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The tragic stampede that claimed the lives of two women has now claimed another victim who had been hospitalized with critical injuries. According to Variety, Rochester Police Department’s Lt. Greg Bello told reporters that Aisha Stephens, 35, of Syracuse recently succumbed to her injuries.
The previous victims, Rhondesia Belton, 33 of Buffalo, and Brandy Miller, 35, of Rochester both died on Monday–the day following the show at Rochester’s Main Street Armory. As previously reported, nearly a half-dozen more people were also injured in the melee.
The stampede and subsequent deaths were caused by a crowd surge. Initial reports indicate that patrons believed they heard gunfire and began to panic. However, others didn’t report hearing anything unusual.
The breakout rap star has not posted on social media since Monday after the death of the second victim. She wrote on Twitter, “I am devastated & heartbroken over the tragic deaths that happened after Sunday’s show. My fans mean the world to me. Praying for their families & for a speedy recovery of everyone affected.”
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports that Rochester Police Chief David Smith announced in a Wednesday afternoon news conference that the venue’s entertainment license was not being renewed. “What this means is that the Main Street Armory can no longer host any public entertainment pending a complete and thorough review of this matter,” Smith said. They also added that the venue’s owner has not cooperated with voluntary meetings.
The tragic incident is reminiscent of the 2021 AstroWorld Festival where 11 people died from their injuries in a crowd surge during Travis Scott’s performance. The rapper has been sued for more than $1 billion in damages.
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Months after departing The Breakfast Club, Angela Yee did an interview with Tamron Hall where she talked about her experience as one of the co-hosts of the popular morning show.
“I was the only woman who worked there, too; I mean when it came to producers, camera people—and it wasn’t an easy room for me to be in,” Angela Yee said around the 7:50-minute mark, per Complex. “I feel like I did need more like backup you know because even things that I felt, as a woman… somebody can’t understand your point of view because they’re not coming from where you come from. So that was hard for me too, to be the only woman there.”
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However, DJ Envy–one of Yee’s fellow hosts along with Charlamagne Tha God, pushed back against her remarks saying they were “just not true,” and claimed “there are plenty of women that work behind the scenes on [The Breakfast Club].” He punctuated his comments on Instagram using the “cap” emoji.
Envy wasn’t the only one who refuted Yee’s version of her time on the show. Rapper Lil Mama who shed tears during one of her interviews on the show in a moment that went viral also weighed in saying, “Oh PLEASE. She was up there playing foul games too,” the artist commented. “She has helped make multiple women (of color especially) feel like the only woman in that room numerous times.”
Yee eventually took to social media to address her comments writing on Twitter. “Usually, I don’t comment or go back and forth with people but there’s too much spinning. ‘In the room’ referred to the people in the studio: the producer, board op, videographer, and hosts. Yes, they are men. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t amazing women who are execs, salespeople, interns, and in other departments.”
“I’ve said this on many occasions: that it can be hard when your viewpoint is different based on your experience. I didn’t anticipate that this would cause such a firestorm. Everyone texting me “are you ok” (which I appreciate!) and I know I don’t normally take the time to overexplain because it drags things out even more but that’s all,” the radio personality tweeted.
Yee is currently the host of her own show, Way Up With Angela Yee and also told Hall that one of the benefits of being on the air by herself is that she is only responsible for her own remarks–versus those of her co-hosts.
“Sometimes I would feel like I got it harder than [Charlamagne Tha God] did for some things that he said. And so I also want to make it clear that we’re all three individuals. You say what you say, feel how you feel, and I do too. But it’s hard because people affiliate you with the whole group.”
Envy also addressed the comments on the air this morning shouting out women who work on the show during the “Rumor Report” segment. Looks like the split between the long time co-hosts is getting messy.
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In a not-so-subtle response to Rolling Stone over criticism of his HBO dramatic series, The Weeknd blasted them as “irrelevant” with a clip from the show.
The Canadian singer shared a clip from the upcoming HBO series The Idol in which he stars alongside Lily Rose-Depp to his social media Tuesday (March 1). He tagged the publication and wrote, “Did we upset you?” in the caption.
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In the scene, The Weeknd plays Tedros, a modern-day cult leader who is listening to a pitch made by Dan Levy’s character for Jocelyn, the pop star played by Rose-Depp, to do a photo shoot for Rolling Stone.
“Rolling Stone? Aren’t they a little irrelevant? … Rolling Stone has six million followers on Instagram, half of them probably bots. And Jocelyn has 78 million followers, all real I’d assume. So she does a photo shoot, she tags them, they get her followers. More money for ‘Rolling Stone,’ nothing for Jocelyn,” he responds.
The 33-year-old superstar has been dealing with the aftermath of a scathing article criticizing the series from the publication. The article cites sources close to the production that describe it as highly chaotic, with claims that The Weeknd (who is also a producer on the show) wanted the focus to be more on him than his costar.
The Idol also underwent a change of director, with Sam Levinson stepping in to finish the six-episode season after Amy Seimetz left the production as it was 80% percent complete. The same sources then claim that the Euphoria director went over the top by ramping up the disturbing sexual content and weakening the target message of the show, which was meant to be satirical of the entertainment industry.
Representatives from The Weeknd’s team have dismissed the article as “rumors,” while HBO issued a lengthy statement: “The creators and producers of ‘The Idol’ have been working hard to create one of HBO’s most exciting and provocative original programs,” HBO said.
“The initial approach on the show and production of the early episodes, unfortunately, did not meet HBO standards so we chose to make a change. Throughout the process, the creative team has been committed to creating a safe, collaborative, and mutually respectful working environment, and last year, the team made creative changes they felt were in the best interest of both the production and the cast and crew. We look forward to sharing ‘The Idol’ with audiences soon.”
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In today’s episode of Boooooy, Y’all Have GOT To Be Smarter Than This, a woman recently learned on national television that she is not, in fact, engaged to R&B singer Omarion.
A woman who goes by the name Simone was a recent guest on Dr. Phil. She became a guest after her friend got frustrated with her because she refused to believe the man she had been communicating with since October 2020 was lying about being the former B2K member and absolutely lying about making her his fiance.
Simone admitted that she never received the engagement ring “Omarion” supposedly bought her because they had never met in real life because O-naw-rion’s “manager wants me to pay $3,000 to meet him.”
Look, I never want to see anyone fall victim to an internet scammer, but if it never occurred to Simone that no rich celebrity is going to need her to pay three racks to get him flewed out, maybe this was a lesson she was just desperate to learn the hard way. Clearly, Simone never watched The Tinder Swindler on Netflix.
To make it worse, Simone admitted she wasn’t even sure if the man she had been talking to for more than two years even sounded like Omarion.
“I talk to him every day,” Simone told Phil, who responded by asking, “Does it sound like him?”
“To me, I can’t really tell ’cause I only know his voice by vocals and him singing,” she answered. “I can’t really tell it’s him…his exact voice.”
Now, sis’.
According to Blavity, Simone finally came to glory on the fact that she is not engaged to the You Got Served actor, nor has she been in contact with him, once Phil brought the real Omarion’s real manager on the show to confirm it.
And just in case even that wasn’t enough to convince her (because if she hadn’t figured it out by now, who knows what TF it will take) Omarion himself made a video appearance on the show to deliver the bad (but absurdly obvious) news.
“I heard about today’s show, and I definitely want to share this important message with my fans and the viewers,” Omarion said. “It’s crazy how far these people will go to convince and manipulate my fans to think that they’re actually speaking with me. From sending fake driver’s licenses and passports, even FaceTiming them, claiming that there was a bad connection when they’ve never even seen me.”
“I’m so sorry, Simone, I haven’t been speaking with you online, and we are not in a relationship,” he continued. “You haven’t sent me any money. I want everyone to be aware that if someone is online claiming to be me and asking for money that you are not speaking with me. I would never do that.”
In addition, Complex reported that Omarion posted a message to his Instagram account urging his fans to “be smart” because “so many people have stories saying they spoke with me online.”
“I don’t take advantage of people,” he continued. “I respect and appreciate people who support me.”
And for the record, Dr. Phill knows he’s wrong for continuing to exploit people like this. Every tragic person doesn’t need to be a source of entertainment, regardless of how much they should have damn well known better.
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Kevin Hart’s successful run on the African continent hit a major snag as he had to cancel his show in Egypt over the uproar of his “Afrocentric” comments on the nation’s history.
According to reports, the cancellation of Hart’s first-ever show slated for February 21st was announced by the local event management R Productions. “It is with a heavy heart that we share with you, due to local logistical issues, the cancellation of our Kevin Hart event scheduled for February 21st, in Cairo,” the statement read. But many observers note that it was the comedian’s alleged comments on the presence of Black people in Egypt’s ancient history which led to a swarm of comments on social media demanding the show’s cancellation.
The comments surfaced online during the month of December. “We must teach our children the true history of Black Africans when they were kings in Egypt and not just the era of slavery that is cemented by education in America,” he was reported to have said in December, adding “Do you remember the time when we were kings?” According to the Middle East-focused news site Al-Monitor, the source for the quotes hasn’t been found.
The reported comments drew huge criticism from people from Egypt and others of Arabic descent who accused Hart of “Blackwashing” their past or having a “BLM” agenda as expressed on R Productions’ Facebook page after the show’s cancellation announcement. Others have criticized Hart for his investment in the Black Sands Entertainment company, which produces comic books and other products including animated shorts with an Afrocentric theme. The situation also prompted racist tweets aimed at Hart, which were responded to in turn by those pointing to research pointing out the diversity found in unearthed mummies from the region.
To this point, Hart has enjoyed great success with comedy shows on his international tour, highlighted by a show in Pretoria, South Africa where he surprised the crowd by bringing out fellow comedian and South African native Trevor Noah. He also enjoyed a sold-out show in Saudi Arabia in recent days.
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Actor Bryan Cranston blasted the slogan that former President Donald Trump heavily used as racism while defending the need for critical race theory recently.
In an interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace on Sunday (February 26th), the Emmy Award-winning actor talked about why he felt that critical race theory was necessary for American society and spoke on how the slogan “Make America Great Again” used by Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign can be seen as a
racist sentiment.
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“When I see ‘Make America Great Again,’ my comment is, ‘Do you accept that that could possibly be construed as a racist remark?’” the Breaking Bad actor said to Wallace. “A lot of people go, ‘How could that be racist, to make America great again?’ I said, ‘So just ask yourself from an African-American experience: When was it ever great in America for the African-American? So if you’re making it great again, it’s not including them.’”
He would continue: “It’s to teach us, in the ‘woke’ world, to open up and accept the possibilities that our privilege has created blind spots for us. Maybe I haven’t seen what’s really happening, in all my years.”
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Lori Harvey, daughter of comedian Steve Harvey and the woman who lives rent-free in the heads of men who are threatened by women with active dating lives (I’m looking at you, Boosie Badazz), has recently made her red carpet debut with her new boo, Snowfall star Damson Idris.
Harvey and Idris announced that they were officially a couple last month, several months after Lori’s very public split with Michael B. Jordan. On Wednesday, the new couple was spotted together in Los Angeles while attending the premiere of Snowfall‘s finale season, according to E News.
From E News:
Making their red carpet debut as a couple, Lori stunned in an off-the-shoulder black gown as she happily posed for photos with Damson, who stars as Franklin Saint on the FX series.
At one point in the evening, Damson—dressed in a dapper navy blue suit—leaned over and sweetly gave the model a kiss on the head.
Their glitzy date night comes weeks after Lori’s 26th birthday, which she celebrated with Damson and friends at Lavo Ristorante in L.A. At the time, an looker told E! News that the pair “looked so happy.”
Aaaah, young love.
Listen, we all know Lori can’t step out for a glass of wine with a man without everybody getting all up in her business, but it’s nice to see that she doesn’t let all of that scrutiny (and misogynoir, if we’re being honest) stop her from living her best life with any male companion she wishes to spend her time with.
So, good luck to Lori and Damson, and may they both continue to excel together and individually.
Written By Alvin aqua Blanco , Director of Content Posted 5 mins ago @aqua174 Alvin aqua Blanco is the Director of Content in the Men’s Division for iOne Digital, steering Cassius Life and Hip-Hop Wired. Representing the Bronx, he was nurtured by a steady diet of Hip-Hop culture and music. He graduated from the University […]
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In the new issue of British Vogue, featuring a gorgeous cover of Rihanna, A$AP Rocky and their baby boy in his magazine debut, the music icon and Fenty mogul said that her son is “obsessed” with his dad.
“I’m just sitting on the sidelines when they’re together,” she says in the exclusive feature article, seemingly amused by her role in the background. “I’m literally the girl trying to get into the boys club, waiting for my turn. He is obsessed with his father. And I’m like: ‘Didn’t I give birth to you? What is going on?’”
She added, “Their connection is undeniable. The second Rocky makes eye contact with him he is on fire. The whole thing they say about sons and moms, it’s a myth. Sons and fathers is crazy. I realized that the validation that you really need as a boy is from your father.”
The megastar just stunned the world during her Super Bowl appearance last Sunday, Feb. 12 by showing off another baby bump and announcing that she is expecting a second child.
Ri-Ri also shared some insight into her relationship with the A$AP Mob rapper whom she previously dated and had a long friendship. “We’re best friends with a baby,” she says, laughing at their dynamic now. “We have to be on the same page, but we’ve always kind of had that in our relationship. Everything changes when you have a baby but I wouldn’t say it’s done anything but made us closer.”
In the cover story, she also explained why she changed from her previous decision to not perform at the game due to her support of blackballed former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
“There’s still a lot of mending to be done in my eyes,” she says now, “but it’s powerful to break those doors, and have representation at such a high, high level and a consistent level.” She notes the two previous Super Bowls which demonstrated representation to her, specifically referring to last year’s headliners, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J Blige and Kendrick Lamar, “you know, representing the urban community, globally. It is powerful. It sends a really strong message.”
She also added that motherhood may have influenced her decision, “Of course,” she says, as the writer notes she is visibly moved, “raising a young Black man is one of the scariest responsibilities in life.” It’s made her re-evaluate everything. “You’re like, ‘What am I leaving my kids to? This is the planet they’re gonna be living on?’” She added, “All of those things really start to hit differently.”
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Veteran actress & Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph dazzled fans as she sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to open Super Bowl LVII held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona Sunday (Feb. 12)
The musical component of Super Bowl LVII, began after Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was honored with the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his community service. The stage was set for the Emmy Award-winning actress, who was bedecked in a striking floor-length red gown/pantsuit as she began to sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the hymn written first by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900. The song is now regarded as the Black National Anthem and has been a key tune of the civil rights movement in the nation.
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Ralph highlighted the significance of her performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” in a tweet hours earlier. “It is no coincidence that I will be singing the Black National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing at the Super Bowl on the same date it was first publicly performed 123 years ago,” she wrote, with a video showing her entering the arena sporting a Savage X Fenty hat as an ode to Rihanna, who was the Apple Music Halftime Show performer.
The former Broadway star showed off her chops, singing the opening lines in a rich and somber cadence. As she continued, the chorus from the background singers all dressed in white added to her stately vocals, which closed in a triumphant tone with the final lines of the song. “Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,” she sang. “Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us. Let us march on till victory is won.”
Her performance marks another high note in her career to date. Ralph recently won an Emmy Award for her role as sage teacher Barbara Howard in the hit ABC comedy series Abbott Elementary. She also recently released a Christmas album entitled Sleigh last year. Ralph’s husband, Pennsylvania Senator Vincent Hughes, expressed his praise in a tweet after the game ended with the Kansas City Chiefs beating the Philadelphia Eagles.
“The @eagles may have come up short in a valiant effort tonight but @thesherylralph certainly was a winner at the @AZSuperBowl,” he wrote. She responded, “Thank you baby!” and shared it with her followers.
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