Viola Davis for L'Officiel USA - Winter 2018 Issue She Talks Need for Diversity in Hollywood
Viola Davis is one of the most-praised actresses in the industry, and has worked hard to get there.
Having won the “Triple Crown of Acting,” an Oscar, Emmy and Tony, as well as a Golden Globe, the 53-year-old actress is still fighting for diverse roles and bringing inclusivity to the screen. ET has an exclusive first look at Davis’ December cover of L’Officiel USA, in which she opens up about questioning her love of acting and wanting to be considered for the same roles as white actresses like Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.
“I feel like our production company is the poster child of what it means to be inclusive with narrative in this business,” Davis tells the publication. “It is not just my hope for myself [to be cast in roles not specifically written for a Black woman]; it’s my hope for every person of color, and I don’t just mean Black — I mean Hispanic, I mean Asian. I mean for any person of color to be seen as not myopic.”
“If we are committed to inclusion, then that same role that you’re thinking for Sandra Bullock, or for Nicole Kidman, or for Saoirse Ronan, or for Anne Hathaway, can be thought of for Michelle Yeoh, or for myself, or for Taraji P. Henson, or for Catalina Sandino Moreno,” she stresses. “That is my hope for the business: I don’t always have to be in a Civil Rights movie. I don’t always have to make a statement. I don’t always have to save the world. Sometimes I just want to be a woman in a story.”
With a career spanning over two decades, Davis also admits that sometimes it’s difficult to keep oneself motivated in the acting field. She, however, is learning to “press the reset button” and “go back to something that challenges you.”
“I am in the season of being challenged by that question,” says the How to Get Away With Murder star about maintaining a love of acting for over 20 years. “I’m sort of trying to find a way to fall back in love with it again in the midst of the responsibility for the other stuff, in promoting movies, in contractual obligation for publicity, all the things that are not about my work. I think that you have to really exercise the power of ‘No.’”
“It’s gonna happen,” she continues. “You’re gonna lose your passion. You’re gonna become disillusioned. But in the midst of it, you have to press the reset button — you do. And then you have to go back to something that challenges you. It doesn’t have to be in movies, because not everyone has the opportunity to just say, ‘Oh, give me a great role in a movie, so I can be challenged.’ It could be theater, it could be writing a book. It could be just taking a break and doing nothing. But to have the courage to extract yourself from the mess and the noise and to press the reset button is the only way to find your passion again and to find the love again. But I’m in the midst of that right now.”
Earlier this year, Davis recounted the barriers she faced as a woman of color trying to break through in Hollywood.
“I’m not pretty enough; I’m too fat; I’m not good enough; my hair — that was a big one; my skin tone,” Davis listed off in a frank conversation in the National Geographic docuseries America Inside Out With Katie Couric.
#RHoA: Is Porsha Williams and Kandi Burruss at it AGAIN? Porsha’s Instagram Post may seem to say so!
The season of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” is starting off with a bang. After Porsha Williams and Kandi Burruss went head to head via social media after an episode, the soon-to-be mom appears to be subtly shading her with an Instagram post.
Porsha Williams uploaded a post to her profile that said: “Yooo they got this crazy sale going on, for literally $0.00 you can mind your own f***** business.”
She captioned it with: “Dih me … I mind mine for the low low!”
It seems she might be referencing her feud with Kandi Burruss after the “OLG” owner spilled some major tea about Porsha’s current fiance, Dennis McKinley.
The hot dog business owner has quite a history with some ladies in Atlanta. Apparently, he was dating other women when he started dating Williams.
When responding to Kandi’s scene with the other women who brought McKinley’s past to light, she said: “Watching tonight’s episode, I just thought that Kandi just came off hateful and miserable. I didn’t really know that this was even coming. Mind you, we were cool talking on the phone, and then she turned around and pulled up my ex-assistant like Phaedra did with [Kandi’s] ex-assistant.”
She continued to tell Andy Cohen: “I haven’t really paid attention to what she does to other people, I just found it a little odd that she was doing it to me being that we’re supposed to be doing better. So, I don’t know. Everybody finds dirt on somebody’s man on the show, I just feel like she just went very far to bring out the dirt on Dennis. She’s a little bit obsessed with us.”
Kandi, in turn, said that Porsha was being hypocritical — because she’s been known to bring drama to the table when it comes to some of the ladies’ significant others.
#Empire: Taraji P. Henson for InStyle US - January 2019
Oscar-nominated actress Tararji P. Henson is showing us who’s the BOSS in the January 2019 issue of INSTYLE Magazine. The Empire diva is giving us her best “Mary Tyler Moore” impression while wearing some stylish “throwback” fashions.
“Woooooohooooooo!!!! ON STANDS NOW!!! THANK YOU @laurabrown99 and the ENTIRE @instylemagazine crew for this amazing shoot. I have ALWAYS wanted to throw my beret up in the air so care free #MaryTylerMoore style in the streets of NY!!!! I have done it on my own before but no one cared 😩😂😂😂. THIS TIME IT IS A COVER and I get to share with y’all,” said Henson on her Instagram page.
INSTYLE comes out just in time for Henson to promote her upcoming romantic comedy What Men Want. Check out more HERE where she dishes about that, collecting her coins and much more.
#NewMusic from Jaheim his First Holiday Album “A Really Chill Christmas”
Check out the first ever holiday album from R&B singer Jaheim called “A Really Chill Christmas”.
The project is pretty unique. Aside from Jaheim’s rendition of traditional holiday favorites like “This Christmas”, “Auld Lang Syne”, and “Chestnuts”, the rest of the seven songs on the album are original. Included are the title track, “Christmas Wedding”, and “Snow Makes the Grass Grow” with Angie Stone and Dave Hollister.
STREAM IT HERE
So for all your favorites this holiday season, here is a unique project you can add to your catalog from Jaheim.
#HipHopNews: Kanye West Teases ‘Watch The Throne 2′ Album
Kanye West teases Watch the Throne 2 once again the internet speculated that Yeezy's longtime friend-collaborator Jay-Z had dissed him on Meek Mill's new Championships album track, "What's Free." Within hours, Hov responded with a tweet dismissing that idea, and Kanye promptly responded with a tantalizing message.
"Throne 2 ♂️," Yeezy wrote at the time. Hov has yet to publicly respond to Yeezy's tweet, which points toward the potential release of the sequel to the critically acclaimed joint album the two dropped seven years ago.
The comment that led to Yeezy's response to Jay came after Jay stepped forth to shoot down speculation that he'd diss 'Ye on "What's Free." In the lyrics in question, Hov makes reference to a red hat and Yeezy and house slaves, leading many to believe he was speaking on Kanye's relationship with President Trump (the Make America Great Again hat is red, by the way).
"No red hat, don't Michael and Prince me and Ye/They separate you when you got Michael and Prince's DNA/I ain't one of these house niggas you bought/My house like a resort, my house bigger than yours/My spou- C'mon man/My route better of course," Hov spits on the track.
Naturally the internet exploded with speculation, but Hov largely put an end to the noise with one of his ultra-rare tweets. "The line clearly meant don’t pit me against my brothers no matter what our differences are (red hat) now go pick up Meek album . Drake and Meek on there together," Hov wrote.
JUST MARRIED: Nick Jonas & Priyanka Chopra gets Married In India
Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra are married! The couple tied the knot at the Umaid Bhawan Palance in Jodhpur, Rajasthan in her home country of India.
According to People, the beautiful bride wore a custom Ralph Lauren wedding gown. The groom, as well as the entire wedding party, wore Ralph Lauren as well.
Nick’s father, Paul Kevin Jonas Sr., officiated the couple’s Christian ceremony, where Priyanka and Nick exchanged wedding bands by famed jeweler Chopard.
On Sunday, the newlyweds will partake in a Hindu ceremony to honor Priyanka’s background.
A source told People, “It is super important to Priyanka to have an Indian ceremony that honors her heritage and culture, just as it’s important to also have a Western ceremony that honors Nick’s Christian upbringing. They are doing both.”
The couple had a blast celebrating their upcoming nuptials with friends and family.
Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Jonas!
Funky Dineva Apologizes After Calling Beyonce And Jay-Z’s Daughter Blue Ivy Ugly
Funky Dineva has become a YouTube star for his unfiltered commentary, but he took it a little too far over the weekend when he called Blue Ivy Carter “ugly” during a live taping of “The Queens Supreme Court” with TS Madison and Tiffany Pollard in D.C.
The trio was discussing JAY-Z and Beyoncé‘s facial features when Dineva blurted, “Blue Ivy ugly too.”
Everyone was completely taken aback by the comment and TS even beckoned for security.
Funky Dineva doubled down by adding, “Half of y’all sitting in here next to a homegirl with an ugly daughter. B–ch, don’t do that!”
I’m sure I don’t even have to tell you that the Beyhive swooped down and stung Dineva relentlessly to the point of him having to change the settings on his social media comments.
On Friday, Funky Dineva returned to his YouTube platform to issue an apology for his remarks about the innocent 6-year-old little girl.
Watch HERE
Gabrielle Union Reveals to Oprah That She Faced Backlash After Daughter Kaavia's Birth!
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade are opening up about their journey to become parents.
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, airing Dec. 8 on OWN, the couple share experiences and milestones in their unique path to parenthood after announcing the Nov. 7 arrival of their daughter Kaavia James via surrogate.
“You’re finally a mother at 46,” Oprah says in an all-new special, Oprah at Home with Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade & Their New Baby.
Radiating with joy, Union smiles while simply answering, “Yeah.”
The pair, who wed in August 2014, also went on to reveal that after sharing their happy news, they were met with backlash from people who questioned why the couple chose to make the announcement alongside photos of Union resting in a hospital bed with her husband.
“Everyone started talking about why she acting like she just had a baby,” Wade shares.
“You want to explain that?” Oprah asked Union, whose face was filled with emotion.
After realizing how much joy she felt raising three boys with Wade, Union first discovered that having a baby was something she wanted. “I never wanted kids. Then I became a stepmom, and there was no place I’d rather be than with them,” she told PEOPLE in September 2017.
“So then I thought, ‘Well maybe I might be good at this, and maybe this is something I want to explore,’” she continued. “And I’m madly in love with this dude, so [having a baby] is something we could look into.”
Days after her birth, Kaavia’s parents publicly revealed her name on Instagram. The Miami Heat shooting guard shared a throwback photo of himself from above that showed off his freshly tattooed shoulders bearing his daughter’s unique moniker. “Goes back to that one night in China when I decided to get my daughter’s name tattooed on me. Kaavia James Union Wade!” Wade wrote.
Union also gave fans a lesson on how to pronounce her daughter’s first name: “@kaaviajames pronounced Kah-Vee-Uh James,” the L.A.’s Finest star explained on Instagram before revealing just a few of her daughter’s nicknames: “She has 102 nicknames including but not limited to Kaav, Kaavi, Kaavi Baby, Kaavi J, Jamie, KJ, Nugget, Nug, Pooters.”
The interview will air on Winfrey’s SuperSoul Sunday and will stream on her Facebook page at 11 a.m. ET/PT. In addition, the interview will be available on Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations podcast beginning Dec. 10 with part two available on Dec. 12.
Oprah at Home with Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade & Their New Baby will air on Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.
Salim Akil Being Investigated By Warner Bros TV After Woman Files Domestic Violence Lawsuit Against Him
"Black Lightning" executive producer Salim Akil is being investigated by Warner Bros Television after a woman - who is not his wife - filed a domestic violence lawsuit against him. Details inside...
Warner Bros Television just opened up an investigation on "Black Lightning" EP Salim Akil after a woman pulled the trigger on a domestic violence lawsuit against him. And it isn't his wife.
An actress named Amber Dixon Brenner is suing the famed producer/director/screenwriter for domestic violence, sexual abuse and breach of contract after filing the paperwork in the Los Angeles Superior Court last month. She accuses Akil of repeated “non-consensual assault and battery.” And get this...
She claims she and Akil have been lovers for over a decade up until 2017. Whet?! Chile...
If what she's saying is true, that means he has been cheating on his wife, Mara Brock Akil. They tied the knot in 1999.
Not only is she suing Akil, she's also suing Oprah's OWN for copyright infringement. She claims Akil took a screenplay she wrote in 2016 about an abusive relationship to use as the basis for what became the OWN series, "Love Is _."
According to her lawsuit, here's what she claims went down:
Salim Akil committed multiple acts of physical violence and forced sex on Brenner, such as making her perform oral sex on him in the bathroom at a party in which he urinated in her mouth.
Outside his house on Martha’s Vineyard, Brenner says Salim Akil “proceeded to stick three fingers up her anus and started lecturing her.”
There were multiple instances of Akil allegedly slapping and strangling her during sex and refusing to stop when the sexual encounters became painful.
Salim Akil allegedly took sexual pictures of her without her consent.
Brenner says Akil was emotionally and verbally abusive. One time, Salim Akil allegedly threatened her that if she ever got pregnant he would dispose of her in a desert. Another time, Akil allegedly said that if they were married and she cheated on him, “he would stick her hand in a hot skillet of grease.”
She's suing for compensatory damages, emotional distress, attorney fees and punitive damages.
After the allegations made against the "Black Lightning" showrunner came to light, Warner Bros TV has decided to start an investigation on the CW series. According to Deadline, the studio will be conducting an inquiry with cast and crew on the Atlanta filmed show and OWN’s Love Is, where he serves as executive producer.
While the allegations have nothing to do with his role as showrunner, it's standard practice for the studio to launch an investigation in such circumstances. They are trying to address any safety or other concerns on the series by the cast and crew while looking to see if there's any additional information they would like to share.
As of the time of this post, Akil has not been suspended from Black Lightning. The CW and OWN have not revealed whether or not they'll be investigating as well.
Salim Akil has not responded to the allegations as of yet.
#BoxOfficeNews: 'Ralph Breaks the Internet' is still Breaking the Box Office at #1 with $26 Million Weekend Take
(BOM) Outside of only a couple differences, this weekend's box office top ten almost mirrors last weekend's rankings exactly with Disney's Ralph Breaks the Internet securing the #1 spot for a second weekend in a row. Among the differences, Universal's The Grinch switched places with Creed II as the animated feature took the runner-up position while topping $200 million domestically. In the bottom half of the top ten Sony's release of the Screen Gems horror film The Possession of Hannah Grace outperformed expectations and earned a seventh place finish.
There was no change at the top of the box office, however, as Disney's Ralph Breaks the Internet is once again the #1 film in North America, delivering an estimated three-day totaling $25.75 million. From a domestic perspective, the film's performance almost matches that of Moana's dollar-for-dollar after 12 days in release with a domestic total just shy of $120 million. Internationally, the film added $33.7 million this weekend for an international cume that now totals $87.7 million and a $207 million worldwide cume.
Landing in second place is Universal and Illumination's The Grinch, which brought in an estimated $17.7 million for a domestic cume that now totals $203.5 million. For Illumination, this is now the studio's eighth film out of nine releases to top $200 million and with Christmas still 23 days away there is yet a lot of time for this one to rake in additional grosses.
Internationally, The Grinch added 20 markets this weekend for 53 total marketplaces now in play. Within those markets, the film delivered an estimated $27.1 million including strong debuts in Germany ($3.7m), France ($3.7m), Australia ($2.9m), Italy ($2.1m) and Spain ($2m). The film's international cume now totals $64.8 million with a release in Mexico set for next weekend followed by Japan and China on December 14 and Korea and Russia on December 20.
MGM's Creed II dropped -53% in its second weekend for an estimated $16.8 million and a twelve day gross that now totals over $81 million. The drop is just a couple percentage points below the first film (which is to be expected given the sheer size of the sequel's five-day debut last weekend), while the twelve day total remains ~$17 million ahead of where the first film was at the same point in release.
Internationally, Creed II started playing in a couple of smaller markets last weekend, but this weekend expanded into 29 total markets and delivered an estimated $10 million for an international cume that stands at $11.4 million. The top market was the UK where it brought in an estimated $3.9 million, placing second beyond Ralph Breaks the Internet, which also opened this weekend and topped the market with an estimated $5.2 million. Creed II also opened in Australia where it debuted with $2.2 million for a #1 finish. The film won't really begin playing in most key markets until the new year, beginning with Mexico on January 1 followed by France (Jan 9), Russia (Jan 10), Japan (Jan 11), Germany (Jan 24), Italy (Jan 24), Brazil (Jan 24) and Spain (Jan 25).
In fourth we find WB's Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, which kicked off its third week in release with an estimated $11.2 million and a domestic cume that is now just shy of $135 million. While the film's domestic performance is a bit of a downer, it has now topped the global box office for three straight weekends as it added another $40.2 million internationally this weekend for an overseas running cume that is now $385.3 million for a global haul just shy of $520 million. Overall, the performance is going to be a far cry from the first film which delivered nearly $235 million domestically and $814 million worldwide, which will make WB's future moves concerning the franchise something to keep an eye.
Rounding out the top five is Fox's Bohemian Rhapsody, which brought in an estimated $8.1 million as it kicks off its fifth week in release with a domestic total that is now just shy of $165 million. The film is rocking audiences internationally as well, adding an additional $37 million this weekend from 72 markets for an overseas total that now tops $375 million and a global cume just shy of $539 million. Leading the way this weekend was a $6 million, #1 debut in Italy while the UK still leads all overseas markets with a cume now just shy of $55 million.
The Top 10 grossing Movies are as follows!
1.Ralph Breaks the Internet $25,756,000
2.Seuss' The Grinch (2018) $17,730,000
3.Creed II $16,832,863
4.Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald $11,200,000
5.Bohemian Rhapsody $8,100,000
6.Instant Family $7,150,000
7.The Possession of Hannah Grace $6,500,000
8.Robin Hood (2018) $4,700,000
9.Widows 4,400,00010
10.Green Book $3,900,000
Tyra Banks Responds to Winnie Harlow Claiming ‘Top Model’ ‘Doesn’t Do Anything’ for Hopeful Runway Stars
Tyra Banks was recently asked about a former competitor on her long-running show, “America’s Next Top Model” dissing the program as being little help for aspiring models. And the retired supermodel responded with a question of her own.
While appearing on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” Thursday, Nov. 29, a viewer called in to ask Banks about Winnie Harlow’s remarks months earlier.
In May, the 24-year-old said ANTM did not help her get her start in the industry.
“I really started after the show,” Harlow said when she appeared on the same late-night program. “‘Cause it really didn’t do anything for my career… which, it doesn’t do anything for any model’s career, realistically.”
When Banks issued her own response, she kept things classy.
“I discovered her on Instagram and she’s on this show, so what do you think that means?” the “Life Size 2” star says. “I have nothing but love for my girls. And my girls come from so many walks of life and so much pain and so much hardship and so much story. And a lot of times when people express themselves in certain ways, there’s a reason. And I will respect her confidentially and her life but I have to give love to her.”
Fans applauded Banks for her response and acknowledged they would not have known about Harlow, who competed on the 21st cycle of ANTM in 2014, without the show.
“Good question, Tyra kept it classy tho!”
“Mmm the only reason why I know Winnie Harlow was from antm. Never bite the hand that feeds you. Even tho it’s true, it was definitely a platform to get her face and name out. But whatever.”
“Tyra did amazing with that answer, if it wasn’t for America’s next top model 70% of people would know who she was. Period.”
Karamo Brown’s wedding planning sent his fiancé to the hospital
The “Queer Eye” star told the crowd at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre during a panel on Tuesday night that a wedding planning conversation sent his fiancé Ian Jordan to the hospital on Thanksgiving.
“This is a true story, it’s sad but it’s also funny,” Brown prefaced. “This Thanksgiving, we spent the first couple hours in the emergency room because he had a severe anxiety attack, he thought it was a heart attack. They were like, ‘Everything is fine with you, it’s anxiety. What were you talking about before?’ and [Jordan] was like, ‘He’s been talking about the wedding!'”
The couple got engaged in June when the reality star, 38, proposed at Jordan’s birthday party.
Brown was joined by castmates Bobby Berk, Tan France and Jonathan Van Ness to discuss the release of their book, “Queer Eye: Love Yourself, Love Your Life.”
Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Bobby Berk and Jonathan Van Ness.Denise Crew
As for what Brown and Jordan have nailed down for the big day, they’ve secured a 30-acre venue.
“[For] the Friday night of our three-day wedding event, I just paid for a Ferris wheel, I’m not even joking,” he explained.
His story was met with jeers from his castmates, who joked that the wedding was too far in the future to worry about planning.
And even Brown assuring them that his 2020 nuptials are “not that far away” didn’t stop them from poking fun.
“We can redo a house in three days!” joked France.
Drake Wins Lawsuit Against Woman Claiming He Raped and Impregnated Her
Earlier this year, a woman accused Drake of sexual assault and impregnating her after a one night stand. After making those claims on SiriusXM, the Toronto rapper sued her for civil extortion, defamation, and fraud.
According to TMZ, Drake filed documents on Friday alerting the court that he and Layla Lace have resolved their legal battle. The documents state that Lace will not republish her Instagram post from April 2017 where she made the pregnancy claims. She wrote, “So I guess still in this era this is the new thing that after you tell a dude you pregnant they stop answering they phone!!!”
Lace is not allowed to make “statements alleging or insinuating that the rapper assaulted her,” got her pregnant or abandoned her.
Drake’s attorney Larry Stein made a statement about the resolution and the recent filings of the case. “The filing made by Drake against Layla Lace has been resolved, with Layla avoiding going to trial by agreeing to a stipulated judgment which prohibits her from repeating past statements she made against Drake. Drake and his team are satisfied with this outcome and while Drake appreciates the support he has received, he asks that his fans and the media allow both parties to move on with their lives.”
Everything will be resolved once the judge finally signs off on the documents.
Ariana Grande's 'Thank U, Next' Video Breaks YouTube's 24-Hour Record
Unsurprising, Ariana Grande's star-packed music video for "thank u, next," which dropped on Thursday afternoon (November 30), has broken the record for most views on a YouTube video in 24 hours and become the biggest video ever on YouTube's Premiere platform. WATCH IT HERE!
As per Billboard, Grande's visual boasts a total of 47 million views and counting, moving past BTS' milestone for their "Idol" video, which reached 45 million views in the 24 hours after its August debut. Grande's Hannah Luxe-directed clip, which sees the 25-year-old star offer stellar homages to iconic 2000s flicks like Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, Bring It On and 13 Going on 30, also became the biggest video on YouTube's Premiere platform. At its peak, there were more than 829,000 simultaneous viewers watching the highly-anticipated project. With the YouTube Premiere platform, viewers are allowed to participate in a group chat as a countdown teases the video's premiere time.
Since its debut, several stars from the original films, including Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Garner, have hopped on social media to share their praise over the flashy clip.
Besides the celebrity cameos from Kris Jenner, Troye Sivan, Legally Blonde's Jennifer Coolidge, Mean Girls' own Aaron Samuels, Jonathan Bennett, just name a few, the viral video has another good reason for all the hype. The pop titan packed the clip with a number of Easter eggs for fans to inspect, dissect and revel in.
Justin Bieber is in the Studio Working On His New Album
Justin Bieber wasn’t lying when he promised that new music was on the way because he’s already been in the locked in the studio multiple times while still balancing his personal life as a newly married man.
Sources close to JB says he’s been working on his new studio album for months, even while planning his engagement and marriage with wifey Hailey Bieber.
We’re told even though he’s been traveling back and forth between Los Angeles and Canada, he’s had significant time in the studio, and has been “recording everywhere.”
It’s not hard to believe that Justin’s new bride has stirred up the creative juices, and those closest to the star feel he may be at the best place emotionally and mentally than he’s been in years. We’re also told it wouldn’t be a surprise if Justin weaves in some of the spirituality that is very important to him, and which he believes helped focus him on to a path of success.
It’s been almost three years since Justin released Purpose, his 4th studio album. During the Purpose World Tour, the singer ended up canceling the last 14 performances in 2017 amid a public breakdown that included a fight with a photographer and getting banned from entering China.
Many had thought Justin was giving up on his professional career to focus on his well-being and family life, and earlier this week he posted a video of an adorable girl sharing those same thoughts.
Except, he captioned the video, “Don’t believe everything you read sweet little girl you will hear something from me sooner than you think.”
It’s currently unclear when Justin will bring fans in on exactly what he’s been up to in the studio, our sources say Justin’s method is to “Take his time and do it when he’s ready.”
Viola Davis to Produce and Star in Shirley Chisholm Film, ”The Fighting Shirley Chisholm”
Fresh off the first look feature production deal with Amazon Studios, “How To Get Away With Murder” star Viola Davis is bringing the story of the first black congresswoman to the digital screen.
According to Deadline, the actress will work behind the scenes, as a producer alongside Julius Tennon and their JuVee Productions.
In addition to Davis’ production credit, the ”Widows” actress also secured the leading role, as Chisholm.
”The Fighting Shirley Chisholm, ” written by Emmy-nominated writer Adam Countee, will follow the story of Chisholm, and her trailblazing accomplishments in becoming the first woman and person of color to seek a major American political party’s nomination for President.
#POLITICS: Donald Trump, Xi Jinping Agree To Trade Truce At G-20 Summit
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have pressed pause on the months-long escalation of their ongoing trade dispute. The White House announced the cease-fire following a two-hour dinner meeting on Saturday between Trump and Xi, held on the sidelines at the G-20 summit in Argentina.
The U.S. has agreed to delay by 90 days a planned increase in tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports so the two nations have time to iron out their trade differences — or at least attempt to do so, the White House said.
Trump has already imposed import taxes on $250 billion in Chinese products — 25 percent on $50 billion worth and 10 percent on the remaining $200 billion. He’d threatened, however, to raise the tariffs on the $200 billion to 25 percent, starting Jan.1
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump and Xi had agreed to begin immediate trade negotiations on the stickier points of contention between the two powers, including forced technology transfer and intellectual property protection. The planned tariff increase would be paused in the meantime, but she stressed the tariffs will be raised to 25 percent at the end of 90 days if “the parties are unable to reach an agreement.”
Sanders added that China had agreed to make several concessions as part of the trade detente, including a promise to buy a “not yet agreed upon, but very substantial” amount of agricultural, industrial and other products from the U.S.
China also agreed to reconsider approval of U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm’s takeover of Netherlands-based rival NXP — a deal the Chinese government blocked earlier this year ― and to label the synthetic opioid fentanyl a controlled substance, a move the U.S. has been pushing China to do for years. According to an earlier Bloomberg report, most fentanyl found in the U.S. is manufactured in China.
Trump described the meeting with Xi as “amazing and productive.”
“It’s an incredible deal,” the president said aboard Air Force One, according to AP. “What I’ll be doing is holding back on tariffs. China will be opening up, China will be getting rid of tariffs. China will be buying massive amounts of products from us.”
Chinese officials also reacted positively to the talks. Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, told reporters that the negotiations had been conducted in a “friendly and candid atmosphere.”
“The two presidents agreed that the two sides can and must get bilateral relations right,” Wang said, per Reuters. “Discussion on economic and trade issues was very positive and constructive. The two heads of state reached consensus to halt the mutual increase of new tariffs.”
Experts have noted that the trade truce does not mark an end to the trade dispute between the two nations but rather a suspension of its escalation. Still, concerns about the potential global damage that further tariff increases could wreak will be ― at least temporarily ― assuaged.
“It’s great the two sides took advantage of this opportunity to call a truce,” Andy Rothman, an investment strategist at Matthews Asia who specializes in China, told AP. “The two sides appear to have had a major change of heart to move away from confrontation toward engagement. This changes the tone and direction of the bilateral conversation.”
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘LAYERS UPON LAYERS’
Sag level on a trillion.
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Juan The Latin Cub
Meet Juan! So you know what to do to see more. Just GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS and remember they’re NSFW!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN NOR ALTER any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
You’re Welcome!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD ALL!
EFREM
