Chris Brown Trial Underway: Singer's Bodyguard Found Guilty Of Assault
Starting off his week with legal proceedings, Chris Brown headed to court for the beginning of his trial on Monday (April 21).
Yesterday his bodyguard Christopher Hollosy was found guilty of misdemeanor assault. Chris will go on trial for the same crime this afternoon.
Hollosy and Brown were accused of attacking a man outside the W Hotel in Washington, D.C. in October 2013, and the bodyguard's verdict does not bode well for Brown.
If the 24-year-old is found guilty, his probation for his previous assault charges involving Rihanna could be revoked. If that occurs, Chris could face more time in jail.
Brown is currently behind bars for an arrest made last month.
WELL DAMN: Knicks fire entire coaching staff
Mike Woodson has been fired as the New York Knicks' head coach, the team announced Monday morning.
With Prez Phil in charge and the specter of Coach Phil looming, the Knicks job may be a ménage à triangle.
New Knicks president Phil Jackson announced in a release that the entire coaching staff was relieved of its duties.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mike Woodson and his entire staff," Jackson said. "The coaches and players on this team had an extremely difficult 2013-14 season, and blame should not be put on one individual. But the time has come for change throughout the franchise as we start the journey to assess and build this team for next season and beyond.
"Everyone in this franchise owes a great deal of gratitude to what Mike and his staff have done. We wish him the best."
Woodson had one year remaining on the three-year contract he signed with the Knicks before the 2011-12 season.
When reached for comment, Woodson said he was "doing fine."
"I'm in my office packing as we speak," he told ESPN. "I'm not really entertaining anything with the media right now. I'm just trying to clear my head. That's what I'm doing. ... I'm fine. I have been doing this a long time. I'm good, really good. It's time to move on."
Shooting guard J.R. Smith called the firing "sad."
"He was great to me. I think I got a fair shake for the first time in a while under him," Smith told ESPN. "He treated me how he wanted to be treated. It sucks, but there is nothing I can do about it.
"I think he did a great job. I think he did a good job with me. He responded to the players. It's just a sad day for him, for me and my teammates."
Jackson said he will immediately begin to conduct a coaching search to find a replacement.
The 13-time NBA champion (11 titles as a coach) is expected to seek a coach with an intimate knowledge of the triangle offense. Former Suns general manager and current TNT analyst Steve Kerr, who won three NBA titles under Jackson with the Chicago Bulls, has been mentioned most often as a potential replacement.
Woodson coached the Knicks for the past two seasons after taking over on an interim basis in 2011 following Mike D'Antoni's resignation. Woodson guided the Knicks to a 54-win regular season and a division title in 2012-13, in addition to their first playoff series win in 13 seasons.
Following the team's success in 2012-13, owner James Dolan told staffers on the eve of the 2013-14 season that he felt the Knicks could compete for an NBA title. They fell well short of those expectations.
New York started the season 3-13, suffered through losing streaks of nine and seven games and fell as many as 19 games below .500. They won 12 of 15 games in March and early April to climb back into the playoff race but were eliminated late last week, missing out on the postseason for the first time in four seasons.
"I don't know what is fair or not," Smith said of the firing. "I'm not the person dealing with fair or not. It would've been nice to see him get another year at least, but Phil Jackson has won a lot of championships and knows basketball, so we have to trust in that."
Celebs Invade Coachella 2014 Weekend 2
Weekend 2 of Coachella went down April 18th through the 20th, with performances from Pharrell, Jay Z, T.I., Usher and more.. plus Lauryn Hill surprised the crowd by joining Nas during his set.
Catch more weekend pics inside.
Away from the stage plenty of celebs came out for the entertainment. Beyoncé, her sis Solange and nephew Juelz were all spotted — and also LeToya Luckett, Queen Latifah, Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa snapped it up too. Catch more weekend 2 pics inside.
Keyshawn Johnson Arrested For Domestic Violence, Out On Bail
Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson was arrested for domestic violence after getting into an argument with his girlfriend that allegedly turned physical.
Reports TMZ:
The former NFL star wide receiver was busted in Calabasas, CA early Monday morning.
According to law enforcement ... Keyshawn was involved in a fight with his ex-girlfriend when things allegedly got physical. Sources say he smashed her phone, causing a gash to her hand.
Our sources say the two had an up-and-down relationship and were arguing over marriage.
Johnson was formally arrested for misdemeanor domestic battery and booked.
Bail was set at 20K. Keyshawn made bail and is now out.
We gotta heat both sides.
Johnson is currently an analyst for ESPN, for now.
Brooklyn Teen Shot After Cutting Nike Air Foamposite Pro Line
The sneaker game is getting all too real, and violent. On Saturday a Brooklyn teen who cut a long line of people outside a Foot Locker waiting to buy Nike Air Foamposite Pros in a special "Yeezy" colorway, was shot for his trouble.
This story has more layers than a poor kid trying to cop sneakers got caught up in the crossfire, though.
Reports the New York Daily News:
The victim, identified by friends as Isaiah Martinez, was shot early Saturday as he tried to buy a pair of Kanye West-designed sneakers from a Brooklyn Foot Locker, cops and witnesses said.
Martinez apparently cut a long line of eager customers looking to buy the new Nike Air Foamposite Pro “Yeezy” sneakers moments before the 6 a.m. shooting outside the Knickerbocker Ave. store, near Stanhope St., in Bushwick.
“There were people camped out for the sneakers and Isaiah tried to cut the line,” said Edison Cartagena, 21, who described himself as a Martinez pal.
Those patiently waiting for their chance to buy the $250 sneakers at 8 a.m. were outraged by Martinez's move and demanded he go to the back of the line, said Cartagena, who works at a nearby clothing store.
Usually this part of the story is where there may be a scuffle, authorities are called and after some drama everything goes back to relative normal, right? Wrong.
It turns out that Martinez was blatantly not trying to follow proper protocol, and ended up catching a hot lead in his foot.
“They get into a scuffle and one of the guys on line left and told Isaiah he was coming back with a gun,” Cartagena said. “He came back and just fired off four shots.”
“He probably shot him in the foot just to scare him off,” he said. “You know to send a message.'
Paramedics took the teen to Woodhull Hospital with a nonlife-threatening wound.
“I don't think anyone should lose their life over a pair of sneakers,” Cartagena said. “Thankfully he's okay. The whole thing is just crazy.”
Other witnesses said Isaiah mouthed off to the shooter before bullets started flying.
“I guess he tried to get tough with one of the guys he cut,” said witness Jayson Roque, 23, who works at a nearby GameStop. “One of them left and came back with a gun and shot him.
The stores opening was delayed until 11 am but it seems like those on line still got their kicks.
But are they worth a bullet?
Jason Derulo Reveals Industry Pressure To Marry Girlfriend Jordin Sparks
With the release of his debut album Talk Dirty, cutie Jason Derulo is dishing on the single he wrote for his girlfriend “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks titled, “Marry Me”
Jason got steamy on the stage with Jordin, performing their duet “Vertigo” (above) this week during Universal CityWalk's "Spring Concert Series". And the “Talk Dirty” singer did an interview with Hot 97 where he explained how he and Jordin are put under a lot of pressure from the music industry to get married...and how the “Marry Me” track came about.
He said:
“I wrote ‘Marry Me’ for Jordin actually and basically what I was saying in the song is we got forever. Why are we rushing? We get a lot of industry pressure and I don’t want her to feel a kind of way. So I wrote this song just for her saying that I swear that I’ll mean it when I say it ‘Will you marry me?’ That’ll be an amazing day when I actually say it to you. She was like ‘the world needs to hear this song’ and I was like ‘Nah, I ain’t about to play this to the world, this is for you.’ She then said ‘play it for some people’ so I played it and I was like ‘aight, let’s release it.”
Aww…
New Couple Alert: Richard Gere and Padma Lakshmi Are An Item
There’s a new couple in town, as Richard Gere is said to be dating “Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi.
According to reports from Page Six, the duo have been together for a short time, but have been spending time together while the “Pretty Woman” actor films in New York City.
The romance comes as the 64-year-old actor is still in the process of divorcing actress Carey Lowell, whom he has been separated from since September.
For her part, Padma was married to novelist Salman Rushdie for three years, and has a young daughter, Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell with ex-boyfriend Adam Dell.
Kraft Recalls Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs After Packaging
Kraft is recalling 96,000 pounds of Oscar Mayer hots dogs because they are contained in the wrong packaging.
The product labels are incorrect as they do not reflect the ingredients associated with the pasteurized cheese in the cheese dogs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said in a statement on Sunday.
The products were formulated with milk, which is not declared on the product label, the FSIS said.
The recall is classified a Class I recall – a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.
Tae Heckard and Brandon Jennings Confirm Their Relationship!
Well after rumors about their relationship kept popping up on the blogs, they finally CONFIRMED their relationship to the public.
Model-actress Tae Heckard, who just recently dated rapper Nelly and NBA baller Brandon Jennings who recently dated Teyana Taylor make it official.
The two seem to be pretty happy in their new found relationship, but the not everyone is happy about them together.
Teyana Taylor’s friend shared her thoughts on their romance via Instagram. Taylor, a good friend of Tae’s was previous engaged to the player. “Wait, wasn’t you and @teyanataylor just together in LA? The G.O.O.D. Music’s First Lady delivers a heartfelt song about a relationship that unfortunately didn’t last. Could she be singing to Brandon Jennings?...
She sings, “I’m sorry you didn’t know how to love me / I’m sorry I wasn’t beautiful to you / I’m sorry you just didn’t understand how to be my man. This is why Teyana be pi***** me the f*** off because she speaks so highly of your b*** ass.
Keke Palmer To Become The Youngest Talk Show Host In History
A few years ago, Keke Palmer was the fourth highest paid child star on television, and now she’s making even more waves in the industry!
Earlier, it was announced that the 20-year-old media maven recently linked up with BET and Telepictures for a new show. And this time, she won’t be acting.
In the new series, tentatively titled “The KeKe Palmer Project,” Keke will be following in the footsteps of Oprah Winfrey, Tyra Banks, and Queen Latifah with her very own talk show aimed at young adults.
She revealed in a statement:
I like to read quotes that touch on how I am feeling. If I am dealing with confusion, I will read quotes about clarity and peace of mind as they are very uplifting to me. I started posting these quotes on my twitter page and the fans responded so positively! I realized that many of them were dealing with similar issues and the quotes helped to open up a genuine dialogue between us.
After her followers started saying that she should have her own show, Judge Mathis’ company, Mathis Productions, reached out to make it happen.
On her desire to be a talk show host, Keke revealed:
I come from a very small, poor town just outside of the Chicago area and I know what it’s like to dream and accomplish some of your goals, but I would never want to do a show where I am preaching to anyone because I do not like being preached at. I want to learn right along with my audience and every show will be a collaborative effort. I am so thankful to Debra Lee and everyone at the BET Network for providing me with this unique opportunity and platform.
This is amazing! We need more positive young females on television that young women can look up to. I still miss ‘Teen Summit’ back in the day!
When the show premieres in July, Keke will become the youngest talk show host in history. The title is currently held by Ricki Lake, who was 25 when she began her show.
Check out this throwback photo KeKe recently posted on Instagram of her with Queen Latifah back in the day!
Cute
White House hosts annual Easter Egg Roll
Thousands of children, most decked out in their Sunday best, raced across the South Lawn of the White House on Monday in the annual Easter Egg Roll.
Swinging large wooden spoons, scores of kids pushed and prodded brightly colored eggs across the White House lawn.
No eggs were broken, but a few hearts were; the races often ended in tears of frustration.
“I like trying to win everything,” said 4-year-old Charlie Tuesca from Kensington, Md.
Leila Voxakis, 2, who couldn’t make it to the finish line despite the urging of a volunteer, ended up picking up her egg and waddling to the line.
“Everything has been wonderful. This is our first egg roll,” said Leila’s mother, Rana Voxakis, 36, of Virginia. “I’m glad that my little girls could experience it.”
The egg roll, now in its 136th year, featured such celebrities as Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, actor Jim Carrey, singer Ariana Grande, 2014 Miss America Nina Davuluri and Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster.
There also were live performances from pop stars and the Marine Corps Band.
Cam Anthony, the 12-year-old singer who has become a hit on YouTube, started the festivities with a soaring rendition of the national anthem from the Truman Balcony of the White House.
President Obama stepped onto the balcony to welcome the crowd of more than 30,000 people and introduce first lady Michelle Obama.
“Happy Easter! This is the biggest event we have at the White House all year long,” the president told the crowd. He hailed his wife as “the person who makes this all possible.”
The Obamas’ daughters, Sasha and Malia, were not in attendance because they were in school, the first lady’s press secretary, Joanna Rosholm, said.
The theme of this year’s egg roll was “Hop into Healthy, Swing into Shape,” part of the first lady’s Let’s Move initiative to encourage fitness and healthful eating among children.
With the egg roll, “we get to celebrate something near and dear to my heart — it’s making sure kids are healthy and active,” Michelle Obama lady said.
Attendees flocked between sports courts, cooking stations, storybook readings and craft areas. They could also take pictures with vegetable mascots, the Easter bunny, Spider-Man and the Minions from the animated movie “Despicable Me.”
The Obamas made their rounds to each of the stations after the introduction. At the story station, the president read “Where the Wild Things Are,” which he says was one of his favorite books as a child. He reads it every year at the Easter Egg Roll.
After the story station, the president went to the basketball and tennis courts, where he played a couple of games and posed for photos with children.
Meanwhile, Michelle Obama visited the cooking station and the story station.
According to the White House Historical Association, the egg roll at the president’s residence started in 1878. Previously, an egg roll had been held on the Capitol grounds, but Congress passed a bill forbidding children from playing there because of damage to the lawn. So President Rutherford B. Hayes invited children to roll their eggs on the South Lawn.
“I grew up here and always saw kids doing [the egg roll] on TV,” Alexandria resident Amy Holmes, 44, said Monday. “It’s exciting to finally come and . . . see it through my kids’ eyes.”
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘PIG-PEN TURNED WEREWOLF’
I guess the full moon hadn’t quite wore off for this walking werewolf. That’s about to make me howl.
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
EFREM
