12/19/24

The Daily Buzz For Dec 20☕📰☕

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#MAGFAB: Serena Williams for Ebony Magazine Dec 2024
An Icon Named Serena. The tennis phenomenon opens up about “retired” life, becoming a business mogul and perhaps her most important role of all: being a mom.

“I’m literally in the car line,” Serena Williams tells me, “waiting for my kid.”
The 43-year-old tennis legend is north of West Palm Beach—in Jupiter, Florida—behind the wheel of an SUV. Near barefaced, with hair cascading over one shoulder, Williams seems relaxed but also ready (like so many parents around the world) for the queue to move. I tell her she looks great, and Williams responds with a low wave that signals, Girl, please. But thank you. “I have my red-carpet looks, obviously,” she says. “And I have my magazine looks. But my look needs to be toned-down and natural when I’m running around, doing all my errands and living my regular life.”

The fact that Williams has a “regular life” can be hard to believe. Especially since it can seem like yesterday that she was a kid herself—on her way to the courts at East Rancho Dominguez Park in Compton, the majority-minority Southern California city made larger in the cultural imagination by foundational rap group N.W.A, Kendrick Lamar, actor Niecy Nash and WNBA all-star Lisa Leslie. “It’s this tiny city in the middle of Los Angeles,” says Williams. “But there’s something about Compton.” Serena, the ultimate cosmopolitan and the queen of the global tennis circuit, has always represented her beloved hometown, and the United States, with grace and ferocity. She’s been retired from professional tennis, though, since September 2022. And while she is deeply engaged in her roles as entrepreneur, investor, mother and wife, life is complex. Even from the school pick-up line.  
Her Perfect Match 
“Wait a minute,” says Williams with an easy smile. She’s recalling a thought she had at the recent U.S. Open, while enjoying matches from the stands: “Should I still be out there?”
She was “out there”—serving top-to-toe Gucci, dancing in her seat and being feted, appropriately, as the belle of the ball. But the day was not without bittersweet moments. “Seeing these players play, you’re like, Gosh, I could play too. And, That was once me. Then I’ll look at Beyoncé, or I’ll look at Usher, and I’m like, We’re all the same age—they’re actually a little bit older than me. And they still have their careers.”  It’s true that retirement is usually associated with one’s sixties or seventies—but when professional athletes step away, they’re often in their twenties or thirties. It’s destabilizing. There’s grief for a former lifestyle and identity. As Williams says, “It’s mind-blowing.”  

But these kinds of feelings, for the star, are fleeting wisps of nostalgia—“about walking out there,” she says, “and hearing everyone so excited to see me and my opponent play.” But nostalgia, as the saying goes, files rough edges off the good old days. “I miss tennis,” Williams says, feigning exhaustion. “No, no, I really, really, really miss it.” But what she likely doesn’t miss is getting hooked up to cables that launch her like a fighter jet, so she can refine her acceleration and deceleration. She may not miss all the bike sprints, or the shot-putting of medicine balls. These days she can play tennis for fun, maybe bless an up-and-comer with a practice set.

Serena also finds a lot of contentment and joy in her life with her husband, cofounder and investor Alexis Ohanian, Sr. (Reddit, Angel City FC). They’ve been married since 2017, and if social media posts have meaning at all, the couple is always having a good time with daughters Olympia, 7, and Adira, 1. Williams even published a children’s book in 2022, The Adventures of Qai Qai, that encourages little girls to believe in themselves.  

“As a mom,” she says, “I like to be hands-on.” But Williams is like that about almost everything. Mid-renovation on her waterfront Jupiter home, where she schedules work meetings around baby ­Adira’s sleep schedule, she is currently knee-deep in carpet samples. She takes breaks to sing karaoke with Olympia, and they engage in fierce lightsaber battles. The mother-daughter bond feels tight, yet easy—ebullient, even. The duo often strike fun poses in matching outfits on red carpets; and, with twin-flame energy, they were seen gazing in rapt attention as Simone Biles led the USA Gymnastics Women’s Senior National Team to victory in Paris.

But with regard to tennis, Williams refuses to push Olympia toward being exactly like herself or her Aunt Venus. “Olympia’s really good at it,” she says. “She’s natural, and I wasn’t natural. I look at Olympia, and Venus looks at her, and it’s like, this girl has more athlete in her than the both of us combined.”  
Williams has taken advice, particularly from retired tennis pro and ESPN analyst Mary Joe Fernández, just to keep her daughter in the sport for fun, with competition being very secondary to play. Yet there’s another important piece. “I think about my confidence,” Williams says, “and where it comes from. And I’m like, Yeah, it came from being an athlete, being active. You had to really believe in yourself. Because no one else believed in me. No one else was rooting for me—not in the beginning. It was super important for me to have that confidence in myself, or I would’ve never been able to win.” 
Boss Lady Things 

That confidence still infuses her life off the court and informs ­culture-shaking moments—like when she and her sister joined another tennis history–maker, Billie Jean King, in the quest for equal pay for male and female tennis players. “Venus and I were able to get equal pay at the Grand Slams, which was huge,” says Williams. “Sitting in those rooms with the people at Wimbledon, and sitting in those board meetings, it was super important.”

That kind of faith in herself contributed to the establishment, in 2014, of Serena Ventures, a fund designed to champion women and underrepresented founders. Williams has invested in over 85 companies, including 14 “unicorns” (companies valued at $1 billion or more). And her familiarity with victory is perhaps one of the reasons why the name of her new beauty line is WYN BEAUTY.  
The brand launched last April—and with it, Williams joined sports personalities like LeBron James, Dwayne Johnson and Michael Strahan, who also recently launched grooming lines. Rugby (and TikTok) star Ilona Maher, along with swimmer Ann Ragan Kearns, launched Medalist skin care; and Naomi Osaka launched Kinlò. Williams had previously founded the body care brand Will Perform, which includes products such as an Epsom salt bath soak and a recovery lotion. WYN BEAUTY is a skin-focused makeup brand; it features an impressive range of products, from mascaras to lipsticks, plus a skin-enhancing tint in 36 shades. And the packaging? It’s the hot yellow-green of tennis balls.
Like the other athletes’ lines, WYN is built for active lifestyles. The products work for athletes who are always moving and perspiring, but WYN is also meant for parents running after toddlers or prepping for half-marathons. “I love to invest in things that affect the everyday lives of people,” says Williams. “That’s me. When I pick Olympia up, or I’m at her school or volunteering—which I do all the way—I want to be able to do that and still look good.”  


#RHOP: Karen Huger DUI Bodycam Footage Released
Season 9 of The Real Housewives of Potomac started with a dramatic reenactment of Karen Huger’s drunken car crash. Since then, the Grande Dame has dodged questions about what happened that night and fought to have the police officer’s body cam footage used in her trial. It didn’t work.

Karen was found guilty of DUI during a jury trial last night with the body cam footage used as key evidence in the case. Now, the footage has been made public, and it’s no wonder Karen tried to keep this sealed. It’s truly damning.

Ray Huger arrived on the scene
The first video showed Karen at the scene next to her crashed Maserati. This wasn’t just a small fender bender. Her car was completely wrecked with the airbags deployed.
One officer questioned Karen about what happened. Immediately, you could tell that she wasn’t sober. She could hardly string a sentence together.

Then, Ray Huger arrived on the scene. Karen tried to get him to do all of the talking, but the officer pressed Karen for answers. She was the one driving, so they wanted to know how this one-vehicle car crash happened.
Although the reenactment on RHOP made it seem like Karen swerved to miss a dear, the Hugers told the cops that a car tried to run Karen off the road. They also admitted that Karen may have had a couple of beers.

The officer asked, “What kind of beer did you drink?”
Karen tells the cop that she “should have taken a cab”
A second video shows Karen in handcuffs riding to the police station in the front seat of a cop car. Slurring her speech, she started mumbling about her institution of marriage.

At one point, she explained to the officer how Andy Cohen gave her the nickname of “The Grande Dame.” The officer didn’t seem impressed by any of it
As the car ride continued, Karen had a few moments of clarity. She told the officer that she “should have taken a cab.” The officer agreed.
“When you Google me, you’re going to be so ashamed of yourself. I’m bad as f-ck,” Karen told the officer.
She added, “I don’t think I did anything bad except for the driving.”
As the officer patiently escorted the Grande Dame downtown, she continuously asked for tissues. He didn’t have any. Then, she started making references to being a “slave owner’s daughter” and how she recently purchased a plantation. The conversation went in every direction, incriminating Karen with every slurred word.

WATCH:
Karen stumbles her way into the police station
When Karen arrived at the police station, the chaos continued. The officer’s bodycam footage shows her trying to convince the officer to remove her handcuffs. Obviously, that didn’t happen. Karen said, “You know I hate you, right?”

As Karen got out of the car, she nearly fell. The officer helped her maintain her balance. Then, she looked him dead in the eyes, and said, “I’m lit.”
With all of this in mind, a jury found Karen guilty of DUI along with negligent driving, failure to control speed to avoid a collision, and failure to notify authorities of an address change. She has a sentencing hearing in January and could face up to two years in prison. In the aftermath of the guilty verdict, Karen said she was still pursuing “justice.”

The Real Housewives of Potomac continues on Bravo Sunday nights at 8/7c.


#MusicNews: Legendary original singer, of R&B group Chic member Alfa Anderson Has died at the age of 78

Notable singer and Augusta native Alfa Anderson has died. According to several reports, Anderson died on Tuesday, December 17th.
Anderson was a part of the Rock and Roll inducted R&B group Chic, and they had several hits including “I Want Your Love,” “Le Freak,” and “Good Times.”

Alfa Anderson’s legacy. Dance floors were never the same after Anderson and the now-classic disco act Chic unleashed songs like “Le Freak,” “Good Times,” and “I Want Your Love” onto the world, led in part by her soaring vocals. 
Anderson was an educator with a master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University when she made her professional stage debut. She performed in a tribute to jazz great Cannonball Adderley, which led to other gigs and quickly blossomed into regular work as a background vocalist for artists like Dionne Warwick. 

In 1977, singer Luther Vandross (1951–2005) introduced Anderson to Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, the musicians-producers forming a new group called Chic. She began as a background singer for the band, performing on hits like “Dance, Dance, Dance” and “Everybody Dance,” as did Vandross. When singer Norma Jean Wright left Chic the following year, Anderson became its co-lead singer. 

Her tenure at the top came just as the band had a string of major hits. They include the enduring classics “Le Freak” and “Good Times” – the latter of which gave hip-hop an early boost when it was sampled in the Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” – as well as chart hits like “I Want Your Love” and “My Forbidden Lover.” She and Chic have since become icons of the disco era. “Le Freak,” on which Anderson is featured on lead vocals, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015. 

When Chic broke up in 1983, Anderson continued to perform. She toured with Vandross as he became a major star in the mid-1980s, plus appeared on albums by the likes of singers including Bryan Adams, Gregory Hines (1946–2003), Mick Jagger, Billy Squier, Sheena Easton, and Jody Watley. 

Anderson also returned to her first career: education. She earned a second master’s degree and in the 1990s served as principal at Brooklyn’s El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice High School. She and her bass-player husband, Tinkr Barfield, paired and created the group Voices of Shalom, releasing the albums, “Messages” and “Daily Bread” in 1999 and 2002 respectively. Anderson also had a solo LP, “Music from My Heart,” in 2017. 
According to several reports, Anderson was a longtime friend of singer Luther Vandross and toured with him as a back up singer for years.
Anderson is known to be from Augusta and a graduate of Lucy C. Laney High School.


#HipHopNews: Fat Joe Says 2024 Might Be 'the Worst Year Ever In Hip Hop History'
Fat Joe thinks 2024 may have been the worst year in Hip Hop history, but not necessarily because of the music.
Appearing on a new episode of Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion podcast published on Tuesday (December 17), Joey Crack was asked about the recent drama between his longtime friend Remy Ma and her estranged husband Papoose.

For Joe, he’s adding their issues on to his long-running list of why 2024 has just not been great to be a public figure in Hip Hop.
“I woke up 2024 feeling like [God dammit!] It’s been a horrible year,” Joe said. “I was just having a heated discussion with my people [about this]. This might be the worst year ever in Hip Hop history type shit. This shit bad. All our legends, all our mentors getting scrutinized. This is the worst time to be a celebrity in the history of mankind. I’m not sure you guys wanna be celebrities.”

He continued: “Like I got friends who are filthy rich that wanna be popping and wanna be a celebrity. I don’t think they want everybody in they shit like that. This shit crazy out here. This is nuts. The fucking world done changed on me. It’s fucking nuts out here. You can’t make it up!”

On the subject of Remy and Pap, Fat Joe expressed his disappointment at the couple’s public rift and explained why he feels he’s unable to broker a truce between them.
“It’s a hard situation,” said Joe, who is not only a close friend and collaborator of Remy’s but the godfather of her and Papoose’s six-year-old daughter. “I don’t like none of that shit. What I can’t do is stop it. They won’t listen to me.”
He added: “It’s a different type of thing when you got a husband […] Nobody comes to my house and tells my wife shit. This is your husband. I can’t get in the middle of that, that’s y’all […] I wish this didn’t happen.”

The Bronx native also revealed that the night before Remy and Papoose’s social media spat, his former Terror Squad cohort “treated 10 grown men” (including himself) to dinner at a restaurant in New York City.
“I woke up in the morning and my phone was going crazy and they were like, ‘Yo! What’s going on?’ And I’m like, ‘What the fuck?’” he recalled.

After speculation arose that Papoose was part of the group that went to dinner with Remy Ma, which would suggest that the couple’s problems aren’t as serious as they seem, the “Alphabetical Slaughter” rapper set the record straight.
Responding to Fat Joe’s latter comments, he wrote on his Instagram Stories: “Peace to my brother @fatjoe I think y’all misunderstood his interview. I was not at @brooklynchophouse with them. I do spend thousands of dollars there regularly. I love that place!”


Tyler Perry Opens Up About The Impact Of Starting Therapy At 54: ‘I’m Living The Freest, Best Part Of My Life’

Tyler Perry is sharing how therapy has impacted his life.While appearing on The View, Tyler opened up about the positive changes therapy brought to his life, revealing that he began the journey at age 54:
“I went to therapy for the first time at 54. I was able to really get in touch with some things.”
He added that despite going through so much trauma and pain, he’s now “living the freest, best part” of his life.

His comments come after the release of his 2023 documentary, where he gave a deeply personal look into his traumatic childhood.


Dennis Rodman Apologizes To His Estranged Daughter Trinity: ‘Sorry I Wasn’t The Dad You Wanted Me To Be’
Dennis Rodman is apologizing to his estranged daughter, Trinity Rodman, for not being the father she wanted him to be.
The former NBA star posted a heartfelt message on Instagram, alongside a collage of photos of the two, expressing regret over their strained relationship.

He wrote,“Sorry I wasn’t the dad you wanted me to be, but either way, I still tried and I still try, and I never will stop. I will keep trying, even when you’re being told as an adult not to respond to my phone calls. I will try, even when it’s difficult and if it takes a long time. I’m always here.”

This apology comes after Trinity opened up about their damaged bond on the Call Her Daddy podcast, revealing that despite his occasional presence at her games, she hasn’t heard from him since their last meeting in November 2021. She expressed that she no longer believes a relationship with him is possible, saying,

“He’s not a dad… Maybe by blood, but nothing else.”
Despite the distance, Trinity has flourished in her own career, becoming the youngest woman drafted to the NWSL and winning gold at the 2024 Olympics.


Cardi B demands Offset sign divorce papers in heated exchange

Cardi B has demanded Offset “signs” their divorce papers immediately after a heated exchange.
The feuding exes – who have Kulture, six, Wave, three, and a daughter born in September – have locked horns on social media after former Migos star Offset, 33, took issue with the ‘WAP’ hitmaker seemingly moving on.

In a since-deleted post on Thursday (18.12.24), Offset wrote: “Nobody win when the fam fight.
“stop capping to these ppl to make yourself look like the h** it ain’t the look u a fire women good music but u focus on d*** and tryna make me look bad. (sic)
He added: “focus bra this s*** is whack from us both honestly.”

The 32-year-old rapper, who filed for divorce from Offset in July, accused him of being “fake nice” and slammed him for having a problem with her dating when she is “single”.
She hit back: “So dating because I’m single means I’m just worried about d***??
“You sound like a dummy.. trying to be fake nice after you did what you wanted from the beginning trying to push a narrative to these people. Congratulations!!”

She concluded: “F*** off and sign the [divorce] papers TODAY.”
The fallout comes just days after she said the pair were getting on well with co-parenting and insisted they didn’t have any beef.
Speaking during an X Spaces broadcast on the same day she attended Offset’s birthday on December 14, she said: “We’ve been peaceful for over a week, so we like the energy.

We ain’t beefin’. We ain’t really speaking. So I think we’re getting to a point that is, we’re really healthy co-parenting.”
She did note that there had been “three months” of “drama, arguing and craziness”, but said there had been “eight days” with “no drama or “bull****.”
Cardi recently admitted she has been “partying hard” since her split from Offset.

In a recent audio clip posted on X, Cardi shared: “A lot of people have been saying that I’ve been going out a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot lately, which I have. Yesterday was my last day going out to party.
“I’m not going to party for a little minute, do you know what I’m saying? Me and my friends decided for a little minute, because I feel like we keep seeing the same people now.”
Cardi – who married Offset back in 2017 – is determined not to “overthink” her personal troubles.

The ‘Bodak Yellow’ hitmaker said: “After you have a break-up, you have to just live a little bit, you know what I’m saying?
“If you’re in the house, even if you work, you could work and get that money, you over-think that situation and it’s like … that might fry you again. Not only might that fry you, it might make you sad. That might depress you. That might make you do dumb decisions, like hit up your ex or something like that.”


Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs ‘has lost huge amount of weight in jail’
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has reportedly lost a huge amount of weight behind bars.
The rapper, 55, has been behind bars at the notoriously tough Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City awaiting trial on charges including sex trafficking and racketeering, and he has been seen looking shockingly thin at the latest hearing in his case, according to a journalist who attended the proceeding.

‘Law and Crime’ reporter Elizabeth Millner was quoted by Page Six saying after the hearing: “He appeared just astonishingly thinner, which you can expect (from him being) inside a federal detention center for a couple of months now.
“A lot different from the luxury lifestyle that he was living before, but he appeared very noticeably thinner and maybe being locked up in detention is starting to wear on him.”

The journalist added Combs’ appearance was starkly different from how he looked in a video that surfaced online of him playing hacky sack in Central Park days before he was arrested on 16 September.
She added the rapper’s hair has also changed, saying: “He appeared greyer a little bit.”
Cameras were not allowed inside the courtroom during Combs’ appearance.
A source close to the jailed Bad Boy Records founder insisted to Page Six he is “fit, healthy and fully focused on his defense”.

They added: “He has been very active, remains in good spirits, and, as always, he was happy to see his children.”
Page Six added it has been told he is also “working out regularly”.
Combs has been denied bail three times while in federal custody.
Following a months-long investigation by authorities, he was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution – all of which he denies – and a trial date has been set for 5 May, 2025.

Combs was placed on suicide watch during his first week in custody, but was taken off of it shortly after, with his lawyer claiming his client was “focused and very strong.”
His attorney Marc Agnifilo previously admitted food is the “roughest part” of Combs’ imprisonment.


Jonathan Majors’ ‘Magazine Dreams’ Film Lands Release Date After 2-Year Wait And Controversy

Nearly two years after teasing viewers with the release of the body-building film Magazine Dreams, the Jonathan Majors-starring film has finally received a release date and media home.
Written and directed by Elijah Bynum, the film has now been picked up by Briarcliff Entertainment, after being dropped by Spotlight Pictures in January.

The film was shopped around after Majors hit major legal roadblocks regarding accusations of domestic abuse. Following his conviction, Majors was also dropped by Marvel as character, Kang the Conqueror, and also from his role as Dennis Rodman in Lionsgate’s 48 Hours in Vegas. 

The Hollywood star hadn’t booked any other major films since then, with exception of the indie film Merciless.
Magazine Dreams stars Major as Killian Maddox—an amateur bodybuilder obsessed with achieving greatness. The film also includes Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige, Mike O’Hearn, Harrison Page, and Harriet Sansom Harris and will hit theaters on March 21, 2025.

In addition, Briarcliff Entertainment has partnered with Zeus Network to spearhead marketing efforts for the film. It is produced by Jennifer Fox, Dan Gilroy, Jeffrey Soros, and Simon Horsman, with Jonathan Majors serving as an executive producer through his Tall Street Productions.
Other executive producers include Luke Rodgers, Andrew Blau (Los Angeles Media Fund), Lemuel Plummer, Jason Tolbert, and ZEUS CEO LJ Plummer.


Le’Andria Johnson Thanks Her Fans after her DUI Arrest
This week gospel singer, Le'Andria Johnson, was arrested on public intoxication charges in Greenville, SC 
Le’Andria reaches out to her fans, thanking them for their support...

WATCH

Good things will get better!


Supreme Court agrees to hear case over TikTok ban

On Wednesday (Dec. 18), the Supreme Court announced that it will take on the contentious issue of whether to ban TikTok. The justices agreed to expedite the matter and are set to hear the case on Jan. 10, 2025, nine days before said ban is supposed to take effect.

The heated battle between Congress and the social media platform’s users and executives has been brewing for some time. Citing national safety concerns over the app’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, lawmakers were able to pass the aforementioned ban earlier this year with bipartisan support. President Joe Biden signed it into law in April. As it stands, TikTok would need to sever its Chinese ties to continue operating within the United States.

As reported a D.C. federal appeals court recently upheld the ban in a unanimous decision, stating that the government has a legitimate national security interest. In turn, TikTok’s executives argued that the ban violates the First Amendment.

“The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue,” read an official statement from the company following the decision. “Unfortunately, the... ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed, and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people... Unless stopped, [it] will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the U.S. and around the world.”

As CNN explained, the handling of TikTok’s appeal was “unusually fast.” Even with urgent cases, the Supreme Court typically reviews written briefings from both parties before deciding to add to their regular docket. In this instance, they bypassed that process entirely and agreed to a hearing without delay. In doing so, the court deferred ruling on whether to temporarily block the ban. Instead, the justices will consider that question during oral arguments.


'RuPaul's Drag Race' Alum Raven Addresses Blackface & Blackfishing Allegations: 'I Will Not Stop Tanning'
Raven is hitting back at critics of her appearance.The 45-year-old RuPaul’s Drag Race alum, who became RuPaul‘s Emmy award-winning makeup artist since Season 9 of the series, spoke out about the accusations on fellow Drag Race alum Monet X Change‘s Monet Talks.

During the appearance, Raven, who is white, addressed criticism she’s received over the years for her dark-skinned appearance with the use of tanning and makeup application. Some have called it blackface or blackfishing, especially in certain photos.
“When that whole thing first started happening, I was like um…uh oh. And then I thought ‘ooh.’ I remember talking to a couple friends about it, and they were like ‘that’s not what you’re doing.’ I said ‘I know that.’ And they said ‘well, f-ck them, who cares?’ And I said ‘But I don’t want to offend anyone.’ And they were like ‘you’re not doing…that’s not what you’re doing.’ And I said ‘Okay,’” she explained.

“I understand what blackface is. I would never do that. Have I worn afros? Yes, I have. You would be hard pressed to find a bitch that has been doing drag for let’s say longer than 10 years from any ethnicity that has not worn an afro,” Raven said. “And you didn’t wear it because you wanted to be Black. You wore it because why? Oh, I’ve got volume! I’m doing disco! Yay, it’s fun!”
“I would never do blackface. However, this whole blackfishing thing is another. It’s a way for people to throw another thing, stoke the fire. It’s not that, it’s this. Well, blackfishing comes from catfishing, which means I’m trying to get you to believe that I am this. You know I’m not,” she said.

“And the thing is if I were going to be doing blackface or trying to blackfish, I would be doing this, I would go that color. I’m just going to give you a hint…I would go in,” Raven continued. “Like, I’m gonna try and offend people and get all this black-lash? No.”
“I will not stop tanning. A doctor could tell me you need to stop, and I’d be like are you sure about that? I need a second or third opinion. I like being tan, and I need to make sure my foundation matches. I only paint from here up, so the rest of it, I’m that color. It don’t wipe off, it doesn’t come off,” she went on to say.


Prince William & Princess Kate Debut Christmas 2024 Card - See the Holiday Family Photo!
Prince William and Princess Kate (AKA Kate Middleton) are celebrating the holidays!
The royal couple shared a glimpse of their 2024 Christmas card on their social media on Thursday (December 19), just ahead of the holiday.
“Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas 🎄,” they captioned the post. The card similarly features the inscription: “”Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.”

The card features their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“An honor to have captured this year’s Christmas card photo for The Prince & Princess of Wales,” wrote photographer Will Warr in the comments.

See who’s on the royal family’s guest list for Christmas this year.


Joss Stone ‘Shocked’ to Learn She’s Pregnant Weeks After Adopting Baby Son

The English soul singer, 37, announced the news in a Dec. 19 Instagram video titled "The one where mummy finds out," which showed her holding up a positive pregnancy test, mouth agape and arms held above her head in a triumphant pose.
"Honestly. Shocked was an understatement 😂," Stone captioned the post. "Nothing and no one can take our joy now. We are so chuffed !!!! Maybe we should call the ‘Less is More' tour the preggo tour 😆 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️."

The pregnancy reveal comes just a couple of weeks after the "Super Duper Love" singer shared that she and husband Cody DaLuz had welcomed their third child — a son named Bear — via adoption.
"This is what happened to us last Monday," Stone shared in her Dec. 2 Instagram caption. "We can not quite believe it. We are in love big time with this little guy."

The couple, who married in 2022, are also parents to son Shackleton, 2, and daughter Violet, 3.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE The Masked Singer UK winner said that she and DaLuz "have wanted to adopt for so long."
"We've had it in our dreams for such a long time and we've been trying to adopt for over a year and a half. And we've had some adoptions fall through," Stone explained in the Dec. 16 interview. "We've had moments where we were chosen, but we couldn't get there in time. There's been lots of things that have happened, and you start to feel like it's not going to happen."

The Grammy award-winner added that getting the call about their son was "just the most beautiful thing."
"He's so sweet and his birth mother is so sweet. She could not be any nicer. It's just like everything is perfect. We haven't got to deal with a difficult situation. It's all love. Everyone is just full of love for this little guy," she told PEOPLE.
In 2022, Stone revealed that she had suffered a miscarriage before welcoming son Shackleton. "It was really horrible because it was my baby, and I know that a lot of women go through that. It was just hard," she said.

"It's a horrible, horrible thing. And it's not something you can get over. It's something that you have to live with."


Chris Brown, Lil Wayne Accused of Misusing Paycheck Protection Program Funds
*The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was created in 2020 to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, but some high-profile celebrities, including Chris Brown and Lil Wayne, are accused of misusing the funds. 
According to recent reports citing federal data, these artists received millions in PPP loans, with Brown securing $2 million and Lil Wayne over $1 million, Business Insider reports. However, instead of using the money for business expenses as intended, they allegedly spent it on personal luxuries. This misuse of funds has raised concerns about whether the celebrities will face legal consequences, with critics questioning the effectiveness and oversight of the program.

Meanwhile, NBC News reports that billionaire property developer Joe Farrell received up to $1 million in taxpayer coronavirus relief funds, according to data released by the Small Business Administration. Paul Pelosi, husband of the Speaker of the House, also received PPP money between $350,000 to $1 million. Reality TV star Kim Kardashian was criticized online after receiving funds under the program.

Other notable figures who benefited from the Paycheck Protection Program include multimillionaires Kanye West and pop artist Jeff Koons. Ye’s apparel brand Yeezy LLC was granted up to $5 million while Koons received a loan of up to $2 million to support 53 jobs. The Church of Scientology, which is reportedly worth at least $1 billion, also received PPP loans.

According to Karin Pouw, spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International, “Loans were received by a handful of individual Churches to assist them during the pandemic.” 
“PPP was sold to the American people as a program to help Mom-and-Pop shops keep their lights on during the pandemic,” Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US, a government watchdog group, said. “The reality is that the Trump administration created a program that helped the well-connected cut to the front of the line to get these loans.”

“Even if they technically could argue that they did meet the criteria, taking the money clearly violates the spirit of the law and just seems greedy and wrong. This is one of the reasons why transparency is so important, why the government fought against it so hard and why a full accounting of recipients and details is so important,” said Neil Barofsky, former special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

“PPP was created to retain jobs,” SBA spokesman Jim Billimoria said in an email to NBC News. “I can’t speculate on what borrowers used funds for.”


Warner Bros. Unveils Trailer for ‘Superman,’ First Blockbuster of Rebooted DC Universe

Warner Bros. Pictures has unveiled the highly anticipated trailer for “Superman,” the first major blockbuster from the newly rebooted DC Universe. 
Slated to hit theaters on July 11, 2025, the film introduces audiences to a fresh take on the iconic hero, played by David Corenswet (“Twisters,” “Hollywood”), following Henry Cavill’s memorable portrayal. James Gunn, who co-leads DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, not only wrote but also directed the film, which serves as a pivotal starting point for DC’s revamped cinematic and television slate. Fans can now glimpse this exciting new chapter in DC history with the just-released trailer above.

The film stars Corenswet in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult (the “X-Men” movies, “Juror #2”) as Lex Luthor. The film also stars Edi Gathegi (“For All Mankind”), Anthony Carrigan (“Barry,” “Gotham”), Nathan Fillion (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “The Suicide Squad”), Isabela Merced (“Alien Romulus”), Skyler Gisondo (“Licorice Pizza,” “Booksmart”), Sara Sampaio (“At Midnight”), María Gabriela de Faría (“The Moodys”), Wendell Pierce (“Selma,” “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”), Alan Tudyk (“Andor”), Pruitt Taylor Vince (“Bird Box”) and Neva Howell (“Greedy People”).

Speaking with ComicBook, Gunn revealed that Superman starts in the “middle of the action” and confirmed, “Lois and Clark already know each other.”
“Yeah, it was about really putting us in the middle of the action from the beginning. And there’s a lot of these things in this movie now that I’ve been making it for over a year that I think of as normal. But now when you bring it up, I go, ‘Oh yeah, that’s pretty unusual,’” he said.

“We just start in the middle of the action. Superman already exists. Lois and Clark already know each other. Lex hates Superman’s guts from the beginning, although they don’t know each other personally. So we start right in the middle of the action. It takes place over a short amount of time,” Gunn explained. 
“Lex hates Superman’s guts from the beginning, although they don’t know each other personally. So we start right in the middle of the action. It takes place over a short amount of time,” the filmmaker said. 


Damian Lillard Secures Lifetime Deal with Adidas
Fresh off his first NBA Cup championship, Damian Lillard and his apparel partner Adidas have signed a lifetime deal, as first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
This follows similar agreements by other NBA stars like Stephen Curry (Under Armour), LeBron James, and Kevin Durant (Nike), who have secured lifelong partnerships with their respective brands.

The Oakland native initially signed a multi-year deal with Adidas in 2012. By 2014, he had renegotiated a 10-year contract worth up to $100 million. Recently, Adidas honored Lillard by naming their gym at the Portland headquarters after the star point guard.
According to ESPN’s Charania, this new deal elevates Lillard’s total earnings from contracts and shoe deals to over $600 million as he begins to transition into the later stages of his basketball career. The 34-year-old is also exploring what life after basketball might look like.

Adidas is shifting much of its business focus to the Oakland area, creating opportunities to give back to the community and develop engaging activations in the city where Lillard grew up.
A member of the NBA’s Top 75 players, Lillard has started the season strong. He is averaging 25 points, seven assists, and four rebounds, with a Player Efficiency Rating of 25.7 for the Milwaukee Bucks. As he aims to win his first NBA championship, Lillard continues to solidify his legacy as one of the greatest point guards in the history of the game.


AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
Sweet Ride

Such Cute Couples.


EVENING GOODIES: Meet Kyle
Meet Kyle! You can see more when GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS! And remember to exercise CAUTION AT WORK!

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HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!
EFREM

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