Viola & Director Denzel Covers Essence Magazine Holiday Issue!
Viola flossed her natural 'do on the December 2016 cover of Essence magazine, out on newsstands today. The fab Oscar nominee is back in the Oscar hot seat. Her and fellow co-star Denzel Washington's new film adaptation of the Broadway production of "Fences" -- they both starred in during the 2010 revival -- is about to take over.
She gushed about her sexy co-star and director (he could still get it, by the way) Denzel:
“It’s not always that a director can say one thing that unlocks a scene when you’re blocked, especially a scene that you’ve done so many times, but Denzel did that time and time again. He has a huge honesty gauge, so when he asked me to trust him, I did…”
The Oscar winning 61-year-old is taking this role just as seriously as we would expect:
“August Wilson is a master and Fences is a masterpiece…What’s most important to me is that I take care of his words and his will for this play…”
The movie, which is spurn from the 1983 original August Wilson Broadway production, is quite timely. It explores the evolving African-American experience and examines race relations. The film hits theaters Christmas Day.
#RHoA: Kandi Burruss Discusses Adjusting To A New Baby; Shares Her Thoughts On Kenya Moore’s New Home
There are two plot points that have been heavily discussed on Real Housewives of Atlanta way before they actually came to fruition. One of those is Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker trying to have a baby. In another category completely, there’s the construction of Kenya Moore’s house, which she aptly named Moore Manor. Kandi discussed adjusting to a new baby and shared her impression of Kenya’s crib after she went to the housewarming in this season’s first episode.
Kandi is probably the only housewife who can get away with being nice while actually entertaining the audience. So I can’t help wondering what she thought about Kenya’s housewarming party – in a house that was not finished. Then, as far as the baby goes, I feel like Kandi is always busy with a million things, so I’m curious about how her life has adjusted since the budding entrepreneur Ace Wells Tucker was born.
Even though I saw the trailer and got a taste of some of the drama that Kandi will face this season, the first episode went pretty well for her. She seemed to be back on her mommy game and most of the drama revolved around Kenya’s house so I feel like that will be one of the easier episodes for her to watch – because I want to emphasize it seems like there’s a shit storm of drama headed Kandi’s way this year.
Kandi talked to Bravotv.com about what we saw in the first episode. When the singer was asked to name the hardest part about having a new baby, Kandi admitted, “The hardest thing in the beginning was getting used to no sleep and having to feed him every hour. Thank God we made it past that stage.” If anyone knows how to be busy every single hour of the day, it’s Kandi since she has a million different business ventures to manage.
The other major plot point of the episode was Kenya’s extremely awkward housewarming party. When asked about her first impressions of Moore Manor, Kandi gave a diplomatic answer (as per usual): “I thought it was a beautiful home, and I was proud of Kenya for the work she put in to transform that house into what it is now compared to what it was last year when I first saw it.”
I agree with that though. The house did look great (for being at that point) and it is clear that Kenya put in a lot of work so props to her. Nevertheless, I think she had that party a little too soon. But whatever, any excuse for a party means that the viewers will witness some drama, so that works for me.
#EMPIRE: Taraji P. Henson Sit Down with Variety Ahead of Awards Season!
Taraji P. Henson sat down for a conversation during the Variety Studio: Actors on Actors event on Saturday afternoon (November 12) in Los Angeles.
The Hidden Figures actress weren’t the only one sitting down for convos at the event, presented by The Venetian Las Vegas.
Gold‘s Matthew McConaughey sat down with Hell or High Water‘s Jeff Bridges. Paterson‘s Adam Driver also spoke with Nocturnal Animals‘ Michael Shannon.
Stay tuned for the videos from the event, debuting later this month!
New Music Video: John Legend – Love Me Now
Now more than ever we need to spread love, so as he gears up to release his fifth studio album Darkness and Light, John Legend celebrates the power of love in the anthemic video for “Love Me Now.”
Directed by Nabil Elderkin, the heartwarming visuals capture couples sharing loving moments at various locations throughout the world including the Domiz Refugee Camp in Northern Iraq, Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, and Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota.
In his personal scenes, Legend shows intimate clips with his wife Chrissy Teigen and their adorable daughter Luna.
“This video shows how love can be shared in some of the most difficult situations on earth in which the human spirit and connection with each other prevails,” said Nabil. “From one of the longest standing refugee camps in northern Iraq just 45 miles outside of Mosul, to Standing Rock Reservation where they are fighting against the Dakota Access Pipeline that threatens their sacred lands and all of our water, it is a glimpse into these couples’ lives and the lives of those in their communities.”
Due Dec. 2, Darkness and Light features collaborations with Chance the Rapper, Miguel, and Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard.
Legend will perform “Love Me Now” live at the American Music Awards on Nov. 20. Check out the video HERE
New Hip Hop Music: Rick Ross – ‘Kyrie’
Rick Ross celebrates the reigning NBA champs with his latest release, “Kyrie.”
Dropping after he was hit with a $5.7 million tax lien, the DP Beats-produced track references money while also name-checking Cleveland Cavs and Queen Bey.
“Bitches screaming for me like Beyoncé,” rhymes Rozay. “Jumping out the gym like it’s LeBron James / This other type of money even make me nervous / I’m standing out the roof, jersey Kyrie Irving.”
Released days after the video for “Free Enterprise,” the cut also takes another jab at the new President-elect.
“I see you fucking up like you were Donald Trump,” he raps. “I cast a vote and get a pussy ni**a slumped.”
Ball out with “Kyrie” HERE:
JUST MARRIED! Adrienne Bailon & Israel Houghton Tie The Knot In Paris -- See The Gorgeous Wedding Dress!
Adrienne is now officially Mrs. Houghton after marrying her Christian gospel artist fiancé Israel Houghton today (Friday) at 7p at the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris.
Adrienne and Israel had their rehearsal dinner (pictured above) at hot spot Ferdi last night. It's where the newlyweds first met 10 years ago. Sweet!
As for how Adrienne whipped this whole Parisian wedding together in a matter of three months, she tells E!:
"I got engaged in Paris and I had a flight home back to L.A.—it's a very long flight—I pretty much planned the whole wedding on the plane ride home, so I'm good!"
That...and the two swore to celibacy until marriage.
It sounds like wedding planning wasn't difficult either. Adrienne tells E!:
"We agree on everything. That's weird," she joked of making their wedding day decisions. "He actually has better taste than me, so if I picked something else, I always go with him because he always has better taste."
Adrienne and Israel's friends and family are all in Paris currently partying as we type. Co-hosts Loni Love, Tamera Mowry Housley, and Jeannie Mai and Adrienne's bestie Julissa Bermudez all made the trek with her:
Did Mary J. Blige Threatening her Estranged Hubby?
Last month R&B singer Mary J. Blige's estranged husband Kendu Isaacs filed legal docs claiming Mary was damaging his reputation and trying to suffocate him financially by using their impending divorce as the backdrop for her current tour
Is Mary threatening to expose Kendu if he doesn't back down...?
According to a newly revealed blind item she is.
Blind Items Revealed
October 27, 2016
This permanent A list songstress has let her soon to be ex know that unless he backs off, she will start posting photos of all the women he slept with during their marriage.
Mary J Blige
Ohio Officer Ray Tensing Trial: Judge Declares Mistrial In Police Shooting Of Samuel DuBose
CINCINNATI - An Ohio judge declared a mistrial on Saturday, finding jurors hopelessly deadlocked in the case of a white former University of Cincinnati police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of a black motorist during a traffic stop last year.
The panel of six white men, four white women and two black women began deliberating on Wednesday at the Common Pleas Court in Hamilton County on whether former officer Ray Tensing was guilty of murder or voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Samuel DuBose.
Prosecutors have until Nov. 28 to decide whether there will be a retrial. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said he hoped that would happen.
The 12 jurors had told Judge Megan Shanahan on Friday that they had failed to reach a unanimous verdict, but she ordered them to redouble their efforts.
She declared a mistrial after hearing how, despite “a night of sleep and two additional hours of deliberations,” the panel had still failed to agree.
Tensing, who had pleaded not guilty and was free on $1 million bond, drank from a water bottle and stared straight ahead as Shanahan spoke. None of DuBose’s relatives were present in the courtroom.
Tensing was fired from the University of Cincinnati Police Department after being indicted in July 2015.
DuBose’s killing fueled demonstrations against use of lethal force by white officers against unarmed blacks and other minorities, an issue which has been the focus of nationwide protests and a renewed national debate over racial bias in the criminal justice system.
Hamilton County prosecutor Joe Deters said the jury had been leaning toward acquitting Tensing of murder and convicting him on the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, but that they could not agree.
“I still think it’s murder and I think we proved it,” Deters told reporters at the court.
Cranley, Cincinnati’s mayor, told a news conference he believes DuBose did not deserve to die.
“I believe a just outcome would lead to accountability for that fact,” Cranley said. “We’ve learned throughout this process how deeply Prosecutor Deters feels about this case ... so I suspect he will continue to find a way to bring justice.”
Cranley said city officials respect people’s right to be upset, and that he believes protests will continue to be peaceful. He said downtown remains safe and open for business.
Body-camera video of the July 2015 incident showed Tensing, 26, shooting DuBose, 43, in the head after pulling him over for a missing front license plate on his vehicle.
During the traffic stop, which took near the southeast edge of the University of Cincinnati’s main campus, Tensing asked DuBose to remove his seatbelt and tried to open the car door. DuBose did not comply and closed the door. The vehicle started rolling forward slowly as Tensing pulled his gun and fired once.
The defense maintained that Tensing feared for his life and only opened fire in an attempt to prevent being run over by DuBose’s car or pinned to a nearby guard rail.
In emotional testimony on Tuesday, Tensing told the court he had no intention of killing DuBose when he opened fire.
The defense countered by arguing that Tensing was never in danger and had falsified his account by exaggerating that he was being dragged by DuBose’s vehicle.
Bella Hadid & The Weeknd broke up after a year & a half together
I first heard about The Weeknd and Bella Hadid in the early summer of 2015. Bella popped up in a profile and interview of The Weeknd in the New York Times in July, which was one of the more interesting ways for Bella to become Abel’s “official.” Bella was Abel’s Grammys date this year, and she was there for his Oscar nomination, and they went to the Met Gala together too. While Abel seemed fine with acknowledging Bella as his girlfriend, there were always rumors of his wandering eye, just as there were rumors that they were pretty on-and-off at times. Well, now they’re completely off.
The Weeknd (né Abel Tesfaye) and Bella Hadid are going their separate ways. The couple has split after a year and half together, PEOPLE has learned.
“Their schedules have been too hard to coordinate and he is focusing on finishing and promoting his album,” a source confirms to PEOPLE exclusively. “They still have a great deal of love for one another and will remain friends.”
A rep for the Weeknd had no comment. A rep for Hadid did not immediately respond to request for comment.
The “Starboy” hitmaker, a.k.a. Abel Tesfaye, 25, and the model, 20, were first linked together in April 2015 when he asked her to be in the artwork for his album, Beauty Behind the Madness. Hadid also starred in The Weeknd’s music video for his single, “In the Night.”
[From People]
Page Six points out that they caught a whiff of the breakup back in September, although people close to Abel and Bella denied it. Still, one source said back then: “They broke up. He’s been seen out and about chatting up girls.” It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he was fooling around, but it would surprise me if that was the reason for the breakup. It feels far more likely that they just didn’t have anything else to say to each other – they were always very “opposites attract.” And now Gigi is the only Hadid sister still with her rock star boyfriend.
Lil’ Kim Jokes She’s a “Spanish Girl Trapped in a Black Girl’s Body”
While Lil’ Kim seems to be loving her physical transformation, some fans and critics have been calling the rapper out for her new look for years. The Brooklyn rapper seemingly added another example for her naysayers to get mad at, after a video surfaced that shows her saying she’s trapped in a Black girl’s body.
The video, which was posted to the Twitter account LilKimRoyal, shows Queen Bee talking to someone holding a camera. “I’m a Spanish girl trapped in a Black girl’s body,” she says. “I’m all mixed up, girl,” she adds.
As the video continues, Kim sings a song in Spanish and does a little dance. Kim seems to be joking in the video, but that didn’t stop people from going in. “This is the most unfortunate occurrence of all times,” one Twitter user noted.
“My wife got identity issues but I love her,” another person commented.
Kim has come under fire numerous times over the years about how her appearance has changed, but she clearly gives zero damns.
Lil Kim admits she's a Spanish girl trapped in a Black girl's body 🇲🇽🌮 pic.twitter.com/tXgoVud9Ab— Kimmy Blanco (@LilKimRoyal) November 11, 2016
Back in May, she posted a picture that sent the Internet into an uproar.
The post shows her looking almost unrecognizable in a collage of selfies.
Sting Reopens Paris Theater Bataclan Nearly One Year After Terrorist Attack
Just one day before the anniversary of the terrorist attack on Paris’s Bataclan theater, Sting performed at its reopening Saturday night (Nov. 12, 2016), according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The crowd was reportedly subdued as the singer took the stage at 9 p.m. to honor the victims of last year’s attack.
“We’ve got two important things to do tonight. First, to remember and honor those who lost their lives in the attacks a year ago and to celebrate the life and music of this historic venue,” he told the crowd in French.
After a moment of silence, Sting sang his 1988 song Fragile, which contains the lyrics “Nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could.”
He also dedicated one song, “Fifty Thousand,” to all the musicians that have passed away this year. “David Bowie, Prince, Glenn Frey, Lemmy… and Leonard.” He added the last name after the fans shouted “Leonard Cohen!” at the stage.
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Jonathan “HEAT’ Martinez
Meet Jonathan “HEAT’ Martinez! He’s back with more pics1 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!
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
IT’S TURKEY TIME
Keep your Christmas music and decorations and toys and ads and everything else. My mind is on that turkey right now
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD ALL!
EFREM
