OH MY! #Empire’ Star Jussie Smollet Hospitalized in a Racist, Homophobic Attack by ‘#MAGA Supporters’ had Bleach Poured on Him! Report
"Empire" star Jussie Smollett was hospitalized after being attacked by two men who brutally beat him, poured bleach on him, wrapped a rope around his neck, and told him, "This is MAGA country," according to TMZ and a police statement.
TMZ described the two attackers as "MAGA supporters," which is what some die-hard fans of President Donald Trump are called.
"Sources directly connected to Jussie tell TMZ, the actor arrived in Chicago from New York late Monday, and at around 2 AM he was hungry and went to a Subway," TMZ reports. "We're told when he walked out, someone yelled, 'Aren't you that f***ot 'Empire' n*****?'"
Smollett suffered a fractured rib. He was treated and released by a local hospital.
We have a statement from the Chicago Police Dept. which describes the incident as a "possible racially-charged assault and battery" that they are treating "as a possible hate crime."
"Sources via The Root also claim the Empire actor recently received a threatening letter in the mail with 'You will die black fag,' written in disturbing ransom-style cutout letters,"
This is a developing story. Details may change. This story will be updated
Zoe Saldana on the Cover of SHAPE Magazine for June!
"I've Never Wanted Different Hair or My Body Any Other Shape"
Zoe Saldana is glowing as Shape's latest cover star. In the June issue, the actress shares her refreshing take on living a healthy life. We're inspired by her honest and realistic approach and how she balances it out against a busy shooting schedule and a full house of three adorable boys and a supportive husband.
On her fitness routine: "I can't work out regularly, so I compensate by eating a lot healthier than I might otherwise. Once you have relatively healthy eating habits, your workout can become playing with your kids, strolling around the neighbourhood, playing airplane, or just changing diapers."
On what she eats: "When I eat in a balanced way, I think less about food and more about everything else. It's not that I like to eat super light, just super clean. I like food that is fresh. I don't go for things that come in cans — and I'm losing trust in things that come in plastic."
On inspiring others to eat healthy: "I know what it's like to live on a tight budget, but my mum was one of those parents who gave us great food despite our budget. That's where I get who I am from, and I'd like to be a voice of inspiration for my Latino community, as underage diabetes and high blood pressure are on the rise."
On her fitness routine: "I can't work out regularly, so I compensate by eating a lot healthier than I might otherwise. Once you have relatively healthy eating habits, your workout can become playing with your kids, strolling around the neighbourhood, playing airplane, or just changing diapers."
On what she eats: "When I eat in a balanced way, I think less about food and more about everything else. It's not that I like to eat super light, just super clean. I like food that is fresh. I don't go for things that come in cans — and I'm losing trust in things that come in plastic."
On inspiring others to eat healthy: "I know what it's like to live on a tight budget, but my mum was one of those parents who gave us great food despite our budget. That's where I get who I am from, and I'd like to be a voice of inspiration for my Latino community, as underage diabetes and high blood pressure are on the rise."
Her thoughts on "perfection":" If we could design ourselves, we'd all be perfect. But we can't, so why be unhappy about it? I've never wanted different hair or my body any other shape. And I've never thought of a person as ugly unless they opened their mouth and their heart was full of venom."
On her support system: "When I feel overstimulated by the world, I lean on my family. I have a great partner in life, great sisters, a mom who is a friend, and some male friends I love to pieces too. If I'm suffering and in pain, it hurts more if I don't share how I feel and ask for help. It's so healing when you ask for love and are loved back."
Her thoughts on "perfection":" If we could design ourselves, we'd all be perfect. But we can't, so why be unhappy about it? I've never wanted different hair or my body any other shape. And I've never thought of a person as ugly unless they opened their mouth and their heart was full of venom."
On her support system: "When I feel overstimulated by the world, I lean on my family. I have a great partner in life, great sisters, a mom who is a friend, and some male friends I love to pieces too. If I'm suffering and in pain, it hurts more if I don't share how I feel and ask for help. It's so healing when you ask for love and are loved back."
#RHoA: Co-Stars Refused To Film With Phaedra For Season 10
Phaedra Parks’ time on The Real Housewives of Atlanta is officially over following her controversial Season 9 reunion. Parks’ lies about Kandi Burruss and Porsha Williams were obviously behind the firing, but was there another reason why producers gave her the boot?
Us Magazine reports that Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen opened up about Parks’ dismissal and why producers decided to go a different direction. For starters, Cohen believes producers didn’t think it was feasible to include Parks next season if her co-stars refused to talk to her.
“The question that we look at now with Phaedra is, when the reunion ended, none of the other women wanted to have anything to do with her. So that’s what you have to look at,” Cohen explained. “How do you shoot a show about a group of friends when no one is speaking to one of the friends?”
Sheree Whitfield added that most of the RHOA ladies are not willing to forgive Parks for spreading lies last season. During the reunion, Parks admitted that she started the rumors about Burruss trying to drug and rape Williams. Drama is nothing new to Bravo’s hit reality franchise, but openly lying about your co-stars is a definite deal-breaker.
“I don’t know, it’s so hard right now. It’s hard to establish trust with someone like that because, for me, it seemed that she showed no remorse for what she did and for her actions,” Whitfield shared. “I think it will be hard for any of the women to forgive.”
Phaedra Parks may have been able to recover after her shocking admission, but she made it worse by blaming producers for her actions. According to TMZ, Parks slammed RHOA producers for giving her bad information about Burruss and Williams. She even claims that producers told her to spread the rumors in the first place just to create drama on the show.
According to E! News, Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel recently fired back and revealed that producers don’t influence the show during filming. Instead, they take a more hands-off approach and do not pressure the ladies into stirring up drama.
“The producers don’t know exactly what’s going on, so they might say, ‘Are you going to talk to Kandi about this?’ They don’t know. They would never do that,” Frankel explained. “It would be a massive problem. This isn’t The Hills, it’s real. It really is. So yeah, no, that would never happen.”
Given how Parks will not return for Season 10, it’s clear that producers didn’t appreciate her throwing them under the bus. Even worse, People reports that Parks’ friendship with Williams will likely never be the same. It’s already been a few weeks since filming for the reunion wrapped up and Parks and Williams still haven’t talked to each other.
'Real Housewives Of Atlanta' Season 9 Reunion: Kandi Burruss Slams Porsha Williams Over Rape Allegations [Featured Image by Bravo]
Kandi exploded at Phaedra and Porsha when the truth was revealed at the ‘RHOA’ Season 9 reunion finale.
In fact, Williams recently opened up about the betrayal and admitted that it won’t be easy forgiving Parks and moving on. Parks and Williams have been friends for a long time and hardly went a day without speaking to each other on the phone. Sadly, it sounds like Parks’ lies damaged more than just her career in reality TV.
Fortunately, it looks like the drama between Parks, Williams, and Burruss might finally be at an end. Even more, fans can only hope that Parks’ firing will cut down on the number of rumors spread on the show, though that remains to be seen.
Producers have not announced an official cast list for Season 10 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, which is expected to start filming in a few months.
#EMPIRE: ‘Empire’ Bryshere Y. Gray Explains He Chose A Taylor Swift Song On ‘Lip Sync Battle’.
On, Thursday, Bryshere left viewers speechless after his amazing Taylor Swift performance. If you missed the episode click Here to watch,
In an interview with Hollywood Life, Gray said he chose Swift’s song because it was “so impactful to the world and the song is so big for the culture.”
“It went so viral with her doing it that I felt that it would reach the fans that I want to reach!” he added.
And now that it’s over, he only has one wish: “I hope she retweets it! If she could retweet it, then it would go everywhere!”
#NEWMUSIC: Listen: Goapele Releases New Ep, ‘Dreamseeker’
After teasing out critically acclaimed singles such as “Stay” featuring BJ The Chicago Kid, “Power” and “$ecret,” Goapele unveils her heavenly new EP, Dreamseeker.
The perfect mix of her signature soulful style that millions know and love as well a touch of modern panache and poise, the project represents a rebirth for the songstress. At the same time, she poetically ponders activism, motherhood, sensuality, and life throughout the 10 tracks.
Next up, she rounds out her successful Dreamseeker Tour with a victory lap of shows in her hometown of Oakland, CA.
Outside of music, Goapele is committed to activism and raising awareness. She is an active participant in the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and recently starred in a short film entitled Where Is Beauty, which addresses the pressures young women face with social media and beauty standards.
Stream the Dreamseeker EP HERE.
#HIPHOPNEWS:Watch The Trailer For Diddy’s ‘Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop’ Documentary
On what would have been The Notorious B.I.G.’s 45th birthday, Sean “Diddy” Combs debuted the trailer for his upcoming documentary, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story.
Opening with black-and-white scenes of a child on a bicycle, the clip features several people, including Mary J. Blige and Clive Davis, talking about the hip-hop mogul as a visionary.
“He was making music that was making the ground shake,” says Jimmy Iovine, while Nas adds, “Puff changed the whole thing.”
But the trailer for the Daniel Kaufman-directed movie also features a vivid recollection of Biggie’s death. “A car just rolled up,” says Lil’ Cease. “They start firing shots.”
A somber Diddy adds: “As soon as them shots went off, everything came crashing down. I died that night, in that car.”
After debuting the trailer, Puff spoke about the film on the Billboard Music Awards carpet, while standing beside Biggie’s son, Christopher Jordan “C.J.” Wallace.
“It inspired me and reset me, so I want the world to see it. It’s not what you expect,” said Diddy. “It’s gonna inspire anybody, whether you listen to hip-hop…or understand who I am or what the culture is, it’s a movie that’s still one of those inspiring, beautiful messages.”
WATCH HERE
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story will be released exclusively on Apple Music on June 25
Mariah Carey and Bryan Tanaka Back Together
Back in April Mariah Carey dumped her rebound boy toy Bryan Tanaka after hooking up with him following the end of her engagement to billionaire businessman James.
It appears Mariah and Bryan have gotten back together....
Over the weekend Mariah Carey posted a Flash Back Friday pic of Bryan on Instagram and was later seen kissing and cuddling with him during a dinner date.
Awwwwww!
Rihanna is ‘Over’ Drake After He Calls Nicki Minaj The ‘Love Of His Life’ At The BBMAs
The BBMAs were huge for Drake! He flirted with countless stars and he declared his love for Nicki Minaj! Did that bother his ex, Rihanna? — Hell no! HollywoodLife.com has EXCLUSIVELY learned that Rih’s never been happier without Drake. BUT, she wants Nicki to know one thing …
The Billboard Music Awards were about more than just good music on May 21. The show was all about Drake, 30 — from his record 13 BBMAs, to his squad-deep crew. But, the biggest jaw-dropper of the night was when he made his reconciliation with Nicki Minaj, 34, official.
Although Drizzy gave a nationally televised shoutout to his old flame, his ex, Rihanna, 29, wasn’t phased by the grand gesture. In fact, “Rihanna‘s so tired of seeing, hearing and discussing Drake,” a source close to the singer has claimed. “She’s over him and has been for a very long time.” Wow!
Ri Ri’s been in the game with Drake since they were first spotted hooking up in 2008, after her split from Chris Brown, 29. She and Drake may have even been involved before that, since they actually met in 2005 in Toronto. Therefore, Rih knows how Drizzy is. “The same grand gestures he did for her, he‘s now doing for Nicki,” our source said. “And he‘ll do it for the next girl and the one after that. Rih just hopes that Nicki isn’t stupid and thinks that she’s Drake’s one and only girl, because she had to learn that the hard way.” Yikes.
Rihanna’s in a much better place after her on-again, off-again relationship with Drake. “She’s at a point in her life where all she wants is to be happy and free of the bullsh-t.” And, Ri feels as free as a bird when she’s not worrying about Drake 24/7. Her past with him is “old and tired.”
In case you missed the BBMAs, Drake and Nicki sat next to each other for most of the show. The only time they were apart were the 13 times Drizzy hit the stage to accept all of his awards. Lol. When he accepted the award for Top 200 Artist, the rapper said, “I want to say Nicki Minaj, I’m so glad we found our way back because I love you and I could never ever ever see it any other way!” Laying it on thick there, Drizzy?
Nicki and the rapper have been good friends and even a rumored hookup for years. However, their relationship hit a rough patch when she began dating Meek Mill, 30, in the beginning of 2015. Meek and Drizzy don’t get along whatsoever. The rap foes actually have diss tracks about one another. But, like Drizzy said, he and Nicki found their way back to each other. It was ironic timing since she just split with Meek in Jan. 2017.
At the end of the Billboard Awards, Drake gave Nicki another shoutout when he accepted the biggest award of the night — Top Artist. However, that time, he ended up bringing Nicki on stage with him. “I got the love of my life up here,” Drake said while he pointed at Nicki. And, you could have guessed that the female rapper felt like a princess on a pedestal all night long. Player or not, it’s got to feel damn good to be Drizzy’s girl.
Michael B. Jordan’s Home Burglarized
Michael B. Jordan has joined the laundry list of celebrities whose homes have been buglarized.
Thieves targeted the actor’s home a few weeks ago according to TMZ.
Law enforcement sources tell us someone broke into Michael’s San Fernando Valley pad a few weeks ago, and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash and jewelry. We’re told the burglar got in after smashing a window.
We’re told no one was home at the time and it appears to be a random hit. Sources tell us cops are waiting for Michael to give them a full list of the items taken.
The “Creed” star joins the ever growing list of celebs to fall victim — Alanis Morissette, Emmy Rossum, Nikki Minaj and Jaime Pressly had their homes jacked in recent months … and, Scott Disick was just hit early Sunday morning.
Lest we forget the fool who broke into Amber Rose‘s home and chilled for four hours.
SMH…
Judge Says Prince’s Sister, Five Half-Siblings Are Heirs to Estate.
Back in May 2016, The judge overseeing the Prince estate case has authorized genetic testing on a sample of his blood in case it’s necessary to determine who’s entitled to shares of the estate.
Today, A Minnesota judge has determined that Prince’s sister and five half-siblings are the heirs to his estate.
According to reports, A Minnesota court has determined that Prince’s six siblings are the lawful heirs to his fortune and that the Minnesota music icon left no will before his death last year.
Carver County District Judge Kevin Eide said in January he wouldn’t declare the heirs of the late rock superstar until appeals run their course for others whose claims of heirship have been rejected.
Court documents posted Friday, though, show the court has concluded Prince’s sister Tyka Nelson and five half-siblings — Omarr Baker, Alfred Jackson, Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson and John R. Nelson — are the heirs
Universal Sets 2019 Release Date For Jordan Peele’s Untitled Social Thriller
Universal has RSVP’ed Friday March 15, 2019 for Jordan Peele’s next movie. This is the untitled social thriller that was referred to in the news about the filmmaker’s first look deal with the studio under his Monkeypaw Productions banner. Currently, there are no other studio releases slated for that date.
Peele will write, direct and produce his next movie from an original idea. In addition per his Universal deal, Peele will also produce a wide range of titles for the studio, including several micro-budgeted projects on which he will partner with Get Out producer Jason Blum.
Get Out is the box office anomaly of the year, made for $4.5M before P&A and grossing $230M worldwide. At a time when some argue that the film industry should relegate lower and mid-budget fare to streaming for better economics, Get Out is proof that when a distributor holds out for a theatrical release, they stand to make a windfall of cash. A socially-politically arresting horror film, Get Out, was the surprise screening at the Sundance Film Festival. It follows a young African American man who visits his Caucasian girlfriend’s family for the first time, and learns that they’re an offbeat bunch of people. He has but no choice but to escape from their countryside house.
HBCU student Richard Collins III killed by White racist days before graduation
via Richard Collins III Facebook page/via University of Maryland Police Department
Richard Collins III was set to become a graduate of Bowie State University on May 23. But Collins, 23, lost his life after an encounter with a racist.
On May 20, Collins visited two friends who attended the University of Maryland. According to the Baltimore Sun, Collins and his two friends were waiting for an Uber around 3 a.m. when they were approached by Sean Urbanski, 22. Before Urbanski walked by the group, he allegedly yelled, “Step left, step left if you know what’s best for you!” Collins told Urbanski, “no.” Apparently frustrated that a Black person would not comply with his order, Urbanski turned violent. Urbanski stabbed Collins in the chest.
Collins was rushed to a local hospital, but he was later pronounced dead.
Initially, Urbanski was charged with murder, but charges may be upgraded to a hate crime because of his affiliation with a racist organization. Urbanski is a member of the racist Facebook group ALT Reich Nation. The group promotes racism and hate through memes and other forms of online content.
Urbanski is also being investigated by the FBI.
Hate crimes across the nation continue to soar. Over the past few months following the election of President Donald Trump, America has witnessed a surge in hate crimes.
In Houston on May 2, James Scott Lee, 32, began yelling racial slurs at a Black man while holding a knife. Lee yelled, “I hate n—s, and I’m going to kill me one today!” Lee chased his Black victim with the knife and brass knuckles. The Black man eventually escaped by jumping into a car and locking the door.
On March 20, James Harris Jackson traveled to New York for the purpose of killing Black people. He approached Timothy Caughman, 66, around 11 p.m. and stabbed him several times. Caughman was able to walk to a police precinct, but he eventually died from the stab wounds. One day following the attack, Jackson walked into a police precinct near Times Square and told authorities that he committed the murder.
Collins was an upstanding student at Bowie State and a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Urbanski is currently being held in jail without bond.
Why NAACP dismissed president Cornell Brooks; he says he was caught by surprise
Roland Martin recently interviewed NAACP Board of Directors chair Leon Russell and former president of NAACP–Minneapolis Nekima Levy-Pounds about the organization’s decision to not renew the contract of current president Cornell W. Brooks. Brooks, who has been in office for three years, claims that he was surprised by the decision – though contacts in the organization say he has known about this for some time. The organization claims that this decision is part of a larger change in direction focused on finding more ways to stay engaged in fighting today’s political and civic issues.
Russell said, “There were places where Cornell brought great leadership. The question is, what do you do after you have raised the issue? How do you bring some solution to bear on the problems that are identified? If you [hold a] sit-in in the chairman of the judiciary committee’s office, then across the nation shouldn’t there have been other sit-ins in other members of the committee’s offices to emphasize that you needed them to look at the policy that was being debated? What we recognize is that we have leaders across the country that are going to propel the movement. We have our leadership – it’s in place and we think we can continue this fight. But we want to look forwards and not backwards.”
Levy-Pounds adds, “I always felt that working with him and seeing his leadership style, that he was caught in between two worlds – the old guard and the old way of doing things versus what we’re seeing from new-school leadership…and I don’t know if he was able to make the transition fast enough. I see the adversity that the organization is encountering as an opportunity. You want a leader that can move you towards action at the national level, down to the local chapters.”
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES?
Jill Scott, Hallmark’s scholarship for inner-city kids
Jill Scott’s Blues Babe Foundation to Launch National Scholarship in partnership with Hallmark
Jill Scott, a Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, is in partnership with Hallmark’s Mahogany brand. Scott’s Blues Babe, a registered 501(c)3 foundation, established a national, merit-based scholarship for college students interested in pursuing a career in the writing arts. The collaboration unites Mahogany’s commitment to a genuine, progressive and optimistic reflection of African American culture with the Blues Babe Foundation’s extensive work in initiatives supporting minority students pursuing a college education.
“To be able to give inner-city students the opportunity to receive a scholarship and pursue a career in writing is phenomenal,” JIll Scott says in a statement to press. “My love and passion for writing is reflected in my music and my poetry and I am sincerely grateful that Mahogany decided to partner with the Blues Babe Foundation to help nurture young creative minds.”
Currently enrolled college students interested in applying for the scholarship may visit hallmark.com/truemahogany to submit qualifying information, a writing sample and an essay for consideration. Two winning applicants (as selected by representatives from Mahogany and the Blues Babe Foundation) will each receive a $10,000 scholarship. Both winners also will be invited to Hallmark’s headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. for an all-expenses paid workshop with Mahogany’s team of writers during the summer of 2016. This personalized workshop will help students hone their craft over a three-day period and fully immerse them in the day-to-day experience of a Mahogany writer.
Mahogany and the Blues Babe Foundation will promote the importance of education and creative writing skills during sessions at this year’s Camp Jill Scott. CJS is an annual summer enrichment camp for underserved middle school students in the North Philadelphia area. Mahogany writers will work directly with the campers, serving as positive role models and inspiring them to explore their creative writing abilities through guided activities.
“Our greeting cards’ messages are rooted in inspiration, positivity and cultural connection,” said Tara Frank, vice president of multicultural strategy for Hallmark Cards. “This partnership provides an avenue for us to put that message into action — nationally and locally — and we’re excited to partner with Scott’s Blues Babe Foundation to do so. We hope that our shared vision leads to rewarding and enriching opportunities for college-bound students.”
Applications for the Mahogany & Blues Babe Foundation Scholarship will be accepted through Oct. 30, 2015. For more information and official rules, visit www.hallmark.com/truemahogany
PRAY! FOR BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN, IT’S IN GOD’S HAND NOW!
Sadly, Bobbi Kristina Brown is showing no signs of improvement.
A source close to the family tells ET exclusively that Bobbi Kristina is now off all medications and could pass away at any moment. Another source tells us that her organs are failing.
"Despite the great medical care at numerous facilities, Bobbi Kristina Brown's condition has continued to deteriorate," Pat Houston told ET in a statement Wednesday. "As of today, she has been moved into hospice care. We thank everyone for their support and prayers. She is in God's hands now."
Bobbi Kristina -- the only child of the late Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown -- has been on a ventilator in a medically-induced coma since she was found unresponsive in a bathtub on Jan. 31. She turned 22 on March 4, and was moved to an Atlanta rehabilitation facility later that month.
Just last week, Bobby Brown's lawyer slammed reports that Bobbi Kristina was being brought home to die. "Bobbi Kristina is not going home to die as numerous news affiliates and websites have reported," attorney Christopher Brown said.
Janet Jackson To Receive Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award At BET Awards
Janet JacksonJanet Jackson will receive the first-ever Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award at this weekend’s BET Awards. The announcement was made on twitter that pop icon will be honored during the 15th annual BET Awards show at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 28, at 8 p.m.
.@JanetJackson will receive the 1st ever Ultimate ICON: Music Dance Visual award! #BETAwards LIVE SUN JUNE 28 8P|7c pic.twitter.com/6g8zq3jRIC
— #BETAwards (@BETAwards) June 23, 2015
But before she accepts her award, the 49-year-old singer will receive a dance tribute from Chris Brown, Ciara, Jason Derulo, and Tinashe. Other performers hitting the BET Awards stage Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Meek Mill, Ne-Yo, and the cast of Fox TVs “Empire.”
Janet released her new single “No Sleep” earlier this week, and her first album in seven years is scheduled to be released this fall on Rhythm Nation. Congrats ICON!
R.I.P Dick Van Patten Passes Away at 86
Given his prolific presence in Tinseltown for multiple decades, it’s no wonder the entertainment industry is mourning the loss of Dick Van Patten.
The “Eight is Enough” star passed away at the age of 86 on Tuesday (June 23) in a hospital bed at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California.
Van Patten’s rep told press that he died due to complications related to type II diabetes and he is survived by his wife of more than 60 years Pat Van Patten and his sons Vincent, Nels and Jimmy. Dick starred in memorable projects such as “The Love Boat,” “Spaceballs,” “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” and recently had a cameo on “Hot in Cleveland.”
Meet HK Edgerton … The Black White Supremacist and a COON!
Meet North Carolina native HK Edgerton. Over the years, Edgerton has made a name for himself by dressing as a Confederate soldier and parading the Confederate flag around the South. Edgerton describes himself as an activist for Southern heritage and has appeared at dozens of rallies in support of the flag and its history.
Earlier this week, just hours after “Black Lives Matter” was spray-painted on a Confederate monument in Asheville, Edgerton appeared on site to lash out at the vandals. “I’m not going to blame it on a Yankee, because I’ve seen some southern folk around here that are real questionable too, that don’t know anything about who they are and their families and the honorable people in the southland of America… red, yellow, black, white and brown!” Edgerton said in an interview with the local NBC affiliate.
Edgerton, a former president of the North Carolina NAACP, is a real life Clayton Bigsby. As for people who have an issue with his outlook, he remarked in a separate interview, “I don’t know why anyone would complain about an old handsome Black man standing here, embracing the flag of his ancestors and his homeland.”
The Confederate flag has become a hot topic after Dylann Roof, a White man photographed wearing the symbol, entered a Black church last week and opened fire on nine Black people, killing them. Wal-Mart, Amazon and eBay have all announced that they will no longer sell merchandise with the flag on it, and politicians in several Southern states are working to have the flag removed from state flags and license plates.
MENTAL ILLNESS IS A DISEASE!
Prince's Ex-Wife Writing a Tell-All Book
Prince's ex-wife Mayte Garcia writing a tell-all book about their marriage…
Former Hollywood Exes star Mayte Garcia is writing a tell-all about her three-year marriage to rocker Prince and hopes to have it in stores by Christmas.
Mayte will open up about their bizarre lifestyle and the struggle of dealing with the loss of their child, who died days after his birth of a rare genetic disorder, which ultimately lead to their divorce.
Mariah Carey and James Packer Talking Marriage, ALREADY?
Earlier this week Mariah Carey went public with her new romance with Australian billionaire James Packer.
Now insiders are claiming the happy couple are already talking marriage…
Sources tell TMZ James is utterly obsessed with Mariah and has already told her he wants to marry her.
Apparently Mariah is very open to the idea.
The couple, along with Mariah's twins, have been sailing the Mediterranean on James' yacht over the past month.
Autopsy Report: Freddie Gray Suffered “High-Energy Injury” To The Neck & Spine
Freddie Gray’s autopsy report was obtained by the Baltimore Sun yesterday (June 23). According to the details, Gray suffered a “high-energy injury,” to the neck and spine, likely brought on by riding in the police van, which abruptly changed directions several times.
Gray was not belted in, which is against police. The coroner concluded his death to be a homicide after examining the vehicle and speaking with witnesses. An autopsy was completed on April 30, but has not been made public as of yet.
Reports the Baltimore Sun: The state medical examiner’s office concluded that Gray’s death could not be ruled an accident, and was instead a homicide, because officers failed to follow safety procedures “through acts of omission.”
Though Gray was loaded into the van on his belly, the medical examiner surmised that he may have gotten to his feet and was thrown into the wall during an abrupt change in direction. He was not belted in, but his wrists and ankles were shackled, putting him “at risk for an unsupported fall during acceleration or deceleration of the van.”
The medical examiner compared Gray’s injury to those seen in shallow-water diving incidents.
“Reportedly, Mr. Gray was still yelling and shaking the van,” wrote the medical examiner. “He was removed from the van and placed on the ground in a kneeling position, facing the van doors, while ankle cuffs were placed, and then slid onto the floor of the van, belly down and head first, reportedly still verbally and physically active.”
According to the report, after the vehicle made five separate stops, Gray was found kneeling and slumped over the in the van. His hands and feet were shackled, and he also appeared “lethargic with minimal response to direct questions.” There’s a possibly that he could’ve suffered a seizure as well. Opiates and marijuana were reportedly found in his system.
Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby brought charges against six officers involved in Gray’s arrest. “I strongly condemn anyone with access to trial evidence who has leaked information prior to the resolution of this case,” she said following the autopsy leak.
Georgia Man Claims He Was Beaten With Baseball Bat for Being Gay
South Fulton County police are searching for a man they say assaulted another man with a baseball bat for making a pass at him.
It all started when Adrian Wilson spotted a man fixing a flat tire outside his apartment on Cascade Road in southwest Atlanta. Wilson said the man asked him for help fixing his tire.
The man, who police later identified as Denzale Johnson, was wearing his pants sagging low. Wilson said Johnson asked him how much money he wanted for the help.
Wilson probably took that as a sign that Johnson was trade — gay slang for a young heterosexual man who is willing to trade sex for cash or other favors.
“I said you already gave me a free peep show, so I’ll go ahead and do it for free,” Wilson told Channel 2 Action News.
Wilson said Johnson didn’t take kindly to the sexually suggestive comment.
“He asked me then if I’m straight, and I said, ‘No, I’m gay,’” said Wilson. “He went off telling me, he wasn’t gay he was straight, he hated gay people.”
Wilson said he turned to leave and Johnson struck him from behind with a baseball bat.
“He said he hates gay people. I’m gay, he hit me with a bat so apparently he hated something about me,’ said Wilson, who received 13 stitches to close a head wound.
South Fulton police are looking for Johnson who is wanted on aggravated assault charges.
Georgia is one of 5 states that has no hate crime legislation on the books. So Johnson won’t be charged with a hate crime.
But critics of hate crime legislation say the law is used unfairly in cases where victims instigate violence.
New Google App Let’s You Get Your ‘Oops!’ Email Back!
Don’t all of these apps start getting on your nerves after awhile? It seems “there’s an app for that” now applies to everything you do, think, feel, or care to be.
Damn. Even the things designed to make life smoother for us can become overwhelming.
But sometimes, not often, but at times, an app comes along that seems to be right on point. And that app appears to be Google’s latest revelation: “The Oops, I didn’t mean to send that to him app.”
Well, that’s not the formal name for it, but that is what is was created for.
Here’s an example:
You: “I can’t stand this damn job. My supervisor is so stupid. You won’t believe what he came in here and said to me this morning. I swear, sometimes I think a monkey could do the job better than him. I’ll talk to you later girl.”
You press send.
You: “Wait. What? But I thought …No! No! Noooooo!”
You thought you were sending it to your gal-pal. But you actually sent it to the “supervisor” you referred to.
Oops!
Not to worry, now you can get it back…Retrieve it before they ever see it. Whew! (I hear your sigh of relief way over here.)
But first, you’ll need to have a Gmail account, because it is this email account that it works through.
Using the “Undo Send” button, you can utilize a delay on your outgoing messages by at least five seconds. And if you are a member of the “I’m so paranoid” set, you can add delay time in the form of a 30-second lag.
Now, of course, this still may not be enough time. Especially, if you’re like me, and that nagging thought that I may have sent it to the wrong person catches up to me say, 10-minutes-later. But oh well…
For those who already have a Gmail account, the “undo button” is not really new. You may have already gone to Gmail Labs, the experimental section of the site since 2009, and installed it.
But now the Google crew has seen how popular it has become, so they decided to give it an upgrade on Monday. Wonder why they waited so long?
To turn it on, click “Settings” under the gear icon, and choose your cancellation time period. Users who had already opted for the function under Google Labs will have their preferences turned on by default.
Jada Pinkett Smith Hosts ‘Magic Mike XXL’ ATL Screening; Porsha Williams, Monyetta Shaw, Phaedra Parks & More Attend
Jada Pinkett Smith hosted a private screening of Magic Mike XXL in Atlanta last night. The screening also doubled as a celebration for Porsha Williams‘ 34th birthday, and Monyetta Shaw, Keshia Knight Pulliam, and Phaedra Parks were also spotted.
Rockin’ a bright yellow dress, Jada was accompanied by a number of shirtless men, while introducing the movie. Catch a few more candids from the evening inside.
Fab times! MAGIC MIKE XXL grinds into theaters nationwide on July 1st!
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
