Courtesy of Vibe

As the executive producer of the controversial reality show Basketball Wives, Shaunie O’Neal released an exclusive statement on some of the unladylike behavior that has consumed recent episodes.

Since the drama on the popular VH1 show has reached new levels (Jennifer Williams is suing Nia Crooks, Evelyn Lozada‘s assistant, for assault), the BBW head expressed her personal thoughts on the matter.

“I’m extremely happy that Basketball Wives continues to have another successful fourth season. As the ratings have been through the roof since our season opener, fans continue to tune into the lives of Evelyn, Tami, Jennifer, Royce, Suzie  and myself. As there is always controversy and indifference projected on the show, because we are all individual personalities, I always hope that people will find that as much as you may agree or disagree with the opinions, the behavior, [and] even our different taste in shoes, you are taking a look inside the lives of four complete different women. I will never say I agree with some of the behavior between my girlfriends on the show, but if we were to edit certain things out the show would be scripted and not reality.

Continue reading at Vibe

In today’s link round-up: President Obama sits on Rosa Parks’ bus, Beyonce goes back to school (maybe) and much more!

The Grio
Zimmerman Says Trayvon Martin’s Last Words Were ‘Okay, You Got It’
More details emerge on Trayvon Martin’s final moments.

The Hollywood Reporter
Adele, Rihanna, Lil Wayne Lead 2012 Billboard Music Awards Nominees
Adele continues her reign.

HuffPost Politics
Obama Sits Inside Rosa Parks Bus [PHOTO]
“I just sat in there for a moment and pondered the courage and tenacity that is part of our very recent history…”

EURweb
Beyonce Going Back To School?
Beyonce the scholar!

Hello Beautiful
Gabrielle Union: Cancer Took My Friend. Don’t Play With Healthcare. [EXCLUSIVE]
Union takes a public stand on an issue that hits close to home.

The Frisky
6 Tips For Moving On After You’ve Been Blindsided By A Breakup
You didn’t see it coming, but it’s time to move on.

Tyra Banks is cleaning house on her hit reality series America’s Next Top Model.

Photographer Nigel Barker, runway coach J. Alexander (“Miss J”) and creative director Jay Manuel were reportedly informed Thursday morning that their contracts would not be renewed for Cycle 19.

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

Tyra confirmed their departure via her official Facebook page.

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

Tyra and Ken Mok, executive producers of the show, said in a statement to Us Weekly:

“Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel and J. Alexander have been an integral part of the America’s Next Top Model brand and they helped turn this show into the household name it is today. They have been amazing assets to the show and will always be a part of the Top Model family. We will continue to actively work with each of them on future projects.”

Top Model is currently in its eighteenth cycle– dubbed the British Invasion– but is reporting historically low ratings.

There are few things as awkward as watching the man behind “Where My Dogs At” whimper. That’s what we saw Wednesday night on Couple’s Therapy, the Vh1 reality show everybody’s talking about. Truthfully, when I saw DMX heading toward tears, I wanted to change the channel. It’s my innate reaction when I see men showing that level of emotion. That’s the way a lot of us react. After all, men are supposed to be strong, cool, calm and collected. We’re not supposed to be overly emotional unless we’ve suffered a significant loss like a parent, child, sibling or even a job. We’re trained this way, often times subconsciously. And when we see a man approaching the breaking point, we jokingly say stuff like, “that man needs a hug.” That’s what we saw last night with DMX, and it couldn’t be closer to the truth.

But what we saw from Earl speaks to bigger issues that continue to plague the people around us — particularly men. DMX broke down when talking about how is mother never told him she loved him, and he never had the opportunity to just call her “mommy.” And once he couldn’t fight back the emotion that he’s clearly been subduing for years with his vices, you saw the cracks in his shell. And once he realized his vulnerability was seeping through, he tried to pull himself together with some self-encouragement:

“So what? She didn’t say she loved me, so what? I’m here, I’m healthy, I got kids, I got a good career.”

The progress for him was realizing the impact that his childhood had on his development. The regression — albeit a natural response  – was him quickly trying to put the fragments back together and move on to the next topic. From the scenario that played out on the show, there are a few key takeaways. Today I want to share with you just three.

A Florida judge says George Zimmerman can be released on $150,000 bail while he awaits trial for the Feb. 26 shooting of Trayvon Martin.

Related: Pain Fuels Art For Trayvon Martin [PHOTOS + VIDEOS]

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder, but has maintained a claim of self-defense.

Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester has set several conditions for Zimmerman’s release which include:

- GPS monitoring

- Zimmerman would have to contact authorities every three days

- No contact with the victim’s family

- No possession of firearms

- No use of controlled substances, other than those prescribed by a physician.

The judge says details need to be worked out between Zimmerman’s attorney and law enforcement agents. Zimmerman will not be released Friday.

Martin’s parents were in attendance at the hearing.

“I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son,” Zimmerman said on the stand. He said he “didn’t know if [Martin] was armed or not.”

Just moments before Friday’s bail hearing, a new photograph released by ABC News showed a bloodied George Zimmerman with injuries to the back of his head. The photo was reportedly taken three minutes after Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin and could support his claim that the two were engaged in a physical altercation.

A Florida judge granted Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder, $150,000 bail Friday morning.

Related: George Zimmerman’s Bail Set At $150K

ABC News reports:

“The exclusive image shows blood trickling down the back of Zimmerman’s head from two cuts. It also shows a possible contusion forming on the crown of his head. The original police report that night notes that the back of Zimmerman’s head was wet, and that he was bleeding from the nose and head.

Zimmerman told police that night that he shot and killed the teenager in self-defense after Martin punched him and pounced on him. Zimmerman told police that Martin then bashed his head into the concrete sidewalk during the altercation that took place in the tidy middle-class development of the Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, Fla.”

Zimmerman was treated at the scene by paramedics, cuffed and taken to the Sanford police station for questioning. He was never admitted to a hospital or given stitches.

Related: Pain Fuels Art For Trayvon Martin [PHOTOS + VIDEOS]

Benjamin Crump, the Martin family attorney, told ABC News that he is skeptical of the image.

“How bad could it have been if they didn’t take him to the hospital [and] didn’t stitch him up,” he said. “The special prosecutor has seen all the evidence and still believes George Zimmerman murdered Trayvon Martin.”

Courtesy of Vibe

Celeb #1

The Celebrity: Diddy

When He Got Caught Smoking Weed: In December 2006 at a concert in Toronto

WTF Was He Thinking? We’ve gotta admit that we weren’t exactly “surprised” by Diddy puffing away on what appeared to be a small roach at a concert. But it’s still not exactly a good look for him and we have to believe that, with all of the business ventures he’s involved in these days, he would never get caught doing this so blatantly again. Then again, who knows? They don’t call him Puff for nothing, right?

Continue reading at Vibe

Courtesy of The Frisky

“This isn’t working for me anymore,” he says abruptly one night on the phone, and you’re stunned. Everything had been going great. You’d even been thinking about places to go on a summer vacation together, but unfortunately, he had other plans. And you did not see this coming.

Breakups are hard enough when you know things aren’t working out and sense that the end is looming, but they’re even more painful when you’re totally caught by surprise. What relationship was I in? you wonder, since it was obviously so different from the one your boyfriend was in. Questioning whether you were completely out of touch with reality, you search for red flags you may have missed, look for everything you could have done wrong, and long for answers.

But when a breakup comes on out-of-the-blue, it’s usually not because of anything you did wrong. Abrupt endings—that happen when things never seemed better, and without any discernible warning signs or discussions about his relationship concerns—usually have more to do with a guy’s emotional unavailability or fear of commitment.

Continue reading at The Frisky

[Depressed woman image via Shutterstock]

Courtesy of Madame Noire

Every week, there’s a new report on an instance of black people being excluded, overlooked, or discriminated in some shape or form. This week it was Acura and “The Bachelor,” a few weeks ago it was Vanity Fair and Kerry Washington, always its fashion magazines and runways and beauty campaigns. The thought that comes up most consistently after the outrage is why are we looking for white people’s approval, why are we seeking their validation, why don’t we spend time nurturing our own? And while I don’t agree that by pointing out these instances of discrimination we are seeking white people’s approval (I think it’s holding them accountable and demonstrating evidence to the contrary of their melting pot, post-racial society, we love diversity claims), I do think that more time would be better spent not seeking or needing to be a part of what white people have going on—and have obviously shown through their actions they want to keep to themselves. But I’m curious if we really know what that would mean or how to even achieve it.

When I think of a time when black people had their “own” on a large scale in entertainment, I think of the Robert Johnson 1980 BET days, even Don Cornelius’ Soul Train days come to mind. These men had a vision to give black people something they could be proud of on TV and they made it happen. But the reality is Bob Johnson had to get John C. Malone to invest $500,000 in the project to get it off the ground, and once the network became a raving success, it no longer remained a black-owned network because he sold it to Viacom for $3 billion in 2003, and ever since we’ve been left with the version of “black entertainment” we see now. When I thought about the wealthy rappers that were acknowledged by Forbes yesterday, I noticed a common thread. A lot of the men’s wealth came from selling companies and brands they’d built. Jay-Z sold Rocawear, 50 Cent sold his stake in Vitamin Water, and Dr. Dre gave up his majority ownership in Beats Electronics for a hefty price. It’s a common—and smart—business practice, but not one that allows us to have the ultimate say in the decisions that upset us, like who appears in which advertisements and how we’re portrayed on TV. That wealth also doesn’t trickle down into the community because we’re not selling these businesses off to other African Americans, they’re going to large corporations headed by white men mostly who could care less about our representation, and the money remains in the hands of the black 1%.

Continue reading at Madame Noire

[Applause image via Shutterstock]

The gorgeous Mowry sisters are back for a second season of Tia & Tamera and they look better than ever!

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

Style Network released the twins’ promo pictures just in time for the show’s premiere in June and it’s evident that fun times are ahead with the charismatic duo.

“As they face the realities of motherhood and matrimony, Tia and Tamera lean heavily on each other to lighten the difficult moments with comedic insight and advice and to share their worries and fears,” the network said in a statement.

Last season, the docu-series shattered several network records, including a 750,000 audience in its first week.

It’ll be exciting to see the lovely ladies settle into motherhood and marriage while maintaining their successful careers.

Check out all the beautiful pictures after the jump!

Photos courtesy of Robert Trachtenberg/The YBF

You hear it all the time, “It is so expensive to eat healthy.” That could be true if you don’t know where or how to shop. There is always a way to do affordable shopping, but it isn’t as easy as putting items in your basket and swiping your debit card. You can use coupons, look for the best sales for a particular item via the Internet or you can bulk shop with a friend at Costco Wholesale or BJ’s and split the products. If you don’t want to go through all of that, we came up with a list of foods that are definitely healthy yet affordable even if you don’t clip a coupon.

[Family dinner image via Shutterstock]
[Boy in shopping cart image via Shutterstock]

In today’s link round-up: Metta World Peace gives a mean elbow, a look inside Donatella Versace’s world and much more!

EURweb
‘Think Like A Man’ Brings In $33 Million
There’s a new champ at the box office.

Hello Beautiful
Nicki Minaj Is Thinking About Leaving “The Game”
Is Nicki preparing her exit?

VIBE.com
Should Metta World Peace Be Suspended For His Out-Of-Control Elbow?
The Laker claims he was “celebrating” his awesome dunk.

The Frisky
A Glamorous Glimpse Of Donatella’s Average Day
The life and times of Ms. Versace.

The Grio
Jennifer Hudson Family Murder Trial Begins
J. Hud and her family seek justice after the tragic 2008 murders.

Courtesy of EURweb

The white guy who happened to be the managing editor of Essence the leading magazine for black women was fired after the content on his Facebook was brought to the magazine’s attention.

Michael Bullerdick was already a controversy, being a white man in charge of  a black woman’s magazine, reports Journal-isms. But he pushed the envelope when he posted some right wing political message on his social media page.

A reader took screen shots of his Facebook page (see below), which read on April 10: “No Voter Fraud, Mr. Attorney General?” touting a video by James O’Keefe, the conservative activist who worked with right-wing trickster Andrew Breitbart. The same day, Bullerdick shared a photo illustration of Al Sharpton headlined, “MSNBC Race Pimp.”

Continue at EURweb…

Good Morning America paid tribute to Robin Roberts Monday in an emotional video montage to celebrate the co-host’s tenth anniversary.

Since 2002, Roberts has covered a range of historic moments such as Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 Presidential election, the death of Osama bin Laden and more.

Over the years Roberts has had her own personal struggles, including her bout with breast cancer, but has remained resilient.

Former co-host Charlie Gibson shared these kind words.

“Ten years Robin, wow. The day I remember best is when you moved from the news desk over to the host desk, and Diane and I put a third chair there, ” he said. “I remember you were very nervous that first day — that didn’t last.” 

“But we were through so much –  the death of your dear, sweet father, the destruction of hometown, Pass Christian, and then of course, you cancer.  That’s why so many people, I think, love you. Because your emotions are always so genuine, and that’s why this long departed former host and anchor loves you too.”

Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

It’s apparent that to be a cast member of the Real Housewives series you don’t actually have to be a “housewife.” As previously reported, Sheree Whitfield will not return for the 5th season, so we have to wonder: who will Bravo find to replace her character on the show?

Atlanta is the home of many successful artists, entrepreneurs and entertainers and is known for harboring those that are considered to be “new money.” With that said, finding a replacement shouldn’t be too hard. Here are four candidates Vixen thinks would make a perfect fit for the cast…

KEISHA KNIGHT PULLIAM
Keisha is a veteran in the Hollywood scene. We all know her as Rudy from The Cosby Show, but in recent years, she’s appeared in Beauty Shop, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and Madea Goes to Jail. Last year she was nominated for a NAACP Award for best supporting actress on House of Payne, and recently, she was spotted hosting a charity event in Atlant–which helped to raise money for AIDS treatment and food for children in African countries–with Ne-Yo’s main squeeze, Monyetta Shaw.

Continue at Vibe Vixen!

Kerry Washington is doing more than just saving reputations on her new ABC drama Scandal– she’s improving the lives of our young children.

She is one of several celebrities adopting some of the nation’s worst-performing schools to help turn them around by integrating arts education. Forest Whitaker, Sarah Jessica Parker, Alfre Woodard and more took the pledge Monday to aid the Obama administration in a Turnaround Arts initiative.

Related: Octavia Spencer, Michael B. Jordan To Star In Oscar Grant Film

In true Lindsay Lohan fashion, the 25-year-old actress has been given another chance to move on from her disastrous past. This time around, she has scored the iconic role of Elizabeth Taylor.

According to Deadline, Lifetime’s Liz & Dick is “a biopic chronicling the enduring love of movie icons Taylor and Richard Burton, whose fiery romance was the most notorious, publicized and celebrated love affair of its day.”

Related: Have A Seat: 5 Celebrities Who Just Can’t Win!

Lohan has become more known for her off-camera antics which include trips to the slammer, rehab and the loss of several movie roles. But Rob Sharenow, Executive Vice President of Programming, says he is excited to sign with Lohan for the project.

“We are thrilled Lindsay will portray beloved Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor,” he said. “She is one of the rare actresses who possesses the talent, beauty and intrigue to capture the spirit of such a provocative icon.”

Lohan also shared her enthusiasm for landing the part.

“I have always admired and had enormous respect for Elizabeth Taylor. She was not only an incredible actress but an amazing woman as well.” says Lohan. “I am very honored to have been asked to play this role.”

Production for Liz & Dick will begin in June.

What do you think?

The women of VH1′s hit series Single Ladies are back for another sizzling summer of sex, drama and incredible fashion. The network released the show’s official promo picture and video featuring LisaRaye McCoy, Charity Shea, and newbie Denise Vasi.

The series heated up off-screen with the departure of Stacey Dash in August, but the Queen Latifah-produced dramedy has not skipped a beat as the show prepares for its second season.

Single Ladies will make its return on Monday, May 28 at 9/8c.

Courtesy of the Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson broke down in tears Monday while testifying at the trial of the man accused of killing her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew in a jealous rage four years ago.

Hudson was the first witness called after prosecutors and attorneys for William Balfour finished their opening statements. During her brief but emotional testimony, she told jurors her family didn’t want her sister to marry Balfour and she spoke about the last time she saw her family members.

The singer and actress, who wore a subdued black dress and whose hair was wrapped in a bun, at first seemed composed as a prosecutor began asking her questions. But the testimony became increasingly difficult, and she began crying when talking about seeing her family the Sunday before the killings and later when a prosecutor showed her a picture of her mother.

Her voice also broke as she described her reaction when her sister, Julia Hudson, told her she was going to marry Balfour.

“None of us wanted her to marry him,” she said, her voice cracking and struggling to hold back tears. “We did not like how he treated her,” she said.

Continue at the Associated Press…

Courtesy of BlackBook

After four weekends of box-office dominance, the post-apocalyptic teen battle-to-the-death has been bested a paean to husbands and dads.  Think Like A Man, the film based on Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man, a relationship advice book from TV personality Steve Harvey, earned $33 million this past weekend, more than double projected earnings, according to Hollywood.com. Not only that, but The Hunger Games also came in third past the Zac-Efron-As-Returning-War-Hero weeper, The Lucky One.

So why, after four weeks during which it seemed we’d see Jennifer Lawrence bow-and-arrowing her way forever to dominance, the sudden weariness?

Continue at BlackBook!