GALLERY
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Ta-Nehisi Coates has attracted controversy and discussion given his decades as a reporter and writer who tackles themes as carefully as one can without pulling punches when necessary. In a recent appearance on CBS News’ morning program, Ta-Nehisi Coates engaged in what appeared to be an intense debate with co-host Tony Dokoupil regarding a segment in his book that touches on the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
Ta-Nehisi Coates was on CBS Mornings to discuss his newest book, The Message, a trio of essays regarding the writer’s visits to Senegal, South Carolina, and the Israel-Gaza region and draws some significant parallels to the idea of what it means to belong.
Tony Dokoupil, who seemingly angled to dominate the segment with his questioning, went on the offensive by framing Coates’ book as something you would in the backpack of an anti-Israeli extremist. It should be noted that Dokoupil’s ex-wife and his two older children are living in Israel currently and he is currently married to Katy Tur, who is of Jewish descent.
Coates gamely took on the challenge of attempting to explain himself in the face of Dokoupil’s critiques of his work.
“You write a book that delegitimizes the pillars of Israel. It seems like an effort to topple the whole building of it,” Dokoupil said. “So I come back to the question, and it’s what I struggled with throughout this book, what is it that so particularly offends you about the existence of a Jewish state that is a Jewish safe place and not any of the other states out there?”
Coates answered, “There’s nothing that offends me about a Jewish state. I am offended by the idea of states built on ethnocracy, no matter where they are. I would not want a state where any group of people lay down their citizenship rights based on ethnicity. The country of Israel is a state in which half the population exist on one tier of citizenship and everybody else that’s ruled by Israelis exist on another tier, including Palestinian Israeli citizens. The only people that exist on that first tier are Israeli Jews. Why do we support that? Why is that okay? I’m the child of Jim Crow. I’m the child of people that were born into a country where that was exactly the case, of American apartheid.”
It didn’t appear that any stance Ta-Nehisi Coates took satisfied the curiosities Tony Dokoupil and co-hosts Gayle King and Nate Burleson remained oddly quiet during the segment. The moment has caused a stir online and probably deserves far more nuance than we have the space to examine here. That said, a larger discussion should arise from this considering both gentlemen had points to make but couldn’t be exhaustive in their explanations.
Keep scrolling to see reactions below.
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Donald Trump might enjoy favorable support among his base but the race for the White House against his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, remains tightly contested. However, Donald Trump took things to a shocking level when he essentially endorsed police brutality to stamp out crime.
Donald Trump was in Pennsylvania on Sunday (September 29) and delivered a speech that should have been focused on his policies but devolved into him spouting debunked claims of crime rising under President Joe Biden’s administration and more talking points that he’s largely remained committed to. However, things took a dark turn when the former president suggested the police be allowed to use rough tactics to stop crime, especially in the world of retail theft.
“See, we have to let the police do their job,” Trump began. “And if they have to be extraordinarily rough…and you know the funny thing about all of that stuff. Look at the department stores. You see these guys walking out with an air conditioner and a refrigerator on their backs.”
The Trump faithful applauded on cue during this speech segment the business mogul continued to deliver his dangerous rhetoric.
“And the police aren’t allowed to do their job,” Trump continued. “They’re told if you do anything, you’re going to lose your pension, you’re going to lose your family, your house, your car. The police want to do it. The Border Patrol wants to do it. They’re not allowed to do it because the liberal left won’t let them do it.”
He continued to double down on the threat of police violence against theft, once again to the approving cheers of his supporters.
“One rough hour, and I mean real rough, the word will get out, and it will end immediately, end immediately. You know, it will end immediately,” Trump said.
On X, formerly Twitter, observers have likened Donald Trump’s support of concentrated and lawless police violence to the film franchise, The Purge, in which for 24 hours, crimes can be committed without consequences.
We’ve got reactions listed below.
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1. Regardless of what people are framing it as, it’s scary to imagine.
2. Worth a watch.
4. Some more talking points about what Trump may allegedly be angling for.
10. Instead of reducing it to name-calling, just keep educating. It’s all new information for some.
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Angel Reese came into the WNBA with a flurry of media hype around her and she answered the bell time and again with record-setting performances on the court. However, Angel Reese has admitted that her journey hasn’t been easy and just lost one of her biggest supporters in the league after the Chicago Sky parted ways with its head coach, Teresa Weatherspoon.
The massive swell of media attention that the WNBA garnered this year was no doubt due to the incoming class of rookies that included Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso, Aaliyah Edwards, and others. The prevailing thought was Reese and Clark were to be mortal enemies at the professional ranks based on the fact that the two faced each other as collegiate players in what many framed as a bitter rivalry.
Reese’s confidence on and off the court has seemingly rubbed fans wrong, especially those who feel Clark was the bigger star. While it is true that Reese talked a big game, she backed it up by setting a rookie record for 15 consecutive double-double games. Clark too has had a stellar season and showed off her scoring prowess at the next level.
This divide in fandom between players is a striking one, considering Reese isn’t the first trash-talker in professional sports. Her intensity on the court drove her, and the support from her coach and teammates translated into good efforts on the court where it counts. Clark, however, has been elevated as a pure basketball player despite having struggles on the court that seemingly weren’t highlighted to the level of Reese’s shortcomings.
Reese, perhaps growing tired of the narrative that she invited the critique or wanted to take a heel turn in the league, has been active on the X platform addressing the chatter in her unapologetic fashion and promised to continue her podcasting journey.
“Y’all know i’ve been going through this for the last 2 years but was told “save the tears’ & “stop playing victim”. Y’all a little late to the party and could have tried to put out this fire way before it started….,” Reese quote tweeted on X, referring to a post by Awful Announcing with ESPN’s Andraya Carter segment on SportsCenter at the centerpiece regarding racially charged statements from fans in the stands towards players on the court.
Y’all know i’ve been going through this for the last 2 years but was told “save the tears” & “stop playing victim”. Y’all a little late to the party and could have tried to put out this fire way before it started…. https://t.co/EuMfYtzgSA
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) September 26, 2024
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Reese continued, “I’ve never in my life had privilege but I definitely know the power I have through my platform. That didn’t come overnight. I grew that on my OWN. With that being said, I will continue to use my voice in the right way & say what’s right even though it has backfired on me to be this “villain”. I won’t stop!!”
Also at the root of Reese’s current activity is her comments regarding the firing of her coach, Teresa Weatherspoon, who Reese credited for getting her this far in her rookie campaign, which ended prematurely due to a hand injury.
I’m heartbroken. I’m literally lost for words knowing what this woman meant to me in such a pivotal point in my life. She was the only person that believed in me. The one that trusted me. Many don’t even know what it’s like to be a black women in sports when nobody believes in you,” Reese wrote on X.
She continued, “You had a tough job. All the crazy circumstances that we went through this year & when your back was against the wall, you always believed. I came to Chicago because of YOU. You were an unsung hero in my life. We built a relationship in a short amount of time that will last forever. I’ll never question God why he brings people in my life and takes them away from me in the capacity that I need them but i’ve always believed everyone is in your life for a reason and a season. You were the best reason & season. You didn’t deserve this but I can’t thank you enough. I love you Tspoon. @Finisher_11”
Anytime Angel Reese decides to take to social media, her detractors come out in droves to discredit her game, apply offensive commentary, and flat-out divisiveness becomes the order of the day. We’re sharing some of Angel Reese’s X replies below. Keep scrolling to see replies under her name, which is currently trending on X as well.
For the past 2 years, the media has benefited from my pain & me being villainized to create a narrative. They allowed this. This was beneficial to them. I sometimes share my experiences of things that have happened to me but I’ve also allowed this to happen to me for way too long…
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) September 27, 2024
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1. Protected?
3. Basically.
4. This is kind of facts though.
6. People say things in the heat of battle. Some people just sit online all day being jerks. Is what it is.
7. Why tho?
8. (Some) Sports fans are truly the toxic ones.
9. These people don’t know her.
10. Couldn’t wait to kick her back in.
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Ryan Clark made his career as a hard-hitting safety in the NFL before moving into the analyst and podcasting space. In the wake of the comments made by comedian Andrew Schulz towards ShxtsNGigs hosts James Duncan and Fuhad Dawodu regarding Black women, Ryan Clark issued a statement in their defense but some Black men online are calling him “soft” for his stance.
Duncan and Dawodu were guests in Schulz’s Flagrant podcast in July with Schulz bringing up the “Black girlfriend effect” trend from social media. In essence, the trend notes that when a white man has a Black woman as a romantic partner, his entire image changes for the better. However, Schulz used the mostly harmless trend to frame the instance as Black women pressuring their partners and using violence to get them in line. Schulz, which is par the course for the program, leaned into other topics including speaking about Nigerians, and other shots at Black women.
It should be noted that the ShxtsNGigs hosts did not offer any pushback or critique of Schulz’s jabs, which some online said were done under the guise of comedy and loose chatter. However, clips from the episode have since gone viral and the massive fanbase of Black women that Duncan and Dawodu enjoyed have largely defected. The pair issued an apology but many feel it is a case of too little too late.
Ryan Clark, via his The Pivot podcast with Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder, spoke at length about what he experienced from his mother and later his wife as his reference to the value Black women have in his life. He also said that because so many Black men don’t respect Black women, some have allowed white people to get, in his words, “comfortable” in disrespecting them.
More from X:
I’m not sure what black woman experience @andrewschulz has had, but it hasn’t been the real “black girlfriend effect”. To insult black women and described them as complainers & abusive isn’t just untrue. It’s disrespectful. Even worse, James Duncan & Fuhad Dawodu allowing him to say it is more insulting.
Andrew Schultz spoke that way in front of two black men because they allowed him to. They made him comfortable enough to disrespect black women because they didn’t force him to respect them.
My experience is that black women are powerful, beautiful, strong, and supportive. They prioritize black family, community, & culture. They take steps back to push their men, and families forward. So, no Andrew the “black girlfriend effect” is nothing like what you described. I’m just upset that you don’t have enough solid black men around you to tell you differently!
With the clip of Clark’s response going wide on X, some men referred to him as soft for not being able to take a joke. Below is one such exchange.
“I hate how soft nggas are now man. Smh. All these sad ass think pieces over jokes. As one of the dirtiest players in NFL history, someone who played with reckless abandon, someone who intentionally tried to injure other humans for sport, I thought you’d be a little tougher bro,” wrote @MulhollandL0ver.
Clark wrote in response, “More than welcome to try me to see how tough good brother, but jokes are only funny if the subject believes so. Same as my joke about Tua last year. I thought it was funny, other players thought it was funny, my colleagues thought it was funny. He and his people didn’t.”
Keep scrolling to see comments from X regarding Ryan Clark’s comments.
I’m not sure what black woman experience @andrewschulz has had, but it hasn’t been the real “black girlfriend effect”. To insult black women and described them as complainers & abusive isn’t just untrue. It’s disrespectful. Even worse, James Duncan & Fuhad Dawodu allowing him to… pic.twitter.com/2gQQRPSCYd
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) September 19, 2024
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1. For a bit of context.
4. How the two compares is beyond comprehension.
5. Racist tropes aren’t funny.
7. Mans losing his mind right here.
8. Pretty much.
9. Perspective.
10. Their whole wave got smashed over some “jokes.”
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Beyond The Gates, a new soap opera announced by CBS will be the first show of its kind to focus on Black characters in an hour-long format. Veterans of the daytime soap opera scene, Tamara Tunie, Daphnee Duplaix, and Karla Mosley were all named as leads in the series which launches in 2025.
Beyond The Gates, formerly known as The Gates, was created by Michele Val Jean and is the first daytime television soap opera to center a Black cast. The first to do so was Generations in 1989, and Beyond The Gates is the first new daytime soap opera since Passions in 1999.
The show centers on the wealthy Dupree family, who live just outside of Washington, D.C. in the lavish suburbs of Fairmont Estates. Tamara Tunie, who acted previously on As The World Turns, stars as Anita Dupree, a former singer with roots in Chicago who serves as the matriarch of the family.
Daphnee Duplaix, an alum of One Life to Live, stars in the role of Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson and Anita Dupree’s daughter. While her marriage and image seem intact from the outside looking in, secrets are bursting at the seams according to the plot line.
Karla Mosley, who was a cast member of The Bold & The Beautiful, plays the role of Dani Dupree, Nicole’s sister and a former model who now works as a “momager” who stopped hitting the runway for her romantic partner.
More from the press release:
BEYOND THE GATES is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington D.C., and in one the most affluent African American counties in the United States. Here you’ll find a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered. And those that live outside these gates are watching closely. These are the places where our characters live, love, work and play. Those who have “made it” and those who haven’t are all trying to navigate life … and some with more grace than others.
The show is set to begin production in Atlanta this fall with a release date set to be announced for early 2025.
We’re revealing the first cast members of the new @CBS drama, “Beyond the Gates,” the first hour-long daytime soap on TV featuring a Black cast. https://t.co/pRFT6FXnnB pic.twitter.com/ixB79cicNV
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) September 19, 2024
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Photo: Emilio Madrid/Getty/Karla Mosley/CBS
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Sean Combs, also known under his stage name Diddy, was charged on Tuesday (September 17) after he was arrested at a New York hotel on Monday. Diddy faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transporting for prostitution according to recently revealed court documents.
The news of the indictment has spread like wildfire through social media channels as the details of the case continue to unravel. As reported by TMZ, the indictment notes that between 2008 and the present day, Sean Combs and those connected to his business ventures are accused of forced labor, sex trafficking, transporting for prostitution, kidnapping, arson, and other related charges.
At the center of the unsealed indictment were details that date back to 2008 to the present day alleging that Combs lorded over his enterprise and used his money, power, and influence to unleash abuse towards women and men, including those who performed sex work. Also revealed were details of the so-called “Freak Off” parties where Combs used drugs to control his victims and have them do his bidding. During these parties, Combs allegedly masturbated and often recorded the events, while also transporting the sex workers across state lines to participate.
The Freak Offs were so intense according to the documents, Combs and the victims would need to rehydrate intravenously to recover from the high levels of drugs in their systems. The documents also revealed that Combs employed his staff to keep these parties stocked with lubricants, bedding, lighting, baby oil, and more, then had the staff clean up the evidence.
Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles were famously raided earlier this year with officials discovering narcotics, a thousand bottles of lubricant and baby oil, and high-powered weaponry including three AR-15s that had their serial numbers forcibly removed.
The legal team for Diddy says that the Bad Boy Records mogul is showing a brave face and is willingly cooperating with the authorities. On Tuesday, attorney Marc Agnifilo shared some brief statements.
“His spirits are good. He’s confident,” Agnifilo said to a media throng gathering outside the Manhattan courthouse. He added that Combs intends to “fight like hell” against the allegations and intends to plead not guilty.
Source: John Lamparski / Getty
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams is currently holding a press conference discussing the matter in full. We were unable to connect the stream but it can be found online.
On X, reactions to Diddy’s indictment being announced are still cropping up. We’ve got them listed below.
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Elon Musk has long inserted himself in the culture wars that have divided political discourse similarly to the current makeup of Congress, and employing his massive X platform as a vehicle for said messaging. The wealthy businessman posted and later deleted an X reply pondering why assassination attempts against President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris have not occurred in the wake of the latest attempt on former president Donald Trump’s life.
Elon Musk asked the question in a quoted reply on X via the pro-Trump @cb_doge account, which asked on Sunday (September), “Why they want to kill Donald Trump?”
In the quoted reply, Musk wrote, “And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala [chin scratching emoji].”
The X reply from @cb_doge had well over a million views and several quoted replies from both supporters of Musk’s missive and detractors who felt the words were an incitement or invitation to would-be assassins. This has prompted users on X to get the #DeportElonMusk topic to trend with many replies pointing out what they feel is a divisive political stance.
Elon Musk has made no secret of his alignment with Trump after reinstating the business mogul’s once-suspended account and sharing glowing words about the presidential hopeful on his platform and beyond. Further, Musk is a strong proponent of free speech and uses his platform to freely express his views despite how unpopular they may seem to some.
A quick scan of Musk’s account shows him largely quote-replying to other accounts, especially those with favorable things to say about him or his many business endeavors. There are no signs of an apology regarding his quip about President Biden and Vice President Harris. In fact, Musk is framing the deleted tweet as an attempt at humor.
“Well, one lesson I’ve learned is that just because I say something to a group and they laugh doesn’t mean it’s going to be all that hilarious as a post on 𝕏,” reads one X reply. He followed it with, “Turns out that jokes are WAY less funny if people don’t know the context and the delivery is plain text.”
On X, the #DeportElonMusk has several replies calling for the deportation of Elon Musk. We’ve got those reactions below.
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Tito Jackson, a member of the Jackson 5 and elder brother of Michael Jackson, has died according to a social media post from family members. Later becoming a member of The Jacksons group, Tito Jackson also embarked on a solo career among other projects within the entertainment industry.
Below is the announcement of the passing of Tito Jackson from the 3T Instagram page, a group comprised of his three sons:
It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us. We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being. Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson from the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as “Coach Tito” or some know him as “Poppa T.” Nevertheless, he will be missed tremendously. It will forever be “Tito Time” for us. Please remember to do what our father always preached and that is “Love One Another.” We love you Pops.
Your boys,
Taj, Taryll and TJ
Tito Jackson was born Toriano Adaryll Jackson on October 15, 1953, in Gary, Ind. According to lore and past accounts, Jackson was discovered playing guitar by his father, Joe Jackson, after breaking a string. The Jackson patriarch instructed Tito to play for him and later asked his brothers Jackie and Jermaine to form a singing group. Marlon and Michael would join the group later and were dubbed The Jackson 5.
Showing prowess as performers by way of street performances, talent shows such as the Apollo Theater Amateur Night competition which the band won, and touring the so-called “Chitlin Circuit,” the Jackson brothers eventually signed a record deal with Steeltown Records in 1967 before signing with Motown in 1969.
The group found major success as an R&B act and crossed over to the mainstream bolstered by several hits. However, Tito’s guitar work never appeared on any of their albums under Motown and instead was played by musicians hired by the label. After leaving the label in 1976 for CBS Records, Tito would then get to display his work.
The years that followed resulted in various incarnations of the brothers as a singing group, with the youngest of them, Randy Jackson joining later under The Jacksons moniker. The brothers would continue to collaborate and tour with one another despite some shuffling of the lineup, releasing their final album as a group, 2300 Jackson Street in 1989.
In 2003, Tito Jackson embarked upon a solo career leaning into the Blues tradition and notched a Billboard charting single, “Get It Baby” from his 2016 album Tito Time featuring Big Daddy Kane. His sophomore album Under Your Spell was released in 2021.
Tito had three sons with his ex-wife Delores “Dee Dee” Martes, Taj, Taryll, and TJ, who later formed the R&B group 3T.
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Donald Trump is heavy on the campaign trail after some observers believed his showing in the first presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris was less stellar than expected. However, a new issue is cropping up in the form of far-Right media figure Laura Loomer, a constant fixture by the former president’s side, so much so that some on Xitter believe the two are having a fling.
Donald Trump, 78, and Laura Loomer, 31, have been seen in several recent photos with one another, with Loomer shown exiting the former mogul’s airplane on a recent campaign stop. Some within the Republican Party, including those who have loudly supported Trump in the past, want him to distance himself from the controversial Loomer for various reasons.
Loomer and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene clashed online after Loomer made an offensive joke about Vice President Harris connected to her Indian and Jamaican heritage. Rep. Greene called out the social media attack, prompting Loomer to unload a barrage of insults in response.
Greene isn’t the only Trump stooge to call for him to reconsider aligning himself with Loomer. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Republican Party North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis have both had things to say about Loomer’s stances. This has only inflamed Loomer to fire back with insults at anyone she deems to be unloyal to Trump.
While he claims he has no control of Loomer’s words, Trump referred to her as a “free spirit” and says he’s unable to control her outbursts but there is a lingering thought on social media he doesn’t want to.
The aforementioned images of the pair have raised eyebrows and called into question if Trump, who has cheated on former First Lady Melania Trump before, is doing so again with Loomer. For the record, Loomer has denied all claims connected to the rumor.
On X, formerly Twitter, Donald Trump and Laura Loomer are at the center of discussion regarding their curious connection. We’ve got those replies below.
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Frankie Beverly, long known as the frontman for the soul and funk band Maze, has died according to a statement released by the family. Beverly began his career as a teenager before eventually honing his sound which later became one of the foundations of modern R&B.
Beverly was born December 6, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pa., and lived in the East Germantown section. Beverly began singing in church and joined his first band at the age of 13. At 16, much to the dismay of his father who wanted him to take a more traditional route, Beverly formed an acapella group known as The Blenders. While still trying to find his signature sound, Beverly formed a new band known as The Butlers, who cut their first record in 1963.
In 1970, determined to make it in music, Beverly formed the band Raw Soul and moved west to San Francisco to pursue a career in the industry. A chance meeting with the sister-in-law of Marvin Gaye at the time led to a fruitful connection leading to opportunities for the band. The group toured with Gaye as his opening act and according to several accounts, the legendary R&B star urged Beverly to change the band’s name from Raw Soup to Maze.
Through the late 1970s and mid-1980s, Maze notched several hits that charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 and U.S. R&B charts, including “Joy & Pain,” “Southern Girl,” “Back In Stride” and the backyard two-step classic, “Before I Let Go” which was covered in 2019 by Beyoncé.
In the world of Hip-Hop, Maze has been sampled by a few notables of the genre including 50 Cent, T.I., Tha Dogg Pound, Rob Base & DJ EZ-Rock, 2Pac, and more. Maze was also a huge touring act, which featured Beverly in his signature all-white attire complete with a white baseball cap.
The statement from the Beverly family was shared on Instagram and reads as follows:
Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and emotional experience. During this time, as we are navigating feelings of sorrow, reflection, and remembrance we kindly ask for privacy and understanding, allowing us the space to grieve in our own way. This period for is one of healing, and your respect for our need for solitude is appreciated as we honor the memory of our beloved Howard Stanley Beverly known to the world as Frankie Beverly.
He lived his life with pure soul as one would say, and for us, no one did it better. He lived for his music, family and friends.
Love one another as he would want that for us all.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, fans of Beverly expressed their sorrow and celebrated the life and legacy of the singer. We’ve got those reactions below.
Beverly was 77.
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Photo: Brian Stukes / Getty