Regina King for The Wrap - February 2019
NEW YORK:So, Regina King walked into a 99-cent store. And what'd she get? A prophecy on her life.
No joke. King was shopping around — "sometimes people will say, 'You at the 99-cent store?' I like a bargain too" — when a woman walked up to her with something of a prediction.
"She said, 'You don't know it but you're going to run for president.' And I was like, 'President of a company?' She was like, 'No... of the United States,'" King recalled, adding that she thought the woman was a clairvoyant.
"She said, 'Close your eyes. You are. I see it,'" King continued. "I was like, 'Girl, I appreciate that but no— that's not happening. I like my life too much. I like my family too much. I like my friends too much."
The idea of King, 48, running for presidency isn't too far-fetched. Rather, it's not a stretch for people to jokingly ask her to: The seasoned actress is one of the most likable and genial celebrities in the industry, and one fans and peers are constantly rooting for. Remember Taraji P. Henson happily screaming at the top of her lungs when King won her first Emmy in 2015?
King has picked up two more Emmys since — earning acclaim and praise for her riveting roles in John Ridley's anthology "American Crime" and Netflix's "Seven Seconds," where King stunned on-screen as the mother of a son killed by police.
Now King is hitting new heights with her first big screen role since 2010: Her portrayal of a devoted mother in Barry Jenkins' "If Beale Street Could Talk" already won her honors at the Golden Globes and the Critics' Choice Awards. She's up for best supporting actress at the Academy Awards, pitting her against Oscar winners Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz; Amy Adams, a six-time Oscar nominee; and first-time Marina de Tavira, who co-starred in "Roma."
"(Regina) has been stalwart in this industry for so long. For a long time, she was doing the work to do the work and I think the industry sort of catches up to wonderful artists like Regina. She shows up and does the work, whether it be in front or behind the camera, and the industry is taking notice," said Colman Domingo, who plays King's husband in "Beale Street." ''I think it's not only an Oscar nomination for 'If Beale Street Could Talk,' I think it's also for her body of work."
King called the nomination "extra-special" since it's her first; the film also is also competing for best adapted screenplay and best original score at the Oscars on Feb. 24.
King has shined on-screen since she appeared on NBC's "227" in 1985. Her credits include films like "Jerry Maguire," ''Friday," ''Ray," ''Boyz n the Hood," ''Enemy of the State" and "Miss Congeniality 2."
But King traded movie roles for TV ones so she could easily raise her son — her regular date at awards show — in Los Angeles: "I wasn't interested in homeschooling my son."
"I had the conversation with my team," she said, "and they felt like TV was going to be the best space for me to live in."
She landed a starring role in TNT's "Southland" in 2009, playing Detective Lydia Adams — a part originally not written for a black woman.
"Everyone at the agency had been put on notice, 'Do not treat Regina King like a black actor. She is an actor,'" King said. "I hadn't even quite seen it that way, but that's what they felt. It kind of started with 'Legally Blonde 2.' That was the reach out, like, 'You know what, why don't you guys consider Regina King?'"
More TV roles came to her, including "The Big Bang Theory," ''Shameless," ''American Crime," ''The Leftovers" and "Seven Seconds" — all while film stars turned to TV and found success, from Nicole Kidman to Matthew McConaughey to Viola Davis. Even Meryl Streep is heading to the so-called "small screen."
"I think of myself as a trailblazer for film actors going to television," King said.
But no matter the screen, King always comes through. She's known for digging deep into her roles, giving a dramatic, stirring performance that leaves audiences wanting more.
"I'm doing my research. I'm talking to real life people who've had these horrific experiences," King said.
One of the real people was Marion Gray-Hopkins, whose son was killed by police officers. King spoke extensively with Gray-Hopkins as she prepped for "Seven Seconds," which also earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
While King is usually able to leave the drama on the set, she said it was hard to escape the madness of the TV series.
"I called my son so much (for) just like random things. He couldn't watch all of 'Seven Seconds.' He saw the first episode, and he tried to watch the second. He was like, 'I can't.' He said, 'It feels like that's me,'" King said. "And he was like, 'Now I get why you were calling me with just like weird stuff, like, 'Did you remember to put the clothes in the dryer? I'm like, yeah mom. I put the cleaning towels in the dryer. Did you feed the dog?' I just wanted to hear his voice."
King's son, Ian Alexander Jr., will be by her side at the Academy Awards on Feb. 24 to cheer her on — just like so many others.
"I feel the love," she said. "I can just be anywhere, from the grocery store to wherever. Sometimes, it'll be the sweetest thing, I'll get a woman that's just like 70, 80-years-old say, 'Just thank you. Thank you for just representing us.'"
"I'm just living my life and trying to remain a good person and give what I get and remain open so that what I get is good, so that's what I can put back out. But you're not thinking about how your walk always effects people that you don't know," she added.
But still, she's not running for president.
"When you make the choice to be in the public's eye, you are letting go of anonymity. You're letting go of some things that you want to hold dear and protect. ... For a president, that's on level 9 million," she said. "I am all here for sacrifices, but not that one."
#RHoA: Ya Girl Porsha Williams Says Yes to Being Mrs. Dennis McKinley
Sunday's episode of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" documented Porsha Williams' romantic proposal, and it was as magical as she hoped it would be.
Dennis McKinley, Porsha's boyfriend and baby daddy, had been dropping hints for weeks that he was ready to pop the question, but after suspecting it was coming and being wrong multiple times, Porsha stopped stressing about it. Of course, that's when things always happen.
Porsha and Dennis went on a double date with Shamari DeVoe and her husband, Ronnie DeVoe. While the ladies were playing pool, Dennis confided in Ronnie that he was planning on proposing to Porsha that Friday.
"Oh, you're gonna propose on Friday?!" Ronnie whispered in excitement. "Damn, son! You got it all mapped out?"
"I got it mapped out. She don't know," Dennis replied, explaining that he already got a helicopter to take them into the city for what Porsha thought was a charity event.
"Aw, man, P is great," Dennis gushed. "I feel like we've been together for a long time."
When Porsha and Shamari walked over to the table to ask the boys what they were talking about, Dennis smiled and said, "Commitment and family values." (Atta boy.)
Porsha's sister, Lauren, was in on the whole thing and filmed Porsha getting ready for the "charity event." She asked Porsha if she was nervous about getting on a helicopter.
"For real, I'm legit scared," she replied. "I actually texted [Dennis] the other day, and I was like, 'I don't think I even wanna do the thing. Just cancel it. Let's just do something else.' And he sounded so disappointed that we weren't gonna go. So I was like, 'Okay, you know what? Fine. We'll go.'"
When Lauren left the room, she whispered to the camera, "She has no idea he's proposing today! She's gonna freak out when she sees that ring. Ahhhhh!"
Fast-forward to Friday. Porsha and Dennis' helicopter landed safely on top of a beautiful building in the city. She was wearing a gorgeous, hot pink dress. "This charity went all out! Where the other people at?" she asked Dennis as they got out of the helicopter.
"They're probably here already," he replied. "They can only fit one couple at a time." Porsha totally bought it.
Hand in hand, they walked into the building. "I'm glad I got my makeup done!" Porsha said to Dennis. As they got closer to where they were going, Porsha could hear singing. "That's my song!" she said. The singing got louder and louder until they walked into a big, empty room with a gorgeous view of Atlanta. Rose petals were all over the floor, and photographers were waiting to capture Porsha's face when she walked in to find her favorite singer, Lil' Mo, singing her favorite song, "4ever."
Within seconds, Porsha was balling. She knew what was happening. "Porsha, you ready? Dennis said he's ready," Lil' Mo sang.
And just like that, Dennis got down on one knee and said, "Would you like to be Mrs. McKinley?" Porsha -- still sobbing -- nodded her head yes as Dennis slipped a massive rock on her finger.
"You don't understand how many times we have sung this song in the car to each other," Porsha later gushed to Bravo cams. "I have my parts, he has his parts, and Lil' Mo is here singing it to us! I've dreamed about how he was gonna propose. I thought he was gonna propose in Miami, I thought he was gonna propose here, I thought he was gonna propose there. But for him to do it like this with the helicopter and Lil' Mo and all the flowers and -- can we talk about the ring? He did that! Thank you, boo!"
"Just thinking about how alone I was at first, and now," Porsha said as she fought back tears and smiled at the camera. "No one will ever understand what it means for me to have gone through a miscarriage before, all by myself, without the person who made that child with me as my support, to now be pregnant and have the man who is the father of my child be so loving, so thoughtful. It means the world to me."
Congratulations, Porsha and Dennis!
"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
#Empire: Jussie Smollett Gets Renewed Support From ‘Empire’ Showrunner Over Attack
As Chicago cops seek more information from Jussie Smollett over what really went down in the alleged assault of the Empire star nearly three weeks ago, the showrunner of the long running Fox drama has today once again spoken up in support of the increasingly embattled actor.
Taking to social media Sunday for the second time since the supposed racist and homophobic attack in the early hours of January 29 in the Windy City, Empire executive producer Brett Mahoney was unequivocal in his language and meaning:
Empire broadcaster Fox, Donald Trump and others expressed support for the actor who portrays the gay Jamal Lyon on the Lee Daniels and Danny Strong co-created series in the immediate aftermath of attack. “The idea that Jussie Smollett has been, or would be, written off of Empire is patently ridiculous,” said 20th Century Fox TV and Fox Entertainment on February 14 when some local Chicago media were reporting that a possible exit from the series was the actor’s motivation to stage a “potential hate crime,” as the CPD called it, on himself.
“He remains a core player on this very successful series and we continue to stand behind him,” the Fox units added on Valentine’s Day. Now, with the exception of Mahoney, the wide spread outrage over the assault on Smollett has been replaced by silence in recent days as the focus of the case has shifted.
The strong and reiterated belief from the showrunner and EP comes as the series continues production with Smollett and the investigation by the Chicago PD has seemingly centered its spotlight onto the actor himself. Detectives now want to question Smollett on if and how he was involved in the planning of the attack.
On February 15, the police released Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo without charges after initially considering the brothers suspects in the attack.
Authorities had identified the former Empire extra and his sibling as the “persons of interest” seen in the photographs snagged from the upscale Chicago neighborhood where Smollett lives and said he was assaulted violently with bleach poured over him and a rope thrown around his neck.
With a potential prosecution trigger to be pulled soon and ever-increasing whispers that police believe that Smollett may have orchestrated the whole thing, the Osundairos are now “fully” cooperating with the cops. Evidence seems to have emerged that Smollett’s personal trainer and his brother purchased the rope that Smollett had on him when he first spoke to police in the morning of January 29.
Smollett’s defense lawyers put out a seething statement on Saturday that the actor “has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack.” They added bluntly, “nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.”
Still, a law enforcement source told Deadline on Sunday that they have a “sense of frustration” over the lack of formal response for a further sit-down to go over new evidence that has come to light on the matter.
That frustration is fed in part by assurances from attorneys Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson that the actor will “continue to cooperate” with the investigation.
Speaking on Good Morning America on February 14 in his first interview since the January 29 incident, Smollett said he thought the attack occurred because of his high profile criticism of the former Celebrity Apprentice host. “I come really, really hard against 45,” the actor told GMA co-host Robin Roberts. “I come really, really hard against his administration, and I don’t hold my tongue.”
Mahoney has remained consistent in his support of Smollett over the past three weeks since news of the attack first broke.
“Jussie is a proud, gay black man, and I’m not sure if the cowards were trying to beat the pride, gay or black out of him but he’s strong and we’re happy he’s back at work,” Mahoney said onstage during part of Fox’s TCA presentation on February 6.
Empire is set to return for the second half of its fifth season on March 13, with Smollett.
#NewMusic from The Icon Chaka Khan She Releases New Album “Hello Happiness”
The Queen Of Funk Chaka Khan has just released her new album “Hello Happiness”. The album is her first in 12 years and features the title track which came out recently.
She continues her reemergence with the new album which will release via Diary Records / Island Records, the new label formed by Major Lazer founder and Grammy-nominated producer Switch with artist/songwriter Sarah Ruba Taylor.
‘Hello Happiness’ is an album which sets Chaka Khan’s timeless vocal to an empowering collection of songs with cutting-edge production. With an eye on the future and a respect for the past, Chaka Khan has delivered an album with the contemporary edge to entice newcomers to her world class talent and the quality to excite long-term fans.
LISTEN HERE
The singer also recently announced that she will hit the road this Summer for a co-headlining tour with Michael McDonald.
#HipHopNews: Kanye West, Pharrell, & Vic Mensa Debut New Collaboration
Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and Vic Mensa are teaming up for a brand new track.
The trio’s previously unreleased collaboration can be heard in a commercial for South Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster’s “Collection 13” campaign (via Complex). Skateboard P and Vic lend their vocals to the atmospheric song, which was written and produced by Kanye and Malik Yusef.
It serves as the soundtrack to the futuristic visual promoting Gentle Monster’s latest eyewear. A bleached-haired Mensa also stars in the four-minute clip alongside “Boardwalk Empire” actor Michael K. Williams.
Their collaboration is part of Gentle Monster’s upcoming “13 MUSIC” project, which will feature additional artists.
Kanye and Vic have collaborated in the past on “U Mad” and “Wolves,” while Ye and Pharrell previously teamed up on 2006’s “Number One” and the remix to “Everyone Nose.”
#COURAGE Don Cheadle Wears ‘Protect Trans Kids’ Shirt on ‘SNL’
Don Cheadle showed his support for transgender children when he hosted Saturday Night Live.
The actor wore a T-shirt that read “Protect Trans Kids” as he introduced Gary Clark Jr., who served as the musical guest.
The 54-year-old also took a dig at President Donald Trump during the show, where he wore a red and white Soviet Union hockey jersey that had the president’s name on the back with the number 45. Trump is the 45th president of the U.S.
“I awoke to so much support and love!! thank you @nbcsnl for the opportunity to play and pay respect and throw shade in an historic space in an historic time. keep fighting, y’all. evil grows in the dark,” the Oscar-nominated actor wrote Sunday on Twitter.
Over half of transgender male teens have said they’ve attempted suicide, according to a 2018 report by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Almost 30 percent of transgender female teens said they’ve made suicide attempts.
Homeless rates among transgender youth are also high. “Family rejection and discrimination and violence have contributed to a large number of transgender and other LGBQ-identified youth who are homeless in the United States—an estimated 20-40% of the more than 1.6 million homeless youth,” writes the National Center for Transgender Equality.
Kim Kardashian Debuts Her Most Revealing Dress Yet!
What a prom dress, Kim Kardashian. The 38-year-old Keeping Up With the Kardashians star attended the Hollywood Beauty Awards with hairstylist Chris Appleton on Sunday and wore a black vintage 1998 Thierry Mugler cut-out gown with a thigh-high slit. The outfit left little to the imagination and marked her most shocking and risqué dressy look she's ever displayed.
"Don't we look like we're going to prom?" Kardashian, known for her daring styles, asked in a selfie video posted on her Instagram Story.
"I think this is a 1998 archive look that I've been dying to wear, so this was perfect," she added.
Kardashian presented Appleton with the Lori McCoy-Bell hairstyling award.
Netflix's The Punisher and Jessica Jones Are Officially Cancelled
Frank Castle might still be stuck in the war zone of his mind, but Netflix’s The Punisher has come to an end after two seasons. His Marvel compatriot, Jessica Jones, will also see her story end—but it’ll be after the third season of Jessica Jones airs. This news comes courtesy of Deadline today.
With Netflix abruptly ending its other series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, like Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Daredevil, it was only a matter of time before Lady Death came a-knocking for The Punisher, despite the show’s surprisingly strong second season. And though we’ve yet to see its still-to-be-aired third season, amid all these farewells, Jessica Jones’ end is hardly a surprise.
Punisher star Jon Bernthal shared this post on social media, indirectly (but also quite obviously) addressing the show’s cancellation:
In a blog post on Marvel’s official website, Marvel Head of Television Jeph Loeb offered words of praise for the Defenders:
It had never been done before.Four separate television series, each with different super-talented showrunners, writers, directors, cast and crew, coming out months apart and then...
...they would meet in a single event series all set in the heart of New York City.
We called them The Defenders.They said it couldn’t be done.
But Marvel assembled amazing teams to write, produce, direct, edit, and score 13 seasons and 148 one-hour episodes.
Take a moment and go online and look at the dazzling list of actors, writers, directors, and musicians who graced us with the very best of their craft.
We loved each and every minute of it. And we did it all for you — the fans — who cheered for us around the world and made all the hard work worth it.
So, Thank You!
On behalf of everyone at Marvel Television, we couldn’t be more proud or more grateful to our audience.
Our Network partner may have decided they no longer want to continue telling the tales of these great characters... but you know Marvel better than that.
As Matthew Murdock’s Dad once said, “The measure of a man is not how he gets knocked to the mat, it’s how he gets back up.”
To be continued...! Jeph Loeb and all of us at Marvel Television
In a statement to Deadline, Netflix shared the sentiment: “We are grateful to Marvel for five years of our fruitful partnership and thank the passionate fans who have followed these series from the beginning.”
Whatever “to be continued” might mean (if anything) for these characters and their respective shows, of course, remains to be seen. We’ll certainly be keeping you posted on any further developments.
Lindsay Lohan claims she was hacked after disgruntled comments to Tamar Braxton about Celebrity Big Brother
Lindsay Lohan has been gaining attention for comments made in her name about the recent season of Celebrity Big Brother. Her mom, Dina Lohan finished in fourth place in the competition.
Tamar Braxton won the game with a unanimous vote. All of her fellow game players felt she was more deserving of the Celebrity Big Brother win than Ricky Williams. Of course, it didn’t appear that Lindsay Lohan was all too thrilled that Dina Lohan lost out.
Earlier today, Lindsay Lohan issued an apology about comments that were added to her Instagram post about Celebrity Big Brother. She thanked the network and the show for giving Dina Lohan a chance and stated that she had been hacked.
According to Lindsay Lohan, a former member of her team reportedly made comments on her behalf and has been internally dealt with. While that may have been believable given the reputation she has with past employees, many fans aren’t buying it.
All of the comments from Twitter remain and were not removed. If Lindsay Lohan was hacked, wouldn’t she have removed them?
The entire situation is strange, and fans have alluded to the fact that she mentioned MTV and Viacom in her apology. They have nothing to do with CBS or Celebrity Big Brother, so speculation is they threatened to pull her show.
The direction this is headed is unknown, but the situation continues to get more complicated as the days pass. Will Lindsay Lohan face fallout from the comments she claims she didn’t make?
#OUCH! Wendy Williams’ Co-Executive Producer Just Dropped a Dose of Shade on Talk Show Host
As Wendy Williams reportedly continues to nurse herself back to health, her co-executive producer is clearly enjoying the set of fill-in hosts that have stepped in during the host’s absence. And according to fans, Suzanne Bass may be feeling a little too happy about the change.
During Nick Cannon’s stint as a substitute Feb. 4–6, Bass, who has been with “The Wendy Williams Show” since its debut in 2009, uploaded a photo to her Instagram page sharing her pleasure in how it’s been with Cannon as a host.
“Hope you guys tuned in to Nick Cannon. What a class act and a delight to work with,” she wrote Feb. 5.
Fans thought the remark was shade toward her boss. In 2017, Williams butted heads with Bass over the EP chuckling as the host discussed Bobbi Kristina Brown’s ex-boyfriend Nick Gordon allegedly biting his new girlfriend.
Williams was so put off she paused to turn her attention to Bass. With just a look on her face, Williams questioned why Bass smiled.
“I don’t know why I laughed,” she said.
“Because you’re ignorant,” Williams replied pointedly.
“No, no, no, no. The whole teeth thing made me smirk a little bit, I don’t know why,” Bass explained.
Williams moved on, and after initially continuing to interact with Bass on camera in subsequent shows, a stint came when Bass was nowhere to be found on screen. She’s long since come back on camera, and they’ve had playful interactions up until Williams’ last show on Dec. 20.
Williams continues to remain absent from her long-running daytime talk show after fans became troubled by her slurred speech and later, her fractured arm late last year. The TV personality was supposed to return to her show several times between January and February but released a statement making it clear she’ll require extended time away from her signature purple chair.
“As Wendy Williams Hunter previously shared, she fractured her shoulder and has been on the mend. Over the past few days, Wendy has experienced complications regarding her Graves’ Disease that will require treatment,” the January statement read. “Wendy will be under the strict supervision of her physicians, and as part of her care, there will be significant time spent in the hospital.
“Despite her strong desire to return, she is taking a necessary, extended break from her show to focus on her personal and physical well-being. Wendy thanks everyone in advance for their well-wishes and for respecting her and The Hunter Family’s privacy during this time.”
NBA Teams Up With FIBA and Barack Obama To Form New Professional Basketball League In Africa
The NBA is taking its business to the motherland to launch a new professional league.
In a partnership between the NBA and the sport’s global governing body, FIBA, the Basketball Africa League will be a 12-team league, set to kick off their season in January. According to the Chicago Tribune, working alongside the NBA and FIBA will be none other than forever President Barack Obama, who is expected to have a hands-on role, though the details remain unclear.
“I’ve always loved basketball because it’s about building a team that’s equal to more than the sum of its parts,” Obama said of the news of the new league and his involvement. “Glad to see this expansion into Africa because, for a rising continent, this can be about a lot more than what happens on the court.”
While there are already several professional teams across the continent, the new league will attempt to bring them together, with funding, resources and additional training. However, there will still be tournaments set in place to help determine which teams will qualify for the league.
Although the league is a brand new venture between the NBA and Africa, the NBA has a longstanding history with the continent, as it has invested in several basketball programs, including the Giants of Africa youth basketball program, which Obama, himself, helped with in 2017. The longstanding relationship has also reportedly helped increase the number of African ballers in the American league, including Sixers superstar Joel Embiid.
“We’re excited to work closely with the NBA to develop and put in place a professional league like none that we have ever seen in our region before,” FIBA Africa Executive Director Alphonse Bile said. “Through the Basketball African League, we can provide the many great clubs and players with the best possible environment to compete for the highest stakes.”
Meghan Markle Makes Secret Trip to New York City for Baby Shower with Friends
The Duchess of Sussex made a secret trip to New York City to celebrate the upcoming arrival of her and Prince Harry‘s first child, due in late April. A source tells PEOPLE that Meghan’s friends are throwing her a baby shower before she heads back to London.
The mini-homecoming – the former actress hails from Los Angeles, where her mother Doria still resides – comes shortly before Meghan, 37, and Harry, 34, are heading to Morocco for a three-day visit highlighting two of their key causes: girls’ education and youth empowerment.
Although she now lives in the U.K., Meghan has maintained close friendships with those who were by her side before she was royalty.
Five members of the Duchess of Sussex’s inner circle recently spoke to PEOPLE about the woman they call their friend.
“From the outside, people want to paint a Cinderella story, but Meg had made her life quite amazing before this,” Meghan’s close confidante said. “She worked hard and earned an amazing career; she did loads of charity and volunteer work; she had a successful lifestyle website [the Tig] with a staff who loved her; she had privacy and freedom, but the means to really enjoy her life and to share that success with her friends —which she always did.”
The confidante added, “Whenever something good is happening in my life, she celebrates with me first, and when there’s a hardship, she’s there with Kleenex and a shoulder and a glass of wine and the best chat and a book that will help pull me out of wherever I am.”
On top of being “wicked funny,” a former colleague said that Meghan goes above and beyond to help her friends.
“She is one of the most selfless people I know,” says the former colleague. “A couple years ago, my son was at the beginning of a special-needs diagnosis. Meg screeched her life to a halt and used every resource she could muster for me: got me into a doctor in L.A., got me alternative doctors, called me, sent things to my hotel room. It was like a five-alarm-fire focus of her life to help me and support me.”
Will Smith Forced to Turn Over Financial Records in Duane Martin’s Fraud Lawsuit
Will Smith has turned over financial records and personal email communications between him and his friend, Duane Martin, after he was hit with a subpoena for the information.
According to court documents obtained by The Blast, the trustee presiding over Martin’s bankruptcy filed an amended lawsuit against the actor in which he reveals Will Smith and his companies have turned over financial records and emails between Will and Duane.
The trustee explains that Smith has turned over email chains between Smith, his rep, and Martin from 2018, where they discussed the $1.4 million loan that Will and Jada Pinkett Smith provided Duane several years ago to purchase the home in question, which is now the subject of a fraud lawsuit.
The trustee says the most compelling evidence of Martin’s alleged fraud can be seen in the emails between Martin and Smith and his reps. The trustee claims the emails show Martin “continued to put pressure on his friend WS to finance the transaction” while trying to get the loan in 2012. The docs also reveal Martin and Smith even had communications last year over Duane wanting to sell the home.
To be clear, there are no allegations that Will or Jada did anything wrong or had any knowledge of any alleged wrongdoings.
The new revelations are a part of the lawsuit filed back in September, where the trustee in Duane and Tisha Campbell Martin‘s bankruptcy sued Duane due to his belief that he hid assets of $2.6 million under a company named Roxe LLC.
The trustee alleged Duane set up Roxe LLC to allegedly conceal ownership of a 9,000 sq. ft. mansion in Chatsworth, California. Duane originally bought the home in 2006 for $900,000. He then borrowed $1.9 million for the purpose of constructing the “Martin family home.”
Duane then defaulted on his loan and negotiated a short sale with the bank, and he used Roxe to buy the home back from the bank using a $1.4 million loan from Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Roxe LLC became the owner and Duane and Tisha allegedly entered into a lease with their own company to pay rent of $5,000 per month.
In early 2018, Duane listed the home for $2,695,000 with the intention of pocketing all of the sales proceeds in excess of the loan given by Will and Jada, meaning he would pocket $1.3 million if sold at asking price.
The trustee says the lease was a sham and Duane and Tisha didn’t make all the payments on the house.
The suit is demanding Duane be forced to turn over the home to the bankruptcy estate and used to benefit his creditors.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘THE BIG GREEN MACHINE’
Going Green is important people. At least he’s doing his part.
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Jad The Cub
Meet Jad! So you know what to do to see more. Just CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PICS and remember they’re NSFW!
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EFREM
