#MAGFAB: Yara Shahidi Looking Gorgeous for Byrdie Magazine- The Revival Issue 2023
Yara Shahidi is on the cover of the new issue of BYRDIE. The young actress is on the cover of the magazine’s “Revival Issue”. Highlights from her interview are below.
On keeping a healthy balance between acting and her personal life: “One thing my mother has always said is acting is something we do, but it’s not who we are. I’ve always appreciated that distinction because it’s meant I’ve always had a personal life with hobbies and friends. My acting career was never all-consuming as a kid. Before Black-ish, I was guest-starring on a lot of shows, but I would go to work and then go back to school or attend things like karate class.”
On how she began to relate more to her character Zoey on grown-ish when she began college: “For years, I felt like Zoey was my polar opposite, and we just happened to be the same age. But, suddenly, we hit this moment in the script where Zoey’s in school, balancing work, and flying back and forth. And she was struggling with her feelings about missing important moments in her work and personal world. That brought me to tears because it was so resonant. As thankful as I was to be able to fly to school and work—and as much as I was the one who signed up for both—it was a lot. There was a lot to process in terms of what I was missing even though I was having all these great experiences in exchange.”
On taking the role of Tinker Bell in the Disney+ film, Peter Pan & Wendy: “I talked to the director, David Lowery, about why he and the higher-ups at Disney wanted to retell this story and I loved his response. They wanted to bring some new fun to this classic but also give us the fairy tale we deserve. It’s evident they’re not just popping Black and Brown folks in the cast for the sake of updating the story. Instead, it’s about creating a story that so many more people can see themselves in after we’ve been left out for so long.”
You can check out even more from her interview here.
#RHOA: Eva Marcille Files for Divorce From Michael Sterling, Seeks Legal Custody of Their Kids
It’s over. Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Eva Marcille filed for divorce from husband Michael Sterling after more than four years of marriage.
The Bravolebrity, 38, filed the paperwork in Fulton County, Georgia, on March 23, per documents obtained by Us Weekly, calling her marriage “irretrievably broken” with “no prospects for a reconciliation.”
According to the documents, the estranged couple — who tied the knot in October 2018 — are currently separated. Marcille requested legal and primary physical custody of the pair’s two sons — Mikey, 4, and Maverick, 3 — and her daughter Marley, 9, whom she shares with ex Kevin McCall.
The America’s Next Top Model alum also asked for “an equitable division of all marital assets” and asserted that Sterling, 41, should contribute to their children’s expenses including medical and dental costs.
Marcille and Sterling started dating in 2016 and got engaged in December 2017. The model gushed about the attorney while wishing him a happy Father’s Day in June 2020.
“My King @mikesterling, the head of this family and the owner of my heart. Happy Father’s Day to the most consistent, invested, honest, loyal, thoughtful, on time, every single day dad,” she captioned a carousel of Instagram photos of her husband. “I love you and I am so blessed to call you my husband and to have you as our beautiful children’s dad. Enjoy your day baby🌻.”
In February, the California native shared a video of her and Sterling dancing. “Happy Valentine’s Day forever and ever,” she captioned the Instagram post.
Sterling, for his part, shared a sweet message of his own to commemorate the romantic holiday.
“My forever Valentine. ‘I am so in love with you that there isn’t anything else.’ Happy St. Valentine’s Day. #thesterlings,” the lawyer captioned a photo of Marcille sitting on his lap and smiling with her arms wrapped around him.
Five months prior, the duo engaged in some flirty banter via Instagram. Sterling shared a photo of him sheepishly resting his head on Marcille’s shoulder at an event.
“Eva: why do you always grab my butt when we are taking pictures? You can’t help yourself? Me: *embarrassed*,” he captioned the Instagram shot.
The Young and the Restless alum left a playful comment, writing, “ALWAYS and I loved it @mikesterling.”
Marcille’s fellow RHOA personality Cynthia Bailey commented on the post: “love y’all.”
#NewMusic from The Shindellas Return With New Single “Last Night Was Good For My Soul”
The Shindellas are at it again with the brand new single called “Last Night Was Good For My Soul”.
The group have impressed us with every release over the years, and this new song is no different.
“Last Night Was Good For My Soul” is that feel good music we’ve been craving. It has an undeniable groove that will have you nodding your head from the first listen.
LISTEN HERE
We currently await The Shindellas follow up project to their debut album “Hits That Stick Like Grits” from 2021.
#HipHopNews: Suge Knight Is Working On A TV Series Based On His Life
Suge Knight is bringing his story to television. The infamous Death Row Records co-founder is reportedly working on a TV series based on his life. According to TMZ, the biographical project will have a similar feel to 50 Cent’s “BMF,” focusing on Suge’s early days as a kid growing up in Compton with aspirations of becoming a football coach.
Suge is developing the show with his brother, Brian Brown, and filming is slated to begin this summer.
The rap mogul, who is serving a 28-year sentence for the 2015 murder of Terry Carter, is said to be very hands-on in selecting a director and casting the actors, including the role of Tupac Shakur.
Suge founded Death Row Records in 1992 alongside Dr. Dre, The D.O.C., and Dick Griffey. It went on to become one of the most influential labels of all time, with a roster including Snoop, Dre, Tupac, Nate Dogg, and Warren G.
In early 2022, Snoop acquired Death Row from MNRK Music Group. The legendary label’s catalog, including Snoop’s Doggystyle and Tupac’s All Eyez on Me, were pulled from streaming services in the wake of the sale before they returned this month.
Suge has never told his life story before, but he has been portrayed in movies including 2015’s N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton and 2017’s Tupac biopic All Eyez on Me.
Snoop is also working on his own biopic for Universal Pictures with director Allen Hughes (Menace II Society, Dead Presidents). It will mark the inaugural film from Snoop’s Death Row Pictures and will incorporate music from his catalog.
Jodie Turner-Smith says having a biracial daughter healed her 'conversations around colorism': 'It's the universe teaching me'
In a recent interview with Elle, Jodie Turner-Smith opened up about colorism and raising a biracial child — and how she has no problem calling her a "nepo baby."
"The best thing that we can do is let them touch the earth and be grounded and real — as real as one can be when you have the level of privilege that obviously my child has," the British actress-model said in reference to her daughter Janie, 2, shared with husband Joshua Jackson. As far as her being a nepo baby — the recently buzzy way of referring to the offspring of a celebrity who follows in that parent's career footsteps — Turner-Smith is embracing the term.
"I'm not acting like she's not a nepo baby," she said. "But I worked damn hard to have a nepo baby!"
She admits her daughter's childhood will look vastly different than her own, which she still reflects on fondly.
"We were poor, but I never really had a sense of it. I certainly wasn't as poor as my mother when she was growing up, but when you come from not having anything, you want to grasp life with both arms," she said.
And as a dark-skinned woman raising a biracial child with fairer skin than her own, Turner says the differences will extend beyond the realm of financial privilege.
"She is going to have a completely different experience in the world than I did, because I have given birth to a mixed-race girl," she said, explaining that this was not something she initially planned.
"It's interesting because I had a lot of resistance to becoming a mother and, throughout my life, I always said if I were to have children, I wanted to have Black, Black babies," she said, explaining that she looked forward to building up their confidence in a way she didn't experience.
"I could affirm them as children with the love that I felt I needed to have been affirmed with by the outside world," she said.
But when she met Joshua, things began to shift.
"I fell in love with my husband and we talked about having kids. To decide not to have a child with somebody you love, just because they're white, was insane to me," she said.
But of course, this did not quell all of her worries, as she would now be parenting a child that resembled the ones who had made her feel inferior for her skin color.
"I did have this mini pause, where I was like, 'She's going to be walking through the world not only having an experience that I did not have, but looking like people that, in a way, I'd always felt a little bit tormented by,'" she revealed — though many would be shocked to hear that Turner ever felt less-than due to her skin color, as she often put on a facade of impenetrable self-confidence.
"Anyone who has known me throughout my life would say, 'Oh, Jodie has very high self-esteem.' But it affected me, I just faked it till I made it. It wasn't until adulthood that I began to come into myself," she said, sharing that she was also on the receiving end of many backhanded compliments regarding her skin tone.
"For a long time, people would even say to me, 'You're so pretty...for a dark-skinned girl,'" she said.
But rather than serve as an incessant reminder of her past, Turner says having her daughter has actually been a healing experience.
"Now that I've got this little, tiny, light-skinned boss, I feel like it's the universe teaching me lessons. I've been given a daughter who looks this way to heal my own conversations around colorism," she said.
Magic Johnson’s Team has submitted their $6 billion bid to buy The Washington Commanders
Even though Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones indicated that the Washington Commanders' sale wouldn't be resolved this week at the league's owners meetings, it seems to be gaining traction.
The biggest step is getting a group to part with $6 billion for the team, and that has reportedly happened.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the group led by Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales, which includes NBA great Magic Johnson, submitted a "fully-financed" $6 billion bid.
Then, a couple hours later, news came that a second $6 billion bid was submitted.
The price is notable. It would be the record for a sports franchise sale, blowing away the old record. The $4.65 billion sale of the Denver Broncos last year was the record. If the sale is exactly $6 billion, it's about a 30 percent jump from the previous record.
Harris and Rales are billionaires, and the chance to own a franchise that should be among the NFL's most valuable doesn't come along often. After decades of Snyder running the franchise into the ground, practically everyone would welcome a new ownership group, especially one with deep pockets.
There are still hurdles to cross before a sale can be finalized, like the current NFL franchise owners approving the sale. But Washington fans can start to get excited: There's officially a bid in to buy the team and finally be done with the woeful and embarrassing Snyder era.
Mariah Carey & Megan Thee Stallion to Headline LA Pride 2023
This year's annual LA Pride in the Park event will be headlined by none other than Mariah Carey and Megan Thee Stallion, with additional artists yet to be announced.
This two-day, multi-stage, musical Pride event in Los Angeles will be kicked off with a performance by Thee Stallion on Friday, June 9. Carey will then perform on Saturday, June 10. Both concerts will be held at Los Angeles State Historic Park.
The official theme for this year’s LA Pride is “All Out With Pride,” aiming to celebrate the diversity and resilience within the LGBTQ+ community.
Carey wrote in a statement:
“I’m thrilled and honored to be a part of LA Pride 2023. I am happy to be back in person celebrating with the LGBTQ+ community here in Southern California and throughout all of the lands! Let’s come together to celebrate love, inclusion, and Pride.”
Thee Stallion wrote:
“I can’t wait to headline LA Pride in the Park and celebrate the phenomenal LGBTQ+ community. This incredible event advocates for diversity, inclusivity, and equality, so I’m honored to perform and have a blast with all of the Hotties in attendance.”
LA Pride’s board president, Gerald Garth, added:
“Mariah Carey and Megan Thee Stallion are the perfect artists to headline LA Pride in the Park this year as we expand to two days. These empowering and iconic women are sure to take the stage by storm to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and will undoubtedly make this year's LA Pride in the Park an unforgettable experience.”
Early bird single-day and weekend passes for LA Pride 2023 are already sold out. However, general single-day ($69) and weekend ($119) tickets, as well as VIP single-day ($299) and VIP weekend ($549) passes are still available to purchase.
For tickets and more information about LA Pride 2023, visit www.lapride.org.
Adnan Syed's murder conviction is reinstated months after he was freed
Maryland's appeals court reinstated Adnan Syed's murder conviction Tuesday, roughly six months after Baltimore prosecutors provided new evidence in the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee.
Syed, whose conviction was made famous by the podcast "Serial," was released from prison in October after Baltimore City State Attorney Marilyn Mosby said DNA evidence supported his innocence.
Lee's family had filed an appeal, arguing that they were not properly notified of the efforts to release Syed last year.
The Maryland appeals court ruled in their favor, saying officials failed to provide sufficient notice for Lee's family to attend the hearing.
A new hearing will be held about the evidence to vacate Syed's conviction; the previous murder charges have been reinstated in the interim.
Tuesday's decision and the new hearing are seen as a procedural issue, and there is no reason to believe Syed will be sent back to prison. The prosecutor has indicated that there is evidence pointing to other suspects and that the investigation continues.
Lee's family said they were delighted with the court's decision.
“We are equally pleased that the Appellate Court is directing the lower court to conduct a transparent hearing where the evidence will be presented in open court and the court’s decision will be based on evidence for the world to see," the family said in a statement.
Erica Suter, an attorney for Syed, said in a statement Tuesday that the appeal was "not about Adnan’s innocence but about notice and mootness."
"There is no basis for re-traumatizing Adnan by returning him to the status of a convicted felon," Suter said, adding that Syed's team intends to seek a review in state Supreme Court. "Ensuring justice for Hae Min Lee does not require injustice for Adnan."
Syed’s family friend Rabia Chaudry, an attorney who took his case to "Serial" producer Sarah Koenig, tweeted that she would host an Instagram Live session Wednesday to discuss the development.
In the interim, Rabia said, she stands by "the integrity of the evidence that exonerated Adnan and urge the Baltimore Police and States Attorney’s office to find the source of the DNA on the victims shoes and find Hae Min Lee’s actual killer."
Lee was 18 when she was found buried in Baltimore’s Leakin Park. Investigators targeted Syed, her ex-boyfriend, as the prime suspect.
He was sentenced to life in prison in 2000. Advocates have said that the evidence used to convict him was unreliable and that police ignored leads to other potential suspects.
Last year, Baltimore officials said a round of new DNA testing on Lee’s skirt, pantyhose, shoes and jacket showed DNA belonging to “multiple contributors.”
Syed’s DNA was not found in the new tests.
The state said there were two other potential suspects in Lee's murder, one of whom had threatened to kill her. Syed's case was subject to a Brady violation, as prosecutors failed to disclose the evidence to his defense team.
Prosecutor Becky Feldman said moments before a judge vacated Syed’s conviction, “The state has lost confidence in the integrity of this conviction and believes that it is in the interest of justice and fairness that his convictions be vacated.”
Feldman contacted Lee's brother, Young, on Sept. 12 to let him know the state was filing a motion to vacate the conviction, according to Tuesday's ruling. He was then given only a few days' notice of the hearing time, which would have required him to fly from his home in California to attend in person.
The majority opinion in the appellate court ruling said the result of a hearing will be to either reinstate the initial conviction or vacate it again.
"Accordingly, the violation of Mr. Lee’s rights can be remedied without violating Mr. Syed’s constitutional right to be free from double jeopardy," the ruling said.
Suter, one of Syed's attorneys, had argued that teleconferencing by Zoom was sufficient to satisfy the Lee family's rights to attend the hearing and discuss the impact vacating the conviction would have on them.
“I think we would be in different circumstances if the state did not provide Mr. Lee a Zoom option. But we are in very different times now,” Suter said at the appellate hearing in February.
In a dissenting opinion, Judge Stuart R. Berger noted that Lee's family does not have a right to speak at hearing over whether to vacate a conviction and that electronic attendance was most likely sufficient to satisfy the family's rights. The trial judge also allowed Lee's brother to make a statement to the court.
"Ultimately, the court provided Mr. Lee with both the attendance he was entitled to, and the judge exercised her discretion in affording him the opportunity to participate," Berger wrote.
Damson Idris says JAY-Z helped him get his green card: "He’s always supported me"
Yesterday (March 27), Complex released an interview with Damson Idris where he discussed his life as season six of the FX hit series “Snowfall” comes to an end. During the conversation, he talked about his relationship with socialite Lori Harvey as well as how entertainment mogul JAY-Z helped him be able to work in America.
Stars are no strangers to rumors, and one floating around as of late was that JAY-Z helped the British-Nigerian actor obtain his green card. “Hov didn’t offer that up. I had to ask him,” Idris responded when the host asked if that rumor was true. “But he’s done many things for me over the years. He’s always supported me. He supports everyone. He supports so many people that you don’t even know. Like, genuinely, I should tell everyone this right now: If you ever run into JAY-Z, just say, ‘Thank you,’ and keep it moving because he is definitely a pioneer of the culture, but of everything,” the 31-year-old added.
Idris also opened up about other people in his life. During the chat, he revealed how his friend, hip hop artist Tyler, The Creator, enjoys creating awkward moments when they’re out together. “He’s a great guy. He’s hilarious. You’ll introduce Tyler to someone important, and randomly, he’ll be like, ‘Yeah, me and Damson take bubble baths together,’ and you’re like, ‘Whoa. No, we don’t.’ He’s just like that,” he candidly confessed. When asked about his high-profile romance with Harvey, he confidently admitted, “Life is great.”
In addition to the final season of “Snowfall,” the young talent also recently appeared in Donald Glover’s latest thriller, “Swarm.” The series landed on Amazon Prime on March 17, and follows a fan exhibiting a rather intense obsession with their favorite singer. Idris starred alongside Dominique Fishback and Chlöe Bailey for the buzz-worthy role.
Elderly woman arrested for $77 trash bill receives home renovation from Trae Tha Truth
Officers showed up at Martha Menefield’s Alabama home and took the 82-year-old woman away in handcuffs after she was unable to pay a $77 trash bill. Then Trae Tha Truth stepped up.
Houston native Trae Tha Truth is forever doing what he can to help the community. Yesterday (March 27), news broke that the “Friends” rapper stepped up to renovate the home of an elderly woman who was arrested and taken to jail for failing to pay a $77 trash bill.
In December 2022, 82-year-old Martha Menefield was arrested at her Alabama home after she didn’t pay her trash bill, according to TMZ. She was taken into custody just before Christmas. An officer’s bodycam video showed her disbelief as a cop handed her documentation stating she was about to be taken away. Menefield laughed at first, thinking it had to be some sort of joke or obvious misunderstanding. “I am not joking,” he assured her. After a long pause, she asked, “So you gonna handcuff me and take me to jail?” The officer responded, “Yes, ma’am. I got to. I’m so serious. It’s a warrant.”
After hearing about the woman’s terrible ordeal, Trae traveled to her home and spent some time with her. As he got to know Menefield, the activist realized her abode was due for some upgrades, and he swiftly leapt into action. The “Here I Go” emcee teamed up with BEL Furniture in Valley, Alabama to provide Menefield with $15K worth of donations, including a sofa with multiple recliners, a queen-sized bed, and new dressers. Her living room and dining room also received some love, and Trae is working to get her air conditioning unit repaired.
A reporter for TMZ asked the elderly woman how she met with Trae to receive such a generous blessing. “I don’t know… I was just telling the lady out there, ‘Where did Trae come from?’ You know? Really. He — I can’t tell you. All I know is the Lord sent him, and he sent him here,” she responded. Now that the furniture is taken care of, next, he plans on securing contractors who can properly level her home and prevent flooding issues.
FX Hillsong Docuseries to Feature First Interviews With Former Pastors Since Removal From Church
FX’s new Hillsong docuseries will feature the first interviews with former pastors Carl and Laura Lentz since their public removal from the church.
“The Secrets of Hillsong,” which is set to debut May 19, will explore the megachurch’s rise to become a congregation full of musicians, actors and athletes, as well as its subsequent fall amid explosive scandals and controversy. The four-episode investigative documentary is based on the original reporting by Vanity Fair journalists Alex French and Dan Adler.
The docuseries, which is directed by Stacey Lee, will include interviews with former congregants and other subjects connected to the Hillsong story, including Tiff Perez, Ashley Jones and Mary Jones, Josh Canfield, Janice Lagata, Geoff Bullock, David Shoebridge, David Cowdrey and Tanya Levin, among others.
“Uncovering stories that contend with power and the people who hold it is core to Vanity Fair’s mission,” Condé Nast Entertainment President Agnes Chu said in a statement. “Thanks to stellar reporting by Alex French and Dan Adler, and the courage of those who stepped forward to share their experiences, we know that power–and its systemic abuse over people seeking faith and community–is central to the Hillsong collapse. I’m grateful to our partners at Scout Productions, and to FX for helping us bring this eye-opening story to light.”
Hailing from Scout Productions and Vanity Fair Studios, “The Secrets of Hillsong” is executive produced by David Collins, Joel Chiodi, Michael Williams, Rob Eric, Agnes Chu, Dan Adler, Sarah Amos and Alex French.
“With the depth and clarity of this project owed to the excellent reporting of Vanity Fair, and the perspectives of those speaking out for the very first time, we have been committed to telling a well-rounded and definitive story of Hillsong,” Scout Productions executive producer and head of documentary Joel Chiodi said. “Because of these voices, along with unprecedented access to Carl and Laura Lentz, ‘The Secrets of Hillsong’ offers new insights into how decades of scandal and corruption went unchecked within the church, and more importantly, at what it meant for the community left in their rubble.”
“The Secrets of Hillsong” premieres Friday, May 19 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX with the first two episodes of the series, before the final two episodes air May 26. All episodes will stream the next day on Hulu.
Disney Taps Questlove to Direct Live-Action Remake of ‘The Aristocats’
*Questlove has been tapped by Disney to direct a live-action remake of the 1970 Disney movie “The Aristocats.”
The project follows his 2021 debut “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature last year.
Per Deadline, “The Aristocats” is a “live-action hybrid reimagining” of the 1970 animated feature directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. The original film centers on a smooth-talking tomcat that helps a family of Parisian felines kidnapped by the family’s butler to prevent them from inheriting a fortune, per IMDB.
“They chose i to chase the cat…I basically have 2 life goals: 1. Don’t dismiss my dreams & 2. Get out of my own way,” Questlove wrote about the new film in an Instagram post.
Questlove, famously known as the co-founder of The Roots, will serve as the movie’s executive producer and oversee the music.
In related news, Questlove has also been enlisted by J Dilla’s estate to produce a biopic about the late producer, Complex reports.
“The estate of James Dewitt Yancey, and its wholly-owned production entity, Pay Jay Productions, Inc., which benefits J Dilla’s two children, his younger brother, and his mother, is proud to give its blessing to an amazing project created by discerning and talented filmmakers who knew J Dilla,” a rep for the estate previously said, according to Complex.
“We trust the judgment of Ahmir, Joseph, Dan, and Scenario to elevate Dilla’s life, music, and legacy to their rightful place in the canon of music’s great innovators; and their film is the only documentary project we have endorsed,” the rep added.
TransAfrica Founder Randall Robinson Dies at Age 81
*Activist, novelist, and lawyer Randall Robinson reportedly passed away on March 24 after battling a serious infection. He was 81.
Robinson died in the Caribbean, on the island of St. Kitts. In a Facebook post, his daughter, Anike Robinson, shared a loving tribute to her father.
“My father was an artist. He was a photographer and often did mini set designs. My mother, brother and I were the models,” she wrote, The Washington Informer reports. “My father liked to make his images timeless, outfitting us in period clothing he’d saved.”
Anike continued, “Daddy was the first artist I studied, worked alongside and learned the power of tools,” Robinson, who is also an artist, continued. “He made many beautiful things. He helped make three children. I am his firstborn and yesterday my dad died. I feel weird.”
Robinson was born July 6, 1941, in Richmond, Virginia, to teachers Doris Robinson Griffin and Maxie Cleveland Robinson. According to The Washington Informer, he earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a bachelor’s from Virginia Union University.
From 1971 to 1975, Robinson practiced civil rights law in Boston before working as Congressman Charles Diggs’ administrative assistant. He also worked for the office of Congressman Bill Clay. In 1977, he founded the TransAfrica Forum to serve as an information and resource hub for the African American community.
Robinson explained his position on reparations in “The Debt: What America Owes To Blacks,” published in 2001. According to The Washington Informer, lineage-based reparation programs are advocated in the book.
Despite being offered an honorary degree by Georgetown University Law Center in 2003, Robinson declined it.
Robinson’s brother was trailblazing journalist Max Robinson, who died in 1988. Robinson is survived by his two sisters, actress Jewel Robinson and pastor Jean Robinson.
According to The Philadelphia Tribune, his other children are Jabari Robinson and Khalea Ross Robinson.
Mary J. Blige to Executive Produce Two Lifetime Movies Inspired by Her Songs
*Mary J Blige is producing two new Lifetime original movies inspired by her biggest hits.
According to a news release, “Mary J. Blige’s Real Love” and “Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman” will premiere back-to-back in June. The movies are headlined by Ajiona Alexus (Empire,13 Reasons Why) and Da’Vinchi (BMF, All American) with Princess Davis, Austin Anozie, Millan Tesfazgi, Shiraine Haas, Garfield Wilson and Hamza Fouad rounding out the cast.
Both films, per the synopsis, explore “the highs and lows of young Black love.”
Blige will serve as an EP for both films. Director Camrus Johnson will helm “Real Love” from a script written by Sonja Warfield and Rachel Ingram. Shari Lynette Carpenter will direct “Strength of a Woman” from a script penned by Ingram.
Per the network’s news release:
Mary J. Blige’s Real Love follows 18-year-old Kendra (Alexus) as she sets off on her own for the first time at an HBCU in North Carolina. Attending on a scholarship, Kendra is determined to focus on school while balancing work study and keeping things professional with Ben (Da’Vinchi), her photo class partner. Despite disapproving parents, financial hardship, and even an unexpected pregnancy, Kendra and Ben find themselves falling hard for each other and ultimately learning the meaning of “Real Love.” Even when Kendra realizes that in order to pursue her dreams, she must leave Ben behind, it’s certain that their story isn’t over.
The story of Kendra and Ben continues in Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman, jumping ahead more than 15 years. Now a successful photographer, Kendra finds herself in a failing marriage and must reckon with the decisions she made for the life she thought she wanted. When Ben unexpectedly comes back into her life, she is forced to a crisis point and must dig deep to find the strength to take control of her life and accept the love Ben may be offering again.
“Real Love and “Strength of a Woman” are produced by Front Street Pictures and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. Blige will produce both titles through her own production banner, Blue Butterfly with Ashaunna K. Ayars and Q. Nicole Jackson as co-producers.
The films will premiere on Lifetime on June 10 at 8p/7c.
Fire At Migrant Holding Facility in Mexico Reportedly Kills 39 Men
On Monday, a blaze erupted in a dorm room of an immigrant holding center close to the U.S. border, leaving 39 migrants dead.
The horrific incident happened shortly before 10 p.m., according to the National Migration Institute. Sixty-eight men from Central and South America were staying at the facility, which hosts migrants who are waiting on requests for asylum in the U.S. or preparing to cross the border. 29 were also left injured following the deadly fire at the processing facility in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
As of right now, the cause of this fire is still unclear. In a statement confirming the news, the National Migration Institute said it condemns the events but didn’t offer any speculation as to their cause…
Andrea Chávez, a federal deputy for Ciudad Juárez, also tweeted about the fire early Tuesday, saying “it is with deep sadness and grief” that she learned of the tragedy. “We will wait for the official information and, from this moment on, we send our condolences to the families of the migrants,” she continued. Chávez added that Mexico’s attorney general has initiated an investigation into the fire.
Unsettling photos from the scene show body bags lined up near the fire occurred, which had been extinguished, Reuters reported a witness as saying.
Monday’s blaze is one of the worst in recent years in Mexico, which has seen record levels of crossings at its border with the US.
Per the Associated Press, Mexico’s president says the fire at a Mexican immigration facility at the U.S. border that killed 39 migrants was actually started by migrants who set mattresses ablaze in protest after learning they would be deported.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called the incident unfortunate and said the director of country’s immigration agency was currently on the scene.
“They never imagined that this would cause this terrible misfortune,” López Obrador said via Associated Press.
Dairy Queen to Offer 85 Cent Blizzards To Celebrate Its New Summer Menu
In recognition of summer, Dairy Queen has added a variety of new and returning Blizzard favorites to its menu.
The new peanut butter puppy chow blizzard is the first flavor now accessible for a limited time. Puppy chow bits (cereal mixture), peanut butter, and chocolate chunks are mixed into soft vanilla serve to create the frozen dessert.
Another new frozen dessert hitting the menu will be the Oreo brookie blizzard. Oreos, brownie cookie pieces, and soft vanilla serve are combined to create the ultra-chocolate treat.
In addition, the ice cream chain has also brought back the s’mores blizzard, a fan favorite, consisting of soft vanilla served with marshmallow-filled chocolate pieces and graham crackers.
Two other summer staples are the cotton candy blizzard, made with cotton candy sprinkles and soft serve, and the choco-dipped strawberry blizzard.
Ice cream lovers can get one of the frozen desserts for 85 cents via the Dairy Queen app from April 10 to 23 to commemorate the creation of blizzards in 1985.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
Its a me
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
