#MAGFAB: #BEEFCAKE: DAYS OF OUR LIVES Stars Strikes a Pose for PLAYGIRL Magazine!
DAYS OF OUR LIVES stars Paul Telfer, Rob Scott Wilson, Bryan Dattilo, Eric Martsolf and Christopher Sean bare their minds for PLAYGIRL magazine photographed by Katie Levine and styled by Lisa Katnic. Meet the cast…….
Thoughts?????? LOL
#RHOP: Robyn Dixon Confirms She’s Been FIRED From ‘The Real Housewives Of Potomac’ After 8 Seasons!
The rumors are true, Robyn Dixon has been fired from The Real Housewives of Potomac. The news was confirmed by Dixon who made the announcement on her Reasonably Shady podcast to her fellow “Green-Eyed Bandit” Gizelle Bryant.
Noting that she wanted to “respect the network” and wait until season 8 ended, Robyn said she wanted to “speak her own truth out of her own mouth” about being fired.
“Yes, I will not be returning for season 9 of The Real Housewives of Potomac,” Dixon, 45, said per PEOPLE citing the Monday episode of her podcast titled “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye…”
“It’s reality. The network did not invite me back. I was fired, for lack of better words. I will not sugar-coat the situation the situation and say, ‘Ooh I am walking away and this is a break’ or anything like this. This is a network decision.”
“I’m okay with it because nothing lasts forever. I’ve had a very long run on the show, and I just really appreciate that time and the opportunity that I had on the show.”
“I just really appreciate the time and opportunity that I had on the show,” she added before thanking Bravo and Truly Original Entertainment for “seeing something in her” and the fans.
“Thank you to the fans who have watched us from day 1, especially our day oners. I do want to especially thank all of the fans and viewers who have supported me, showed loved to me. Whether you directly sent me love or you prayed for me or you have positive thoughts around me, I appreciate you. And I hope I inspired you the viewers, the fans, to live your life authentically. To not feel pressure to change for anyone, or impress people, and just to be yourself.”
She then got emotional while addressing her bestie/cohost Gizelle Bryant.
“We still have Reasonably Shady but I wanna say I love you,” Robyn said through tears to Gizelle. “I couldn’t imagine doing what we did with anyone else. To my Green Eyed Bandit, my partner crime, we started off as friends—for whatever reason we were meant to sit next to each other that night. We laughed and joked like we’d known each othe for years. The show brought us even closer and we’e been through a lot on the show and we’ve supported each other through that, although we still have Reasonably Shady and we’re still gonna talk to each other all the time, I hate that that part of our friendship won’t be there anymore.”
Gizelle Bryant then added that she is displeased with Robyn’s departure.
“Robyn has really been the glue,” said Gizelle. “Any of the ladies on the show will 100% say you are the glue to the show.”
The news of Robyn’s firing was first reported by TheJasmineBRAND which reported that the housewife was leaving shortly after Candiace Dillard Bassett announced her departure. The outlet also alleged that another unnamed housewife will be exiting the series. If true, that would mean that #RHOP would be down three housewives for season 9.
Robyn Dixon was part of the original #RHOP cast that debuted in 2106 alongside Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, Karen Huger, Charrisse Jackson-Jordan, and Katie Rost.
#NewMusic from Louis York and PJ Morton Share New Song ‘Puppet Strings’!
Music duo Louis York (Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony) has joined forces with PJ Morton for their new single “Puppet Strings.”
In the retro-soul tune, Kelly sings about a love so entwined that he feels like a marionette handled by his partner. In essence, the song speaks to how we can’t help who captures our hearts.
“It’s a two tug of war / It’s pulling me back and forth / But I can’t break away / I make the same mistakes / ‘Cause my heart is weak / And I just can’t break free of your puppet strings,” Kelly croons
Morton appears in the second verse, echoing the same sentiment, “I don’t like the way that she gets in my head / I don’t like the magic she uses on me / And after all the dirty things you said / Somehow I can’t get you out of my dreams.”
“Puppet Strings” is the fourth track shared from Louis York’s collaborative album, Songs With Friends. They previously shared “Three Little Words” with Tamia, “Alone A Lot” with Anthony Hamilton and “Heaven Bound” with Jessie J.
“When we dreamed up the Songs With Friends concept, PJ was one of the first artists on our wishlist. We’ve all known each other for a long time but never found the time to actually do some great music together,” says Louis York.
Stream Louis York’s new song “Puppet Strings” featuring PJ Morton HERE
#HipHopNews: Fans React To Ice Spice's First Ever Coachella Performance
Saturday (April 13) night, Ice Spice made waves in the desert and beyond following her first-ever Coachella performance. The multi-platinum emcee performed a medley of her hits and previewed a few new tracks from her upcoming album.
Since the beginning of her career, the “Munch (Feelin’ U)” rapper has caused mixed reactions to her performances. Now, with collaborations with Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj and others, she has developed her on-stage presence.
During her electric set, she performed a new track that seemed to further establish her place as one of the best new women emcees. In the song, she raps, “B**ch, you’re losing the plot, that’s why I got to the top/ And no I don’t got any opps/ Like why would I beef with a flop/ Who’s bigger than she?/ Who’s prettier too?/ Who’s bigger than me?”
When the video of her performing made its rounds on social media, one fan said, “I loved watching her vibe out during her whole set! She knows she is sexy, and she has breathing control. Best performance she had. The new song is good, too.”
Another user stated, “I like it. Ice makes music that encourages people to have fun. Her bars are simple, but it fits her laid-back, unbothered style.” Someone else claimed, “She does have a very similar cadence and beat type to all her songs. Her stage show is better, but the hair doesn’t love the color. We’ll [see] what the album is given.”
Recently, Variety reported that Ice Spice will make her acting debut in Spike Lee’s upcoming film, High and Low, which will also star Denzel Washington. In production and backed by A24, the movie will revisit Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller. It’s scheduled for a theatrical release, followed by streaming on Apple TV+. Notably, the project will also mark the first collaboration between Lee and Washington since Inside Man in 2006.
Here's Why Jackie has two Hall of Fame plaques
There is no place quite like the Plaque Gallery at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. It’s easy to lose yourself in the 3,660-square-foot centerpiece to the museum that tells a history of the game, highlighting accomplishments one by one for the almost 350 members enshrined. Nearly every important moment in baseball history pours through the walls as one walks through this carefully curated and manicured display.
It is curious then that for over 40 years Jackie Robinson’s plaque had no mention whatsoever of his place in baseball history -- in American history -- for breaking the color barrier in 1947. It is an achievement so well-known and woven into the fabric of the game that we celebrate its importance every April 15 on the anniversary of Robinson’s Major League debut.
All of that was entirely left out of the plaque that was unveiled on July 23, 1962, the day Robinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Here is the original text:
JACK ROOSEVELT ROBINSON
BROOKLYN N.L. 1947 TO 1956
LEADING N.L. BATTER IN 1949. HOLDS
FIELDING MARK FOR SECOND BASEMAN
PLAYING IN 150 OR MORE GAMES WITH .992.
LED N.L. IN STOLEN BASES IN 1947 AND
1949. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER IN 1949.
LIFETIME BATTING AVERAGE .311. JOINT
RECORD HOLDER FOR MOST DOUBLE PLAYS
This is hardly the description one would expect to find on a marker for all time dedicated to a man who changed the face of American sports the way Robinson did. So how did it come to be that visitors who made their way to Robinson’s plaque, arguably one of the most frequented spots in the museum, found themselves staring at such plain words to describe a career so extraordinary?
It actually began with Robinson’s own wishes.
“I hope that I will be judged on my ball playing ability alone, not on the fact that I broke the color line,” Robinson told New York Daily News columnist Dick Young before the 1962 BBWAA Hall of Fame election, which marked his first appearance on the ballot.
Robinson later amended the comment to say that he felt his historical significance should not be “the primary consideration,” while acknowledging that the wave of change he ushered in had to at least be a factor. Perhaps Robinson was also keenly aware that some voters could be swayed against casting a ballot with his name for the very same reason.
The Dodgers career on which Robinson wished to be judged lasted only 10 seasons, yet the accomplishments were quite lofty, as he was a key member of six pennant winners and one World Series champion team.
It is impossible to know if the individual voters used Robinson’s wishes as their personal guidelines. However, 77.5 percent of them (124 out of 160) did indeed check off Jackie’s name to make him a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“I don’t think the writers chose Jackie in spite of his color or because of it,” Branch Rickey, the Dodgers general manager who signed Robinson, said upon learning of the election in January 1962. “They chose him on merit.”
Former Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese knew of Robinson’s edict to the voters, but he echoed Rickey’s sentiment.
“I don’t think that would even enter the mind of anyone who saw Jack do as much on the baseball field as I did,” Reese said.
With Robinson’s wishes for the election process in mind, the inscription on his plaque followed suit. While everyone across the land recognized the colossal impact he made not just to baseball but to the rest of the sporting world and American society at large, none of this was captured on the plaque that would hang in Cooperstown.
Inside the museum, the plainness of language and lack of more career details wasn’t entirely unique to Robinson’s plaque. For example, Babe Ruth’s plaque lauds him as the “greatest drawing card in history of baseball,” but then almost glosses over his astonishing statistics by calling him the “holder of many home run and other batting records” and stating that he “gathered” 714 home runs.
Through the years, as more players became inducted, the plaques and the language on them started to evolve. In addition to more detailed statistics that told deeper stories of players’ careers, they began to include colorful nicknames like “The Sandman” for Mariano Rivera and “The Hawk” for Andre Dawson.
And in 1998, Larry Doby, who joined Cleveland of the American League less than three months after Robinson debuted with Brooklyn, was elected to Cooperstown. The final words of the first sentence on his Hall of Fame plaque celebrate Doby for “integrating the American League in 1947.”
It was sometime after Doby’s induction that discussions about changing the wording on Robinson’s plaque began. For several decades, staffers at the Hall of Fame had found themselves routinely being asked about the glaring omission. It was, after all, one of the main attractions in the gallery given his stature and popularity.
“Parents trying to explain to their children what Jackie Robinson’s role was as a player and as a human being weren’t able to do that looking at his plaque,” explained Jeff Idelson, former President of the Hall of Fame. “The plaques are a historical representation of a moment in time when they are written. The only time they really get changed are for factual errors. But in terms of changing a plaque, that was highly unusual.”
These were indeed unusual circumstances, and nearly every visitor to Cooperstown knew it. In the end it was Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s widow, who seemed to know that the time was right to update the historical record on the plaque despite her husband’s wishes four decades earlier.
Rachel contacted former Cincinnati Reds great Joe Morgan -- a Robinson family friend, Hall of Famer, and the Hall’s Vice Chairman of the Board -- and the wheels were put in motion. The inscription was carefully chosen, and in June 2008, a new plaque was unveiled inside the Plaque Gallery. Here is how it reads:
JACK ROOSEVELT ROBINSON
“JACKIE”
BROOKLYN, N.L., 1947-1956
A PLAYER OF EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY RENOWNED FOR HIS ELECTRIFYING STYLE OF PLAY. OVER 10 SEASONS HIT .311, SCORED MORE THAN 100 RUNS SIX TIMES, NAMED TO SIX ALL-STAR TEAMS AND LED BROOKLYN TO SIX PENNANTS AND ITS ONLY WORLD SERIES TITLE IN 1955. THE 1947 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, AND THE 1949 N.L. MVP WHEN HE HIT A LEAGUE-BEST .342 WITH 37 STEALS. LED SECOND BASEMEN IN DOUBLE PLAYS FOUR TIMES AND STOLE HOME 19 TIMES. DISPLAYED TREMENDOUS COURAGE AND POISE IN 1947 WHEN HE INTEGRATED THE MODERN MAJOR LEAGUES IN THE FACE OF INTENSE ADVERSITY.
From the inclusion of “Jackie” under his full name to the stronger opening line to the specifics of his prowess in stealing bases, this inscription dug much deeper into Robinson's outstanding career. The last sentence -- which at last described Robinson’s proper historical impact -- was purposefully placed at the end “as a way to honor Jackie’s wishes for how and why he was inducted into the Hall of Fame,” according to Idelson.
"There is no person more central or more important to the history of baseball for his pioneering ways,” Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark said in 2008. “His impact on our game is not fully defined without the mention of his extreme courage."
"A very important part of Jack's life has been acknowledged today in a more total way," Rachel Robinson said when the plaque was shown to the public for the first time. “As he said … those of us who are fortunate to receive such an honor must use it to help others. As young people view Jack's new Hall of Fame plaque, they will look beyond statistics and embrace all that Jack has meant and all that they can be.”
appreciate the change so that his most vital contribution to the game could be recognized in this manner.
"I think he would understand now that we need to go beyond that and we need to think in terms of social change in America," she said. "He would want a part in that. I don't think he would object."
The original plaque that hung in Cooperstown from 1962 to 2008 still has a place for those who want to see it. It is on loan and displayed at the Jackie Robinson Museum in New York City.
Tyler, The Creator Talks Awkwardly Rejecting Jerrod Carmichael: “My Homie Tried To F**k Me On Camera”
Tyler, the Creator headlined Coachella 2024 on Saturday (April 13) and briefly spoke on a recent viral moment where his friend, Jerrod Carmichael, confessed romantic feelings for him on his reality show.
“Probably seen my homie tried to f**k me on camera, it was terrible,” he said before an immense crowd. “I told the ni**a ‘no’ and he said, ‘But what about if we filmed it?’ Terrible.
His statement left the crowd roaring in laughter. See below.
In a premiere episode of the Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show earlier this month, the comedian confronted the OFWGKTA trendsetter about brutally rejecting his feelings for him in 2021. At the time, Tyler responded by calling him a “stupid bi**h.”
“You called me a stupid bi**h,” Carmichael recalled to Tyler face-to-face as the 33-year-old hysterically laughed. “Yeah I did,” he agreed.
Speaking to why he dismissed the comedian’s feelings, he added, “I think I just like, brushed it off. Getting news like that and then avoiding it is a way to avoid change.” And according to Carmichael, he not only confessed his feelings and was shot down back then by Tyler, but also asked him to be his date at the Emmy Awards, which the “EARFQUAKE” rapper declined.
Ultimately, Tyler denied having the same feelings for the comedian, considering him “like a brother” and “truly family.”
In the past, Carmichael conducted a special conversation with the rapper for his 2017 album Flower Boy and narrated Tyler’s 2019 album Igor.
While recently appearing on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Carmichael was asked by a fan about the shocking first episode of his show, and if he’s spoken to Tyler since then.
“It’s good,” he described his current friendship with Tyler. “No, I haven’t talked to him. I’ll hit him.”
As Andy recalled the episode, Carmichael posed the question to the room, “anybody ever confess feelings to a friend?” He added, “It’s insane, it’s awkward.”
Kesha Changes Lyrics To “F**k P. Diddy” During Surprise Coachella Performance
Kesha has smoke for those accused of sexual assault, and Diddy is no exception.
The pop star was a surprise guest during Reneé Rapp’s Coachella set on Sunday (April 14) and performed her 2009 party anthem, “TiK ToK.” However, she changed the opening lyrics to the song and sang, “Wake up in the morning like f**k P. Diddy,” putting her middle finger in the air as Rapp echoed her sentiments.
The original lyrics are, “Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy,” with the Bad Boy Records founder chiming in with “Hey, what’s up girl?” This was the second public instance where Kesha altered the song that namedrops Diddy.
Back in November—just one day after Cassie settled her lawsuit against him—during the Los Angeles stop of her Only Love Tour, Kesha removed Diddy’s name from the song entirely and sang, “Wake up in the morning feeling just like me.”
Since then, Diddy has been hit with several lawsuits and has been accused of gang rape and sex trafficking. Last month, his homes in Miami and Los Angeles were raided by Homeland Security. He has yet to make a statement regarding the raids, but has been nonchalantly posting on Instagram for the past few months. The 54-year-old recently turned the comments back on his posts when sharing the visual for his record, “Victory.” He captioned the video, “Bad Boy For Life.”
Last June, Kesha settled her own daunting legal proceedings against her former producer, Dr. Luke, whom she accused of raping her in 2005.
“Only God knows what happened that night,” said the “Your Love Is My Drug” singer in a statement per The New York Times. “As I have always said, I cannot recount everything that happened. I am looking forward to closing the door on this chapter in my life and beginning a new one. I wish nothing but peace to all parties involved.” She filed a lawsuit against in 2014 at the height of the #MeToo movement.
O.J. Simpson will be cremated; estate executor says 'hard no' to controversial ex-athlete’s brain being studied for CTE
A lawyer who represented O.J. Simpson, who died from cancer last week at 76, said Sunday that the former NFL star’s body will be cremated in the coming days, and there are no plans to have his brain donated to science.
“On at least one occasion, someone has called saying he’s a CTE guy who studies the brain,” said attorney Malcolm LaVergne, referring to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that has been studied in former football players and is associated with behavioral and cognitive issues related to repeated head injuries.
“That’s a hard no,” LaVergne added. “His entire body, including his brain, will be cremated.”
News of the cremation and the request to study his brain was first reported by the New York Post.
LaVergne, who is now serving as the executor of Simpson’s estate, said there are tentative plans for a “celebration of life” gathering limited to close friends and family. Simpson had three children with his first wife, Marguerite Whitley, and two children with his second wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, whom he divorced in 1992. In 1995, Simpson was famously acquitted in the murder of Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
LaVergne on Sunday also clarified comments made to the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Friday in which he said he didn’t want Goldman’s family to be able to collect any money from Simpson’s estate and it was “my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing.”
He said he was referring to a debt collection lawyer working with the Goldman family who, “within an hour we announced Simpson’s death, is bashing Simpson and all this stuff, ‘We’re going to do this and that.’”
“In hindsight, in response to that statement that ‘it’s my hope they get zero, nothing,’ I think that was pretty harsh,” LaVergne added. “Now that I understand my role as the executor and the personal representative, it’s time to tone down the rhetoric and really get down to what my role is as a personal representative.”
As he works to calculate the worth of Simpson’s estate and take inventory of his assets and belongings, LaVergne said he would invite a legal representative of the Goldmans to review his findings.
“We can get this thing resolved in a calm and dispassionate manner,” LaVergne said.
Following Simpson’s death, Goldman’s father, Fred Goldman, expressed no sympathy for the fallen Hall of Fame icon turned Hollywood pitchman, telling NBC News that “it’s no great loss to the world. It’s a further reminder of Ron’s being gone.”Simpson, who long maintained his innocence in the deaths of Brown Simpson and Goldman, died without having paid off most of a $33.5 million wrongful death judgment awarded in 1997 in a lawsuit filed by the victims’ families.
LaVergne said he welcomes Fred Goldman and his lawyer, David Cook, trying to ascertain any other financial assets, but with Simpson’s death, the estate must distribute money to creditors who have claims “according to priority.”
“Goldman and the other creditors for decades now have played, ‘Hey, if I get to find something of Simpson’s first, I get it or I get most of it,’” LaVergne said.
“But keep in mind, if he finds $1 million, he no longer gets to keep that $1 million,” he added. “The $1 million is going to come into the estate first, and then we see where the priorities are, and then he gets to keep it because he’s No. 8 on the list” of priorities.
LaVergne has said among Simpson’s debts is money owed to the Internal Revenue Service. In the wake of the lawsuit against him three decades ago, many of Simpson’s possessions, including footballs, jerseys and other sports memorabilia, were seized from his Brentwood estate in California to pay off the judgment. Simpson was living in Las Vegas before his death.
Cook said Sunday that there will be intense interest from lawyers for various parties seeking restitution as Simpson's finances are laid bare.
But "everybody knows when O.J. left, he left without penance," Cook said.
Goldman and Cook have said the litigation against Simpson was not about the money but seeking justice after his acquittal.
“It’s holding the man who killed my son and Nicole responsible,” Fred Goldman said in a previous statement after winning his civil trial.
Simpson’s will asks that LaVergne also set aside money for a “suitable monument” at his gravesite. It also says that Simpson wants the document to be administered “without litigation or dispute,” and if any beneficiary or heir fails to follow that dictate, they “shall receive, free of trust, one dollar ($1.00) and no more in lieu of any claimed interest in this will or its assets.”
Former ‘RHOP’ Star Candiace Dillard Bassett Is Pregnant, Expecting First Child w/ Husband Chris
Candiace Dillard Bassett is expecting her first child! Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, she revealed the exciting news and said,
“I am about 13 weeks … so just about into the second trimester. It’s been weird, but also really wonderful, I think, to keep it kind of to ourselves to this point. Our immediate family knows, my mom — I told my mom on her birthday in February — my dad knows, [Chris’] parents know, my siblings know and that is my core, best friend group, but outside of that it’s just been, like, kind of quietly just growing a bun.”
If you watched Candiace Dillard Bassett on “RHOP,” you saw the “Drive Back” singer openly discuss her desire to have children and grow her family with husband Chris Bassett. The professional chef already has three children from previous relationships. During her time on the Bravo reality series, Candiace Dillard Bassett documented her journey of becoming pregnant, showing talks with fertility specialists and the prep work for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Reportedly, her growing bundle of joy stems from one of the embryos she froze two years ago. At the time of this report, Candiace and Chris do not know the sex of their baby.
Speaking on the timing of her pregnancy, Candiace continued,
“I think we were both kind of content to have them just sit there until my ‘cut-off date. …But then I got the itch. I always wondered, like, how would I know when I was ready? And I always felt like a part of my anxiety was that I wasn’t sure that I would know, and when I knew, it was undeniable. I kind of woke up and realized that I was never going to be 100 percent ready. I just had to … trust the process and trust my doctors and stop being afraid and just do it. So once we decided together that we were going to do that — together — it just was kind of all moving by faith from there.”
Chris also spoke about being there for Candiace 100% as she’s carrying their child.
“That’s something I gotta keep in mind as we go through this process, right? That I’ve done this three times already; this is her first time. I’ve gotta make sure for me that I stay engaged, ’cause I’ve gotta be super supportive for her and she’s gonna need that all the way through. So, that’s kind of what I’m looking forward to, just to share it and experience it with Candiace and just see where it goes.”
Toward the end of her interview, an emotional Candiace added,
“I’m excited to just support them … in whatever they want to do. What were we watching? Something about, like, kids playing soccer or sports or something, and I thought to myself, like, ‘Oh my gosh. What if my son or daughter wants to play football?’ I’m not an outdoor person. I’m not a sports person — I can only tell you when there’s a touchdown happening — but if my kid wanted to play football, I would get a big mosquito net and be outside, you know, cheering and yelling and ready to fight the referee! So I’m just excited to meet them.”
Congratulations again to Candiace Dillard Bassett and Chris Bassett!
Philadelphia 76ers honor Allen Iverson with his own statue
The Philadelphia 76ers have been riding high vibes since Joel Embiid's recent return, and they added a nostalgic touch by honoring a legendary former player. In a special ceremony held earlier today (April 12) before a crucial game against the Orlando Magic, Allen Iverson was bestowed the honor of unveiling his own statue at the team's practice facility. The emotional moment saw Iverson expressing gratitude to everyone who contributed to his career and successes, making it possible for him to receive such recognition.
“You know, when you think about the statue outside, that’s a representation [of] y’all people that helped me. Everyone that played a part in my development and my life,” the Hall of Famer stated in a speech to attendees while holding back tears. "When y'all see that statue, y'all can feel good about the part that y'all did in helping me in my life... I just want to say all the right things, and just want y'all to know how much I appreciate y'all.”
Announced on March 1, the ceremony marked Iverson's induction into the elite club of 76ers players immortalized with statues on the Legends Walk. Joining luminaries like Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, and Julius Erving, Iverson stands as the 10th player to receive this honor. His tenure with the 76ers solidified his legacy, where he etched his name in franchise history books by ranking second in career points and third in points per game.
Iverson's impact transcended statistics; his dynamic style and unwavering tenacity endeared him to fans worldwide. His crowning achievement came during the 2000-01 season when he clinched the NBA MVP award, leading the 76ers to their last appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals. Though they fell short in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Iverson's MVP campaign remains an iconic moment in time for the Philly organization.
Protesters arrested after shutting down Golden Gate Bridge
Activists protesting the war in Gaza shut down southbound Highway 101 on the Golden Gate Bridge Monday morning, according to San Francisco’s Emergency Management Department.
Activists protesting the war in Gaza shut down Highway 101 on the Golden Gate Bridge Monday morning, snarling the commute into San Francisco and resulting in multiple arrests.
At around 7:30 a.m. Monday, dozens of protesters stopped their vehicles and blocked all southbound lanes of the span, demanding the U.S. stop arming and funding Israel in the war in Gaza, organizers say.
The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig-alert at about 8:10 a.m. for the southbound direction of the bridge. Later, the CHP closed off the northbound lanes as well. They also halted pedestrian and bicycle traffic across the span.
California Highway Patrol officers on Monday morning began taking into custody the protesters who shut down the Golden Gate Bridge, snarling commute traffic into San Francisco.
At about 10:30 a.m., CHP Marin said on social media it had started making arrests, but it did not say how many protesters it would be taking into custody.
No more details were immediately available.
Other Gaza war protests happened simultaneously in the East Bay, where all lanes of northbound Interstate 880 at Fifth Avenue in Oakland were blocked for hours and another protest emerged on I-880 at I-980 farther north in Oakland.
Protesters blocked the southbound lanes of Interstate 880 at Seventh Street in Oakland, the second protest Monday morning along I-880 in the city.
Will Smith Returns to Coachella Stage, Joins J Balvin For Surprise Performance of 'Men In Black'
Will Smith made a surprise appearance on the main stage at 2024 Coachella Music and Arts Festival on Sunday night (April 14) in Indio, Calif.
The Oscar-winning actor returned to the festival stage as he joined J Balvin to perform his song “Men In Black” from his 1997 movie of the same name.
For the performance, Will got into character as James Darrell Edwards III aka Agent J, as he wore a black suit and sunglasses. The backup dancers matched his look, while others dressed as aliens. J Balvin wore a sparkly, silver look.
Thoughts?????? LOL
#RHOP: Robyn Dixon Confirms She’s Been FIRED From ‘The Real Housewives Of Potomac’ After 8 Seasons!
Noting that she wanted to “respect the network” and wait until season 8 ended, Robyn said she wanted to “speak her own truth out of her own mouth” about being fired.
“Yes, I will not be returning for season 9 of The Real Housewives of Potomac,” Dixon, 45, said per PEOPLE citing the Monday episode of her podcast titled “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye…”
“It’s reality. The network did not invite me back. I was fired, for lack of better words. I will not sugar-coat the situation the situation and say, ‘Ooh I am walking away and this is a break’ or anything like this. This is a network decision.”
“I’m okay with it because nothing lasts forever. I’ve had a very long run on the show, and I just really appreciate that time and the opportunity that I had on the show.”
“I just really appreciate the time and opportunity that I had on the show,” she added before thanking Bravo and Truly Original Entertainment for “seeing something in her” and the fans.
“Thank you to the fans who have watched us from day 1, especially our day oners. I do want to especially thank all of the fans and viewers who have supported me, showed loved to me. Whether you directly sent me love or you prayed for me or you have positive thoughts around me, I appreciate you. And I hope I inspired you the viewers, the fans, to live your life authentically. To not feel pressure to change for anyone, or impress people, and just to be yourself.”
She then got emotional while addressing her bestie/cohost Gizelle Bryant.
“We still have Reasonably Shady but I wanna say I love you,” Robyn said through tears to Gizelle. “I couldn’t imagine doing what we did with anyone else. To my Green Eyed Bandit, my partner crime, we started off as friends—for whatever reason we were meant to sit next to each other that night. We laughed and joked like we’d known each othe for years. The show brought us even closer and we’e been through a lot on the show and we’ve supported each other through that, although we still have Reasonably Shady and we’re still gonna talk to each other all the time, I hate that that part of our friendship won’t be there anymore.”
Gizelle Bryant then added that she is displeased with Robyn’s departure.
“Robyn has really been the glue,” said Gizelle. “Any of the ladies on the show will 100% say you are the glue to the show.”
The news of Robyn’s firing was first reported by TheJasmineBRAND which reported that the housewife was leaving shortly after Candiace Dillard Bassett announced her departure. The outlet also alleged that another unnamed housewife will be exiting the series. If true, that would mean that #RHOP would be down three housewives for season 9.
Robyn Dixon was part of the original #RHOP cast that debuted in 2106 alongside Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, Karen Huger, Charrisse Jackson-Jordan, and Katie Rost.
#NewMusic from Louis York and PJ Morton Share New Song ‘Puppet Strings’!
Music duo Louis York (Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony) has joined forces with PJ Morton for their new single “Puppet Strings.”
In the retro-soul tune, Kelly sings about a love so entwined that he feels like a marionette handled by his partner. In essence, the song speaks to how we can’t help who captures our hearts.
“It’s a two tug of war / It’s pulling me back and forth / But I can’t break away / I make the same mistakes / ‘Cause my heart is weak / And I just can’t break free of your puppet strings,” Kelly croons
Morton appears in the second verse, echoing the same sentiment, “I don’t like the way that she gets in my head / I don’t like the magic she uses on me / And after all the dirty things you said / Somehow I can’t get you out of my dreams.”
“Puppet Strings” is the fourth track shared from Louis York’s collaborative album, Songs With Friends. They previously shared “Three Little Words” with Tamia, “Alone A Lot” with Anthony Hamilton and “Heaven Bound” with Jessie J.
“When we dreamed up the Songs With Friends concept, PJ was one of the first artists on our wishlist. We’ve all known each other for a long time but never found the time to actually do some great music together,” says Louis York.
Stream Louis York’s new song “Puppet Strings” featuring PJ Morton HERE
#HipHopNews: Fans React To Ice Spice's First Ever Coachella Performance
Saturday (April 13) night, Ice Spice made waves in the desert and beyond following her first-ever Coachella performance. The multi-platinum emcee performed a medley of her hits and previewed a few new tracks from her upcoming album.
Since the beginning of her career, the “Munch (Feelin’ U)” rapper has caused mixed reactions to her performances. Now, with collaborations with Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj and others, she has developed her on-stage presence.
During her electric set, she performed a new track that seemed to further establish her place as one of the best new women emcees. In the song, she raps, “B**ch, you’re losing the plot, that’s why I got to the top/ And no I don’t got any opps/ Like why would I beef with a flop/ Who’s bigger than she?/ Who’s prettier too?/ Who’s bigger than me?”
When the video of her performing made its rounds on social media, one fan said, “I loved watching her vibe out during her whole set! She knows she is sexy, and she has breathing control. Best performance she had. The new song is good, too.”
Another user stated, “I like it. Ice makes music that encourages people to have fun. Her bars are simple, but it fits her laid-back, unbothered style.” Someone else claimed, “She does have a very similar cadence and beat type to all her songs. Her stage show is better, but the hair doesn’t love the color. We’ll [see] what the album is given.”
Recently, Variety reported that Ice Spice will make her acting debut in Spike Lee’s upcoming film, High and Low, which will also star Denzel Washington. In production and backed by A24, the movie will revisit Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller. It’s scheduled for a theatrical release, followed by streaming on Apple TV+. Notably, the project will also mark the first collaboration between Lee and Washington since Inside Man in 2006.
Here's Why Jackie has two Hall of Fame plaques
It is curious then that for over 40 years Jackie Robinson’s plaque had no mention whatsoever of his place in baseball history -- in American history -- for breaking the color barrier in 1947. It is an achievement so well-known and woven into the fabric of the game that we celebrate its importance every April 15 on the anniversary of Robinson’s Major League debut.
All of that was entirely left out of the plaque that was unveiled on July 23, 1962, the day Robinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Here is the original text:
JACK ROOSEVELT ROBINSON
BROOKLYN N.L. 1947 TO 1956
LEADING N.L. BATTER IN 1949. HOLDS
FIELDING MARK FOR SECOND BASEMAN
PLAYING IN 150 OR MORE GAMES WITH .992.
LED N.L. IN STOLEN BASES IN 1947 AND
1949. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER IN 1949.
LIFETIME BATTING AVERAGE .311. JOINT
RECORD HOLDER FOR MOST DOUBLE PLAYS
This is hardly the description one would expect to find on a marker for all time dedicated to a man who changed the face of American sports the way Robinson did. So how did it come to be that visitors who made their way to Robinson’s plaque, arguably one of the most frequented spots in the museum, found themselves staring at such plain words to describe a career so extraordinary?
It actually began with Robinson’s own wishes.
“I hope that I will be judged on my ball playing ability alone, not on the fact that I broke the color line,” Robinson told New York Daily News columnist Dick Young before the 1962 BBWAA Hall of Fame election, which marked his first appearance on the ballot.
Robinson later amended the comment to say that he felt his historical significance should not be “the primary consideration,” while acknowledging that the wave of change he ushered in had to at least be a factor. Perhaps Robinson was also keenly aware that some voters could be swayed against casting a ballot with his name for the very same reason.
The Dodgers career on which Robinson wished to be judged lasted only 10 seasons, yet the accomplishments were quite lofty, as he was a key member of six pennant winners and one World Series champion team.
It is impossible to know if the individual voters used Robinson’s wishes as their personal guidelines. However, 77.5 percent of them (124 out of 160) did indeed check off Jackie’s name to make him a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“I don’t think the writers chose Jackie in spite of his color or because of it,” Branch Rickey, the Dodgers general manager who signed Robinson, said upon learning of the election in January 1962. “They chose him on merit.”
Former Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese knew of Robinson’s edict to the voters, but he echoed Rickey’s sentiment.
“I don’t think that would even enter the mind of anyone who saw Jack do as much on the baseball field as I did,” Reese said.
With Robinson’s wishes for the election process in mind, the inscription on his plaque followed suit. While everyone across the land recognized the colossal impact he made not just to baseball but to the rest of the sporting world and American society at large, none of this was captured on the plaque that would hang in Cooperstown.
Inside the museum, the plainness of language and lack of more career details wasn’t entirely unique to Robinson’s plaque. For example, Babe Ruth’s plaque lauds him as the “greatest drawing card in history of baseball,” but then almost glosses over his astonishing statistics by calling him the “holder of many home run and other batting records” and stating that he “gathered” 714 home runs.
Through the years, as more players became inducted, the plaques and the language on them started to evolve. In addition to more detailed statistics that told deeper stories of players’ careers, they began to include colorful nicknames like “The Sandman” for Mariano Rivera and “The Hawk” for Andre Dawson.
And in 1998, Larry Doby, who joined Cleveland of the American League less than three months after Robinson debuted with Brooklyn, was elected to Cooperstown. The final words of the first sentence on his Hall of Fame plaque celebrate Doby for “integrating the American League in 1947.”
It was sometime after Doby’s induction that discussions about changing the wording on Robinson’s plaque began. For several decades, staffers at the Hall of Fame had found themselves routinely being asked about the glaring omission. It was, after all, one of the main attractions in the gallery given his stature and popularity.
“Parents trying to explain to their children what Jackie Robinson’s role was as a player and as a human being weren’t able to do that looking at his plaque,” explained Jeff Idelson, former President of the Hall of Fame. “The plaques are a historical representation of a moment in time when they are written. The only time they really get changed are for factual errors. But in terms of changing a plaque, that was highly unusual.”
These were indeed unusual circumstances, and nearly every visitor to Cooperstown knew it. In the end it was Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s widow, who seemed to know that the time was right to update the historical record on the plaque despite her husband’s wishes four decades earlier.
Rachel contacted former Cincinnati Reds great Joe Morgan -- a Robinson family friend, Hall of Famer, and the Hall’s Vice Chairman of the Board -- and the wheels were put in motion. The inscription was carefully chosen, and in June 2008, a new plaque was unveiled inside the Plaque Gallery. Here is how it reads:
JACK ROOSEVELT ROBINSON
“JACKIE”
BROOKLYN, N.L., 1947-1956
A PLAYER OF EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY RENOWNED FOR HIS ELECTRIFYING STYLE OF PLAY. OVER 10 SEASONS HIT .311, SCORED MORE THAN 100 RUNS SIX TIMES, NAMED TO SIX ALL-STAR TEAMS AND LED BROOKLYN TO SIX PENNANTS AND ITS ONLY WORLD SERIES TITLE IN 1955. THE 1947 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, AND THE 1949 N.L. MVP WHEN HE HIT A LEAGUE-BEST .342 WITH 37 STEALS. LED SECOND BASEMEN IN DOUBLE PLAYS FOUR TIMES AND STOLE HOME 19 TIMES. DISPLAYED TREMENDOUS COURAGE AND POISE IN 1947 WHEN HE INTEGRATED THE MODERN MAJOR LEAGUES IN THE FACE OF INTENSE ADVERSITY.
From the inclusion of “Jackie” under his full name to the stronger opening line to the specifics of his prowess in stealing bases, this inscription dug much deeper into Robinson's outstanding career. The last sentence -- which at last described Robinson’s proper historical impact -- was purposefully placed at the end “as a way to honor Jackie’s wishes for how and why he was inducted into the Hall of Fame,” according to Idelson.
"There is no person more central or more important to the history of baseball for his pioneering ways,” Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark said in 2008. “His impact on our game is not fully defined without the mention of his extreme courage."
"A very important part of Jack's life has been acknowledged today in a more total way," Rachel Robinson said when the plaque was shown to the public for the first time. “As he said … those of us who are fortunate to receive such an honor must use it to help others. As young people view Jack's new Hall of Fame plaque, they will look beyond statistics and embrace all that Jack has meant and all that they can be.”
appreciate the change so that his most vital contribution to the game could be recognized in this manner.
"I think he would understand now that we need to go beyond that and we need to think in terms of social change in America," she said. "He would want a part in that. I don't think he would object."
The original plaque that hung in Cooperstown from 1962 to 2008 still has a place for those who want to see it. It is on loan and displayed at the Jackie Robinson Museum in New York City.
Tyler, The Creator Talks Awkwardly Rejecting Jerrod Carmichael: “My Homie Tried To F**k Me On Camera”
“Probably seen my homie tried to f**k me on camera, it was terrible,” he said before an immense crowd. “I told the ni**a ‘no’ and he said, ‘But what about if we filmed it?’ Terrible.
His statement left the crowd roaring in laughter. See below.
In a premiere episode of the Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show earlier this month, the comedian confronted the OFWGKTA trendsetter about brutally rejecting his feelings for him in 2021. At the time, Tyler responded by calling him a “stupid bi**h.”
“You called me a stupid bi**h,” Carmichael recalled to Tyler face-to-face as the 33-year-old hysterically laughed. “Yeah I did,” he agreed.
Speaking to why he dismissed the comedian’s feelings, he added, “I think I just like, brushed it off. Getting news like that and then avoiding it is a way to avoid change.” And according to Carmichael, he not only confessed his feelings and was shot down back then by Tyler, but also asked him to be his date at the Emmy Awards, which the “EARFQUAKE” rapper declined.
Ultimately, Tyler denied having the same feelings for the comedian, considering him “like a brother” and “truly family.”
In the past, Carmichael conducted a special conversation with the rapper for his 2017 album Flower Boy and narrated Tyler’s 2019 album Igor.
While recently appearing on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Carmichael was asked by a fan about the shocking first episode of his show, and if he’s spoken to Tyler since then.
“It’s good,” he described his current friendship with Tyler. “No, I haven’t talked to him. I’ll hit him.”
As Andy recalled the episode, Carmichael posed the question to the room, “anybody ever confess feelings to a friend?” He added, “It’s insane, it’s awkward.”
Kesha Changes Lyrics To “F**k P. Diddy” During Surprise Coachella Performance
Kesha has smoke for those accused of sexual assault, and Diddy is no exception.
The pop star was a surprise guest during Reneé Rapp’s Coachella set on Sunday (April 14) and performed her 2009 party anthem, “TiK ToK.” However, she changed the opening lyrics to the song and sang, “Wake up in the morning like f**k P. Diddy,” putting her middle finger in the air as Rapp echoed her sentiments.
The original lyrics are, “Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy,” with the Bad Boy Records founder chiming in with “Hey, what’s up girl?” This was the second public instance where Kesha altered the song that namedrops Diddy.
Back in November—just one day after Cassie settled her lawsuit against him—during the Los Angeles stop of her Only Love Tour, Kesha removed Diddy’s name from the song entirely and sang, “Wake up in the morning feeling just like me.”
Since then, Diddy has been hit with several lawsuits and has been accused of gang rape and sex trafficking. Last month, his homes in Miami and Los Angeles were raided by Homeland Security. He has yet to make a statement regarding the raids, but has been nonchalantly posting on Instagram for the past few months. The 54-year-old recently turned the comments back on his posts when sharing the visual for his record, “Victory.” He captioned the video, “Bad Boy For Life.”
Last June, Kesha settled her own daunting legal proceedings against her former producer, Dr. Luke, whom she accused of raping her in 2005.
“Only God knows what happened that night,” said the “Your Love Is My Drug” singer in a statement per The New York Times. “As I have always said, I cannot recount everything that happened. I am looking forward to closing the door on this chapter in my life and beginning a new one. I wish nothing but peace to all parties involved.” She filed a lawsuit against in 2014 at the height of the #MeToo movement.
O.J. Simpson will be cremated; estate executor says 'hard no' to controversial ex-athlete’s brain being studied for CTE
“On at least one occasion, someone has called saying he’s a CTE guy who studies the brain,” said attorney Malcolm LaVergne, referring to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that has been studied in former football players and is associated with behavioral and cognitive issues related to repeated head injuries.
“That’s a hard no,” LaVergne added. “His entire body, including his brain, will be cremated.”
News of the cremation and the request to study his brain was first reported by the New York Post.
LaVergne, who is now serving as the executor of Simpson’s estate, said there are tentative plans for a “celebration of life” gathering limited to close friends and family. Simpson had three children with his first wife, Marguerite Whitley, and two children with his second wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, whom he divorced in 1992. In 1995, Simpson was famously acquitted in the murder of Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
LaVergne on Sunday also clarified comments made to the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Friday in which he said he didn’t want Goldman’s family to be able to collect any money from Simpson’s estate and it was “my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing.”
He said he was referring to a debt collection lawyer working with the Goldman family who, “within an hour we announced Simpson’s death, is bashing Simpson and all this stuff, ‘We’re going to do this and that.’”
“In hindsight, in response to that statement that ‘it’s my hope they get zero, nothing,’ I think that was pretty harsh,” LaVergne added. “Now that I understand my role as the executor and the personal representative, it’s time to tone down the rhetoric and really get down to what my role is as a personal representative.”
As he works to calculate the worth of Simpson’s estate and take inventory of his assets and belongings, LaVergne said he would invite a legal representative of the Goldmans to review his findings.
“We can get this thing resolved in a calm and dispassionate manner,” LaVergne said.
Following Simpson’s death, Goldman’s father, Fred Goldman, expressed no sympathy for the fallen Hall of Fame icon turned Hollywood pitchman, telling NBC News that “it’s no great loss to the world. It’s a further reminder of Ron’s being gone.”Simpson, who long maintained his innocence in the deaths of Brown Simpson and Goldman, died without having paid off most of a $33.5 million wrongful death judgment awarded in 1997 in a lawsuit filed by the victims’ families.
LaVergne said he welcomes Fred Goldman and his lawyer, David Cook, trying to ascertain any other financial assets, but with Simpson’s death, the estate must distribute money to creditors who have claims “according to priority.”
“Goldman and the other creditors for decades now have played, ‘Hey, if I get to find something of Simpson’s first, I get it or I get most of it,’” LaVergne said.
“But keep in mind, if he finds $1 million, he no longer gets to keep that $1 million,” he added. “The $1 million is going to come into the estate first, and then we see where the priorities are, and then he gets to keep it because he’s No. 8 on the list” of priorities.
LaVergne has said among Simpson’s debts is money owed to the Internal Revenue Service. In the wake of the lawsuit against him three decades ago, many of Simpson’s possessions, including footballs, jerseys and other sports memorabilia, were seized from his Brentwood estate in California to pay off the judgment. Simpson was living in Las Vegas before his death.
Cook said Sunday that there will be intense interest from lawyers for various parties seeking restitution as Simpson's finances are laid bare.
But "everybody knows when O.J. left, he left without penance," Cook said.
Goldman and Cook have said the litigation against Simpson was not about the money but seeking justice after his acquittal.
“It’s holding the man who killed my son and Nicole responsible,” Fred Goldman said in a previous statement after winning his civil trial.
Simpson’s will asks that LaVergne also set aside money for a “suitable monument” at his gravesite. It also says that Simpson wants the document to be administered “without litigation or dispute,” and if any beneficiary or heir fails to follow that dictate, they “shall receive, free of trust, one dollar ($1.00) and no more in lieu of any claimed interest in this will or its assets.”
Former ‘RHOP’ Star Candiace Dillard Bassett Is Pregnant, Expecting First Child w/ Husband Chris
Candiace Dillard Bassett is expecting her first child! Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, she revealed the exciting news and said,
“I am about 13 weeks … so just about into the second trimester. It’s been weird, but also really wonderful, I think, to keep it kind of to ourselves to this point. Our immediate family knows, my mom — I told my mom on her birthday in February — my dad knows, [Chris’] parents know, my siblings know and that is my core, best friend group, but outside of that it’s just been, like, kind of quietly just growing a bun.”
If you watched Candiace Dillard Bassett on “RHOP,” you saw the “Drive Back” singer openly discuss her desire to have children and grow her family with husband Chris Bassett. The professional chef already has three children from previous relationships. During her time on the Bravo reality series, Candiace Dillard Bassett documented her journey of becoming pregnant, showing talks with fertility specialists and the prep work for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Reportedly, her growing bundle of joy stems from one of the embryos she froze two years ago. At the time of this report, Candiace and Chris do not know the sex of their baby.
Speaking on the timing of her pregnancy, Candiace continued,
“I think we were both kind of content to have them just sit there until my ‘cut-off date. …But then I got the itch. I always wondered, like, how would I know when I was ready? And I always felt like a part of my anxiety was that I wasn’t sure that I would know, and when I knew, it was undeniable. I kind of woke up and realized that I was never going to be 100 percent ready. I just had to … trust the process and trust my doctors and stop being afraid and just do it. So once we decided together that we were going to do that — together — it just was kind of all moving by faith from there.”
Chris also spoke about being there for Candiace 100% as she’s carrying their child.
“That’s something I gotta keep in mind as we go through this process, right? That I’ve done this three times already; this is her first time. I’ve gotta make sure for me that I stay engaged, ’cause I’ve gotta be super supportive for her and she’s gonna need that all the way through. So, that’s kind of what I’m looking forward to, just to share it and experience it with Candiace and just see where it goes.”
Toward the end of her interview, an emotional Candiace added,
“I’m excited to just support them … in whatever they want to do. What were we watching? Something about, like, kids playing soccer or sports or something, and I thought to myself, like, ‘Oh my gosh. What if my son or daughter wants to play football?’ I’m not an outdoor person. I’m not a sports person — I can only tell you when there’s a touchdown happening — but if my kid wanted to play football, I would get a big mosquito net and be outside, you know, cheering and yelling and ready to fight the referee! So I’m just excited to meet them.”
Congratulations again to Candiace Dillard Bassett and Chris Bassett!
Philadelphia 76ers honor Allen Iverson with his own statue
“You know, when you think about the statue outside, that’s a representation [of] y’all people that helped me. Everyone that played a part in my development and my life,” the Hall of Famer stated in a speech to attendees while holding back tears. "When y'all see that statue, y'all can feel good about the part that y'all did in helping me in my life... I just want to say all the right things, and just want y'all to know how much I appreciate y'all.”
Announced on March 1, the ceremony marked Iverson's induction into the elite club of 76ers players immortalized with statues on the Legends Walk. Joining luminaries like Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, and Julius Erving, Iverson stands as the 10th player to receive this honor. His tenure with the 76ers solidified his legacy, where he etched his name in franchise history books by ranking second in career points and third in points per game.
Iverson's impact transcended statistics; his dynamic style and unwavering tenacity endeared him to fans worldwide. His crowning achievement came during the 2000-01 season when he clinched the NBA MVP award, leading the 76ers to their last appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals. Though they fell short in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Iverson's MVP campaign remains an iconic moment in time for the Philly organization.
Protesters arrested after shutting down Golden Gate Bridge
Activists protesting the war in Gaza shut down southbound Highway 101 on the Golden Gate Bridge Monday morning, according to San Francisco’s Emergency Management Department.
Activists protesting the war in Gaza shut down Highway 101 on the Golden Gate Bridge Monday morning, snarling the commute into San Francisco and resulting in multiple arrests.
At around 7:30 a.m. Monday, dozens of protesters stopped their vehicles and blocked all southbound lanes of the span, demanding the U.S. stop arming and funding Israel in the war in Gaza, organizers say.
The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig-alert at about 8:10 a.m. for the southbound direction of the bridge. Later, the CHP closed off the northbound lanes as well. They also halted pedestrian and bicycle traffic across the span.
California Highway Patrol officers on Monday morning began taking into custody the protesters who shut down the Golden Gate Bridge, snarling commute traffic into San Francisco.
At about 10:30 a.m., CHP Marin said on social media it had started making arrests, but it did not say how many protesters it would be taking into custody.
No more details were immediately available.
Other Gaza war protests happened simultaneously in the East Bay, where all lanes of northbound Interstate 880 at Fifth Avenue in Oakland were blocked for hours and another protest emerged on I-880 at I-980 farther north in Oakland.
Protesters blocked the southbound lanes of Interstate 880 at Seventh Street in Oakland, the second protest Monday morning along I-880 in the city.
Will Smith Returns to Coachella Stage, Joins J Balvin For Surprise Performance of 'Men In Black'
The Oscar-winning actor returned to the festival stage as he joined J Balvin to perform his song “Men In Black” from his 1997 movie of the same name.
For the performance, Will got into character as James Darrell Edwards III aka Agent J, as he wore a black suit and sunglasses. The backup dancers matched his look, while others dressed as aliens. J Balvin wore a sparkly, silver look.
The last time Will hit the stage at Coachella was in 2019, when he joined son Jaden Smith on the Sahara stage, where they performed their song “Icon.”
Speaking of Jaden, he was also spotted at the annual festival in the desert, with a video of him interacting with longtime friend Justin Bieber going viral.
Tiffany Haddish And Michael Blackson To Perform At Inaugural BET Experience Live Comedy Series
Hosted each night by “Chris Spencer & Friends,“ the series aims to provide a unique blend of comedic brilliance and cultural relevance from today’s hottest comedians. Scheduled for June 26 – 28, Tiffany Haddish and Michael Blackson will headline on Thursday and Friday, respectively. The Wednesday night headliner will be announced at a later date.
The event joins a colorful schedule of experiences continuing through Sunday, leading up to the 2024 BET Awards on June 30, 2024. Events are slated to go down at various venues across the West Coast city including the YouTube Theater, Crypto.com Arena, and the Hollywood Bowl.
“We are proud to reintroduce BET Experience in the vibrant city of Los Angeles to celebrate the best of Black culture and entertainment,” explained Scott Mills, President & CEO of BET Media Group in a statement last week announcing the summer kick-off event.
“BET X 2024 is set to deliver an unprecedented week of entertainment, engagement, and empowerment all anchored in the brilliance and creativity of Black culture and our community.”
Throughout the week, ticketholders are welcome to enjoy Black expression, artistry, and culture through live performances, comedy shows, panels, immersive workshops, and much more. The entire BETX 2024 event is presented by Walmart.
“It’s an honor to join forces with BET Experience as this year’s presenting partner, where we can continue to champion the unlimited potential of Black creators and entrepreneurs,” shared Alison Rand, who leads Brand Experiential and Talent Partnerships at Walmart. “This event is a cultural catalyst, and we are proud to support BET’s commitment to providing a platform for celebrating Black excellence and showcasing some of the most exceptional talents in the entertainment industry.
BET Experience 2024 is co-produced by Live Nation Urban. Tickets are available now on the official website.
Tommy Davidson’s Transgender Son Goes Viral
*LA-based model Jerzey Saint Wilson is gaining viral attention after a video of his participation in a “trans man realness” competition resurfaced.
Many social media users are unaware that Jerzey is comedian Tommy Davidson’s son, Dreddsworld reports. According to The Pink News, the “trans man realness” competition contest occurred during The Main Attraction Arcade Ball, a video-game-themed drag ballroom event held in LA’s fashion district in 2023.
Davidson recently showcased Jerzey (also known as Saint St Laurent) on Instagram, prompting admiration from women who claim the female-to-male social media star is stunning.
The video of Jerzey at the transman competition went viral on TikTok. It was reposted on X/Twitter and amassed 3.5 million impressions. Watch the clip HERE:
According to The Pink News, Wilson competed in the “Private Security” category, described as: “Being security for a building is one thing. But you work for one of the biggest gaming executives of all time. You got the job because you fit all the criteria. One you’re ready for anything and the look of intimidation to match. In a nice clean look of your choice come and show why the boss made the right choice.”
Jerzey is Tommy’s son with his first wife, a Black woman named Desiree Davidson. The IG post above shows Jerzey as a little girl with his mother. Jerzey shared the picture in 2018 along with a lengthy caption that said in part: “I pray everyday that he gives me second chances to right my wrongs with you. I pray that he helps me to grow into someone as giving and as selfless as you. I pray that he uses me as long as I’m here to be strong enough to carry you through your darkest days. I pray that he shows me how to be more and more like you.”
Cast Announced for ‘The Smurfs Movie’ Featuring Rihanna
“I tried to get the Papa Smurf role but It didn’t work out,” she said at the time, Variety reported.
We reported earlier that the mother of two will serve as a producer on the project and write and record original music for the feature.
During CinemaCon 2024, Paramount head Brian Robbins hailed RiRi as “the most legendary Smurfette ever.” During the studio’s panel on April 11, he also announced the star-studded cast set to appear in the Chris Miller-directed animated movie.
MadameNoire reports that the voice cast includes Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Natasha Lyonne, JP Karliak, Dan Levy, Amy Sedaris, Nick Kroll, and James Corden.
President of Paramount Animation Ramsey Naito told the 2023 CinemaCon crowd that the Smurfs movie will unpack themes of identity, asking the question, “What is a Smurf?”
“Getting to do animation is a fun journey for me,” Rihanna said last year at CinemaCon.
“I’m usually front and center with everything with my likeness…but this was fun, I got to imagine, I got to show up in my pajamas in my third trimester, and be a blue badass,” she continued.
“I hope this gives me a little bit of cool points with my kids one day,” Rihanna added, Cast Announced for ‘The Smurfs Movie’ Featuring Rihanna,
“The Smurfs Movie” hits theaters Feb. 14, 2025.
Trey Songz Reaches Settlement in $25M Sexual Assault Lawsuit
*Trey Songz has settled with a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her at a Los Angeles party in 2016.
We reported earlier that the woman (identified as Jane Doe) initially filed a $20 million lawsuit in 2022, but it was dismissed after Songz’s team successfully argued that her claim was past the statute of limitations. According to Rolling Stone, she refiled the case a year later and recently settled with the singer.
Jane Doe claims Trey sodomized her inside his home in 2016. She claims they initially had a consensual sexual relationship, but Songz became a “savage rapist” on the day of the alleged attack, the lawsuit states, Complex reports. At the time, a representative for the R&B artist denied the allegations in a statement to TMZ.
“Earlier, the attorney who drafted this suit was credibly accused of trying to pay a woman to falsely accuse Trey,” the rep said. “Hours later, that same attorney has filed this suit on behalf of an anonymous client. It isn’t hard to see what’s happening here, and it is a shame for genuine victims of sexual assault.
The lawsuit leveled accusations of sexual assault, gender violence, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment against Songz. RadarOnline reports that Trey has settled the suit for an undisclosed amount. The court date that was scheduled for September 16 will be vacated.
“The settlement agreement conditions dismissal of this matter on the satisfactory completion of specified terms that are not to be performed within 45 days of the date of the settlement,” reads the terms of the settlement, per Radar. “A request for dismissal will be filed no later than June 10, 2024.”
The woman also sued members of Trey’s team, including his manager, Kevin Liles, 300 Entertainment, and Atlantic Records.
Jane Doe released a statement last year to Rolling Stone via attorney George Vrabeck: “This case is much more than about one singer and one viciously abused sexual assault survivor who has the courage to take action,” Vrabeck said.
“It’s also very much about the systematic sexual abuse in the music industry and the music industry’s complicity in silencing sexual abuse survivors. It’s virtually impossible to believe that those executives are not and were not aware of the institutionalized sexual abuse,” the attorney added.
Jane Doe reportedly mentioned in the legal documents that Songz faced at least ten other sexual assault allegations in the past.
‘Rust’ Set Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison Following Fatal Shooting of Cinematographer
The tragic event occurred at Bonanza Creek Ranch on October 21, 2021, where Baldwin was rehearsing with a .45-caliber revolver that unexpectedly discharged, fatally wounding Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Industry regulations strictly prohibit the use of live ammunition on set, and the use of dummy rounds or replicas is recommended during rehearsals.
Monday’s sentencing occurred after an emotional hearing, where Joel Souza, the film’s injured director, and others impacted by Hutchins’ death provided statements. “What I want is simply not possible. What I want is, everyone is OK and lives aren’t destroyed,” Souza expressed via a virtual call, highlighting the irreversible impact of the tragedy on Hutchins’ family and friends.
Craig Mizrahi, Hutchins’ former agent, criticized the decision to hire Gutierrez-Reed given her limited experience, suggesting it compromised safety. “When the producers hired someone with virtually no experience to not only be the armorer but also the assistant prop master, they made a crucial decision to put the safety of the cast and crew on the back burner,” he stated.
Emilia Mendieta, a close friend of Hutchins, described the event as “the result of a massive system failure” and emphasized the consequences of compromising workplace safety. “It all boils down to a very simple question: Why was there a live bullet on set?” Mendieta questioned, directly attributing the oversight to Gutierrez-Reed’s failure in her role as the armorer.
Gutierrez-Reed’s defense argued that oversight issues on the “Rust” set extended beyond her control, noting that the primary ammunition supplier had not been thoroughly investigated. Despite these arguments, and following her acquittal on a second felony count for evidence tampering, the court held her accountable for the safety lapses.
In response to the verdict and sentence, Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney announced plans to appeal, citing several trial issues. Meanwhile, further legal challenges continue, with additional felony charges pending against Gutierrez-Reed related to other alleged misconduct.
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EFREM
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