Tracee Ellis Ross Covers The London Sunday Times Style Section!
Tracee Ellis Ross gave an interview with The Sunday Times of London. Here’s an excerpt from the article. hen Tracee Ellis Ross strides into Soho House in West Hollywood, her hair neatly braided, her make-up-free skin glowing, it’s like the moment in The Wizard of Oz when the film goes from black and white to Technicolor. Wearing an electric blue trouser suit, giant gold hoop earrings, skeins of delicate gold chains and a wild pair of Gucci go-go boots decorated with studs, crystals and leather flowers (on Instagram she calls them her “Dolly Parton boots”), she makes all the other tanned and toned members of the Hollywood tribe milling about seem a little sad in comparison.
At the bottom of the staircase that sweeps up to the bar, she bumps into a handsome acquaintance who does a “Get a load of you!” double-take and then runs his hands over the air around her, as if palpating her vibrant magnetic field. Once Tracee is seated in a corner of the bar, Stan Kasten, the president and part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, approaches her. They met at the White House, he says, and he had invited her to come to a baseball game as his guest. Why hadn’t she called him? Tracee bursts into laughter. “Because I have no interest in sports!” she says, guffawing so delightedly, her words vibrate. Kasten chuckles and smiles himself.
Everyone loves Tracee — and what’s not to love? She is the Golden Globe-winning star of the hit American sitcom Black-ish, now in its fourth season, a founder of Hollywood’s Time’s Up campaign and the daughter of Diana. Tracee, 45, is like the best and wisest sister, stylist, therapist and friend you ever had — a Glinda the Good Witch in a Rei Kawakubo gown for our dark and trying times. To describe her as simply the daughter of Diana Ross would be like saying Michael Jordan is best known for his sneaker design. As Rainbow “Bow” Johnson in Black-ish, she is the matriarch of a biracial, upper middle-class black family in Los Angeles, in a show that has hit upon the zeitgeist in a way that few other scripted network series have. It regularly covers the hot-button racial issues that have been front and centre in the US in recent years — an episode about police brutality (entitled Hope) was widely praised as one of the best depictions of the issue ever shown on TV — and now has eight Emmy nominations and has ranked in the top 10 most-watched shows. Get the rest at The Sunday Times!
#RHoA: NeNe Leakes Denies Ever Dating ShereƩ Whitfield's Boyfriend Tyrone Gilliams: 'He's Not My Man'
NeNe Leakes made it very clear that she has never had a romance with ShereĆ© Whitfield‘s boyfriend Tyrone Gilliams.
On Sunday’s episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, the 50-year-old reality star addressed rumors of a relationship with Gilliams.
“I’m going to be very clear with you guys so you can never ask me again,” Leakes told her cast mates during their trip to Barcelona, Spain. “I have been married for over 20 years. I’m very much in love with my husband. ShereĆ© and Tyrone, I’m happy for them. But I’ve never been out with Tyrone.”
“That’s ShereĆ©’s man. … He’s not my man, he’s not my friend, he’s not my cousin, he’s not my neighbor. So whenever you bring up the name Tyrone, direct it to ShereĆ© Whitfield,” she added. “You want to talk to me about a man? Talk to me about Gregg Leakes. ‘Cause I am Mrs. Gregg Leakes and have been for over 20 years.”
The problem was, though Leakes said questions about their relationship “keep coming up,” they hadn’t. In fact, no one had said anything of the sort.
“I didn’t even say you dated Tyrone,” fellow Atlanta Housewife Kandi Burruss told the audience. “Now you telling on yourself. Whatchu do, girl?”
Only Gilliams, who is currently incarcerated for wire fraud, seemed to imply there was more to the story during a call with Whitfield a few months earlier.
“Let’s just say this, NeNe would never want to speak anything negatively about me,” he told Whitfield during a recent episode, asking how long Leakes had been married. “She don’t want to go down that road.”
“Tyrone admitted to me that NeNe had a thing for him back in the day,” Whitfield said, insisting that nothing intimate happened between them. “She may not know that I know, but I’ve never brought it up. The way she responded to Kandi, it just confirms it.”
But Leakes insisted on the RHOA After Show “there was no attraction at all” between her and Gilliams, and that she just went out on a date with him to get a free dinner.
“Me and this man never held hands, we ain’t kissed, we did nothing like that,” she said on Sunday’s RHOA. “Hell, I don’t know nothing about this fool, okay? I only know a couple of things about the man.”They did a little more than that.
As RHOA fans remember, the last time Gilliams came up on the hit Bravo show, he was the catalyst for one of the most iconic arguments in Housewives history as Leakes and Whitfield clashed over booking rates for paid appearances Gilliams was setting up.
“I met Tyrone [when] he was putting together an event in Philly,” Whitfield said, recalling how Gilliams wanted Whitfield, Leakes, and Kim Zolciak-Biermann to participate in the event but Leakes had tried to negotiate higher rates behind her back. “Low and behold, she starts calling Tyrone where she says ShereĆ© and Kim shouldn’t make the same amount of money as her. Trying to lower my value. You can’t tell him what I’m supposed to make!”
Whitfield confronted Leakes about the problem in the first episode of season 4, when Leakes famously proclaimed, “I am very rich, bitch.”
“It did not go well,” Whitfield said. “We get Tyrone on the phone, she’s saying that she didn’t talk to him, she’s over-talking him — which we all know NeNe does. That’s when she said she didn’t need to take money because she was on Trump checks because she was on The Apprentice at that time. ‘I’m cashing Trump checks.’ And that’s when I was like, ‘Get your teeth fixed,’ which she did, which is great because they look good.”
“It was a huge huge blow up,” Whitfield continued. “It wasn’t resolved.”
After that season ended, the two wouldn’t see one another for four years, running into one another two seasons ago during a trip to Jamaica. “I thought we moved forward,” Whitfield said. “I don’t know where NeNe and I stand. Are we really cool? Are we really on a good page? I’m kind of second-guessing that right now. NeNe acted like we made up, but while the face may have changed, the rotten personality didn’t.”
Regardless of where Leakes and Whitfield stand now, Leakes made it clear in the end she didn’t want anything to do with Gilliams. “As far as me, ShereĆ© and Tyrone is concerned, I have no desire to speak on anything seven years, 10 years, five years ago,” she said. “I think it’s disrespectful to be asking me about ShereĆ©’s man.”
As for Whitfield, she and Gilliams remain strong. “You know what, honestly, I’ve gotten to know this man on a much deeper level,” she told PEOPLE Now in November. “Probably deeper than I’ve ever known anyone. We have nothing but time to talk and get to know each other.”
“He’s a good guy and, you know, he supports me. I can talk to him about anything. He’s my best friend,” she continued. “He just got caught up in the wrong craziness, and hopefully he’ll be back soon.”
The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs Sundays (8 p.m. ET) on Bravo.
#EMPIRE: Fun Facts, Do you know what are some of Taraji’s past Loves?
OH COOKIE! “Extra’s” Mario Lopez caught up with Taraji P. Henson on the red carpet at the 2018 Academy Awards, where she revealed her past obsessions!
During their chat, Taraji answered a question from the “Extra” Mystery Bowl, which referenced Best Picture winner “The Shape of Water.” When asked what the strangest thing she’s ever fallen in love with, the 47-year-old replied, “Beanie Babies. And before Beanie Babies, there were Cabbage Patch dolls.”
WOW Cabbage Patch and Beaning Babies. 2 more weeks and then we’re back in the Land of Lyon!
#NEWMUSIC from (Remix) August Alsina Feat. Zayn – Don’t Matter
August Alsina colaborates with Zayn Malik on the newly-leaked remix to “Don’t Matter.”
The track itself builds upon August’s original, which dropped back in June, adding a Zayn verse that follows a raunchy theme with a reference to the late great Baby Girl.
The former One Direction star addressed the leak on Twitter, confirming that it wasn’t meant to be released after all. “This was not a song I intended to put out, but due to unprofessionalism has been leaked by someone and my fans mean more to me than a stupid leak,” he explained. “so here it is free for you to enjoy, before my music drops.”
Malik later gave “big love” to Alsina on Twitter. August replied: “Zayn, I’m sending an abundance of love to you! You are my brother, I am yours. I don’t know how this happened but WAY TO MAKE LEMONS INTO LEMONADE. (& a great batch, might I add)
LISTEN HERE
Alsina’s next album, Drugs, remains in limbo. In November, the R&B crooner blamed Def Jam for the delay, saying that the label was holding him “hostage.” Meanwhile, Malik is working on his sophomore album, the follow-up to 2016’s Mind of Mine.
#HIPHOPNEWS; Cardi B Announces April Release For Debut Album
Come April, fans will finally be able to when the platinum rapper drops her highly-anticipated debut album.
Bardi made the big announcement while accepting the Best New Artist award at Sunday’s iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles.
“My album will be coming in April, okurr!” she told the crowd. “Yes, sir, April. Stay tuned, motherfu**ers.”
So far, the as-yet-untitled album has spawned the No. 1 smash “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” and “Bartier Cardi,” for which a video is set to premiere tomorrow during the “Love & Hip Hop: New York” reunion special.
Cardi’s debut was originally due last fall, but was pushed back. “I can’t talk about certain things that I went through because I’ll go to jail,” she told Beats 1. “I don’t want people to think that I’m crazy. A lot of people question, what else can she do? I’m gonna show you.”
We’ll be waiting Cardi!
The 'American Idol' reboot seems to be taking a softer approach, for now!
If 15 seasons of “American Idol” on Fox taught us anything, it’s that you can never have too much of a great back story.
ABC has taken that to heart in its reboot, serving up vignettes of survival, redemption and inclusion. With its two-hour premiere Sunday (8 p.m.), the focus is on a smaller number of singers who, for better or worse, have a story to tell.
A big constant between the “American Idol” of new and old is, of course, host Ryan Seacrest. Whether this turns out to be a blessing or a liability remains to be seen. (Mr. Seacrest recently has been the subject of sexual harassment allegations for his work on the E! Network.)
The show begins with a montage of Chevrolet commercial-ready images of mountains and shorelines and cheerleaders at a sporting event. A woman in voice-over promises “American Idol” will follow these singers’ journeys, “from the dreamers to the lullaby singers. … They are the fabric of America, and they could be stars in the making.”
Cut to footage of Carrie Underwood winning “Idol” in 2005. “I should know,” she continues, “because it happened to me.”
The original “Idol” was, for almost a decade, a ratings juggernaut. Its first winner, Kelly Clarkson, continues to be a top recording artist and a judge on the rival singing competition show, “The Voice.” And while many subsequent winners (Taylor Hicks anyone?) fizzled, the show produced true talents such as Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert and Todrick Hall.
Although it’s difficult to judge from just one episode, it looks as though this might be a warmer, fuzzier “American Idol.” Yes, judge Katy Perry looks to be the Simon Cowell of the group with her more frank assessments, with Lionel Richie playing the experienced father figure and Luke Bryan as the down-home country boy (he actually uses the word, “dadgum”), but they seem approachable.
And off we go. Remember that girl from high school, the one with the super big personality who never stops cracking wise? She knows she comes on strong, but hey, that’s who she is, and why shouldn’t she write songs about her experiences?
Hello to Langhorne, Pa.’s, Catie Turner, 17, the first singer to audition for the Big Three in New York City.
“I’ve already hurled, but I’m OK,” she says, cheerfully, guitar in hand. Wearing deep pink, horn-rimmed glasses, high white boots and a newsboy hat atop a cascade of straight long hair, she chooses to sing one of her own compositions.
It’s about social media and alienation, but she’s not angsty.
When she finishes, Mr. Richie tells her, not unkindly, “Every now and then, a Martian lands, and we happen to see the Martian.”
The fact that we are rooting for Catie despite her quirks (“I’m not popular, look at me”) is a testament to ABC’s new packaging. Regardless of whether she advances with that “golden ticket” to Hollywood, viewers will be rooting for her.
Then there is Ron Bultongez, who emigrated from the Congo 10 years ago. He too, has an interesting story to tell, of fathers and the pain they can inflict. But, he said, “What’s more American than coming to America to follow your American dream and ending up on ‘American Idol?’”
To be sure, some of those featured on the show are still there for the cringe factor, but they appear to be few.
When the action moves to Nashville (other stops include New Orleans and Los Angeles), we learn that a young woman named Harper Grace (Gruzins) once sang the national anthem so poorly at a televised soccer match, she became a viral obsession.
Now 16, the McKinley, Texas, singer sheepishly owns up before her audition. ABC, of course, airs the anthem clip.
In Los Angeles, one of the best moments comes when Noah Davis, 18 and a nursing student from Royal, Ark., enters the room. He doesn’t look like the typical “Idol” contestant: He’s heavy, plainly dressed and terminally blushing. But he looks straight at Ms. Perry and says, “Wig,” a term of respect in the drag world.
Ms. Perry’s fellow judges are baffled, but it’s clear they connect.
“I love you,” she replies. Later, when Mr. Davis says he would use “American Idol” winnings to buy an alpaca (“They’re adorable.”), we all love him, too.
Nick Gordon Arrested on Domestic Violence Charges AGAIN!
Last year, Nick Gordon was taken into custody Saturday afternoon in Sanford, Florida. He’s facing 2 charges — domestic violence battery and kidnapping/false imprisonment of an adult. Click Here, Here if you missed the previous stories.
Well here we go AGAIN! Gordon was taken into custody by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office in the early hours of Saturday morning following an incident with his girlfriend Laura Leal.
According to reports, Nick Gordon, who has been under the microscope for years in the death of Whitney Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina, has been arrested for domestic violence.
Gordon was arrested by cops in Seminole, Florida for an incident referred to as “battery-touch or strike.” It is listed as a domestic violence case. He posted a $500 bond, but has not been released as of yet.
11:37 AM PT — According to the arrest report, obtained by TMZ, Gordon told cops his girlfriend refused to leave his residence after throwing a bottle at him and ripping his shirt. He claims she attacked him for no reason, and that she was “crazy.”
But according to Gordon’s GF, per police, she picked up Gordon from a bar and that while driving back he allegedly struck her in the right side of her face several times. She also says in the report that he pulled her hair and told her he should make her crash her car. Once home, she claims they got into another verbal altercation.
The arresting officer says he saw visible marks on the GF, and placed Gordon under arrest even though the woman refused to press charges.
Jill Scott Sued Over Her Hallmark Card Line
The singer's former friend Mister Mann Frisby claims he pitched the idea of turning her lyrics into greeting cards years ago.
It looks like Jill Scott will be back in court soon, but not because of her soon-to-be ex husband.
Apparently she is being sued over her Hallmark card deal by her former friend, Mister Man Frisby, who says he pitched the concept of using her lyrics on greeting cards 10 years ago.
According to Philly.com, in court documents filed last Thursday, the journalist and author claims that Jill was enthusiastic about the idea and promised to split the gross revenues “50-50” with Frisby if he could nail down a deal. In addition, Frisby claims that his job was also choosing the lyrics that would be used for each card.
However, as Jill’s career began to skyrocket, she “unilaterally put Frisby’s activities ‘on hold’ ” while she pursued her acting projects, the lawsuit alleges. In early 2017, the idea was still circulating as Jill announced she was dropping the “Jill Scott Collection” for Hallmark’s Mahogany brand.
“The Mahogany brand is genuine, progressive and optimistic – values that are important to me and reflected in my music and poetry, and now, through my card collection,” the Grammy winner said in a recent press release.
“I was inspired by highlights within my own life – love, marriage, motherhood – in the writing behind these cards, and I am excited to be involved in a project that will give others another way to express their love to the people that matter most to them.”
This didn’t sit too well with Frisby, who stressed that Jill breached her oral agreement with him by “falsely stating” she was putting the deal on hold and then securing the Hallmark deal behind his back. He is demanding 50 percent of Scott’s greeting-card profits and more than $50,000 in damages.
Neither Jill or Frisby has spoken publicly about the lawsuit.
Compton Mayor Aja Brown To Run For Congress Against Stacey Dash
Days after Stacey Dash took a joke too far by running for Congress, Compton Mayor Aja Brown announced she too will be running for Congress…against the Clueless star.
In a post on her Instagram page, Aja wrote: I am running for Congress to lift the standard of service and be a real voice and strong advocate for the women and men that work hard everyday, to create a better future for their families! Join me on this journey at JoinAjaBrown.com
My Vision for a Greater 44th is anchored in delivering real results, through building coalitions that unify, partnering with our cities to bring forth new investment, new opportunities, and focusing on collective progress that we can see and touch.
Being a Congressional representative is more than voting in Washington D.C. on issues that matter to us all, but it holds a responsibility to work with every city in the district on moving it forward to bring forth real results that improve the lives of the families that we serve.
See Mayor Brown’s original post below:
Aja Brown is a shining example of Black Girl Magic and she’s done great things for Compton since taking office and I know she’d be a great Congresswoman.
Sorry Ladies Kofi Siriboe is OFF the Market and couldn’t be Happier!
Kofi Siriboe Proclaims His Love For Model Duckie Thot he says ‘No Man Should Be Lucky Enough To Love You’
Well, Ladies… Kofi Siriboe is officially off of the market.
The “Queen Sugar” star was rumored to be dating drop dead gorgeous Australian supermodel, Duckie Thot, and he made it official on Thursday when he wrote a beautiful tribute to her on International Women’s Day that left me swooning.
Kofi wrote:See the original post below:
Awwww!
#LGBTQš: The Courage House Is The First Group Home For LGBTQ+ Kids In Wisconsin
One couple is changing the lives of LGBTQ+ kids in middle America.
In Milwaukee, Wis., there are as many as 500 homeless youths on the streets. Forty percent of these children identify as LGBTQ+, and 26 percent of them say they are homeless because their families refused to support them because of who they are.
One organization is working to ensure that these children have a home to go to. Meet Courage MKE.
Brad Schlaikowski and his husband Nick have fostered several homeless teens who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. They told WTMJ-TV Milwaukee that they know all too well the story of kids struggling with the uncertainty of survival after being kicked out because they identified as queer. They created the nonprofit to raise awareness about the LGBTQ+ community in their city.
“We started Courage in December of 2015, so in two years the community has supported us enough to allow us to pay cash for this house,” Schlaikowski said.
Their latest project, The Courage House, will be a group home for LGBTQ+ kids—the first of its kind in the state. The establishment will consist of two three-bedroom homes on the south side of Milwaukee. One house will become a home to eight young people between the ages of 10 and 17 and the other will be a space used for counseling and hanging out.
“The fact that we have this house already and that in less than a year we can open the doors and put eight children in it and get them off of the street is phenomenal,” Schlaikowski said.
Schlaikowski also said that the placement on the south side was intentional, as there aren’t many shelters there.
“If they are rejected from their family, literally put on their stoop, the second they tell their family, with what they have on their back, how do we get from here to wherever the other shelters are,” he said.
The aim of the organization is to have The Courage House up and running to take teens in before next winter. You can donate to the cause here.
#BREAKUPS: Common and Angela Rye Split
CNN political analyst Angela Rye confirmed she and rapper activist Common have called it quits. The emotionally unavailable Common and the fiery Rye, who has a rigid personality, split sometime last month.
Rye, 38, confirmed the split to Page Six TV saying: “We have and will always be friends. He is an amazing human being, and I’m a much better person because he’s a part of my life. May we all keep loving and living.”
Common, 45, was first linked to Rye in the summer of 2017. He opened up about the relationship during an interview on SiriusXM in October, gushing: “There’s a definite connection with Angela Rye. She’s a wonderful woman, I’m dating, I’m happy right now, and she’s an incredible human being.”
AND FINALLY FROM THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART FILES
‘HAIR DOWN LOW’
Ever wonder what would happen if Rapunzel married the Crypt Keeper and they had a child?
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Bearnard
Meet Bearnard ! You can see more when you GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS! And remember they’re NSFW!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
Enjoy!
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYBODY!!!
EFREM
