Romeo Miller Lands Leading Role In Stripper Flick "Chocolate City"
Last week I told you that Michael Jai White and Tyson Beckford would be stripping down to their g-strings for the upcoming exotic-dancing themed movie "Chocolate City". And now the newest leading man has been announced....Romeo. Miller
As shown above, Jumping The Broom star Romeo definitely has the body to pull-off the black version of "Magic Mike," where he'll play "Devin", a young college student who’s lured into the world of male exotic dancing to pay the bills.
Bowe Bergdahl, U.S. soldier held in Afghanistan, freed in swap
President Barack Obama, flanked by the parents of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl at the White House on Saturday, praised the diplomatic officials and troops who helped secure the release of the American soldier held captive for nearly five years by militants during the Afghanistan war.
Bergdahl was released in exchange for five Guantanamo detainees, officials said.
The government of Qatar, which helped broker the release, pledged to "put in place measures to protect our national security," Obama said at the White House Rose Garden.
"While Bowe was gone, he was never forgotten," the President said.
Bergdahl's mother, Jani, said, "We will continue to stay strong for Bowe while he recovers."
Bob Bergdahl said he was not sure whether his son still speaks English and spoke at one point in what appeared to be Pashtun.
"I'm your father, Bowe," the father said.
Members of the White House national security team -- including Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, National Security Adviser Susan Rice and counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco -- grew emotional when the parents thanked those who helped secure their son's release.
Bergdahl, the only remaining U.S. soldier captured during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, was recovered by U.S. special operations forces without incident about 10:30 a.m. ET at a "pick-up" point in eastern Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan, a senior Department of Defense official told CNN. There were 18 armed Taliban members present.
Once he was on an American helicopter, Bergdahl, 28, used a paper plate to communicate because of the noise. He wrote, "SF?" meaning, "special forces?"
One of the operators sitting with Bergdahl responded loudly: "Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time," according to the official.
Bergdahl broke down crying.
'Cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son'
Earlier, the White House said in a statement, "Today the American people are pleased that we will be able to welcome home Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl."
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said that he had informed Congress of the decision to transfer five detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Qatar in exchange for Bergdahl, who was the only remaining American soldier captured from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After Bergdahl was handed over, a series of secret procedures were set in motion so each side knew the other was living up to the bargain, according to U.S. Defense officials. Qatari officials were already at Guantanamo and took custody of the detainees. They assured the Taliban that the detainees would be flown to Qatar.
The Afghan Taliban issued a statement on its website in Arabic and Pashto announcing with "great happiness and joy" the exchange of Bergdahl for five of its imprisoned senior leaders.
It said, "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was and has been for a long time attempting to free all the imprisoned Afghan prisoners inside and outside the country."
Photos: Americans detained abroad Photos: Americans detained abroad
U.S. Army Sergeant released by Taliban New hope for U.S. soldier held captive U.S. Army Sergeant released by Taliban
"Sgt. Bergdahl is now under the care of the U.S. military after being handed over by his captors in Afghanistan," Hagel said. "We will give him all the support he needs to help him recover from this ordeal, and we are grateful that he will soon be reunited with his family."
Bergdahl's parents happened to still be in Washington, having visited for Memorial Day.
They said in an earlier statement: "We were so joyful and relieved when President (Barack) Obama called us today to give us the news that Bowe is finally coming home! We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son. We want to thank Bowe's many supporters in Idaho, around the nation and around the world. We thank the Amir of Qatar for his efforts. And of course, we want to take this opportunity to thank all those in the many U.S. Government agencies who never gave up. Today, we are ecstatic!"
Secretary of State John Kerry said the "cost of years of captivity to Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl and his family is immeasurable."
'Appropriate assurances' over five detainees
In exchange for Bergdahl's release, five detainees at Guantanamo Bay will be released to Qatar, authorities said. The United States has "appropriate assurances" that Qatar will be able to secure the detainees there, where they are under a travel ban for a year.
A U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying the detainees left the U.S. Navy base in Cuba on Saturday afternoon, a senior Defense official told CNN.
Bergdahl was first transferred to Bagram Airfield, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan, for medical evaluation.
"His health is our number one priority at this time," a senior U.S. defense official said.
Saturday night, Bergdahl was en route from Bagram to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, a senior defense official told reporters traveling with Hagel.
His "reintegration process" will include "time for him to tell his story, decompress, and to reconnect with his family through telephone calls and video conferences. At this time we believe that he will physically reunite with his family in Texas," the official said.
Hagel said the United States "coordinated closely with Qatar to ensure that security measures are in place and the national security of the United States will not be compromised."
The United States believes Bergdahl had been held for the bulk of his captivity in Pakistan, the official said. It was unclear when he was moved to Afghanistan.
The U.S. government acknowledged in May 2012 that it was engaged in talks with the Taliban to free Bergdahl.
Saturday's transfer was brokered through the local Qatari government, the official said, after talks that began about a week ago.
U.S. officials had said this year that one route to getting Bergdahl back was through Qatari officials, who had been talking to the Taliban. But Bergdahl was believed to be held by operatives from the Haqqani network, an insurgent force affiliated with the Taliban and al Qaeda, and it was not clear whether Haqqani operatives would abide by any agreement among the United States, Qatar and the Taliban.
An Afghan Taliban commander, not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed to CNN that Bergdahl was captured by the Afghan Taliban with links to the Haqqani network in Pakistan. Over the years, the captive was transferred back and forth between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Bergdahl was deployed to Afghanistan in May 2009. He was 23 when he was captured by the Taliban after finishing a guard shift at a combat outpost on June 30, 2009, in Paktika province.
Fast Facts: Bowe Bergdahl
In July of that year, a U.S. military official said the soldier was being held by the clan of warlord Siraj Haqqani.
Critics question the negotiations
The United States has long declared that it won't negotiate with groups linked to terrorists, but analysts have said the United States has effectively maneuvered around the edges of that declaration over the years.
"As the administration has repeatedly affirmed, we will not transfer any detainee from Guantanamo unless the threat the detainee may pose to the United States can be sufficiently mitigated and only when consistent with our humane treatment policy," a senior administration official told CNN, adding that the detainees will be "subject to restrictions on their movement and activities."
Arizona Sen. John McCain, a former POW, in a statement called the released detainees "hardened terrorists who have the blood of Americans and countless Afghans on their hands."
"I am eager to learn what precise steps are being taken to ensure that these vicious and violent Taliban extremists never return to the fight against the United States and our partners or engage in any activities that can threaten the prospects for peace and security in Afghanistan," he said. "The American people, and our Afghan partners, deserve nothing less."
A senior administration official told CNN, "With regard to whether or not we're negotiating with terrorists: Sergeant Bergdahl is a member of the military who was detained during the course of an armed conflict. The transfer of these individuals is not a concession -- it is fully in line with the President's goal of closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay."
The Taliban had long demanded the release of five detainees at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But U.S. officials said that releasing them would be difficult because Congress would have to be notified in advance, and lawmakers have previously resisted releasing them.
NATO leaders signed off last week on Obama's exit strategy from Afghanistan that calls for an end to combat operations next year and the withdrawal of the U.S.-led international military force by the end of 2014.
Bergdahl, of Wood River Valley, Idaho, appeared in diminished health in a video that the U.S. military obtained in January. His family also received a letter from him last year via the Red Cross.
WELCOME HOME!
Ann B. Davis, devoted 'Brady Bunch' housekeeper, dies
Comic actress Ann B. Davis, who played the devoted housekeeper Alice on the television sitcom "The Brady Bunch" and won two Emmy awards as the forever-single secretary Schultzy on "The Bob Cummings Show," died on Sunday at age 88, CNN reported.
Davis fell and hit her head on Saturday morning, CNN reported, citing a close friend of Davis, Bishop William Frey.
She suffered a subdural hematoma and never regained consciousness, Frey told CNN.
Davis' character helped keep a large, blended family functioning on "The Brady Bunch" by offering advice and wisecracks to busy parents and frantic kids, or simply by making meatloaf for eight. She was known for her light blue housekeeper's uniform with a white apron.
Behind the scenes, Davis provided a model of acting professionalism to the show's six child actors, who on occasion were driven more by hormones and mischief than reason.
The "Brady Bunch" was among the first U.S. television shows to focus on a non-traditional family. Robert Reed's character, architect Mike Brady, was a widowed father of three boys. Florence Henderson's character Carol Brady was a single mother - the show was vague as to why - who had three daughters. They get married in the first episode in September 1969.
The series made its debut amid cultural tumult in the United States but remained invariably cheery and avoided controversy during its five seasons on the ABC network. It ran during a TV era populated by caustic sitcoms like "All in the Family," "Maude" and "Sanford and Son."
In 1994, Davis wrote of the wholesome "The Brady Bunch": "Wouldn't we all love to have belonged to a perfect family, with brothers and sisters to lean on and where every problem is solved in 23-1/2 minutes?"
After the cancellation of the original series in 1974, she appeared on later incarnations of the show, including "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour" (1976-1977), "The Brady Brides" (1981), "A Very Brady Christmas" (1988) and "The Bradys" (1990). She also made a cameo appearance in "The Brady Bunch Movie," a successful 1995 big-screen spoof of the series.
She wrote "Alice's Brady Bunch Cookbook" in 1994.
Davis already was a well-known TV actress when she landed the "Brady Bunch" role of Alice Nelson. She thrived as Charmaine "Schultzy" Schultz on "The Bob Cummings Show," which ran from 1955 to 1959.
Her character was a single secretary who had a crush on her boss - a bachelor photographer played by Cummings. She won Emmy awards for her role in 1958 and 1959 and was also nominated in 1956 and 1957.
Davis received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 following the success of the series.
She was born in 1926 in Schenectady, New York, with a twin sister named Harriet. In the 1970s, she stepped away from show business to join a religious community, occasionally returning for roles in the various "Brady Bunch" projects. She never married.
Reading Rainbow Raising $1 Million to Return As Online Show
Actor Levar Burton and the creators of Reading Rainbow are hoping that $1 million worth of nostalgia can help resurrect the popular children’s program.
You may remember Reading Rainbow–and its impossible-to-forget theme song–from its days as PBS television series, which Burton hosted from the beginning. PBS cancelled the show in 2006 and stopped airing reruns in 2009, but the program lives on as an iPad and Kindle Fire app.
Now, Burton and crew are trying to raise money on Kickstarter to build a web version of the show, along with a classroom version with teaching guides, dashboards and other tools. If the project gets funded, Burton says they can put Reading Rainbow into more than 1,500 disadvantaged schools for free.
As you might expect, the Kickstarter campaign is loaded with Burton-related rewards, such as a personalized photo and autograph ($250), a five to 10 minute phone call ($600) and a private dinner with the actor ($3,500). Deep-pocketed Star Trek buffs can also pay $10,000 for a dinner with Burton and a chance to wear the actual visor Burton wore as Geordi LaForge on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
$1 million is a tall order for a Kickstarter campaign, but it’s still a fraction of what some of the most-funded campaigns have earned. At the time of this writing, Reading Rainbow has raised nearly $45,000 with 35 days to go
Melissa Etheridge Marries Linda Wallem!
Wedding bells rang for singer Melissa Etheridge and Linda Wallem on Saturday (May 31).
According to US Weekly, the couple married at San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, CA. Etheridge and Wallem exchanged vows in front of famous pals such as Chelsea Handler and Rosie O'Donnell.
Sharing her excitement, the songstress tweeted before the ceremony, saying, "A gorgeous, perfect, beautiful day to get married."
Ray J Arrested For Allegedly Spitting on The Police
Ray J was arrested in Los Angeles last night after he allegedly spit on police officers during a confrontation.
TMZ is reporting that Beverly Hills police were called after hotel staff asked the singer and producer to leave but he refused. When officers arrived they took Ray J into custody — but he did not go quietly. Once cuffed in the back seat of a patrol unit he allegedly kicked out a window of the vehicle. He also allegedly spit on an officer during the arrest.
Ray has been booked by Bev Hills PD for trespassing, vandalism, resisting arrest, and battery. Why battery you ask? Well, they are charging him with battery because he allegedly SPIT on an officer while he was being arrested.
All The Way Gone: CBS Cancels The Arsenio Hall Show
Viewers are going to have to say goodbye to The Arsenio Hall Show, once more. CBS has cancelled season two of the late-night reboot, it was announced Friday (May 30)
The network picked up the show for a second season in February, and has now halted production, according to Variety. “Unfortunately, ‘The ARSENIO HALL SHOW’ will not return for a second season,” the network said in a statement. “While there are many loyal fans of the show, the series did not grow its audience enough to continue. Arsenio is a tremendous talent and we’d like to thank him for all the hard work and energy he put into the show. We’d also like to thank Tribune and all our station group partners for their support of the show.”
Hall launched the second installment of his late night run last year. Like its predecessor, the revamped Arsenio Hall Show became a popular destination for rap acts. In an interview with Hip-Hop Wired last month, Hall revealed his trepidation about coming back to late night. “I don’t know if I can make this work. It’s much more crowded now than when I left,” he said.
Fears aside, the 58-year-old sounded confident in the shows growth ability, despite the fledgling ratings. The Arsenio Hall Show premiered in more than 1 million households in September 2013, but was never able to reposition itself as a leader among the late night pool.
Donald Sterling Launches Lawsuit Against NBA
While some folks thought things were wrapping up in the bitter battle between Donald Sterling and the National Basketball Association, in all actuality we’re just getting started.
On Friday (May 30) the disgraced owner of the LA Clippers filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA for breach of contract and violating his constitutional rights.
In addition, Donald wants former team president Andy Roeser reinstated, interim CEO Richard Parsons removed, and a termination of the league’s plan to terminate his family’s team ownership.
Unfortunately for Mr. Sterling, his wife Shelly has already entered into a binding agreement to sell the Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 billion, so his lawsuit is most likely moot.
An NBA rep told press, "The NBA will withdraw its pending charge to terminate the Sterlings' ownership of the team. Because of the binding agreement to sell the team, the NBA termination hearing that had been scheduled for June 3 in New York City has now been cancelled. Mrs. Sterling and the (Sterling Family) Trust also agreed not to sue the NBA and to indemnify the NBA against lawsuits from others, including from Donald Sterling."
"If Mrs. Sterling and the Trust specifically agree to indemnify the NBA against lawsuits from others, including Donald Sterling, then, yes, if Donald Sterling sues the NBA over the sale (as distinguished from other types of claims), it would appear that Mrs. Sterling and the Trust would be agreeing to cover the NBA with money from the trust and/or her own personal funds,” added LA attorney Perrie Weiner.
So, in essence, Donald will be suing himself if he proceeds with the lawsuit! And to think this all started because his mistress secretly recorded him making racist statements.
Sharkeisha Confuses Maya Angelou With Rosa Parks, Gets Roasted On Twitter
The passing of Maya Angelou brought forth swift Twitter tributes from celebrities and various members of the Hip-Hop community alike, but some people were just trying to latch themselves onto a trending topic for the sake of being seen.
And that is where Sharkeisha comes back into the news. The Texas high school teen is equally known for her Jaws-esque name as she is for the brutal fade she served up on a classmate for a dispute over a boy. She has since amassed a Twitter following in the upward of 40K and she embarrassed herself in front of all of them with a possibly well-intentioned, but severely misguided tweet to the late poet.
“RIP Maya Angelou (sad face) you sat on the bus so people today can walk to their dreams. We love you baby!,” she tweeted, obviously getting her Angelou and Rosa Parks lessons mixed up. It doesn’t take a history major who graduated magna cum laude to figure out what happened next. Her mentions were shambles and to save face, she attempted to retweet the most slanderous ones.
Sharkeisha launched a “woe-is-me” PSA, citing the Black community for being quick to tear each down opposed to offering up fast on-the-spot support and education. She has a point but a quick click on one of the countless news articles or Google search would have spared her all the same. One Twitter user even pointed out that Maya Angelou’s name was an apparent copy-and-paste job since it was spelled correctly. Ouch.
Lupita Nyong'o REPORTEDLY Options The Film Rights To Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Best-Selling Novel "Americanah"
During Stylist magazine's inaugural book club event at the Waldorf Hilton hotel in London, author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (shown above) reportedly revealed that Lupita Nyong’o has optioned the film right to her novel Americanah.
For those unfamiliar with Chimamanda's work, outside of her guest appearance on Beyonce's "***Flawless", Americanah is a love story that centers on a young man and woman from Nigeria who face difficult choices and challenges in their country. The book was selected as one of the 10 Best Books of 2013 by the editors of the New York Times Book Review and it won the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Award (Fiction).
During an earlier interview with ARISE 360, Chimamanda hinted at Lupita's desire to create a project around the book and now it's official, it seems.
"Lupita was a very early fan of Americanah, And so before she was sort of well-known in the way that she is now, she wrote me … the loveliest email, a very long and passionate email about Americanah."
Congrats to Lupita on making major moves in Hollywood on her own!
Stars Turn Out For The Step Up 11th Annual Inspiration Awards
The Beverly Hilton Hotel was replete with beautiful celebrities as the Step Up 11th Annual Inspiration Awards took over the place last night (May 30).
“Big Bang Theory” starlet Kaley Cuoco looked gorgeous as she paraded around the shindig with her very own source of inspiration- her sister Briana!
In like manner, Zoe Saldana brought her sister Mariel as her date and mingled with fellow hotties like Julie Bowen and Lacy Chabert.
Ms. Saldana previously told press of the special friendship she has with Mariel- “Because we’ve had to survive so many things, there’s this special bond that connects us. We were raised in Queens, New York, until my father passed away when I was nine. Our mom, being a single parent, didn’t want us to grow up in a dangerous place, so she moved us to the Dominican Republic, where we stayed with my grandparents.”
“Our mom would live with us there for one year and then spend one year in New York so she could make money to send back home for us. It’s inconceivable for us to be separated. We have to be around each other 24/7. I’ll text my mom once a day. But my sisters? Every 30 minutes we’re on BlackBerry Messenger.”
Barbara Winfrey Accuses Oprah Of Evicting Her From Mansion, Now She’s Homeless…
The big O has a scandal on the front and it’s brewing hunty! According to DailyMail Barbara Winfrey, the ex-wife of Oprah’s father Vernon, was booted out of her home by the talk queen yesterday. Oprah ‘gifted‘ the five -bedroom home to Vernon and Barbara shortly after they married 14 years ago. But Oprah never really gave up ownership and control of the home – and her father’s finances. Smart girl, I say! But, here’s what’s going on now… With tears streaming down her face Barbara Winfrey takes stock and surveys the empty space inside the vast $1.4 million mansion.
The 66-year-old grandmother yesterday said goodbye to the impressive five-bedroom property in Franklin, south Nashville – a place she has called home for 14 years, and MailOnline captured the moments of her emotional farewell exclusively. She had until midnight to vacate the house after being booted out by talk show queen Oprah Winfrey. Barbara was evicted following a bitter 18-month divorce battle with the star’s elderly father Vernon Winfrey. And the former high-school vice-principal – who is now homeless and facing the prospect of living in motels – believes Oprah had a ‘personal vendetta’ against her and deliberately tried to ‘destroy’ her life.
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline an emotional Barbara said:
‘That woman has set out to ruin me, destroy me. To take this house away is petty, this has been my home for 14 years.
‘Oprah’s a billionaire three times over, her help lives better than this. She said publicly that she offered to sell the house and give me the proceeds, but that’s a lie, she never said that.
‘Oprah owns property all over the world so there is no reason to sell this house other than to spite me, it’s a personal vendetta.’
OH WELLS!
Rare Images Of Beyoncé & Blu Ivy At Home [PHOTOS]
Beyoncé’s latest batch of published photos give us rare insight of the mother and her coveted daughter Blu Ivy, frolicking at home.
Mrs. Carter posted a slew of new pictures on her Tumblr page, which all feature never before seen sides of the singer and her star toddler.
A picture is worth a thousand words and it’s clear Blue Ivy, clad in fashionable footwear and toys to boot, is living a life filled with charm.
Check out the mother-daughter duo romping around the house and inside a lavish garden, all before taking what looks like quite the nap.
Mariah Carey HOPS On The Subway...In Her BALLGOWN...To Receive 2014 Fresh Air Fund AMERICAN HERO Honor
Mariah Carey, the elusive chanteuse, stepped out in her glittery style on the way to the '2014 Fresh Air Fund Gala Honoring Our American Hero' event at Pier Sixty in New York City.
Mimi's evening started off with a subway ride....in her ballgown! She arrived with Jermaine Durpri, exec producer of “Me. I Am Mariah . . . The Elusive Chanteuse", and BET exec Stephen Hill. JD tweeted, "So me @stephengranthill and @mariahcarey just step on the D train at 205th #nyc"
Mimi dazzled in an Atelier Versace dress, Sergio Rossi shoes, and Chanel gloves. How many security team people did she have around her though on that train?
So extra...and we love it.
The gala honored "Our American Hero" board member Mariah Carey, and celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Camp Mariah. For those who may not be familiar with the Fresh Air Fund, it provides free summer experiences in the country to more than 1.8 million New York City children from low-income communities.
Amar'e Stoudemire posed with wife Alexis. While nursing a few injuries from last season, the Knicks star signed on as the new face of The Art of Shaving's Lexington Collection this month.
NY Giants star Victor Cruz and his fiancee Elaina Watley looked very elegant on the red carpet. You'll recall the twosome turned a few heads at the 2014 MET Ball earlier this month as well.
Stylist to the stars, June Ambrose, worked polka dots (on trend for this season).
Broadway songstress Deborah Cox looked amazing. Deborah recently announced that she'll headline the Latino Carnival stage during LA Pride Week this summer.
"The Real" co-host Adrienne Bailon will host a new reality show called "Nail'd It" for Oxygen later this year. The show will pit the country’s top nail designers against one another.
Tiki Barber arrived with wife Traci Lynn Johnson.
Victor posed with "Today" show anchor Al Roker.
Lee Daniels, who's working on "Empire" for FOX, walked the red carpet in flip flops!
During the dinner, June mingled with Jay Manuel, Deborah Cox and Amar'e & Alexis.
Fab times.
AND FINALLY FROM THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART FILES
‘LIPSTICKIN’ IT TO YA’
Why are all mythical creatures blurry in photos? #ReturnofCruella.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD EVERYBODY!!!
EFREM
