TWEEN SCENE
A family friend sent snapshots of Denise Vasi, the newest star of VH1’s hit drama Single Ladies, to a modeling agency when she was just 12 years old. Consequently, the Brooklyn native spent her teenage years modeling for brands such as Target and Olay. Nature, however, altered the path of the Greek, Puerto Rican, and Dominican beauty. “When I was at Ford Models,” she explains, “they sent me to acting classes when I was 15 because they knew that I was never going to get taller.”

SUDSY START
Once she turned her full attention to acting, Vasi landed in Pine Valley as the prostitute-turned-housewife Randi Morgan Hubbard on the soap opera All My Children. Off-screen she clicked with Susan Lucci of Erica Kane fame. “She’s awesome. I always feel like I need to let people know that she’s even more beautiful with no makeup on.” Vasi also discovered that they both suffer from extreme wanderlust, and found herself swapping travel secrets with the TV legend.

FAN OUT
“When you’re making TV,” laughs the L.A.-based actress, “there’s not very much time to watch TV. “ Thank goodness her fans do. When Stacey Dash announced her exit from Single Ladies, Vasi says, “I had a lot of fans tweeting and Facebooking me: ‘OMG, you should go on this show.’”

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

After initially standing by a new ad featuring Ashton Kutcher in brownface, acting as a send-up of an Indian Bollywood producer, popchips has pulled the spot and apologized.

“We received a lot feedback about the dating campaign parody we launched today and appreciate everyone who took the time to share their point of view,” Keith Belling, the founder and CEO of the company, wrote in a note posted on the company’s website. “Our team worked hard to create a light-hearted parody featuring a variety of characters that was meant to provide a few laughs. We did not intend to offend anyone. I take full responsibility and apologize to anyone we offended.”

Earlier on Thursday, in a statement given to The Hollywood Reporter, a popchips spokesperson said that the advertisement — one of four spots that features Kutcher as different characters, each in a dating video — should be enjoyed with good humor.

Continue at The Hollywood Reporter…

PEOPLE ’s Most Beautiful Woman can add another accolade to her already-crowded awards shelf. The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) has announced Beyonce will receive a journalism award for her July 2011 ESSENCE Magazine cover story.

“Eat, Pray, Love” chronicled the singer’s nine-month hiatus from the spotlight where she says she savored the “tiny moments” by spending time with husband Jay-Z and traveling the world (and, presumably, making plans to start a family).

“She’s a real writer. We had to edit her, but everyone gets edited except Toni Morrison,” ESSENCE entertainment director Cori Murray told The New York Daily News.

The organization will present the award to Beyonce on May 15.

Switching to sports, Shaquille O’Neal will now be known as Dr. O’Neal when he graduates from Barry University with a doctoral degree in education on Saturday.

Related: Celebrities & Their Obscure Higher-Education Degrees

The NBA champion spent the last five years focusing on organizational learning and leadership, with a specialization in human resource development. And while he might look like a goofball on-screen, professors insist O’Neal was the perfect student.

“I was skeptical at first, because I only knew what I saw of him on TV and media. I’m not a sports freak, and didn’t know what to make of it,” said department chair David M. Kopp. “But he insisted he wanted to earn it, and he certainly did that. He was thoughtful, asked very good questions, and never missed an appointment.’’

Graduating with a 3.81 GPA and a dissertation on “The Duality of Humor and Seriousness in Leadership Styles,” O’Neal is not taking his new title lightly.

“Kids can still call me Shaq, but adults should call me Dr. O’Neal,” he said. “I did this for two reasons. One, I wanted to continue challenging myself, see if I could do it. I was a medium-level juvenile delinquent, didn’t believe in school.”

“But my parents instituted no pass-no play in our house, and that changed my life. Also, a lot of kids look up to me, especially my own kids, and now that I’m not playing anymore, I want them to have something to look up to me for.’’

Source

Another week, another day and another round of outrageous celebrity musings! This week, the celebrity sound bites making headlines include a reality TV sister attacking a Philly soul sister via Twitter to a deadbeat NFL father’s cry on national television to a Basketball Wife‘s claims of being bullied. Plus, guess which annoying Kardashian is defeating her equally annoying rapper beau and Chris Brown said what?! AND I QUOTE …

Social Media is a way of life now. If you really wanna get places, you need to master the art of attracting followers, friends and fans. After extensively studying the black blogosphere, I’ve learned there are several quick and easy ways to take your notability to the next level. Give these nine outrageously commonplace ideas a try and you might have sponsors (two meanings here) tomorrow.

1. Trash the Lives of Celebrities and Non-Celebrities Alike

If you want to take your Facebook likes to the next level or see your Twitter followers join you for the sermon at the hashtag, watch every award show, every trashy television series, every TMZ update and then immediately GO IN on whatever celebrity presents a chance for a joke. Pay special attention to their waistlines and hairlines, as well as their weaves, outfits and speech patterns. Follow their tweets daily. Did you know there’s a police squad for that? Looking for some low hanging fruit? Find Tyrese.

By Rev. Mark A. Thompson

Same sex marriage (SSM) is America’s ripest civil rights issue. It is an issue so hotly contested that it cries out for resolution. It is ripe, precisely because the resolution is so simple and so politically and socially unobtrusive.

Unlike desegregation, SSM requires no one to share restrooms, water fountains or classrooms with anyone whom they are not already sharing them. SSM does not mandate that we all marry someone of the same sex.

President Barack Obama’s endorsement of SSM is courageous for two reasons. First of all, this is a moment akin to President Lyndon B. Johnson declaring “We Shall Overcome” in 1965.

The President’s endorsement of SSM is courageous, secondly, in that there is still a perception that this issue is a third rail for religious African Americans. I believe the perception of rampant homophobia in the African American community is as overstated as the perception that African Americans will not vote for the President now because of his endorsement. It is time for the African American community to overcome the stereotype of being homophobic.

In today’s link round-up: George Clooney raises $15 million for President Obama, Rihanna gets glam for her Battleship premiere and much more!

VIBE.com
Listen To Serena Williams New Rap Song
Compared to what’s out, it’s not half bad!

Loop 21
Amber Riley Hints She’s Leaving “Glee,” Retracts, Confuses Everyone
Say what you mean and mean what you say.

EURweb
President Obama Raises Record $15M At Clooney Fundraiser
Hollywood has done well by Mr. President.

The YBF
Rihanna Gets White Hot For L.A. ‘Battleship’ Premiere
Hot or not?

The Grio
Ex-’Basketball Wives’ Star Reveals Show’s Dirty Secret
One basketball wife is airing out all the dirty laundry.

The Frisky
HLN Hosts Asks Why Professional Athletes Receive Special Treatment When It Comes To Domestic Violence Charges
Why domestic violence and star treatment cannot go hand-in-hand…

Courtesy of Madame Noire

It must’ve been really really hard for Michael Yo to ignore the elephant in the room as he was interviewing Lark Voorhies, one of the former teen stars of the hit 90s show Saved By The Bell. Voorhies played Lisa Turtle, the only black cast member of the lot which also boasted current stars Mario Lopez and Tiffani Thiessen.

As you can see in the above video clip, there’s something really wrong with Voorhies’ face. She’s definitley had plastic surgery, which in the tradition of Lil Kim and LaToya Jackson, has made her look worse. It’s also obvious that she’s using bleaching cream or really light make-up, giving her a ghostly appearance.

Continue at Madame Noire…

We have to admit that we’ve been excited for this roundtable discussion since first mention.

In celebration of Mother’s Day (May 13), Jada Pinkett Smith sat down with her daughter Willow and mother Adrienne Banfield-Jones for Red Table Talk, a discussion on love, life, fame and family. The candid conversation reveals Willow’s personal struggles with her celebrity lifestyle.

Related: Do They Get It From Their Mama? Celebrities & Their Moms [PHOTOS]

“If I had to change one thing about my life, it would probably be, I wouldn’t be famous,” she admits. “Because when you’re famous it’s so hard. Let’s say if a regular girl is going to the book store, it’s ten times harder to go everywhere [when you're famous]. But some people are like, ‘Oh, it’s so easy,’ and I’m like, ‘As fast as you can get there, it’s going to take me ten more minutes to get there.’ Because I have to call security.”

Related: The Smith Family On Set Of ‘After Earth’ [PHOTOS]

Red Table Talk encourages us all to take the time and have a conversation with the special women in our lives– whether it be a few minutes or a few hours.

“My belief is that communication is the best way to create strong relationships,” Pinkett said. “Just for people to be able to sit down together and have a conversation, that’s the power of love.”

Source

Courtesy of The Grio

A judge on Friday sentenced a Jacksonville mother to 20 years in prison for firing a gun over the head of her husband, who she claimed physically abused her.

Marissa Alexander, 31, testified that Rico Gray physically assaulted her on August 1, 2010, before she fled to the garage, and, unable to exit through the malfunctioning automatic door opener, returned to the kitchen with her gun. She fired a shot over Grey’s head, causing a bullet to lodge in the ceiling. Grey and his two sons testified that they were together in the kitchen and in fear of their lives, though one of the sons later changed his story, testifying that he and his brother were never in danger.

Alexander’s attorney presented a “stand your ground” defense — attempting to utilize the Florida law has come to national prominence in the Trayvon Martin case — but a judge ruled against her, saying that by returning to the house, she demonstrated that she was not in fear.

The case was prosecuted by the office of Angela Corey, who is now prosecuting Trayvon Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman.

Corey has said that Alexander acted out of anger, not fear.

The 20 year sentence was a mandatory minimum under Florida’s 10-20-Life law, which mandates sentences for crimes involving a firearm.

Continue at The Grio…

Sure, you’ve got your four-wheeled luxury carriage waiting on you in the garage, but when you need to feel the wind on your face, slice through traffic, save the ozone layer, or just get some good old-fashioned exercise, these four bicycles will make sure that you keep it moving in style.

HERMÈS

French fashion design house Hermès collaborated with Dutch bicycle manufacturer Batavus to create this lovely retro bicycle constructed from lacquered stainless steel. The frame, handles, and saddle are all swaddled in luxurious Taurillon Clemence leather. The bike also features front and back lighting, a (puppy) carrier with a bungy cord, and a mud flap. Of course, vintage charm and the ability to turn heads are both complimentary. $4,650

By Chantell Black

May 11 marks the 31^st anniversary of the passing of Robert Nesta Marley, more famously known as Bob Marley. The St. Ann parish-native has gone down in history as the world’s most popular reggae artist, as he brought the music genre beyond his home island of Jamaica to a mainstream, international audience. A documentary chronicling his life titled Marley, produced by son Ziggy Marley, is currently playing in selected theaters nationwide.

In celebration of Bob’s life and as Jamaica also commemorates its 50^th anniversary of its independence from Britain this August, UPTOWN salutes 10 other well known Jamaicans.

In today’s link round-up: Kelly Rowland and Trey Songz heat up EBONY‘s latest cover, Braxton Family Values returns in August and much more!

TMZ
Brian McKnight Drops New ‘Anal’ Song Dirtier Than ‘P*ssy’ Tune
How the mighty have fallen…

The Huffington Post
Oklahoma City Thunder: Lil Wayne Welcome But Needs Ticket
No ticket. No entry.

Necole Bitchie
Kelly Rowland & Trey Songz Heat Up The Cover Of Ebony’s Sexy Issue
Hot! Hot! Hot!

VIBE.com
‘Braxton Family Values’ To Return In August
The sisters are back for season three!

EURweb
Tia & Tamera Aren’t Trying To Fit Into The Typical Reality Series Mold
“I remember when we were pitching our show to different networks, many of them didn’t want to pick it up because they felt like we didn’t have enough conflict.”

Loop 21
Miami ‘Zombie’ Mother And Girlfriend Blame Voodoo, Say “That Wasn’t Him”
Those close to the attacker paint him as a hard-working, bible-reading man.

Courtesy of CBS News

PHILADELPHIA — Green Lantern, one of DC Comics’ oldest and enduring heroes no matter what parallel earth he’s on, is serving as a beacon for the publisher again, this time as a proud, mighty and openly gay hero.

The change is revealed in the pages of the second issue of “Earth 2″ out next week, and comes on the heels of what has been an expansive year for gay and lesbian characters in the pages of comic books from Archie to Marvel and others.

But purists and fans note: This Green Lantern is not the emerald galactic space cop who was, and is, part of the Justice League and has had a history rich in triumph and tragedy.

Instead, said James Robinson, who writes the new series, Alan Scott is the retooled version of the classic Lantern whose first appearance came in the pages of “All-American Comics” No. 16 in July 1940.

And his being gay is not part of some wider story line meant to be exploited or undone down the road, either.

“This was my idea,” Robinson explained this week, noting that before DC relaunched all its titles last summer, Alan Scott had a son who was gay.

Continue At CBS News…

Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. will be out of the ring for the next 87 days as the undefeated boxing champ begins his Las Vegas jail sentence for domestic violence.

Related: Mayweather Before The Storm [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]

In September 2010, the mother of Mayweather’s children accused him of hitting her “multiple times in the head with his fist” before threatening to kill her. Mayweather pled guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence to get out of the more serious consequences of a felony battery charge. He also pled no contest to two misdemeanor harassment charges after allegedly threatening to beat his kids as well.

In January, Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa allowed Mayweather to remain free long enough to fight Miguel Cotto on May 5.

The Associated Press reports:

Mayweather will be housed in a standard administrative segregation cell no larger than 7-by-12 feet, with a bunk, stainless steel toilet and sink, a steel and wood desk with a permanently bolted stool and two small vertical windows with opaque safety glass.

Mayweather could have about an hour a day out of his cell with access to an exercise yard. Depending on his behavior, the boxer could later get several hours a day for exercise with other inmates also being held in protective custody.

He’ll get a standard-issue blue jail jumpsuit with the letters CCDC and orange slippers.

Mayweather will be able to deposit money into a jail account to purchase snacks, soap and personal hygiene items from the jail commissary.

Mayweather is expected to complete 100 hours of community service, attend a 12-month domestic violence program and pay a fine of $2,500.

Courtesy of EURWeb

Remember when is-she-or-isn’t-she gay was a big, huge deal?

It may seem like a lifetime has passed since then, but in reality, it’s only been fifteen years since Ellen DeGeneres came out of the closet, then introduced her highly-rated television show’s character as a lesbian through a storm of controversy. The country had a moderate-to-intense freakout, the show became a landmark, and DeGeneres opened doors for gays and lesbians everywhere.

Now, a decade and a half after that famous episode, DeGeneres is the biggest name in daytime television. Just about every network, cable and premium channel has at least one gay or lesbian character in it (or at least address the subject among their plotlines); shows like Will & Grace, The L Word and Queer as Folk revolved specifically around their characters’ sexuality. Openly gay stays like Sean Hayes, Zachary Quinto, Neil Patrick Harris and Jim Parsons are on some of television’s biggest programs.

Yet, for all of the progress, there still seems to be a frustrating frenzy in the media to bring up the rumors about other stars who haven’t made sexual proclamations one way or another. The latest targets? Queen Latifah and Raven-Symone. They’re controversies that shouldn’t exist at all – frankly, we shouldn’t care about these rumors one way or the other.

Continue reading at EURWeb

It was an absolute pleasure to have soul singer Rebecca Ferguson as UPTOWN’s first ever guest editor this week. The gorgeous Liverpool native invited us into her world (and earbuds) by detailing her favorite restaurants, travel essentials and more.

Related: Heaven Sent: Rebecca Ferguson

As Ferguson made her rounds around New York City, she stopped by The Today Show on Friday to sing “Nothing’s Real But Love,” the lead single off her debut album Heaven.

Related: Behind The Scenes: Rebecca Ferguson [VIDEO + PHOTOS]

“When I wrote ‘Nothing’s Real But Love,’ me and [producer] Eg were having a conversation. I had just come to terms with the music industry and the good and bad sides of it, and I told him, it’s not money, it’s not cars, it’s about family and the things that are important,” she told UPTOWN.

Heaven is in stores now.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Courtesy of Sister 2 Sister

Despite rumors of the demise of their marriage, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are celebrating 15 years of matrimony this year.

Although they don’t celebrate the actual day until December, the two have no doubt that they’ll still be happily wed six months from now.

“Being there for each other and being present with our kids is the most important thing. I take being a parent very seriously,” Will told People magazine.

“We make the effort to always keep family first,” he said.

That’s not to suggest that the parents are just staying together for the sake of the kids, though. Will has always and continues to gush over his talented wife.

Continue reading at Sister 2 Sister

Courtesy of HuffPost

Is there anything that could make a middle school dance more uncomfortable or humiliating? How about being the only kid not in the “VIP room?”

That’s right, New West Charter School in West LA offered VIP room access, complete with laminated passes, only to students who paid an additional $5.

The exclusive area was described by blogger Marcy Magiera, whose son attends the school, the New York Times reported.

Magiera wrote in disbelief on her blog, BellaNoise, “What’s next, bottle service? $10 for a jug of Coke maybe, served by a high-schooler in short shorts? While everyone else gets Capri sun pouches grabbed out of a tub full of ice??”

She wrote, as any protective mother would, that middle school is hard enough as it is, with rollercoaster hormones, acne attacks and popularity contests.

Her son explained to her that the extra $5, on top of the $15 general admission price, would grant him the privilege of hanging out in the VIP lounge, enjoying a dessert bar and taking home some swag. “One assumes it also is supposed to buy belonging and social security, superiority even,” she added.

Continue at HuffPost...

Courtesy of ABC News

The judge in the George Zimmerman second-degree murder trial revoked his bond today and ordered him to surrender himself in 48 hours.

Prosecutors had filed a motion today seeking to revoke his bond and accusing Zimmerman of “deceiving” the court about his finances and his possession of a second passport, which he apparently acquired two weeks after the shooting.

In recordings of conversations released today during a court hearing, Zimmerman and his wife cryptically talk about his second passport in a safety deposit box they shared.

Although one of his passports was due to expire in May, prosecutors said today, Zimmerman applied for a second passport, informing the State Department that the original had been lost lost or stolen.

In some of the phone calls between the two, she is at a credit union that was linked to his PayPal account and speaking to a teller. The prosecution said that she was “intimately involved in the deposit and transfer of funds and money into various accounts.”

Continue at ABC News…