This Woman is accused of stealing the identity of Taraji P. Henson!😲😒
A pregnant mother of six trembled throughout a court hearing Sunday as prosecutors accused her of stealing the identities of several people, including a star of the Fox television show “Empire,” and collecting thousands of dollars in merchandise mailed to dummy addresses.
Alicia Newby quietly sobbed next to her court-appointed attorney at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, charged with a single felony count of continuing a financial crime enterprise. Newby, 29, was ordered released on a $10,000 signature bail and electronic monitoring, but was forbidden from contacting victims or witnesses.
During the hearing before Judge Charles S. Beach II, prosecutors didn’t name either of Newby’s alleged victims, but police and court records list actress Taraji P. Henson, 48, as one of them. A representative for the Oscar- and Emmy-nominated actress who stars in the hip-hop drama that films in Chicago couldn’t be reached for comment Sunday afternoon.
An investigation by police and the Cook County state’s attorney’s financial crime unit found “multiple other victims” but only mentioned two during Sunday’s hearing. Prosecutors calculated that Newby’s scheme totaled more than $12,000 in fraudulent transactions, though more than $4,000 was canceled after Henson’s manager discovered the fraud last August.
Authorities did not say how Newby and Henson knew one another, but a police source said investigators were also looking into whether any other cast members of “Empire” may have been victims.
A key to Newby’s success was compromising Henson’s email, prosecutors said.
“Once this was done, the defendant then raided the account for a variety of information," including phone numbers, addresses, financial accounts and telephone numbers that she could then use to purchase items online, Assistant State’s Attorney James Costello told the court.
In addition to defrauding Henson, Newby also defrauded JP Morgan Chase, American Express and PayPal and multiple other merchants in her scheme, according to charging documents.
Newby was arrested early Saturday as police served a search warrant at her Galewood neighborhood apartment in the 6200 block of West Wabansia Avenue following a nearly yearlong investigation. During the search, authorities recovered items they believe were purchased in the scheme and were awaiting the results of a forensic analysis of several electronic devices that were seized.
In court, prosecutors told the judge how Henson’s team contacted Chicago police after the actress’ manager noticed fraudulent charges appearing on several of her accounts. The manager also noticed the items were being shipped to two South Side addresses under names they didn’t recognize, prosecutors said. Investigators learned that Newby had utilities in her name mailed to both addresses and that she obtained a lease at one of the addresses allegedly using a second victim’s identity, Costello said.
Last September, a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier refused to deliver packages to one of the addresses, believing it was being used in an ID theft scam, but was allegedly “assaulted” by Newby, demanding that she deliver the packages, prosecutors said. Police officers called to the scene captured the woman’s demands on body-worn camera. But Newby later received the packages after she caused a scene at the local post office, Costello said.
Authorities lost track of Newby in December after she cleared out of an apartment, leaving behind thousands of dollars in damages and about $4,000 in unpaid rent. She resurfaced earlier this year when she pawned a designer purse using her real state identification card, Costello said. The pawnbroker and three postal employees identified Newby by photo.
Prior to Newby’s arrest, authorities obtained records from social media and email accounts, phone companies and financial institutions that allegedly point to Newby as the person behind the fraudulent purchases.
Newby’s attorney asked for a reasonable bond, noting that the crime didn’t involve violence, she is the mother of six children and is two months pregnant and has bipolar disorder. Two young men who attended the hearing on Newby’s behalf declined to speak after the hearing.
The judge approved a prosecution request to bar Newby from using the internet while the case is pending.
Taraji P. Henson Discusses Her Struggles With Anxiety and Depression for Variety Mag!
Taraji P. Henson talks mental health. The Empire actress headlines Variety's Power of Women New York issue, released Tuesday, along with Bette Midler, Gigi Hadid, Kacey Musgraves and Christiane Amanpour. In her cover story, Henson opens up about her struggle with anxiety and depression, sharing that she regularly sees a therapist to help her through it.
"[Fame] was fun at first, but the older I get, the more private I want to be," Henson tells Variety. "I think there's a misconception with people in the limelight that we have it all together, and because we have money now and are living out our dreams, everything is fine. That's not the case. When they yell 'Cut' and 'That's a wrap,' I go home to very serious problems. I'm still a real human."
The 48-year-old star also shares that fame has contributed to her mental health struggles.
"I suffer from depression," Henson says. "My anxiety is kicking up even more every day, and I've never really dealt with anxiety like that. It's something new."
As a way to help her manage, Henson meets with a therapist, sharing with Variety, "That's the only way I can get through it. You can talk to your friends, but you need a professional who can give you exercises. So that when you're on the ledge, you have things to say to yourself that will get you off that ledge and past your weakest moments."
In 2018, Henson, hoping to end the stigma around mental illness in the black community, founded The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation in honor of her late father, who struggled with mental health challenges upon his return from the Vietnam War.
About 15 years before starting the foundation, Henson's high school sweetheart and father of her child, William Lamar Johnson, was murdered. Then, two years later, Henson's father passed away. After losing two loved ones, Henson wanted to find a therapist for her son to talk to.
"When we started doing research and I started looking for a therapist that at least looked like him, so he could trust them, it was like looking for a unicorn," she tells Variety. "We're walking around broken, wounded and hurt, and we don't think it's OK to talk about it. We don't talk about it at home. It's shunned. It's something that makes you look weak. We're told to pray it away. Everyone was always asking me, 'Do you have a charity?' Well, dammit, this is going to be my calling, because I'm sick of this. People are killing themselves. People are numbing out on drugs. Not everything is fixed with a pill."
You can see Variety's complete Power of Women New York list HERE!
#RHOA: Cynthia Bailey Me and Mike Hill Will ‘Definitely’ Get Married in 2020!
Time to start stocking up on wedding magazines! Real Housewives of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey is ready to take the next step in her relationship with boyfriend Mike Hill.
The reality star, 52, sat down with Us Weekly earlier this month and revealed that the 48-year-old Fox sportscaster tells her they will walk down the aisle “definitely … by next year.”
However, don’t expect Bailey to take the initiative. “One thing I’m not going to do is, I won’t be proposing to Mike,” she explained to Us. “He actually has to propose to me. ‘Yes’ is my answer, but he has to do it on his own time.” Bailey also went into detail about her change of heart when it comes to getting married again following her split from ex-husband Peter Thomas in 2016.
“I love this question and I kind of get it a lot. After my divorce, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’d ever get married again.’ Well, I kind of said, ‘I wouldn’t get married again,’ to be honest. I’d just given up on the whole marriage thing,” she told Us. “Now, my answer has changed … If you ask me will I marry Mike Hill? The answer’s ‘yes’ because Mike is a whole person, I’m a whole person, when we come together we’re just great. It’s just easy, and it’s comfortable.”
This isn’t the first time Bailey has gushed over her beau and tying the knot with him. “Yes and yes. Absolutely,” the Bravo TV personality said in January when a caller on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen asked her if she’d be moving to Los Angeles to be with Hill. As for the conversation of marriage, Bailey revealed they discuss it “all the time.”
She added: “And yes, I can confidently say that Mike and I will be getting married.”
#Empire: Tracy Morgan Ruthlessly Shades Jussie Smollett On National Television
After Chris Rock ripped into Jussie Smollett during last weekend's 2019 NAACP Image Awards, fellow comedian Tracy Morgan quickly followed suit with some harsh words for the Empire star during a recent appearance on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The Last OG star revealed that he is set to appear in a future episode of Smollett's breakout show, Empire. While chopping it up about his salary, though, Morgan went in on the recently embattled star.
"Yeah, they gave me a role on Empire," he said. "Contractually, they gave me millions of dollars. Contractually, all I gotta do is not fake a hate crime."
Just in case viewers didn't catch the reference, Morgan yelled, "Jussie!"
Going on to critique Smollett's claims that he was attacked while out in sub-zero temperatures in Chicago, Morgan stressed that he wasn't buying the story.
"C'mon. First of all, racist people don't be jumping nobody in the polar vortex," he said. "It's too cold. We be racist in the spring."
DUMB!
#NewMusicVideo: Solange ‘Way to the Show’
Solange captivates our minds again with a visual for her latest When I Get Home track, “Way to the Show.”
WATCH HERE
The video for “Way to the Show” follows the angle-adjusting visual for “Binz” and the optical masterpiece for “Almeda.” All three tracks hail from her third top 10 album When I Get Home.
Solange will push her innovative new work on stage this year. She has been tapped for Coachella 2019 in April, Bonnaroo 2019 and Parklife 2019 in June, and Lovebox 2019 in July.
#HipHopNews: Machine Gun Kelly Announces "Hotel Diablo" Album & Tour
Machine Gun Kelly’s next album will be titled Hotel Diablo. MGK unveiled the name in a social media clip posted on Tuesday (April 2).
Although the Interscope Records artist didn’t share any additional details about the LP, he did announce dates for a tour in support of the project. Tickets for the tour go on sale this Friday (April 5).
Lately, MGK has been busy with his acting career. He had a role in Netflix’s hit film Bird Box and stars as Tommy Lee in the recently released Mötley Crüe biopic The Dirt.
Hotel Diablo will be MGK’s follow-up to 2018’s BINGE EP. It will also be his first studio album since 2017’s bloom.
Check out the dates for MGK’s Hotel Diablo Tour below.
Get your tickets!
Pop Star Britney Spears enters mental health facility Amid her Father's Health Concerns!
Pop superstar and former Las Vegas Strip headliner Britney Spears has been admitted to a mental health clinic, posting the Instagram message, “We all need to take time for a little ‘me time.’ :)”
Spears’ Las Vegas manager Larry Rudolph confirmed reports by People and TMZ today that Spears is seeking to recover after a recent illness to her father, Jamie. His lengthy hospitalization in Las Vegas for a ruptured colon led to her announced hiatus from her “Domination” residency scheduled for Park Theater this year. The elder Spears underwent follow-up surgery in mid-March.
Spears entered an undisclosed medical facility about a week ago, and is expected to finish a 30-day, live-in stay.
Quoting an unnamed source, People reported, “Britney just needed to focus on herself. Her dad being sick has taken a toll on her. He nearly died and actually had another surgery a few weeks ago. He’s not doing well. They’re so close and it has been a lot. There is nothing dramatic going on with her — she just realized she needs to make sure to take time to care for herself.”
Thus, there is no return strategy evident for if or when “Domination,” or any Spears show, will return to the Strip. She closed her hit production “Piece of Me” at Zappos Theater on New Year’s Eve 2017, after a ground-breaking, four-year run.
Last Month, famed theater owner James L. Nederlander announced that he and Spears were co-producing a Broadway musical featuring her music, “Once Upon a One More Time.” The show is to premiere this fall in Chicago, then move to Broadway.
The musical creates contemporary storylines for such classic fairy tale princesses as Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty.
Ariana Grande Addresses Her Sexuality After New Song Alludes to Bisexual Rumors
Ariana Grande's never labeled herself before and she's not gonna start now.
After a line in the 25-year-old singer's latest single, "Monopoly," which features her best friend Victoria Monet, caught the attention of her fans, Ariana took to social media to address speculation about her sexuality.
On Monday (April 1), the "7 Rings" singer dropped the new track, which features a lyric in which she and Victoria sing: "I like women and men." Many took the line as Ariana's way of coming out as bisexual. However, the "thank u, next" singer set the record straight on Twitter.
When a fan tweeted that Ariana "ain’t gotta label herself, but she said what she said," she wrote back: "I haven’t before and still don’t feel the need to now 🖤🧚🏼♂️ which is okay." She then additionally liked fans' tweets about sexuality being fluid.
"hope y’all know sexuality is fluid and no one has to 'come out' as anything if they don’t want to. happy monday," read one of the tweets Ariana "liked."
Victoria – who came out as bisexual in 2018 – also addressed speculation about Ari's sexuality as she later wrote, "She said what she said."
As fans know, this isn't the first time people have speculated about Ariana's sexuality. Earlier this year, she released the music video for "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored," which ended with her leaning in to kiss a girl, and many also took that as her way of expressing that she's into both guys and girls.
Report: Beyoncé Is Working On New Music And A Netflix Special!
Queen Bey is reportedly working on a new project — NOT a full album, but a "couple of new tracks [for] a deluxe album filled with old songs," a source told Us Weekly. The insider added that she's also working with Netflix on a documentary that a second source said: "will be tied to her Coachella 2018 performance" with additional footage.
The "APESH**T" singer seems to have a lot in store for her fans this coming summer. In addition to her reported "deluxe album" and Netflix special, she's additionally gearing up for the July release of Disney’s The Lion King remake, in which she voices Nala.
Bey's impending Summer domination will come a year after the release of her 2018 joint album, Everything is Love, with her husband JAY-Z. The couple dropped the project in the middle of their co-headlining On The Run II tour last Summer.
Lauren London Has Broken Her Silence Following Nipsey Hussle's Death
Lauren London has made her first public comments since the death of her boyfriend Nipsey Hussle. The actress/model shared a photo of the late rapper on Instagram and expressed her grief in the caption on Tuesday (April 2).
“I am completely lost,” she wrote. “I’ve lost my best friend. My sanctuary. My protector. My soul…. I’m lost without you. We are lost without you babe. I have no words.”
London and Nipsey had been in a relationship for five years. In 2016, London gave birth to the couple’s son Kross Asghedom.
Nipsey was shot and killed in front of his Marathon Clothing store in Los Angeles on Sunday (March 31). Eric Holder, his suspected killer, was apprehended by police on Tuesday afternoon.
A Reckless Teen Crashes Stolen Car Into Taylor Swift's Home
A high-speed car chase ended in Taylor Swift's property being damaged.
According to TMZ, a teenager crashed his stolen getaway vehicle into the "Delicate" singer's front gate following a police pursuit in Hopkinton, Rhode Island. Police officials were apparently conducting a traffic stop with the driver at approximately 1 a.m. Tuesday (April 2) before they suddenly hit the gas and sped away. The teen eventually lost control of the vehicle during the hunt and smashed into the main entrance gate to Swift's beachfront residence in Watch Hill.
Thankfully, Swift, nor anyone else, was present at her home during the time of the incident. Per the celebrity gossip outlet, speed racer was charged with "reckless driving, felony receiving stolen goods, obstructing an officer and driving on a suspended or denied license." Bail has not yet been set.
The Westerly Sun has since identified the teenager as 19-year-old Shykeim Edwin Lewis of Hartford. Per the report, Lewis was driving three other passengers when he plowed into the white wall outside Swift's property before "ricocheting into the gate." (See the damage here.)
Following the wreck, Lewis and the front seat passenger supposedly tried fleeing the scene by jumping out of the vehicle — which ended in their detainment — while the two backseat passengers sustained "serious but non-life threatening" injuries that required medical attention at Rhode Island hospitals.
Swift's Rhode Island home has been subject to several crimes in the past. In 2013, her alleged stalker tried swimming an ocean to reach her property, whereas another once appeared at her doorstep with a marriage proposal.
Rihanna is Rocking Yellow for A Night Out in London
Rihanna is looking so stunning while leaving her Fenty Beauty party in the early morning hours of Wednesday (April 3) in London, England.
The 31-year-old singer has kept a low profile the past few weeks! But she made a BRIGHT return to her public!
#RIP: Chicago's Iconic Deep house vocalist Kim English has died
Kim English, the iconic Chicago-born vocalist who performed on multiple house classics, has died.
In a statement released last night through Nervous Records' Facebook page it was confirmed that the singer had passed away. English had been a close affiliate of the label since debuting in 1994 with her legendary track ‘Nite Life’. She went on to work with the New York label consistently right up to the release of her ‘Nothing’s Impossible’ record in 2009.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing tonight of Kim English,” reads the statement from Nervous. “Kim’s discography includes several songs that are widely recognized as all-time classics in the house music genre. She had a unique ability both through her singing and songwriting talents to inspire people to dance and also celebrate the joys of God and religion. She was a deeply religious and devoted member of the Family Christian Center in Munster, Indiana.
“While she had many opportunities to travel the globe as a singer, she remained a devoted family member and member of her church, and never allowed herself to be distracted from the path she felt was right for her. More details will be forthcoming tomorrow.”
English began her career as a gospel singer before going on to work with some of the most prolific producers in ‘90s house music including Byron Burke and Byron Stingily of Ten City (‘Nite Life’), Mood II Swing (‘Learn 2 Luv’), Francios K, Masters at Work and more.
Five of English’s tracks reached #1 on the Billboard Dance charts between 1999 and 2002, including ‘Unspeakable Joy’, ‘Missing You’ and ‘It Makes a Difference’. Listen to a few of her hits below!
Since news broke of her passing, tributes have been pouring across social media from throughout the dance music world. Figures such as Simon Dunmore, Ce Ce Rogers, Paul Woolford, Danny Rampling and Friend Within and more have taken to Twitter to pay their respects to a truly iconic performer.
‘IT: Chapter 2’? – Pennywise Is Back in CinemaCon Footage
Pennywise the Clown is back in first footage for “IT: Chapter Two,” which debuted during Warner Bros.’ presentation at CinemaCon on Tuesday.
In the footage, Jessica Chastain’s Beverly Marsh returned to her childhood apartment only to find her father had passed away. In the background, we see a creepy character — which marked the beginning of a terrifying footage presentation.
The camera pans to the adult versions of the “Losers Club”: Chastain (Beverly Marsh), Bill Hader (Richie Tozier), James McAvoy (Bill Denbrough), Jay Ryan (Ben Hanscom), James Ransone (Eddie Kaspbrak), Isaiah Mustafa (Mike Hanlon) and Andy Bean (Stanley Uris). The rest of the footage showed blood, gore and, well — Pennywise.
“IT: Chapter Two,” takes place 27 years after the events of last year’s monster hit, as the members of the “Losers Club” have all grown up and moved out of Derry… until a devastating phone call brings them all back.
Bill Skarsgard will return as Pennywise the Clown. The film is set to be released Sept. 6.
“IT” grossed $327.5 million in the U.S. and Canada in 2017 and $700.4 million worldwide on a $35 million production budget. The film had the No. 1 opening weekend for a fall release and was 2017’s No. 7 highest-grossing movie.
Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman Arrives at Court for College Admissions Scandal Case
Lori Loughlin & Felicity Huffman arrives for their court appearance on Wednesday (April 3) in Boston, Mass.
The Fuller House alum is facing charges in the college admissions cheating scandal. Her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, was not seen with her as they arrived.
Earlier in the day, Felicity Huffman, who is also wrapped up in the scandal and facing the same charges, was seen arriving at court.
The pair are facing felony charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
No word if their court appearance today is to have them enter their pleas.
AND FINALLY FROM THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART FILES
Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer for Entertainment Weekly - March 2019
Killing Eve's Jodie Comer revealed she almost died while filming Killing Eve Season 2
Killing Eve immediately hooked viewers when it premiered in 2018. People are downright obsessed with the cat-and-mouse story of MI6 agent Eve Polastri’s twisted (and mutual) obsession with assassin Villanelle. After much anticipation from fans, the show will return for Season 2 on April 7th. Recently, stars Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer sat down with Entertainment Weekly to talk about the new season, and in the interview, Comer revealed that she had a particularly scary—and life-threatening—experience on set.
For some background, Comer plays Villanelle—a woman who has been hit in the face with a Scotch glass, ridden a motorcycle, and scaled literal buildings. But ironically, a pasta-eating scene is what almost took her down. When the interviewer brought up the incident, the 25-year-old actress said that it was “really triggering,” although it seems like she can laugh about it now.
"This is actually really triggering. I told my brother about it and he was like, 'I love this. Of all the things that could have killed Villanelle, it was a mouthful of pasta,'" she told Snierson with a laugh.
She elaborated, revealing that during one scene, while her character was eating pasta “in a very grotesque way,” she started choking.
"[Villanelle’s] playing it up, being her usual childish self, and the pasta was extremely dry. And it was extremely thick," Comer recalled. "I was shoveling it in, and then it just shot down my throat and then I was full-on choking. They must have it on camera—a medic came in and managed to get it out, but my life definitely flashed before me."
We’re just glad that Comer is okay.
Comer and Oh also shared more details about the predator vs. predator dynamic of Killing Eve Season 2. Oh said that Villanelle is is angry, clarifying:
"I feel like in their warped relationship, there’s so much," she said. "[...] This is what also is so complicated in the relationship. I feel that they communicate on a completely different plane, where things like stabbing the other person mean different things."
We absolutely can’t wait for the upcoming season.
#RHoA: Porsha Williams’ All-White-Themed Baby Shower Was Filmed. So is she Getting a Spin-Off?
Porsha Williams’ all-white-themed baby shower took place this weekend despite filming being wrapped for the 11th season of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”
Cameras were present to take in the Feb. 24 party, which is said to be filmed for a separate special surrounding Williams’ pregnancy.
A photo of Cynthia Bailey posing with mom-to-be Williams’ mother gave away that the bash is being recorded for a later Bravo broadcast, as a camera was propped up in the background.
“Couldn’t resist taking a quick selfie with @porsha4real gorgeous mother Dyanne. Love a all white theme👑” the model captioned the post.
“Is that a cameraman behind you 👀👀. Does this mean Porsha getting a spin-off? #HELLYEAH🤩❤️” one fan eagerly commented.
Several of Williams’ current and former fellow housewives came through the shindig, which an “RHOA” fan account stated was a winter wonderland. Among those who celebrated the pending arrival of Williams’ first baby with fiancé Dennis McKinley included Bailey, Kenya Moore, and friends of the show Shamea Morton and Marlo Hampton.
Noticeably absent, however, were Nene Leakes and Kandi Burruss. Fans promptly speculated about their whereabouts in the comments of the fan Instagram account.
What’s up with that?
#Empire: Terrence Howard ‘allegedly’ blew up and confronted Jussie Smollett on ‘Empire’ set but piblicy supports him!
Terrence Howard’s reported emotional explosion was like a loud thunderclap that pierced through the relative silence on the “Empire” set regarding the highly-controversial Jussie Smollett beatdown scandal.
Confusion and volatile emotions erupted immediately after Smollett’s highly-publicized arrest Thursday at Chicago police headquarters. According to TMZ, Howard was so infuriated that he refused to come onto the set to shoot scenes and remained in his trailer for the balance of the day.
Howard was reportedly one of the ones who doubted Smollett’s testimony from the outset. And as the investigation progressed to the point where the finger began to be pointed in Smollett’s direction, Howard confronted him with questions about the circumstances of the alleged beatdown and the timeline.
Empire’s production publicly backed Jussie Smollett throughout his hate crime scandal, until recently. When the actor became the suspect of a felony crime for allegedly filing a false police report, the mood changed with the production staff.
TMZ reported that Howard screamed at Smollett, 36, in a way to urge the actor, who plays Jamal Lyon, to come clean. The Nigerian brothers, Abel and Ola Osundairom, gave testimonies to a grand jury that served to corroborate Howard’s initial feelings. Afterward, Smollett addressed the crew to apologize about the scandal while still maintaining his innocence. But Howard was a conspicuous no-show. There were others on the set who quietly harbored the same sentiments as Howard.
The tension became too thick to keep Smollett around for the immediate future.
Later, Howard showed support for Smollett via social media on Saturday by showing the embattled actor playing with Howard’s child in his trailer.
He also informed Smollett on the post that the entire cast and crew were in his corner.
#NewMusic from Brian Mcknight – When I’m Gone
R&B veteran Brian McKnight has a message for the lonely hears with his first release of 2019. The singer/songwriter spends much of each year on the road, so it’s only natural that he misses his lady.
“Do you ever get lonely, like I do? / Tell me how much you miss me / When I’m not there beside you / It’s getting harder and harder to breathe / When I’m gone,” sings McKnight.
LISTEN HERE
Brian is currently working on his fourteenth studio album ‘Bedtime Story,’ with producer Tim Kelley. The LP follows 2018’s Genesis album.
#NewHipHopVideo freom J Cole ‘Middle Child’
For his latest buzzworthy single “Middle Child”, J. Cole is being both cryptic and direct with his messages for the official music video.
WATCH HERE
Directed by fellow North Carolina artist Mez, who’s most famous for his Dr. Dre Compton guest spot — took to Instagram to relieve his thoughts on constructing the visual.
“Crazy…I wrote and directed the ‘Middle Child’ video,” he began. “Thanks to the team I had jumping those hurdles with me. Special thanks to @Scott_Lazer for being such a selfless genuine dude. I’m not normally a fan of the IG long talk, but if this is gonna be the 1st time I do this, it’s worth it. I’m so thankful my big bruh @realcoleworld believed in me like this. He took a shot on me because he said my ideas were always next level and so was my taste. I’ve got a lot of love for him for that amongst many other things. I thank God for letting me rise to the occasion. The first time I ever directed a video it ended up being for a billboard top 5 record.”
He continued, “I’m Big blessed. Nobody knows I’ve been writing video treatments for years now. People also don’t know I’m still dealing with the business side of music right now. (For anyone who asks where’s my projects etc etc) When shit got slow and got stressful, I never stopped being creative. I’ve been working in the cut so as soon as opportunity presents itself, I’d be ready. And this is the 1st of many examples. I’m going to be present in music fashion and film. I remember a time when I wouldn’t say what I’m bout to do out of fear of fans or industry people doubting me like I can’t do it. Projecting they fears on me. Never again. The stars are aligning for ya boy. I just had to be patient. @heirsentertainment going up.”
Donald Trump Calls Spike Lee’s Oscars Speech A ‘Racist Hit’ with Grammatical Errors!
President Donald Trump tried to go after Spike Lee’s Oscar acceptance speech as a “racist hit,” lashing out against the “BlacKkKlansman” director’s call for voters to get “on the right side of history” in 2020.
Lee, collecting the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay at Sunday’s ceremony for “BlacKkKlansman,” delivered a powerful speech honoring Black History Month and remembering America’s history of slavery and genocide of Native Americans.
He reminded the audience that Election Day “is around the corner,” and urged people to mobilize.
“Make the moral choice between love versus hate,” he said. “Let’s do the right thing! You know I had to get that in there.”
Trump has a track record of racism dating back to housing discrimination in his early years as a real estate developer and continuing into the White House, where he shockingly called Haiti and African nations “shithole countries.”
His bigotry has extended to other minority groups as well. He mocks Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as “Pocahontas,” and has referred to Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and criminals.
Malik Yoba Will Reprise Role In ‘New York Undercover’ Reboot At ABC
Malik Yoba will reprise his role Detective J.C. Williams in ABC’s reboot of “New York Undercover.”
The new series will pick up 20 years after the end of the original series and will follow detectives Nat Gilmore and Melissa Ortiz as they investigate the city’s most dangerous criminals from Harlem to Battery Park. This time around, Williams is overseeing the unit and the next generation of detectives.
ICC friend, Anthony Hemingway is onboard to executive produce and direct the pilot.
In a post on his Instagram page, Anthony wrote:
I’m so excited to reunite with my big bro @malikyoba #NYUC #NewYorkUndercover #Blessings #Divine #CulturalComfortFood
This will be great!
Ariana Grande is Returning to Manchester Two Years After the Bombing
Ariana Grande will be returning to Manchester two years after the suicide bombing attack killed 22 people during her concert performance.
The 25-year-old entertainer will be headlining the Manchester Pride Live event, which is set to take place on August 25.
Organizers of the event said in a statement (via THR), “We’re truly honored to be welcoming Ariana back to the city to help us celebrate LGBT+ life.”
After the bombing, Ariana returned to the city for a special concert and was eventually named an honorary citizen of the area in England.
Taraji P. Henson Gets Glam Chich at Vanity Fair's Oscars Party
Taraji P. Henson looks gorgeous! While staying mum on the Jussie Smollett scandal the 48-year-old Empire star hit the red carpet at the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday (February 24) in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Taraji posed alongside fiance Kelvin Hayden at the event.
Taraji is wearing a Roland Mouret jumpsuit and Gismondi1754 diamonds.
#BoxOfficeNews: 'How to Train Your Dragon 3' Debuts with a $55.5 Million Debut
The 2019 box office has finally received a jolt of energy with an impressive, $55.5 million debut for DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. The performance led the weekend box office, closing out the final weekend within what has been a rough start to the first two months at the domestic box office this year. The weekend also saw MGM's expansion of Fighting with My Family, which debuted at the lower end of industry expectations, while Roadside's Run the Race found itself within the top ten from just 853 locations.
With an estimated $55.5 million, Universal's release of the DreamWorks Animation title How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World delivered not only the #1 movie at this weekend's box office, but the largest debut of the year so far, surpassing Glass by more than $15 million. The opening is also the largest debut in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, topping the $49.4 million opening for How to Train Your Dragon 2 back in 2014. The film's overall domestic performance so far totals over $58 million once you include the $2.5 million it brought in from an exclusive Fandango event earlier this month. The question now is to wonder how the film will perform from here.
Following a $43.7 million opening, the first film went on to gross over $217.5 million in 2010, a nearly 5x multiplier. The second film, while still strong, mustered a 3.58x multiple and just over $177 million for its domestic run. Like its predecessors, Hidden World received an "A" CinemaScore and was well received by critics, earning a 91% score at RottenTomatoes. One interesting note is this is the first film in the franchise to play to an audience that skewed more male than female, albeit by a small margin, with males making up 51% of the opening weekend audience compared to 45% and 47% for the last two films. It also skewed slightly younger with 39% of the overall audience coming in aged 25 or older compared to 51% and 44% for its predecessors respectively.
Looking ahead, Using the multipliers for the first two films gives us a range anywhere from $198 million to as much as $277+ million and the film does face genre competition in the relatively near future with Wonder Park opening in three weeks. That said, a $200+ million domestic performance feels like a sure bet at this point, which is great news for Universal with their first release since acquiring DreamWorks Animation back in 2016 for $3.8 billion not to mention Hidden World carries the lowest price tag among the three films in the franchise, coming in with a reported budget of $129 million vs. $165 million for the original and $145 million for the first sequel.
Khloé Kardashian Is Pissed About Rumors That She's Going to Be the Next Bachelorette
Khloé and Kim Kardashian just shut down rumors that Khloé is being considered to be the next Bachelorette.
Both Khloé and Kim got into a Twitter feud with Bachelor show creator Mike Fleiss.
Of course, this is all amid the Jordyn Woods/Tristan Thompson cheating scandal, and Khloé is "still hurt."
Amid all the drama of the Jordyn Woods/Tristan Thompson cheating scandal, this week rumors also popped up that Khloé Kardashian might be the next Bachelorette.
Bachelor show creator Mike Fleiss began tweeting about the possibility a couple days ago, saying that Khloé was "very much in contention" and implying that he had plans to speak with Kris Jenner about it.
Sooo...looks like Khloé won't be the next Bachelorette!
Michael Jordan's Basketball Card sells for $350,100 Breaks eBay Record!
Long before the days of likes, follows and mentions, people did simple things to pass the time like collect cards of their favorite sports players. While collecting cards may not be as popular as it once was, there are still people who value the age-old practice and will pay a pretty penny to own rare collectible cards.
Thanks to eBay, everyone has the opportunity to auction off their personal items for profit or buy items that they deem valuable.
Recently, the winning bid of $350,100 for a rare Michael Jordan basketball card broke eBay records for the most expensive basketball card ever sold through the site. The green, foil textured, metallic and holographic card is one of ten from the original Chicago Bull’s legends 1997-1998 precious metal gems collection.
This sale marks the highest price any Jordan card has ever sold for. Cards for other legendary players such as Scottie Pippen, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Grant Hill, and Antoine Walker saw impressive bids as well. The buyer remains anonymous, but we think it’s safe to say that the buyer is someone who wants to hold close the memories of all the awesome things that happened in the 80’s and 90’s. If you collected anything as a kid, it may be time to check your old boxes to see if you are sitting on something that could sell for some serious cash.
Oscars 2019 Show Increases In Viewership from 2018 by 12%!
The 2019 Oscars ratings are in, and viewership grew by 12% from last year!
The ABC broadcast totaled 29.7 million viewers, compared to the 2018 telecast, which brought in 26.5 million viewers. To offer additional comparison, the 2019 Grammys had 9.7 million viewers and the 2019 Golden Globes had 11.0 million viewers.
This year’s show featured a major change from last year. This year, the Academy went forward without a host and just had a lot of celebrity presenters take the stage throughout the evening to move the show along.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
