*UPDATED: Pilar Sanders was arrested for domestic violence late Monday night for allegedly attacking Deion Sanders in their suburban Dallas home.

Deion told TMZ she was taken to the hospital immediately after the altercation, but was arrested and sent to the Colin County Jail where she was booked for “assault family violence.”

Deion alleges he did not harm Pilar during the incident and only “defended” himself until he was able to call the police.
_______
Early Monday evening, Deion Sanders got on the Twitter bullhorn to report allegedly getting jumped by his ex-wife, Pilar Sanders, at his suburban Dallas home.

Pray for me and my kids now! They just witnessed their mother and a friend jump me in my room. She’s going to jail n I’m pressing charges!

— DeionSanders (@DeionSanders) April 23, 2012

I’m sad my boys witnessed this mess but I warned the police department here that she was gone try n harm me and my boys. This is on my mama!

— DeionSanders (@DeionSanders) April 23, 2012

Sanders confirmed to TMZ.com that “Pilar was kicking, biting, and scratching him in front of his sons.”  He also claims to have “merely defended himself until he was able to call police.”

yfrog.com/o0547uj filling out police reports now! Thank God for this platform to issue the Truth.

— DeionSanders (@DeionSanders) April 23, 2012

Do you think Deion Sanders should have put the details of this incident on Twitter?

By Anita Kopacz

We all need somebody to lean on…

Community support is a priceless gem that can often be overlooked in today’s society. We are so concentrated on the victories of the individual that we forget that we are a unit of humanity. The reality is those victorious individuals will all tell you that they could not achieve anything without the help of their ‘village’.

Community support is a practice. It is not something we call upon only in need. This kind of support must be nurtured and loved. You must put in the time and energy to create the group of people that can push you to achieve your dreams. The synergy of the group will always be greater than the sum of its parts. If you create the right network, there are no limits to your success.

The Harlem Renaissance is a perfect example of a group of people that united for change and expression. Their collective became a movement, and that movement changed the world.

We are all closer than we think to our dreams… we just cannot do it alone. Open up to the community around you and share your goals. You might just be in the right place at the right time.

In honor of supporting your community, click here for our Well-Life Maintenance Goals for April.

Welcome to Uplift at UPTOWN. If you are just joining us this week, my name is Anita Kopacz. I am an author and spiritual adviser with a passion to see people thrive! Collective energy possesses a divine power that can remove stubborn obstacles and open locked doors. My intention is to join our UPTOWN family in spirit and forge our return to healthy living. With the Well-Life Maintenance Program, together we will take small steps in four areas of our lives to improve our quality of living. The four areas include Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, and Physical. You can find more in my book, Finding Your Way: Alphabetical Keys to the Divine.

Having a closet filled with basic pieces is always great for maximizing your wardrobe. But living in them everyday—BORING! When spring rolls around and the weather begins to get warm, it’s time to swap out a few of your fundamentals for statement-making prints. Yes, your closet yawned and it’s craving a little print action. Even if you typically shy away from prints as a result of their loud and boisterous nature, there’s bound to be a floral, tribal or abstract pattern waiting for you—just think of the serene characteristic of Monet’s Water Lilies as inspiration.

by N. Jamiyla Chisholm

Jerry LaMothe wanted to be an actor. “In 1999, I attended Robert Townsend’s boot camp for actors in L.A., and Townsend said, ‘Actors of color cannot rely solely on acting. You have to be writers, directors, producers.’ He then said, ‘If no one in this room comes back with a film next year, then you’re not serious.’ I remember turning around and wondering who that person was. The next year it was me.”

The 39-year-old Brooklynite with Haitian roots learned to shoot his first film, Amour Infinity, by studying in a corner of a bookstore. While working as a medical technician, the budding filmmaker wrote his script longhand and shot it on a $45,000 budget. Seven years later, he was back behind the camera directing an impressive cast for the dramatic film Blackout. Legendary director Melvin Van Peebles signed on first, followed by Zoë Saldana and Jeffrey Wright.

A pre-Avatar Saldana, who plays an editor at UPTOWN magazine in the movie, remained loyal to Blackout even after funding fell through. It took LaMothe another two years and Jeffrey Wright for production to continue. “I was underground on the train and my phone rang. The voice said, ‘Hey man, it’s Jeffrey. I read the script, and I’m gonna do it.’” Wright also executive produced. Blackout explores what happened in one neighborhood during the August 2003 Northeast blackout. LaMothe started writing after hearing about a stabbing of a 17-year-old just one hour after the lights went out.

When he began writing 2011’s The Tombs, a half-hour short that follows a Brooklyn man on a three-day journey through Manhattan’s infamous central holding building, he painted an autobiographical picture. “The first time I went through the Tombs, I was unaware how it’s become a rite of passage in New York City; from top executives to lawyers to your grimy street thug, we’ve all been through the system.”

 The Tombs—coproduced with his girlfriend, Basketball Wives’ star Tami Roman—has been nominated for a 2012 Black Reel Award and there’s strong buzz for an African Movie Academy Award. Hollywood could come knocking soon, as his name is the latest considered to direct the highly anticipated Tupac biopic. Fans of prolific writer Edwidge Danticat will someday soon see her book The Dew Breaker on the screen, possibly envisioned by her Haitian kinsman.

“I think Chris Rock summed it up: Our white counterparts can get away with mediocrity, but not us,” says LaMothe. “We have to be exceptional, and I accepted that responsibility a long time ago.”

WARNING: The following video is not a lost Dave Chappelle skit. This is real.

Brian McKnight, known for his sweet songs of love and romance, stepped out of his lane Monday night to preview new material for his forthcoming “adult mixtape.” The raunchy lyrics suggesting “Let me show you how your p*ssy works” is a far cry from his “One Last Cry” past.

After much criticism, McKnight pulled the clip from YouTube and replaced the tune with a “safe song.” He explained via Twitter:

“Funny how most of these folks have never been on my timeline when i wrote safe songs hmmmmm one sex filled song and im trending lol [...] its [sic] sad that this is what i had to do to get most of these people to even acknowledge me.”

Somebody give this man a hug.

Courtesy of VIBE.com

When Metta World Peace threw down a thunderous dunk over Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka during Sunday night’s Los Angeles Lakers win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, we knew we’d be seeing highlights of it all day yesterday. But, what we didn’t know was that we’d be seeing it over and over (and over!) again, not because of the actual dunk, but because of the celebration afterwards. Whether you think the player formerly known as Ron Artest did it on purpose or not, World Peace’s celebration involved him cocking his elbow back, running by Thunder guard James Harden, and unloading a vicious elbow to the back of his head. For doing it, he earned a Flagrant 2 foul, an immediate ejection from the game, the scorn of millions of NBA fans, and, of course, a pending suspension from the league.

It’s safe to say that that was not what World Peace intended after he threw down his dunk. He probably had visions of the No. 1 spot on ESPN’s SportsCenter dancing around in his head. But, believe it or not, these kinds of celebratory fails happen more often than you’d probably think. And, to prove it, we put together a list of 10 Sports Celebrations That Went Horribly Wrong. After what he pulled on Sunday night, World Peace is in some pretty bad company with a bunch of other guys who made the highlight reels for all the wrong reasons.

Continue at VIBE.com!

Will Smith makes power moves. Jay-Z makes power moves. Now, the businessmen are doing it together, again.

According to AllHipHop.com, the pair are among a group of investors who are backing new video sharing application, Viddy.

Related: Diddy, Jay-Z Lead ‘The Forbes Five,’ Who Follows?

The new app, similar to the photo sharing app Instagram, is exclusively for iPhone and allows users to create small videos to share with friends. Viddy has more than 10 million registered users and reportedly brings in 300,000 new members a day.

Brett O’Brien, founder of Viddy, told the New York Times that the deal includes Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment, Jay-Z’s Rock Nation artist Shakira and Twitter founder Biz Stone as new investors. O’Brien hopes the star power will boost the popularity of the application.

Related: Will Smith Becomes Part-Owner Of Philadelphia 76ers

“Shakira has 40 million fans on Facebook and she is huge in Latin America,” he said. “I’m pretty sure this will help us get bigger in Latin America.”

This isn’t the first time the entertainment moguls have worked together; Will, Jay-Z and Jada Pinkett Smith signed on to produce the Broadway musical Fela! in 2009.

Black Excellence.

Let’s face it, perfect parents don’t exist. Every guardian has done a questionable thing or two when rearing their offspring. Still, there are a few things parents should never, ever do. Since you’ve been keeping up with the news – and the timelines of friends of friends – some of these scenarios will surely sound familiar.

If you know someone who commits one of these following offenses, it’s time to revoke their parent card.

#1 – You Attack Your Spouse/Baby Mother Or Father in Front of Your Children

Police recently arrested Pilar Sanders, Deion Sander’s estranged wife, for assault. She allegedly broke into the Hall of Fame cornerback’s home and attacked him in front of their children. No matter what the circumstances, family violence charges are never a good look.

In this “post-racial” society a new study finds that poor service while dining out might have more to do with the color of your skin than with an unusually moody waiter.

Sarah Rusche, a Ph.D. candidate in sociology at North Carolina State, found that nearly two-fifths of waiters surveyed admitted to treating customers differently depending on their race.

“Many people believe that race is no longer a significant issue in the United States,” she said. “But the fact that a third of servers admit to varying their quality of service based on customers’ race, often giving African-Americans inferior service, shows that race continues to be an issue in our society.”

The study, published in the Journal of Black Studies, took a sample of 200 servers at 18 different restaurants in the state. 38.5 percent of waiters, mostly White, said they lowered their quality of service to Black customers because they assumed them to be less polite and poor tippers.

More than 50 percent of those surveyed said they have witnessed their colleagues discriminate against Blacks, while nearly 90 percent said they have overheard co-workers gossiping about the race of their customers.

“‘Tableside racism’ is yet another example in which African-Americans are stereotyped and subsequently treated poorly in everyday situations,” Rusche said. “Race continues to be a significant barrier to equal treatment in restaurants and other areas of social life.”

What do you think?

It’s going to take a lot more than holding hands and personalized earrings (see next page) to convince Khloe Kardashian of the budding love between sister Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

The reality star shared her thoughts on Hollywood’s new “it” couple with Bravo’s Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live. While she admits their courtship is “cute,” she doesn’t believe it’s a full-blown relationship just yet.

“I don’t think it’s serious. I think it’s too soon,” she said. “But because they’re friends for so long, it’s just so easy and that’s something I love seeing about Kim. [...] It’s more of like a great friendship– and friendships make the best relationships.”

Whatever their status may be, the super celebs was spotted in New York City Monday night attending a dinner at Audemars Piguet. They were joined by fellow couple LaLa and Carmelo Anthony, along with friends Swizz Beatz, Amar’e Stoudemire, Baron Davis and more.

Later in the evening, Kim and Kanye met up with the rest of the Kardashian family– and rolling cameras– at Scott Disick‘s new Japanese restaurant opening.

Check out the best of KimYe after the jump!

Photos courtesy of The YBF/Splash

Source

Less than 24 hours after being arrested for “assault family violence” against Deion Sanders, Pilar Sanders has been released from jail.

Related: You Know You’re A Bad Parent When…

The estranged wife of the former NFLer was issued an emergency protective order, banning her from returning to the couple’s suburban Dallas home for the next 60 days.

According to TMZ, she is also “prohibited from threatening or harassing any member of the family.”

Pilar briefly spoke to reporters outside of the Texas jail upon her release.

“I am innocent. I understand that I have a very little chance at beating a Hall of Fame, two-sport man that everyone seems to love and adore,” she said. “I am a full-time mom 100 percent for my children and I have just not gotten a fair shake.”

Deion broadcast the alleged abuse Monday evening via Twitter stating, “Pray for me and my kids now! They just witnessed their mother and a friend jump me in my room. She’s going to jail n [sic] I’m pressing charges!” 

The couple, who have three children together, filed for divorced back in December.

By Chezon Jackson

Continuing the trend of staging classic Broadway works with all-black casts, acclaimed director Emily Mann helms Tennessee Williams’ masterfully iconic play A Streetcar Named Desire at the Broadhurst Theatre in April, starring Blair Underwood, Nicole Ari Parker, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Wood Harris.

Parker (Soul Food, Boogie Nights) portrays the conflicted upper-crust Southern belle Blanche DuBois, who clashes with Underwood’s working-class Stanley Kowalski.

In real life, the dedicated mother of two accepts the difficulties of juggling a family; advocating for her charitable spinabifida organization, Sophie’s Voice; creating and distributing her Save Your Do workout hair wrap; and rehearsing. Of course, she is excited about her newest venture. “You dream of it, but the idea of them casting an African-American in the role of Blanche on Broadway is overwhelmingly amazing. I waited 20 years for that phone call.”

Harris (Remember the Titans, The Wire) is eager to breathe new life into a familiar work. “It is a Pulitzer prize–winning piece of literature by arguably the greatest American playwright,” says Harris. “This play is Tony-worthy already. It just depends on how we step into these characters.” (streetcaronbroadway.com)

Beyonce has a new title to add to her résumé : World’s Most Beautiful Woman.

PEOPLE has crowned the 30-year-old singer with this year’s top title for their annual “Most Beautiful” issue.

“I feel more beautiful than I’ve ever felt because I’ve given birth,” Beyonce said. “I have never felt so connected, never felt like I had such a purpose on this earth.”

Related: Beyonce Posts Most Intimate Moments [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

The stylish mommy says she loves everything about her little bundle of joy Blue Ivy Carter, from changing diapers to seeing her legacy being carried out.

“The best thing about having a daughter is having a true legacy. The word ‘love’ means something completely different now,” she said.

In addition to tending to Ms. Blue, she and husband Jay-Z recently celebrated their fourth anniversary.

But playtime is over.

Beyonce is making her return to the stage Memorial Day Weekend at Ovation Hall in Atlantic City to celebrate Revel Beach’s new resort.

President Barack Obama (a.k.a. “The Preezy of the United Steezy”) kept a mean poker face during Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as he joined the comedic host and The Roots to “Slow Jam The News.”

The hilarious segment is a popular feature on the late night program and Obama fit right in as he addressed the crowd at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The night’s topic: student interest rates.

“Now is not the time to make school more expensive for our young people,” Obama said. Fallon followed: “Ohhh yeahhh. You should listen to the president.”

Despite the respectable, dignified attributes that a wool necktie grants, its presence is slightly displaced, given that winter has departed (we hope) for summer vacation. And regarding silk neckties, well, familiarity is wonderful if you are a stylish creature of habit, but sometimes a break from the norm isn’t bad either. True, many components of a gentleman’s wardrobe is subject to seasonal change, and his necktie should not be excluded. With your wool neckties hibernating until later this year and your silk companions showing notable signs of fatigue; perhaps it is time for a needed change. A cotton variation is where you want to begin. Yes, cotton my friend. Wear it, and wear well. Here are a few hot selections.

As the shock settles in over the firings of America’s Next Top Model‘s Nigel Barker, J. Alexander (“Miss J”) and Jay Manuel, creator and executive producer Tyra Banks is easing the blow with an explanation.

Related: Tyra Axes Nigel Barker, J. Alexander & Jay Manuel From ‘America’s Next Top Model’

“We reached a point, where were [sic] feel the show needs a new boost,” she told Access Hollywood . “[...] It’s very difficult because I love my guys, they’re my guys. They’ve been there since the beginning of the show.”

The series, currently in its eighteenth cycle, is looking to switch things up next season with a “social media slant” as reported by Page Six.

The news reached the masses last week via Banks’ official Facebook page. She stated:

“To my Nigel Barker, Miss J, and Mr Jay: Thank you for all of our years together on America’s Next Top Model. Working with you is always an absolute pleasure. Excited for what the future holds for us.”

Alexander and Manuel have been with the show since its inception in 2003; Barker joined the series in 2004.

Despite the shakeup, Banks maintains that she will work with the trio in the future.

“My partner Ken Mok and I have projects we’re developing, and we’re a family, it doesn’t end,” she said.

Tyra was on hand at TIME’s 100 Most Influential People In the World event Tuesday night in New York where she, Rihanna, Hillary Clinton and more were honored.

Ten years ago today, the music world lost the talent and vivacious spirit of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in a tragic car accident in La Ceiba, Honduras.

As one third of the diamond-selling girl group TLC, Lopes kept fans engaged with her slick rhymes and one-of-a-kind personality that will forever be remembered.

ESSENCE.com got the opportunity to chat with Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas as they reflect on the life of their fallen group member.

ESSENCE.com: Today marks 10 years since we lost Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in  a tragic car accident. What do you remember about that day?
T-BOZ: She died a day before my birthday. I  remember everything. I was with security in my Porsche and I said to them, “I  feel like I’m going to get in a wreck and I want to go home.” The driver said:  “Well, that’s on the other side of town.” I didn’t care; I wanted to go home. I  just felt something was going to happen to me, but it wasn’t me — it was Lisa. I  was sitting in a rocking chair in my daughter’s room after putting her down when  I got a call from Chilli. She was screaming. I had just gotten out the hospital  from fighting sickle cell so I had to be careful about getting upset. Everybody  was trying to keep me calm.

I remember staying up all night and Patti  Labelle and Missy Elliot calling me. Whitney Houston was at Lisa’s funeral. She  sat behind me and rubbed my shoulders for two hours, while telling me, “It’s  going to be okay, it’s going to be all right.” Right before that, I remember  Lisa played a trick where she went missing and nobody knew where she was. This  was the one time I wish she was joking and doing one of her stunts, but she  wasn’t.

ESSENCE.com: People playfully identified her as the crazy one in the  group because of the notable fire in 1994, among other things. What’s the  biggest misconception about Left Eye?
CHILLI: People didn’t understand how much of a  heart she really had and how passionate and giving she was. She might have come  across as someone who wanted to start trouble all the time, but that wasn’t it;  she just had a lot to say. Sometimes when you speak what’s on your mind — I’m  talking everything on your mind, and people can get a misconception of you. So  because she spoke her mind, all of the time, it caused people to misjudge her.

ESSENCE.com: Are we going to get another TLC album or a 20th anniversary  tour?
T-BOZ: Yes, we’re going on tour; we are in  negotiations now with LA. Reid, so we’ll see what happens. A lot of cool things  are coming up.
CHILLI: Another TLC album? Yes, that’s  for sure! We’ll have new music right after the movie drops. We have everybody  that was there with us from the beginning on board. We’ll definitely have a  tour; I just don’t know what we’ll call it yet.

Check out the full interview over at ESSENCE.com!

Courtesy of The Grio

WASHINGTON (AP) — Offering riffs on Mick Jagger and reflections on race, President Barack Obama is capping a week devoted to courting young votes with a Rolling Stone magazine cover interview that segues from presidential musings on politics to foreign policy to pop culture.

Related: Classic: President Obama Slow Jams The News [VIDEO]

Sounding an election-year theme, Obama tells the magazine that Mitt Romney can’t disavow the conservative views he embraced as candidate during the Republican presidential primaries. At the same time, Obama acknowledges that he, too, is struggling against public skepticism because of the slow economic recovery.

The interview, conducted earlier this month by Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, will appear in the issue of the magazine that hits newsstands Friday. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the interview ahead of publication.

For Obama, the magazine interview and its cover portrait will complete a week of outreach to young voters, including a two-day tour of three college campuses in key election swing states and an appearance on NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”

Analyzing the election campaign ahead of him, Obama avoided characterizing Romney as a flip-flopper, a common criticism Romney faced during the Republican primary contests, and instead tagged him as a candidate who willfully embraces the Republican Party’s most conservative views.

“I don’t think that their nominee is going to be able to suddenly say, ‘Everything I’ve said for the last six months, I didn’t mean,’” Obama said. “I’m assuming that he meant it. When you’re running for president, people are paying attention to what you’re saying.”

Continue at The Grio…

Less than a year after Tia Mowry-Hardrict gave birth to her son Cree, Tamera Mowry-Housley has announced she is pregnant with her first child.

Related: ‘Tia & Tamera’ Gear Up For Season Two On Style Network [PHOTOS]

“Adam and I are excited about having a baby and the blessing that he or she will bring to our lives and to our family and friends,” Mowry tells PEOPLE. ”We can’t wait to meet this little miracle!”

She and her husband Adam Housley are expecting the baby in early November.

The couple wed last May in Napa Valley, but made it very clear that they would hold off on starting a family. Now, all that has changed.

“The first trimester was a little rough. I was extremely fatigued and had morning sickness— more like evening sickness,” she said. “Luckily, it has subsided in my second trimester. I feel great as of now — more like myself.”

Related: It Runs In The Family: 15 Celebrity Siblings We Love [PHOTOS]

And how did Tia take the news?

“Her first reaction [when I called to tell her] was, ‘I KNEW it!’ Tia is beyond thrilled. Cree now has a play date in the future!”

Congratulations to the couple on their blessing!

Ready for a sizzling new take on Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, A Streetcar Named Desire?

Starring Blair Underwood, Nicole Ari Parker, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Wood Harris, this scintillating Streetcar brings a whole new rhythm to Williams’ enduring portrait of sex, class and secrets set in New Orleans.

Come feel the heat.  As part of the UPTOWN family,  you can save 35%  on your ticket purchase by using DISCOUNT CODE: ASFLY79

Buy online at BROADWAYOFFERS.COM or call 212-947-8844.

Front Orchestra and Front Mezzanine $79.50 to $89.50 (Reg. $120.50 -$131.50)

Rear Orchestra & Middle Mezzanine $69.50 (Reg. $86.50)

Rear Mezzanine $49.50 (Reg. $66.50)

Days/Times: Tues 7pm, Wed 2pm & 8pm, Thurs 7pm, Fri 8pm, Sat 2pm & 8pm, Sun 3pm

Offer valid on select performances and seat locations. Restrictions may apply.