celebrity news
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Source: Courtesy Sotheby’s / Sotheby’s
At the end of July it was reported that Kobe Bryant’s personal locker from the Staples Center would be up for auction, with an estimated value hovering around $1.5 million.
Well, the auction has officially closed and according to Raw Story, the NBA legend’s personal locker sold for an impressive $2.9 million. Not a bad haul for a piece of history that was almost chucked away with the rest of the trash when the Staples Center underwent renovations in 2018. To be fair, Kobe Bryant (RIP) was still alive and well when his locker was about to get tossed, but still, someone saw the value in it and was smart enough to hold onto it knowing it would be priceless to the right person.
Per Raw Story:
A maintenance worker saved the locker from being discarded in 2018 during renovations of the Staples Center arena, according to Sotheby’s. An American collector later acquired the piece.
“Today’s price highlights not only Kobe’s enduring legacy but also the exceptional nature of this unique item,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectables of the sale price achieved after 19 bids.
The sale at Sotheby’s also featured memorabilia from sporting icons like Michael Jordan and Reggie Jackson, as well as items from contemporary stars such as Rafael Nadal and Stephen Curry.
No word on who ended up with the winning bid, but one has to wonder what they plan on doing with it. Will they build a Kobe shrine with it? Will they actually use it as their own personal home locker? Could the winner have been someone Kobe knew or even played in the NBA with? Was it Vanessa Bryant? We have questions that will probably never be answered.
Who do y’all think won Kobe Bryant’s locker? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is mostly known these days for his work as a leading power player in the entertainment industry, but he hasn’t lost his sharp sense of humor. After a judge dismissed a lawsuit brought against him by a former drug lord alleging that his story was lifted, 50 Cent taunted the man in his typical sarcastic fashion.
As exclusively reported by AllHipHop, Cory “Ghost” Holland launched a lawsuit back in 2021 against 50 Cent, Courtney Kemp, Starz, and Lionsgate for allegedly stealing his life story for the Power series.
Holland asserted in his lawsuit that the character of Ghost on Power modeled his own life, and retold his time on the street on a 2007 musical release. Holland claims he sent a CD of the album, titled Blasphemy, to the father of Kemp in order to find his way out of the drug game. Holland accused 50 Cent and the show’s co-creators of stealing his life story for the show.
New York District Judge Hon. Analisa Torres dismissed Holland’s claims within the three-count lawsuit. Judge Torres ruled in the first matter that the character of Ghost in the Power series never directly referenced Holland so the defamation claim was tossed.
In a second lawsuit, Holland claimed that 50 Cent sent people to harass and threaten him while showing up in his neighborhood. On the third matter, Holland said that people connected to 50 played a song that suggested a threat near his home.
Holland left behind a paper trail towards 50 and his camp, clearly illustrated in a letter obtained by AllHipHop with Holland explicitly stating there would be violent consequences.
50 Cent, never one to let a moment pass, took to Instagram and shared an image of a report regarding the tossed lawsuit and wrote in the caption, “Fool thought he was GHOST [laughing emoji] da fvck wrong wit these [Ninja emoji]’s man LOL @bransoncognac @lecheminduroi.”
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Super7 / Super7
Months after Super7 debuted their Salt-N-Pepa action figures, the pop culture collectibles company is once again giving Hip-Hoppers something to cop as they’ve announced the next rapper they plan on immortalizing is none other than MF DOOM.
According to Variety, Super7 will be releasing an action figure of the “Doomsday” rapper to help commemorate the 20th anniversary of his classic album Madvillain. And we can’t even front, the figure looks hella dope. While there have been other action figures created depicting the legendary Hip-Hop MC, Super7’s iteration of DOOM stands out as he’ll be quite huge and take up a lot of space on whatever mantle or display case he’s placed in.
Per Variety:
Inspired by the group’s comic-book-come-to-life music video for “All Caps,” Super7 created a poseable, 16” tall vinyl collectible of Doom in his signature fedora, trench coat and metal mask.
While this isn’t Super7’s first MF Doom action figure produced, it definitely stands taller than what they previously released not too long ago.
Though Super7 previously released (now sold out) 4” figures of Doom inspired by the cover for his 1999 debut “Operation: Doomsday” and a companion piece of collaborator Czarface, this release is the marquee collectible in their series, and could not come at a better time: just weeks after Marvel Studios announced that Robert Downey Jr. was cast as his namesake, Doctor Doom, in two upcoming “Avengers” films.
We can’t wait to cop this joint.
Along with the release of the action figure, Super7 will be also be releasing an exclusive capsule collection featuring merchandise and attire including shirts, sweaters, stickers and even a skate deck for them skateboarders who bump MF DOOM religiously. We might have to copp a few things off this collection.
The Super7 x MF DOOM collection will be dropping at 11:00 am EST on August 5th and will only available through 11:59 pm EST on August 7th.
Are you going to cop the new MF DOOM figure from Super7? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Arturo Holmes / Getty
Former CNN host Don Lemon is suing Elon Musk and his social media platform X for a breach of contract after their content partnership deal was nixed by the tech mogul.
According to reports, the former CNN host Don Lemon has officially filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The suit, filed in a San Francisco county court on Thursday (Aug. 1), alleges that Musk committed a breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, misappropriation of Lemon’s name and likeness, and fraud. It comes five months after his partnership deal with Musk to provide exclusive journalistic content was nixed when Musk backed out of the deal after an interview with Lemon in March via text message. Lemon is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages, claiming he wasn’t paid by Musk.
“This case is straightforward. X executives used Don to prop up their advertising sales pitch, then canceled their partnership and dragged Don’s name through the mud,” said Don Lemon’s attorney Carney R. Shergerian in a statement. The lawsuit alleges that Musk agreed to pay Lemon $1.5 million under the partnership, with $200,000 paid up-front and incentives including bonus payments for reaching performance thresholds and an option to renew the one-year deal twice with the same terms.
However, there was no signed agreement paperwork. In the filing, Lemon stated that he had reservations about entering into the partnership but “Musk represented to Lemon that he would have full authority and control over the work he produced even if disliked by Defendants, and that there would be no need for a formal written agreement or to ‘fill out paperwork.’” After the split, Lemon spoke out about the interview: “Throughout our conversation, I kept reiterating to him that although it was tense at times, I thought it was good for people to see and hear our exchange, and that they would learn from our conversation. … But apparently, free speech absolutism doesn’t apply when it comes to questions about him from people like me.”
Lemon also claims that Musk “tweeted negatively about Lemon repeatedly” after the deal’s cancellation to his more than 192 million followers on X. Musk said in a post in March that Lemon “is welcome to monetize on this platform, just like everyone else. What we aren’t going to do is guarantee minimum payments to him, as he was demanding, which would be going beyond everyone else!”
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Source: Mario Skraban / Getty
The weight loss drug Ozempic has been all the rage in 2024 with everyday people and celebrities hopping on the medication to help them drop some unwanted pounds. Now, it seems like Ice Spice might’ve got in on the trend as fans are noticing the famously thick as molasses rapper is looking a bit more lean these days.
According to Page Six (so keep that top of mind), fans have begun to murmur that Ice Spice is disappearing before their very eyes and not because her popularity is waning, but because her waist line is, and that’s leaving some of her day-one fans a bit worried. Earlier this week, the bombshell from the Bronx posted a few pics of herself on her official Instagram page and fans were quick to notice a decline in her former thicker frame and immediately began to speculate that the “Deli” rapper was probably poppin’ Ozempic into her physical.
While the backside was still pretty much there in all it’s glory, her waistline seemingly vanished, and that led to many fans taking to the comments to let their feelings be known.
Per Page Six:
Fans took to her Instagram comments to share their opinions about her drastic weight loss — even attributing it to Hollywood’s favorite weight loss drug, Ozempic.
“Stop using ozempic,” wrote one user.
“girl … you are disappearing … where all your weight went,” asked a second person.
“Somebody said the ICE IS MELTING ,” quipped a third.
“Ok ozempic ,” commented a fourth user.
When another fan said Ice — born Isis Gaston — was “sooo skinny,” another user replied, “its ozempic.”
Page Six has reached out to Ice’s reps for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Truth be told, she’s still pretty thick from the waist down, and we think she still looks good. But hey, that’s just us. Check out Ice Spice’s pics below, and let us know your thoughts on the situation.
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Source: Theo Wargo / Getty
Drake may be done going back and forth with Kendrick Lamar, but it seems like A$AP Rocky isn’t letting the King of the North off the hook that easily for speaking sideways about his queen, Rihanna.
Months after A$AP Rocky took a subliminal shot at Drake on Kid Cudi’s “WOW,” the Harlem rapper is at it again as he throws another indirect dart at the Canadian crooner for his transgressions on his 2023 song, “Fear Of Heights.” In a newly released cut dubbed, “HIJACK,” Rocky seems to continue to rub his relationship with Rihanna in his ops’ face with some bars saying, “These n*ggas want my wife bad, the people want my next track.”
While people may make of that what they want, Hot 97’s DJ Kast One recently attended a listening event for A$AP Rocky’s next album, Don’t Be Dumb, and according to HipHopDX, Pretty Flacko got a little something for Drizzy in the chamber ready to go.
Per HipHopDX:
After attending a listening event for the album, Kast One said on air: “I heard A$AP Rocky definitely addressing a lot of the main topics that are happening out there right now. Let’s just say the list keeps going on strong.”
Host Ebro Darden then asked whether “Rocky is still on Drake’s list,” with the DJ responding: “Oh, he’s gonna be cemented on the list after this.”
Whether Rocky’s shots at Drake are more subliminal bars or direct darts at the embattled Canadian king remains to be seen, but one has to wonder if Drake would even entertain another battle so soon after getting beaten, battered and bruised by the likes of Kung-Fu Kenny.
Check out “HIJACK” below, and let us know if A$AP Rocky vs. Drake is a battle you’d like to see, or if the two men should just let things go and move on with their lives.
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Simone Biles, who already secured her position as the most decorated gymnast of all time, won her second gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris this week. After a glowing reply on X from Ricky Davila, Simone Biles took a jab at Donald Trump and the former president’s weird “Black jobs” quip.
Ricky Davila shared an X reply Friday morning (July 2) featuring images of Simone Biles showing off her latest gold medal at the Paris Games. Davilla, using Trump’s “Black jobs” quote, wrote in the caption, “Simone Biles being the GOAT, winning Gold medals and dominating gymnastics is her black job.”
Biles caught wind of Davila’s reply, quoting and resharing while writing in the caption, “I love my Black job.”
Some might recall that Trump recently debated President Joe Biden in June on the CNN network, where he suggested migrants were crossing the border and taking “Black jobs” as a means to attract the Black voting bloc, but the tactic backfired explosively by way of social media lampooning Trump’s words.
Further, during an appearance at the 2024 NABJ Convention and Job Fair in Chicago, Trump once more used the “Black jobs” bogeyman to stoke fears of Black voters as he looks primed to take on presumptive Democratic Party nominee Vice President Kamala Harris this fall.”I will tell you that coming from the border, are millions and millions of people that happen to be taking Black jobs,” Trump said.
Trump also sparked another social media trend during the same NABJ appearance by suggesting that Vice President Harris suddenly turned Black.
“She was always of Indian heritage and she was promoting Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. So I don’t know, is she Indian, or is she Black?” Trump said, trying to seize on a thin wave of poorly researched assumptions that have grown loud but ultimately weak legs on social media.
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Photo: Andy Cheung / Getty
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Veronica Fraley is currently living out her dreams as a part of Team USA’s Track and Field team at the 2024 Summer Olympics. However, the 2024 NCAA discus champion expressed that she was struggling to pay her rent which caught the eye of Flava Flav and Alexis Ohanian.
On Thursday (August 1), Veronica Fraley took to X, formerly Twitter, to share with her followers that her school, Vanderbilt University, didn’t send her the full percentage of her rent as she attempted to figure out how to make up the rest.
“I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW and can’t even pay my rent my school only sent about 75% of my rent while they pay football players (who haven’t won anything) enough to buy new cars and houses,” Fraley wrote.
Flava Flav, who has shown amazing charity and support for all things Team USA, reached out to Fraley and said that he’d cover the costs.
“I gotchu,,, DM me and I’ll send payment TODAY so you don’t have to worry bout it TOMORROW,,, and imma be rooting for ya tomorrow LETZ GO,!!!” Flav added.
Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit and husband of tennis legend Serena Williams, chimed in and said he’d split the costs with Flav.
“C’mon now! I’ll split it with @flavorfav, Ohanian wrote in a reply.
Both Flav and Ohanian showed proof that they paid Fraley, with Flav saying he’ll come and watch her compete in the discus event.
When a fan inquired why Ohanian paid $7,7600 to Fraley, he kindly explained that there was a deeper reason.
Salute to Flava Flav and Alexis Ohanian for putting their money where the mouth is. Best of luck to Veronica Fraley in her quest to capture Olympic gold.
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Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty
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Vybz Kartel, one of the most influential Dancehall artists of his time, spent nearly 13 years behind bars and was sentenced to life in prison a decade ago. This week, Vybz Kartel exited prison as a free man and is already back in the business of releasing music.
As reported by the Jamaica Observer, Vybz Kartel, 48, was freed from the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre on Wednesday (July 31) to much fanfare. The popular deejay was sentenced to life behind bars in 2014 with eligibility for parole after 35 years. Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, was sentenced alongside Shawn “Shawn Storm” Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St. John for the 2011 slaying of Clive “Lizard” Williams.
Back in March of this year, the United Kingdom’s Privy Council overturned the convictions of the accused after jury misconduct was discovered, sending the matter to the Court of Appeal in Jamaica to decide if the men should be retried or released.
On Wednesday, judges overseeing the matter decided to not enact another trial and allowed Kartel, Campbell, and St. John to go free. Jones remained behind bars as he continues to serve an 18-year sentence in connection to an earlier wounding with intent charge after shooting a man in 2009.
The panel of judges cited 12 factors that allowed the men to go free, which included the absence of evidence, the absence of defense witnesses, the absence of prosecution witnesses, the physical, psychological, and emotional health of Palmer, and other related factors.
In delivering a statement to the Observer, Kartel described his time behind bars as “hell” and warned young people in Jamaica to steer far away from a life of crime.
The self-proclaimed “World Boss” is wasting little time and released a new project titled First Week Out, a 12-track effort that he is heavily promoting across his social media channels.
Salute to Vybz Kartel!
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Photo: Hiroyuki Ito / Getty
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Source: Courtesy of Damon Dash / Damon Dash
Just a week ago it was reported that Dame Dash was about to sell his stake in Jay-Z’s classic debut album, Reasonable Doubt. But now, it seems like Dash will be forced to sell much more than he originally intended.
According to TMZ, a court has just ruled that Dame Dash will have to sell his entire share of Roc-A-Fella Records as his money woes continue to pile up. According to the report, Dash will have his 33.3% in the iconic record label auctioned off by a U.S. Marshall on Aug. 29. For serious bidders who plan on getting in on the action, they’ll have to send an email to attorney Christopher Brown in order to register for the upcoming event.
Naturally, the biggest gem here is Dash’s share of Reasonable Doubt. With rumors having swirled that Jay-Z had been trying to get that back from Dame for a while now, we wouldn’t be surprised if a representative for Hova ends up with the winning bid for Dame’s share of Roc-A-Fella Records.
TMZ reports:
Brown, as you may know, represents film director Josh Webber, who secured an $800K-plus civil judgment against Dash for copyright infringement and defamation two years ago.
Webber and Muddy Water Pictures produced “Dear Frank” and filed suit against Dash after claiming he went around and told people he owned the rights to the movie even after he was dropped from the project.
The court docs specify the purpose of the auction is to collect on the judgment. The docs also note Jay Z’s album “Reasonable Doubt” is the biggest asset Roc-A-Fella owns.
It will be quite the pricey entrance fee for anyone interested in the auction as the starting bid will be $1.2 million, with the winning bid having to put down 20% of the final tally as soon as the auction ends. We all know that’s pocket change to someone like Jay. Just sayin’.
What do y’all think of Dame Dash’s latest legal setback? Let us know in the comments section below.