Tessa Thompson Covers Essence For November 2018
CONGRATS to starlet Tessa Thompson. She is the latest beauty to cover ESSENCE. The magazine posted the image of the versatile actress on Instagram along with the following caption:
“@tessamaethompson has gone from Hollywood’s best-kept secret to an official IT girl,” said ESSENCE on Instagram. “I like the idea of expanding perceptions of what a woman can be & what a woman of color can be.”
Thompson was shot by 20-year photography veteran Shaniqwa Jarvis and expressed her sincere appreciation for the collaboration.
“It feels really refreshing to be shot by a woman,” says Thompson to ESSENCE. “Actresses are so often subject to the male gaze. The highest sense of praise and honor is being seen by a woman and feeling acceptance from other Black women, just a sense of camaraderie and collaboration. That, to me, is so profound.”
ESSENCE will hit newsstands on October 26.
#RHoA: Kandi Burruss Shares Jaw-Dropping Pics From Upcoming Video – Her Show ‘Welcome To The Dungeon’ Is Tomorrow
Tomorrow is Kandi Burruss’s big day. On Friday, Kandi will be welcoming everyone who got their ticket to the Dungeon. She has been excitingly preparing for this event for quite a while now and her fans as well. She’ll also launch a new video.
According to Kandi’s fans and followers, tickers are already sold out for the show.
Now, she posted another round of racy pics featuring herself in which she looks gorgeous, in a way in which you have not seen her that often.
‘I love a side pony! @bravoandy this is for you… 🤣 My girl @sewjodie makes the bomb ponytails with @concealvirginhair. Can’t wait to drop this video on Friday for #ReadyForThis 😁 📸: @hauseofglam’ Kandi captioned her latest post on social media which includes a bunch of really sensual pics of herself.
tomorrow and to find out how it will be like at her show that she has been advertising like crazy for quite a while now, making waves on social media and creating tons of controversies due to the show’s erotic nature.
#Empire’ Recap: Jamal is Making A Power Move To Get Money Flowing Again to the Family!
Jamal makes a move to make sure his family gets Empire checks through his music.
Tonight’s episode of Empire picks up with Cookie reading all the trolly headlines about the Lyon Family’s money woes to Jamal and Hakeem. She is pissed, especially because Lucious blew up their spot. It’s just another reminder that they have some work to do. Things get worse when they find out that Andre isn’t coming home today (Lucious went to pick him up and got let down). He’s in the hole due to that fight he had with the bully he has been beefing with. That situation is far from over and we’re not even sure when Dre is coming home, but the Lyon Family has to move forward. Lucious reveals that he found some new office space and he’s meeting with investors soon. They also want Hakeem and Jamal to sign with them, but they’re still signed to Empire so we all know that breaking those contracts are not going to be easy.
It comes as no surprise when Hakeem and Jamal visit Kingsley at Empire and are met with contempt when they try to get out of their contracts. Kingsley mocks Hakeem’s bad lung (but Jamal has been working with him on figuring out new ways to breathe so this is going to get better) and reminds Jamal that he better turn in that album he owes or he’ll never release any music ever again.
Things go even further downhill when Lucious’ money people decide not to loan him money after all. In related news, we find out that Candace convinced Cookie to buy a loft in SoHo a while back and to keep that information secret from Lucious. The point of purchasing the loft was to have some collateral in case Lucious ditched Cookie again. You know things were looking real shaky with Giuliana for a hot second. Welp, Candace is smart because now Cookie is going to put the loft up for sale. We all know that lofts in SoHo go for a grip.
Lucious visits Thirsty’s office to see if he’ll join their new venture. He’s an ambulance chaser now and he’s doing well in business. He’s also giving Lucious the side eye because he hasn’t really heard from him in over a year yet here he is in his face, once again needing something. However, Thirsty used to come through in the clutch, for all of Lucious’ illicit activities, so surely he’ll be back…
Right?.......RIGHT?!
Part of Andre’s beef with the jail bully is that he has been harassing a kid named Quincy. We don’t know what Quincy did, but it’s obvious that Quincy belongs in college and that he’s smart and may even be in there on some numbers or tech related crime. Dre probably sees himself in Quincy and decides to protect him. That’s cool and all, but something about this seems strategic as well.
Lucious confronts Kingsley at Empire because he has been playing games and even stole the office space that Lucious had been looking at. These people can’t do anything original, can they?
Anyway, Kingsley kicks that bs about this just being about business, but Lucious is ready to take it to the streets. He even threatens him and says that if he keeps up this “business” strategy then he might meet his maker. Kingsley ain’t scared though. We know he has more tricks up his sleeves.
Lucious and Cookie decide to turn their home into Empire headquarters since there’s no office space. Cookie’s sisters are on board helping the family business, so is Porsha. Thirsty decided to come back like we knew he would and Lucious is trying to get Becky to return too. That’s still up in the air but she is present for their first business event in their living room. Thirsty helped them land some new potential investors. One of the investors tries to be shady about the setup but Cookie shuts that down then Lucious reminds them that the greatest acts at Empire have all been Lyons, and he wants to demonstrate that. So, without further adieu, Jamal and Hakeem take the stage. Hakeem is obviously nervous about this, but it turns out that the work they’ve been doing with his breathing worked. The song is a hit and Hakeem is back rapping again. Tonight is mostly a success, except for the fact that Becky turned Lucious down, and she has every right because she’s potentially getting a promotion at Empire, something Lucious kept overlooking her for. Plus, the way Lucious is talking to her is all types of stupid so no one can blame her.
Jamal turns in the music, including he and Hakeem’s new song, he created in to Kingsley. This should fulfill his contractual obligations to Empire. Kingsley likes the music and thinks he’s all set, but Jamal wants checks cut out to all of his family because every track samples something from past music contributed by a Lyon. Kingsely tries to get around this by claiming that samples can be stripped down but they cant according to Jamal’s soundtrack.
Kingsley is tight and that’s when we see him telling his assistant to arrange a visit to a correctional facility.
Speaking of, that bully inmate finally ends up getting killed while Andre is in the hole. Dre is obviously pleased with this news as this is all part of his plan.
Then, we end the episode with Kingsley visiting, wait for it, Diana DuBois! The Lyon’s enemy is a friend of his. Hold on tight, because Dre will be out next week!
#NewMusicVideo from Mariah Carey “With You”
Hot off her American Music Awards performance, Mariah Carey shows you the video for her Mustard-produced single “With You.”
WATCH HERE
“With You” is the first official single from Mariah’s 15th studio album, which is due later this year featuring contributions from Jermaine Dupri, Mustard, Ty Dolla $ign, and Skrillex. Just last month, she debuted a video for the Nineteen85-produced “GTFO.”
#NewHipHopVideo from Quavo – ‘Bubblegum’
As he prepares to release his solo album Quavo Huncho on Friday (Oct. 12), Quavo unleashes the video for “Bubblegum.”
After teaming up with Saweetie in the “Workin Me” video, Quavo casts Draya Michele as his leading lady in the futuristic clip, which he co-directed with Daps. In the midst of an apocalypse, Quavo tries to escape his reality by putting on a VR headset. He is transported to another galaxy filled with beautiful women who perform tests on him in a space lab. But when he returns to reality, his girl is still by his side.
WATCH HERE
“Bubblegum” follows the videos for “Workin Me” and “Lamb Talk,” all singles off Quavo Huncho, which drops Friday. The solo project is set to feature Drake, Cardi B, Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, 21 Savage, Saweetie, and more.
#POLITICS: The meeting between Kanye, Jim Brown and Donald Trump was a TRUE TRAIN WRECK DISASTER!
Can you imagine this: A president, concerned about the opioid crisis that is ravaging many communities, particularly white, Midwestern communities, invites a retired football player and a famous musician to talk about the crisis.
And imagine that this is one of the few high-level meetings he has about the crisis, which has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans.
Well, that is kind of what just happened.
Not with the opioids, but with the critical, potentially lethal, issues facing many African-Americans across the country. On Thursday, President Donald Trump had a working lunch with Kanye West and retired football player Jim Brown.
This was the meeting's preview sent by the White House ahead of time: "The discussion will be centered on President Trump's historic work to benefit all Americans such as urban revitalization, the creation of Opportunity Zones, new workforce training programs, record highs in African American employment, the creation of manufacturing jobs, ideas from his meeting with African American pastors, potential future clemencies, and addressing the massive violent crime surge in Chicago."
Shorter readout: This was Trump's black people meeting.
What a meeting it was. No cameras were allowed in the lunch, but West's about 10-minute soliloquy in the Oval Office provided a window into the ground covered.
Here are some ideas West raised:
- Bring Trump factories and Yeezy ideation centers to Chicago.
- His MAGA hat makes him feel like a superhero.
- Make the dopest ... no the "flyest" cars.
- School is boring. Kids should play basketball while they are doing math.
- Time doesn't exist.
- Stop worrying about the future. We only have today.
- Trump and Colin Kaepernick wearing "Make America Great" hats at the Super Bowl.
- Stop-and-frisk is bad.
- The solution to police brutality is love.
- Something about an Iplane.
- Opening up industries and tax breaks.
- Something about liberals distracting black people by focusing on racism.
So, what were the goals here?
For Trump, it was a chance for him to say, Trump does care about black people, but don't take my word for it, listen to Kanye West.
But what the meeting highlighted was how few African-Americans Trump has in his circle. Omarosa Manigault-Newman, who wrote a scathing tell-all on Trump, hasn't been replaced.
The meeting also highlights how seriously Trump takes issues that his base doesn't really care about.
Rather than invite real policy experts, say on education or criminal justice, Trump brought before the cameras two famous black men who like him.
The result was about what one would expect -- a hard-to-parse, bizarre Oval Office moment with very little substance fueled by West's desperate need for attention and Trump's need for open adoration by famous people.
Ryan Coogler will Write and Direct The ‘Black Panther’ Sequel
Great news for Wakanda fans, director Ryan Coolger, will reportedly begin working on a follow-up to the box office hit Black Panther in 2019, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Marvel Studios was working on securing Coogler for the sequel but was unclear on when it would happen.
Black Panther grossed $700 million in the US and more than $1.3 billion globally. The movie has spawned memes, a signature salute and has become a defining moment in pop culture.
Coogler is directing Wrong Answer, a drama starring Black Panther actor and close collaborator Michael B. Jordan. He is also executive producing the sequel to Space Jam starring NBA superstar LeBron James.
Marvel nor Disney have made an official announcement on when Black Panther 2 is scheduled for release.
Justin Bieber Went to Church After hearing about Ex Selena Gomez Seeking Mental Health Treatment
Keeping the faith. Justin Bieber surrounded himself with friends after news broke that his ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez is seeking mental health treatment.
The “Sorry” singer, 24, was spotted arriving alone at a Los Angeles church late Wednesday, October 10, but he seemingly sought comfort from pals as he left later in the evening. He hugged a group of guys before leaning on his bodyguard’s shoulder.
Bieber’s church visit came after TMZ reported that Gomez, 26, is receiving dialectical behavior therapy, a cognitive behavioral treatment commonly known as DBT, at an East Coast psychiatric facility. According to the website, the “Back to You” singer was hospitalized twice at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. in recent weeks for a low white blood cell count. She reportedly had an emotional breakdown during her second stay, which led her to seek treatment.
The “Baby” crooner tried to keep a low profile by pulling the hood from his pink sweatshirt over his shaggy blonde hair.
The Grammy winner and Gomez dated on and off from 2011 to 2014. They reconciled in November 2017 after her split from her boyfriend of 10 months, The Weeknd. Bieber and Gomez broke up again in March.
A New Love
Bieber is now married to Hailey Baldwin. They dated from 2015 to 2016 before rekindling in June. They got engaged in July in the Bahamas, and secretly wed at a New York City courthouse in September.
50 Cent Signs Massive Multi-Series Starz Deal
Curtis who stars in and exec produces that veteran crime drama, has signed a rich new overall deal with the premium cabler.
According to reports, Under the agreement, 50 Cent will continue to develop new scripted and unscripted projects exclusively for the premium service through his G-Unit Film & Television, Inc. banner.
The deal represents a significant increase to Starz’s investment in 50 Cent , executive producer of drama series “Power.” It includes a three-series commitment, the addition of a dedicated development executive, and a discretionary fund for use in developing G-Unit projects.
Sources with knowledge of the agreement tell Variety that, in full success and combination with 50 Cent’s current series and development, it could prove to be worth as much as $150 million — making it the latest in a series of eye-popping talent deals reshaping the economics of the television business. A Starz spokesperson declined to comment on the deal’s value.
The agreement provides 50 Cent and G-Unit access to the full breadth of platforms operated by Starz and its corporate parent Lionsgate. It also gives 50 Cent input into the merchandising and licensing of brands and content developed by G-Unit.
The Manhattan DA Drops Part of Harvey Weinstein’s Case
NEW YORK (AP) — Manhattan’s district attorney dropped part of the criminal sexual assault case against Harvey Weinstein on Thursday after evidence emerged that cast doubt on the account one of his three accusers provided to the grand jury.
The development was announced in court Thursday with Weinstein looking on.
The tossed charge involves allegations made by one of the three accusers in the case, Lucia Evans, who was among the first women to publicly accuse Weinstein of sexual assault.
In an expose published in The New Yorker one year ago Wednesday, Evans accused Weinstein of forcing her to perform oral sex when they met alone in his office in 2004 to discuss her fledgling acting career. At the time, Evans was a 21-year-old college student.
Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon told the judge that prosecutors wouldn’t oppose dismissal of the count in the case involving Evans. She insisted the rest of the case, involving two other accusers, was strong.
“In short, your honor, we are moving full steam ahead,” she said.
Weinstein’s lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told the judge he believed Evans had lied both to the grand jury and to The New Yorker about her encounter with Weinstein. He also said he believed a police detective had corruptly attempted to influence the case by keeping a witness from testifying about her misstatements.
“The integrity of these proceedings has been compromised,” he said. Outside court, he suggested that Evans should be prosecuted criminally for perjury.
Details of the potential problems with Evans’ testimony were not discussed in court, but were expected to be included in court filings set to be unsealed later in the day.
Weinstein’s lawyers and prosecutors had been wrangling over the part of the indictment pertaining to Evans’ allegations over the last few weeks in closed-door meetings and sealed court papers.
Brafman said that inconsistencies in Evans’ account were initially discovered by a fact checker at The New Yorker.
In a statement, a lawyer for Evans said she was disappointed by the DA’s decision to “abandon” her.
“Let me be clear: the decision to throw away my client’s sexual assault charges says nothing about Weinstein’s guilt or innocence. Nor does it reflect on Lucia’s consistent allegation that she was sexually assaulted with force by Harvey Weinstein,” said attorney Carrie Goldberg. “It only speaks volumes about the Manhattan DA’s office and its mishandling of my client’s case.”
Weinstein, who has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex, still faces charges over allegations that he raped an unidentified woman in his hotel room in 2013 and performed a forcible sex act on a different woman in 2006.
He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $1 million bail.
Images of Weinstein in handcuffs were seen by many women as a cathartic moment in the #MeToo reckoning. The collapse of part of the case against him could mean trouble for the prosecutor.
Sanaa Lathan Joins 'The Twilight Zone' Reboot!
Sanaa Lathan is entering The Twilight Zone!
The 47-year-old The Affair actress will be joining the first season of the upcoming CBS original series, and will star in the episode “Rewind,” the network announced on Thursday (October 11).
As previously announced, Jordan Peele will host and narrate the new series.
The original The Twilight Zone premiered on October 2, 1959 on CBS, and became a worldwide phenomenon.
While the new episodes are not yet available, you can stream older episodes of the fan favorite series on CBS All Access right now.
Christina Aguilera Postpones 'Liberation Tour' Stop After Losing Her Voice
Christina Aguilera had to take herself a break
The 37-year-old “Fighter” singer posted a message to fans on Thursday (October 11) informing them that she has lost her voice.
“MY FIGHTERS, MY FRIENDS – it aches me to share that I am under the weather and have lost my voice today. Per doctor’s order, I need to rest tonight in order to get well asap – and will be unable to sing my heart out and perform for you at tonight’s show in Orillia, Ontario,” she wrote.
“I have kept you waiting so long and I look forward to each night on this tour. I promise to make tonight up to you with a new date very soon – until then I am sending love and gratitude for your support and I CANNOT WAIT to get back on the stage after this short rest,” she added. “All my love, Xtina.”
All the best!
#RHoNJ: ‘Real Housewives’ Husband Joe Giudice to be Deported
Joe Giudice will be deported back to Italy once he’s released from prison next year, according to a judge’s ruling.
The husband of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice will be deported back to Italy once he’s released from prison next year, according to a judge’s ruling Wednesday.
Giuseppe “Joe” Giudice appeared before an immigration court in York, Pennsylvania, via teleconference. He has 30 days to appeal the decision, said Kathryn Mattingly, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Immigration Review.
Giudice is an Italian citizen who came to the U.S. as an infant and wasn’t aware he wasn’t an American citizen.
He’s currently serving a more than 3-year sentence for fraud and failing to pay taxes. He’s incarcerated at FCI Allenwood, about 165 miles (266 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia.
Prison records indicate he is set to be released in March.
The couple pleaded guilty in 2014 to bankruptcy fraud and submitting false loan applications to get $5 million in mortgages and construction loans. Joe Giudice also pleaded guilty to not paying about $200,000 in income taxes.
Teresa Giudice served nearly a year in prison and was freed in December 2015.
Messages seeking comment from the couple’s lawyers and Teresa Giudice’s publicist weren’t immediately returned Wednesday.
In January, during the season eight reunion of “Real Housewives of New Jersey,” Teresa Giudice implied she would be open to moving to Italy with him.
“Italy’s a beautiful place to live,” she told the host at the time. “Listen, whatever God has planned for me, that’s what’s going to happen. I will embrace it the best I can.”
They have four daughters, ranging in age from 9 to 17.
Hurricane Michael kills at least 6, leaves behind catastrophic damage in Florida
MIAMI -- Tropical Storm Michael has sped off toward the Atlantic Ocean, but there will be nothing quick about Florida's recovery from the hurricane, where rows upon rows of homes have been smashed to pieces. The storm also has brought flash flooding to hurricane-weary parts of North and South Carolina and Virginia.
One of Michael's survivors said his city "looks like an atomic bomb" hit it. Florida's Panhandle is one huge disaster zone after catastrophic winds, heavy rain and devastating storm surge. Some of the worst damage was in Mexico Beach, where the hurricane crashed ashore Wednesday as a Category 4 monster with 155 mph winds and a storm surge of 9 feet. It was the
Michael was the third-most powerful hurricane ever to make landfall in the U.S. mainland. The storm has been blamed for at least six deaths. State officials said 285 people in Mexico Beach had defied a mandatory evacuation order ahead of the storm.
As of Thursday evening, more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Southeast had no electricity. Michael hit North Carolina and South Carolina as a tropical storm with heavy downpours and was threatening to cause tornadoes.
At 5 p.m. ET, Michael's core was approximately 20 miles north-northwest of Raleigh, North Carolina, heading northeast at a rapid 24 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
State officials say Hurricane Michael left Florida's largest psychiatric hospital "entirely cut off."
A spokesman with the Florida Department of Children and Families says Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee has been running on emergency generators. A helicopter dropped water and food at the facility on Thursday after a tree downed during the storm caused a water line to break.
Landlines and cellphones are also down at the hospital, which has nearly 1,000 residents and more than 300 staff. Staff are using emergency radios to stay in contact with first responders.
Many roads in and around the facility are blocked, but 50 staff from two other state mental health facilities are being brought in to assist.
Patients at the facility have been committed involuntarily either through civil or criminal cases.
As of 5 p.m. ET, Michael is still producing "life-threatening flash flooding" across portions of North Carolina and Virginia, while "damaging tropical-storm-force wind gusts are occurring over portions of Virginia and central and eastern North Carolina.
The storm was located about 20 miles north-northwest of Raleigh, North Carolina, and is moving northeast at about 24 mph. Maximum sustained winds are at 50 mph with higher gusts. NHC said Michael is forecast to intensify as it becomes a post-tropical low over the Atlantic late Thursday into Friday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles, primarily over water to the southeast of the center, NHC adds. A wind gust of 53 mph was recently reported at Danville, Virginia, and a gust of 56 mph was reported at Burlington, North Carolina. NHC also added a sustained wind of 51 mph and a gust of 59 mph was reported at the Johnny Mercer Pier in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
NHC says Michael is moving toward the northeast and is expected to head that direction through the night. A turn toward the east-northwest is expected Friday and Saturday. Michael's center will move across eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia tonight and move in the western Atlantic Ocean tonight.
Pray for Florida!
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘PARTY ROCK’
There’s always that one guy who never gets the hint that the party is over.
#EGGPLANT NATION Meet Mario!
Meet Mario! Well to see more you can GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS! And remember they’re NSWF!
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ENJOY!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
