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Plus-Size Models Go Nude For ‘Glamour Iceland’

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(From left to right) Julie Henderson, Danielle Redman, Marquita Pring, Inga Eiriksdottir and Ashley Graham

Five plus-size models ditched their designer duds to pose nude for Glamour Iceland, in an effort to promote diversity.

Iconic curvy model Ashley Graham, who holds the distinction of being the first plus-size model to grace the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, joins other voluptuous models Marquita Pring, Julie Henderson, Inga Eiriksdottir, and Danielle Redman. The women have created a collective called ALDA, which means “wave” in Icelandic, to promote body diversity within the fashion world and beyond.

According to the ALDA Woman site, the group’s mission is: “ALDA is a new collective of models that represents beauty without divisions, boundaries, and — most importantly — beauty that doesn’t conform to any body shape or size.” All five ALDA models are now signed to IMG Models.

“It shouldn’t matter if you are a size 2 or 12. Every model should be represented equally,” said Eiriksdottir in the interview. “We had all worked together for many years before our agency closed a lot of their divisions including plus size. We met secretly for a few months, came up with a business plan, and then met with all the major agencies in New York. Most of them had never represented models bigger than a U.S. size 6, so we didn’t know how they would react. It was amazing to see the great response we got.”

“It’s exciting to see the positive change in the industry, and we already see a lot more diversity in age, size and race than before in magazines and on the runways,” continued Eiriksdottir.

The eight-page spread is featured in the second issue of Glamour Iceland, which launched in April 2015. Keep clicking to check out the images.

[Images: Glamour Iceland/Silja Magg]

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Breaking Bad with Breakdancing Doc Shake The Dust

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The South Bronx in the late 1970s was the apotheosis of urban decay: the borough was rampant with hopelessness and riddled with countless abandoned buildings that were oftentimes aflame. New York City was in total chaos and, while the rest of the world neglected it all, hip-hop culture was born. Its art and influence has since gone global. In the triumphant new film, Shake the Dust, journalist-turned-filmmaker Adam Sjöberg chronicles the worldwide influence of breakdancing through the lens of b-boy crews from four very different countries— Yemen, Colombia, Cambodia and Uganda.

As someone who “loves hip-hop,” Sjöberg explains, “I started typing into YouTube, ‘Breakdancers in Gaza’ and ‘Breakdancers in Africa’ and I found these vibrant hip-hop communities everywhere.” Digging deeper, the director found that “hip-hop really was a culture that was giving people a sense of self esteem” at all corners of the world. It was then that Sjöberg settled on breakdancing as the focus of his newest film. “I wanted to tell a story that allowed them to be the voice, but telling a story of dignity and beauty out of a place of struggle.”

Soon after, Sjöberg met Nas, who came on board as the executive producer. “Nas is one of the greatest MCs of all time, someone who cares very deeply about storytelling and he’s also been a huge supporter of protecting hip-hop history.”

Shake the Dust weaves together stories of unknown b-boy crews along with hard-core household names such as the Rock Steady Crew and the New York City Breakers. There’s the Tiny Toones crew in Cambodia; Bogota’s Kings of the Floor Crew; the Rock‘N’City crew hailing from Yemen; and in Kampala, the Breakdance Project Uganda. “One of the great things about breakdancing in particular is that it is by nature improvisational,” says Sjöberg. “Whether that’s Africa or Colombia or the Middle East, all of these places have their own rich, cultural background and they bring it to their dance moves.”

BY DERRICK HEMPHILL

Heard On The Street: Tika Sumpter On Playing Bessie Smith’s Lover

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Queen Latifah and Tika Sumpter in HBO’s ‘Bessie’

“Yeah, it is. People ask me, ‘Well, how was it to kiss a woman?’ ‘Were you nervous?’ and I’m like, ‘It’s just as nerve-racking to kiss a guy on set.’ It’s still love; it’s still intimacy.

“Because me and [Queen Latifah] clicked and were able to talk, it was just part of the character, and me delving in and being fearless regardless of if it was a man or a woman. But yeah, it was my first time portraying a bisexual woman, and it was totally fine. Kissing Queen Latifah is like, ‘Oh, my God,’ so it wasn’t like, ‘Wow, I have to kiss a woman.’ It was the same to me.”

– Tika Sumpter opens up to The Root about playing a woman who loves a woman in Bessie, the HBO biopic starring Queen Latifah as Bessie Smith. Sumpter also revealed who’s the better kisser, Latifah or Kevin Hart. “That’s hard. [Laughs.] They’re both 10s in my book,” Sumpter said.

Read the rest of the interview here. Bessie premieres Saturday, May 16th on HBO at 8 p.m.

RELATED: Queen Latifah’s Next Move

Christina Milian Professes Lil Wayne Love With New Tat

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Christina Milian loves to tease her fans and gossipers when it comes to her relationship with Lil Wayne. So it should come as no surprise that E! reality star played coy when E! asked about her new tattoo, at the Disneyland premiere of Tomorrowland.

“You can make your special guesses…of what that means,” Milian teased to E!.

The new tat on her left arm reads, “love hard… TNT.” “TNT” is reportedly a reference to Tina and Tunechi, nicknames for Milian and Wayne, respectively.

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Milian also had “TNT” shaved into the back of her head recently. And two days ago, Wayne gifted her with a bracelet that features two Ts for their initials.

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She says their relationship is “fun and cool,” and she enjoys Wayne’s realness. “He’s very genuine. He’s a very genuine person and no matter what, love comes first with him.”

Christina Milian Turned Up has been renewed for a second season. However, Milian is also getting back into the scripted realm of television with FOX’s Grandfathered, starring John Stamos.

A new love? Check. Career comeback? Check. It looks like everything is aligning for Christina Milian!

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CA Dad Finally Found Guilty of Murdering Daughter To Escape Child Support

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After 15 years and two mistrials, Cameron Brown was found guilty yesterday of premeditated murder for killing his daughter Lauren by throwing her from a cliff.  The reason for the heinous crime?  He was trying to avoid paying $1,000 per month in child support.

Brown has been in jail since 2003 for the incident, which happened in 2000.  Brown claimed that the 4-year-old had accidentally tripped and fallen 120 feet to her death at the base of Inspiration Point in Rancho Palos Verdes California.  Her wounds were found to be inconsistent with an accidental fall.

In two earlier trials, juries deadlocked on whether Brown, an airport employee, should be convicted of manslaughter or murder. (Generally speaking, manslaughter is thought to be unintentional while murder is believed to be intentional and malicious.)

Even Brown’s lawyer acknowledged his client’s severe and reckless negligence and argued instead for a manslaughter conviction which carries less time. “This father, who had this duty to hold her hand or hold her … didn’t do it,’’ the defense attorney said. “Honestly, I have a hard time seeing a not guilty (verdict). … I am looking for what is justice.’’

The jury also found him guilty of murder for financial gain.  Minimally, Brown will serve life in jail with no possibility of parole. To this day, Brown maintains his innocence.

- Colby Carrington

 

Lupita Nyong’o Brings Old Hollywood Glamour To Cannes

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Lupita Nyong’o shuts down every red carpet she graces with her presence. And she maintained her reputation as a fashion it girl during the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. For the premiere of La Tete Haute, Nyong’o wore a beautiful emerald Gucci gown. Her hair was coiffed into a gravity-defying, bead-adorned bun. She topped off her look with gorgeous baubles by Chopard. Nyong’o has the ability to bring a quiet exquisiteness to any look, just like her Old Hollywood predecessors.

Keep clicking to learn how to get Lupita Nyong’o’s Lancôme beauty look and see more images from her night at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

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#TKO ICE. @Chopard. #fistbump #bonga #gota #cannesfilmfestival.

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They are calling it a #fronut. I like that. #hair @vernonfrancois #cannes2015 #donutbun #fronutbun A photo posted by Lupita Nyong’o (@lupitanyongo) on

Reflection before Projection. #latergram @festivaldecannes @chopard @gucci

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It’s been a while. @Chopard @Gucci #cannes2015 A photo posted by Lupita Nyong’o (@lupitanyongo) on

White Bar Owner Holds Black Couple At Gunpoint

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After one couple’s experience, it’s probably not a good idea to return a drink at Orlando’s George & Dragon British Pub. Matter of fact, if you’re Black, it’s probably best to stay away from pub owner Kim Bruns at all cost because she thinks it’s perfectly OK to hold Black people at gunpoint. Here’s how the ordeal all went down …

Florida couple Kayla Davis was helping her boyfriend Darien Elwin celebrate his 20th birthday on Saturday. The couple decided to stop at George & Dragon British Pub for dinner because they had a coupon.

Davis, who has been of the legal drinking age for a few months, asked Bruns for a drink recommendation. The owner made Davis a kamikaze that also came with a warning. “As soon as she gave it to me, she said, ‘I’m watching you, and you better not give any drinks to minors,'” Davis told the Orlando Sentinel. “It felt weird and racist a little bit.”

The comment, along with another employee constantly asking Davis is she were OK, made the couple uncomfortable, and Davis decided to return the untouched drink before they attempted to leave the establishment.

That’s when things got crazy …

[Image: Orange County Jail]

According to the couple and police records obtained by the Sentinel, Bruns returned from the restroom toting a .357 Magnum Colt Python and yelling profanities and racial slurs. She threw a glass at Davis and said she’d shoot the couple if they tried to leave and that they could “call Jesse Jackson.”

Elwin offered to pay for the drink in an attempt to calm things, but Bruns wanted no parts of that. She reportedly told them, “I’ll shoot you too if I have to. It’s legal.”

Bruns told the police there wasn’t an altercation or incident between her and the patrons. However, she also refused to show the police her surveillance footage.

Police ultimately charged Bruns with “aggravated assault with a firearm and aggravated assault.” According to the Sentinel, Bruns told an officer during her Saturday arrest, “I can’t believe you would take those [racist slur] side over mine.”

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Kenya Moore Gets Shaded By James Freeman’s New Wife

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Jaimi Gregory wants to set the record straight about her new husband James Freeman and his non-relationship with Kenya Moore.  Specifically, she’s calling Kenya out for being fake, chasing after an unavailable man and for trying to involve him in a publicity stunt.

In March, Kenya gushed about the bachelor she’d been set up with on Millionaire Matchmaker, James Freeman.  And in early May, she posted a photo on Instagram of a big ring on her finger and a suggestive caption.  So it was surprising when early this week, Kenya relayed her dismay over having just found out that Freeman was actually married to a Jaimi, a volleyball player.  But Jaimi is calling Kenya Moore out for being a liar.

Jaimi told RadarOnline that Jame’s appearance on Millionaire Matchmaker was filmed in September. They met in December on Match.com, were engaged three months later and got married on April 3.  According to the new bride, her husband had completely forgotten about the show, only remembering it when the promos started airing, at which point he told her the backstory.

“He said he went on two or three dates after the show aired with Kenya,” she says. “He told me they just kissed and nothing else. He said she just wasn’t the right person for him, but he wished her the best.”

Apparently over the last two weeks, Kenya reached out to James so they could meet up.

“But he told her that he had met someone and fell in love so it wasn’t appropriate for him to talk with her anymore,” according to Jaimi.

Kenya wasn’t having that, reportedly saying that he’d “hurt her brand” and that they needed to meet up and talk in person, an invitation that James declined. Needless to say, Jaimi was flabbergasted that Kenya would insinuate that she was still involved with James. “She knew he was seeing somebody. She was not respecting him anymore.”

“James was very clear with his boundaries,” Jaimi insists. “This was obviously a publicity stunt. I know it was.”

To date, Kenya’s only response is an Instagram post excerpting Maya Angelou’s ‘Still I Rise.’

No doubt there is more to this story but we can all agree that it’s not beyond Kenya to stir the pot a lot and let imaginations run wild with innuendo, especially when it means she gets some extra attention out of it.  You would think that given her recent RHOA – Apollo vindication , she’d try harder to stay out of this kind of fracas.  But perhaps whatever keeps tongues wagging is fair game in her book.

- Colby Carrington


Island Escapades

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The Caribbean islands are not just an archipelago of sun, sea and sand; they are havens of awe-inspiring lifestyles with culture richly woven into their harvests: from award-winning rums, wines and coffees, to fashion, food and leisure. - Delia Dolor

 

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Paradise Found

This year, I spent Valentine’s Day in Soufriere, Saint Lucia at the five-star Ladera Resort—named one of the best luxury properties at the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2014. Located 1,300 feet above the Caribbean Sea, it’s the only resort overlooking the majestic Pitons in the UNESCO designated World Heritage Site. Ladera is the pioneer of the “open-wall” concept: the west side of all 32 suites and villas remain open, exposing the breathtaking views while, remarkably, maintaining absolute privacy. Their new suites in Paradise Ridge offers a dynamic “platinum level” experience that includes butler service, airport transfers and more.

Summer Sizzle

Fashion shows, fine dining and yachting experiences make for one long tropical party on the island of St. Thomas. Empire star (and recent UPTOWN cover girl) Taraji P. Henson will host Summer Sizzle British Virgin Islands, July 23- 27. I can’t wait to ask the Oscar nominee about those love scenes with Terrence Howard and maybe she’ll offer some bits on next season!

first choiceResort Ready

First Resort by Sonia E. Noel, creator of Mariska’s Designs and CEO of Guyana Fashion Weekend, can be worn from the beach to the ballroom. The lattice concept is Noel’s signature, which was inspired by Guyanese architecture.

Pearl Power

In the Caribbean, we have exotic gems and with them jewelry designers create accessories to suit all kinds of tastes and style. The coral sea fan-inspired Medallion Collection by Anitanja Lawaetz (St. Lucia) is in sterling silver: the pieces perfectly represent the trademark mix of Caribbean sophistication and fl ash.

rainforest spaThe Spa in the Rainforest

The new Rainforest Spa at Sugar Beach, a Viceroy resort in St. Lucia, blends traditional St Lucian culture and a strong Caribbean aesthetic and experience, with modern techniques and sensibilities. The $2 million spa has seven tree house treatment gazebos including a romantic couples’ cabana with watsu soaking pool. Body scrubs and massages such as the Sulphur Seduction, Royal Bamboo and Lotus Flower are as all-natural as one can get.

“Why haven’t you got your own talk show?” asked Oprah Winfrey of Delia Dolor. Several years later, Dolor now stars in and produces her show, The Dolor Factor, which broadcasts in 25 Caribbean islands, tri-state New York, Canada, UK and Europe. Join Delia on The Dolor Factor Live Stream www.choice39.tv | YouTube: Delia Dolor | Facebook Dolor Factor | Twitter @DolorFactorLive

Jordin Sparks And Sage The Gemini Are Dating

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You know…I’m starting to love Mondays. But everyday is a great day with my #baemaxx, @sagethegemini. #MCE

A photo posted by Jordin Sparks (@jordinsparks) on

Although Jordin Sparks has been sharing images of herself and rapper Sage the Gemini on Instagram since early-April, the singer has finally confirmed their relationship.

The 25-year-old American Idol alum opened up to People today about her new boyfriend. It seems Sparks was surprised that her photos weren’t sending the precise message of their relationship.

“I think they’re pretty obvious,” said Sparks of her Instagram photos. “We’re having fun. He’s a really good guy, and the pictures speak for themselves … I don’t just kiss people!”

Sparks also revealed the meaning behind her nickname for Sage, which is #baemaxx, after captioning the above photo with the moniker earlier this week.

“Well, you know, Big Hero 6, the big guy was [named] Baymax. We watched that two weeks ago … and I was like, ‘I love the name Baymax,’ ” she said. “[Sage] was like, ‘I’m your bae to the max,’ and I was like, ‘That’s your nickname!’ ”

Sparks and Jason Derulo broke up September 2014 after dating for three years.

Feds Are On The Hunt For Apollo Nida’s $1.9M

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In addition to being sentenced to eight years in prison for aggravated identity theft, conspiracy, bank fraud, and more, Apollo Nida was ordered to pay restitution of $1.9 million to his victims. However, the feds aren’t waiting for Apollo to make amends upon his release, so they’re going after the money themselves, which is sounding easier said than done.

The federal government recently served Bravo Media with a subpoena to fork over any funds for the reality TV star, who is married to Phaedra Parks of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, according to court documents obtained by TheJasmineBrand.com.

Earlier this year, the feds also demanded True Entertainment, which produces RHOA, release any monies owed Apollo. The government stated in court documents that True Entertainment has funds of property and money that belongs to Apollo. But even the federal government is having a difficult time collecting on behalf of the white collar criminal.

UPTOWN_apollo_nidaBack on February 24th, True Entertainment answered the subpoena and explained that it doesn’t owe Apollo for his appearance on RHOA.

Now, Bravo Media, which is a division of NBC Universal, has responded to the federal government, saying that Apollo wasn’t owed for his appearance on the hit reality show, and it has no wages to turn over.

The feds have since terminated their subpoena to Bravo Media and have apparently given up on collecting Apollo’s reality TV money — because he doesn’t have any. Apollo will, however, have to make restitution when he’s released.

The $1.9 million is partly the result of owing $828,000 to JP Morgan Chase, $127,000 to the IRS, $24,000 to Delta Airlines, and $15,000 to the State of California and various other entities.

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RIP BB King: Celebrity Fans Pay Tribute

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Legendary blues singer B.B. King died in his sleep on May 14 in his Las Vegas home. He was 89.

Born Riley B. King in Itta Bena, Mississippi, the blues-man began his musical odyssey playing on street corners. In 1947, he made his way to Tennessee, eventually landing a segment on black-owned Memphis radio station WDIA.  Needing a memorable radio name, he eventually moved from Beale Street Blues Boy to Blues Boy King finally to B.B. King.

B.B. King Posed

King recorded his first chart topping song, “Three O’Clock Blues” in 1952 and began touring nationally soon after.  Over his career, he recorded over fifty albums and reportedly performed over 15,000 concerts.

Late Thursday night into Friday, condolences from famous fans, friends and collaborators came rolling in.

 



BB King a dear friend and inspiration to me….

Posted by Eric Clapton on Friday, May 15, 2015


RIP BB KING

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RIP to a true legend.. A photo posted by Omar Epps (@omarepps) on



 

Bill Cosby Responds To Sexual Assault Allegations … Sort Of

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It’s been a long time coming, but finally Bill Cosby responds to the sexual assault allegations brought against him … sort of.

Although allegations of drugging and raping would-be starlets have dogged the comedian for years, it was ABC News reporter Linsey Davis who finally got him to open up. But there’s no vehement denial of the sordid acts, nor is Cosby even comprehensible.

When Davis asked how he’d address and handle young people who only know about the sexual assault allegations, not his legacy as Heathcliff Huxtable, etc. Cosby’s answer was complete gibberish. It’s as if he began to answer in one direction, but somewhere made a left turn before concluding his statement.

The same goes for his answers regarding his current message of underfunded education in Selma, AL schools and his legacy. Honestly, you just have to watch the video because there’s no paraphrasing or quoting Cosby at this time.

Kelly Price Accuses CVS of Discrimination

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Kelly Price is at war with CVS.  The singer is accusing the drugstore chain of refusing to fill prescriptions in what’s considered to be ‘bad’ neighborhoods. Sounds place-ist, right?

Early Tuesday morning, around 1 am, the Grammy nominated R&B singer stopped by a 24 hour CVS Pharmacy in Carson, California for painkillers in advance of dental surgery she was having.  She was told by the pharmacist on duty that they didn’t fill certain prescriptions after midnight because of the area where the store was located.

Price was offended because she believes such a refusal wouldn’t have happened in a neighborhood with a higher socio-economic status and a different demographic makeup.

“I was offended for anybody who lives in a neighborhood that may not be considered the upper echelon – where expensive homes are. Or where six- and seven-figure earners live,” Price told CBS-LA.

After arguing for half an hour, a store manager finally approved the purchase.  CVS has since apologized to Price.

In a statement, the company suggested that the pharmacist at the Carson location was out of line.  The statement reads in part, “It is not the store’s or the company’s policy to decline to fill certain prescriptions after midnight.”

Here, Price recounts the ordeal and why she reacted the way she did.

 

2015 Billboard Music Awards Fashion: Jennifer Lopez, Bryshere Gray, Zendaya And More

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Music and fashion go together like chicken and waffles, like a burger and fries, like orange juice and champagne. So it was no surprise that the stars brought their A-game to the 2015 Billboard Music Awards red carpet. While Jennifer Lopez, Bryshere Gray, Zendaya Coleman, and others sported looks that were definite dos, others in the entertainment industry completely missed the mark. Keep clicking to see which Billboard Music Awards fashion is your favorite …

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Tracee Ellis Ross styled herself in a leather jumpsuit from her own closet. The Black-ish star also said on Instagram that she did her own makeup.

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Jennifer Lopez nearly bared all in a sheer Charbel Zoe gown.

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Empire‘s Bryshere “Yazz the Greatest” Gray wore a textured cream-colored John Varvatos suit with a trio of fabric boutonnières.

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Taraji P. Henson showed off a tattoo across her abdomen in an Alexandre Vauthier cut-out gown, that Miley Cyrus wore previously.

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Zendaya proved she can do no wrong when it comes to a red carpet by wearing an animal-print Fausto Puglisi suit and cropped top.

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Laverne Cox wore a plunging neckline Marc Bouwer mini-dress embellished with metal studs.

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No surprise here! Kylie Jenner wore Balmain, who maybe a long-lost Kardashian.

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Models Jourdan Dunn and Kendall Jenner also wore Balmain.

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Estelle forgot the lining of her sheer dress should match her actual skin tone.

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Wiz Khalifa wore a tonal stripe suit and crisp white kicks.

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Chrissy Teigen wore Balmain and a dapper John Legend on her arm.

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50 Cent wore an ombré blazer.

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Empire‘s Serayah brought her junior prom look out of the closet wore Walter Mendez.

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Mariah Carey and her girls came out in a black Tom Ford gown.

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Rita Ora was white-hot in a sunburst-emblazoned Fausto Puglisi cut-out gown.

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Skin-bleaching proponent Dencia‘s embellished one-piece proves one should never wear a mouth near their crotch.

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Charli XCX donned an elegant vintage black gown.

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Ludacris was classically handsome in a tuxedo.

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Taylor Swift topped off her all-white Balmain jumpsuit with a custom “Bad Blood” Edie Parker clutch.

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Iggy Azalea wore a crop top and skirt set with pink tinged hair.

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A ho-hum Britney Spears wore a cream-colored Yousef Al-Jasmi gown.


Dionne Warwick Owes The IRS $6 Million

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“Bitch Better Have My Money” is the tune the IRS is singing as it goes after Dionne Warwick for $6 million.

Uncle Sam and Warwick’s fight has been ongoing for years. The IRS claims Warwick owes $6 million in taxes from 1991 through 1999 and 2007, according to TheJasmineBrand.com. Her lawyer claims the debt was caused by a business manager mismanaging her funds, which left her drowning in tax debt. However, Warwick filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2013 and believes the debt should be wiped clean.

While filing bankruptcy, Warwick claimed she only had $25,500 in assets, but $10,727,429 in liabilities. She later sued the IRS, claiming the $6 million tax debt was so old it should be discharged in the bankruptcy in accordance with the law. However, old Uncle Sam wasn’t having that and said the debt shouldn’t be forgiven because Warwick has tried to avoid payment for decades.

But, the IRS has one more trick up its sleeve to collect this debt from Warwick …

The IRS filed documents in Warwick’s lawsuit stating that her booking entity Red Entertainment Agency pays Warwick through a bank account under a name other than her own. As a result, the IRS also filed a motion seeking to hold Red Entertainment in contempt of court for not producing documentation of Warwick’s income, as promised. The IRS has also subpoenaed Red Entertainment to fork over all records of Warwick’s bank accounts and payments made to the singer. The IRS will likely seize Warwick’s accounts in order to collect the $6 million in tax debt.

Warwick joins Solange, Chris Tucker, and Lauryn Hill on the list of celebrities facing tax trouble, recently.

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Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj Beat Beyoncé, Lil Wayne In BET Award Noms

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Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj received the most nominations at the upcoming BET Awards with six nods each.

Both Brown’s “Loyal” and “New Flame” will compete against Minaj’s “Anaconda” for video of the year. Beyoncé‘s “7/11″ is also up for the top prize, at the June 28 awards show in Los Angeles. The category is rounded out by Big Sean‘s “IDFWU” and Common and John Legend‘s Oscar-winning “Glory,” from the film Selma.

Breezy’s other nominations include best male R&B/pop artist; viewers’ choice; best collaboration for “Loyal,” which features Lil Wayne and Tyga, and “New Flame,” which features Usher and Rick Ross.

Minaj is nominated for best female hip-hop artist, best group as a member of Young Money, and best collaboration for the remix of “No Love” with August Alsina. Like Brown, she’s twice nominated in a category. Her hit “Only” has been nominated for the viewer’s choice award and she received a nod in the same group as a guest on Rae Sremmurd‘s “Throw Some Mo.”

Bey and Lil Wayne were both nominated for four awards. Other nominees include The Weeknd, Fetty Wap, FKA twigs, and Sam Smith.

But the BET Awards also highlight the best of Hollywood and sports. Empire stars Taraji P. Henson and Jussie Smollett were also nominated for acting awards. Serena Williams and Floyd Mayweather Jr. earned sports nominations.

White Professor Wishes His Black Students Acted More Asian-American

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Jerry Hough, a white Duke University professor shared some confounding theories on race relations, in particular how Black people should be more like Asian-Americans.  His comments were triggered  by a NY Times op-ed titled, “How Racism Doomed Baltimore,” which he vehemently disagreed with and was compelled to address.

In the comments section of the article, Hough, an 80 year old political science professor who has been at Duke for four decades, calls Baltimore’s mayor incompetent for “badly” handling the aftermath of Freddie Gray‘s death at the hands of city police.  Then he goes into what Black people should be doing instead of feeling sorry for themselves.

He praised Asian-Americans for working doubly-hard to integrate into American society, before criticizing his African-American students for rejecting it – as evidenced by the ‘strange’ names they go by.

“Every Asian student has a very simple old American first name that symbolizes their desire for integration. Virtually every black has a strange new name that symbolizes their lack of desire for integration, ” he wrote.

The self-described disciple of Martin Luther King, Jr. goes on to say, “The amount of Asian-white dating is enormous and so surely will be the intermarriage. Black-white dating is almost non-existemt [sic] because of the ostracism by blacks of anyone who dates a white.”

School officials were incensed, especially since the commentary comes at a time when campus race relations are tense.”The comments were noxious, offensive and have no place in civil discourse,” stated a representative of the university’s public affairs and government relations office via email.  However, the note also defended faculty’s right “to act and to speak in his or her capacity as a citizen without institutional censorship or discipline.”

In a statement to the Daily News, Hough expressed remorse for some of his language – mainly the usage of the word ‘every’ – but doesn’t back down from his stance.  He’s not sorry one bit, only offering that his comments were misunderstood and not conveyed as well as intended.

“The point I was raising was why the Asians who were oppressed did so well and are integrating so well, and the blacks are not doing as well,” Hough told the News & Observer. “The comments have convinced me to write a book which will add the Asians to all the research I did on blacks.”


Read Hough’s complete response to the NY Times op-ed here:

“This editorial is what is wrong. The Democrats are an alliance of Westchester and Harlem, of Montgomery County and intercity Baltimore. Westchester and Montgomery get a Citigroup asset stimulus policy that triples the market. The blacks get a decline in wages after inflation.

But the blacks get symbolic recognition in an utterly incompetent mayor who handled this so badly from beginning to end that her resignation would be demanded if she were white.The blacks get awful editorials like this that tell them to feel sorry for themselves.

In 1965 the Asians were discriminated against as least as badly as blacks. That was reflected in the word “colored.” The racism against what even Eleanor Roosevelt called the yellow races was at least as bad.

So where are the editorials that say racism doomed the Asian-Americans. They didn’t feel sorry for themselves, but worked doubly hard.

I am a professor at Duke University. Every Asian student has a very simple old American first name that symbolizes their desire for integration. Virtually every black has a strange new name that symbolizes their lack of desire for integration. The amount of Asian-white dating is enormous and so surely will be the intermarriage. Black-white dating is almost non-existemt because of the ostracism by blacks of anyone who dates a white.

It was appropriate that a Chinese design won the competition for the Martin Luther King state. King helped them overcome. The blacks followed Malcolm X.”

 

– Colby Carrington

Barack Obama Finally Joins Twitter As @POTUS

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Ask anyone over the age of 30 how much time they spend on Twitter and you’re liable to hear, “Twitter is dead.” (Or maybe that’s just my friends.) But the micro-blogging site just might have gotten the push it needs to stay relevant in an Instagram and Facebook dominated world.

After six years of a faceless person tweeting for @BarackObama or the man himself signing “-BO” to signal tweets he crafted, the President of the United States Barack Obama finally has a Twitter account of his own. Knowing that followers would assume he wasn’t behind the @POTUS account, Obama let the public know it was “really” him with his first tweet above.

Of course POTUS is a pretty general title for the top man or soon-to-be woman of the country, so many, like Bill Clinton, wondered what would happen to Obama’s handle when a new President takes office.

According to the White House, the @POTUS handle will transfer to the 45th President of the United States in 2017, when Obama leaves office. Obviously, Clinton has a vested interest in this news because his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton is running for President in 2016.

Obama chose a photo from the 50th anniversary of the marches to Selma and Montgomery as his banner image. He, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Congressman John Lewis led a commemorative march over the Selma Bridge.

The @POTUS handle “will serve as a new way for President Obama to engage directly with the American people, with tweets coming exclusively from him,” according to a statement from the White House.

Source

Say What? LHHATL Bans Fighting

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Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta has relied on ratchet fighting or the threat of an altercation between the cast to draw in viewers, instead of actually creating some substance, like love and Hip Hop. But show execs are trying to give the reality program a better reputation.

After major advertisers began complaining, producers are putting the kibosh on the fisticuffs. They forced the cast to sign a contract agreeing not to fight, according to production sources who spoke to TMZ. Apparently, the LHHATL executives flew to The A to make sure the cast understands the new direction.

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According to the new guidelines, any star of the show who fights during taping will be removed from the episode without pay and suspended. S/he could also be terminated from the LHHATL.

The cast has reportedly resorted to screaming matches instead of brawling, which could put its popularity as VH1’s top show in jeopardy. It’s believed that the fight between Joseline Hernandez and Althea Heart during last season’s reunion brought about this change in policy.

What do you think about the LHHATL cast being disciplined for fighting?

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