his project.
The experience of fatherhood at this point of Brian McKnight’s career and life inspired him to create lullabies and soothing music for kids, parents, and grandparents. The collection of songs includes originals and covers inspired by his new son and dedicated to parents and children everywhere.
LISTEN HERE
“McKnighttime Lullabies” includes 11 tracks with signature Brian vocals and still very much a Brian McKnight album.
#HipHopNews: Kanye West And Ty Dolla Sign Hosting Multi-Stadium Listening Event For New Album In November
Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have announced they will host a multi-stadium listening event for their new album in early November.
Rumors of Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign's joint album loading have been rumbling for weeks. On Monday (Oct. 23), Ty provided some solid confirmation by announcing he and Ye will host a multi-stadium listening event next month. The Cali rap-crooner shared the information via Instagram. The post simply reads, "multi-stadium listening event November 3." The note also features the yen and dollar signs.
Back in August, rumors of Kanye West dropping a new album started flying around when Chicago producer and Donda collaborator Orlando "Fya Man" Wilder conducted an AMA on Reddit where he spilled some beans on the project. Less than two weeks later, more purported details emerged, which reported the album would be dropping in October and titled Change. Ty Dolla $ign was later said to be heavily involved in the LP.
Earlier this month, it was reported Kanye was looking into hosting a listening event in Italy. Last week, the album was reportedly postponed while Kanye tried to find a distribution partner.
#RIP: Iconic Actor Richard Roundtree, Suave Star of ‘Shaft,’ Dies at 81
Richard Roundtree, the ultracool actor who helped open the door to a generation of Black filmmakers and performers with his portrayal of private eye John Shaft, “the cat that won’t cop out when there’s danger all about,” died Tuesday. He was 81.
Roundtree died at his home in Los Angeles of pancreatic cancer, his manager, Patrick McMinn, told The Hollywood Reporter.
He was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 and had a double mastectomy. “Breast cancer is not gender specific,” he said four years later. “And men have this cavalier attitude about health issues. I got such positive feedback because I spoke out about it, and it’s been quite a number of years now. I’m a survivor.”
Roundtree also portrayed the title character opposite Peter O’Toole as Robinson Crusoe in Man Friday, was featured as an army sergeant opposite Laurence Olivier as Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the Korean War drama Inchon (1981), and played Burt Reynolds’ partner in a private-eye business in City Heat (1984).
On the 1977 groundbreaking ABC miniseries Roots, Roundtree took on the pivotal role of carriage driver Sam Bennett, who falls for Leslie Uggams’ Kizzy. (He said George Hamilton apologized to him for years for the scene that required Hamilton’s character, a slave owner, to whip Bennett.)
Roundtree once revealed that he was most proud of his work in Once Upon a Time … When We Were Colored (1996) about a Black Mississippi family confronting inequality in the south. His father, who had become a Pentecostal minister, had refused to see any of his son’s movies until this one.
Dubbed the first Black action hero, Roundtree became one of the faces of the 1970s blaxploitation movement when he starred as the street-smart New York sleuth in Shaft (1971), directed by Gordon Parks. Apart from a brief turn in the 1970 comedy What Do You Say to a Naked Lady?, it marked his first big-screen appearance.
Based on a 1970 novel by Ernest Tidyman, Shaft was originally conceived to be fronted by a white actor. It was Parks who insisted on casting Roundtree, a former model, after spotting him during a cattle call.
“Gordon Parks is Shaft,” Roundtree told radio station WBUR in a 2019 interview. “The way he moved, the way he talked. He is the most sophisticated, smooth person that I have ever met. And to be in his presence and to be a part of something that he has his stamp on is magical to me.”
Shaft was one of only three MGM movies in 1971 to turn a profit.
“Shaft is not a great film, but it’s very entertaining,” Vincent Canby wrote in his review for The New York Times. “Shaft is the sort of man who can drink five fingers of scotch without gagging or his eyes watering. He moves through Whitey’s world with perfect ease and aplomb but never loses his independence or his awareness of where his life is really at.
“When a friend of his — a white homosexual bartender — gives him a rather hopeful caress, Shaft is not threatened, only amused. He has no identity problems, so he can afford to be cheerful under circumstances that would send a lesser hero into the kind of personality crisis that in a movie usually ends in a gunfight, or, at the least, a barroom brawl.”
“I’ve had so many people from all over the country — and all over the world, actually — come up and say what that film meant to them back in ’71,” he said. “It’s heavy.”
Roundtree returned for Shaft’s Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973) and played the detective on a 1973 CBS series that lasted just seven episodes. When the franchise was rejuvenated in 2000 with Samuel L. Jackson starring as the nephew of the famed shamus, Roundtree appeared as his uncle. He and Jackson came back in 2019 for another movie.
He was born on July 9, 1942, in New Rochelle, New York. His father, John, worked as a garbage collector and caterer, and his mother, Kathryn, was a maid and a nurse. He attended New Rochelle High School and played for its undefeated football team.
After graduating in 1961, Roundtree headed to Southern Illinois University and landed a football scholarship as a walk-on, but he left in 1963 to pursue a modeling career. He was hired by Eunice W. Johnson to appear at the Ebony Fashion Fair and posed for print ads for Salem cigarettes and Duke hair products.
In 1967, Roundtree heeded advice from Bill Cosby and moved to New York to hone his acting skills. He joined the Negro Ensemble Company and worked with the likes of Esther Rolle, Arthur French, Robert Hooks, Rosalind Cash, Denise Nicholas and Moses Gunn (later a Shaft co-star).
He was in a Philadelphia theater portraying the boxer in a production of The Great White Hope when he heard about the Shaft audition.
Thanks to Parks, the first film’s cultural impact went far beyond a simple crime drama premise. Shaft was one of the first big-screen Black characters to be his own man and not kowtow to anyone, no matter the skin color.
“People come up and ask me if we really need this image of Shaft the Black Superman. Hell, yes, there’s a place for John Shaft,” Parks told Roger Ebert in a 1972 interview. “I was overwhelmed by our world premiere on Broadway. Suddenly, I was the perpetrator of a hero. Ghetto kids were coming downtown to see their hero, Shaft, and here was a Black man on the screen they didn’t have to be ashamed of. Here they had a chance to spend their $3 on something they wanted to see. We need movies about the history of our people, yes, but we need heroic fantasies about our people, too. We all need a little James Bond now and then.”
Shaft‘s success was fueled by its title tune, written and sung by Issac Hayes; he performed it at the 1972 Academy Awards ceremony and won the Oscar for best original song.
Roundtree revisited his blaxploitation roots by appearing in Original Gangstas (1996), a homage to the genre that also starred Fred Williamson, Jim Brown and Pam Grier.
His other features included Earthquake (1974), Escape to Athena (1979), Opposing Force (1986), Maniac Cop (1988), Seven (1995), George of the Jungle (1997), Corky Romano (2001), Brick (2005), Speed Racer (2008)and What Men Want (2019).
On television, he played private eye “Ice” McAdams on CBS’ Outlaws, the disgraced doctor Daniel Reubens on the NBC daytime soap opera Generations, a fire station commander on the WB Network’s Rescue 77, the cold-blooded Mr. Shaw on ABC’s Desperate Housewives and the cryptic Charles Deveaux on NBC’s Heroes.
His small-screen résumé also included recurring roles on Soul Food, Roc, Chicago Fire, Being Mary Jane and Family Reunion.
Roundtree was married to Mary Jane Grant from 1963-73 and to Karen Michelle Ciernia from 1980-98. Survivors include his daughters, Kelli, Nicole, Tayler and Morgan, and a son, John.
Roundtree wasn’t always so cool with being typecast during his career, but he eventually came to accept it, he said.
His father “was out visiting me in L.A., and I was complaining about [how] 24/7, the Shaft character comes up,” he recalled, “and he says, ‘Son, let me tell you something. A lot of people leave this Earth not being known for anything. Shut up.'”
Beyoncé Officially Unveils CÉ NOIR Fragrance.
Dame Maggie Smith, strikes a pose for Loewe’s Spring 2024 Ad Campaign photographed by Juergen Teller.
#RHOA: Marlo Hampton's Nephews Michael And William Attend Homecoming
There is nothing Marlo won’t due for her nephews. On the show, fans have watched her help them with homework, cook dinner, and even go on family vacations. She presents herself as a hands-on parent. Things haven’t always been smooth sailing and the boy’s behavior led Marlo to send the boys away to live with her other sister, who is their aunt.
Despite judgment from her fellow housewives, Marlo did what she needed for her and the boys. The boys came back with a better mindset and the trio seems to be thriving as a family. Marlo frequently posts pictures of her and the boys looking amazing but the most recent picture at a school event has fans smiling.
Recently, Marlo posted a picture to Instagram of her nephew Micheal at homecoming. This moment was extra special because Marlo and Michael’s younger brother William escorted him down the field.
Micheal is a junior in high school and represented his junior class in Homecoming Court 2023. The family dressed in all Black looked fabulous as they walked across the school’s field during the Homecoming ceremony. Under the picture, the RHOA star wrote that she was “proud” of William and “full of joy.”
#MusicNews: Brian McKnight Releases Latest Album “McKnighttime Lullabies”
The singer/songwriter had famously retired from new music following the release of his previous album “Exodus” in 2020, but he finds new inspiration for his project.
The experience of fatherhood at this point of Brian McKnight’s career and life inspired him to create lullabies and soothing music for kids, parents, and grandparents. The collection of songs includes originals and covers inspired by his new son and dedicated to parents and children everywhere.
LISTEN HERE
“McKnighttime Lullabies” includes 11 tracks with signature Brian vocals and still very much a Brian McKnight album.
#HipHopNews: Kanye West And Ty Dolla Sign Hosting Multi-Stadium Listening Event For New Album In November
Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have announced they will host a multi-stadium listening event for their new album in early November.
Rumors of Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign's joint album loading have been rumbling for weeks. On Monday (Oct. 23), Ty provided some solid confirmation by announcing he and Ye will host a multi-stadium listening event next month. The Cali rap-crooner shared the information via Instagram. The post simply reads, "multi-stadium listening event November 3." The note also features the yen and dollar signs.
Back in August, rumors of Kanye West dropping a new album started flying around when Chicago producer and Donda collaborator Orlando "Fya Man" Wilder conducted an AMA on Reddit where he spilled some beans on the project. Less than two weeks later, more purported details emerged, which reported the album would be dropping in October and titled Change. Ty Dolla $ign was later said to be heavily involved in the LP.
Earlier this month, it was reported Kanye was looking into hosting a listening event in Italy. Last week, the album was reportedly postponed while Kanye tried to find a distribution partner.
#RIP: Iconic Actor Richard Roundtree, Suave Star of ‘Shaft,’ Dies at 81
Roundtree died at his home in Los Angeles of pancreatic cancer, his manager, Patrick McMinn, told The Hollywood Reporter.
He was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 and had a double mastectomy. “Breast cancer is not gender specific,” he said four years later. “And men have this cavalier attitude about health issues. I got such positive feedback because I spoke out about it, and it’s been quite a number of years now. I’m a survivor.”
Roundtree also portrayed the title character opposite Peter O’Toole as Robinson Crusoe in Man Friday, was featured as an army sergeant opposite Laurence Olivier as Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the Korean War drama Inchon (1981), and played Burt Reynolds’ partner in a private-eye business in City Heat (1984).
On the 1977 groundbreaking ABC miniseries Roots, Roundtree took on the pivotal role of carriage driver Sam Bennett, who falls for Leslie Uggams’ Kizzy. (He said George Hamilton apologized to him for years for the scene that required Hamilton’s character, a slave owner, to whip Bennett.)
Roundtree once revealed that he was most proud of his work in Once Upon a Time … When We Were Colored (1996) about a Black Mississippi family confronting inequality in the south. His father, who had become a Pentecostal minister, had refused to see any of his son’s movies until this one.
Dubbed the first Black action hero, Roundtree became one of the faces of the 1970s blaxploitation movement when he starred as the street-smart New York sleuth in Shaft (1971), directed by Gordon Parks. Apart from a brief turn in the 1970 comedy What Do You Say to a Naked Lady?, it marked his first big-screen appearance.
Based on a 1970 novel by Ernest Tidyman, Shaft was originally conceived to be fronted by a white actor. It was Parks who insisted on casting Roundtree, a former model, after spotting him during a cattle call.
“Gordon Parks is Shaft,” Roundtree told radio station WBUR in a 2019 interview. “The way he moved, the way he talked. He is the most sophisticated, smooth person that I have ever met. And to be in his presence and to be a part of something that he has his stamp on is magical to me.”
Shaft was one of only three MGM movies in 1971 to turn a profit.
“Shaft is not a great film, but it’s very entertaining,” Vincent Canby wrote in his review for The New York Times. “Shaft is the sort of man who can drink five fingers of scotch without gagging or his eyes watering. He moves through Whitey’s world with perfect ease and aplomb but never loses his independence or his awareness of where his life is really at.
“When a friend of his — a white homosexual bartender — gives him a rather hopeful caress, Shaft is not threatened, only amused. He has no identity problems, so he can afford to be cheerful under circumstances that would send a lesser hero into the kind of personality crisis that in a movie usually ends in a gunfight, or, at the least, a barroom brawl.”
“I’ve had so many people from all over the country — and all over the world, actually — come up and say what that film meant to them back in ’71,” he said. “It’s heavy.”
Roundtree returned for Shaft’s Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973) and played the detective on a 1973 CBS series that lasted just seven episodes. When the franchise was rejuvenated in 2000 with Samuel L. Jackson starring as the nephew of the famed shamus, Roundtree appeared as his uncle. He and Jackson came back in 2019 for another movie.
He was born on July 9, 1942, in New Rochelle, New York. His father, John, worked as a garbage collector and caterer, and his mother, Kathryn, was a maid and a nurse. He attended New Rochelle High School and played for its undefeated football team.
After graduating in 1961, Roundtree headed to Southern Illinois University and landed a football scholarship as a walk-on, but he left in 1963 to pursue a modeling career. He was hired by Eunice W. Johnson to appear at the Ebony Fashion Fair and posed for print ads for Salem cigarettes and Duke hair products.
In 1967, Roundtree heeded advice from Bill Cosby and moved to New York to hone his acting skills. He joined the Negro Ensemble Company and worked with the likes of Esther Rolle, Arthur French, Robert Hooks, Rosalind Cash, Denise Nicholas and Moses Gunn (later a Shaft co-star).
He was in a Philadelphia theater portraying the boxer in a production of The Great White Hope when he heard about the Shaft audition.
Thanks to Parks, the first film’s cultural impact went far beyond a simple crime drama premise. Shaft was one of the first big-screen Black characters to be his own man and not kowtow to anyone, no matter the skin color.
“People come up and ask me if we really need this image of Shaft the Black Superman. Hell, yes, there’s a place for John Shaft,” Parks told Roger Ebert in a 1972 interview. “I was overwhelmed by our world premiere on Broadway. Suddenly, I was the perpetrator of a hero. Ghetto kids were coming downtown to see their hero, Shaft, and here was a Black man on the screen they didn’t have to be ashamed of. Here they had a chance to spend their $3 on something they wanted to see. We need movies about the history of our people, yes, but we need heroic fantasies about our people, too. We all need a little James Bond now and then.”
Shaft‘s success was fueled by its title tune, written and sung by Issac Hayes; he performed it at the 1972 Academy Awards ceremony and won the Oscar for best original song.
Roundtree revisited his blaxploitation roots by appearing in Original Gangstas (1996), a homage to the genre that also starred Fred Williamson, Jim Brown and Pam Grier.
His other features included Earthquake (1974), Escape to Athena (1979), Opposing Force (1986), Maniac Cop (1988), Seven (1995), George of the Jungle (1997), Corky Romano (2001), Brick (2005), Speed Racer (2008)and What Men Want (2019).
On television, he played private eye “Ice” McAdams on CBS’ Outlaws, the disgraced doctor Daniel Reubens on the NBC daytime soap opera Generations, a fire station commander on the WB Network’s Rescue 77, the cold-blooded Mr. Shaw on ABC’s Desperate Housewives and the cryptic Charles Deveaux on NBC’s Heroes.
His small-screen résumé also included recurring roles on Soul Food, Roc, Chicago Fire, Being Mary Jane and Family Reunion.
Roundtree was married to Mary Jane Grant from 1963-73 and to Karen Michelle Ciernia from 1980-98. Survivors include his daughters, Kelli, Nicole, Tayler and Morgan, and a son, John.
Roundtree wasn’t always so cool with being typecast during his career, but he eventually came to accept it, he said.
His father “was out visiting me in L.A., and I was complaining about [how] 24/7, the Shaft character comes up,” he recalled, “and he says, ‘Son, let me tell you something. A lot of people leave this Earth not being known for anything. Shut up.'”
Beyoncé Officially Unveils CÉ NOIR Fragrance.
Beyoncé officially announced her new fragrance, CÉ NOIR, today (Oct. 24). Slated to ship in November, it marks her first scent since 2014’s Rise.
“Beyoncé Parfums presents CÉ NOIR,” the singer captioned a 360-degree Instagram video that showcased the perfume bottle. Its reflective silver casing echoed the aesthetics of her “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR,” which concluded on Oct. 1 in Kansas City, MO.
Developed in France and personally designed by Bey, CÉ NOIR boasts a wide array of blended scents. It opens with top notes of clementine and golden honey, followed by a floral heart featuring rose absolute and jasmine sambac. The formula also contains the warmth of Namibian myrrh and golden amber at its base.
Concertgoers across several US cities, including Inglewood, California and Washington, D.C., reportedly received the first sniffs through sample strips.
Fans can now pre-order CÉ NOIR for $160 on Beyoncé’s official website. It begins shipping in November and will include a “special gift” while supplies last.
With 14 previous drops, the musician is no stranger to the fragrance industry. Released in 2010, Heat even inspired seven spin-offs and remains one of the top-selling celebrity perfumes.
Today’s announcement came hot on the heels of Beyoncé’s final Ivy Park x Adidas collaboration. Titled Ivy Park Noir, the all-black clothing collection drew inspiration from the film noir genre. “Felt great to design and wear the final Ivy Park drop on the final show of the ‘RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR,’” she shared on Instagram
Looking ahead, the “Crazy In Love” hitmaker is preparing for the release of RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ on Dec. 1. It’s slated to premiere in AMC theaters with prices starting at $22. According to the YouTube description, “It is about Beyoncé’s intention, hard work, involvement in every aspect of the production, her creative mind, and purpose to create her legacy and master her craft.”
Insider Shuts Down "Bogus" Report Of Rihanna Planning A 2024 Tour
Initial statements from The Mirror claimed that RiRi secured a £32 million ($39 million) deal with the concert promotion giant. On Monday (Oct. 23), Entertainment Tonight further fueled speculation by indicating that an arena run was in the works for 2024 through 2025.
However, an insider familiar with the situation refuted the claims. They told Billboard that the $39 million figure sounded “bogus,” adding that “No tour has been confirmed for Rihanna.”
Notably, Live Nation hasn’t made any venue reservations, a standard early step in planning a large-scale expedition. In such situations, promoters typically retain multiple dates at various locations to sketch a potential route for the act’s voyage.
The anticipation for another Rihanna tour and new music remains unparalleled. With 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, she stands among the most commercially successful artists of all time. However, the Barbadian singer last hit the road in 2016 for ANTI.
Since then, she’s only performed three times. Two of those included at this year’s Super Bowl and Oscars.
“I realized that if I keep waiting until this feels right, perfect, and better. Maybe it’s going to keep taking forever, and maybe it’ll never come out, and no, I’m not down to that,” RiRi told British Vogue in regard to her next LP. “So, I want to play. And by play, I mean I have my ideas in my head, but I can’t say them out loud yet.”
Jonathan Majors Criminal Case: D.A. Releases New Details Including a Police Incident in London
Prosecutors in the Jonathan Majors case have revealed a previously unreported incident involving London police, which they believe is relevant to their domestic violence allegations.
Majors was arrested on March 25 in Manhattan and is accused of assault and aggravated harassment following an alleged domestic dispute with his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari.
In a new, 115-page filing obtained by Variety, prosecutors say they are attempting to get a copy of a London Metropolitan Police report from September 2022. While it is unclear what that report contains, the filing references medical care obtained by Jabbari at that time. Jabbari is a citizen of the U.K., and Majors was in London during that period, filming season two of the Disney+ Marvel series “Loki.”
This development comes a day before Majors has to return to court for his domestic violence case. Wednesday’s court appearance is expected to be one of the final pre-trial hearings before the judge rules on whether to proceed with or dismiss the case.
The lengthy filing from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office is in response to the actor’s motion to dismiss the case. It does not entirely lay out the D.A.’s case, though it is intended to provide enough detail to move the case toward trial. Variety previously reported that additional alleged abuse victims of Majors are cooperating with the D.A.’s office
The filing also alleges that Majors’ legal team has leaked and misrepresented court evidence, as well as attempted to have police create a wanted poster with Jabbari’s photo. It also dismisses the idea that the D.A. has any plans to prosecute Jabbari for domestic violence alleged by Majors in a counter-claim, contradicting recent media reports that claimed such an action was imminent.
The document also offers new details on the events that led to Majors’ arrest. On March 25, he and Jabbari were taking a private car service from a Brooklyn party to their Chelsea apartment, according to the filing. Jabbari, who worked as a movement coach alongside Majors on Disney’s Marvel tentpole “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” saw a text message on Majors’ phone that read, “Wish I was kissing you right now.”
She allegedly took the phone out of his hands to see who sent the message. Majors then “began grabbing the right side of Ms. Jabbari’s body and prying Ms. Jabbari’s right middle finger off the phone, causing bruising, swelling, and substantial pain.” The filing continues that Majors “then grabbed Ms. Jabbari’s arm and right hand and proceeded to twist Ms. Jabbari’s forearm, causing substantial pain to her finger and arm. The defendant then struck Ms. Jabbari’s right ear, causing a laceration to the back of her ear and substantial pain.”
After he retrieved his phone, Majors exited the vehicle and Jabbari attempted to follow the actor. That’s when “the defendant grabbed her, picked her up, and threw her back inside … [and] sustained substantial pain, including a fractured finger, bruising about her body, a laceration behind her right ear, and a bump on her head,” according to the filing.
The filing calls into question a number of media leaks that paint Jabbari as the aggressor. In the time since the arrest, Majors’ criminal defense lawyer Priya Chaudhry has alleged that it was Jabbari who assaulted Majors, and “not the other way around.” Chaudhry also called the case a “witch hunt,” one that is “saturated with explicit and implicit bias.” Majors has pleaded not guilty to the four charges leveled against him; a fifth charge of strangulation was dropped.
Majors’ lawyers have previously alleged there’s a video that shows “at least one bystander […] called 911 and that an NYPD patrol car responded to the location,” and the defense has “been informed that the NYPD possesses at least one other 911 call from the scene of the altercation.”
But the state is casting doubt on this depiction of events. The D.A.’s filing says an unrelated taxi was pulled over nearby and police were called. “This taxi is not in any way involved with the case,” the filing says. It also alleges there were “no other radio runs, sprint reports or 911 calls from the scene of the incident that night.”
Chaudhry has maintained that there is evidence clearing Majors of any wrongdoing, including surveillance video that shows Jabbari “completely unharmed” after the defendant’s alleged assault. But the new filing counters this assertion, saying the “surveillance video referred to by the defense actually shows Ms. Jabbari visibly upset, crying, and seeking help from strangers to get an Uber cab home.”
Majors’ team has contended that the D.A. is withholding relevant information. However, the filing says the D.A. disclosed “a substantial amount of discovery” that included NYPD memo books, phone records, medical records, signed search warrants and related affidavits for the defendant’s iCloud and phone, surveillance video from eight locations and witness interview notes from nine individuals.”
The Manhattan’s D.A. office declined to comment. Majors’ attorneys also declined to comment.
In the wake of allegations against Majors, the Emmy nominee for HBO’s “Lovecraft Country” was dropped by his PR team at the Lede Company, as well as his management, Entertainment 360. WME still represents the actor. He’s been cut from the feature film “The Man in My Basement” as part of the fallout, though “Magazine Dreams,” a drama about a troubled bodybuilder, is still slated to be released in December. He also has a major role, as the villainous Kang the Conqueror, in the current phase of Disney’s sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Halle Berry To Star And Produce Thriller ‘The Process’, FilmNation To Launch Sales At AFM
FilmNation Entertainment will launch international sales for the film at AFM with Verve Ventures and WME Independent co-repping North American rights. Berry had been attached to star in the film prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
“We are thrilled to be working with HalleHolly to bring Levin’s amazing screenplay to the screen. Tara’s vision for the film—a Kubrickian psychological thriller taking us down the rabbit-hole of self-help cults, and Halle’s interpretation of the film’s lead character, Kirsa—a woman fighting to preserve her marriage and her sanity amid an oppressive cult of personality, will leave audiences breathless,” said producers Robert Kravis and Karl Herrmann from Pioneer Pictures.
The story follows a seemingly happily married couple, who attend the weekend seminar of Aiden, a renowned self-help guru, and are asked to examine their individual lives, careers, and ultimately their marriage, but when Kirsa resists Aiden’s “process” and his cult of committed volunteers, and Peter buys in, their relationship and sanity are quickly put to the test. Levin Menekse penned the script, which originally appeared on the Black List.
“It’s so rare to find a script like Levin Menekse’s The Process that is gripping, emotionally resonant, and feels essential in this moment. I’m thrilled to get to bring this gem to life and to collaborate with Halle Berry, who brings such raw, real presence to the screen as an actress and is also an incredibly thoughtful collaborator and savvy producer,” said Miele.
Berry will also soon be seen starring in Netflix’s The Union opposite Mark Wahlberg. Most recently, Berry was seen starring in her directorial debut, Bruised, on Netflix. The film went on to premiere number #1 globally in its first week on the streaming service. The plot follows a disgraced MMA fighter who must fight a rising MMA star, while journeying to become the mother her child deserves.
Monster’s Ball Oscar winner Berry and Jeter joined forces in January 2022 with plans to produce an array of projects from hard-hitting dramas to light-hearted comedies, action, horror, and more with a focus on elevating complex, strong, women and women of color in leading roles both in front of and behind the camera.
Miele most recently worked on an episode block for Lessons In Chemistry starring Brie Larson for Apple. She also recently directed a stand-alone episode for season 2 of Apple’s anthology series, Little America.
Her film Wander Darkly competed in the dramatic competition at Sundance in 2020. She wrote and directed the film starring Diego Luna and Sienna Miller for 51 Entertainment.
Menekse co-wrote and produced the short film Please Hold, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Film and was acquired by HBO Max.
Some of Pioneer Pictures films include Champion, Mafia X and The Muffin Man.
Berry and HalleHolly are repped by WME, Range Media Partners and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole. Miele is repped by WME, MGMT Entertainment and Lichter Grossman. Menekse is repped by Verve, Lit Entertainment and Lichter Grossman. Pioneer Pictures are repped by Ziffren Brittenham and Cohen Gardner and Hansson is repped by US Law Group.
Morehouse students get $10M of student debt wiped out, thanks to the Debt Collective
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Today, the Debt Collective, the nation’s first debtor’s union, canceled close to $10 million in student debt for Morehouse College students, a private men’s HBCU in Atlanta.
Student debt has kept nearly 3,000 Black men from receiving their diplomas, accessing transcripts and pursuing a higher education.
“Our nation is defaulting on the promise of education when we burden communities, especially Black HBCU graduates, with crushing amounts of student debt,” said Braxton Brewington, spokesperson for the Debt Collective.
Morehouse students with accounts for the fall 2022 term and earlier will have past debt like tuition costs, parking tickets and library fees canceled.
The debt was erased through the Debt Collective’s sister organization, the Rolling Jubilee Fund, for $125,000 — or a little more than one penny on the dollar.
“Disproportionately women, Black and working class, these borrowers will struggle to live economically secure lives — dragging our nation’s economy down as well. Borrowers need full-scale debt relief to jumpstart the economy and put cash directly in the hands of folks who need it most,” Brewington told Reckon.
The Debt Collective’s gift to Morehouse students comes with no strings attached and means flexibility for former and present students.
“This nearly $10 million of student debt cancellation will put thousands of Black folks in a better position to be able to save for retirement, purchase a home or start a small business. President Biden has yet to make good on his campaign promise to eliminate all student debt held by HBCU graduates. We’re doing our part, and it’s time Biden does his. Forty-five million Americans need this relief,” Brewington said.
Just last year, the Debt Collective canceled $1.7 million in student debt for more than 500 former Bennett College students, a private women’s HBCU in Greensboro, North Carolina.
With student loan payments resuming in October and millions of federal borrowers facing the weight of their loans, the Debt Collective continues to advocate and push the Biden administration to cancel all federal student loan debt.
Their Student Debt Release Tool, is a petition that allows anyone who has federal student debt to file an application with the Department of Education to demand the full cancellation of their federal student loans is the Debt Collective’s latest tool for debt freedom.
Lauryn Hill reschedules Philly "Miseducation" tour date to comply with doctor's advice
The singer referenced the need to rest her voice. This update came the day after her Oct. 21 performance at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
Hill shared the news with her Philadelphia fans through social media, posting, “It is with disappointment that I am writing this note to you. On the advice of my physicians, I have no choice but to postpone the show tomorrow. I need to rest my voice to prevent any more serious strain or damage to my vocal cords.”
The post continued, “The start of this tour has been incredible. What an amazing experience to celebrate this anniversary with all of my family, my friends and all of you. I look forward to giving you the show you deserve with a fully recovered and healthy voice.”
It is worth noting that the scheduled appearances for the Monday night show were to feature Hill’s former Fugees bandmates Pras and Wyclef Jean. However, the performance is now rescheduled for Nov. 25. During her Brooklyn set on Oct. 19, Hill mentioned that she felt like she was “about to sing [her] voice out.” She is set to recommence her tour on Oct. 26 at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.
In celebration of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill‘s 25th anniversary, the singer embarked on the North American trek with future stops including Nashville, TN and Seattle, WA. She completed three of the performances before the pause.
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater step out in NYC. PR experts on 'carefully' rolling out a new relationship after divorce, scandal.
Out of hiding? Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater were pictured together on Saturday for a cozy date night in New York City. According to TMZ, which obtained images of the pair looking close at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, "they were super flirty and touchy-feely."
It was reported in July that Grande, 30, and Slater, 31, were dating as sources simultaneously confirmed their marriages to Dalton Gomez and Lilly Jay, respectively, were over. However, the timeline of the Wicked co-stars' relationship is a bit murky.
Jay, who welcomed her first child with Slater last year, was reportedly "completely blindsided" when he filed for divorce in July and claimed in an interview her family was "collateral damage" amid his high-profile romance. Anonymous sources disputed there was any overlap and maintained both parties were separated when they got together. Grande's divorce was finalized earlier this month. Whether it's warranted or not, there's been a scandalous cloud over the Grammy-winning singer's new relationship.
Crisis PR expert Ronn Torossian, founder and chairman of 5WPR, tells Yahoo Entertainment that "transitioning from a scandal-ridden divorce to a new relationship requires a delicate balance of authenticity and empathy."
"In this situation, Ariana Grande, more so than Ethan Slater, needs to focus on rebuilding trust with the public and her fans, and to accomplish this she needs to be patient in the progression of this new relationship," he explains.
"While there is no set timeline to follow a divorce or scandal, it causes more scrutiny when the parties involved jump into things too quickly. Grande's divorce was only finalized earlier this month, and while that makes their separation official, some might consider this still too soon to step out with Slater," Torossian adds. "Waiting longer to take the relationship public might convey more of a commitment to the relationship and portray a sincere narrative because it shows they're working on building and maintaining a life together rather than acting on a short-lived infatuation."
It sure feels like this is the start of Grande and Slater's relationship rollout.
A few weeks ago, Slater and Grande were spotted together at Disneyland with a group of friends, plus Grande's mother and brother. "All of her friends love him," an insider claimed to Us Weekly, adding that Grande and Slater are "really good for each other."
A nearly identical story landed in People. "They went with a big group of friends as well her mom and brother," a source shared, adding that they are "really happy and really good for each other."
"All of [Ariana's] friends love him," the insider added.
Kara Schmiemann, strategic crisis communications director at Red Banyan, weighs in on the situation to Yahoo.
"It would make sense to want to have a strategic rollout of your relationship — to help squelch any rumors that Ariana and Ethan both left prior marriages for a casual relationship," she explains. "They want to be seen as serious and committed. While there is no way to confirm these individuals were advised to [speak to the press] — these sources are currently putting positive messaging about the status of the relationship."
Why now? Of course, there could be no strategy behind it and Grande and Slater might just feel more comfortable to date out in the open. But the actor — best known for his role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the Broadway musical of the same name — has a new gig lined up. Slater joined the cast of Broadway's Spamalot, which is set to debut next month.
"They should keep living their lives — but laying low is advised," Schmiemann believes. "Their relationship is personal and private and doesn't need to rise to the level of a spectacle just because the public demands it. If Ariana and Ethan do continue to grow their relationship and keep stepping out in public — as every couple is entitled — they should keep former partners informed and give them their due respect and courtesy."
Grande and Gomez were married a little more than two years and don't share any children. He has not commented publicly on their split. Slater and Jay (high school sweethearts) were married since 2018 and their son is 1. Although she spoke to the press over the summer, Jay has been quiet in recent months. That also bodes well for Grande and Slater as the scandalous narrative surrounding their relationship seems to have died down.
"New romances are exciting and interesting — and if you are a celebrity, there's the added pressure of public interest, which raises the hype exponentially," Schmiemann explains. "Everyone should have the ability and right to debut their new relationship as they see fit, and when they feel it is appropriate — but you need to consider the implications carefully. This means ensuring your internal audiences are well-informed and at a place of acceptance, otherwise the backlash could be severe."
DreamWorks Announces New Animated Series ‘CURSES!’
The series is a new animated, spooky adventure series for kids from DreamWorks Animation. Per the show’s synopsis: “When a generations-long family curse turns Alex Vanderhouven to stone, it’s up to his two kids, Pandora and Russ, along with his wife Sky, to return artifacts stolen by their ancestors to their rightful homes and finally lift the curse for good.”
Watch the trailer HERE https://youtu.be/wJxz-bGgshw
The family-oriented series was created and executive produced by Jim Cooper (“DreamWorks Dragons”) and Jeff Dixon (“The Hurricane Heist”). John Krasinski (“A Quiet Place” Parts I & II) also serves as executive producer and Allyson Seeger (“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”) as co-executive producer. Leo Riley (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Tron: Uprising”) is supervising producer, with Chris Copeland (“Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts”) and Justin Copeland (“Wonder Woman: Bloodlines”) serving as creative consultants, per the press release.
“Curses!” features the voice talents of Emmy Award nominee Gabrielle Nevaeh (“Monster High”) as “Pandora,” Andre Robinson (“The Loud House”) as “Russ,” Emmy Award nominee Lyric Lewis (“Waffles + Mochi”) as “Sky,” SAG award winner Reid Scott (“Veep”) as “Alex,” Rhys Darby (“Our Flag Means Death”) as “Stanley,” James Marsters (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) as “Larry,” Emmy Award winner Rhea Perlman (“Barbie”) as “Margie,” Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad (“A Raisin in the Sun”) as “Georgia Snitker,” and Robert Englund (“A Nightmare on Elm Street”) as “Cornelius.”
Tyler Perry Accuses Paramount Of Trying To Pressure Him To Pay More For BET Than Its Worth
Tyler Perry may have been happy to take over BET, but since the sale fell through, he has called the process “disrespectful.”
The “Madea” creator was among several media moguls to put their bids in for the network. However, in August, BET was taken off the market. Though Perry didn’t have much to say about Paramount Global halting the bidding process, he did tell The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was treated unfairly.
“The way it happened was disrespectful in a lot of ways,” he stated, later adding, “Don’t try to get me to pay for something that’s not worth anywhere near the value.” For this reason, Perry said he would not re-bid for BET if it goes back up for sale. Shortly before the bidding ended, there were reports that Perry was being pressed by Paramount to up his offer. Perry reportedly proposed $2 billion for the majority stake, though Paramount Global requested $3 billion.
Perry still works closely with the network streaming platform BET+. He owns a minority stake in the app and produces original content for BET and Nickelodeon through a deal he’s held since 2019. Despite the soured bidding process, Perry has no hard feelings toward Paramount.
“I’m still working with them. I wish them the best,” Perry reassured.
Sean “Diddy” Comb, Kenya Barris, and Byron Allen were also interested in purchasing the network. Any of these potential buyers would have returned BET to its black-owned glory days.
Off-Duty Alaska Airlines Pilot Faces 83 Attempted Murder Charges for Allegedly Attempting to Disable Engine Mid-Flight
Authorities say 44-year-old Joseph D. Emerson, an Alaska Airlines pilot, was arrested and booked Monday on 83 counts of attempted murder in Multnomah County, Oregon. The night before is when authorities say he tried to shut down the aircraft engines while in flight.
Emerson was riding in a cock pit jump seat on a Horizon Airlines flight that was going from Seattle to San Francisco when he pulled the life-threatening stunt. After the incident, the flight was reportedly diverted to Portland.
Luckily, the captain and first officer were able to stop him and prevent the plane from going down.
ATC audio reportedly captured crew members talking about the situation, and someone can be heard saying, “We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit and he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue in the back right now, I think he’s subdued. We want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked.”
Authorities met Emerson when the flight landed. He now faces 83 attempted murder charges, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and, endangering of an aircraft.
Authorities met Emerson when the flight landed. He now faces 83 attempted murder charges, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and, endangering of an aircraft.
A motive has not been released.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
Someone was Hungry
How to get a controller for free.
How to get a controller for free.
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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