Chiwetel Ejiofor is having a big year. He’s starring in the highly-anticipated film adaptation of 12 Years a Slave on the big screen and Starz’s miniseries Dancing on the Edge on the small screen in October. Both films are set in the past with about 100 years between each time period, but racism is still a driving force behind the plots of each. Though Ejiofor’s characters, a freed Black man abducted into slavery in 12 Years and a Black jazz musician caught up in a murder plot in 1930s London in Dancing, are worlds apart, he plays them with an acting prowess that is sure to delight and entertain, demonstrating his versatility in the process.

RELATED: Your Ultimate Fall Guide To Black Films [VIDEO]

Ejiofor has been one to watch, for me, since Children of Men, and it’s about time he gets to star in multiple projects at once. Do you plan to see 12 Years a Slave and Dancing on the Edge in October?

Jay Z and Beyoncé, who celebrated her 32nd birthday earlier this month, can also celebrate being named Forbes highest-earning celebrity couple.

The musical power couple took the top spot by earning an estimated $95 million between June 2012 and June 2013.

Jay Z’s earnings take into account the $1.4 million his collaborative “Watch the Throne” tour with Kanye West raked in and his stake in the new Barclays Center, which is home to the Brooklyn Nets. Other interests include Roc Nation Sports, his newly-formed sports agency that represents star athletes Kevin Durant and Victor Cruz.

Beyoncé’s earnings take into account her “Mrs. Carter World Tour,” which grossed an average $2 million per night, her best-selling celebrity fragrance collection, clothing line, and other endorsements.

The Carters show no sign of slowing down even with the addition of Blue Ivy to the family. Beyoncé is currently on the South American leg of the her tour, while Jay announced dates for his “Magna Carta World Tour” to support his album released earlier this year through a Samsung partnership.

Other celebrity couples ranked below Jay and Bey include Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who earned $15 million less.

Forbes did not subtract for taxes, agent fees, or other expenses related to being a celebrity.

When the New York Post’s Stephanie Smith began her food blog, 300 Sandwiches, it raised some eyebrows. The blog, which chronicles her road to engagement by way of cooking, was built upon a promise her boyfriend, Eric Shulte  made to her after she cooked him a memorably delicious sandwich.

“Honey,  this is the best sandwich ever!” he exclaimed in between bites so rapid in succession,  the sandwich was gone in minutes. And then,  he dropped a bomb me: “You’re, like, 300 sandwiches away from an engagement ring.”

That was it—a proposal hinged on me making him sandwiches.

She writes in the introduction that when she chose to accept his challenge, she was met with a little uncertainty by friends and family members. Those around her asked if turning his exaggerated quip into a full scale blog was too “Stepford Wife” and made her seem desperate for a proposal. Others who got wind of the blog recently called her “an antifeminist.”

She and Eric (who she frequently calls just “E.” on the blog) insist that the blog is just for laughs, and a fun way to document their relationship and their shared love of bread, meat and cheese. But what the couple, and many of the critics of the blog even, missed is the deeper racial implications behind its premise. Stephanie Smith is an African-American female. Eric Shulte is a white male. Although interracial relationships are becoming increasingly more accepted, there is still a great deal of seedy history that exists between unions of their kind. Add to that the countless hurtful sayings used against women involving cooking (see: “barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen” or “shut up and go make me a sandwich”) and it’s easy to understand why some might find 300 Sandwiches cringeworthy.

Watch their interview on The Today Show here.

Wanna talk about reading? Let’s talk about reading, darling! This week in celebrity quotes, Jill Scott sets the record straight on her beef with Anita Baker, Taye Diggs reveals his “man crushes” on national television, and Samuel L. Jackson isn’t afraid to use the N-word. Plus, Issa Rae reveals who gave her hope for a singing career. And Damon Wayans said what?! AND I QUOTE …

“I didn’t punch Anita Baker in the face! That’s a terrible lie. We had a disagreement, yeah. Who would swing on Anita Baker?” 

Jill Scott discussing her rumored beef with R&B legend Anita Baker, which stemmed from a VH1 “Divas Live” event, on Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club.

Source

“#Emmys it’s a damn shame that there are more black people in the White House than there is in the entire Prime Time TV line up in network and cable television!”

Damon Wayans blasting the Emmy Awards for their lack of diversity and promotion of “whiteness,” via Twitter.

RELATED: And The Emmy Award For Misplaced Anger Goes To…

“Damn Uncle Sam, why you wanna stick me for my paper? Lol, nice try bloggers. It’s already been settled. Strippers need tax breaks too.”

K. Michelle responding to a $52,000 tax lien from Uncle Sam, via Instagram.

“If I were to go that route, I would say Tyson Beckford is handsome and robust … Boris Kodjoe has a good look.”

Taye Diggs revealing his straight man crushes to host Andy Cohen, in response to a caller’s question on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live.” 

Source

“In elementary, Whitney’s ‘Bodyguard’ album made me realize I couldn’t sing. In high school, Ashanti’s album made me think I had a shot.”

Issa Rae, who is gearing up for her show with Shonda Rhimes, revealing her childhood dreams and sprinkling a little shade at Ashanti , via Twitter.

“These 20-somethings can’t turn around and tell me the word ni**er is f*cked-up in Django yet still listen to Jay Z or whoever else say ‘ni**er, ni**er, ni**er’ throughout the music they listen to.”

Samuel L. Jackson lashing out at all the critics, especially W. Kamau Bell, on who has the right to say the N-word,  in an exclusive interview with Playboy

Source

“I mean, I wasn’t ready to go run naked in the streets. Let’s make that clear.”

Oprah Winfrey admitting to having a nervous breakdown last year due to the struggles of OWN, in an interview with The Hollywood reporter via The Independent

Source

American fashion designer Rick Owens caused quite the uproar Thursday afternoon with his Paris Fashion Week showing. Instead of choosing the normative tall, thin and pale models to display his Spring/Summer 2014 Ready-To-Wear collection, Owens cast a predominantly Black, mostly curvy dance team. The performers were recruited from the U.S., and were hailed by journalists, critics and bloggers for exposing the international fashion world to the historic art form.

Stepping, which draws its roots from African and pre-Emancipation dancing, is most commonly performed by Black Greek organizations under the National Pan-Hellenic Council at various events, like probate shows and competitions. Groups can be seen stomping, clapping and using their bodies as percussive instruments, in addition to marching, walking in closely connected formations and making intimidating faces.

Rick Owens’ models did all of this, while walking down an elaborate stage in front of a packed crowd. Those who identify closely with stepping in its main form saw the show through a slightly different lens. They felt like the performance failed to educate viewers about where the choreography comes from, which is why some news outlets used words like “tribal dancing” to describe it. Others, who belong to NPHC organizations, believed the moves were a complete ripoff of the culture they belong to. But the general sentiment was that Owens’ decision was a bold celebration of both racial and body diversity, on the heels of heated debate over the lack of such diversity in fashion. Observers quoted Nina Simone, calling the models “young, gifted & Black.”

By Alex Holmes

Alex Holmes is appalled by descriptive phrases like “Black or Black Black?” It assumes a light-skinned supremacy and a hierarchy of racism.

At school, there was this overwhelming sentiment of light-skinned supremacy rippling through the corridors and classrooms, manifesting its way into our subconscious actions and further more inflating, and more fatally, destroying self esteem.

These feelings of preference over dark-skinned Black people by their light-skinned affected both sexes, yet as a dark-skinned Black man it would be fitting of me to speak about what I have experienced and how that changed my perception of my own identity.

First, let me talk about a documentary called Dark Girls that I watched over the summer. This documentary was about the overwhelming inferiority, internalized racism within the Black community and the destructive result it has on the self-esteem of young Black women growing up in a society which favors light/white skin over dark.

Sitting down with my sister and watching this powerful documentary it was hard not to feel a strong hatred to society, and as an older brother I wanted to shield my sister from the harsh truths that this world can deliver. She had to watch this documentary.

She was upset and confused as to why people would hate being a certain hue, have kinky hair and even go to the great extent of relaxing and bleaching young children’s hair. I smiled at her, because I could see a spark of indignation manifesting within her, and somewhere inside of me I just knew that she would be just fine.

[Image: Shutterstock]

When I was 14 or 15, dallying in playground politics and other nonsensical customs, I realized something strange among the circle of friends I chose to keep. It was subtle at first, but being the relatively self-conscious guy that I was I noticed pretty quickly that girls’ attitudes towards me and some other boys were changing.

Patience was shortened; time wasn’t to be wasted on us. It was subtle at first because the conversations would be getting shorter and shorter until there wasn’t any at all, an animosity I couldn’t understand—so I began an investigation. I began to pry into what the Black girls in our group were talking about, and it was then that these words could not have rung truer: ignorance is bliss.

The Black girls in my year were remarkably cutting out a group of us darker skinned guys and focusing all their attention on the lighter skinned Black boys who, I imagined, they felt to be more of a masculine group of men. They liked the hue, the hair, the devil-may-care attitude. The light skinned boys in my year, and a few dark skinned who capitalized on their popularity, were the womanizers, the roadman, the young guys who would be rapping in the playground with their groupies and an audience.

The rest of us? We were on the outskirts, wondering why we couldn’t be a part of the group.

I had been told by one of my friends before previously, after making a flippant comment, as was common in those days, that I was never going to be like one of those other guys because they “just look nicer.” Imagine what that could do to my ego and my self-esteem as an adolescent boy and as a result I began to build up a vendetta against light skinned and mixed race people, because I instantly thought that they believed that they were better than I was, they had Black girls on their side and I needed someone to hate. This, come to think of it, is probably why I have such a preference for darker skinned women than fairer skinned women in our community.

To add to the hate, I was stopped at a bus stop on the way home from school with my friend who was mixed race, and verbally abused by an African woman who shouted at me on the street telling me that I was too Black, that my nose was too big, and that I should bleach my skin to look better. This woman bleached her own skin, wore weaves, and had a broad nose—I was ashamed for her.

I associated fairer skin with envy, ego, greed, and generally having everything that I ever wanted: attention.

It wasn’t until I left that environment and ventured out to university that I discovered that there was more to the story. When I hear white people commenting on the state of Black people and the prevalent of colorism, I stand amused and appalled by the opinions I hear.

I’ve heard them say that they “can tell” when someone is mixed race, or adhere to the notion that mixed race and light skin “looks better, no offense” or even when you’re describing a Black person they question “Black or Black Black?”

When I hear comments like these I cringe and something inside of me wants to grab hold of ignorant throats and make sure they can never utter such words again. Why? Because it’s views like these that caused my ancestors to amplify colorism to the degree it is at today.

As I am now, I am a proud Black man standing strong at a majestic six-foot-three who has had to develop his confidence with age.

To reach this stage was a journey that so many cannot afford to make. There needs to be an addressing of these issues that young Black people face. The media and social constructs have engaged the Black community in such an abyss of self-hate, that it is no surprise that young Black males have such a huge identity crisis, implicating our Black women and consequently our children.

Oh and what happened to the light skinned boys from school? I don’t know. They all seem to have become the latest statistic in a society that does not work in their favor. A shame, really, that there couldn’t have been something better to say.

Originally appeared on The Good Men Project

Read more from our partner The Good Men Project

Also read The Rape Nobody Talks About

By Lianne Farbes of The Makeup Girl

Fall is by far my favorite season. It not only brings a change in the weather, but it also brings changes for your hair and skin too! It’s important to switch your routine up and take care of your skin, tresses, and body, so you can look and feel your best. Here are a few fall beauty secrets using some of my favorite brands.

1. Hair can get dry and it’s important to keep your hair soft and free of breakage. Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Leave-In H2 Conditioner ($8) will leave your hair feeling like silk without build-up, dryness, or frizz.

2. Now that summer is over, the time you spent in the sun can leave behind dry skin. Exfoliation is always important. I recommend Restorsea’s Reviving Cleanser ($65). With regular use you will see brighter and more even looking skin.

3. I love primers and the look you can get from them, but sometimes they can look heavy. Cover FX Mattifying Primer w/Anti-Acne Treatment ($38) is a lightweight, water-resistant primer that keeps skin matte while minimizing fine lines and pores.

4. Changes in seasons can be hard on your skin, as well as your body. Keep the evil germs away and your immune system protected with a dose of eBoost ($28 for a box of 20 packets). A blend of vitamins, minerals, and super-nutrients works from within to give you a natural lift.

5. One of my favorite products for fall is a night cream. Your skin needs to repair itself in the evenings, using a night cream is an imperative step, especially if you are over 30. Restorsea Restoring Night Cream ($175) provides intense hydration, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and minimizes redness and irritation.

6. One thing I like to do on a weekly basis is deep condition my hair. In the fall, I pack on a deep conditioner (especially on my ends) like Elasta QP Soy Oyl Moisture-Rich Deep Conditioner ($8). It contains Omegas 3 and 6, as well as a vitamin-rich soy protein that penetrates faster and deeper into hair for the maximum protection against breakage, split-ends, and dryness.

Yesterday must have been an exciting day for the creator of “Scandal.”

President Barack Obama announced that he has appointed Shonda Rhimes to the board of trustees at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (and the new season of  ”Grey’s Anatomy,” which Rhimes also created, premiered).

As a part of her appointment, Rhimes will work alongside First Lady Michelle Obama and the other trustees to maintain the Kennedy Center and its site, which produces multimedia performances. Other appointees include David Rubenstein, Alexandra Stanton, Amalia Pera Mahoney, Frank Islam and Walter Ulloa.

“I am grateful that these impressive individuals have chosen to dedicate their talents to serving the American people at this important time for our country. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead,” President Obama said via a White House statement.

The Golden Globe-winning writer and producer’s production company, Shondaland, produces “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice,” and “Scandal,” which qualify her for the position at the Kennedy Center.

Rhimes contributed to President Obama’s campaign fund and volunteered at a phone bank during his re-election.

Taraji P. Henson, has teamed with Jergens’ to empower West African women and celebrate women’s radiance through Jergens’ new shea butter collection.

Henson loves Shea butter and uses it daily, now she lends her voice to pass on her radiance.

In the video above, award-winning Henson narrates Jergens’ short film chronicling the daily lives of the women who collect and harvest Shea nuts known as Women’s Gold. These Shea nuts eventually become Shea butter, renown for it’s radiance-boosting benefits. Shea Butter serves as a means for these women to provide for their families.

Speaking with Glamour, Henson says her West African roots and Jergens’ support of these women, excites her to lend a voice to enable these women to “be a little more economically independent”.

Jergens’ partnership with support of the Global Shea Alliance, supports 16 million West African women and will use the funds to build warehouses so more product can be harvested.

Jergens® Shea Butter Collection is available Oct 1st.

We all make excuses for not going to the gym, and most of the time it has to do with our schedules. Many obstacles and obligations, like car-pooling the kids to sports activities, running daily errands, and rushing from one thing to the next can be a real challenge. Try creating a schedule that makes sense for you; one that allows you to wake up earlier or plan a quick 30-minute workout every day after work to get started.

This sample schedule might give you options of where you can fit a workout into your “9 to 5 lifestyle”:

• 5 a.m.: Wake up and eat a nutritious breakfast
• 6 a.m.: Workout
• 7:30 a.m.: Take kids to school or if no kids, continue to work out and eat
• 9:00 a.m.: Work day begins
• Noon: Lunch break and a nice walk around the neighborhood
• 3 p.m.: 15 minute break, have a protein snack and perform little stretching exercises
• 5 p.m.: Head to after-school activities with the kids or take time out for yourself
• 7 p.m.: Dinner
• 8 p.m.: Leisure activities such as television, reading, etc.
• 9 or 9:30 p.m.: Protein snack
• 10 or 11 p.m.: sleep

* Remember these are just suggestions, not guidelines to follow. If you need help getting started with a daily plan of fitting healthy habits into your lifestyle give it a try, but remember you can make changes suitable to your needs.

[Image: Shutterstock]

A flesh-eating, homemade drug has surfaced in the U.S. and landed two users in an Arizona hospital.

The appearance of Krokodil, Russian for “crocodile,” a street drug used as a substitute for heroin, comes a decade after being discovered in Russia. Medical professionals at Banner Poison Control Center in Phoenix were alarmed by the two cases and are spreading the word about the drug’s lethal effects.

Although inexpensive compared to heroin, the drug has costly long-term effects. Krokodil, once injected, burns off the body’s fat and rots the flesh. The sores from the drug leave users with skin resembling that of a crocodile, which can be seen in these other disturbing images.

The drug has a codeine base and then is infused with ingredients easily available at home improvement stores. The types of chemicals used include “things like hydrochloric acid. Some have used paint thinners, gasoline and other stuff that includes phosphorous,” Dr. Frank LoVecchio, co-medical director at Banner Poison, Drug and Information Center said.

The life expectancy of a user is two years, according to LoVecchio.

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has monitored the drug since 2011, but has not released a statement on an active investigation into how the drug appeared in America.

According to ABC News, Leslie Bloom, CEO of DrugFreeAZ.org, says Krokodil use is not an outbreak to be fearful of.

When you add more than one healthy food into one meal or snack, it gives you more bang for your buck — nutrition-wise. Food synergy is what it’s called, and the more food synergy you have, the more the body will benefit. We all want our bodies to keep up with our lifestyle, so try a couple of these combos, along with exercising, and see if you feel more energetic:

Before exercising: You need energy to get through your workout session, so try a combination of spinach and blueberries in a smoothie. Blend all ingredients together, digest, and get fit!

• 1 ½ cups coconut water
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ Cup plain low-fat greek yogurt
• 1 Cup packed baby spinach
• 2 Tablespoon unsalted almonds
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 2/3 Cup frozen blueberries

After exercising: Studies have shown that a whole grain cereal and low fat, reduced, or skim milk can help with muscle recovery. Of course, try to avoid high-sugar cereals, like Frosted Flakes or Golden Crisp, and go for cereals containing whole grains and few grams of sugar. This will prevent adding fat calories from sugar back into your body.

At night: No eating right before bed, unless it’s something healthy and at least 30 minutes before bed time. A study from Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise concluded that some protein before bed will also help in muscle recovery, in addition to your after workout recovery meal. A good combination of food for this is plain Greek yogurt and hemp seeds, which will pack in a ton of protein while you’re sleeping through the night.

*For more on healthy food combos, check out IDEA Fitness Journal, April 2013 edition

[Image: Shutterstock]

I don’t know about y’all, but I miss remixes.

There is a fine art to taking a song and completely changing its musical tone to create something related, but completely different. It’s awesome. A lot of times, the remix becomes a quick favorite over the original song. The Notorious B.I.G‘s “One More Chance (Remix)” featuring Faith Evans?! I mean c’mon — that song was it! Or when Jagged Edge pulled Run DMC out of their hats for the “Let’s Get Married” remix? I daresay that’s become a staple at weddings way above and beyond the original.

Nowadays however, artists throw another rapper or three on the same damn song and call it a remix. Oh. How. Exciting. Now there are five of them hollering on a track as opposed to two. Brilliant.

Don’t get me wrong, there have been some epic verses that have come out of these additions, but it’s just not the same. The last real remix I can remember hearing on the radio is the Usher and Beyoncé “Love In This Club” remix — and that was a good five years ago!

The word “remix” itself suggests that the music is mixed again. Redo the instrumentals. Add or subtract some bass. Do something! It just seems so lazy to lay down a vocal over the same damn track and call it a remix. That’s just an add on.

Here’s my plea to artists out there: Come harder. Put your production team to work. Lay down entirely new vocals and write new lyrics. Fulfill the actual promise that little five-letter word brings, so the next time I hear “reeeeemiiiiiiiix,” I know something good is coming.

Courtesy of Ebony.com

There’s an online petition leveled against EURWeb over writer Cory Alexander Haywood’s Black woman-bashing piece, “The Black Hat: Hey Sisters, Feel Free to Pursue White Men; They Don’t Want You Anyway.” The petition, which calls for FBI intervention, is a wee bit too hyperbolic for my linking and reads as one of those unfortunate forms of virtual protests that I have often complained about in the past. Still, even if I don’t agree with the petitioner’s methodology, the anger that spawned it is justified.

Haywood’s essay is more than worthy of public griping and deserving every form of damning reasonable people can think of. It’s a stupid piece of work from an ignorant man looking for the sort of attention he evidently didn’t get enough in other areas in his tragic life that has gave way to such hateful views of the women in his community. A Black man clutching patriarchy more lovingly than a Black woman is not a new concept, but the desperation many outlets have with regards to netting web clicks has given it a new life. If you told me I had six seconds to end that life, I’d say, “Hand me the knife.”

Keep reading …

[Image: Shutterstock]

Celebrities Vs. Paparazzi

Pose for the camera now click, click. That is unless you’re a celebrity who hasn’t mastered the art of skillfully avoiding the paparazzi. This week wasn’t good for the celebrity/paparazzi relationship. Alec Baldwin was caught hurling homophobic slurs at the paparazzi on camera, of course, Tom Cruise suggested that Katie Holmes used the paparazzi as ammo in their divorce, and Kanye West allegedly beat up two paparazzi in Austin, Texas over the weekend.

We revisit these and some infamous celebrity showdowns with the paparazzi.

Alec Baldwin seems to have forgotten that those paparazzi cameras often come with microphones. This week he was caught by TMZ calling a pap a “c**k-sucking f*g.”

Just five months ago, Baldwin hurled homophobic slurs to violently threaten a British reporter.

Kanye West was mistaken for beating up two paparazzi in Austin, Texas in a viral video that circulated on the Internet. People may have thought West was involved in the incident because of his recent altercations with the paps. Earlier this week he pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor battery and attempted grand theft stemming from a scuffle with a celebrity photographer this year.

Britney Spears‘ 2007 meltdown had more than a couple interesting run-ins with the law. After shaving off her hair, Britney was seen shoving an umbrella through the car of a celeb photog.

Pint-sized singer Justin Beiber lashed out at the paparazzi, and his entourage had to hold him back from physically assaulting the cameraman.

“American Idol” alumni Adam Lambert engaged in an altercation with the paparazzi, but later denied any battery allegations.

Lily Allen is no stranger to drama after releasing her controversial video this week that criticizes the music industry’s portrayal of young women. She apparently dislikes being photographed by the paps, as well. Allen is known to kick and scream when her photo is taken without permission.

RELATED: Lily Allen Responds To Allegations Of Racism Against Black Women In Her ‘Hard Out Here’ Video

Sean Penn encountered paparazzi hiding in his hotel bedroom and dangled the cameraman from his ninth-floor balcony. That’s gangsta!

Tom Cruise led the paparazzi on a 20-minute high-speed chase through Manhattan with his daughter Suri in tow. How bad do those paparazzi want those pictures?

Halle Berry argued for stronger paparazzi laws after enduring strong-willed photogs clamoring for pictures of her and daughter Nahla. In an incident caught on video, Berry demands the paps to back up, as she is attempting to exit a restaurant with Nahla. “This is my child for God’s sake!” she yells. The police had to intervene and clear a path for her to walk. During a child custody dispute with Nahla’s father Gabriel Aubry, Berry went as far as to petition the court to allow her to move to France with her daughter, in a vain attempt to free them from the paparazzi’s tyranny.

Courtesy of YourTango

The bad news: men lie and keep secrets from the women they love. The good news: They’re not doing it to hurt you, in fact more often than not, they’re doing it because they’re either insecure or trying to protect you, according to YourTango Expert Abby Rodman, author of Should You Marry Him?

In Kelly Hunter’s romantic thriller What the Bride Didn’t Know, Lena and Adrian have known each other since childhood. Although the attraction between the two is palpable, Adrian knows Lena is off limits, after all she’s the little sister of his best friend Jared. Now, all three work together as officers in the special ops and Lena and Adrian are sent on a top-secret mission to Istanbul where they must pretend to be married. An unexpected twist compels Adrian to keep a secret from Lena so big, that coming clean could destroy both their worlds.

Keep reading …

Read more from our partner YourTango:

‘Marriage Isn’t For You’ Guy Earns Praise For Not Being A Jerk

24 Signs You May Be Addicted To ‘Scandal’

What Real Men Want (Hint: It’s More Than Great Sex)

[Image: Shutterstock]

The Braxton Family Values returns just in time for the holidays to spread the Christmas spirit – and drama.

Trina teeters on “thickerization” as she is eating her feelings in light of an impending divorce from Gabe.

Traci attempts to shift the spotlight from the rumors of her husband’s infidelity to her “splenderization” of weight loss. Traci will confront Towanda for opening up to the cameras about her husband’s infidelity before discussing this with Traci.

Toni Braxton and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds hit the studio to record the first single ‘Hurt You’ from their duet album being released in February 2014. Toni tells Babyface women hope their men “catch a disease” after breaking her heart. Just a little something that causes some pain but not deadly.

Tamar Braxton is attempting to balance a #1 album and career she’s always wanted with the unexpected birth of her second son Logan.

The Braxtons also are prepared to keep you in the Christmas mood. Tamar Braxton has released her first Christmas album, Winter’s Loversland, while Toni Braxton and Kenneth Babyface Edmonds released a Christmas duet Have Yourself A Merry Christmas.

“This is the Black Pack,” writer/director Lee says of his cast in The Best Man and The Best Man Holiday. “This is a collection of really, really talented actors who embodied themselves in the first movie.”

For Lee, The Best Man, starring Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Monica Calhoun, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Melissa De Sousa, Harold Perrineau, Regina Hall and Terrence Howard, struck a chord when it was released in 1999 because “It was a movie that spoke to a generation of African Americans, people who were educated, who were sophisticated, who were straight out of college and had had experiences, people who didn’t strictly define themselves as black. They were just sort of everyday Americans,” he continues. “So I think that was refreshing for our audience who had not seen themselves like that on the big screen.”

As for the follow-up, The Best Man Holiday, which reveals unexpected but realistic twists and turns as the characters truly reunite for the holidays, Lee admits that the studio was a little nervous at first “because it’s a departure from the first one.” Feeling that the departure was very necessary, however, Lee stuck to his guns. “Literally, we have life and death issues right here,” he says. So, he and his cast decided “let’s just grow. Let’s not do the same thing. Let’s do it. Let’s do it very well.”

And he truly thinks audiences will not mind. “It’s still fun. It’s still funny. The characters are still engaging,” he says of the sequel. “People love these characters and, whatever situation we put them in, I think people will be engaged by it.

Will Smith has lined up his next role in the Shawn Levy-directed adventure flick City That Sailed, according to Deadline.

The film centers on a father and daughter on the island of Manhattan as it breaks loose and sails across the Atlantic Ocean. The project has been in development for several years, with Smith as a top choice.

The decision on who will play Smith’s daughter is up in the air.

Audrey Wells (Under the Tuscan Sun) is penning the script while Smith and James Lassiter‘s Overbrook Entertainment will produce.

There is no word on when production will begin.

Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

Remember when a New York Post reporter wrote about making her boyfriend 300 sandwiches in exchange for an engagement ring? Looks like Stephanie Smith will keep busy until that day finally comes. She’s just signed a deal with Random House’s Zinc Ink for a book inspired by her sandwich adventures.

Continue at Vibe Vixen…