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Wendy Williams is a pioneer in the world of terrestrial radio and daytime talk shows and became infamous for her no-holds-barred approach to reporting on celebrity happenings and the like. Having stepped away from broadcasting due to reported health issues, Wendy Williams broke her silence and joined the cast of The Breakfast Club morning show to discuss her health issues, the widely reported conservatorship, Diddy’s legal woes, and more.
Wendy Williams joined The Breakfast Club by phone accompanied by her niece, journalist Alex Finnie. Williams’ former mentee, Charlamagne, opened up the chat by explaining to an audience what a conservatorship and some readers might recall singer Britney Spears was once under a similar guardianship.
Williams, sounding just as vibrant as her radio days, shared with the hosts that she is not cognitively impaired as many outlets have reported and likened the conservatorship to being in prison. Speaking from an undisclosed facility, Williams was quick-witted and humorous, highlighting that she shouldn’t be housed with individuals who are suffering from deeper mental and physical disabilities than she is.
Finnie jumped in for Williams and explained that where her aunt is being held was, “essentially a luxury prison” and confined to a small space where she isn’t allowed to interact with the outside world. That said, for all the reports of Williams’ cognitive decline, she sounded very much like the host of old and denies that she’s in as dire a place as has been widely shared in the media.
Naturally, Williams kept up with what was going on outside of the facility and had some choice words about Sean “Diddy” Combs.
“Diddy will go to prison for life, people. You don’t know the things that I know about Diddy back in the day. You know what? It’s about time, people. It is about time. Diddy done,” Williams said.
There is a GoFundMe effort for Wendy Williams aimed at her having the conservatorship lifted and retiring to Florida to be next to her family. Click here for more information.
We’ve got reactions regarding the video from X listed below.
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Photo: Getty
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TikTok, the wildly popular social media app that has made stars among some of its users and exploded as a commerce hub, is under the threat of being banned or forced to sell off its assets. With the threat of TikTok going away, thousands of users are flocking to the Chinese social media app RedNote and discovering a new community in the process.
The United States Supreme Court is currently weighing a decision on a law that would ban TikTok in the country over national security concerns and the fact it is owned by a Chinese company. The proposed deadline is January 19, and the nation’s highest court has previously heard arguments from the social media brand’s parent company ByteDance and the incoming Trump administration’s position thus far is to keep access open to the app in the States.
RedNote, which is also known as Xiaohongshu, first launched in 2013 as a shopping destination but now has expanded into a full-on social media hub where users share various forms of content including the short-form video format TikTok is known for. According to a report from Reuters, over 700,000 users joined RedNote in the course of two days with a reported 50,000 Americans among that number but pales in comparison to the roughly 150 million American users of TikTok.
RedNote is currently the second most popular free app on Apple’s App Store. The outlet also added that Lemon8, which is a social media app owned by ByteDance, has seen increased user numbers as well.
On X, the massive social media defection is being documented with some revealing the language barriers users are facing and how some Americans are helping Chinese users improve their English. With some of the stringent laws in China, users have been careful in what they share and discuss on the app but the influx of users is seemingly welcomed.
We’ve got some reactions from X regarding the TikTok defection to RedNote below.
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Drake shocked his legion of fans and detractors by taking pre-trial legal action against Universal Music Group and Spotify for allegedly platforming “Not Like Us,” the scathing diss track from his rival Kendrick Lamar. This week, Drake filed to drop the legal petition against UMG and Spotify which prompted many on X to assume that the OVO honcho is waving the white flag.
As reported in detail by Billboard, Drake and his legal team filed for the withdrawal of the petition on Tuesday (Jan. 14) in a Manhattan court. The Canadian superstar’s Frozen Moments LLC was the top name on the petition and as the outlet adds, the company still has an active filing aimed at UMG and iHeartRadio in Texas courts. No official statements have been made by the aforementioned parties in these matters.
In November, Drake took action against UMG and Spotify in the aftermath of his explosive audio feud with Kendrick Lamar, with “Not Like Us” topping the Billboard charts and shifting the musical landscape. Many on the sidelines believe that the Canadian superstar’s light has dimmed since taking the heavy blows delivered during the back-and-forth battle, along with unproven accusations of sexual misconduct and other heinous charges.
The petition was a revelation for many considering the longtime partnership between Drake and UMG, which began with Lil Wayne’s Young Money outfit before signing with Republic Records. In 2022, Drake signed a deal with UMG reported to be up to $400 million, adding to the shockwaves felt by the industry with the filing of the petition.
In it, Drake states that UMG violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and added that Spotify worked with the company by offering reduced licensing fees in exchange for pushing “Not Like Us” into the algorithms of users of the streaming service. The Texas petition levies similar charges. The outlet rightly explains that a petition is a pre-trial action that legal teams use to gather information ahead of filing a full-on lawsuit.
On X, formerly Twitter, music fans are taking shots at Drake for pulling the petition. We’ve got those reactions below.
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Lord Jamar achieved worldwide fame as a member of the legendary Hip-Hop group Brand Nubian and made a star turn as an actor on HBO’s Oz series. However, these days Lord Jamar is more known for his polarizing views about Black Americans, Vice President Kamala Harris, and his love of the flat earth theory, causing some online to ridicule the veteran rapper.
Last October, Lord Jamar was a guest on comedian Godfrey Danchimah’s In Godfrey We Trust podcast and discussed the election at the time along with other national happenings over the course of the episode. Alongside comedian Dante Nero, the show bumped up against the flat earth discussion, and a now-viral moment of Jamar challenging decades of science and proven facts is making new rounds thanks to a YouTuber giving his own take.
Jump to the 4:00-minute mark for the earlier video for context.
We’re not too keen on platforming a white content creator dunking on a Black Hip-Hop legend, but facts are facts and Professor Dave took a few months to debate Lord Jamar in a video he posted over the weekend with Godfrey, Nero, and Jamar. As you can see below. the debate got intense with Professor Dave using this as a moment to get a little virality going for himself. Godfrey removed the episode but Professor Dave, who admits he had him a banger, recorded the Zoom call and shared it with his audience.
Sharing a video from Dave Farina of Professor Dave Explains for context.
Others online, such as broadcaster Rakeem Shabazz, have blasted Jamar for his unfounded statements and desire to debate others far more knowledgeable than he is on the subject. Further, some are wondering why Jamar is embracing the talking points of the so-called Foundational Black American (FBA) movement spearheaded by Tariq Nasheed and others.
We’ve got reactions to the thoughts of flat earth truther Lord Jamar from X listed below.
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The wildfires ravaging Los Angeles County in California have devastated homes and misplaced longtime residents as firefighters battle the blazes. The community of Altadena, which has a significant number of Black residents, is suffering from the damages of the wildfires as they forge a path forward.
Several outlets have covered the damage from the wildfires in Altadena and the town of Pasadena, including Pasadena Star-News and CBS News. The Eaton fire has damaged around 4,000 structures according to the Star-News, adding that 18 percent of Altadena’s residents are Black along with 7 percent of Pasadena residents.
“This will (displace) a lot of Black people, said Sheila Foster, who lost homes in both Altadena and Pasadena. “Some of them are elderly, some were barely holding on before the fire, trying to keep their property because it was going down from generation to generation up here.”
As seen in Yahoo! News by way of TheGrio, the Eaton fire is among four blazes which include the Palisades fires, and as seen both burning over 30,000 acres of land and over 10,000 structures total. There is a multinational effort made by firefighters from the north in Canada and to the South in Mexico. This is especially interesting to note considering the aggressive tone towards the named countries from President-elect Donald Trump.
On X, formerly Twitter, some are mentioning the devastation endured by the residents of Altadena and Pasadena, while also noting efforts of spectacular scope are being made to support those displaced by the blazes. Those reactions can be viewed below.
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Remy Ma and Eazy The Block Captain have become a central focus in the battle rap scene after details were revealed regarding their relationship and commentary from Papoose about their union. In a recent Chrome23 battle event, Eazy Tha Block Captain enacted a lyrical scheme asking Remy Ma if she loved him during the heat of the battle against his opponent, Shotgun Suge.
Over the weekend, Chrome23 hosted the “Read The Room” battle with Eazy The Block Captain, and Shotgun Suge as the main event. As is the custom in the battle rap arena, private details, and jarring insults are par for the course. In that regard, Suge took some of the strongest shots possible at Eazy, with several angles centered on his relationship with Remy Ma.
Fans are largely saying that Suge vanquished Eazy on his home turf of New Jersey but the Philadelphia native has never ducked any sort of smoke on the stage. During a scheme where he names the alphabet, thought largely to be a dig at Remy’s estranged husband Papoose’s “Alphabetical Slaughter” song, Eazy flipped bars asking Remy if she loved him and in the back, a resounding “yes” could be heard in the clips that surfaced online.
Eazy The Block Captain asked Remy Ma “Don’t you love me?”
Remy: Yes. pic.twitter.com/LoRm4fsqLO
— VideoMixtape.com (@VideoMixtape_) January 6, 2025
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While the moment got a big pop from the crowd, fans who study the culture said that Eazy has used this scheme before and are accusing him of recycling. Others thought the dig was clever but the consensus is that Shotgun Suge emerged victorious.
In the aftermath of the clash, fans on X have their comments on Remy Ma professing her love for Eazy The Block Captain in battle rap fashion. Check out the replies below.
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Residents in the Westside, Los Angeles neighborhood of the Pacific Palisades, are threatened by a raging wildfire, leading Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency, and officials are looking to tame the blaze. The Pacific Palisades and other neighborhoods in California are under evacuation orders while the images from the wildfire have sparked both concern and debate online.
All across social media, the California wildfire has been discussed widely with users posting stirring photos and videos of the blaze. According to various reports from the likes of CBS News and the Los Angeles Times along with local outlets.
The fire began in Northwest Los Angeles on Tuesday (Jan. 7) morning and led to the evacuation of around 30,000 residents of the Pacific Palisades, which is nestled in the Westside region of Los Angeles County. High winds throughout the day spread the brush fire and CalFire reports that the blaze grew to a size of nearly 3,000 acres. Damages from the blaze are still being tallied along with the number of injuries, with widespread reports of heavy traffic and the like as residents look to flee to safety.
A second blaze broke on in Eaton in the Northern Los Angeles County neighborhood of Altadena and has reportedly torched over 1,000 homes according to CalFire officials. There was also a blaze titled the Hurst Fire that broke out in Los Angeles’ Sylmar neighborhood on Tuesday and touched several hundred acres.
Winds reached as high as 99 mph in the Altadena region and 84 mph at Hollywood Burbank Airport according to the National Weather Service. Santa Ana winds are typical in California but not usually this intense according to officials covering the weather event.
On X, formerly Twitter, residents enduring the wildfires are sharing their accounts of what they’re facing and giving detailed photos and video footage of the spreading damage. Those replies can be viewed below.
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WWE Raw is entering a new era and made its splashy debut on the Netflix platform this week, with the early reactions from fans largely staying favorable. WWE Raw was packed with surprises as Triple H, The Rock, John Cena, and Hulk Hogan all showed up at varying intervals.
We’re CHANGING THE GAME on Monday nights! 💥#RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/1xWCPSAW2D
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2025
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The WWE Raw and Netflix deal stirred up plenty of interest among pro wrestling fans and the anticipation for Monday’s (Jan. 6) event was high from the moment the partnership was announced in 2024. It’s clear that the deal is a lucrative one with the opening video montage getting fans both new and established up to speed about the history of professional wrestling.
FINALLY… 🎤#RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/OuwTKNl1a5
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2025
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Triple H, who is the WWE’s chief content officer, opened up the show at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles before giving the center of the ring to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who sits on the board of TKO Group, the company behind the UFC and WWE. Johnson gave praise to Netflix, his cousin Roman Reigns, and Cody Rhodes in a promo moment that seemed to win some fans over.
It’s getting EMOTIONAL right here and now.#RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/wg7g1lKniz
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2025
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John Cena, who is currently on his path to retiring from pro wrestling, kicked off his farewell tour in a quick promo for his Feb. 1 Royal Rumble match. After the announcement, the matchups were visually entertaining and full of spectacle as expected.
WE’VE GOT COMPANY!!!#RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/YNnPhGYSD3
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2025
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RHEA RIPLEY DID IT!!!#RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/CHctDf2qaP
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2025
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Roman Reigns, alongside his trusty manager Paul Heyman, took down Solo Sikoa in the Tribal Combat match for the Ula Fala and recognition as Tribal Chief of the Anoaʻifamily. That was followed by the Women’s World Championship bout between Rhea Ripley, who defeated Liv Morgan for the title.
Hulk Hogan, at one time one of the most popular stars in the pro wrestling world, was on hand to promote his Real American Beer brand but faced the boos of the crowd despite trying to thank WWE and his supporters. It could be assumed that Hogan was targeted due to his connection to President-elect Donald Trump.
🗣️ LET’S GO ROLL-INS!
🗣️ CM PUNK!#RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/KvnaxFSw5U
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2025
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After Hogan was swiftly moved to the side, Jey Uso, also part of the Anoaʻi wrestling family, took on Drew McIntyre and won the match. Afterwards, the main event, CM Punk and Seth Rollins ended with Punk emerging victorious.
In all, it appears that WWE Raw’s partnership with Netflix will be a fruitful one as it remains one of the top ratings cash cows in all of sports and entertainment.
On X, reactions to the event were all over the map with some not pleased with the show while others said they’re back on the bandwagon. We’ve got them listed below.
WWE’s Chief Content Officer @TripleH narrates the official Cold Open for the debut of #RawOnNetflix streaming live TONIGHT at 8PM ET nationwide!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/35eCNT1Moa
— WWE (@WWE) January 6, 2025
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Source: @OG2Low / Instagram
OG 2 Low, a rapper who reportedly has ties with Rap-A-Lot Records, was a guest on a recent podcast discussing the finer points of his career, which dates back to the 1990s. During the chat, OG 2 Low is seen in a clip adjusting his fireman in his pocket, which suddenly goes off and narrowly misses the rapper’s leg while sparking a flurry of comments online.
As reported by Chron, OG 2 Low sat down with the One on One Wit Mike D podcast, also known as the Tha Dirty 3rd podcast, hosted by Mike D of the Screwed Up Click and one-third of the Southside Playaz group.
In a clip posted by @CollinRugg over the weekend, OG 2 Low, 45, is seen on the set of One on One Wit Mike D fumbling around in his pants when viewers suddenly hear a loud pop and a pained look on OG’s face. Mike D asks if anyone was shot while the podcast producer is heard in the background with some light commentary. Taking the moment in stride, Mike D took a quick pause and resumed the chat with OG 2 Low, who did appear to be okay despite blasting a hole in the left thigh portion of his jeans.
The video, which has been viewed over 2 million times and clipped by other content creators and outlets, is continuing to make its rounds with some saying the moment reminded them of the time former NFL star Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg while carrying a gun in his pants. Others online preached about gun safety while others just went in for the jokes.
We’ve got a few reactions below, avoiding those that bordered on racist with some tough guy gun owners acting like they’re John Wick online and using it as an excuse to dump on the perceived intelligence of rappers.
NEW: Rapper 2 Low accidentally fires his gun while reaching his hand in his pocket during an interview, finishes the episode anyway
The incident happened during the 1 on 1 With Mike D podcast.
After taking a quick break, the two continued their highly intellectual conversation. pic.twitter.com/UeGlOw2hFH
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 4, 2025
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January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol was attacked by a mob of largely white domestic terrorists operating under the orders of Donald Trump as part of his “Stop The Steal” movement. On the fourth anniversary of the heinous attack on democracy, many on X are remembering the January 6 insurrection just as Trump is gearing up for a second term in the White House.
The events of January 6 were an example of how unchecked power in the White House could be dangerous, and how the lack of checks and balances might essentially doom our democracy. Under Trump’s guidance and fueled by misinformation and conspiracy theories from the darkest corners of the Web, the mob of Trump supporters swarmed the Capitol under the veil of misguided justice in the name of their leader.
The group, sparked by politically motivated bloodlust, was sent to attack Vice President Mike Pence for failing to block the confirmation and there were clear intentions to harm any elected official who was a perceived enemy of Trump. This mob felt ordained to carry out Trump’s justice as wayward vigilantes fighting under a false flag.
Given the level of meddling Trump engaged in on the state level regarding losing votes over what he thought would be shoo-ins for his reelection, the weaponizing of his base to enact a coup of sorts should have had its day in court before winning the election last fall. Even members of Trump’s party sought a path where the president-elect would face the facts of his actions.
However, procedural delays, political hand-wringing, and an unprecedented move by the United States Supreme Court empowered Trump and will most likely allow him and the January 6 insurrectionists to sidestep justice unscathed. The embers of hope that Trump would have his day in court were effectively snuffed out after Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith filed to have felony charges against Trump dropped.
The election interference matter Trump has been accused of was marred by the typical tug-of-war of politics, with Trump supporters stating that the DOJ was on a “witch hunt” and a true denial of any sort of accountability from Trump. It is sobering that Donald Trump yet avoided penalties for his actions yet again, and the populace at large is bracing for another four years under Trump’s reign.
On X, formerly Twitter, many are remembering the January 6 insurrection attack, and the reactions are centered on the truth of what happened, not centering on any political side.
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