The Guardian has obtained a police recording of North Charleston police officer Michael Slager laughing about his “adrenaline pumping” state immediately after shooting Walter Scott last Saturday.

On the leaked tape, a senior officer is briefing Slager on the protocol for a shooting, advising him that he’ll have plenty of time to get his story straight before he is questioned about what took place. “The last one we had, they waited a couple of days to interview officially, like, sit down and tell what happened,” the advising officer said. “By the time you get home, it would probably be a good idea to kind of jot down your thoughts on what happened. You know, once the adrenaline quits pumping.”

“It’s pumping,” Slager said, laughing. The senior officer jokingly replied: “Oh yeah. Oh yeah.”

Slager is also heard telling the caller, “He grabbed my taser, yeah. Yeah, he was running from me.” However, the bystander video that captured the incident seemingly shows Slager plant the taser near Scott’s body after the shooting to corroborate his story.

Slager is now facing murder charges.

By Caprece Cotton-Sturdivant

Tywin Lannister is dead and winter is still coming.

The season five premiere of Game of Thrones, titled “The Wars to Come,” starts with a flashback of a young Cersei Lannister going into the woods to consult a witch about her future. The Maggy the Frog insists that Cersei may not be pleased with what she hears, but Cersei persists. “Will I be queen?” she asks. “Yes, but then comes another to cast you down and take everything you hold dear,” says the fortune teller. Cersei, then, asks if she will have children? “You will have three, the king will have twenty” (tsk, tsk, Robert Baratheon), but their fate is not a good one. (Joffrey Baratheon makes one down, only two more of Cersei’s children to go?) This prediction haunts Cersei her entire life.

Back to present day and people have arrived from all over to pay their respects to the dearly departed Tywin. Cersei requests a moment alone with her father, whose body is being guarded by her brother Jaime Lannister. She seems more upset with Jaime, than she does with Tyrion, who actually did kill their father. “Tyrion may be a monster, but at least he killed our father on purpose,” rationalized Cersei. At her father’s wake she runs into her cousin and former lover Lancel, who has joined a religious order called The Sparrows, and apologizes for their affair, as well as his part in poisoning King Robert (no biggie, right?).

And where is Tyrion anyway? At last, we see him stuffed into a crate by Varys, who helped him escape from Westoros. Unpacked by Varys once they reach Erros and the first thing that came to my mind was how in the hell did he go to the bathroom? I’ll spare you the details, but it was pretty gross. Now that they’re “safe” (I use the word loosely because is anyone ever really safe on this show?) Varys can get to his plan to save Westeros by having Tyrion join forces with the mother of dragons Daenerys Targaryen, who hasn’t been feeling so “motherly” lately.

She’s had to lock away two of her dragons (the other is still missing after he killed a child) and one of her soldiers was killed in a brothel by the Sons of the Harpy, a group angry that she freed the slaves. It’s hard out here for a Targaryen.

Sansa Stark who has gone from a striking redhead to a brunette, presumably to hide her appearance, is still traveling west with Littlefinger to lands unknown. Or at least they are unknown to Sansa. When she does ask Littlefinger where they are headed he says, “A land so far from here even Cersei Lannister can’t get her hands on you.” As my mother would say, “I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him,” as he’s been the driving force behind much of the drama in Westeros.

Back at the wall, John Snow has been recruited by Stannis Baratheon to try and convince Mance Rayder, the king beyond the wall, to kneel at Stannis’ feet or face a fiery death. Mance chooses the latter even though he’ll face a dishonorable death of burning at the stake. We watch as they begin to burn him alive, Mance twisting in fear and horror, but before it gets really brutal John Snow takes mercy and shoots him through the heart with an arrow. I am sure Stannis will not be pleased.

There’s no mention of Arya Stark‘s fate, but you do see from previews of the next episode that our favorite Stark is alive and well into her journey to Braavos.

The twists, the turns, the power plays, this season of GoT may indeed be its very best.

Rapper Nelly, 40, is in deep trouble with the law after Tennessee police raided his tour bus over the weekend and uncovered marijuana, unregistered firearms and crystal meth.

Nelly’s bus was pulled over by Putnam County state troopers on Saturday morning for failure to display proper Department of Transportation (DOT) tags. That’s when the officers noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the bus, which gave them probable cause to search the vehicle. In it, they found a small plastic bag containing crystal meth, as well as a small amount of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia. The officers also confiscated numerous handguns, including a gold-plated 50-caliber Desert Eagle pistol, a 45-caliber Tarus pistol, and a 500 magnum Smith and Wesson.

Nelly, (whose real name is Cornell Hayes) and members of his entourage were arrested and booked at the Putnam County Jail. Nelly’s attorney Scott Rosenblum said in a statement:

“Nelly was one of several individuals that was on a tour bus that was stopped and searched while traveling through Tennessee. In fact, there had been 15-20 people that had access to the bus prior to the stop. Allegedly, a small quantity of contraband (MDMA aka Molly or Ecstasy) was discovered during the routine search. We are extremely confident that when the facts come out, Nelly will not be associated with the contraband that was allegedly discovered.”

A fatal car accident set off a tragic chain of events in Milwaukee on Saturday, leaving three people dead. A 40-year old motorist, Archie Brown Jr., was “assassinated” after accidentally hitting a 2-year old boy and a 15-year old boy was shot as well.

Police say the incident began when toddler Damani Terry wandered off into the street and was struck by a van driven by Brown, who reportedly got out of the vehicle and was shot within moments. Rasheed Chiles, the 15-year-old brother of Terry, was also shot on the scene. He later died at the hospital during surgery.

According to police, Chiles and Terry had been attending a party near where the crash occurred. Witnesses told police that Brown got out of the van immediately after hitting Terry and appeared upset as he stood over the boy’s body.

“Someone got angry,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett told reporters. “Someone took a gun and basically assassinated this gentleman.”

Brown’s father, Archie Brown Sr., shed some light on what allegedly happened to Chiles. He said that a neighbor had been driving with his son and told him that Chiles had stepped in trying to help. “He came over to assist Junior and while he was assisting him they were shot,” the elder Brown said, according to the Associated Press. “It’s a tough situation.”

No suspects have been arrested in relation to the shooting at this time.

The tragedy comes amid a huge spike in gun violence for Milwaukee. The deaths of Brown and Chiles contribute to the now 39 homicides on the books since the beginning of 2015, according to Barrett. At this same time last year, the city had only recorded 14 deaths.

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K.Michelle has come out on top in the lawsuit filed by her ex-boyfriend MeMpHiTz Wright for defamation, after she accused him of abusing her and embezzling money from her record deal. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the producer lost the case because he was unable to prove that her allegations were false. He was originally asking for $15 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages in the lawsuit.

The alleged violence in their relationship became public fodder when K.Michelle co-starred on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. She initially refrained from naming MeMpHiTz as the ex who’d allegedly physically abused her, but it wasn’t difficult for those in Atlanta’s entertainment scene to figure it out. That caused tension between K.Michelle and her cast members.

Though MeMpHiTz denied the allegations, authorities reasonably believed K.Michelle during production of LHHA and “they still do today,” according to the AJC. During the deposition, MeMpHiTz admitted to the physical altercation with the R&B singer back in 2009, and conceded that he “spent money from Jive Record’s budget for jewelry, not to help her career, and had sent a text message threatening to kill K. Michelle’s son.”

LHHA‘s Rasheeda Frost, reality star/singer Tamar Braxton (pictured above, right) and MeMpHiTz’s wife Toya Wright (pictured above, left) fiercely defended MeMpHiTz against K.Michelle’s allegations, but the drama apparently took a toll on Toya and MeMpHiTz’s marriage. According to Toya, MeMpHiTz wanted to appear on the VH1 reality show to share his side of the story, but Toya disliked that idea. The two are now separated.

Since the case has been over, a mutual friend of Tamar and Toya has come forward to call for the two to give a public apology to K.Michelle after all of the grief they gave her for allegedly lying about the abuse allegations.

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Ever since Jussie Smollett revealed that he was gay on The Ellen Show last month, Hollywood has certainly commended him on his courage to do so publicly, and the fans have been nothing more than proud of him. One fan, in particular, was so touched and moved by the Empire star’s bravery and comfort with his sexuality, that it inspired her to reconsider committing suicide.

During a recent signing for the popular television series, the female fan, who revealed her struggle with her sexuality, was able to tell Jussie just how much he had done for her.

“This girl came to a signing and she showed me she had cuts on her arm and said, I swear to God, she said she was about to commit suicide and just happened to see me on Ellen and it changed her life,” Jussie revealed to E! News.

The encounter was an emotional one for Jussie who confessed that he “literally started bawling” after hearing his fan’s story. “I am a little sucker for emotion…That stuff right there is crazy to think that you can have such a difference on someone’s life. It touches me in a really, really deep way.”

While on The Ellen Show, Jussie said that “there’s never been a closet, that I’ve been in,” when letting the world know that he was gay. When speaking to the host, he also got the opportunity to thank her for her work in the LGBT community.

“You’ve been such an inspiration to so many, but also to me,” he told Ellen.

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Over the past decade, Lawrence Phillips has gone from being one of the top running backs in the country, to receiving one of the longest prison sentences for a professional football player. The former San Francisco 49ers NFL star is currently serving a 31-year sentence for multiple charges, including domestic violence, as well as for driving his car into three teens after a pickup game. This past weekend, it’s been reported by officials that Phillips, 39, is now a suspect in the killing of his cellmate in a Central California prison.

According to TMZ, his 37-year-old cellmate, Damion Soward, was found unresponsive in his cell around 1 a.m. on Saturday, and was pronounced dead once he arrived at a hospital. The site reports, “Soward had been locked up on a 1st degree murder conviction. Officials say there was ANOTHER murder in the prison on the same day — and that victim’s cellmate is also the main suspect in that case. Unclear if the two murders are linked.”

Officials at the prison are currently investigating both murders to see if there is any link, and if Phillips is, in fact, responsible for killing Soward.

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The white, 73-year-old reserve officer who “accidentally” shot and killed Eric Harris, an unarmed black man, was brought up on criminal charges on Monday. Robert Bates, a Tulsa County reserve deputy, was charged with second-degree manslaughter.

“Mr. Bates is charged with Second-Degree Manslaughter involving culpable negligence,” Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said in a statement. “Oklahoma law defines culpable negligence as ‘the omission to do something which a reasonably careful person would do, or the lack of the usual ordinary care and caution in the performance of an act usually and ordinarily exercised by a person under similar circumstances and conditions.’

“The defendant is presumed to be innocent under the law but we will be prepared to present evidence at future court hearings.”

The shooting occurred April 2, but video of the incident was released on Friday at the request of Harris’ family. In the video, 44-year old Harris is seen being chased and tackled by an officer after he allegedly tried to sell an illegal gun to an undercover cop.

As the officer subdues Harris, a gunshot is heard and a man, presumably Bates, is heard saying: “Oh, I shot him. I’m sorry.”

Harris begins to scream, “He shot me. Oh my God!”

A deputy replies, “You f-cking ran. Shut the f-ck up.”

When Harris is heard saying he was losing his breath, a deputy replies, “F-ck your breath.”

Harris was treated by medics at the scene, but later died at a Tulsa hospital.

Tulsa County sheriff’s officials said that Bates believed he was grabbing his Taser when he shot his gun. They say his intentions were only to incapacitate Harris.

Harris’ family said in a statement that they are “saddened, shocked, confused and disturbed.”

“Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of all of this is the inhumane and malicious treatment of Eric after he was shot,” the family wrote. “These deputies treated Eric as less than human. They treated Eric as if his life had no value.”

Another undoubtedly disturbing piece of this puzzle is the fact that Bates is not a real police officer.

Although Bates worked as a cop for a year from 1964-1965, he is now an insurance company executive who has been assigned to a violent crimes task force. According to the sheriff’s office, the department has about 100 reserve deputies who are often assigned to task forces like these. During the time that they’re on duty, they have “full powers and authority” of an actual deputy. Bates donated $2,500 to a reelection fund foSherrif Glanz in 2013 and served as chairman for his reelection committee, which reportedly helped earn him his spot as a reserve officer.

This reserves system is used in many cities across the U.S. and the officers are given varying levels of training to qualify. They help local police by volunteering their services and sometimes even bringing their own weapons. Some police departments outright ask for donations in exchange for the positions, such as the Oakley, Mich. police department.

Actual police officers seem to have mixed feelings about the use of reserve officers. On the one hand, they acknowledge the help they can provide to departments, on the other hand, they recognize that they may not be fully-equipped to do the job. One officer seemed to encapsulate both sides of the debate:

“The reserve program is great for departments to fall back on,” one PoliceOne member, Gordon Corey, said. “Even though most reserves are limited commission, if you have full-commissioned officers who are willing to still volunteer as reserves, that gives departments the opportunity to utilize these officers to fulfill call-ins and vacations from full-time officers. With this option, departments won’t have to worry they will make the wrong decision. With reserves who are just reserves and have full time jobs other than law enforcement jobs only make decisions based on what they learn in the reserve police academy which is far less than what a full time officer is taught in the police academy.”

Tulsa Police Sgt. Jim Clark, who investigated the shooting as an independent consultant at the request of the sheriff’s office, concluded that Bates had been so caught up in the moment that he didn’t think clearly about what was in hands.

However, Dan Smollen, the lawyer for the Harris family, insists that is a mistake that should have never been made. Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Smollen displayed a model of the handgun that was used to shoot Harris next to a model of the yellow taser Bates allegedly thought he was grabbing.

“There is absolutely no way, if Mr. Bates had been trained at all … that an officer who is trained would never get these two weapons confused,” Smollen said.

Related: Not Just Walter Scott: 10 Startling Cases of Police Brutality In 2015

Bobby Brown cancelled numerous tour dates when the daughter he shares with the late legendary singer Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina Brown, was found unresponsive in a tub in her Georgia home in January.  She has been in a medically-induced coma ever since, and Brown has not only been by her side, but he is the primary person making medical decisions for her. But due to the terms of Brown’s contract, he is now forced to leave his daughter’s bedside and perform.

Brown was in Downtown Los Angeles at a soul food festival Saturday performing a string of his hits, including “Don’t Be Cruel” and “On Our Own.” He stopped to address the crowd of about 4,000 and express some heart-felt words on how he is coping with all that is going on in his life.

“I dunno what the hell I am going through right now, but I am giving it to God and letting him deal with it,” Brown said.

But after the 46-year-old sang his first song, he told everyone how glad he was to be performing, regardless of the hard times.

“I must say, y’all. This feels really, really good. I want to thank all of y’all for coming out tonight to support me and my family,” he told the crowd. “Rough times are rough times, hard times are hard times.”

Brown’s wife, Alicia Etheredge-Brown, was also there helping the singer sell his new line of barbeque sauce at the event.  She is pregnant with the couple’s second child, and Brown’s sixth.

Brown is expected to continue touring until May.

Cell phone footage of an intoxicated 19-year-old’s gang rape in Panama Beach City surfaced showing hundreds of witnesses who stood by and did nothing, in broad daylight. Many watched, and some even recorded the rape on their phones, but none intervened, according to officials.

Troy University students; 23-year-old Ryan Austin Calhoun, of Mobile, Alabama, and 22-year-old Delonte Martistee, a promising track star from Bainbridge, Georgia; were taped allegedly raping a drunk teen outside of a restaurant. Calhoun and Martistee are facing charges of sexual battery by multiple perpetrators.

The victim, whose name has been withheld, told officials she does not remember much of the Spring Break assault and believes she was drugged. Initially, she was afraid to tell authorities about the incident because she couldn’t remember, according to the Daily Mail.

According to reports, none of the bystanders ever turned the disturbing footage over to authorities. Officers learned of the assault while investigating another crime. The video of the alleged criminal activity was discovered on a phone that was confiscated while officers were working on a seemingly unrelated case.

“Our culture and our society and our young people have got to the point where obviously this is acceptable somewhere, but I will tell you it is not acceptable in Bay County,” said Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen. He said the video was “probably one of the most disgusting, repulsive, sickening things that I have seen this year on Panama City Beach, and I have seen a lot of them.”

Two additional suspects are being sought after as more arrests are anticipated.

Daytime host Wendy Williams is known for her strong opinions, brutally-honest soundbites and her ‘Hot Topics’ opening segment on her self-titled talk show. This time, the 50-year-old New Jersey native is talking all things home and marriage instead of celebrities’ trending stories in a recent interview with Forbes Lifestyle magazine.

The former radio host gave debatable advice to women about what they can expect from marriage and parenthood:

“We can debate this all day. Every woman has a different view and there are some women who have an opinion and are scared to voice it. But I’m not afraid to voice mine—don’t throw tomatoes! I do feel it is difficult for men to accept really successful career women. Whether it be that we out-earn them or on the marquee, our names are brighter than their own.

I also feel like marriage and babies stunt a woman’s growth career-wise and people don’t understand once you get married and once you have kids, you cannot do all the things that you used to do while maintaining this important precious thing you’ve built as a family.

So my suggestion to women, always, is to use your entire twenties working your behind off in your career and get some ground footing, then think about meeting that guy. Even if you’ve met him at twenty-seven, don’t get engaged and don’t move to where he lives. This is about you and your career because we are the ones that lose in marriage. Not men!”

Williams, who also has a 13-year-old son Kevin, has been married for 17 years.

Do you agree with her advice?

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“All of Me” singer John Legend is tired of the mass incarceration epidemic plaguing America, and he’s doing something about it.

Legend, who won an Academy Award alongside Chicago rapper Common for their original song “Glory,” hasn’t been quiet about equality and police brutality. Most recently, the Ohio native spoke out about America’s incarceration laws:

“We have a serious problem with incarceration in this country. It’s destroying families, it’s destroying communities and we’re the most incarcerated country in the world, and when you look deeper and look at the reasons we got to this place, we as a society made some choices politically and legislatively, culturally to deal with poverty, deal with mental illness in a certain way and that way usually involves using incarceration.”

The Grammy Award winner is launching the Free America campaign, a multi-year initiative to combat mass incarcerations. According to the AP, the campaign is set to garner more support from fellow celebrities and organizations dedicated to the cause.

Legend is also set to perform at a correctional facility in Austin, Texas, on Thursday before speaking with state legislators in a press conference. He will also schedule to visit a California state prison and co-host an event with Politico in Washington, D.C., later this month.

The kiss between Drake and Madonna shocked the world (and disgusted quite a few of us, too). The infamous moment between the two artists at last weekend’s Coachella festival had a lot of onlookers scratching their heads.  Was the kiss rehearsed?  Was the look on the 28-year-old rapper’s face one of disgust? Does the 56-year-old pop icon steal a little bit of youthful energy each time she sucks face with a younger artist?   So many questions were raised, but at the same time, it reminded us of all the other eyebrow-raising kisses between celebrities over the years.

Relive these celeb kisses that made us squirm.

50 Cent tried to plant a quick one on Fox Sports’ Erin Andrews, but alas, he is rejected.

Kanye West attempted a steamy moment with his wife, Kim Kardashian, by kissing her while simultaneously grabbing her derrière, but the moment just didn’t look as authentic as when he once tried the same thing with his ex, Amber Rose.

While on stage together at the BET Awards in 2006, these two amazing singers, Fantasia and Jamie Foxx, shocked viewers with a stomach-turning lip-lock that we all wish we could unsee.

Decades ago, we were cruelly subjected to a smooch between late King of Pop Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley‘s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley.  Totally awkward.

Tyra Banks was feeling frisky while visiting 106 & Park and decided to give Bow Wow a kiss he’ll likely always have etched in his memory.  Interestingly enough, this was their second time locking lips on national television.

This picture began circulating as late as 2006.  Some say that Lil Wayne and his long-time mentor, Baby, were sharing a father-son kind of kiss—and others wondered if this was the meaning behind the nickname ‘Weezy F. Baby.’

This is just one of numerous awkward kisses between Mariah Carey and her now-estranged husband, Nick Cannon.

Queen Latifah quickly slobbed Adrien Brody down at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards while presenting Best Kiss. Looks like they both enjoyed it.

Drake’s huge crush on Skylar Diggins finally won him a big, juicy kiss…on the forehead.  Will Drake forever be in the friend zone?

Idris Elba fans around the world have been hoping the charming Englishman would eventually be chosen to portray the legendary spy James Bond.  But Elba has crushed any hope of that ever happening.

The Luther actor confirmed, while at London’s British Film Institute, that talk of him playing Bond in a movie someday was just a rumor.

“Honestly, it’s a rumor that’s really starting to eat itself,” the 42-year-old said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “If there was ever any chance of me getting Bond, it’s gone.”

The rumor was fueled even more when his Mandela co-star, Naomie Harris, said that she began to believe that Elba may receive the role when he told her that he met with the 007 producer, Barbara Broccoli, and that he thought there may be a chance at landing the role. But Elba said that a meeting with Broccoli never happened.

He added that the current Bond, Daniel Craig, is the one responsible for the rumor. “Daniel Craig actually set the rumor off,” Elba said. “About four years ago, he said Idris Elba would be a great Bond, and then it started to creep. I blame Daniel.”

Not everyone was anticipating the handsome actor portraying the fictional character. Yaphet Kotto, who was in the 1973 Bond film, Live and Let Die, said that the idea of Elba or any Black man playing Bond would be “ridiculous.”

“James Bond cannot be Black. Political correctness be damned, we have to stay with what is literally correct,” Kotto said. “He was established by Ian Fleming as a White character, played by white actors. It’s silly.”

Also, Roger Moore, who played Bond seven times, basically laughed at the thought of there being a Black Bond and made comments that many found to be racist.  When asked about Elba, he said, “A few years ago, I said that Cuba Gooding Jr. would make an excellent Bond, but it was a joke!”

“Although James may have been played by a Scot, a Welshman and an Irishman, I think he should be ‘English-English,'” he continued. “Nevertheless, it’s an interesting idea, but unrealistic.”

Ludacris‘ ex is still determined to win custody back of her and the rapper’s baby, Cai. Tamika Fuller wrote an open letter outlining several details about her dealings with Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, including how he allegedly promised her “trips on his private jet and other perks,” if she would have an abortion, as he apparently told her a baby would “destroy his career and his image.” After her letter went public, she found out that she was denied a new custody trial. She has announced that she will continue to fight for her child and for other women going through the same situation.

Fuller said that while she has a full-time job now, she is still not able to afford her court expenses necessary to try and obtain a new court case. As a result, she has started a GoFundMe account with the hopes of collecting $7,000. After four days, she is now up to $1,000.

Fuller’s lawyer, Lisa West, said that the only reason Ludacris was granted full custody of Cai is because he is well-off financially. She also said that Fuller is fit to be a great parent, while the child’s father is always out working and not able to be a dedicated father.

“Tamika should be granted custody of Cai because the evidence is irrefutable and undisputed that she has always been the primary parent of Cai and has always been a wonderful parent to Cai,” said West.

“Tamika, through great sacrifice and dedication, has dedicated her life to being Cai’s parent and Cai has thrived under her nurturing and care,” the attorney continued.  “Ludacris, on the other hand, has not dedicated his life to being Cai’s father.  He is most often absent, making appearances, during which times he delegates his parenting responsibilities to third-parties.”

Fuller wrote a lengthy statement describing why she created a GoFundMe account and exactly what she plans to do with the money:

“Sadly, on April 9th the judge denied my motion for a new trial. Every day that passes when I don’t have my daughter feels like eternity. After being discouraged with the court system, I decided to share a personal account of my situation on Madame Noire, it was never meant as a media blitz but rather my side of the story in protest of my daughter being taken away when I felt powerless against her father’s machine. My side had not been shared up until this point and rumors that I was a bad mother or receiving 7k/month child support or asking for 15k were distressing me, none of which are factual. I’m back to working full time, but even that isn’t enough to cover the many expenses that come with this fight. I was hesitant to set up a Gofundme page but since my story ran I’ve received overwhelmingly supportive feedback from women and mothers across the country who have offered assistance and want to help with launching my organization. I plan to use donation money to start setting up my non-profit “No Mother Left Behind” with a mission to educate, enrich, enlighten and empower low income mothers and also to help bring my own daughter back. I’ve read and appreciate all the messages, prayers and similar stories that I’ve received. You have all made me feel less alone. We are all in this together. Thank you.”

Percy Sledge, the R&B crooner responsible for the classic hit “When A Man Loves A Woman,” died on Tuesday, April 14th. He was 74.

Sledge died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana of natural causes, according to Stephanie Price of the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office. His family said in a statement that he died “peacefully” in his home, where he had been receiving hospice care for cancer.

Most popular in the 1960s, Sledge had a number of hits, including “Sunshine,” “Warm and Tender Love,” and “It Tears Me Up.”

Still, none of his other hits were as popular as his first, “When A Man Loves A Woman.” The song spent 13 weeks on the Billboard charts in 1966. It hit no. 1 on May 28, 1966. The song saw a resurgence in 1987 when it found its way onto the UK Top 10. The song was covered many times, most notably by Michael Bolton who returned the song to No. 1 in 1991.

Unfortunately, Sledge never saw any royalty money for his major hit. He told Blues and Soul magazine that he had some regrets about that, as it could have provided for his family. Yet, he took it all in stride.

“Worst decision I ever made. But I am not at all bitter. I figure if God wanted me to do what I did, and say what I did to tell those guys they could have the song, then I’ll leave it that away,” said Sledge.

Sledge was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

Bolton shared his condolences on Twitter.

An inspiration as an artist & one of the most gracious human beings. We sang together. Forever grateful! Love MB pic.twitter.com/NcsakNrNYp

— Michael Bolton (@mbsings) April 14, 2015

Rihanna once again declared — in so many words — on Monday: don’t come for me unless I send for you.

Over the weekend, a video surfaced of the 27-year-old pop star and a few of her friends celebrating during a private party at Coachella. A few noted that it appeared as if Rihanna was snorting cocaine, as she can be seen pinching her nose towards the end of the video.

I don’t know why people still dare to comment negative things about this woman on her profile. Have they not seen the wrath of RiRi? She has been known to decimate posters who she feels have stepped out of line. So of course, in true bad gal fashion, Rihanna slammed a commenter who suggested she was in love with the coco.

It wasn’t cocaine, it was weed! Duh!

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A 30-year-old woman who came to New York to get a tattoo at Black Ink is now seeking damages after she claimed they disfigured her.

Last year, Asabi Barner, 30, desperately wanted to cover up a unicorn and horseshoe tattoo she had gotten when she was 18. She decided to go to Black Ink, a Harlem tattoo parlor made famous by its VH1 reality show Black Ink Crew. It has a massive following and some celebrity clientele. Barner said she chose the shop because they claim to be the premiere tattoo parlor for African American skin.

Barner now regrets the decision, as a massive chest piece has left her badly scarred.

Barner says the tattoo was “phenomenal” at first, but the next morning the area around her left breast oozed with pus. Barner consulted another tattoo artist in her home state of South Carolina, who told her that her skin was “overworked” in an attempt to bring out a white color for her tattoo.

Now, over a year later, Barner is still in great pain. She has keloids, her skin is raised, and it itches and burns to the point that she needs to apply an ice pack every day. She went to a plastic surgeon to see what her options were, but the doctor told her the surgery would only make her scar worse.

“In the intimate moments it creates a problem because you don’t have that confidence. I wasn’t overly confident before, but I felt good about myself. Felt good about my body, but it just changes you,” said Barner.

She is now suing Black Ink, claiming that the shop was reckless, careless, and negligent.

The shop has yet to respond to the allegations.

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Producer MeMpHiTz Wright has taken to Instagram to publicly shame his former girlfriend/artist K.Michelle. MeMpHiTz (real name Mickey Wright, Jr.) recently lost a defamation suit he filed against VH1 and the producers of the Love and Hip Hop Atlanta series, which K. Michelle used as a platform to tell of the abuse she claims she suffered at the hands of her former lover. Frustrated by the court’s decision, he posted a series of videos discrediting K.Michelle’s story in an effort to clear his name.

On his Instagram page, MeMpHiTz posted two clips from K.Michelle’s interview with Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club during which she alleged that he sent her text messages threatening to kill her son. He then posted two clips of K.Michelle’s court deposition at which time she claimed she no longer had those texts, nor did she provide them to her attorney when they were in her possession.

“For the record. I NEVER ADMITTED to AnyThing regarding This Case, Because i DIDNT DO one thing I was accused of. I called the police,” he wrote in a caption. “i filed the 4 year lawsuit. Never met the Judge. But i guess i look the part right?? We a Sad People. When its your son, brother, nephew or Father being lied on. Take it Like a Man. U Seem to be kook with it.” He also posted an Instagram photo citing Black women as one of the biggest downfalls of powerful Black men, along with police and poverty. That post was later deleted.

I need Obama. Months of attorneys going thru old texts & phone companies.. on a Wild Goose Chase. Her Attorneys response when asked for these nonexisting ass texts, “We Got Nothing”. Ask Matt MiddleTon. He said the Same . Tell Me to Let it Go…. When it’s #YourLife. I’ll Listen Then.

A photo posted by f/k/a @BillionDollarBoyBizz (@therealmemphitz) on Apr 15, 2015 at 6:47am PDT

2 A video posted by f/k/a @BillionDollarBoyBizz (@therealmemphitz) on Apr 14, 2015 at 1:53pm PDT

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, there are substantial reasons why his case didn’t hold up in court.

“Wright in depositions acknowledged he got into a physical altercation with K. Michelle in a Memphis hotel altercation in 2009 and had spent money from Jive Record’s budget for jewelry, not to help her career, and had sent a text message threatening to kill K. Michelle’s son. The summary judgment goes into detail about the argument between K Michelle and Wright where Wright admits he put a pillow and/or his hands over her mouth to try to shut her up. She reasonably thought he was trying to kill her. He later tried to backtrack from his initial acknowledgments.”

Many now believe that K.Michelle is owed an apology from those who once painted her a liar, including Love & Hip Hop Atlanta  costar Rasheeda Frost, feuding singer Tamar Braxton and MeMpHiTz’s now estranged wife Toya Wright.

The FBI is launching an investigation into the shooting of a Black teenager by Chicago police. Laquan McDonald, 17, was cornered by police last October after police suspected he had been out slashing tires and attempting to break into vehicles at a truck yard. 

Officers at the scene said McDonald, who was holding a knife, was being uncooperative and they requested backup to arrive with tasers. While the officers attempted to corral McDonald away from innocent bystanders, two more squad cars arrived, drawing their weapons. One arriving officer fired and shot McDonald 16 times. Though the squad car surveillance footage has not been released to the public, McDonald’s family insists that the dash cam proves McDonald was walking away from, not lunging towards, the officers when he was shot.

“I certainly expect that the officer will be indicted, and not just the officer, but any officer, supervisor or lieutenant who took part in covering this up and justifying what cannot be justified,” McDonald family attorney Jeffrey Neslund told The Chicago Sun Times. “This was an execution of a young man that should have been — and could have been — avoided,” 

The Chicago Sun Times is also reporting that the Chicago Police Department has been secretly thwarting the FBI’s investigation into the matter, including removing surveillance footage from a nearby Burger King without an issued warrant. The name of the shooting officer has yet to be released, but a spokesperson for the department confirmed that he is on desk duty while the investigation is underway.