Sorry Donald, that wasn’t an endorsement. Just a bad attempt at a joke, I guess?

— Anthony Mackie (@AnthonyMackie) October 19, 2015

Anthony Mackie clarifies a statement he made about Donald Trump during a BET interview focused on  promotion around his new film “Our Brand is Crisis.” The interview started with a question about whether he would want to run Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump’s campaign, since his character in the film was part of a political strategy team hired by an unpopular Bolivian presidential candidate.  Mackie chose Trump on the basis that the say-anything, ‘self-made’ Republican candidate is “an easy sell.” When asked if he endorsed Trump, Mackie deadpanned, “I’m on the bandwagon. I’m drinking the Kool-Aid.”

Watch the full video below:

–Colby C.

After a much-needed break after CURLFEST 2015, we’re finally back into the swing of things. But before we embrace the cold and snow, we wanted to take one last look at our dear Summer, and remember all of the beautiful people who came out to CURLFEST! Check out our official video, and relive all of the positive energy and good vibes in photos from the event. If you weren’t able to make it, visit our CURLFEST Directory to support our amazing partners and vendors who made the festival such a huge success!

Late Monday, Lamar Odom was checked out of the Vegas hospital where he was taken for treatment after being found unresponsive at Nevada’s Love Ranch a little over a week ago.  Though early reports sounded grim, Odom’s condition has significantly improved. He was reportedly transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to receive more specialized care and an assessment the mental and physical damage he may suffer as a result of the multiple strokes he had while in a coma.

Khloe Kardashian, Odom’s almost ex-wife, who has been by his side since he was taken to the hospital, released her first statement about his prognosis on her website this afternoon. It reads:

“I am so thankful to family, friends, and fans, who have sent nothing but prayers and well wishes to Lamar. I also want to take a moment to thank everyone at Sunrise Hospital, including the amazing doctors and nurses for their kindness and diligent work. Under their amazing care, incredible strides have been made.”

Khloe continues, “You can never be prepared for an experience like this, but without the outpouring of love and endless prayers that Lamar has received and the strength I was given from my loved ones, it would have been difficult to endure. Thank you for your continued support. God is great!!!”

Yesterday, Odom’s aunt JaNean Mercer gave her own statement to Us Weekly. “Each day Lamar is getting stronger and reaching significant milestones in his recovery. We are committed to remaining by his side as a family for our champion, who we love immensely,” she said.

Her message to fans and well-wishers continued, “Your continued prayers and well wishes have been the fuel to keep us going, and for that we are eternally grateful.”

Image credit: Instagram/LamarOdom, khloewithak.com

At the 18th Annual Mark Twain Awards, Eddie Murphy included a few Bill Cosby jokes in his acceptance speech for an award honoring him for American Humor.  The jokes were somewhat of a surprise given that he famously refused to participate in a Cosby sketch for Saturday Night Live’s 40th Anniversary special this past February on the grounds that he didn’t want to kick a man when he was down, a move which Cosby thanked him for at the time.

Would Bill Cosby thank him for these jokes?  Watch Eddie Murphy impersonate Bill Cosby below:

Colby C.

UPTOWN Magazine is partnering with 3 Alliance’s andiamo! luxury/adventure travel series. As part of this association, the series will be a co-branded, co-produced & media rich luxury/adventure travel series entitled “andiamo! | UPTOWN” hosted by travel expert Donna Perkins.

andiamo! | UPTOWN will immerse its audience with unique experiences in all corners of the globe. From the exciting cultural offerings of the New France Festival in Quebec City, to mountain climbing in Switzerland, cooking with a famous chef in Martinique, experiencing Jerusalem and the history of its Old City and much more, andiamo! | UPTOWN will inspire its audience to get out and become an informed globetrotter like Donna.

“As Co-CEO’s of 3 Alliance, we are excited to embark upon this new partnership with UPTOWN as we feel that it will open up a world of opportunity and adventure for andiamo!” say Donna Perkins & Jason Gordon.

Leonard Burnett, Jr., Co-CEO of Uptown remarks, “We are thrilled about our new partnership with 3 Alliance. The travel category has always been a big supporter of our brand. With this new partnership we will integrate our advertisers with opportunities across multiple platforms that will reach our affluent audience. adiamo! UPTOWN, will not only excite but enlighten our well traveled, savvy audience who see travel as not only a destination but a lifestyle.”

The series is jointly produced by 3 Alliance Media and UPTOWN Ventures Group. Executive producers are Jason Gordon, Donna Perkins and Leonard Burnett, Jr.

At just 19, Disney actress Zendaya Coleman has shown maturity beyond her years.  First she took the Fashion Police to task for derogatory statements about the dreadlocks she opted to wear at this year’s Academy Awards. She’s become a champion of being yourself and has taken on another target, Modeliste Magazine.

Zendaya is the magazine’s November 2015 cover subject. She took issue with one highly retouched image in particular, on the grounds that it was a fictional representation of her.  Zendaya posted the retouched photo alongside the unretouched photo side by side on Instagram Wednesday.  The comparison included a reprimand of Modeliste, reading in part, “These are the things that make women self conscious, that create the unrealistic ideals of beauty that we have. Anyone who knows who I am knows I stand for honest and pure self love. So I took it upon myself to release the real pic (right side) and I love it ”

Recognizing that the level of retouching was offensive, and wanting to address the backlash from readers and Zendaya fans, the magazine’s editor in chief to the unprecendented step of pulling the issue before it was officially released. They are updating the issue to include the unretouched images from Zendaya’s shoot. Amy McCabe, Editor-in-Chief, also penned this open letter, acknowledging their misstep.

“Thank You Zendaya for raising a very important issue.

In light of our not-yet-released November issue, with Modeliste’s Cover Girl, Zendaya and the swirling controversy in regards to any re-touched images, I am compelled to publicly address this situation which was brought to my attention yesterday, personally by Zendaya. Upon review of the final edited images which had been submitted to us by an independent editing company, together, as a collaboration between myself, Zendaya and her parents, we concluded that the images had been retouched to an extent that was not acceptable and not true to the values and ideals we represent and promote in our publication. I, therefore, made the executive decision to immediately pull the issue in order to have this rectified and have the images restored to their original, natural state which will reflect the true beauty and radiance of Zendaya.”

The statement goes into more detail about a specific aspect of the retouching that illustrated the existence of flawed ‘standards’ of beauty:

“I absolutely loved that when personally speaking with Zendaya on the phone in regards to the re-touching, that she specifically had noted that her fine baby hairs had been photoshopped from her forehead. As we had so many different hair styles throughout the shoot, this was something I hadn’t noticed; however, it was incredibly profound that this was something in particular in which she loves about herself, and what is a part of what makes her who she is. What one person may see as a “flaw” is someone else’s “fabulousness”. We are proud that Zendaya has taken this as an opportunity to address this situation, and create a very necessary honest and open dialogue.”

In explaining why it was so important to use unretouched photos (including the one above) the second time around, McCable had this to say:

“It is our hope that these images and the truthful portrayal of these unedited images brings attention and awareness to this issue. It’s important that we learn to be uplifting not only to one another, but to ourselves. That we learn to embrace our differences, our unique gifts and those aspects and qualities that make us real and who we are.”

Read the full statement here.

Colby C.

Just six months after their Vegas wedding, Lark Voorhies and her new husband Jimmy Green are divorcing.  Voorhies is the one who filed divorce paperwork, and has no intention of providing any type of financial support to her soon to be ex husband, according to court documents.

The couple dated for a year after meeting on Facebook. They had two separate ceremonies in April – a commitment ceremony and a Vegas chapel ceremony – with a third ceremony that was supposed to happen in 2016.  Voorhies described their union in a July interview as “We are selectively together for all the right reasons.”

Green tells TMZ that he didn’t know how to file for divorce so that’s why Voorhies beat him to it.  He also complains that Lark’s mom, Patricia Voorhies, played a role in their breakup. In June, Mama Voorhies got a restraining order against the former gang member because she felt he’d been threatening towards her.

Image credits: Getty, Instagram

-Colby C.

It seems the moratorium on Lamar Odom jokes has been lifted.  Comedian Chris Rock, who was just confirmed as host of the 2016 Oscars, tweeted a meme poking fun at the recovering athlete and making fun of the circumstances that brought him there.

The meme, which Rock posted to Twitter yesterday reads, “Here’s to Lamar Odom on being the first guy in history to have coke and hookers save his marriage.”

Stay strong Lamar. pic.twitter.com/oWeciBKR9t

— Chris Rock (@chrisrock) October 23, 2015

The joke references the reconciliation between Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian. On Wednesday, Kardashian’s lawyer asked a judge to dismiss the couple’s divorce filing from July, signalling that they want to stay married.

“In SINCERELY loving Lamar, we truly love and respect whomever he loves,” JaNean Mercer said in a statement released early Thursday. “We always have and will continue to do so. Together as a team, we will support and encourage him always.”

Such promising news gave hope that Odom was permanently on the mend.  While some got a chuckle out of Rock’s joke, others felt it is still too soon, especially since it’s been reported that Odom had a setback and had to undergo two emergency surgeries late on Thursday.  He’s been hospitalized since being found unconscious at a legal Nevada brothel on October 13.

Image: Getty

–Colby C.

“During slavery — and I know that’s one of those words you’re not supposed to say, but I’m saying it — during slavery, a lot of the slave owners thought that they had the right to do whatever they wanted to that slave, anything that they chose to do. And what if the abolitionists had said: ‘You know, I don’t believe in slavery. I think it’s wrong, but you guys do whatever you want to do’? Where would we be?”

— Dr. Ben Carson equates women who abort their pregnancies to “slave owners,” while speaking with Chuck Todd on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday. Since Carson said he believes life begins at conception, Todd asked Carson whose rights should be superseded, the mother’s or the fetus’s. The retired neurosurgeon said:

“In the ideal situation, the mother should not believe that the baby is her enemy and should not be looking to terminate the baby. You know, things are set up in such a way that the person in the world who has the greatest interest in protecting the baby is the mother. We’ve allowed the purveyors of the vision to make mothers think that that baby is their enemy and that they have a right to kill it. Can you see how perverted that line of thinking is?”

The presidential hopeful wants to see Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, overturned. He makes no exception for victims of rape or incest. However, Carson said he would consider an exception in the “extraordinarily rare situation” when a pregnancy risks the mother’s life.

Carson also compared Obamacare to slavery in 2013.

Source

A Baltimore City teacher and high school senior are in trouble after their fight involving a cell phone was caught on video.

The fight broke out on Friday at Carver Vocational-Technical High School in West Baltimore after the teacher asked the 17-year-old student to leave the classroom because she was speaking on her phone, according to WBAL TV11. The student can be seen in the video leaving the room and pushing a chair towards the teacher. She also threw something across the teacher’s desk in the teacher’s direction.

In the hallway, the student can be seen throwing a notebook at the teacher, who can be seen charging the student. A male student intervened, attempting to break up the fight, but the teacher can be heard screaming, “I’ll kill you up in here [expletive]; what the [expletive] you think this is.”

The student’s family blames the teacher for escalating the incident.

“You’re supposed to be a role model to these children, and you took your shoes off and physically was fighting her like you was outside on the street,” Nikia Jones, the student’s aunt, told Fox 45. Although the student’s family admits she threw the book, they say the teacher didn’t behave like an adult.

“You send the best child you have to school, maybe a problem child, maybe a good child. But you send the best you have,” Nancy Jones told Fox 45, excusing her granddaughter’s behavior. “You don’t expect nobody to fight her like that.”

The teacher was reportedly treated for minor injuries and placed on administrative leave while an investigation is conducted. The student was arrested and charged with assault. She was released to a parent.

Source

What were your favorite celebs up to this weekend? Scorpio celebrations were in full swing, along with Walking Dead watch parties and some super sweet mother-son moments. Check out what Kim Kardashian, Ciara,

Kim Kardashian, Mary J. Blige, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jaden Smith, Willow Smith, Kris Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian
come together to celebrate Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing’s birthday.

Ciara and Russell Wilson make a dynamic duo at her surprise birthday party this weekend.

Mercedes AMG F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton wishes for better weather, although that didn’t stop him from winning his third trophy.

Tyra Banks does some weekend reading.

Daymond John is all about his newest Shark Tank investment, Three Jerks Jerky.

On set mishaps with Kevin Hart.

Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill put in some family time with his grandma.

Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Scott (Kenric Green) from The Walking Dead are a real life married couple who watched last night’s episode in horror just like the rest of us and thanked their lucky stars they will live to see another day…at least for now.

Brooklyn Nets rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson surprised his mother with a super sweet birthday gift – a new house.

RHOA’s Phaedra Parks kicked off her birthday week with some ATL friends.

Bacon apparently doesn’t make everything better.  Specifically the World Health Organization revealed findings today that link red meat, processed meats and cancer.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer research agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), today declared that consuming red meat is “probably carcinogenic to humans.”  The strongest link is between red meat and colorectal cancer but there is also evidence of links to pancreatic and prostate cancer.

The IARC put processed meats in the Group 1 category, a classification defined as “carcinogenic to humans.” Experts from 10 countries evaluated data from 800 cancer studies to put together the report.

RRe

The organization revealed that a daily intake of 50g of processed meat (1.75oz) increases the risk of colorectal cancer by about 18 percent. That amount is equivalent to a couple of slices of deli meat or a single hot dog.

The IRAC offers these definitions of red meat and processed meat:

“Red meat refers to all mammalian muscle meat, including, beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, horse, and goat.

Processed meat refers to meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavour or improve preservation. Most processed meats contain pork or beef, but processed meats may also contain other red meats, poultry, offal, or meat by-products such as blood.

Examples of processed meat include hot dogs (frankfurters), ham, sausages, corned beef, and biltong or beef jerky as well as canned meat and meat-based preparations and sauces.”

Their report indicates that preparation method also impacts the level of cancer causing chemicals.  High temperature cooking where the meat is in direct contact with a hot surface or flames (for instance pan frying, grilling) produce the highest amounts of chemicals suspected of causing cancer.

“For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed,” says Dr Kurt Straif, Head of the IARC Monographs Programme. “In view of the large number of people who consume processed meat, the global impact on cancer incidence is of public health importance.”

The report offers some perspective in comparison to other cancer causing vices.  They note that the Global Burden of Disease Project gives the following estimates:

• diets high in red meat could be responsible for 50,000 cancer deaths per year worldwide
• tobacco smoking causes 1 million cancer deaths per year globally
• alcohol consumption causes 600,000 cancer deaths per year

Source

Images: Shutterstock, Shutterstock

–Colby C.

A disturbing video of a high school aged girl getting choked, slammed to the ground and dragged through the classroom is causing outrage. The incident, which occurred at Spring Valley High School in Richland County, South Carolina happened today.

In the video, the girl is sitting quietly at her desk when approached by Deputy Ben Fields, who demanded that the girl leave. After a quick beat, Fields yanks her arm, puts her in a chokehold, flips her over while she’s still seated, drags her a few feet while she’s still entangled in the desk before jerking her upright and getting on top of her as he puts her in handcuffs. The girl was charged with “disturbing school” and released to her parents.

Sheriff Leon Lott, who is in charge of the school’s resource officer program, recounted the series of events leading up to the violent arrest. Fields was apparently called to the classroom after the student twice refused to leave when asked previously.

However, many question the necessity of such violence by an officer against a student was at all necessary, regardless of circumstance. The officer has been placed on administrative duty pending an investigation.

Richland School superintendent Superintendent Dr. Libby Roof released this statement:

“Our District is deeply concerned about an incident that occurred at Spring Valley High School today. The incident took place between a school resource officer employed by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and a student. Video of the incident is circulating on social media.

Student safety is and always will be the District’s top priority. The District will not tolerate any actions that jeopardize the safety of our students.

Upon learning of the incident, school and district administrators began an investigation. We are working closely and in full cooperation with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department to conduct a thorough and complete investigation.

Pending the outcome of the investigation, the District has directed that the school resource officer not return to any school in the District.”

A sex tape might be to blame for the discord between Lark Voorhies and her estranged husband Jimmy Green.

Last week, we reported Voorhies filed for divorce from Green after just six months of marriage. The former Saved by the Bell star cited “irreconcilable differences” in the filing, but now they could be gearing up for a fight over the sex tape.

Green reportedly bragged to TMZ that he has the recording and will sell it to the highest bidder.

Voorhies doesn’t deny the tape exists, but maintains Green recorded it without her knowledge.

However, in a classic case of he said/she said, Green claims Voorhies was down with the sex tape from the beginning and can’t change her mind now.

Voorhies and Green married a year after meeting on Facebook.

Halle Berry filed for divorce from Olivier Martinez recently, citing irreconcilable differences.

A source close to the couple claims their personalities clash and their differences became more apparent after Martinez hit a man with a car seat at LAX airport, reports TMZ. Their conflicts came to a head when Martinez was sued for the incident last week, and he and Berry reached their breaking point as a result.

Another source says, “They’re just very, very different people. He’s a very macho guy, and things just didn’t jive.”

The incident at LAX isn’t the only time Martinez has been violent. The former boxer beat the crap out of Berry’s ex-boyfriend and father of her daughter Nahla, Gabriel Aubry, in 2012. And he’s been known to attack paparazzi.

Berry and Martinez released a joint statement:

“It is with a heavy heart that we have come to the decision to divorce. We move forward with love and respect for one another and the shared focus for what is best for our son. We wish each other nothing but happiness in life, and we hope that you respect our, and most importantly our children’s privacy, as we go through this difficult period.”

They have been married for two years and are parents to 2-year-old Maceo. TMZ sources say Berry will not seek joint or primary custody of their son. Instead, she hopes to they work towards “the best interests of the child.”

The couple is expecting a quick, amicable divorce, especially since a prenuptial agreement is in place.

This will be Berry’s third marriage to end in divorce.

RELATED: Halle Berry’s Lifetime Of Men & Heartbreak

Just when you thought NeNe Leakes had taken the final bite out of her Georgia peach, rumor has it that she’s planning a few surprise attacks on the women of The Real Housewives of Atlanta — and for the first one, she’s going international.

The ladies of RHOA are currently in Jamaica for the season eight jaunt and NeNe is expected to pop up, much to the surprise of her former costars, according to an E! News source.

And the drama gets even better … NeNe will make more than one appearance this season.

Phaedra Parks and Porsha Williams will likely welcome the return of their ally. Kenya Moore, Cynthia Bailey, and Kandi Burruss? Not so much.

Returning cast member Sheree Whitfield will likely welcome the opportunity to confront NeNe, because the blonde bombshell rarely has a kind word for She by Sheree “designer.” But we all know NeNe can hold her own.

You might be thinking NeNe’s return to RHOA means she’s no longer a self-proclaimed rich bitch, but homegirl has more than enough on her plate. She’s set to appear alongside the legendary Betty White on the To Tell the Truth reboot and she’s returning to Broadway as Matron “Mama” Morton in Chicago next month.

Do you think NeNe has unfinished business with the RHOA cast or is she addicted to being a Georgia peach? Or does Bravo think the show can’t survive without the original queen bee?

The Real Housewives of Atlanta premieres Sunday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. on Bravo with newcomers Kim Fields and Shamea Morton.

RELATED: First Look: Real Housewives of Atlanta Season Premiere

The out-of-control South Carolina sheriff’s deputy who employed a choke-hold and body-slammed a Black female student during class, will be fired, according to NBC News.

Sources speaking to the news station said Sheriff Leon Lott plans to oust Richland County Senior Deputy Ben Fields, 34. Lott is expected to make the announcement during a press conference at noon.

Fields was caught on video slamming the unnamed Spring Valley High School student on the floor while she remained seated in a desk and dragging her through the classroom. Her classmates say the girl’s refusal to stop speaking on her cell phone and leave the classroom started the incident.

The attack has earned Fields nationwide scorn with many drawing the conclusion that Fields, a white man, acted excessively because the student is Black. Local officials and national politicians have also expressed outrage. In addition, Fields’ boss called the video “disturbing,” according to the New York Daily News, but then attempted to defend the officer by telling reporters that Fields is dating a Black woman.

Fields is currently suspended without pay and has been accused of previous misconduct, with a former Spring Valley student suing him for racial bias.

A 20-year-old Gilbert, Arizona woman is speaking about the events that led up to her being fired from an internship.

Erika Escalante posted a photo of her and a friend picking cotton and she captioned it: “Our inner nig–r came out today.” Shortly after she posted it, the tweet went viral with Black Twitter users figuring out and posting that she was an intern at Isagenix, a Chandler-based health and wellness company. Several users asked the company if they condoned Escalante’s behavior. Within minutes Isagenix denounced her behavior and said she was no longer with the company via Twitter.

We too find this tweet offensive & we are shocked. This does not reflect our values & culture. The intern is no longer with us.

— Isagenix® (@isagenix) October 26, 2015

The company also explained their position on Facebook:

“We are shocked and outraged by the actions of one of our interns this past weekend. Her actions and social media posts do not reflect the values we hold so dearly. Effective immediately, she is no longer associated with us. We are committed to a world that respects all cultures and we welcome anyone who seeks to join us in making our world a healthier place to live.”

Escalante spoke with FOX 10 Phoenix to apologize.

She told the news station that she is not a racist and the tweet was a lack of “better judgment,” i.e. she’s too stupid to think about the consequences of her actions.

“I do know better, my parents tell me I need to watch what you post. Everybody tells me you need to watch what you post,” she told FOX 10. “It was just a lack of my better judgment at the moment I was not thinking at all. People make mistakes, everybody makes you learn from them and then you just move forward.”

FOX 10 reports that Escalante deleted all her social media accounts and claims someone is using her image and handle to continue posting racist messages to social media.

Escalante is supposed to meet with the dean of Arizona State University, where she is a junior, and is unsure what the outcome of the meeting will be, according to FOX 10.

Source

New details have emerged regarding NeNe Leakes’ return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

As we reported yesterday, NeNe will make several surprise visits to RHOA, with the first one occurring this week while the cast is in Jamaica taping the season eight trip.

While delighted to see the queen bee of drama return to the show, we were left wondering what prompted NeNe to return, considering that she vowed never to go back. Does she have unfinished business with the RHOA cast? Is she addicted to reality TV after appearing on seven seasons of the hit Bravo show? Or did Bravo beg for her return? Well, it turns out the latter is the case.

Sources say the producers begged NeNe to return last month because the cast had very lackluster storylines. In essence, Cynthia Bailey, Kenya Moore, Kandi Burruss, Porsha Williams, and Phaedra Parks are boring, according to the sources. Newcomers Kim Fields and Shamea Morton haven’t helped the show either, it seems.

Bravo’s price was also right and NeNe signed on for a series of episodes slated to air late in the season.

NeNe surprised the cast during their Jamaica retreat, and the women and their mates were reportedly left speechless. She posted the below image to Instagram. Surprisingly, Cynthia and her husband Peter Thomas, wearing a shirt emblazoned with peaches, seem to have reconciled with NeNe after she told him he was “acting like a bitch.”

It seems Serena Williams has turned her eyes away from on-again-off-again boyfriend Drake and has her sights on a budding relationship with Reddit co-founder Alexis Obanian.

The couple reportedly hit it off at a lunch and their relationship is very new, according to an Us Weekly source.

On Saturday, Oct. 24th, Serena and Obanian were spotted heading into Los Angeles School of Gymnastics, where the tennis pro exercises. “He called her babe and they held hands,” said a passerby to the celebrity news outlet.

Obanian has even grown interested in tennis since dating Serena. “He said he’d never been into tennis until they started dating,” says the source. However, Obanian posted the following Instagram photo six months ago.

Obanian has previously dated microbiologist Sabriya Stukes, and is reportedly worth $6 million.