#MAGFAB: Damson Idris for Essence Mag ‘The Men’s Issue’!
Nice! Get more HERE!
#RHOA: Kenya Moore and Porsha Williams Set to Begin Filming RHOA Season 16, Final Cast Still TBD!
One way or another, Season 16 of the Real Housewives of Atlanta is going to happen. Right now, the details about it are pretty scarce. The only confirmed peaches are Kenya Moore and Porsha Williams. That’s not nearly enough Housewives, but cameras are reportedly getting ready to start rolling.
Although there are no other casting confirmations, the word on the street is that they’re filming starts this summer. The news came via Jasmine Brand, who reported that the production could kick off as soon as next month. They also got the scoop on a few newbies who might be joining the ranks when cameras start rolling.
Since Bravo announced Kenya and Porsha as the veteran cast members returning for Season 16, it’s clear that they are probably going to be the anchors of the cast. There’s also a slight chance that Shereé Whitfield could return to bring a bit of the original RHOA essence into this new era. Ever since Season 15 wrapped, she’s made it very clear that she wants to come back to the show.
Earlier this month, one of RHOA’s producers, Peta Phipps, teased that the Season 16 lineup would consist of a handful of new faces. She called it an “eclectic mix” and confirmed that the ink was drying on the new peaches’ contracts.
With that in mind, some rumors suggest that the new RHOA cast members wouldn’t necessarily be fresh faces in pop culture. For example, some of the names that have been tossed around include beautify influencer, Ming Lee. Another name floated was Keyshia Ka’Oir, the wife of rapper Gucci Mane.
Admittedly, Kenya and Porsha two could probably hold the fort on their own. Porsha has enough drama with her divorce from Simon Guobadia to fill an entire season. However, Bravo is seemingly moving forward with their plan for a slight reboot, in the style of Real Housewives of Miami.
Once the cameras go up this summer, it’s only a matter of time before the cast is spotted out and about in Atlanta. That means we might find out about the new RHOA cast from Atlanta locals before Bravo officially announces it. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled.
#NewMusic from J Valentin Feat Chris Brown “UnLonely.”
J. Valentine has teamed with Chris Brown for his new single “UnLonely.” They co-wrote the song with Lonny Bereal and TVerse.
LISTEN HERE
The Tank-produced track is an anthem for independent women, “Just because a woman chooses to be alone, doesn’t mean she’s lonely.”
As for reuniting with Breezy, Valentine says, “Our last collab was the ‘UP’ R&B remix [in 2011], so it was only right that we made another banger for my comeback!”
“UnLonely” is the fifth song shared from J. Valentine’s forthcoming debut album, Conversations With Women. He previously shared “Me On Me,” “The Day After, “Before The Streets” and “Thank Me For That.”
#HipHopNews: Megan Thee Stallion Announces Upcoming Single "BOA"
Megan Thee Stallion’s next single, “BOA,” is dropping on Friday (May 10). She announced the upcoming release on her social media accounts earlier today (May 7).
Alongside the track hitting streaming platforms, Megan revealed that fans could purchase “BOA” in CD format via her official website. She shared six iterations, all of which resembled video game cases for the PlayStation 2 console.
In the covers, Megan cosplayed as Boa Hancock from the Japanese manga series “One Piece.” She updated the character’s look to match her style and even added a snake motif — a common theme in her recent teasers and past two singles.
“Using this concept for just a single is crazy, girl. That album cover [is about to] go insane,” wrote one user in the comment section of her announcement post. Another said, “[An] undefeated creative queen, I know that’s right.” Peep the artwork below.
Megan’s love for anime and manga is well-documented. For her 2019 PAPER Magazine cover story, she dressed as Shoto Todoroki from “My Hero Academia.”
Meanwhile, in 2021, she talked to “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans about “Black Clover.” Speaking about the Japanese series’ main protagonist, Megan said, “My favorite character on the show is Asta because this motherf**ker is always screaming and hollering. Even if they’re in the middle of the fight, he’ll just bust out with some goofy s**t.”
“I just feel like I can relate to him and a lot of the other characters in anime because people will try to count you out when they feel like you ain’t s**t or you ain’t got something yet,” she added. “But you train and train, and you fight and fight; you keep proving everybody wrong and beating the odds. I feel like that’s the type of person I am.”
Ahead of her forthcoming album, Megan released songs like “Cobra” and “HISS.” In February, the latter single went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It marked the Houston native’s third time achieving the feat, following “Savage Remix” with Beyoncé and “WAP” with Cardi B.
Aaron Hernandez’s Ex-Fiancée Disturbed By Jokes About Late NFL Player During Tom Brady Roast
#RHOA: Kenya Moore and Porsha Williams Set to Begin Filming RHOA Season 16, Final Cast Still TBD!
Although there are no other casting confirmations, the word on the street is that they’re filming starts this summer. The news came via Jasmine Brand, who reported that the production could kick off as soon as next month. They also got the scoop on a few newbies who might be joining the ranks when cameras start rolling.
Since Bravo announced Kenya and Porsha as the veteran cast members returning for Season 16, it’s clear that they are probably going to be the anchors of the cast. There’s also a slight chance that Shereé Whitfield could return to bring a bit of the original RHOA essence into this new era. Ever since Season 15 wrapped, she’s made it very clear that she wants to come back to the show.
Earlier this month, one of RHOA’s producers, Peta Phipps, teased that the Season 16 lineup would consist of a handful of new faces. She called it an “eclectic mix” and confirmed that the ink was drying on the new peaches’ contracts.
With that in mind, some rumors suggest that the new RHOA cast members wouldn’t necessarily be fresh faces in pop culture. For example, some of the names that have been tossed around include beautify influencer, Ming Lee. Another name floated was Keyshia Ka’Oir, the wife of rapper Gucci Mane.
Admittedly, Kenya and Porsha two could probably hold the fort on their own. Porsha has enough drama with her divorce from Simon Guobadia to fill an entire season. However, Bravo is seemingly moving forward with their plan for a slight reboot, in the style of Real Housewives of Miami.
Once the cameras go up this summer, it’s only a matter of time before the cast is spotted out and about in Atlanta. That means we might find out about the new RHOA cast from Atlanta locals before Bravo officially announces it. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled.
#NewMusic from J Valentin Feat Chris Brown “UnLonely.”
J. Valentine has teamed with Chris Brown for his new single “UnLonely.” They co-wrote the song with Lonny Bereal and TVerse.
LISTEN HERE
The Tank-produced track is an anthem for independent women, “Just because a woman chooses to be alone, doesn’t mean she’s lonely.”
As for reuniting with Breezy, Valentine says, “Our last collab was the ‘UP’ R&B remix [in 2011], so it was only right that we made another banger for my comeback!”
“UnLonely” is the fifth song shared from J. Valentine’s forthcoming debut album, Conversations With Women. He previously shared “Me On Me,” “The Day After, “Before The Streets” and “Thank Me For That.”
#HipHopNews: Megan Thee Stallion Announces Upcoming Single "BOA"
Alongside the track hitting streaming platforms, Megan revealed that fans could purchase “BOA” in CD format via her official website. She shared six iterations, all of which resembled video game cases for the PlayStation 2 console.
In the covers, Megan cosplayed as Boa Hancock from the Japanese manga series “One Piece.” She updated the character’s look to match her style and even added a snake motif — a common theme in her recent teasers and past two singles.
“Using this concept for just a single is crazy, girl. That album cover [is about to] go insane,” wrote one user in the comment section of her announcement post. Another said, “[An] undefeated creative queen, I know that’s right.” Peep the artwork below.
Megan’s love for anime and manga is well-documented. For her 2019 PAPER Magazine cover story, she dressed as Shoto Todoroki from “My Hero Academia.”
Meanwhile, in 2021, she talked to “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans about “Black Clover.” Speaking about the Japanese series’ main protagonist, Megan said, “My favorite character on the show is Asta because this motherf**ker is always screaming and hollering. Even if they’re in the middle of the fight, he’ll just bust out with some goofy s**t.”
“I just feel like I can relate to him and a lot of the other characters in anime because people will try to count you out when they feel like you ain’t s**t or you ain’t got something yet,” she added. “But you train and train, and you fight and fight; you keep proving everybody wrong and beating the odds. I feel like that’s the type of person I am.”
Ahead of her forthcoming album, Megan released songs like “Cobra” and “HISS.” In February, the latter single went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It marked the Houston native’s third time achieving the feat, following “Savage Remix” with Beyoncé and “WAP” with Cardi B.
Aaron Hernandez’s Ex-Fiancée Disturbed By Jokes About Late NFL Player During Tom Brady Roast
Aaron Hernandez in game, wearing the blue, red, white, and grey New England Patriots uniform.; Tom Brady in game, wearing the
Aaron Hernandez & Tom Brady Jim Rogash/Getty Images; Harry How/Getty Images
Tom Brady was the subject of his own roast this past weekend, but he wasn’t the only person to catch a few jokes. Aaron Hernandez, the New England Patriots tight end who took his own life while in jail, was mentioned, and his ex-fiancée was not happy about it.
The Greatest Roast Of All-Time: Tom Brady took place on Netflix on Sunday (May 5) and was hosted by Kevin Hart. Multiple people, namely Brady himself, Nikki Glaser, and former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, mention Hernandez amid their jokes. “Everyone always asks me how big Gronk’s d**k is,” Edelman said, referring to former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. “Now don’t get me wrong, it gets the job done. But there was this other Patriots tight end. Now he was hung.”
Edelman’s joke alluded to the fact Hernandez hung himself in 2017, just days after being acquitted of his alleged 2012 double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado in Boston. Glaser made a similar reference, saying “Give it up for zero-time Super Bowl champion Randy Moss. Why don’t you have a ring? What the hell, man, you’re one of the best ever. Drew Bledsoe has a ring. Aaron Hernandez had a ring… around his neck.”
“The bar for a Patriots tight end was pretty low back then,” Tom Brady said in one of his jokes. “Block. Catch. Don’t murder.” This was a reference to Aaron Hernandez killing semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd in 2013.
While this was entertaining to people who were present, Hernandez’s ex-fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, was not amused. “It’s sad that I’m trying to raise my children in such a cruel world,” she told TMZ. Jenkins was especially concerned that her 11-year-old daughter, Avielle, was old enough to both hear and comprehend the jokes about her late father.
She recently shared a heartfelt post about her late fiancée on Instagram. “It takes as long as it takes. I will always wake up everyday only to remember you are not here and have to feel that ache all over again,” she wrote. “You are truly loved & missed.”
Aaron Hernandez’s brother, Dennis “D.J.” Hernandez, got into some legal trouble in July 2023. He was arrested for conspiring to conduct shootings at the University of Connecticut and Brown University. TMZ reported that the Bristol Police Department had a working theory about Hernandez and how he could be a “danger to society.” They also spoke with key people who had interacted with him and received “unsettling text messages.”
“We’re taking lives if sh*t isn’t paid up,” one text message said. “It’s been years in planning just taking notes, names, and locations. They talked their way into this and it’s almost point game.” On social media, he wrote “Will I kill? Absolutely, I’ve warned my enemies so pay up front.”
When Hernandez was arrested, he did not resist. Instead, he walked toward the police and encouraged them to shoot him. He was eventually detained and taken to a local medical facility. His bail was set at $250,000.
Angel Reese Celebrates Birthday With 2024 Met Gala Debut
“I’m just excited to see everyone’s outfits. Everyone looks amazing in here. Being here on my 22nd birthday is amazing,” shared the professional basketball player with the fashion platform. “I feel beautiful and I feel sexy.”
Attending fashion’s biggest night temporarily took Reese from her new hometown Chicago as the WNBA season gears up for a historic start. The Lousiana State University star was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft last month.
According to The Athletic, the Bayou Barbie is believed to be the first WNBA rookie to be invited and attend the annual event, although Brittney Griner attended in 2023, a decade after her first year on the court.
As she returns to the Windy City, Reese and the Chicago Sky are prepared to take on the New York Liberty in Tuesday’s preseason matchup. The game is set to stream at 8 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass due to high demand.
“The group of young ladies that we have, it’s a deserving thing for them to be seen,” Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon detailed to the Chicago Tribune. “It’s good to know that it changed and for us to be seen and for us to play the game of basketball the way that we love and to have fun doing it with the world being able to watch.”
Reese’s WNBA debut last week against the Minnesota Lynx was not broadcast, leading to a fan live stream on X garnering 400,000 views, per Sports Illustrated. In that game, Reese nearly earned a double-double, with 13 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes of action, although the team lost overall.
New 'Despicable Me 4' Trailer Gives First Look At Mega Minions
Illumination has unveiled a new trailer for "Despicable Me 4", debuting first look at some new, but familiar faces. The video introduces a super twist to its Minions, with some of the little creatures being upgraded to Mega Minions.
In the sneak peek, Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan) is forced out of retirement to take down Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), who seeks revenge on Gru and his family. As the new villain poses a threat to Gru's family, Silas seems to have a solution to the problem.
Silas gathers the Minions to join an experiment with a brand new serum that will basically transform them into superheroes. "Gentlemen, you will be the first to test our super serum designed to transform you into cutting edge agents...or you might just die," he says, not promising the result.
Thankfully, the Minions who test out the serum survive and are transformed physically. They also now have superpowers which they immediately demonstrate, causing a mayhem in the process.
According to Illumination, "in the first 'Despicable Me' movie in seven years, Gru, the world's favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League-agent, returns for an exciting, bold new era of Minions mayhem in Illumination's 'Despicable Me 4'."
WATCH HERE
The franchise begins a new chapter as Gru (Steve Carell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and their girls, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan), welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad.
Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Sofia Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run. The studio promises that the film is "packed with non-stop action and filled with Illumination's signature subversive humor."
To be distributed by Universal Pictures, "Despicable Me 4" is directed by Chris Renaud, who directed the first film and created the Minions. It also features new characters voiced by Joey King, Stephen Colbert and Chloe Fineman, with Pierre Coffin returning as the voice of the Minions. The movie is set to open in U.S. theaters on July 3.
Travis Kelce Tapped To Star On Ryan Murphy's 'Grotesquerie' In First Major TV Gig
Travis Kelce has scored his first major TV role. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end has been cast on Ryan Murphy's upcoming horror series titled "Grotesquerie", joining Niecy Nash-Betts.
Niecy confirmed Travis' casting with an Instagram video on Tuesday, May 7. In the video, the "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" star could be seen saying, "Guys, guess who I am working with on 'Grotesquerie'?" before panning the camera to Travis.
"Jumping into new territory!" the NFL star said, with Niecy adding, "We on site!" In the caption, the Emmy-winning actress wrote, "This is what happens when WINNERS link up!! @killatrav Welcome to Grostequerie [sic]."
Travis additionally reposted the video on Instagram Stories. Showing excitement over the new gig, he wrote, "Steppin into a new world with one of the legends!"
There are no details about the character that Travis is going to portray in the FX series. Other cast members include Emmy winner Courtney B. Vance and Lesley Manville.
While this isn't the first TV role that Travis scored, "Grotesquerie" marked the 34-year-old athlete's first major TV gig. Prior to this, the boyfriend of Taylor Swift made a surprise cameo on an episode of "Moonbase 8" in 2020. He also produced indie film "My Dead Friend Zoe" and is set to host the upcoming Prime game show "Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?"
Meanwhile, FX first teased "Grotesquerie" with an all-text teaser back in February. It included audio of Niecy's character saying, "I don't know when it started, I can't put my finger on it, but it's different now. There's been a shift, like something's opening up in the world - a kind of hole that descends into a nothingness."
FX has yet to set a premiere date for "Grotesquerie", but the horror series is planned to arrive this fall.
50 Cent hits back at ex Daphne Joy for abuse allegations
50 Cent have sued her ex Daphne Joy for defamation after she alleged him of raping and abusing her in a shock Instagram post in March.
The In Da Club rapper, who is father to son Sire, 11, with Joy, 37, has been involved in an online beef with his ex after music producer Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones accused Joy of being a sex worker who paid by the Bad Boy Records founder, in a sex trafficking lawsuit filed against Diddy
Joy denied the accusations and labelled them as “character assassination.”
She then went on to accuse 50 Cent of rape in an Instagram post. Joy also slammed the rapper for being an absent father to their son, but 50 Cent turned down the allegations in a statement shared with DailyMail.com.
According to the outlet, 50 Cent claims Joy only alleged him because she got to know he was going to file for the sole custody of Sire.
The rapper adds that he wants full custody after Joy was name dropped in the Jones lawsuit against Diddy.
Eamonn Walker Exits ‘Chicago Fire’ After 12 Seasons As A Series Regular
In an exclusive report by Deadline, it’s been revealed that Eamonn Walker, a longstanding original cast member of “Chicago Fire,” is stepping back from his regular role on the hit NBC series after 12 seasons playing Wallace Boden.
The decision was reportedly Walker’s own, amidst recent cast changes in OneChicago.
Despite his departure from regular duties, sources indicate that the Boden character is still part of the show’s fabric and Walker is expected to return in a recurring capacity in the future.
Fans can anticipate more clarity regarding Boden’s storyline and future plans in the Season 12 finale titled “Never Say Goodbye,” airing on May 22.
Boden, who has been on a short leave of absence due to personal family matters, will make a significant impact on the race for Deputy Commissioner in the finale.
On “Chicago Fire,” Wallace Boden has been a pivotal character, starting as Battalion Chief of Battalion 25 and earning promotions to higher ranks over the seasons.
His potential promotion to Deputy Fire Commissioner could signal a new chapter for the series, potentially impacting screen time for other characters like Severide.
Eamonn Walker’s extensive career spans over four decades across TV, stage, and film.
Apart from his role on “Chicago Fire,” he’s known for his portrayal of Kareem Saïd in the HBO series “Oz,” as well as roles in “ER” and Cadillac Records.
“Chicago Fire” is produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studios Group.
Eamonn Walker’s departure marks a significant transition in the series, leaving fans curious about what lies ahead for the beloved character and the show’s dynamic.
Pastor Keion Henderson Addresses Viral ‘Hush’ Video: ‘This Was A 4-Year Battle’
Pastor Keion Henderson became a hot topic over the weekend after a video surfaced of him telling a woman to “hush” during service.
In the viral clip, the woman is wailing as Pastor Keion is leading praise and worship.
At some point, he walked over towards her while snapping his fingers, and told her to “hush.”
He returned to praise and worship noting that the only voice he wanted to hear was “His” [the Lord’s].
The viral clip sparked an online debate over whether or not Pastor Keion Henderson was wrong to muzzle the woman’s “praise.”
Pastor Henderson and his wife, Shaunie O’Neal, appeared on the “Tamron Hall Show” and he set the record straight.
He revealed this is and has been an issue for the last four years!
This was a four-year battle. This is ongoing.
So, I’ve already talked to her personally.
I’d already had ushers go up to her.
I’ve already had prayer warriors.
I’ve had everything so she did it publicly after being asked not to.
When Tamron Hall asked if she was crying or being emotional, Pastor Keion responded, “You know as a pastor I know the difference between disturbance and worship.”
He added, “And what people have to understand is that every time you hear a noise in church it isn’t worship. And so there has to be order.”
Aaron Hernandez & Tom Brady Jim Rogash/Getty Images; Harry How/Getty Images
Tom Brady was the subject of his own roast this past weekend, but he wasn’t the only person to catch a few jokes. Aaron Hernandez, the New England Patriots tight end who took his own life while in jail, was mentioned, and his ex-fiancée was not happy about it.
The Greatest Roast Of All-Time: Tom Brady took place on Netflix on Sunday (May 5) and was hosted by Kevin Hart. Multiple people, namely Brady himself, Nikki Glaser, and former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, mention Hernandez amid their jokes. “Everyone always asks me how big Gronk’s d**k is,” Edelman said, referring to former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. “Now don’t get me wrong, it gets the job done. But there was this other Patriots tight end. Now he was hung.”
Edelman’s joke alluded to the fact Hernandez hung himself in 2017, just days after being acquitted of his alleged 2012 double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado in Boston. Glaser made a similar reference, saying “Give it up for zero-time Super Bowl champion Randy Moss. Why don’t you have a ring? What the hell, man, you’re one of the best ever. Drew Bledsoe has a ring. Aaron Hernandez had a ring… around his neck.”
“The bar for a Patriots tight end was pretty low back then,” Tom Brady said in one of his jokes. “Block. Catch. Don’t murder.” This was a reference to Aaron Hernandez killing semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd in 2013.
While this was entertaining to people who were present, Hernandez’s ex-fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, was not amused. “It’s sad that I’m trying to raise my children in such a cruel world,” she told TMZ. Jenkins was especially concerned that her 11-year-old daughter, Avielle, was old enough to both hear and comprehend the jokes about her late father.
She recently shared a heartfelt post about her late fiancée on Instagram. “It takes as long as it takes. I will always wake up everyday only to remember you are not here and have to feel that ache all over again,” she wrote. “You are truly loved & missed.”
Aaron Hernandez’s brother, Dennis “D.J.” Hernandez, got into some legal trouble in July 2023. He was arrested for conspiring to conduct shootings at the University of Connecticut and Brown University. TMZ reported that the Bristol Police Department had a working theory about Hernandez and how he could be a “danger to society.” They also spoke with key people who had interacted with him and received “unsettling text messages.”
“We’re taking lives if sh*t isn’t paid up,” one text message said. “It’s been years in planning just taking notes, names, and locations. They talked their way into this and it’s almost point game.” On social media, he wrote “Will I kill? Absolutely, I’ve warned my enemies so pay up front.”
When Hernandez was arrested, he did not resist. Instead, he walked toward the police and encouraged them to shoot him. He was eventually detained and taken to a local medical facility. His bail was set at $250,000.
Angel Reese Celebrates Birthday With 2024 Met Gala Debut
Angel Reese is having a big year. On Monday night (May 6), the Maryland native made her Met Gala debut, also celebrating her 22nd birthday. The star athlete wore a custom dress from British label 16Arlington, per WWD.
The seafoam green, sequin number featured a low cut in the front, a feathered skirt, and an additional sheer skirt layer. Reese styled her hair in a slick back ponytail with a center part and accessorized with subtle silver rings, earrings, and matching pumps.“I’m just excited to see everyone’s outfits. Everyone looks amazing in here. Being here on my 22nd birthday is amazing,” shared the professional basketball player with the fashion platform. “I feel beautiful and I feel sexy.”
Attending fashion’s biggest night temporarily took Reese from her new hometown Chicago as the WNBA season gears up for a historic start. The Lousiana State University star was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft last month.
According to The Athletic, the Bayou Barbie is believed to be the first WNBA rookie to be invited and attend the annual event, although Brittney Griner attended in 2023, a decade after her first year on the court.
As she returns to the Windy City, Reese and the Chicago Sky are prepared to take on the New York Liberty in Tuesday’s preseason matchup. The game is set to stream at 8 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass due to high demand.
“The group of young ladies that we have, it’s a deserving thing for them to be seen,” Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon detailed to the Chicago Tribune. “It’s good to know that it changed and for us to be seen and for us to play the game of basketball the way that we love and to have fun doing it with the world being able to watch.”
Reese’s WNBA debut last week against the Minnesota Lynx was not broadcast, leading to a fan live stream on X garnering 400,000 views, per Sports Illustrated. In that game, Reese nearly earned a double-double, with 13 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes of action, although the team lost overall.
New 'Despicable Me 4' Trailer Gives First Look At Mega Minions
Illumination has unveiled a new trailer for "Despicable Me 4", debuting first look at some new, but familiar faces. The video introduces a super twist to its Minions, with some of the little creatures being upgraded to Mega Minions.
In the sneak peek, Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan) is forced out of retirement to take down Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), who seeks revenge on Gru and his family. As the new villain poses a threat to Gru's family, Silas seems to have a solution to the problem.
Silas gathers the Minions to join an experiment with a brand new serum that will basically transform them into superheroes. "Gentlemen, you will be the first to test our super serum designed to transform you into cutting edge agents...or you might just die," he says, not promising the result.
Thankfully, the Minions who test out the serum survive and are transformed physically. They also now have superpowers which they immediately demonstrate, causing a mayhem in the process.
According to Illumination, "in the first 'Despicable Me' movie in seven years, Gru, the world's favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League-agent, returns for an exciting, bold new era of Minions mayhem in Illumination's 'Despicable Me 4'."
WATCH HERE
The franchise begins a new chapter as Gru (Steve Carell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and their girls, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan), welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad.
Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Sofia Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run. The studio promises that the film is "packed with non-stop action and filled with Illumination's signature subversive humor."
To be distributed by Universal Pictures, "Despicable Me 4" is directed by Chris Renaud, who directed the first film and created the Minions. It also features new characters voiced by Joey King, Stephen Colbert and Chloe Fineman, with Pierre Coffin returning as the voice of the Minions. The movie is set to open in U.S. theaters on July 3.
Travis Kelce Tapped To Star On Ryan Murphy's 'Grotesquerie' In First Major TV Gig
Niecy confirmed Travis' casting with an Instagram video on Tuesday, May 7. In the video, the "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" star could be seen saying, "Guys, guess who I am working with on 'Grotesquerie'?" before panning the camera to Travis.
"Jumping into new territory!" the NFL star said, with Niecy adding, "We on site!" In the caption, the Emmy-winning actress wrote, "This is what happens when WINNERS link up!! @killatrav Welcome to Grostequerie [sic]."
Travis additionally reposted the video on Instagram Stories. Showing excitement over the new gig, he wrote, "Steppin into a new world with one of the legends!"
There are no details about the character that Travis is going to portray in the FX series. Other cast members include Emmy winner Courtney B. Vance and Lesley Manville.
While this isn't the first TV role that Travis scored, "Grotesquerie" marked the 34-year-old athlete's first major TV gig. Prior to this, the boyfriend of Taylor Swift made a surprise cameo on an episode of "Moonbase 8" in 2020. He also produced indie film "My Dead Friend Zoe" and is set to host the upcoming Prime game show "Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?"
Meanwhile, FX first teased "Grotesquerie" with an all-text teaser back in February. It included audio of Niecy's character saying, "I don't know when it started, I can't put my finger on it, but it's different now. There's been a shift, like something's opening up in the world - a kind of hole that descends into a nothingness."
FX has yet to set a premiere date for "Grotesquerie", but the horror series is planned to arrive this fall.
50 Cent hits back at ex Daphne Joy for abuse allegations
50 Cent have sued her ex Daphne Joy for defamation after she alleged him of raping and abusing her in a shock Instagram post in March.
The In Da Club rapper, who is father to son Sire, 11, with Joy, 37, has been involved in an online beef with his ex after music producer Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones accused Joy of being a sex worker who paid by the Bad Boy Records founder, in a sex trafficking lawsuit filed against Diddy
Joy denied the accusations and labelled them as “character assassination.”
She then went on to accuse 50 Cent of rape in an Instagram post. Joy also slammed the rapper for being an absent father to their son, but 50 Cent turned down the allegations in a statement shared with DailyMail.com.
According to the outlet, 50 Cent claims Joy only alleged him because she got to know he was going to file for the sole custody of Sire.
The rapper adds that he wants full custody after Joy was name dropped in the Jones lawsuit against Diddy.
Eamonn Walker Exits ‘Chicago Fire’ After 12 Seasons As A Series Regular
The decision was reportedly Walker’s own, amidst recent cast changes in OneChicago.
Despite his departure from regular duties, sources indicate that the Boden character is still part of the show’s fabric and Walker is expected to return in a recurring capacity in the future.
Fans can anticipate more clarity regarding Boden’s storyline and future plans in the Season 12 finale titled “Never Say Goodbye,” airing on May 22.
Boden, who has been on a short leave of absence due to personal family matters, will make a significant impact on the race for Deputy Commissioner in the finale.
On “Chicago Fire,” Wallace Boden has been a pivotal character, starting as Battalion Chief of Battalion 25 and earning promotions to higher ranks over the seasons.
His potential promotion to Deputy Fire Commissioner could signal a new chapter for the series, potentially impacting screen time for other characters like Severide.
Eamonn Walker’s extensive career spans over four decades across TV, stage, and film.
Apart from his role on “Chicago Fire,” he’s known for his portrayal of Kareem Saïd in the HBO series “Oz,” as well as roles in “ER” and Cadillac Records.
“Chicago Fire” is produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studios Group.
Eamonn Walker’s departure marks a significant transition in the series, leaving fans curious about what lies ahead for the beloved character and the show’s dynamic.
Pastor Keion Henderson Addresses Viral ‘Hush’ Video: ‘This Was A 4-Year Battle’
Pastor Keion Henderson became a hot topic over the weekend after a video surfaced of him telling a woman to “hush” during service.
In the viral clip, the woman is wailing as Pastor Keion is leading praise and worship.
At some point, he walked over towards her while snapping his fingers, and told her to “hush.”
He returned to praise and worship noting that the only voice he wanted to hear was “His” [the Lord’s].
The viral clip sparked an online debate over whether or not Pastor Keion Henderson was wrong to muzzle the woman’s “praise.”
Pastor Henderson and his wife, Shaunie O’Neal, appeared on the “Tamron Hall Show” and he set the record straight.
He revealed this is and has been an issue for the last four years!
This was a four-year battle. This is ongoing.
So, I’ve already talked to her personally.
I’d already had ushers go up to her.
I’ve already had prayer warriors.
I’ve had everything so she did it publicly after being asked not to.
When Tamron Hall asked if she was crying or being emotional, Pastor Keion responded, “You know as a pastor I know the difference between disturbance and worship.”
He added, “And what people have to understand is that every time you hear a noise in church it isn’t worship. And so there has to be order.”
Shooting near Drake’s Toronto mansion leaves man injured
police confirmed that a shooting took place near Drake's residence in Toronto's Bridle Path neighborhood. In a message shared on Twitter, authorities said that a man was transported to a hospital with serious injuries and a suspect fled in a vehicle.
As reported by the Toronto Sun, the victim, Drake’s security guard, was shot in what witnesses described as a drive-by attack. The publication added that the 48-year-old individual suffered a gunshot wound to the upper chest. It's unclear if Drake was at home when the incident occurred.
News of the situation arrived after the OVO head honcho made headlines because of his rap beef with Kendrick Lamar. The most recent development from that conflict happened on Sunday (May 5), when the Canadian star dropped "THE HEART PART 6" as a diss to his Compton counterpart.
"I'm not gonna lie, this s**t was some good exercise. Like, it's good to get out, get the pen workin'," Drake said in a short speech at the end of the song. "You would be a worthy competitor if I was really a predator, and you weren't f**kin' lying to every blogger and editor, but it is what it is." He also seemed to allude to "THE HEART PART 6" being his last entry in the war on wax. "You could drop 100 more records, I'll see you later, yeah, maybe when you meet your maker, I don't wanna fight with a woman beater, it feeds your nature," Drizzy rapped.
In related news, Drake's OVO store in London was vandalized with lyrics from Lamar's "Not Like Us," a single that targeted the For All The Dogs rapper and his crew. In an image shared on social media, the front window of the establishment had the track's chorus spray-painted over it.
TikTok sues the United States government over potential ban
TikTok filed a lawsuit against the United States government over a measure that could potentially ban the popular app nationwide. This move followed through on previous legal threats made by the company after President Joe Biden signed the legislation, titled the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. If TikTok loses the case, it faces the possibility of being removed from the country unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells the app to a non-Chinese entity by mid-January 2025.
In a petition filed at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, TikTok and ByteDance argued that the law is unconstitutional, as it restricts freedom of speech and access to information. "The 'qualified divestiture' demanded by the act to allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States is simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally. And certainly not on the 270-day timeline required by the act," the petition read. They also claimed that Congress overstepped its bounds by targeting and effectively banning a specific platform, which they argued violates the First Amendment.
As previously reported, the legal action came after years of concerns regarding TikTok's alleged ties to the Chinese government, with fears that user data could be accessed by Chinese officials for intelligence purposes or propaganda efforts. TikTok vehemently denied these allegations and took steps to address U.S. government concerns, including hosting user data on servers owned by American tech giant Oracle.
"The fact is we have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation," read a statement from TikTok back in April. "This ban would devastate 7 million businesses and silence 170 million Americans. As we continue to challenge this unconstitutional ban, we will continue investing and innovating to ensure TikTok remains a space where Americans of all walks of life can safely come to share their experiences, find joy, and be inspired."
Robert Downey Jr. to Make Broadway Debut This Fall
Robert Downey Jr. is making his Broadway debut this fall in a new play by Ayad Akhtar.
The play, called McNeal, will see Downey portraying a talented writer who grapples with a new novel, a broken family life and “an unhealthy fascination with artificial intelligence.” Bartlett Sher, resident director at the Lincoln Center who also helmed To Kill a Mockingbird, among others, is directing.
Downey’s production company, Team Downey, is producing, in association with Lincoln Center Theater.
The play will run at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater starting Sept. 5 and opening on Sept. 30. The play will be a strictly limited engagement running through Nov. 24. Complete casting will be announced at a later date.
The Iron Man star won his first Oscar this year for his role in Oppenheimer. His recent projects include the HBO and A24 adaptation of the novel The Sympathizer. He is also slated to appear in Paramount Pictures’ Vertigo.
Akhtar is a Pulitzer Prize winner for his play Disgraced, in addition to credits including Junk, at the Lincoln Center, and The Who & the What.
McNeal will feature sets by Michael Yeargan and Jake Barton, costumes by Jennifer Moeller, lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Justin Ellington & Beth Lake, and projections by Jake Barton.
Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes React to Their Former Boss’s Exit from ABC News
"It opens up that wound of what we had hoped could have been that wasn't," Robach said of Kim Godwin's departure from the network
Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes are thinking about what could have been.
In light of the news that Kim Godwin, the president of ABC News, is exiting the network, which she announced on Instagram on Monday, May 6, Robach and Holmes reflected on their own experiences with Godwin, who was the figure who ultimately ended their careers at the network two years ago.
"I would say the best way to describe how I feel is sad," Robach, 51, said on the May 7 episode of her and Holmes' podcast. "It's sad when someone loses their job. It's sad when someone leaves a profession they love, for whatever reason. And given all that we've been through, it's just sad that this is how the story ended. None of us wanted things to go the way they did."
Holmes, 46, agreed, as he shared that the couple have received texts referring to Godwin's exit as if "justice has been served," but that is not how they feel.
"No. Not at all," Robach said. "And I think it just opens up that wound of, you know, what we had hoped could have been that wasn't. And so, yes, when we were let go, it wasn't that we wanted her to be let go, but you just saw how it was all unfolding. And you knew the sentiment in the building, and it's a sad morning. That's the best way for me to describe it."
Robach admitted that the news has her "re-feeling all of the things I felt that day when we were told not to come into work and then, especially, the day when we realized we would never be returning to ABC News." She added that Godwin's departure "brings back all of those feelings of sadness and frustration and just — I have a general sentiment of just feeling like it just didn't have to happen like this."
Holmes offered some insight into the decision, though, as he said that Godwin's exit after three years at the helm of the network "didn't come as a surprise" to them — or others familiar with the workings of ABC.
"In fact, when we left in February of 2023, when we left the network, if we were betting folks, it was only a matter of when she was going to leave, and maybe not even how she was going to leave," he stated. "We were talking about this the other day with someone. Nobody necessarily leaves pretty when they leave that network. So it didn't come as a surprise to us."
Godwin, though, was "the person who made the phone call at 6 a.m. on Dec. 5, 2022 telling us not to come to work," Holmes continued, referring to the initial decision to remove him and Robach from the air on GMA3 after their romance was made public. In January 2023, the network officially pulled the pair off the series.
"We never got back on the air at ABC News," Holmes said, adding that Godwin "was very central in everything that ended up taking place with us."
But Robach said she harbors no ill-will towards Godwin. "It's interesting because I think maybe many of you — and certainly some of my friends and family — expected me or us to feel some sort of vindication or that we felt like justice was served now that Kim Godwin is gone. But that is not the case," Robach said. "And I wanna make that very, very clear. I didn't — and we didn't — feel any of those things."
The news of Godwin's exit from ABC comes just days after PEOPLE confirmed that former ABC News and Good Morning America meteorologist Rob Marciano was no longer in his position at the company.
On the May 2 episode of the Amy & T.J. Podcast, the couple weighed in on Marciano's exit, too, as they remarked that "nobody leaves ABC News in a pretty fashion," a sentiment they echoed on the May 7 episode.
“It's a tough situation. We have walked down that road and it's not an easy one," Robach said of their former colleague's departure. "And I think he might still be going through a divorce. So we know what it's like to have your entire life upended, career and personal life … And we both have known Rob for a long time.
Boy Scouts of America Announces Rebrand to ‘Scouting America’
Boy Scouts of America announced Tuesday that it will change its name to Scouting America next February, to emphasize its commitment to inclusion.
The youth organization said the new name is meant to help everyone, including boys and girls, feel welcome. The change will go into effect on February 8, 2025, the organization’s 115th anniversary, the Boy Scouts of America said.
“While this may be a surprise to some of you, for us this is a straightforward evolution and the next natural step in ensuring all American youth feel welcomed and recognized in an organization that is meant to serve all Americans,” Roger A. Krone, president and chief executive officer of the Boy Scouts of America, told reporters during a Tuesday news conference.
Krone said the rebranding won’t change the organization’s mission of preparing “young people over their lives to make ethical and moral choices by instilling the scout oath, and the scout law. America’s values are scouting values.”
Girls were first able to join the Cub Scouts, the organization’s program for children 7 to 10 years old, in 2018. The following year, the organization welcomed older girls, 11 to 17 years old, to its flagship program Scouts BSA, CNN previously reported
At the time, BSA said the program’s expansion had been requested for years and was aimed at helping busy families consolidate programs for their children.
Krone said he now believes it is time for the organization to have a name that better reflects the youth who are currently enrolled in their programs. He said almost 20% of members are girls or young women.
Selby Chipman, an inaugural female Eagle Scout who is an assistant Scoutmaster in North Carolina, said during the news conference one of the great things that she got out of the program were leadership skills.
She said she hopes more girls and young women learn those skills and benefit from the program like she has.
More than 1 million youth are currently enrolled across the programs offered by Boys Scouts of America, according to the organization, including 176,234 girls and young women. So far, more than 6,000 girls and young women have earned the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout, BSA said in a news release.
Bob Brady, a New Jersey attorney who founded an all-girls Scouts BSA troop and serves as its Scoutmaster, said some girls quickly joined the program when it expanded because they had male siblings who were Eagle Scouts but the community at large may not be aware of the changes.
“Five and a half years after we started, you see people in town who see us marching a parade, doing a service project saying ‘Girls can be Scouts? It’s called Boy Scouts,’” Brady said in the news conference. “It takes some explaining to do… so I think this is gonna be great to help with recruiting and let everyone know the inclusive program that we’ve become over the last decade.”
Since then, Brady’s two daughters have earned the rank of Eagle Scouts.
“Young girls, young boys, there’s nothing about the Scout oath or a law that is inherently masculine or inherently feminine and applies across the board. Young girls in 2024 like to go camping, they like to go hiking,” Brady said. “You know what, I’ve had more moms and women tell me over the last five or six years, I wish I had the opportunity to be in scouts when I was a kid.”
The Boy Scouts of America has faced a storm of controversy in recent years, including widespread allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct. The organization filed for bankruptcy in 2020 after spending more than $150 million to settle abuse lawsuits, CNN previously reported.
Last year, the Boy Scouts of America began compensating thousands of victims of sexual abuse through a court-established Victims Compensation Trust. The Trust is expected to pay out $2.4 billion to more than 82,000 survivors of abuse, CNN reported.
DJ Vlad Reverses Course Following Criticism for Attempting to Get Black Professor Fired
*DJ Vlad asserts that he harbored no malicious intent when he sought to have a Black woman terminated from her position at Princeton over the weekend.
As we reported earlier, it all started over Vald’s criticism of Kendrick Lamar’s latest Drake diss, “Not Like Us.” On X (formally Twitter), he wrote, “Kendrick’s ‘Not Like Us’ needed a better mix. It takes away from the song.”
As Ice Cream Convos reports, Morgan Jerkins, a Princeton professor and the niece of music producer Rodney Jerkins, responded to Vlad, writing, “You are WHITE. This is a BLACK FOLK AFFAIR.”
Vlad responded: Wait, so a professor at @Princeton is telling me that a white person shouldn’t be allowed to voice their opinion about Hip-Hop? Is that how you interact with your students?
Morgan replied, “What I’m saying is that you put your opinion in a discussion that’s not needed. This conversation is and should center on Black people, not you. And by the way, my students have more cultural competency than you. They actually know how to read the room.
That’s when DJ Vlad vowed to contact the university to report Morgan for hurting his feelings and proceeded to tag Princeton in numerous posts directed at the professor.
His postings on X elicited criticism from numerous app users. Although he initially hinted at lodging a formal complaint with the university, on Monday (May 6), DJ Vlad appeared to reconsider his stance.
“Since it’s Monday, let me clear the air and state that I never had any intention of filing a complaint to Princeton for former professor Morgan Jerkins saying that white people aren’t allowed to comment on Kendrick Lamar’s music,” he wrote on X. “She trolled me and I trolled back. At the end of the day, it created an interesting discussion about race relations in America. I will be discussing it further in my future interviews.”
Morgan responded to his tweet, writing, “A lie. He tagged my employer multiple times with the intention to professionally harm me. I didn’t troll. I centered Black people in a discussion on hip-hop and told him to stand down bc it’s not his space.”
She added, “You tried to get violent and you realized how many people were in my corner.”
She also claims Vlad continues to harass her by trying to contact her family.
Brian McKnight’s Son Claps Back at Tyrese Over Rickey Smiley Video: “You Have Relationships to Fix With Your Own Children”
Brian McKnight’s son Niko is criticizing Tyrese for inserting himself into the conversation.
This comes after Tyrese responded negatively to Rickey Smiley’s heartfelt video offering love and support to the McKnight children following Brian’s public remarks about his children from his first marriage being a “product of sin.”
Tyrese said it was “unfair in my opinion as a grown-ass man for Smiley to speak about another man’s family dynamics.”
Additionally, last month, Brian insisted that his ex-wife blocked him for wanting to support his son who is battling cancer.
However, Niko was unimpressed with Tyrese’s response.
“Tyrese used to sleep under our pool table when I was a kid. I know the 90s RnB brotherhood blood is thicker than anything but you should sit this one out champ,” he wrote in his IG story. “You have relationships to fix with your own children and your own past decisions you’ve made on behalf of p—sy and power. The allegiance to those two things is what keeps you guys from seeing that the only thing that matters in the end is family. Real men can’t see past the bulls—t.”
He concluded, “Let me stop though. This 46-hr chemo infusion has me ready to fade jody. That’s not right.”
As reported by the Toronto Sun, the victim, Drake’s security guard, was shot in what witnesses described as a drive-by attack. The publication added that the 48-year-old individual suffered a gunshot wound to the upper chest. It's unclear if Drake was at home when the incident occurred.
News of the situation arrived after the OVO head honcho made headlines because of his rap beef with Kendrick Lamar. The most recent development from that conflict happened on Sunday (May 5), when the Canadian star dropped "THE HEART PART 6" as a diss to his Compton counterpart.
"I'm not gonna lie, this s**t was some good exercise. Like, it's good to get out, get the pen workin'," Drake said in a short speech at the end of the song. "You would be a worthy competitor if I was really a predator, and you weren't f**kin' lying to every blogger and editor, but it is what it is." He also seemed to allude to "THE HEART PART 6" being his last entry in the war on wax. "You could drop 100 more records, I'll see you later, yeah, maybe when you meet your maker, I don't wanna fight with a woman beater, it feeds your nature," Drizzy rapped.
In related news, Drake's OVO store in London was vandalized with lyrics from Lamar's "Not Like Us," a single that targeted the For All The Dogs rapper and his crew. In an image shared on social media, the front window of the establishment had the track's chorus spray-painted over it.
TikTok sues the United States government over potential ban
TikTok filed a lawsuit against the United States government over a measure that could potentially ban the popular app nationwide. This move followed through on previous legal threats made by the company after President Joe Biden signed the legislation, titled the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. If TikTok loses the case, it faces the possibility of being removed from the country unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells the app to a non-Chinese entity by mid-January 2025.
In a petition filed at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, TikTok and ByteDance argued that the law is unconstitutional, as it restricts freedom of speech and access to information. "The 'qualified divestiture' demanded by the act to allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States is simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally. And certainly not on the 270-day timeline required by the act," the petition read. They also claimed that Congress overstepped its bounds by targeting and effectively banning a specific platform, which they argued violates the First Amendment.
As previously reported, the legal action came after years of concerns regarding TikTok's alleged ties to the Chinese government, with fears that user data could be accessed by Chinese officials for intelligence purposes or propaganda efforts. TikTok vehemently denied these allegations and took steps to address U.S. government concerns, including hosting user data on servers owned by American tech giant Oracle.
"The fact is we have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation," read a statement from TikTok back in April. "This ban would devastate 7 million businesses and silence 170 million Americans. As we continue to challenge this unconstitutional ban, we will continue investing and innovating to ensure TikTok remains a space where Americans of all walks of life can safely come to share their experiences, find joy, and be inspired."
Robert Downey Jr. to Make Broadway Debut This Fall
The play, called McNeal, will see Downey portraying a talented writer who grapples with a new novel, a broken family life and “an unhealthy fascination with artificial intelligence.” Bartlett Sher, resident director at the Lincoln Center who also helmed To Kill a Mockingbird, among others, is directing.
Downey’s production company, Team Downey, is producing, in association with Lincoln Center Theater.
The play will run at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater starting Sept. 5 and opening on Sept. 30. The play will be a strictly limited engagement running through Nov. 24. Complete casting will be announced at a later date.
The Iron Man star won his first Oscar this year for his role in Oppenheimer. His recent projects include the HBO and A24 adaptation of the novel The Sympathizer. He is also slated to appear in Paramount Pictures’ Vertigo.
Akhtar is a Pulitzer Prize winner for his play Disgraced, in addition to credits including Junk, at the Lincoln Center, and The Who & the What.
McNeal will feature sets by Michael Yeargan and Jake Barton, costumes by Jennifer Moeller, lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Justin Ellington & Beth Lake, and projections by Jake Barton.
Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes React to Their Former Boss’s Exit from ABC News
"It opens up that wound of what we had hoped could have been that wasn't," Robach said of Kim Godwin's departure from the network
Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes are thinking about what could have been.
In light of the news that Kim Godwin, the president of ABC News, is exiting the network, which she announced on Instagram on Monday, May 6, Robach and Holmes reflected on their own experiences with Godwin, who was the figure who ultimately ended their careers at the network two years ago.
"I would say the best way to describe how I feel is sad," Robach, 51, said on the May 7 episode of her and Holmes' podcast. "It's sad when someone loses their job. It's sad when someone leaves a profession they love, for whatever reason. And given all that we've been through, it's just sad that this is how the story ended. None of us wanted things to go the way they did."
Holmes, 46, agreed, as he shared that the couple have received texts referring to Godwin's exit as if "justice has been served," but that is not how they feel.
"No. Not at all," Robach said. "And I think it just opens up that wound of, you know, what we had hoped could have been that wasn't. And so, yes, when we were let go, it wasn't that we wanted her to be let go, but you just saw how it was all unfolding. And you knew the sentiment in the building, and it's a sad morning. That's the best way for me to describe it."
Robach admitted that the news has her "re-feeling all of the things I felt that day when we were told not to come into work and then, especially, the day when we realized we would never be returning to ABC News." She added that Godwin's departure "brings back all of those feelings of sadness and frustration and just — I have a general sentiment of just feeling like it just didn't have to happen like this."
Holmes offered some insight into the decision, though, as he said that Godwin's exit after three years at the helm of the network "didn't come as a surprise" to them — or others familiar with the workings of ABC.
"In fact, when we left in February of 2023, when we left the network, if we were betting folks, it was only a matter of when she was going to leave, and maybe not even how she was going to leave," he stated. "We were talking about this the other day with someone. Nobody necessarily leaves pretty when they leave that network. So it didn't come as a surprise to us."
Godwin, though, was "the person who made the phone call at 6 a.m. on Dec. 5, 2022 telling us not to come to work," Holmes continued, referring to the initial decision to remove him and Robach from the air on GMA3 after their romance was made public. In January 2023, the network officially pulled the pair off the series.
"We never got back on the air at ABC News," Holmes said, adding that Godwin "was very central in everything that ended up taking place with us."
But Robach said she harbors no ill-will towards Godwin. "It's interesting because I think maybe many of you — and certainly some of my friends and family — expected me or us to feel some sort of vindication or that we felt like justice was served now that Kim Godwin is gone. But that is not the case," Robach said. "And I wanna make that very, very clear. I didn't — and we didn't — feel any of those things."
The news of Godwin's exit from ABC comes just days after PEOPLE confirmed that former ABC News and Good Morning America meteorologist Rob Marciano was no longer in his position at the company.
On the May 2 episode of the Amy & T.J. Podcast, the couple weighed in on Marciano's exit, too, as they remarked that "nobody leaves ABC News in a pretty fashion," a sentiment they echoed on the May 7 episode.
“It's a tough situation. We have walked down that road and it's not an easy one," Robach said of their former colleague's departure. "And I think he might still be going through a divorce. So we know what it's like to have your entire life upended, career and personal life … And we both have known Rob for a long time.
Boy Scouts of America Announces Rebrand to ‘Scouting America’
The youth organization said the new name is meant to help everyone, including boys and girls, feel welcome. The change will go into effect on February 8, 2025, the organization’s 115th anniversary, the Boy Scouts of America said.
“While this may be a surprise to some of you, for us this is a straightforward evolution and the next natural step in ensuring all American youth feel welcomed and recognized in an organization that is meant to serve all Americans,” Roger A. Krone, president and chief executive officer of the Boy Scouts of America, told reporters during a Tuesday news conference.
Krone said the rebranding won’t change the organization’s mission of preparing “young people over their lives to make ethical and moral choices by instilling the scout oath, and the scout law. America’s values are scouting values.”
Girls were first able to join the Cub Scouts, the organization’s program for children 7 to 10 years old, in 2018. The following year, the organization welcomed older girls, 11 to 17 years old, to its flagship program Scouts BSA, CNN previously reported
At the time, BSA said the program’s expansion had been requested for years and was aimed at helping busy families consolidate programs for their children.
Krone said he now believes it is time for the organization to have a name that better reflects the youth who are currently enrolled in their programs. He said almost 20% of members are girls or young women.
Selby Chipman, an inaugural female Eagle Scout who is an assistant Scoutmaster in North Carolina, said during the news conference one of the great things that she got out of the program were leadership skills.
She said she hopes more girls and young women learn those skills and benefit from the program like she has.
More than 1 million youth are currently enrolled across the programs offered by Boys Scouts of America, according to the organization, including 176,234 girls and young women. So far, more than 6,000 girls and young women have earned the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout, BSA said in a news release.
Bob Brady, a New Jersey attorney who founded an all-girls Scouts BSA troop and serves as its Scoutmaster, said some girls quickly joined the program when it expanded because they had male siblings who were Eagle Scouts but the community at large may not be aware of the changes.
“Five and a half years after we started, you see people in town who see us marching a parade, doing a service project saying ‘Girls can be Scouts? It’s called Boy Scouts,’” Brady said in the news conference. “It takes some explaining to do… so I think this is gonna be great to help with recruiting and let everyone know the inclusive program that we’ve become over the last decade.”
Since then, Brady’s two daughters have earned the rank of Eagle Scouts.
“Young girls, young boys, there’s nothing about the Scout oath or a law that is inherently masculine or inherently feminine and applies across the board. Young girls in 2024 like to go camping, they like to go hiking,” Brady said. “You know what, I’ve had more moms and women tell me over the last five or six years, I wish I had the opportunity to be in scouts when I was a kid.”
The Boy Scouts of America has faced a storm of controversy in recent years, including widespread allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct. The organization filed for bankruptcy in 2020 after spending more than $150 million to settle abuse lawsuits, CNN previously reported.
Last year, the Boy Scouts of America began compensating thousands of victims of sexual abuse through a court-established Victims Compensation Trust. The Trust is expected to pay out $2.4 billion to more than 82,000 survivors of abuse, CNN reported.
DJ Vlad Reverses Course Following Criticism for Attempting to Get Black Professor Fired
*DJ Vlad asserts that he harbored no malicious intent when he sought to have a Black woman terminated from her position at Princeton over the weekend.
As we reported earlier, it all started over Vald’s criticism of Kendrick Lamar’s latest Drake diss, “Not Like Us.” On X (formally Twitter), he wrote, “Kendrick’s ‘Not Like Us’ needed a better mix. It takes away from the song.”
As Ice Cream Convos reports, Morgan Jerkins, a Princeton professor and the niece of music producer Rodney Jerkins, responded to Vlad, writing, “You are WHITE. This is a BLACK FOLK AFFAIR.”
Vlad responded: Wait, so a professor at @Princeton is telling me that a white person shouldn’t be allowed to voice their opinion about Hip-Hop? Is that how you interact with your students?
Morgan replied, “What I’m saying is that you put your opinion in a discussion that’s not needed. This conversation is and should center on Black people, not you. And by the way, my students have more cultural competency than you. They actually know how to read the room.
That’s when DJ Vlad vowed to contact the university to report Morgan for hurting his feelings and proceeded to tag Princeton in numerous posts directed at the professor.
His postings on X elicited criticism from numerous app users. Although he initially hinted at lodging a formal complaint with the university, on Monday (May 6), DJ Vlad appeared to reconsider his stance.
“Since it’s Monday, let me clear the air and state that I never had any intention of filing a complaint to Princeton for former professor Morgan Jerkins saying that white people aren’t allowed to comment on Kendrick Lamar’s music,” he wrote on X. “She trolled me and I trolled back. At the end of the day, it created an interesting discussion about race relations in America. I will be discussing it further in my future interviews.”
Morgan responded to his tweet, writing, “A lie. He tagged my employer multiple times with the intention to professionally harm me. I didn’t troll. I centered Black people in a discussion on hip-hop and told him to stand down bc it’s not his space.”
She added, “You tried to get violent and you realized how many people were in my corner.”
She also claims Vlad continues to harass her by trying to contact her family.
Brian McKnight’s Son Claps Back at Tyrese Over Rickey Smiley Video: “You Have Relationships to Fix With Your Own Children”
This comes after Tyrese responded negatively to Rickey Smiley’s heartfelt video offering love and support to the McKnight children following Brian’s public remarks about his children from his first marriage being a “product of sin.”
Tyrese said it was “unfair in my opinion as a grown-ass man for Smiley to speak about another man’s family dynamics.”
Additionally, last month, Brian insisted that his ex-wife blocked him for wanting to support his son who is battling cancer.
However, Niko was unimpressed with Tyrese’s response.
“Tyrese used to sleep under our pool table when I was a kid. I know the 90s RnB brotherhood blood is thicker than anything but you should sit this one out champ,” he wrote in his IG story. “You have relationships to fix with your own children and your own past decisions you’ve made on behalf of p—sy and power. The allegiance to those two things is what keeps you guys from seeing that the only thing that matters in the end is family. Real men can’t see past the bulls—t.”
He concluded, “Let me stop though. This 46-hr chemo infusion has me ready to fade jody. That’s not right.”
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
New Family Shopping Attires at Walmart
Not sure if they're going to the beach after Walmart?
Not sure if they're going to the beach after Walmart?
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
No comments:
Post a Comment