Michelle Obama for Elle France - November 2018
The Forever First Lady!
#RHoA: This is Why Gregg Leakes Decided Against Chemotherapy After Colon Cancer Surgery
On Sunday’s episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Gregg Leakes made the emotional decision not to undergo chemotherapy after having part of colon removed in the wake of his stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis.
It was a difficult choice to make, and it started when the businessman, 63, visited the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston with wife NeNe Leakes for a series of tests — including a CT scan — to determine the next step in his treatment process.
The goal was to hopefully hear that chemotherapy was not necessary, so that Gregg might explore holistic healing options.
As NeNe explained, “Chemo is not something that Gregg is thinking about doing at the moment. Obviously we hear all the report of people doing chemo and being very sick. So he feels like if there’s any other options that can take, I’d rather take those options and let chemo sit on the back burner for now.”
Sadly, that’s not what came recommended from Dr. Scott Kopetz, Gregg’s oncologist.
Though imaging tests showed the good news that there was no evidence cancer remained in Gregg’s body, Dr. Kopetz explained that Gregg was still at risk.
“There other areas of cancer that may still be in the body that we just don’t know about. Microscopic cancer cells floating around somewhere in the body that, if we don’t do anything for those, will grow back and show back up as cancer,” he told Gregg. “I would use chemotherapy at this point to try to reduce that risk of the cancer coming back. What we do know is that chemotherapy can reduce that risk of the cancer coming back by about half.”
Asked about alternative medicines, Dr. Kopetz revealed that none of those “have been studied in a more rigorous way,” or have been found effective. “We’re certainly supportive of patients who want to think about how to integrated that,” he said. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing that we have that I can recommend in lieu of the chemotherapy that we know could help reduce that risk.”
“I don’t want to miss out of the big picture, which is this is something we can fight,” Dr. Kopetz stressed.
Despite doctor’s orders, Gregg stuck to his guns.“If the cancer was more active, I would entertain chemo a lot quicker,” Gregg told pal Cynthia Bailey.
“I’m deciding to really take my life and use it as a mouthpiece for other people,” he said. “I just want to use my life in a way to help someone. So I can say I’m Gregg Leakes and I have cancer, but I will be a survivor.”
NeNe agreed. “I’m very much on the same page as Gregg,” she said. “I’m not sure I would do chemo. We’ve watched chemo destroy people, so it’s not something that he is even interested in.”
“Gregg is definitely on a rollercoaster. His emotions are all over the place. He cries, he’s short patience, he’s frustrated,” she added. “I feel like because he is weak at this moment, he needs someone who is going to be strong, so I feel like I have to be his rock as he has been my rock for so many years”
By episode’s end, NeNe and Gregg had started already exploring holistic options, including bringing trees that are supposed to help with healing into their home.
“I’m here to do whatever I can to make Gregg heal,” NeNe said. “So Toni Braxton called us and gave us her holistic wellness person to talk to. If someone tells me I need to buy trees, I buy the whole damn forrest. ‘Cause I want my Gregg back. The one I married.”
Not all the suggestions have been good ones, though. “We talk to a few holistic wellness people and sometimes they can sound like the little bird that flew the cuckoo nest,” NeNe joked. “‘Cause they kind of get a little bit weird. ‘Go outside and eat some dirt in the backyard.’ They say all kind of stuff.”
“This is the weirdest one: I need to eat a snake,” Gregg said. “It cured a lady!”
The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs Sundays (8 p.m. ET) on Bravo.
#Empire: Recap Hakeem Learns a Lesson
Well, to begin with, Hakeem (Bryshere “Yazz” Gray) has always been the most troubled among the Lyon brothers. Last week, though, we see him taking the higher ground and sorting his issues out. He goes to the park with Tiana (Serayah McNeill) to see their kids Bella and Prince. It’s been a few days after Hakeem dropped his diss track against Blake (Chet Hanks) and subsequently took it down. Seeing how determined Hakeem is to change, Tiana decides to let him take care of the kids for a day.
Things work out fine until Hakeem sees a video of Blake’s diss track against him. Hakeem’s crew rile him up into releasing another diss track, but he realizes that this fight will go on if he doesn’t end this childish rapper feud. Instead, Hakeem goes live on Instagram to tell his followers that looking after his kids is more important than responding with a diss track against Blake. The bickering ends there. After all, Blake has no one special in his life, and Hakeem has all the happiness that his children could ever give him. This time, Hakeem truly wins.
#NewMusic from K. Michelle ‘Save Me’
K. Michelle has offered her latest single, “Save Me,” which premiered on the season finale for VH1’s Love & Hip-Hop: Los Angeles.
LISTEN HERE
“Save Me” is the brand of music K. Michelle was born to sing. As an artist who seems to wear her heart on her sleeves, feeling the vibrancy of her emotions makes you come to grips with her music and experiences. We’re here for these types of ballads!
“Save Me” is the first taste of what’s to come from K. Michelle’s upcoming album, slated for release in 2019 via eOne.
#HipHopNews: Earl Sweatshirt Shares Release Date For New Album
Earl Sweatshirt is gearing up to break his musical hiatus, announcing Tuesday (Nov. 20) his new album is officially on the way.
According to Earl, who arranged for a billboard in Los Angeles to help advertise the news, his upcoming third studio album, Some Rap Songs, is slated for a release on Nov. 30.
After confirming the project will drop before the month ends, Earl also celebrated the announcement by sharing his new song, "The Mint." The Black Noi$e-produced song features Navy Blue and marks his first release since "Nowhere2go."
"Brodie on the corner with a piece on his hip / Give a warning 'fore you blow it in the sky," he spits on the new track. "'Tiptoein' over mortar and the brick / Bumpin' shoulders with the devil in disguise / Shoulder-level water on the rise."
According to a statement, the new album will address the death of his father, Keorapetse Kgositsile, who died earlier this year at 79. The pair were planning on reconciling prior to the poet's passing.
"Me and my dad had a relationship that’s not uncommon for people to have with their fathers, which is a non-perfect one,” Earl wrote. “Talking to him is symbolic and non-symbolic, but it’s literally closure for my childhood. Not getting to have that moment left me to figure out a lot with my damn self.”
He also shared the album artwork for Some Rap Songs, which depicts a blurry photo of the artist's face. While the tracklist has yet to be revealed, the album and new accompanying merch is now available for pre-order.
Mariah Carey On Possible Cardi B Collaboration, Aretha Franklin, Wendy Williams And More On ‘WWHL’
Mariah Carey appeared on Monday’s Watch What Happens LiveWith Andy Cohen, where she couldn’t help but gush about some of her fellow stars and divas.
Though there were several attempts to get the chart topper to dish some dirt, Mimi kept it classy, avoiding probing questions about Wendy Williams, who has very publicly dissed Carey in the past.
“First of all, we love everybody,” Carey coyly replied when asked about the daytime talk show host.
WATCH HERE
On collaborating with Whitney Houston: “We did a whole promotional tour for the Prince of Egypt and just had some great times… I have great memories.”
On Adele saying Mariah “deserves to be in the Bible”: “Wow, that’s great. That’s a huge compliment.”
On working with Aretha Franklin on Divas Live:
We saw each other many times and talked a lot but that Divas performance was the only time we performed together,” the singer shared, adding that she felt very intimidated at the time and wanted to be by the backing singers.
“That’s the Queen of Soul and that’s what you do. She was just so real. She came to me and she was like ‘They’re playing games, Mariah and I’m not playing these games!’ We never really rehearsed too, we just did in her trailer…but I don’t want to tell the whole story because I’m working on my memoir!” the singer said. “But she went so far beyond what I imagine she would be like. God bless her.”
On potentially collaborating with Cardi B: “I would love for that to happen. The song you guys were just playing, ‘A No No,’ which was originally Lil’ Kim’s song — we love Kim — I was hoping that the three of us could do a collaboration.”
Oprah’s Exclusive Interview With Dwyane Wade & Gabrielle Union To Air On OWN
Oprah Winfrey will sit down with Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade for an exclusive interview about their journey to becoming parents.
Oprah's Exclusive Interview With Dwyane Wade & Gabrielle UnionYou know you’re a big deal with Auntie
Oprah Winfrey sat down with Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union for an exclusive interview about their journey to become parents using a surrogate.
“Oprah at Home with Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade & Their New Baby” will air on Saturday, December 8 at 8/7c on OWN.
The NBA star and the actress surprised everyone when they announced the birth of their daughter, Kaavia James Union Wade, who arrived via surrogate on November 7.
Gabrielle opened up about suffering over 10 miscarriages in her memoir, “We’re Going To Need More Wine.”
I’m so happy for Dwyane and Gabrielle and I’m looking forward to this special.
Introducing ‘Cultivate’ A Recreational marijuana store to open in Massachusetts
Massachusetts' first recreational marijuana stores were approved Friday to begin selling to customers next week, months after the state had intended to begin retail sales.
ABC News reports that two stores selling recreational marijuana will open in Northampton and Leicester beginning Tuesday morning following the three-day waiting period mandated by the state's Cannabis Control Commission.
Massachusetts advocates had previously hoped to see recreational sales begin in July, two years since the 2016 vote to legalize recreational marijuana sales in the state was passed.
"This signal to open retail marijuana establishments marks a major milestone for voters who approved legal, adult-use cannabis in our state," Steven Hoffman, chair of the CCC, told ABC in a statement.
"To get here, licensees underwent thorough background checks, passed multiple inspections and had their products tested, all to ensure public health and safety as this new industry gets up and running," he added.
With Tuesday's openings of the two locations, Massachusetts will become the seventh state in the U.S. and the only state in the eastern U.S. to allow marijuana to be sold in retail settings. Maine, which has also voted to legalize recreational marijuana, is set to open retail stores in 2019 at the earliest.
Jim Borghesani, a spokesman for a group behind the ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in Massachusetts, told ABC that his group was not concerned with the slow pace of legalization efforts following the 2016 vote.
"We can rightfully squawk about state delays and problematic local opposition, but the fact remains that we're the first state east of the Mississippi to offer legal, tested cannabis to adult consumers in safe retail settings," he said.
Diddy Is Planning Elaborative Funeral For Kim Porter In Georgia With Horse-Drawn Carriages
Kim Porter will be laid to rest in her hometown of Georgia, and Diddy is ensuring that the memorial suits the woman who he considers more than a soulmate.
TMZ reports that the funeral will be on Saturday in Columbus, Georgia. Porter grew up in Columbus and graduated from Columbus High in 1988. Her mother, Sarah, was also laid to rest there in 2014.
Sources say that family and friends are scheduled for dinner the day before the ceremony, and are planning an event for Sunday.
Diddy reportedly wants an extravagant ceremony. He’s in talks of getting a casket that will travel by carriage, pulled by horses.
Pastor T.D. Jakes will conduct the service.
Blac Chyna is Launching Her Own Skin Bleaching Cream named Whitenicious!
Blac Chyna has announced a partnership with a skin bleaching brand and people are not happy about it. On Monday, Chyna informed her Nigerian fans that she would be in Lagos for the launch of her new skin bleaching collection with the brand Whitenicious. The new Whitenicious x Blac Chyna Diamond Illuminating & Lightening Cream retails for $250. Chyna made her announcement on Instagram:
Lagos Nigeria, join me at the first official launch of my face cream this Sunday November 25th at the Whitenicious store from 1-5PM. Everyone is invited. @whitenicious
Whitenicious markets itself as a hyperpigmentation corrector and dark spots remover, however, its founder, Cameroonian pop singer Dencia, is most known for her dramatic skin bleaching. She’s also gone on record as saying “white is pure.”
Those familiar with Dencia, Whitenicious and the negative affects skin bleaching has had on African and Caribbean countries, are not feeling Blac Chyna’s newest venture. Rapper Willie D of the Geto Boys even spoke out about the collaboration.
Blac Chyna is cashing in on a beauty product — a controversial one — she says she’s been using for skin care. Money over everything right? BC is partnering with Whitenicious by Dencia
Another Twitter user, actress Kelechi Okafor said:
The fact that you were dating a BOY is enough for me to find you repulsive but promoting products that are detrimental to other BW makes you a particular type of trash @BLACCHYNA and there’s no excuse for it.
The criticism on Instagram got so bad that Blac Chyna eventually disabled her comments section.
Attention: Fake Followers, Likes and Comments Will Not Fly Anymore On Instagram
In today’s society, it’s no secret that many people try to “fake the funk” to appear a certain way or have a status on Instagram. Some go as far as purchasing followers, likes, and even comments.
Now, Instagram will not be having it anymore, as they have already started removing the fake gestures yesterday. The company said in a blog post that this is a part of a greater effort to maintain an “authentic” platform.
With #FakeNews as a headlining topic due to Trump comments, social media has been filled with non-credible misinformation, and Instagram wants to avoid further issues.
Accounts have used third-party sites, granting them access by providing their username, password, and usually paying a small fee. Instagram is tackling this problem of inauthenticity by using a machine that is built to help detect and remove fake popularity.
So, If you see a decrease in your following, there will also be a message notifying you of the change to your account and prompt you to change your password, CNN reports.
Lock Her Up! Ivanka Trump Uses Personal Email To Send Hundreds Of Government Business Emails
Donald Trump’s official adviser and oldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, used a personal email account to send hundreds of emails about government business last year.
Trump made it a point, and still does, to acknowledge the controversy surrounding #HillaryClinton’s improper use of a private email server, but now Ivanka could be criticized for the very same thing if found to be true. Several of the emails, which were sent to White House aides, Cabinet officials and her assistants, violated federal record rules, according to Huffington Post. Five Cabinet agencies revealed the findings after reviewing documents for a public records lawsuit. Many of the emails included information on Trump’s official work schedule, travel plans, and public and private meetings.
“She was the worst offender in the White House,” said one former senior U.S. government official who spoke to the Post about Trump’s inappropriate use of her personal email account, which she shared with husband, Jared Kushner, under the domain “ijkfamily.com.” Ivanka’s actions could break the Presidential Records Act, which orders that all official White House communications and records be preserved in a permanent archive. In addition, the emails could wind up being given to the wrong person.
The story made headlines and now social media is saying, “Lock Her Up!”
Cardi B’s Buys Her Mom A New Luxury Home
Cardi B‘s dreams — and her mom’s — came true.
The “Bodak Yellow” rapper, 26, bought her mom a gorgeous house and shared the news with her fans by giving everyone a tour.
“Stay down till you come up! Its always been a dream to buy my mother a house. Last year i was so thirsty to buy my mom a house but the ones i was interested for her weren’t at my price range. I worked and worked and now I’m here !!” she captioned the videos.
“Thank you everybody who supported me to make my childhood dreams come true! Buy my momma a house !!…..don’t ask me for s–t motherf–kers i got big girls bills.”
The tour includes the large kitchen that’s outfitted with stainless steel appliances and an island. The manse also features a combination of tile and hardwood flooring, with a grand staircase complete with a wrought-iron railing that connects the first and second levels.
The house also has a finished basement, with a gym to boot.
Cardi held off on purchasing a home last year because she could only afford ones that “cost $600,000.”
“We live in New York, so cribs that look like that look like s–t,” she said in the video.
It’s unclear what neighborhood and area she chose.
Dancing With the Stars Controversy! Viewers Are Furious About Bobby Bones’ Win!
Bobby Bones was the underdog throughout season 27 of Dancing With the Stars, but he managed to pull off a surprising win during the finale on Monday, November 19.
The country radio personality, 38, and his pro partner, Sharna Burgess, received some of the season’s lowest scores, never getting higher than an 8 out of 10 from the judges, but that didn’t stop his dedicated fan base from dialing in and ultimately getting him the mirrorball trophy.
At one point in the season, judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Bones that his “technique was nonexistent,” though she later applauded him for bringing “so much joy” to viewers. Inaba, 50, added, “The world is a better place because you’re in it.”
Bones and Burgess, 33, were both visibly shocked after the final results were announced on Monday night, when they beat out Milo Manheim and Witney Carson, Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe, and Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten.
“I think most people are shocked that we won,” the Bobby Bones Show host later told Us Weekly. “The people who voted aren’t because they are the ones who kept us in and they are the ones who made this happen for us.”
Immediately after the episode aired, some viewers took to social media to express their frustration.
“Bobby should have been kicked off on like week 2,” remarked one Facebook user. Another commented, “Ive watched this show since season ONE! This is by far one of the most disappointing, ridiculous outcomes I have EVER seen. … How Bobby Bones won is beyond me.” A third Facebook user wrote, “Sorry total FARCE!! and an insult to everyone to give Bobby Bones the trophy. This is no longer a dance contest but a fan contest. Either give the judges 100% of the decision for the semi finals and the Finale or the show is done for good.”
Many Twitter users were equally upset. “Time to change the voting system to give more weight to the judges scores,” one viewer tweeted. Another wrote, “I’ve been a loyal DWTS fan since day 1, but this was an injustice.”
Other viewers wrote that they believed Juan Pablo Di Pace, who was eliminated in the semifinals, was also robbed of the title. “Juan Pablo should have been in the finals!” one person commented on Facebook. Over on Twitter, another user pointed out that the Fuller House star, 39, and his pro partner, Cheryl Burke, received a perfect score of 30 five times during the season, while Bones never scored higher than a 24.
Bones had plenty of people in his corner, though. As one admirer tweeted, “Haters gonna hate, it’s not his fault that he improved so much and he has the best people backing him up. We are so proud of you @mrBobbyBones & @SharnaBurgess … YOU EARNED THIS!!!”
Snoop Dogg Officially has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Snoop Dogg has become the 2,651st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today at the El Capitan Theater, where the 47-year old hip-hop icon gave his acceptance speech.
Snoop has been in the game for close to 30 years, transitioning from one of the West Coast’s most prominent rappers in the ’90s, to an actor whose released his first gospel album this year, The 220 EP. Alongside his cookbook and the announcement of his cooking show with Martha Stewart getting a second season, Snoop gave credit to himself most of all as the reason for his success. “I want to thank me for believing in me, I want to thank me for doing all this hard work,” he said. “I wanna thank me for taking no days off. I wanna thank me for never quitting.”
Snoop now joins his contemporaries in hip-hop, Sean “Diddy” Combs and L.L. Cool J, who both received their own stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008 and 2016, respectively.
Facebook removed the page for a notorious anti-LGBTQ hate group
Facebook unpublished the page for Peter LaBarbera’s Americans for Truth about Homosexuality (AFTAH) over the weekend, citing hate speech.
The page was taken down over the weekend, according to LaBarbera, who posted a screenshot on Twitter.
LaBarbera responded that he doesn’t hate gay people, he is just a “moral opponent” of gay people.
“Of course, the ‘hate’ charge is spurious and effectively precludes all MORAL opponents of homosexuality from using [Facebook],” he told LifeSiteNews, a Christian conservative website.
“AFTAH, a Christian educational organization, has from its inception condemned real hatred and violence against homosexuals (or anyone).”
“We have long denounced groups like Westboro Baptist Church with its preposterous ‘God Hates Fags’ message,” LaBarbera added, as if the existence of someone even more hateful than himself means that he’s not hateful.
AFTAH is an anti-LGBTQ hate group founded by LaBarbera over 20 years ago, “dedicated to exposing the homosexual activist agenda,” according to its website. The group’s “About” page doesn’t mention any officers or members other than LaBarbera.
He has a long history of hateful statements about LGBTQ people.
A few years ago, he invited a guest on his radio show who explained how Christian conservatives need to “re-horrify” Americans about LGBTQ people in order to fight increasing tolerance. He has said that his goal is to “re-stigmatize” gay people.
In order to “re-stigmatize” LGBTQ people, LaBarbera’s main tactic has been to link gay men and pedophilia. He also refers to marriage equality as “tyranny” and, in 2018, is still promoting conversion therapy.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES?
‘HAT TO MATCH’
Now I think everyone knows my stance on non-service dogs in Walmart. I’m also not a fan of tiny ass dogs. But there is an exception to every rule and that exception is matching cowboy hats.
#EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Sal!
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ENJOY!
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
