Showing posts with label Toy Story 4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toy Story 4. Show all posts

3/19/19

The Daily Buzz For March 20 ☕📰☕


Jessica Alba for Health Magazine - April 2019
Her Empire Her business was valued just shy of $1 billion back in October 2017. 
So it comes as no wonder Jessica Alba feels comfortable calling herself 'smart.'

The 37-year-old business woman admitted in her April 2019 Health magazine cover story that had questioned her intelligence until her success in the business world.

She was interviewed by fellow entrepreneur Ayesha Curry who asked her what she has been too hard on herself for in the past.
Alba answered: 'When I was younger, I thought I wasn’t smart. I didn’t have a conventional or higher education. Now, after starting a business, I feel OK with identifying myself as smart.'
She goes on to admit that even she has even struggled in the acting world as she has not had the same education in theater.
The Dark Angel star explained: 'I even felt inferior saying I was an actress without being classically trained. It took me a while to find my confidence.' 
'I may not be the best actress ever, but do I have my moments? Definitely. And don’t underestimate street smarts—all of that hustle and life experiences. You have to roll with the punches—that’s how you’re going to be successful in life.'
The Honest Company was founded by Alba in 2011 and will soon be extending to Honest Beauty slated for a release later this year in Western Europe.

Jessica is also known as a Hollywood celebrity who has known how to take care of her body so no doubt many will be surprised that she isn't a fan of the latest health trend of celery juicing.
She said: 'I tried celery juicing, and it empties your bowels in a very violent way all day long—and I like things that taste good, and that just doesn’t taste good.'
The A-lister's definition of wellness is about 'checking in' as she says she changes up her routine on a daily basis while holding herself accountable.
She said: 'Some days I just need to go in my room and read a book for an hour and put a face mask on. Other days I need to wake up at 5:15 a.m. and get a spin class in to feel good—even though I hate waking up early. 
'I’ve tried to get into TM, a type of meditation, but it felt so hard-core. Wellness should feel like something I want to do. If I’m going to do a meditation, I like to do a guided one, and there are apps for that.' 
She has been married to 40-year-old film producer Cash Warren since 2008 as they have three kids together: Honor, 10, and Haven, seven, and son Hayes, one.   
Alba says her relationship with Warren is what she is most proud of when it comes to her personal life as she told Ayesha for Health: 'My husband and I like each other still. [Laughs] I’m not good with conflict. 

'I didn’t know how to express myself, and I feel like I’ve evolved into this person who can communicate so you can address stuff before it gets out of control. We’re best friends, and we respect each other.'


#RHOA: Which Atlanta Housewife has the Highest Net Worth?
It’s no secret that The Real Housewives of Atlanta love to flaunt their money. Not only do they live to show off their coins, but they also love to talk about how much more each of them has than the other women.
While they all have money, it’s clear that some of these Georgia peaches are richer than others. Let’s dive into which housewives are the wealthiest.

Porsha Williams: Williams has the least amount of money out of the housewives currently on the show. She was a main cast member in seasons 5 and 6 but was demoted to the “friend of the cast” position in season 7. Now, she is back to being a full-time cast member.
In 2013, her net worth was listed as being $16 million, but is now currently only $500,000. This could be partially due to the fact that she did not receive any alimony in her divorce from former football player, Kordell Stewart.

As of 2016, most of her income came from her role on RHOA and her job as a co-host for Dish Nation.

Cynthia Bailey: Bailey made most of her money as a model while signed with the Wilhelmina Models agency. She landed the cover of Essence Magazine as her first booking. She has been featured in high-end magazines like Vogue, Elle, Glamour, and more. Now, she earns the majority of her income from The Real Housewives. She is currently worth $500,000 and makes $300,000 per season of RHOA, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Eva Marcille: Marcille is one of the newest housewives to get a peach. She first came onto the celebrity scene when she won the third season of America’s Next Top Model. Since then, she has become a successful actress, landing small roles on Everybody Hates Chris, Smallville, The Assistants, and more. She also had prominent roles on House of Payne and The Young and the Restless.

She is currently worth $3 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Shamari DeVoe: DeVoe is another new housewife. She is most known for being the lead singer of the group Blaque. The group reached their peak in the 90’s. She has also worked as an actress, appearing in movies like Bring it On and Honey. In 2006, she married singer Ronnie DeVoe.

The singer and actress now has a net worth of $4 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Nene Leakes: Leakes is the last remaining original member of the RHOA cast. She was a series regular from seasons 1-7 but then took a break to focus on acting. She came back as a regular cast member in season 9. She has also appeared on a number of television shows, including, Glee, The New Normal, The Celebrity Apprentice, The Amandas, The Game, and Let’s Stay Together.

Leakes reportedly makes $1 million per season of The Real Housewives. She is currently worth $14 million.

Kandi Burruss: Which brings us to the most wealthy RHOA, Kandi Burruss. Burruss came onto the show in season 2 and is still a main cast member. Prior to joining the show, she was a member of the popular group Xscape. She also has a line of intimate toys called Bedroom Kandi. Burruss has accumulated a great deal of her wealth by writing songs for artists such as Whitney Houston, Pink, Boys II Men, Ed Sheeran, and more. She most notably wrote “No Scrubs” for TLC.

She is now worth $35 million.

So what do you think is it so….OR NAH?


#Empire: Jussie Smollett only Appears in Zero of 38 ‘Empire’ Promotional Photos for Fox.
“Empire” returns from its fifth season’s winter hiatus tomorrow night with an episode that includes the recently-indicted Jussie Smollett.
But you might not know that if you were to look at the promo photos from the midseason premiere episode, which Fox recently posted to its press site, ’cause Jamal (Smollett) isn’t in a single one of them. And the hip-hop soap opera’s third lead is not in the shots for the following two episodes either.

Smollett — who plays the openly gay middle son of Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) and Lucious (Terrence Howard) — is absent from all 38 production stills that are currently available to media from Episode 510, 511, and 512.

However, the other regular cast members, including Howard, Henson, Bryshere Y. Gray, Trai Byers, Nicole Ari Parker, Gabourey Sidibe and even Season 5 newcomer A.Z. Kelsey, are all present and accounted for to some degree in the photos.
For the sake of comparison, Lucious/Howard is in 11 of the 38 promotional pics, Cookie/Henson is in 10, Hakeem/Gray is in four and Andre/Byers is in six. Hell, Andre Royo’s character Thirsty Rawlings is in five of them.

“Empire” executive producers announced last month that they had decided to cut Smollett from the final two episodes of the Fox hip hop drama’s current season, following his arrest on the charge of filing a false police report.

But since he hasn’t been cut from the ones that were already in the can prior to that decision, his absence from the promo photos for the first three episodes of “Empire’s” midseason return is quite noticeable.


#MusicNews: Cassandra Lucas of Changing Faces her Debut Solo Album “The Intro”
Veteran singer Cassandra Lucas from the R&B group Changing Faces has just announced the release of her upcoming debut solo album. The album is appropriately titled “The Intro” and is set to release on April 16th, 2019.

She shared the following message to accompany the announcement:
It’s been a long time coming….And now I can finally say my debut album is coming out on April 16th. I can’t wait for you guys to hear it!! Y’all ready???

This album has indeed been a long time coming. Lucas most recently released the single “Name on It” early in 2018. Prior to that, she’s released a few different singles over the years and it appears the time is finally now for her debut.


#HipHopNews: J. Cole Announces The Dreamville Festival Lineup
After being delayed due to Hurricane Florence last year, the Dreamville Festival will go on.
J. Cole has revealed the new lineup for his inaugural fest, which is set to take place on Saturday, April 6 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. 

In addition to Cole as the headliner, the star-studded lineup includes 21 Savage, Big Sean, SZA, 6LACK, and Nelly. The festival will also feature performances from Teyana Taylor, Davido, and Mez, along with North Carolina’s own Rapsody and King Mez. The entire Dreamville roster will also hit the stage including Bas, J.I.D, Cozz, EarthGang, Ari Lennox, Omen, and Lute.
The festival was originally set to take place Sept. 15, but was rescheduled due to Hurricane Florence which caused evacuations across North Carolina, South Carolina, and parts of Virginia.

GA and VIP ticket packages are on sale now at www.dreamvillefest.com.


Wendy Williams has revealed she's been living in a sober house, seeking treatment for addiction
Wendy Williams is seeking treatment for addiction, she revealed on her show Tuesday.
“You know me for being a very open and honest person. You know Kevin and I have the Hunter Foundation for the good of the people and we recently launched out 888-HUNTER number for people who are in the struggle of addiction. Well, for some time now, and even today and beyond, I have been living in a sober house,” a weeping Williams, 54, told her studio audience.

"When you see me come to work glammed up, right after the show, I do Pilates ... You know I’ve had a struggle with cocaine in the past," she said. "I never went to a place to get treatment. I don't know how. God was just sitting on my shoulder and I just stopped … there are people in your family, it might be you … I want you to know more of the story.”
The talk show host revealed that she goes to the facility after work and personal obligations daily and still lives a "glamorous" life despite her struggles.

Howard Stern fires back at talk show host Wendy Williams after she said he had ‘gone Hollywood’Video
“After I go to the Pilates I go to several meetings all around town in the tri-state area, and I see my brothers and sisters caught up in their addiction and looking for help,” she said. “They don’t know I’m Wendy. They don’t care I’m Wendy. there's no autographs, there's no nothing. It’s the brothers and sisters caught up in the struggle. It’s been really interesting, this ride.”
She continued, “Only Kevin [Hunter, Sr., her husband] and Kevin [Jr., her son] know about this. And that is my truth."

Williams revealed that she kept her struggle a secret from the rest of her family and friends.
"Not my parents, nobody. Nobody knew because I look so glamorous out here. After I finish my appointments … I am driven by my 24-hour sober coach back to a home that I live in the tri-state with a bunch of smelly boys who have become my family," she confessed. "We talk and read and talk and read and then I get bored with them. Doors locked by 10 p.m., lights out by 10 p.m., so I go to my room and stare at the ceiling and fall asleep to come here and see you. So that is my truth.”

Williams had been absent from her show for the bulk of early 2019. She initially cited complications from Graves' disease for her hiatus.


Tyler Perry steps in to help pay for funeral of slain Wisconsin mother
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Less than a day after the family of a slain single mother of four launched a fundraising appeal, actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry has lent his support.
News outlets report Perry offered to take care of the family’s rent to stave off eviction, arrange for 45-year-old Tynesha Evans’ body to be flown to Wisconsin for burial and cover her 18-year-old daughter’s tuition at Spelman College so she doesn’t have to drop out.

Evans was killed Saturday morning outside a bank near Atlanta. Her boyfriend, 58-year-old Othniel Inniss, was arrested at the scene.
Evans was an author and a full-time health care worker. According to the family’s GoFundMe, two of her four children are still minors.

One of them, 14-year-old Shakemia Turner, called Perry “an angel on Earth.”


The Trailer For ‘Toy Story 4’ Dropped And Everyone is in their Feels!
The first look at “Toy Story 4” in action has been released and, oh boy, is it a doozy. The tear-jerking trailer features everyone’s favorite characters, including Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Rex, Hamm and Bo Peep.
In this new chapter, we see a new toy come into the mix ― Forky, voiced by Tony Hale, aptly named because he’s in fact a fork. The trailer features Woody and Forky on a road trip of sorts. And as these toys are wont to do, they get into mischief. 

Set to the tune of the Beach Boys’ hit, “God Only Knows,” the trailer is full of little moments sure to make viewers cry for days. In an interview with ET Online, Tim Allen, who voices Buzz Lightyear, all but confirmed this: “The last 12 minutes of that thing is beautiful and wonderful and emotional and [I] literally got choked up. I can’t tell you how simple it is but how wonderfully emotional it” gets.

Fans are already sharing their excitement: WATCH HERE
 “Toy Story 4” hits theaters on June 21.


Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty are NOT a married couple!
After igniting rumors earlier this month, TMZ reports that the couple did not secretly wed. There was speculation that Minaj and Petty had walked down the aisle after Nicki referred to her man as her “husband” on the latest episode of Queen Radio.

“Every night when I get out of the shower, my husband takes this really good lotion that we just bought and he massages my feet,” she said during the March 12 episode.
However, wedding bells could be in the future. Sources close to Nicki say that she’s “very much in love” with Petty, but the marriage reports are false.

Just a few months after they started dating in December, the two have already discussed marriage and starting a family together.
As for his criminal past, Nicki is not bothered by it and she’s tired of people bashing him. Petty is a registered sex offender and was convicted of manslaughter and first-degree attempted rape. Minaj has come to his defense and notes that he and the rape victim were teenagers and dating at the time.

Nicki and Petty go way back. The two met when Nicki was a 16-year-old living in Queens and reconnected late last year. The couple hasn’t been shy to show PDA on social media. They vacationed together for Nicki’s 36th birthday and Petty has been traveling with Nicki on her “Nicki WRLD Tour” across Europe.


Lupita Nyong'o came to GMA rocking a colorful floral dress promoting her upcoming movie ‘Us’
And Lupita Nyong'o looked positively stunning in a flirty floral dress ahead of her appearance on Good Morning America in New York on Tuesday morning.
The 36-year-old stunner covered up in a mustard yellow jacket after praising the director for his 'refreshing' portrayal of a black family in his upcoming horror film.   

The Black Panther star rocked a retro-inspired gown complete with a key-hole neckline and ruffled hem.
She tied her curls up into a chic top bun fashioned into a bow and wore ombre shades with sparkling diamond accents.
Her bright red heels matched the shade she swiped across her lips and she carried a yellow alligator leather purse.
Lupita 'loved how unremarkable' it was that the lead characters in the psychological horror were an African-American middle class family and the fact that their ethnicity was irrelevant to the film's plot. 
'I loved how unremarkable it was that they were black, because I often feel quite unremarkable, I don't live my life always considering the color of my skin and it was nice to have that,' she told Sky News.
'A family that we could project our own understanding of a family on to no matter what color our skin is, and that the paradigms to which they were navigating this particular monster had nothing to do with the color of their skin. Yeah, that's refreshing.'
Us, which also stars Winston Duke and Elizabeth Moss, follows a family enjoying a vacation at the beach, but their serenity quickly turns to chaos when a group of horrifying doppelgängers begin to terrorize them.


Cardi B To Star Alongside Jennifer Lopez In ‘Hustlers’ Movie
Cardi B is headed to the big screen. The chart-topping rapper will make her feature film debut alongside Jennifer Lopez in the upcoming stripper saga Hustlers, reports Deadline.
The cast also includes Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians), Lili Reinhart (Riverdale), Keke Palmer (Scream Queens), Julia Stiles (Silver Linings Playbook), and Mercedes Ruehl (The Fisher King).
Inspired by a 2016 New York Magazine article, Hustlers follows a crew of former strip club employees who team up to get revenge on their wealthy Wall Street clients by maxing out their credit cards.

In preparation for her role as a stripper, J.Lo went on a 10-day no-sugar, low-carb diet and has been practicing pole dancing. Alex Rodriguez shared footage from his fiancée’s training sessions on social media.
Cardi B will have her own experience to draw on. The “Bodak Yellow” rapper has been outspoken about her past as an exotic dancer. “I [stripped] for three-and-a-half years,” she told Ellen last year. “I don’t recommend it to everybody because it’s not for everybody, but it made me money. It paid my bills. It got me my own apartment and my boob job…I started getting a lot of money and the money I made, I used it to invest in my dream.”

Additionally, Cardi is set to appear as a judge alongside Chance the Rapper and T.I. on “Rhythm + Flow,” Netflix’s upcoming hip-hop talent competition.


#SPORTSNEWS: Los Angeles Angels offers Mike Trout a new $430M deal
Star center fielder Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels are finalizing the largest contract in professional sports history, a 12-year deal worth more than $430 million that will smash previous records and could keep the greatest player of his generation with the Angels for the remainder of his career, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN on Tuesday.

Trout, who has won two American League MVP awards and finished second four times, will receive an average of nearly $36 million a year, topping Zack Greinke's previous record average of $34.4 million with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Five reasons $430M man Mike Trout can win a World Series with Angels
The best player of his generation just got the biggest contract in sports history, but is he sacrificing his shot at October glory by staying in Anaheim?
There's not much debate about who is No. 1. So what would it take for, say, Mookie Betts or Jose Altuve to supplant the star of stars?

The $430 million-plus total is more than 30 percent larger than the $330 million deal Bryce Harper signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on March 2 and bests boxer Canelo Alvarez's deal with DAZN by more than $65 million.
Trout, 27, was due to be a free agent following the 2020 season, at which point he was expected to set off a frenzied bidding war among the largest-market teams in the game. The clamoring already had begun, with Harper lobbying for Trout to join him in Philadelphia, 45 miles from Trout's hometown of Millville, New Jersey.

The Angels will nullify that possibility by ripping up the final two seasons of his six-year, $144.5 million deal and replace it with the new 12-year deal through the 2030 season, sources told ESPN.

A generational talent with an unparalleled set of skills among his peers, Trout has put together arguably the greatest start to a career in baseball history. In 1,065 games, he has slashed .307/.416/.573 with 240 home runs, 648 RBIs, 793 runs and 189 stolen bases. No player in history has put up more wins above replacement through his age-26 season than Trout's 64.3.

While the Angels' past forays into long-term contracts have not paid off -- their 10-year, $240 million deal with Albert Pujols and five-year, $125 million deal with Josh Hamilton both are considered albatrosses -- the possibility of losing Trout was simply too daunting to not complete a deal.
Mike Trout is among the Angels' franchise leaders in a number of statistical categories despite not even ranking in the top 10 in games played in team history.

Trout casts his lot with an organization that has made the playoffs just once during his eight major league seasons -- and was swept in the first round when it did. Los Angeles' bustling farm system and the ability for owner Arte Moreno to parlay a $3 billion local TV deal into higher payrolls gave Trout enough security to lock down a deal through his age-38 season.

After joining the Angels as the 25th pick in the 2009 draft, Trout blitzed through their farm system and debuted at 19 years old during the 2011 season. He established himself as a star the next season, winning the AL Rookie of the Year award and finishing second in the MVP voting for the first of two straight seasons. He won the award in 2014 and 2016 and finished second again last year, arguably his best season yet, in which he slashed .312/.460/.628 with 39 home runs and 79 RBIs in 140 games.


Notorious B.I.G.’s Mother & Faith Evans Sue Snowboard Company For Using Rapper’s Face Without 
Yes. Snowboards have landed in hot water with B.I.G.’s ladies.
The Swiss athletic company has been collecting a coin by using Biggie’s face on some of their merch. While it may have been an innocent acknowledgment of a rap legend, it wasn’t appreciated by Faith Evans or his mother, Voletta Wallace.
The Blast got a hold of court documents that explained the case. Apparently, the company and photographer, Chi Modu, worked together to bring the boards to life. Modu was the man behind the lens of B.I.G.’s infamous World Trade Center photoshoot, which is the image on the snowboards. Faith and Voletta set up Notorious B.I.G., LLC in order to take charge over who gets access to the late rapper’s


AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES?
‘SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS’
Nothing to see here. No reason to be alarmed. By chance has anyone seen a little monkey about yay high, red eyes and foaming at the mouth? No? Okay, have a nice day folks.


#EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Mr Beary! 
Meet Mr Beary! To see more of him you can GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS!  And remember they’re NSWF!

DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.

ENJOY!


HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM

11/5/18

The Daily Buzz For Nov 6 ☕📰☕


Jasmine Tookes Is Sexy Boss Lady Lensed By Enrique Vega For Harper's Bazaar Kazakhstan November 2018
Victoria’s Secret Angel Jasmine Tookes is styled by DaVian Lain in bold, sexy looks lensed by Enrique Vega for Harper’s Bazaar Kazakhstan November 2018./ Hair by Brittan White; makeup by Victor Noble.
She looks Beautiful!


#RHoA: Porsha Williams hospitalized on the night of the New Season! But did this happen to upstage Kenya’s earlier delivery of Brooklyn Doris?
NeNe Leakes asked her 2.7 million Instagram followers for well wishes on Sunday, after revealing her “Real Housewives of Atlanta” co-star, Porsha Williams, had been hospitalized.
“Send some prayers and good vibes to our Tink Tink @porsha4real today #goodvibesonly #babyPJisdoingfine #aunteenene #babyboom #RHOA11 🙌🏾,” Leakes, 50, captioned a photo featuring an arm with an IV.
Williams, 37, who is expecting her first child with fiancé Dennis McKinley, was said to be “experiencing extreme pain” as a result of fibroid complications, a source told Us Weekly.
The Bravo personality previously spoke about fibroids following her pregnancy reveal in September.
“I’ve had a miscarriage before in my past, which I’ve also been open about because I suffer with fibroids and had to have a myomectomy,” Williams told People.

Described as a “surgical procedure to remove uterine fibroids, also called leiomyomas,” by the Mayo Clinic, “the surgeon’s goal during a myomectomy is to take out symptom-causing fibroids and reconstruct the uterus.”

Williams’ hospitalization comes on the heels of former castmate Kenya Moore‘s baby news. On Sunday, she and husband Marc Daly welcomed their first child, daughter Brooklyn Doris. But Fans claimed both moments were done on purpose in order to steal the light from each other and the season premiere.

“She would have the baby the day the show premieres the new season😂😂💯”

“But y’all, Brooklyn Doris Daly is just as shady and petty as her mama. She came on RHOA premiere day 🤣🤣🤣 Karma is bishhhhh. So happy for Kenya and Marc ❤️❤️❤️”

“🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 Praise The Most High!! ❤️❤️ So grateful they are doing well! I’ve been checking for this news all days. Baby Brooklyn’s appearing on the premier night is nothing short of her mom’s talent for stealing the show!!! 😂😂😂”

“Nene and Porsha this was well planned to try and take Kenya shine but no weapon shall form or prosper… Nene you are very wicked and Porsha your karma will be your child.”

This is a MESS what do you think?


#Empire: The H.I.V.-Positive Love Story Aims to Educate, Not Shock Folks!
In Season 2 of “Empire,” Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard), the vindictive, ruthless music mogul, delivered a blistering statement to his gay son, Jamal (Jussie Smollett): “You ain’t nothing to me but a disappointment. And the day you die from AIDS, I’mma celebrate.”

It was maybe the worst thing a parent could say to a child, and another example of the rottenness of Lucious’s soul.

Three seasons later, “Empire” has invoked H.I.V./AIDS again, but this time, the subject has been finessed into the story, as a way to educate viewers, not to shock them. Episode 4 told, via flashbacks, the evolution of Jamal’s courtship with a journalist, Kai (Toby Onwumere), including Kai’s disclosure about having H.I.V. And on Wednesday’s episode, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) learns about Kai’s status when she visits him at the hospital, where he’s recuperating after having gone missing while reporting a story abroad. She is aghast: “You just going to let him get you sick?” she scolds Jamal, out of Kai’s earshot.

In a recent phone conversation, Smollett said “Empire” had planned to incorporate an H.I.V./AIDS story line since the beginning of the show. Over the years, plans would “come apart” and “fall away,” he explained, but now, “It was time.”

He is concerned about how H.I.V./AIDS has become a “side story” in conversations within Hollywood and the broader cultural landscape. “I’m still losing people to AIDS,” he said. Through Jamal’s relationship with Kai, the hope is to “normalize” the realities of living with the illness and to take away the stigma.

Outside perspectives were brought in, including from those who are H.I.V. positive and Smollett’s mentor Phill Wilson, the founder of the Black AIDS Institute, an organization Smollett has worked with since he was a teenager. “The writers that we have, everything — our whole team, we can handle this,” he added.

In the 1980s and 1990s, H.I.V./AIDS was a popular topic for writers’ rooms, inspiring Very Special Episodes that often featured fleeting characters who existed solely to destigmatize the disease for everyone else onscreen. (See the “A Different World” episode with the guest star Tisha Campbell as an H.I.V.-positive Hillman College student, or Tony Goldwyn as a gay man dying of AIDS in an episode of “Designing Women.”) As the widespread panic around AIDS dissipated, so did depictions in scripted television, which became fewer and further between in the early 2000s, save for the occasional show like “Queer as Folk.”

With the introduction of Kai, “Empire” joins a handful of TV shows from the last few years that have featured characters who are H.I.V. positive, including the short-lived HBO series “Looking,” Amazon’s “Transparent,” ABC’s “How to Get Away With Murder” and FX’s “Pose.” With the exception of “Pose,” which chronicles the predominantly black and brown queer ballroom scene in New York City during the peak of the AIDS crisis in the late 1980s, these programs are set in the present and try to address the realities of having H.I.V., or of being in a relationship with someone who does. (“I love what “Pose” did,” Smollett said, because “they’re right in the heart of the beginning, and we’re able to tell it in present day.”)

References to PrEP, the antiviral regimen that significantly lowers the chances of contracting H.I.V. through sex, are peppered into scripts. On “Looking,” for instance, Dom (Murray Bartlett) patly tells Agustin (Frankie J. Alvarez), who is insecure about dating someone with H.I.V., “It’s not 1994 — just go on PrEP, get over it.” On “Empire,” a concerned Cookie asks Jamal if he’s “prepping to die”; Jamal explains that the medication is for people like him who are H.I.V. negative, “so that they don’t get infected.”
“For so long I’ve been saying, ‘Can’t Jamal just have a normal, healthy relationship?’” Smollett said.
Smollett said he initially asked the writers to give Jamal the illness. “I was searching for, ‘What is the way that we can deal with it, that we can tell the story?’” he explained.

But according to Brett Mahoney, who took over as showrunner for Season 5, the audience’s alliance with Cookie (she’s a major social media draw on nights that the show airs) helped decide against that creative choice. Cookie would “never reject Jamal,” he said. “We wanted to tell a story where she was convinced by the facts of what the current issues are of H.I.V./AIDS” and “to accept and embrace Kai.”

Smollett is pleased that this is how it turned out. “I think it’s actually more important to see him not have it,” he said, and to instead “see how he deals with someone that he loves having it.”

Perhaps not coincidentally, the characters on shows like “Empire” and “Transparent” that are dealing with the status, either directly or by proxy, tend to come from L.G.B.T. communities. Mahoney said the team members felt that in having a black gay character like Jamal they had to discuss H.I.V. in some way: “It’s going to be part of his world.”

Last season, Ellie Kirshenbaum, a programming executive at 20th Century Fox Television, which produces “Empire,” relayed a story about being in a Trader Joe’s the day after an episode in which Cookie had a heart attack, Mahoney said. A woman was telling the cashier that the episode had inspired her to buy healthier food. “The numbers of black and brown people, and particularly black and brown men, who are still contracting H.I.V.” highlighted the show’s opportunity to make a difference, he said.

But Smollett emphasized that he doesn’t want to make it seem like “this was just the next step of being gay.” He said that it was important to include Jamal’s line to Cookie about being on the PrEP regimen, “This isn’t anything new, Ma, and it’s not just for the gays.” (On the other end of the spectrum, “How to Get Away With Murder,” a show in which almost all of its main characters have robust sex lives, received some criticism during its first season for broaching the H.I.V. topic through only its gay characters. Later episodes would convey more nuance.)

Unlike with Lucious’s horrific one-liner to Jamal in Season 2, which eventually was forgotten amid the show’s narrative whiplash, the writers plan to continue addressing H.I.V. as Kai and Jamal’s relationship progresses. In the next episode, Mahoney said, Cookie will be seen educating herself on H.I.V. and what it’s like to live with it today.

But above all, Smollett is happiest to have a story line “about two black men who are in love.” At the end of Wednesday’s episode, Jamal and Kai propose to one another — a rare, though not unprecedented, moment in scripted TV history. (Black male characters became engaged and eventually got married on the Logo series “Noah’s Arc,” which aired for two seasons in 2005 and 2006.)

“I haven’t been this excited about Jamal’s story line since Season 1,” Smollett said. “For so long I’ve been saying: ‘Can’t Jamal just have a normal, healthy relationship? Can’t he find that one?’”

“Cookie and Lucious are pretty healthy, but they’ve still got their issues. I mean, he still let her rot in jail for 17 years and divorced her and then married Boo Boo Kitty, who had a baby by his son,” he added. “So Kai and Jamal are, by all means, the healthiest relationship on the show.”


#NewMusic Video from Anthony Hamilton “Love Conquers All”
Anthony Hamilton gives us the release of his music video for “Love Conquers All.”

Right on time for the 2018 mid-term election, the politically-driven and gripping clip put the spotlight on America’s divide.

WATCH HERE

“‘Love Conquers All’ tackles tough, uncomfortable subjects like gun control, criminal justice reform, and prioritizing education,” the GRAMMY Award-winning multiplatinum-selling R&B singer, songwriter, and producer told ESSENCE. “An artist has two choices. Stay quiet, or use your voice.”

Along with the new visual, Hamilton also spoke with WUNC.org about a plethora of topics including tackling racism.

“If we start with the kids and teaching them about love and accepting people and seeing the beauty in people then we can change that,” he says. “You have to teach your kids. I teach my kids we come from powerful people. We created and built a lot. It’s not going to be in our textbooks, so I have to go out and teach them who they are and how amazing they are.”

Nice!


#HipHopNews: Mac Miller’s Cause Of Death Confirmed To Be Accidental Overdose!
Two months removed from his untimely death at the age of 26, the official cause of Mac Miller's death has been revealed. According to a report TMZ posted earlier today (Nov. 5), the results of a toxicology report the L.A. Coroner's Office conducted on the late rapper revealed that he died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol.
As the celebrity news site reports, Miller died of "mixed drug toxicity," and the coroner's office has called his death an accidental overdose.

It's also been reported that Miller's body was in a praying position on his bed when it was discovered by his assistant on Sept. 7. While inspecting his body, it was noted that an abrasion was found on his nose, and that he had blood coming from one nostril.

Among items found in Miller's room were an empty bottle of alcohol, a $20 dollar bill and prescription pills including a mix of Xanax, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and generic Adderall in his bathroom. "A linear white powdery residue" was found on his iPad.

News of Mac Miller's cause of death arrives nearly one year after Lil Peep passed away of what was later reported to be an accidental overdose on fentanyl mixed with generic Xanax.


Victoria Beckham Speaks Out After Spice Girls Announce Tour Without Her
Victoria Beckham, a.k.a. Posh Spice, may not be hitting the road with the Spice Girls, but that doesn't mean there's any bad blood between her and her girls.

"Today marks a special day for the girls as they announce the first tour dates since we performed together in 2012!" Victoria captioned a photo of her four group members following their reunion tour announcement. "I won't be joining my girls on stage again but being in the Spice Girls was a hugely important part of my life and I wish them so much love and fun as they go back on tour next year. I know they will put on an amazing show and the fantastic fans past and present are going to have a wonderful time! X vb #spicegirls #friendshipneverends."
On Monday (November 5), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), Melanie Chisholm ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), and Mel B ("Scary Spice") announced that they're going on tour as a group of four instead of five. While the ladies made no mention of Victoria's absence in the promo video for the tour, released on Monday, the tour's press release stated that Victoria is concentrating on her fashion line, The Guardian reports.

The band's tour announcement has been a long time in the making. One of the biggest advocates of the group's reunion has been none other than Mel B, who has teased fans with a Spice Girls reunion tour for years. Back in September, while on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Mel admitted that the tour was definitely happening, however, it was up in the air if Victoria would be a part of it. "We'll see about that one," she said of Posh's joining the tour. "[The other] four are definitely going to be going on tour. [Posh] may join us for a few. She better do."


Rihanna has made it PLAIN AND CLEAR ‘I Don’t Want Trump Playing My Music At His Rallies’!
Rihanna is officially channeling her inner Pharrell Williams. It appears that the 30-year-old singer does not want President Trump playing her music at his rallies. Over the weekend, a reporter noted that one of her hit songs was being played at a rally. RiRi responded, ‘Not for much longer’.
Last week, Pharrell’s attorney sent Trump a cease and desist, requiting that he not play the singer/producer’s hit song ‘Happy’.

Trump has yet to comment to Rihanna’s request.


Normani to Join Ariana Grande as Support For Sweetener World Tour
Normani announced on Monday (Nov. 5) that she will be joining Ariana Grande as support for the first leg of The Sweetener World Tour.
Kicking off in North America on March 2019, the tour will continue through June 18, with its last stop being at New York City's Madison Square Garden. Tickets can be purchased here.
Check the full schedule below.

The Sweetener World Tour
March 18 --- Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
March 20 -- Boston, MA @ TD Garden
March 22 -- Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
March 25 -- Washington, DC @ Capitol One Arena
March 26 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
March 28 -- Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
March 30 -- Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
April 1 -- Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
April 3 -- Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
April 5 -- Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
April 7 -- Chicago, IL @ United Center
April 10 -- Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
April 12 -- Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
April 13 -- St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center
April 15 -- Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
April 17 -- St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
April 18 -- Omaha, NE @ CHI Health Center
April 20 -- Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
April 22 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
April 25 -- Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place
April 27 -- Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
April 30 -- Portland, OR @ Moda Center
May 2 -- San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
May 3 -- Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
May 6 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
May 10 -- Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
May 14 -- Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Arena
May 17 -- San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
May 19 -- Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
May 21 -- Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
May 23 -- Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Arena
May 25 -- New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
May 28 -- Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
May 29 -- Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
May 31 -- Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
June 4 -- Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
June 7 -- Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
June 8 -- Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
June 10 -- Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
June 12 -- Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
June 14 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
June 18 -- New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden


Tom Hanks Says That ‘Toy Story 4’ Ending Will Be A ‘Moment In History’
If you couldn’t handle the rollercoaster of emotions that “Toy Story 3” evoked, you might want to reconsider buying a ticket for the next installment of the franchise.

In an interview with BBC Radio on Thursday, Tom Hanks, who voices Woody, described the final scenes of “Toy Story 4” as “impactful” and “a moment in history.”
“The way you record “Toy Story” is you’re in a room with a team that has created it,” he said on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show.

“When I went in for my last day of recording, I wanted to have my back to them because usually you’re facing them so you can look right up and you can talk about it but I didn’t want to see them and I wanted to pretend they couldn’t see me.”
While Hanks didn’t go into the specifics, his co-star Tim Allen has previously said that he “couldn’t even get through the last scene.”

“I gotta resist getting emotional. I don’t want to give it away, but this is an incredibly great story,” he said. “It’s so emotional, it’s so funny, it’s so big. The idea they’ve come up with, I’m startled.”
Referring to the films as a “very special collection of movies” that “hits each one of us in a completely individual way,” Hanks praised the people behind the hugely successful franchise.

“Here’s the thing about those geniuses that are there at (Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios) and everybody who has ever been involved in any of the ‘Toy Story’ things: they invented something there,” he said.

It might be time to start stocking up on tissues. “Toy Story 4” hits theaters June 21 and is expected to focus on a love story between Woody and Bo Peep.


Cardi B is the new face of Reebok
Cardi B poses wearing the Aztrek sneakers.Courtesy of Reebok
Her feud with Nicki Minaj may be far from over, but Cardi B is continuing to make money moves.
The “Bodak Yellow” rapper, 25, is the new face of athletic brand Reebok. As part of her partnership, Cardi B will promote the company’s ’90s-style Aztrek sneaker along with Reebok apparel, according to a press release sent on Monday.

During her epic back-and-forth with Minaj last week, Cardi warned her rap rival that she had many more fashion partnerships on the way. After the “Barbie Dreams” rapper, 35, claimed that Cardi turned other musicians away from collaborating with her, Cardi revealed that she was offered (and turned down) multiple opportunities in the style space, like the Diesel “Hate Couture” campaign that later went to Minaj.

Cardi B has a longstanding partnership with fast fashion retailer Fashion Nova in place, and previously curated a collection of shoes and sunglasses for Steve Madden.

The superstar is in good company with her new Reebok deal; past brand ambassadors include Ariana Grande, Gal Gadot and Gigi Hadid.


Stars Attend Sean Combs’ 49th Birthday Bash

Several celebs was seen at Sean Combs‘s star-studded 49th birthday bash at Ysabel Restaurant in West Hollywood on Sunday. Check out the pics!
Nice, I guess!


Kelsey Grammer Wants Original ‘Frasier’ Co-Stars For Reboot, Has “Stepping Point” In Mind As Series Marks 25th Anniversary
Kelsey Grammer has not settled yet on a premise worthy of a Frasier reboot, but he’s still on the hunt. The Emmy Award-winning actor provided an update and revealed more details about a possible third act for his most famous character, Dr. Frasier Crane, during a panel celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the hit NBC series as part of the USC Comedy Festival Vol. 4 held in Los Angeles on Saturday. It featured stars and producers remembering the late John Mahoney and sharing stories about the acclaimed series, including how David Hyde Pierce led to Frasier getting a brother.

 “No, there’s been no premise that has come along that has the necessary fire,” Grammer said about the potential Frasier reboot that was first reported by Deadline in July. Grammer has been spearheading the effort at CBS TV Studios, meeting with potential writers.
 “A lot of us are quite committed to the concept that you would never try to redo what we once had,” he added during the panel that also included Frasier co-stars Pierce, Jane Leeves, and Peri Gilpin, co-creators/executive producers Peter Casey and David Lee, director/exec producer James Burrows and writer/producer Anne Flett and Joe Keenan.

Grammer made it clear that he would like his Frasier cast mates to join him on the potential new series. “There has been some discussions; nothing is planned; There is nothing set in stone. In my own personal approach to what I’ve discussed with other people is that I wouldn’t want to do it without these guys,” he said, looking at Pierce and Leeves who were sitting next to him.

The Frasier leading man admitted the reboot would “have to have a different foundation” since it’s been 14 years since the show ended its 11 -season run in 2004. And while the perfect premise eludes him, he knows he wants “a new life with a new continuation for all of them but that they’re still together.”

While Grammer has been meeting with potential new writers pitching reboot concepts, there also could be original creative auspices coming back. “I have a personal interest because I’m out of work next year,” Casey quipped when asked about the possible Frasier followup.
Grammer is not sure what Frasier Crane’s been up to over the past 14 years, since the end of the show. But he does have something vaguely in mind for the continuation should a new show come to fruition.

“Whatever happens, in my mind, should be that he sorted out something that he hadn’t had sorted out previously. That would be the stepping point, so we’ll see.”

The panelists also took a trip back in time to reminisce about their time with actor John Mahoney, who died in February. Leeves was overcome with emotion as she remembered the man who played Frasier’s feisty dad Martin and what he meant to the cast.
“John was kind of the moral center for us all,” she said. “Whenever we had a problem or if something didn’t feel right, John always had the right answer for everything. He was wickedly funny, at other people’s expense a lot of the time. He was very special.”

Originally, Martin and Frasier’s relationship was supposed to be the driving force behind the series and there was no brother, according to creators Peter Casey and David Lee. The pair said things changed after a casting director shared a photo of Hyde Pierce, who looked like a younger Kelsey Grammer.

“After the guys offered me the part, I read the script and thought it was terrible,” said Hyde Pierce. “It was the pilot script and I thought they had written two of the same character, how dumb. But I was wrong.”


Mo’Nique responds to Rebel Wilson’s ‘plus-sized’ romantic comedy claims
Mo’Nique reminded Rebel Wilson that history shouldn’t be erased after Wilson incorrectly said she’s the “first-ever plus-sized girl to be the star of a romantic comedy.”
A fan called out Wilson for making that claim on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” by name-dropping Queen Latifah and Mo’Nique as stars of past romcoms, and the Australian actress tried to defend herself.

“Hey girl! Yeah I of course know of these movies but it was questionable as to whether: 1. Technically those actresses were plus size when filming those movies or 2. Technically those films are [categorized]/billed as a studio rom-com with a sole lead. So there’s a slight grey area,” Wilson tweeted.

Mo’Nique, who starred in 2006’s “Phat Girlz,” had no time for Wilson’s “grey area” concept.
“Hey my sweet sister. Let’s please not allow this business to erase our talent with giving grey areas and technicalities,” Mo’Nique tweeted in response. “Take a moment and know the history. DON’T BE A PART OF ERASING IT. I wish you the best.”
Wilson responded, “Hi Monique, it was never my intention to erase anyone else’s achievements and I adore you and Queen Latifah so so much x I support all plus size ladies and everything positive we are doing together ❤️”

Mashable also reported that Wilson began blocking critics on Twitter, specifically critics of color. Film and television critic ReBecca Theodore-Vachon even gave it a hashtag: #RebelWilsonBlockedMe. Wilson eventually responded to a tweet from playwright Claire Willett and said she will address what happened “while promoting [Isn’t it Romantic] in the proper forums.”


Justin Bieber ‘Empty And Confused’ After Marrying Hailey Baldwin – Still ‘Missing A Feeling Of Happiness’
Despite the fact that being a married man had been one of Justin Bieber’s biggest wishes for a long time, rumor has it that he’s still not happy after tying the knot with Hailey Baldwin! One report claims that there are days when the singer is still ‘empty and confused’ and feels like there’s something vital ‘missing.’

One source tells People that Justin ‘has his up and down days like everyone else.’
 ‘What he struggles with most is that he knows he’s beyond blessed, but he has days when he just feels empty and confused. He feels something’s missing from his life that cannot be bought. It is a missing feeling of happiness.’
The insider went on to say that ‘He’s very much grateful for his amazing life and especially for Hailey. It is difficult for him that he cannot just enjoy everything and feel happy. He’s been in treatment for this before.’

As fans know, the star has been spotted upset and even crying in public multiple times in recent months.
Most recently it happened on October 28 while he and Hailey were at Universal Studios’ Harry Potter-themed bar.

One eyewitness shared that he looked ‘distressed and disheveled.’
It wasn’t the first time, as he was also photographed crying in his car while Hailey was in the driver’s seat.
And about an even earlier incident, he told a reporter back in August that ‘You got good days and you got bad days.

Given that fact that he was holding Timothy Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage and said ‘It’s not real if it doesn’t have any bad days,’ it seems like his down moments are mostly related to his relationship with Hailey.


Megyn Kelly Refuses To Apologize To Staffers Who Lost Their Jobs When She Was Fired
Megyn Kelly’s former NBC staffers were shocked when they learned she abandoned them after her forced exit from the network. NBC fired Kelly last week following her embarrassing blackface scandal, but she still refuses to apologize to all the staffers who lost their jobs as a result of her racist views.

Kelly found herself in hot water with NBC brass after she defended blackface during her segment on the Today show. Following backlash on social media, the network moved quickly and removed Kelly from the talk show.
In the wake of her exit, Kelly’s former staffers have not heard anything from her and feel like she straight up abandoned them.
“Many people on Megyn’s staff haven’t heard a word from her since she was fired, and they’re pissed,” an insider dished.

The source told Radar Online that a lot of Kelly’s staffers expected an apology because she basically took them down with her. Kelly has not issued anything of the kind and has not even acknowledged what happened.

The network has tried their best to shift some of the staffers to new positions, but there are not enough open spots. The insider claims that around half of Kelly’s staff were let go and are scrambling to find new work.
While her staffers deal with unemployment, Kelly is getting millions as part of her exit. NBC is reportedly giving the disgraced host around $40 million to close out her contract. They might also give her another job, which is not sitting well with her former staff.

In fact, a lot of the staff members feel like Kelly is being greedy and should compensate those who have lost their job because of her.


AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘DASHER’S DINNER’
I’m starting to get the picture on why you weren’t invited to play in any reindeer games.


#EGGPLANT NATION Meet Chaz!
Meet Chaz! Well to see more you can GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS!  And remember they’re NSWF!

DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.

ENJOY!


HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL AND PLEASE GO OUT AND VOTE!
EFREM

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