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Jhene Aiko and Big Sean have asked for court-ordered protection from a creepy fan they say keeps showing up to their concerts, events and home.
According to TMZ, the superstar couple were initially denied their request for a Temporary Restraining Order against a man named Ian Craig Lees who allegedly snuck onto the couple’s Pacific Palisades property.
A new hearing has been set for Sept. 14.
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TMZ obtained court documents which state that despite being a total stranger, Lees seems determined to make contact with her … and now Aiko says she fears for her life.
She alleges that Lees has been attending her shows and events and that things reached a boiling point earlier this month when he allegedly got into a physical altercation with the residential security in her neighborhood.
Per TMZ, Aiko claims the guy’s been going to her shows and events, and things reached a head earlier this month when he allegedly got into a physical altercation with the residential security in her neighborhood.
The singer is mother to two children, Namiko, 14, and a son with Big Sean, Noah, who was born last November.
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Cam’ron and Mase are getting to the bag together like it’s 1997 again.
The two Harlem natives have reportedly signed an 8-figure deal with Underdog Fantasy for their hilarious sports talk show, It Is What It Is.
According to a press release shared with HipHopWired, the partnership will last at least 18 months. The highly popular sports talk show, is hosted by Cameron “Cam’ron” Giles, Mason (Ma$e) Betha, and Treasure “Stat Baby” Wilson. “Thank you Nick (Nicholas Green of Underdog Fantasy),” said Killa Cam in a statement, “We appreciate you seeing the true value of ‘It is What it Is.’”
The Brooklyn-based sports platform Underdog Fantasy has cosigned other major sports platforms like Gil’s Arena hosted by former NBA star Gilbert Arenas. It’s a fast-rising sports betting platform available in most states. One can start making bets at eighteen (except for MA and AZ where you have to be 21+, and AL & NE where you have to be 19+).
The two rappers came up early in their careers in Harlem and despite a public split that even spilled onto wax in 2017 (and before), the two childhood friends squashed their beef more than a year ago and came together to work on this sports podcast which was free on YouTube and funded by Cam’ron.
The former Roc-a-Fella rapper told Good Day New York in May that he was courting offers from interested investors.
“A lot of n-ggas hollerin’ at me to try and buy my show or make my show a part of what they’re doing. And listen, I appreciate the love, I appreciate the interest and everything else. This is fully funded by me. I didn’t go get no help. I ain’t got no partners. I ain’t got no bank,” he explained.
“They came and did all this shit and y’all gonna have to offer something I ain’t got. Now you don’t know what I got, but you could assume what I got. I’m not gon’ be unreasonable but you gotta be fair. But right now, with the time being, we gon’ have fun.”
Cam told Good Day New York that his sports debate talk show isn’t the only item that he had been getting offers on. He claimed that he regularly receives offers to buy his iconic pink fur coat—with one recent offer being $300,000.
“The people who offered it to me, I didn’t feel they deserved it,” Cam said. “It was more of a stat to them like, ‘I bought Cam’s jacket.’ It wasn’t really like they appreciated where that jacket came from.”
The jacket was recently immortalized in a New York City Transit MTA card in celebration of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary.
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The intersection of East 99th Street and St. Clair Avenue which was featured prominently on the cover of the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony album, Creepin On Ah Come Up, will soon be renamed after the legendary Cleveland group.
HipHopDX is reporting that the ceremony will take place on August 11, the day that has been established as the 50th anniversary of the founding of Hip-Hop music. The event will be held from noon to 2 p.m.
The effort is the result of a fan-driven campaign. They created a petition in February 2022. “There’s nothing here that pays homage to that or to the group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony,” said Felicia C. Haney, owner of Beach Street Publicity told News 5 Cleveland.
Haney and Juan Goodwin went door-to-door gathering signatures. They needed 70% of the street, and that’s what they got within a span of two hours in the cold. The Cleveland City Council was reportedly shocked by how quickly the signatures were gathered.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is one of the only rap groups who made music with hip-hop legends while they were still alive including 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Eazy-E and Big Pun.
Cormega of C-N-N has been praising his fellow hip-hop artists on social media. He took some time out earlier this month to salute the Cleveland icons.
“Before Eazy E left this world he gave us a reminder of his savvy as a music executive. Bone Thugs N Harmony was and is one of the most unique rap groups ever,” Cormega captioned a photograph of the group minus Flesh, who spent several years of the group’s career in prison. “They harmonize like a choir while simultaneously lyrically staying aligned with rap group precision and verbally switching tempos perfectly.”
He added, “Their song ‘1st Of The Month’ was a catchy hit that caught my attention and their music afterwards kept my attention,” he wrote. “I’ve never heard a song about death sound sonically beautiful until I heard ‘Cross Roads.’ The video is very thought provoking and brings an added element to the song. A melodramatic emotional experience never surpassed to this very day.
“They became superstars selling over 14 million records to date making them one of the top rap groups of all time if we’re being unbiasedly honest.”
By most accounts, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is one of the best-selling hip-hop groups of all time having sold more than 14 million albums worldwide.
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The late Chadwick Boseman will be among the group of honorees to get their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year, including the iconic producer Dr. Dre.
On Monday (June 26th), the Walk of Fame Selection Panel for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced their Class of 2024 whose members will be honored with a star on the Walk of Fame. Boseman, who succumbed to colon cancer in 2020 at the age of 43, will posthumously receive that honor as part of the group nominated from the Motion Pictures category. Late musical icon Otis Redding will also get a star after being nominated for the Live Theatre/Live Performance category with actress Jane Krakowski.
Dr. Dre will also be receiving a star after being nominated from the Recording category along with Glen Ballard, Toni Braxton, Def Leppard, Charles Fox, Sammy Hagar, Brandy Norwood, Darius Rucker, and Gwen Stefani. Veteran radio host and media personality Angie Martinez will also get a star as the lone nominee from the Radio category.
“The Selection Committee which is made up of fellow Walk of Famers, carefully hand-picks a group of honorees each year that represent various genres of the entertainment world,” Walk of Fame Chair Ellen K said in the announcement statement. “The Committee did an amazing job choosing these very talented people.” There are no dates announced yet for any ceremonies.
The rest of the honorees from the film category are veteran actress and recent Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Chris Meledandri, Chris Pine, and Christina Ricci along with Gal Gadot and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. The television category nominated Ken Jeong, Eugene Levy, Mario Lopez, Jim Nantz, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Michael Schur, Kerry Washington, and Gordo y La Flaca co-hosts Raúl De Molina and Lili Estefan. Tennis legend Billie Jean King and Carl Weathers will be honored from the Sports Entertainment category.
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Iconic actress Angela Bassett will be honored with an Oscar at an upcoming ceremony, ending years of missing out.
On Monday (June 26th), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the 64-year-old veteran performer would receive an honorary Oscar at the upcoming Governors Awards. Director, writer, and actor Mel Brooks will also be receiving an Oscar at the event along with film editor Carol Littleton. The award is meant “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or outstanding service to the Academy.”
“The Academy’s Board of Governors is thrilled to honor four trailblazers who have transformed the film industry and inspired generations of filmmakers and movie fans,” said Academy President Janet Yang in the announcement. “Across her decades-long career, Angela Bassett has continued to deliver transcendent performances that set new standards in acting.”
Bassett had been recently nominated at this year’s Academy Awards for her role as Queen Ramonda in Wakanda Forever, the 2022 sequel to Black Panther. That nomination for the best supporting actress was her second in the category, and it made her the first actor from a Marvel Studios film and the first woman from a superhero film to be considered. The seven-time Emmy Award winner had previously been nominated for Best Actress portraying the late Tina Turner in the 1993 film What’s Love Got To Do With It.
The news of the honorary Oscar did garner reactions from some who felt that it was the Academy’s way to try to cover up her not being awarded a competitive Oscar for her work. Journalist Jerome Trammel pointed this out in a post on Twitter, writing: “The Academy Awards wanting Angela Bassett to accept an honorary Oscar is insulting. She BEEN earned it authentically & they’re trying to clean up the fact that racism runs deep in that show’s process. Calling it honorary leaves a stain that she didn’t get it by “their” standards.”
Last year, Michael J. Fox was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, with honorary Oscars going to director Euzhan Palcy, songwriter Diane Warren, and director Peter Weir. The 14th annual Governors Awards will take place on November 18th in Los Angeles, California. The 96th Academy Awards will take place on March 10th, 2024.
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Rihanna is officially stepping down as the CEO of her Savage X Fenty company, in a move to further the vision and earning potential of the brand.
According to reports, the superstar singer announced that she would be leaving the role with the lingerie brand that she co-founded in 2018 with another group including luxury house LVMH effective on Monday (June 26). Hillary Super, the former CEO of Anthropologie Group will take over the reins as Rihanna will remain executive chair. Since that origin point, her valuation is set at $1.4 billion.
“It’s been beautiful to see our vision for Savage X Fenty impact the industry at such an incredible magnitude over the last five years,” Rihanna said in a statement. “This is just the beginning for us, and we’re going to continue to expand in ways that always connect with the consumer. I’m so grateful and excited to welcome Hillary Super as our new CEO — she is a strong leader and is focused on taking the business to an even higher level.”
“I’m thrilled to join the Savage X Fenty family,” Super said in the press release. “The brand is a major powerhouse in the lingerie and apparel industry, and its unwavering commitment to celebrating inclusivity and fearlessness is inspiring.” Prior to her being global CEO at Anthropologie, she served in leadership roles at American Eagle, Gap and Old Navy as well as Guess.
For the “Diamonds” singer, the move is another step towards realizing a stronger connection with the consumer beyond digital sales. The Savage X Fenty brand opened up brick-and-mortar locations in seven cities across the United States which include Los Angeles, Houston, Las Vegas and Atlanta, fueled by earning $125 million in investments at the beginning of last year aided by other groups including Jay-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners. Also adding to the brand’s appeal, the Valentine’s Day specials produced in conjunction with Amazon Prime have brought in more viewers and customers.
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Reality star Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan spoke out about those critics of their relationship, also addressing those pointing to their age difference.
In a recent interview, The Real Housewives of Miami star and her mate discussed how they handle those on the outside who cast doubts on their relationship given that she’s the ex-wife of Scottie Pippen, the Chicago Bulls teammate of NBA legend Michael Jordan, Marcus’ father. “People just want to see you happy and there’s just a few people who are just miserable,” the 48-year-old said. “They just wanna have some negative input on things. But I think overall, I feel like people that know us, love us, want us to be happy.”
For the 32-year-old businessman, he shares the same spirit. “I let people that are misinformed be misinformed,” Jordan said. “I feel like people see our last names and immediately want to have some sort of reaction or opinion. But I feel like as people get to know us and understand our situations more, they’re way more happy for us and just want to see us to live in our truths and be happy.”
The couple have launched a new podcast, Separation Anxiety with Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan where they discuss relationships and their perspectives. Pippen has been mum about her connection with Jordan’s parents. “I recently have been hanging out with them,” she said. “I don’t really wanna talk about them. It’s not about my parents or his parents.” Both also address the questions about their age difference. “I just feel like we meet somewhere in the middle,” Jordan said. “Age is just a number, but I think maturity and life experience really dictate the relationship.” The mother of four agreed, saying: “I feel like for us, it’s very natural to be with each other.”
Eyes have been on the couple since September of last year when they were first spotted hanging out with each other. At the time, Pippen denied any romantic involvement. Things changed a few months later after the couple revealed their official status in an Instagram post. As Jordan explained, “I think early on, we were a little more cautious and just trying to tiptoe because we didn’t know what the reception would be.” He continued, “Honestly, it was happening so fast, and maybe even faster than we thought. We were just friends early on, and it kind of snowballed into this committed relationship.”
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Media personality Wendy Williams has been confirmed to be undergoing treatment in a facility, and her manager defended her while being hopeful about her status.
According to ET Online, the former television host is currently undergoing treatment at a wellness facility. This was confirmed by her manager, Will Selby, Wednesday (June 7). “Wendy is at a facility doing her best to be her best. She’s taking it day by day,” he said of the star before addressing speculations by fans and media. “And that’s another thing, too, does anybody even ask like, ‘How’s she doing? Does anyone even care… I feel like everyone just puts out negative information about her and that’s the focus. Why don’t we just stop for a moment and just say, ‘Hey, how is she? Is she doing OK today?’ Why is that not the focus? Why isn’t that what we’re talking about on a daily basis?”
The news comes as her publicist, Shawn Zanotti, had previously refuted claims made in a report from the Daily Mail last month that Williams was briefly hospitalized in a New York medical facility. “I can confirm that Wendy is not in the hospital, as reported. I can also confirm she is not in New York, as reported,” Zanotti stated at the time.
The 58-year-old’s manager said that she is intently focused on getting better as she deals with lymphedema and Graves’ Disease and has her focus on the future. “She’s only thinking about things that she wants to do in her life,” Selby expressed. “She’s only thinking about Wendy 2.0 and her new chapter of her life, and the things that she wants to accomplish, and that’s our focus.”
He also took time out to address the concerns of Kevin Hunter Jr., Williams’ son that were presented in an interview published by the U.S. Sun Tuesday (June 6). Hunter claimed that he felt his mother’s team was taking financial advantage of her as she struggles with alcoholism. “Taking advantage of her for what? To get what? To do what? I’m not here to brag, but I was doing just OK before Wendy came along and I insisted on helping her because she requested my assistance,” Selby stated.
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Tyler James Williams had more than a few words for those speculating about his sexuality, addressing the matter through social media.
The Abbott Elementary star sent out a message celebrating Pride Month on Sunday (June 4) through his Instagram Stories, taking the time to address the rampant questions about his own sexuality.
“Usually I wouldn’t address stuff like this, but I feel like it as a conversation is bigger than me. I’m not gay, but I think the culture of trying to ‘find’ some kind of hidden trait or behavior that a closed person ‘let slip’ is very dangerous,” the Golden Globes winner began.
“Overanalyzing someone’s behavior in an attempt to ‘catch’ them directly contributes to the anxiety a lot of queer and queer-questioning people feel when they fear living in their truth,” he continued. “It makes the most pedestrian of conversations and interactions in spaces feel less safe for our gay brothers and sisters and those who may be questioning.”
The former child star of Everybody Hates Chris also pointed out how such speculation can be harmful in reinforcing stereotypes about what straight men are supposed to be.
“Being straight doesn’t look one way. Being gay doesn’t look one way,” he wrote. “And what may seem like harmless fun and conversation may actually be sending a dangerous message to those struggling with real issues,” he wrote. “I refuse to inadvertently contribute to that message.”
The 30-year-old star has been pivotal as teacher Gregory Eddie in the success of the ABC sitcom helmed by Quinta Brunson with Emmy Award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph as part of the cast. Abbott Elementary was renewed for a third season by the network in January of this year, and the previous two seasons are now available to watch on Hulu.
Williams concluded his message by saying “Happy Pride to all of my queer and questioning brothers, sisters, and individuals. I pray that you feel seen in ways that make you feel safe in the celebration that is this month. As an ally, I continue to be committed to assisting in that where I can and helping to cultivate a future where we are all accepted and given permission to be ourselves,” he said, signing off his message with a white heart emoji.
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A bitter taste over failed promises over a tequila brand has led Diddy to file a lawsuit against his partner in the brand, Diageo.
According to reports, the entertainment mogul filed a lawsuit on Wednesday (May 31st) against the multinational spirits company, citing their neglect of the DeLeón tequila brand he co-owns with them. The lawsuit was filed by Combs Wines and Spirits in New York State Supreme Court against Diageo’s North American entity, with the expressed aim of compelling Diageo to comply with the joint-venture agreement both signed in 2013 and other written agreements crafted to resolve complaints.
Diddy, also known as Sean Combs, has also alleged that Diageo engaged in a pattern of racial discrimination when it came to the DeLeón brand, describing it as a “Black brand” and “urban”. He also accused Diageo of neglecting his brand while investing heavily into two other tequila brands including Casamigos, the brand backed by actor George Clooney which Diageo purchased for $1 billion in 2017. Don Julio is the other brand.
Other examples Combs presented in the documents of the lawsuit include confusion on the pricing of DeLeón bottles and his dismay at the decision by Diageo to not provide available agave to DeLeón during a shortage of the key tequila ingredient in 2020 and 2021. Another example cited was a bottle redesign that “was prone to bubbling, which made the product look cheap,” according to the filing.
According to retail data from last year, DeLeón’s availability on shelves in retail outlets is outpaced by a vast margin. It was estimated to have been found in 3.3% of retail outlets nationwide, while Casamigos and Don Julio were available at 34.4% and 36% of retail outlets nationwide, respectively.
“This is a business dispute, and we are saddened that Mr. Combs has chosen to recast this matter as anything other than that,” a spokeswoman for Diageo said to initial press inquiries. “Our steadfast commitment to diversity within our company and the communities we serve is something we take very seriously. We are disappointed our efforts to resolve this business dispute amicably have been ignored, and that Mr. Combs has chosen to damage a productive and valued partnership.”
Diddy recently launched his Diddy Direct platform, a portal whose aim is to help consumers and retailers locate his spirit brands.