Why The ICON Janet Jackson Didn’t perform at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction!
There is a lot of speculation as why Janet Jackson did not perform at Friday’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. Many felt it was because of HBO who will be televising the show at a later date. HBO is also the same network that aired Leaving Neverland, the two-part documentary that focuses on Wade Robson and Jimmy Safechuck, two men who claim they were sexually abused by Michael Jackson, Janet’s brother. But that is not the reason it is due to her upcoming ‘Metamorphosis’ residency in Vegas. Janet’s rigorous rehearsals will keep her from performing when she is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Barclays Center on Friday night.
“She’s preparing for her ‘Metamorphosis’ residency in Vegas, so that’s been her focus,” a source told us.
Jackson’s Vegas show promises to “peel back the layers of the immensely private life of [Jackson], sharing her transformation from a young girl with issues of self-esteem to global Icon,” according to the concert’s release.
Meanwhile, fellow inductee Radiohead will also sit out performing as frontman Thom Yorke won’t even be in attendance.
Jackson and Radiohead will be inducted with Stevie Knicks, Def Leppard, The Cure, Roxy Music and The Zombies.
Colton Haynes for Attitude Magazine - May 2019 Revealed he is six months sober
Colton Haynes Reveals in Attitude Mag that he Is 6 Months Sober After Drug and Alcohol Addiction: 'I Was Drowning'
The actor, 30, revealed he is six months sober after completing a four-month treatment program.
“In 10 years, there were maybe 25 days I didn’t drink,” Haynes told Attitude Magazine. “I remember when I started, it was a couple glasses of wine, and it regressed into really dark times.”
Though he says drinking and drug use has been a part of his life for the past decade, Haynes said his “downward spiral” truly started after he came out as gay in 2016.
“I came out and, in a way, my downward spiral started,” he said. “I felt extremely free but at the same time the amount of attention I was getting was making me spin out of control.”
And as Haynes struggled to adjust to the newfound attention, his personal life also began to crumble. The actor’s mother died in May 2018 after a battle with advanced cirrhosis of the liver.
And just a few months later, Haynes announced his divorce from husband Jeff Leatham after less than a year of marriage.
“I got married and that didn’t work out. That was extremely public and heart-breaking, and right when that was going on, my mom died,” he said. “At that point, I fell apart. My brain broke. I was doing a massive comedy for a studio, showed up to work and got fired on the first day. They said I looked as if I had ‘dead in my eyes’, and I did. “
Haynes said he started leaning on drugs and alcohol more than ever.
“I got so heavily involved with drugs and alcohol to mask the amount of pain I was feeling that I couldn’t even make some decisions for myself. I was drowning in my own s—,” he said.
The actor said he finally hit rock bottom when he woke up in a Los Angeles hotel after a seven-day bender.
“I locked myself in a hotel room at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills for seven days and was found in my room with these insane bruises all over my body,” he recalled. “It looked as if somebody had beaten the shit out of me. I couldn’t walk, so I was falling everywhere.”
“I almost ruptured my kidney, ended up in the hospital, ended up in 5150 psyche hold,” he said. “I was on such a destructive path that I could not function.”
He continued: “I lost partial sight in my left eye for a while. I ended up having two seizures. I didn’t know any of this was happening until I was sober enough to remember it.”
The incident, which Haynes called a “rude awakening,” pushed him to seek help.
“If anyone else had told me to get help I would be like ‘F— you!’. I had to make that decision on my own. I was ready to stop running from my own problems,” he said. “Once I went to treatment, I found this amazing amount of true love for myself, and started figuring out who I am without those vices, and recognizing the people in my life who lifted me up instead of tearing me down.”
Now six months sober, Haynes said he wants to help end the stigma around addiction and inspire others who are struggling to speak out.
“I’m always going to be in recovery. There are so many people struggling out there, but not a lot of them talk about it. Life is much more beautiful than I could have imagined,” he said.
“It’s just a different life now. It’s the best gift I’ve ever been given.”
#RHOA: NeNe Leakes' BEEF With her Co-Stars and Andy Cohen Captured In Season 11 Reunion Trailer
The "Real Housewives of Atlanta" Season 11 reunion trailer answers a plethora of our questions about why NeNe Leakes and her co-stars no longer get along.
But it's also left us with several more. The newly released minute-and-a-half teaser opens with the 'Wives gearing up to take their seats on the dreaded couches. "I thought we were real friends," NeNe says to someone on the phone. "Why would you plot to bring your friend back?"
In the other room, Andy Cohen consoles a tearful Cynthia Bailey, who's adamant that she's "tried to be a good friend" to NeNe.
WATCH HERE
But it would appear that befriending NeNe's enemy makes you an enemy, too.
Last week, Kandi Burruss let TooFab in on a little secret: During the season finale, which will air this Sunday, Cynthia hosted a party that former 'Wife/NeNe's enemy Kenya Moore ended up attending. Cynthia failed to give NeNe a heads up, which NeNe took as a personal attack.
"I didn't know that Kenya was coming!" a still-tearful Cynthia shouts at NeNe during the reunion, but her sadness soon turns to anger.
"NeNe, is this something that is worth ending your friendship over?" Andy asks.
"Do not keep pushing me over, okay?" NeNe barks back. "Don't!"
Cynthia's later heard shouting, "If NeNe wants to fall out over this petty-ass shit then let us fall out over it!"
That's only one battle in the war against NeNe, though; the whole "Bye, Wig" fiasco becomes another point of contention among the group.
"I said we were not filming in my closet," NeNe tells Andy sternly. He replies, "Well, what about putting your hands on people?"
"What do you want me to say?!" she shouts back.
Porsha Williams, who was on the receiving end of NeNe's wrath that day, adds, "If somebody tells you they were not terrified, they are f--king lying."
Then Tanya Sam, who was brought into the group by NeNe, backs Porsha's claim. "Me and Marlo jumped up, saying, 'Get off of her!'" she says, but NeNe hurls back, "That's a f--king lie!"
"The fact that you was giving a big f--k you to all of us -- we are not friends!" Porsha adds.
"Y'all wanna fire at me in this corner. I know I'm the one!" NeNe yells back.
NeNe's erratic behavior this season has been coupled with her husband's cancer diagnosis, which Andy brings up.
"People wondered why you've traveled when Gregg is sick," he says.
"If I didn't travel, Gregg wouldn't be eating," she snaps. Then it's Eva Marcille's turn to air her grievances with the co-star she once considered a friend. Last episode, Eva asked NeNe to make sure she wasn't mic'd when she agreed to drive back to the restaurant everyone was at to address the rumors Marlo Hampton had been spreading about her finances. NeNe knowingly kept her mic on.
"You, in fact, had a microphone on!" Eva shouts across the room, which NeNe hits back with, "Girl, you need to be arguing with these folks that's talking about your house, your car, your credit."
Marlo also gets into it with newcomer Shamari DeVoe. "I know she'd be at Betty Ford," Marlo tells Andy. (She's been vocal about Shamari "needing AA" all season long.)
"Tell me something about gold digging or shopping, then I'll listen!" Shamari fires back.
"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" three-part reunion begins Sunday, April 7 at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
#Empire’ Recap: Andre Gets A Diagnosis That Doesn't Look Too Good For His Life
Empire was last night and the Feds are breathing down Thirsty’s neck. One agent, in particular, makes it clear to Thirsty that she’s clout chasing. Basically, if she can take down a big fish–Lucious Lyon or Damon Cross (or Lucious and Damon) then she gets the career boost to the governor’s office that she has been looking for. Thirsty tries to keep it cute, but his back is against the wall. The FBI agent wants Thirsty to tell her the connection between Lucious and Damon. Thirsty goes into the story. We cut 18 months back to Empire’s Platinum Party. Damon is actually at that party and Thirsty tries to play it like nothing of note happened at the party. The Fed tells Thirsty that the feds have been watching his moves for a minute so he better ante up with the info. So then Thirsty tells the agent the “story of a guy and a girl.” It’s him and his boo, Vera. He met Vera at the DA’s office where she’s an administrative assistant. The agent gets aggy and wants to know what the heck this has to do with Cookie and Lucious, but Hold that thought.
Back in the present, Andre is at the hospital getting a full body ct scan for whatever may be wrong with him. Hold that thought.
Back to Thirsty. We learn that he ended up meeting Damon at the Platinum Party. Thirsty wasn’t working for Lucious at this time because Lucious let him go due to his financial trouble. Damon said he heard about all the good work that Thirsty did for Lucious so he wants to work with him. Vera caught the tail end of this conversation and tells Thirsty to be careful about Damon because his name has been tossed around the DA’s office and because she doesn’t want to lose him. Thirsty says if he can handle Lucious the can handle Damon. We’ll see about that. Thirsty eventually tells the agent that he never spoke to Damon again after the party and that’s when the agent swoops down like a dang vulture. She asks Thirsty about a man named Victor Horst. Then we flashback to a meeting between Victor, Thirsty, Damon and a couple of other goons on an airport hanger. Basically, Victor was supposed to have embezzled some money for them to split but he was dishonest about how much. Thirsty called him out for trying to pocket some extra change. Then he tries to play Thirsty by saying he doesn’t work for Lucious anymore and Damon snaps and beats Victor to death. Damon then tells Thirsty what to do with the extra money now that Victor is dead, and he makes it clear that he ain’t no Lucious, in fact, he’s a lot more dangerous. He is though. Actually, you can tell that Thirsty is kind of shook, which says a lot because Thirsty doesn’t scare easily.
#MusicNews: Usher Says That He’s Working on “Confessions 2”!
It’s been well over a decade since Usher released his most successful album “Confessions” and it seems fans are still begging for a sequal. The project recently celebrated it’s 15th anniversary and that only brought out more anticipation of a follow up.
For his part, Usher has gone his own direction on recent projects and deviated from the sound that made him successful originally. That most was evident on his to most recent releases “Hard II Love” and “A”.
The singer has just taken to his Instagram account to share some news that will surely get people talking. He’s pictured in the studio next to a So So Def sign with a white board titled “Confessions 2”. Below that are presumably song titles that are blurred out, but we get the point. Usher simply shared the message “Dis what y’all want?”.
Prior to this, his frequent collaborators Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox had been sharing video from the studio sessions with Usher. We had no clue what they were working on but this picture surely gives us a hint.
We’ll have to wait and see if “Confessions 2” does eventually materialize. If it does, it would surely be an epic moment for R&B music since we know Usher is more than capable of delivering another classic album.
California love. G-Eazy and Blueface rep the “West Coast” in the video for their new collaboration.
The gritty black-and-white clip, directed by Daniel CZ, pays homage to the land of palm trees and sunshine and also stars YG and Bay Area up-and-comer ALLBLACK, with cameos from E-40, Ty Dolla $ign, P-Lo, Yung Pinch, Kossisko, Haiti Babii, GUAPDAD 4000, Danny Seth, and Richie Rich.
WATCH HERE
The clip also features neon accents from animator Ofir Shoham, a 22-year-old college student who has gone viral with his animated dance videos.
Lady Gaga Reportedly Broke Up With Christian Carino Because He Was Incredibly Jealous and Texted Her Too Much
A month ago, Lady Gaga called off her engagement to agent Christian Carino after they showed some really awkward body language at the Golden Globes.
Now, sources say the reason they broke up is actually because Christian was super overbearing and jealous.
Now that Lady Gaga is back in the dating game and reportedly has a situationship with Avengers actor Jeremy Renner, it's time to revisit her old flame, Christian Carino, and finally find out exactly why she broke up with him.
Gaga secretly got engaged to Christian back in 2017, but things reportedly went downhill toward the end of their relationship, according to an Us Weekly source. BTW, that's also apparently when she "really leaned on" Jeremy for support.
Right before they officially called it quits, Gaga and Christian had the most uncomfy body language that suggested their relationship was on the rocks. Like, what was with that ear kiss? Weird. Anyway, it looks like everyone's guesses were right because sources claim he "didn’t treat Gaga very well toward the end of their [two-year] relationship."
Plus, the source added, "He was jealous. He was trying to find her all the time and texted her a lot. Her friends didn’t like him either." Big yikes.
Now, it's no secret that A Star Is Born fans really wanted Gaga and Bradley Cooper to get together when they were promoting the Oscar-winning film, but that was just a little thing called acting. So don't go getting your hopes up for something to happen there.
In other Gaga news, today is the singer/actor/icon's birthday, which is cause for celebration, of course. And what better way to celebrate than by playing "Hair Body Face" on repeat in her honor while imagining her doing the same? Exactly. HBD, girl. Hope you're clearing out all those texts from Christian while you're at it.
Queen Latifah, Nicci Gilbert & BET Sued Over Reality TV Show “From The Bottom Up.”
Queen Latifah, Nicci Gilbert and BET Network is being sued by a woman who claims they stole her idea for their reality TV series, “From The Bottom Up.”
In the lawsuit, filed by Latosha Lee, she claims in 2013, she conceived the idea for a reality TV series titled, “Real Life Cinderellas of Atlanta.”
The series would “focus on the daily lives of women who had gone through publicized scandals and were seeking redemption.”
Lee’s series was to feature five “African-American quasi-celebrity women living in Atlanta, Georgia who have all experienced media scandals and working toward their lives around.”
Here’s where the plot allegedly thickens…She says she filmed with a cast and shot a sizzle reel and sent it around town to networks, producers, and reps. Lee claims that BET producers made it seem like they were interested but then went silent.
Lee said she later found out that BET had a show entitled “From the Bottom Up” and claims it was a rip-off of her show idea. She claims the show even featured similar cast members and storylines.
Latosha Lee is demanding an injunction to stop BET and Queen Latifah’s Flavor Unit from airing the show and all profits made from the series.
DeJaVu: Wendy Williams' Statements About Her Husband's Past Infidelity Resurface
Wendy Williams‘ past quotes about her husband Kevin Hunter‘s past infidelity have just resurfaced and fans are taking note of some of the things she said.
If you don’t know, there are rumors that Kevin has an alleged mistress who just gave birth this week to their child. Nothing has been confirmed.
In her 2001 memoir, “Wendy‘s Got the Heat,” Wendy wrote about catching her husband in an affair years ago when he was on the phone with his lover.
“In those forty-five seconds my woman’s intuition kicked in and I knew he was on the phone with a lover. No woman deserves this. I wanted to kill him. I mean really kill him. For real. I wanted to kill him more because I was in the process of breaking my Number One Rule: No Cheating,” Wendy wrote in the memoir.
“I needed to know if she was in love? Was he in love?” she continued. “Were condoms used? Is she pregnant? Was she laying up in the Marriott with him?”
She also added that she would only walk out for good if he “lied about anything.”
“If he was in love, if she was just as successful at what she does as I am in my career, if she had his baby,” she added.
Girl just leave that Man and move forward!
Tristan Thompson 'Exposed' After Allegedly Sliding Into 17 Year Old Influencer's DM's
Tristan Thompson gets exposed by a 17 year-old influencer after she posts screenshots of him jumping in her DM's. She also has an opinion on the Cavs player...
Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player Tristan Thompson has stayed busy amid the Jordyn Woods cheating scandal. From going on dates, and sending cryptic messages in his posts, he just seems unbothered about the whole situation.
Just days before the "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" season 16 premiere, where Thompson will be a main topic of conversation, he has allegedly slid into a 17 year-old influencers DM's.
Instagram star Yasmin Adelina posted a screenshot of her DM, where Tristan Thompson sent her a purple heart. According to BSO, Adelina is only 17 years-old.
Tristan Thompson jumps in Yasmin's DM's with a purple love heart
Singer Adelina took to Instagram to share her thoughts on Khloe Kardashian's baby father, Tristan. Adelina is siding with Khloe and attempted to expose Tristan Thompson's level of disrespect.
When a fan asked if she replied to the purple love heart DM, Adelina explained: "No I didn't. Otherwise I wouldn't have posted it. Could post other ppl if I wanted, but I don't usually do that lol. That one just shows how trash men are."
Yasmin continued to answer fans questions on Instagram. One Instagram user suggested that she should send the screenshot of the DM to an American blog. However, she stated that she doesn't want to as she's not a "clout chaser"
South Carolina Fifth Grader Dies From Injuries After A Classroom Fight
A fifth grader from Walterboro, South Carolina has passed away after a classroom fight.
On Monday, Raniya Wright, 10, got into an altercation with another fifth-grader at Forest Hills Elementary School. According to 13 News Now, teachers responded as quickly as possible to end the fight and then called the EMT.
According to the incident report, Wright collapsed after the altercation and was rushed to the nurse’s station at the school where she was breathing but unconscious.
Shortly after, the fifth-grader was sent to a local hospital for treatment but then airlifted to the Medical University of South Carolina hours later.
Early Wednesday morning, Raniya passed away at the hospital in Charleston. The cause of death cannot be determined until an autopsy, which is expected to occur on Friday.
According to the school district, the student was suspended as police investigate the incident.
The investigation will continue once Colleton County’s Sheriff’s Office receives results of the autopsy.
Ariana Grande Wishes Her 'Queen' Mariah Carey A Happy Birthday and She Responds
Ariana Grande had the sweetest things to say about Mariah Carey on her birthday.
The legendary musician turned 49 on Wednesday (March 27), and among her biggest supporters to wish her a happy "anniversary" — as Carey has been famously known to call her birthdays — was the "7 Rings" singer.
Grande praised the Elusive Chanteuse with a memorable black-and-white photograph on her Instagram Stories showing a young Mariah. “Happiest anniversary queen of everything. Loved u then, love u now, love u tomorrow," the 25-year-old captioned the throwback image, tagging Carey in the post.
In response, the "We Belong Together" artist re-posted Grande's shout-out on her own Stories, writing back, “Thank you dahhhhling!!”
As expected, Twitter was LIVING for this legendary moment between the pop princess and her majesty — who were rumored to have tension once upon a time. "@ArianaGrande wishing @MariahCarey a Happy Anniversary and Mariah Carey finally acknowledging her. Ugh," tweeted one user, with another adding, "Omg, Mariah acknowledging Ariana.. My life almost complete.. #MariahCarey."
Carey prefers to celebrate her birthdays as anniversaries as a way of marking the number of years of past instead of her actual birth. As told in her own words: “I don’t count years but I definitely rebuke them… I have anniversaries, not birthdays, because I celebrate life, darling.”
See the exchange below.
Sweet!
A Salt–N-Pepa Miniseries and The Clark Sisters Biopic In Works
A Salt-N-Pepa miniseries and a biopic on the Clark Sisters are slated for Lifetime programming.
Lifetime has given the greenlight to two music-related projects, a miniseries on rap group Salt-N-Pepa and a biopic on gospel group the Clark Sisters. Queen Latifah is an executive producer for both projects via her Flavor Unit production company, with Mary J. Blige and Missy Elliott among the executive producers for the Clark Sisters film. Both projects are slated for programming in 2020.
The Salt-N-Pepa miniseries traverses the lives of Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton, as they go from nursing school students to entering the world of hip-hop and rap and their rise and successes, which includes becoming the first female rap act to go platinum. The miniseries will feature a slew of their hits, including “Let’s Talk About Sex,” “What a Man,” “Shoop” and “Push It,” among others. James and Denton will serve as executive producers alongside Jesse Collins, and Flavor Unit’s Queen Latifah and Shakim Compere.
The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel is an authorized biopic that traces the group’s story, from their humble beginnings in Detroit and tackling and overcoming ensuing family issues and other challenges to becoming the highest selling female gospel group in history. The cast includes Christina Bell (Twinkie), Kierra Sheard (Karen), Sheléa Frazier (Dorinda), Raven Goodwin (Denise) and Angela Birchett (Jacky) portraying the sisters. Aunjanue Ellis portrays the mother of the siblings, Mattie Moss Clark. Christine Swanson serves as director and Sylvia L. Jones wrote the script.
“Bringing untold stories of phenomenal women to life has been a core tenant of Lifetime,” the EVP of Movies, Limited Series & Original Movie Acquisitions, Lifetime and LMN’s Tanya Lopez said in a statement. “We are thrilled to partner with Cheryl, Sandra, Queen Latifah, Mary, Missy and the Clark Sisters for the new projects that will showcase these iconic women in music to new audiences.”
Wow Air's Collapse Leaves Passengers Stuck — At Airports, And Without Travel Plans
Well they say: "We aim to WOW!" and they did JUST THAT!
Wow Air's sudden halt of all flights Thursday has caught travelers by surprise, sinking the airline's customers into frustration about their plans and sowing doubts about their ability to recoup travel expenses.
The most intense turmoil hit Wow customers who are currently on trips, as well as those who were slated to fly late Wednesday and early Thursday.
The airline's sudden shutdown created tense and odd scenes at airports. In one case, airline staff at the gate at Boston Logan International Airport informed customers of prolonged delays Wednesday night — only to eventually board the waiting aircraft themselves and shut the door.
That description comes from Lindsay Branscombe, who relayed to NPR the curious scene in which Wow customers watched as the jetliner they thought would take them to Reykjavik, Iceland, instead pulled away from the gate without them.
Lindsay and her husband, Matthew, own and operate BSC Photo Studio in New Haven, Conn. On Thursday night, Matthew was booked to fly from Boston to Belgium, with a stopover in Iceland, after their photography studio landed a commercial job in Europe.
After Matthew arrived at the airport, "he was continually told the plane was delayed," Lindsay says. "Sometimes he was told it was due to bad weather, while the [airline's] delay emails said 'operational concerns.' "
As they waited at the terminal, passengers grew uneasy, she says, after seeing a nearby Icelandair jet back away from its gate and head toward the taxiway.
"Wow Air continued to tell them it was simply a 'delayed flight' until around midnight," Lindsay says, "when the gate agents and flight crew actually got on the plane that was at the gate and the PLANE LEFT THE GATE with the passengers still unsure if the flight was canceled!"
It's not clear whether the plane took off for Reykjavik or simply taxied to another part of Logan, she added. But for would-be passengers, the damage was done. Instead of being told about possible replacement flights, the ticket holders were told they could pick up their luggage in the baggage claim area.
"All our travel plans are now canceled, and we had to scramble to find a local photographer to do the job my husband was hired to do, because there was no way for him to get there in time," Lindsay says.
She adds, "The most shocking aspect of this is that they were definitely selling those tickets right up until the end, because we bought our tickets only days before the flight."
The couple had booked their tickets through Hopper — which announced on Thursday that it will reimburse "in full" all its users who bought Wow Air tickets. For those who are already in transit, the travel service says it will cover the full cost of rebooking airfare on other carriers.
"Our team is currently getting in touch with our customers in transit via SMS and in-app push notification for more information," Hopper CEO and co-founder Frederic Lalonde said. "If you are one of the affected passengers, please look out for communication from our team so we can assist you."
The Branscombes' photography company still faces losses from the hotel rooms they paid for. They were also forced to hire someone else to do the job for which Matthew had been hired.
Wow's passengers say they're still vulnerable to losses from hotel bookings and other costs, even in cases where airlines are offering discount replacement flights. Banks and credit card companies can also help cancel payments, but that money can take a long time to reach customers.
Similar sentiments are being voiced in Europe and North America — the two markets that Wow Air sought to join with its low-cost flights. Many Wow customers are now sharing stories and resources on a new Facebook page, titled Wow Air Customers.
One of those Wow customers is Amber Joy Pingree-Felts, who said in the Facebook forum that she paid $1,400 to book tickets for two adults and one child on a Wow flight from Boston to Reykjavik for a trip scheduled for just after Memorial Day.
Pingree-Felts says she has now filed a complaint with her bank, only to be told that her money likely can't be refunded until after the date of the now-canceled flight.
"We will be able to file a theft-of-service charge once our takeoff flight date passes," she tells NPR.
And while Icelandair is offering steeply reduced airfare to Wow customers who are stranded far from home, its offer requires proof of a current e-ticket on Wow — something some customers say they can't get, because the company has effectively shut down.
"Icelandair would totally be a lifesaver," says Alison Fath, an American who was supposed to fly home from Paris this weekend. "However, since WOW collapsed, they aren't sending out any e-ticket info for our Sunday flight, which we can't send to Icelandair."
Wow Air is also now dormant on Facebook, but that hasn't stopped customers from using its most recent posts to vent their frustrations.
On the corporate page where Wow touts its tag line — "We aim to WOW!" — that phrase is being hijacked by people who comment on recent posts to say they "got WOW'ed" — meaning in this case that they feel abandoned, not amazed.
Two Women File Lawsuit Against City Of Chicago And Chicago Police Department After Police Raid Wrong Home During Child’s Birthday Party
Two women have filed a lawsuit against the city of Chicago and the Chicago police department after their home was mistakenly raided during a child’s birthday party.
On Feb. 10, the home of Kiqiana Jackson and Stephanie Bures was raided while their family was celebrating the birthday of a four-year-old boy. The home is located on the 7700 block of Paulina Street in Auburn Gresham, where at least a dozen police showed up with their guns drawn that Sunday night. Bures, who is the mother of the birthday boy, Tj, said they were horrified. “Can you imagine sitting, playing games with other kids and guns pointed at them?” Bures said about her son’s birthday party.
What makes matters worse is the person police were looking for moved out of that home several years ago. Police wanted the man because he had been holding and selling ecstasy, according to the search warrant. Showing their rights as a citizen, both Bures and Jackson asked the police to see a search warrant, but they were denied. The police said they were from Skokie, and refused to give them their names or badge numbers. “I reached for my phone and then I was tackled…I was handcuffed,” Jackson said.
“Our children in Auburn Gresham face enough trauma every day just trying to grow up in Chicago,” the Rev. Michael Pfleger said. Bures explained that since the incident her children have experienced sleep issues, nightmares, and are afraid to leave the house. The children also feared they would be shot the night of the birthday party.
It’s been a month since the women’s attorney made FOIA requests for any dash cam video, body camera footage or any other information connected to the raid. The attorney has yet to hear back; he believes the police were not wearing body cams, which is required by law. Chicago police have not responded to comment requests.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
They've Found their Miracle! There is a Clark Sisters Biopic In The Works!😍
A Clark Sisters Biopic is slated for Lifetime programming.
Lifetime has given the greenlight to two music-related projects, a miniseries on rap group Salt-N-Pepa and a biopic on gospel group the Clark Sisters. Queen Latifah is an executive producer for both projects via her Flavor Unit production company, with Mary J. Blige and Missy Elliott among the executive producers for the Clark Sisters film. Both projects are slated for programming in 2020.
The Clark Sisters: Whom are The First Ladies of Gospel is an authorized biopic that traces the group’s story, from their humble beginnings in Detroit and tackling and overcoming ensuing family issues and other challenges to becoming the highest selling female gospel group in history. The cast includes Christina Bell (Twinkie), Kierra Sheard (Karen), Sheléa Frazier (Dorinda), Raven Goodwin (Denise) and Angela Birchett (Jacky) portraying the sisters. Aunjanue Ellis portrays the mother of the siblings, Mattie Moss Clark. Christine Swanson serves as director and Sylvia L. Jones wrote the script. Listen to the actresses sing with direction from Gospel artist and songwriter Donald Lawrence.
“Bringing untold stories of phenomenal women to life has been a core tenant of Lifetime,” the EVP of Movies, Limited Series & Original Movie Acquisitions, Lifetime and LMN’s Tanya Lopez said in a statement. “We are thrilled to partner with Cheryl, Sandra, Queen Latifah, Mary, Missy and the Clark Sisters for the new projects that will showcase these iconic women in music to new audiences.”
Chris Evans for “The Hollywood Reporter” Magazine March 26, 2019
“Avengers: Endgame” star Chris Evans covers the latest issue of “The Hollywood Reporter” magazine
Here are some excerpts from the article!
On retirement rumors: “I never said the word ‘retire,'” he says. “It’s a really obnoxious notion for an actor to say they’re going to retire — it’s not something you retire from.”
On relationships: “I’m the one who fears being enveloped. I was always a really autonomous guy my whole life. Camping by myself is one of my favorite things. I really like to be with someone who also has their own thing to do as well, you know? If I’m with someone who just kind of adopts my life, that can feel a bit suffocating.”
On being very vocal about Trump: “You don’t want to alienate half your audience,” says Evans. “But I’d be disappointed in myself if I didn’t speak up. Especially for fear of some monetary repercussion or career damage — that just feels really gross to me.”
The Neo-Nazi James Alex Fields Jr., in Charlottesville Who Killed Heather Heyer Pleads Guilty To Hate Crime Charges
Months after being convicted of first-degree murder, the Charlottesville driver who killed Heather Hayer at the 2017 Unite The Right rally pleaded guilty to hate crimes in federal court on Wednesday morning, the Justice Department announced. Self-described neo-Nazi James Alex Fields Jr., who plowed his car into a group of counter-protesters at the Charlottesville rally, pleaded guilty to 29 counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, according to the Justice Department.
Each of Wednesday's guilty pleas carries a maximum penalty of of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. However, the Ohio man will already spend the rest of his life in prison by virtue of his murder conviction in December, the Washington Post reports.
"In the aftemath of the mass murder in New Zealand earlier this month, we are reminded that a diverse and pluralistic community such as ours can have zero tolerance for violence on the basis off race, religion, or association with people of other races and religions," Attorney General William Barr said in a statement announcing the guilty pleas. "Prosecuting hate crimes is a priority for me as Attorney General. The defendant in this case has pled guilty to 29 hate crimes which he committed by driving his car into a crowd of protesters. These hate crimes are also acts of domestic terrorism."
Although ostensibly a protest against the removal of Confederate monuments, the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville devolved into outright white supremacy, with participants displaying swastikas and chanting "Jews will not replace us!" Heyer's murder was not the only instance of white nationalist violence at the rally; a group of white protesters viciously beat a black man named DeAndre Harris during the rally as well. One of the men responsible for assaulting Harris pleaded guilty in January and will spend four years in prison as a result, CNN reported.
Heyer was counter-protesting the white supremacist rally with a group of activists from the Democratic Socialists of America, ABC News reported at the time, when the neo-Nazi rammed his car into the group, killing Heyer and injuring dozens others. During his trial, the man's defense team argued that he sped up his car out of fear and didn't intend to hurt anybody. But the prosecution pointed out that three months before the rally, he'd posted a meme on Instagram that showed a car plowing through a group of people labeled "protesters."
The Charlottesville protest and its aftermath drew significant attention, with some viewing it as the embodiment of the recent resurgence of white nationalist violence in America and abroad. Right-wing extremists were linked to at least 50 murders in 2018, according to CBS News, a 35 percent increase from the year before, while far-right attacks in Europe jumped 43 percent in 2016. A study by the University of Maryland found that right-wing violence has been steadily rising since 2000, while attacks by left-wing extremists have been falling precipitously over that same time.
President Trump drew near-universal condemnation after the Charlottesville rally when he told reporters that there were "very fine people on both sides" of the protest. In December, Heyer's mother Susan Bro told CNN that she didn't return the White House's calls after she heard Trump say that.
After Heyer's death, the Heather Heyer Foundation was established to provide scholarships for young people wishing to pursue careers in social activism.
#RHOA: #TWIRL GIRLS! Kenya Moore Posts A Message About Her Upcoming Appearance on ‘RHOA’
“Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum Kenya Moore is set to make an upcoming appearance on the Bravo series, and fans are shook.
After apparently leaving “RHOA” last year and being absent from majority of season 11, fans will get a chance to see the new mother appear on the reality show’s season finale.
Moore took to Instagram on Sunday with a photo of herself and her former co-star Kandi Burruss together at Cynthia Bailey‘s Seagram’s Escapes beverage launch.
Not to mention viewers got a small sneak peak of Moore’s return during the latest episode of “RHOA,” which will be available below. But not everyone is excited about the reality star returning to the show, including friend turn foe NeNe Leakes, who’s accused Moore of starting “a lot of drama in the press.”
The 48-year-old actress was a main cast member of the series for seven seasons until exiting after season 10. In a December interview with People magazine, she said that she wished fans could’ve seen the new chapter of her life on the show, but with all the stresses of being a new mother, it was for the best that she left.
“It broke my heart [to not return], but with all the stress I went through with this baby, I don’t know how I could have done it,” Moore said. “Even now, breastfeeding every three hours, changing diapers, being up at all hours. I just don’t think I could have been present.”
Well, it seems things have changed, and there’s a possibility that Moore could come back full time. But in the meantime, fans are just excited that she’ll be making an appearance on the upcoming season finale.
#Empire: While Fox is 'gratified that Jussie Smollett's case dismissal. Allegedly The Cast and Crew is DIVIDED Over The Jussie Debacle!
Following the shocking news on Tuesday that the actor’s charges had been dropped, the show's network issued a statement about the star and the day's stunning proceedings. But Jussie Smollett hasn't regained the full support of his "Empire" family despite criminal charges against him being dropped ... and things are still very divided among cast and crew.
"Jussie Smollett has always maintained his innocence and we are gratified on his behalf that all charges against him have been dismissed,” 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment said in a statement.
According to TMZ Production sources say there are still people on the set -- especially writers -- who believe the dismissal of charges is a vindication, proving Jussie was a victim. Point of fact ... the State's Attorney believes Jussie staged the attack but felt it was a low-priority, non-violent crime that would have resulted in a punishment of community service, so why bother.
But there are also a number of people on the "Empire" set who share the view that Jussie staged the attack and are shocked by the lack of consequences ... and don't want him back on the show. They are especially offended Jussie allegedly faked the attack to squeeze more money out of producers.
The contingent who are angry at Jussie believes he's a liability to the show and should be cut if the show comes back for season 6.
One thing has united the cast ... they are all thrilled the case is now closed because they believe it's a threat to the show's future.
However, the case isn't closed. The FBI is still investigating the letter that was sent 8 days before the "attack," to determine if Jussie sent the letter. If that conclusion is reached, he could face federal charges.
How do you feel? Should Jussie return for Season 6?
#MusicNews: Lionel Richie Announces New Album ‘Live From Las Vegas’ & 2019 Tour
Lionel Richie will issue Live From Las Vegas on August 23, his first release on Capitol Records. The multi-platinum selling hit-maker has detailed his Hello summer tour in support of the forthcoming record.
“I am so excited to bring my Live from Las Vegas album to life and to share it with my fans. Also, I’m really looking forward to going on tour and performing for everyone this summer – it’s going to be one big party,” shared Richie. The live LP was recorded at Zappos Theater at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas and mixes his solo hits like “Hello,” “All Night Long” and “Dancing On The Ceiling” with material from his days in The Commodores.
The 30-date Hello tour kicks off at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land, Texas on May 28 and concludes with an appearance at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul on August 30. Richie will mix headlining and festival dates throughout the run, making stops in Jacksonville, Toronto, Detroit, Milwaukee, New York City, Tampa, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Portland and more.
Live From Las Vegas Track List
Easy – My Love
Truly
You Are
Stuck On You
Dancing On The Ceiling
Three Times A Lady
Sail On
Brick House
Hello
Say You, Say Me
We Are The World
All Night Long
#HipHopNews: Lil Uzi Vert Has Been Officially Recognized By Jay-Z’s Roc Nation
It looks like Lil Uzi Vert really is a part of Jay-Z's Roc Nation family.
Just a few days after Uzi thanked Hov's powerful imprint for apparently getting him back in the studio earlier this week, it seems as though the label has made an alliance official today (March 27). The Philly rapper's name and photo have been added to the artist management tab of Roc Nation's website.
After previewing unreleased music over the past few weeks, Uzi first led fans to believe he was working with Hov's label when he randomly shouted out Roc Nation in his Instagram Story during his return to the studio on Sunday (March 24). The label seemed to confirm his partnership with him when his message was reposted onto their Instagram story. Yet, there aren't many concrete details regarding Uzi's affiliation with the label.
Although it seems like he's under Roc Nation's wing, Uzi still feels trapped in his current deal with DJ Drama and Don Cannon. The 24-year-old has spent the past two years venting to fans about various issues with his deal at Generation Now. Recently, Drama claimed that his artist can release his album Eternal Atake whenever he feels like it. Yet, the former XXL Freshman is still saying "#FreeUzi."
"We see threw [sic] all your gimmicks. Free Uzi," the rapper wrote in his Instagram Story.
#THEBOSS Beyonce sang "Happy Birthday" to Diana Ross at her extravagant celebration
Diana Ross has one of the strongest artistic legacies of all time. With both solo work and a run with The Supremes, the Motown icon has down more than enough to prove her spot as an R&B pioneer.
The "I'm Coming Out" singer celebrated her 75th birthday on March 26. At a star-studded celebration that included P. Diddy, Khloe Kardashian, Robin Thicke, daughter Tracy Ellis Ross, and Beyonce, Diana enjoyed the company of stars both old and new- many of whom list her as an inspiration for their own art.
In a video from her incredibly classy party, Beyonce takes the mic to deliver a flawless rendition of "Happy Birthday." Diana joins in on the sing-a-long, gesturing to herself and adding a "Happy Birthday to me" as the song starts.
Her super extra celebration called on attendees to follow an ultra-glam dress code and was titled "Diamond Diana Family & Friends 75th Birthday Celebration." An intimate birthday celebration with friends was followed by a "Once-in-a-Lifetime Live Concert" at the Hollywood Palladium where Diana performed some of her greatest hits with the help of attendees.
According to Rosie O'Donnell She Says Whoopi Goldberg Was 'As Mean As Anyone Has Ever Been' to Her on 'The View'
In the new book “Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View,” former co-host Rosie O’Donnell alleges that Whoopi Goldberg was brutally mean to her.
“Whoopi Goldberg was as mean as anyone has ever been on television to me, personally — while I was sitting there,” she said in the book (via People). “Worse than Fox News. The worst experience I’ve ever had on live television was interacting with her.”
“Some people would say, ‘What’s going on with you and Whoopi?’” Rosie continued. “I was like, ‘Are you watching the show? It’s pretty much right there.’ I have no desire for a public feud.”
She did, however, say she still respects Whoopi.
“She’s a minority, feminist, smart, funny, groundbreaking legend who is black in America,” Rosie added. “I’m never going to not have respect for Whoopi Goldberg. But that was a painful experience, personally and professionally.”
SADNESS: R&B Singer Monica Files For Divorce From Her Husband, Shannon Brown
Monica has officially pulled the plug on her marriage to former NBA baller, Shannon Brown.
According to TMZ, the songstress filed for divorce earlier this month in Atlanta. Although there are no further details about the couple’s split or whether either party will be seeking or receiving child or spousal support, the publication reports the singer’s attempts to seal the docs were unsuccessful.
The couple jumped the broom back in 2010, and faced speculation about a split last year. However, the songstress dismissed the rumors with photos of the two, pictured as a happy couple. But now, just months later, it appears Monica has called it quits.
In fact, fans have also noticed that the singer has not been wearing her wedding ring on Instagram for the last few weeks.
‘Avengers: Endgame’: Marvel Reassures Fans To Hold On To “That Shred Of Hope…”
Disney’s Marvel Studios released a batch of moody character portraits today as well as an interesting new featurette with a subtle message for any despairing Avengers fans out there: Don’t worry, life goes on after the dust settles.
After months of a grim drumbeat, Marvel’s message was likely aimed at parents of younger fans who might have fretted about the dour outcome of a superhero movie that, in preview clips, has the emotional tones of a funeral in an ash-covered field on an overcast day. These are already grim days in the real world and the featurette seems to acknowledge that, at some point, true hero movies need moments of heroic uplift (hence the Warner Bros. course correction with their DC Universe films, which have tilted toward the sunnier Aquaman, Shazam! and Wonder Woman).
The message comes across in the promotional video from interviews with cast members and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. The pep talk was led by Chris Evans, who portrays the never-give-up hero Captain America: “They’ve truly leveled us, not just literally but morally and emotionally…the good thing is that it’s always easier to build people back up after they’ve been broken down. That’s what Marvel’s great at doing. It’s that shred of hope that everyone is looking for.”
The featurette also has footage from the upcoming Avengers: Endgame (April 26) as well as scenes from Avengers: Infinity War, the grim, beat-down epic that hit theaters last April and finished as 2018’s top-grossing global release ($2.05 billion worldwide). The movie ended, now infamously, with the tyrannical alien Thanos (Josh Brolin) snapping his fingers and erasing half of the universe’s living organisms, among them Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman).
In the months since the existential dust-up, Marvel fans have reacted with many emotions to the devastating sequence of events. Some, for instance, chided Chris Pratt via social media (critiquing the unwise actions of his character, Starlord, during the film’s climatic battle), others complained that Feige and the Russo Brothers directing tandem had gone too far by wantonly killing off such beloved heroes. Feige addressed that in the new promotional video: “The fans’ reaction to the end of Infinity War, when half their favorite characters turned to dust, really was indicative of how emotionally connected the world has gotten to these characters.”
In actuality, of course, the characters are alive on every toy aisle in America and will remain that way. The film was simply following in the grand tradition of the American comic book industry, which has “killed” every one of its major characters at least once and, in some unlucky cases, three or more times. The notion that Spider-Man might not return from the dead doesn’t hold up too well when you consider a trailer has already been released for his next solo-adventure film, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and the footage contains neither zombies nor angels. It’s also worth noting that Peter Parker was back in action already in Sony’s Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (or at least he was in the first half of the film…).
The featurette starts to wind down with the space-marooned Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and a line that surely foreshadows a big bounce-back moment in the new film (“I know I said no more surprises but I was really hoping to pull off one last one…”) and it ends with a wink and a smile (via the first meeting of Chris Hemsworth’s mighty Thor and Brie Larson’s even mightier Captain Marvel). It’s a moment that fans are loving. There will be life after Endgame, the exchange reminds us. Will every hero survive the film, which is billed as the climatic chapter for the Marvel Studios saga to date? No, probably not. There’s a good chance, for instance, that Taps might be playing for Captain America) but an on-screen funeral is just career downtime for a hero. n the other side of Boot Hill, after all, is Reboot Pasture.
A ‘Sex And The City’ Follow-Up TV Series From Candace Bushnell In the Works At Paramount TV
One of the most iconic comedy series of the past two decades, HBO’s Sex and the City, is getting a followup, which examines love and dating after 50. In a competitive situation, Paramount Television and Anonymous Content have acquired the rights to Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell’s upcoming book Is There Still Sex in the City? to develop as a TV series. Bushnell will write the pilot script and serve as an executive producer on the project, along with Liza Chasin from 3dot Productions and Robyn Meisinger from Anonymous Content, where Chasin’s 3dot is under a first-look TV production deal.
Is There Still Sex in the City is set to be released by Grove Press on August 6, 2019. It follows Bushnell’s piercing, sly, and sometimes heartbreaking look at sex, dating, and friendship in New York City after 50. Set between the Upper East Side of Manhattan and a country enclave known as The Village, the book looks at love and life from all angles—marriage and children, divorce and bereavement, as well as the very real pressures on women to maintain their youth and have it all.
“It didn’t used to be this way. At one time, fifty something meant the beginning of retirement—working less, spending more time on your hobbies, with your friends, who like you were sliding into a more leisurely lifestyle,” said Bushnell. “In short, retirement age folks weren’t meant to do much of anything but get older and a bit heavier. They weren’t expected to exercise, start new business ventures, move to a different state, have casual sex with strangers, and start all over again. But this is exactly what the lives of a lot of fifty- and sixty something women look like today and I’m thrilled to be reflecting the rich, complexity of their reality on the page and now on the screen.”
Bushnell is the bestselling author behind Sex and The City, Four Blondes, Lipstick Jungle, The Carrie Diaries and One Fifth Avenue, among others. Published in 1996, Sex and the City was the basis for the Emmy-winning HBO series that spawned two hit movie sequels. Bushnell’s Lipstick Jungle and the Sex and the City prequel The Carrie Diaries also were adapted into TV series for NBC and the CW, respectively.
“The original Sex and the City book and series served as a groundbreaking touchstone for an entire generation of women, myself included,” said Nicole Clemens, President of Paramount Television. “We’re thrilled to be able to continue that conversation from the underrepresented point of view of women in their 50s and answer the question with, ‘Yes! There is more sex in the city!”
Added Chasin and Meisinger, “It is no surprise that Candace has written a fantastic, relatable, insightful, funny and deeply honest portrayal of women in their 50’s. We are thrilled to be working with her on turning it into a series.”
Is There Still Sex in the City? marks the latest high-profile series project to come out of Paramount Television and Anonymous Content’s first-look production deal for scripted programming. The partnership has yielded such series as Netflix’s Maniac, starring Emma Stone and Jonah Hill and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, and 13 Reasons Why, currently in production on season 3; TNT’s Emmy-nominated limited series The Alienist and upcoming sequel The Angel of Darkness; Hulu’s Catch-22, a six-part limited series based on Joseph Heller’s seminal novel of the same name, with George Clooney and Grant Heslov; Apple’s Shantaram, based on the international bestselling novel from Gregory David Roberts; Time Bandits, based on Terry Gilliam’s British fantasy film; Home Before Dark, inspired by the real-life story of 11-year-old Hilde Lysiak, starring Brooklynn Prince, executive produced and directed by Jon M. Chu; an epic television series adaptation of Anne Rice’s entire The Vampire Chronicles series of novels set at Hulu; and Margaret Atwood’s best-selling Maddaddam trilogy that includes three stunning novels—Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood and Maddaddam.
Is There Still Sex in the City? is repped by Heather Schroder at Compass Talent. Ron Bernstein at ICM Partners negotiated on behalf of Bushnell.
Arby’s Manager Fatally Shoots Drive-Thru Customer Who Spit In Her Face & Threatened Her
A manager at an Arby’s in Oklahoma has been arrested for fatally shooting a drive-thru customer who threatened her and spit in her face.
25-year-old Deionna Young shot and killed 25-year-old Desean Tallent on Saturday night after he repeatedly harassed her, spit in her face and threatened to “come back and hurt her.”
According to the Tulsa Police Department, video surveillance showed Desean spitting on Deionna and threatening her.
Via NY Daily News: When Tallent returned to the restaurant and “circled the lot,” Young ran outside, got into her car and followed him, according to cops.
Both vehicles played “cat and mouse” before she shot at him and drove back to work, cops say. Tallent was shot in the torso and crashed into a Walmart. He later died from his wound.
Deionna Young was arrested on Monday after she confessed to shooting Desean Tallent.
Police found a gun in her apartment, but she says she destroyed the murder weapon.
Young is now facing first-degree murder charges and she is being held without bond.
Phaedra Park’s Ex-Husband, Apollo Nida, Expected To Be Released From Prison One Year Early
Apollo Nida, the ex-husband of former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star, Phaedra Parks, has been granted an early release after a judge signed off to trim down his sentence by 12 months.
In court documents obtained by The Blast, a federal judge agreed to reduce Nida’s sentence, cutting the 96-month term down to 84 months with credit for time served.
“The defendant’s sentence is hereby reduced to 84 months of imprisonment with credit to be given by the Bureau of Prisons for all time served,” the documents read. “All other terms of the sentence imposed by this court on July 8, 2014, shall remain unaffected by this order.”
Now, as a result, Nida is scheduled to be released in August 2020, after originally being sentenced to eight years for bank fraud and identity theft in 2014.
Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin says he’s undergone throat cancer test: report
NFL Hall of Famer and Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin revealed on Tuesday that he had undergone tests for throat cancer.
The 53-year-old made the announcement on Instagram, saying that he had spent Sunday and Monday at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He said that throat cancer has always haunted him because it took his father at 51.
“This daemon (sp) has chased and vexed me deep in my spirit all my life. So saying I am afraid this time is a big big understatement,” Irvin wrote. “I AM TERRIFIED!! My Faith tells me whenever you face great fear you go to your greatness power. Mine is God.”
Irvin said the problems began in late November when the Cowboys beat the Saints 13-10. He said he was so elated that he lost his voice, but the problem persisted for 2 months. A doctor eventually advised him to get a throat biopsy, Irvin said.
Irvine asked his followers to pray for him and his family during this difficult time, adding: “I will continue to pray for your fams protection and prosperity as well. May God Bless us all.”
Irvin, who won three Super Bowls before retiring in 1999 due to a spinal injury, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.
AND FINALLY FROM THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART FILES
