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Source: Xinhua News Agency / Getty / Jontay Porter
Jontay Porter f***ed around and found out. The now-former two-way player for the Toronto Raptors gambled his money and his NBA career away.
NBA.com dropped the news yesterday that Jontay Porter, brother of Denver Nuggets superstar Michael Porter Jr., has been slapped with a lifetime ban for violating the league’s gaming rules.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver came down with the hammer on Porter after the league wrapped its investigation and discovering he “disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games,” the website reports.
Per NBA.com:
The league’s investigation found that prior to the Raptors’ March 20 game, Porter disclosed confidential information about his own health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor. Another individual with whom Porter associated and knew to be an NBA bettor subsequently placed an $80,000 parlay proposition bet with an online sports book, to win $1.1 million, wagering that Porter would underperform in the March 20 game.
The league’s investigation also found that Porter limited his own game participation to influence the outcome of one or more bets on his performance in at least one Raptors game. In the March 20 game, Porter played only three minutes, claiming that he felt ill. Due to the unusual betting activity and actions of the player, the $80,000 proposition bet was frozen and not paid out.
Jontay Porter Bet On Himself & Lost Big Time
The bets Porter made that involved his performance in the Raptors’ March 20 game were brought to the league’s attention by licensed sports betting operators and an organization that monitors legal betting markets.
Bruh
The website notes that Porter placed 13 bets from January through March 2024 while traveling with the Raptors and Raptors 905, the Raptors’ G-League affiliate. None of the bets were made on games he played in.
Adam Silver Issues A Statement
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment. While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players. Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game.”
Welp.
Of course, social media has been lighting Porter’s a** up. There are also some wild takes, which you can see in the gallery below.
3. One way ticket out of here
4. L M A O
5. Hoooowwwllliiinnnggg
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Source: Roberto Machado Noa / Getty / Red Lobster
Red Lobster possibly going out of business? Say it ain’t so.
Folks on social media are panicking right now because they might have to find another spot to enjoy cheddar bay biscuits and endless crab legs for graduation day, Mother’s Day or after Easter service.
Spotted on TMZ via Bloomberg, iconic seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster is mulling bankruptcy as the company tries to figure out how to restructure its debt and other expenses, including restaurant leases and rising labor costs, as the celebrity gossip site reports.
Some even point to popular promotions like endless shrimp hurting the restaurant and the chain, which is bleeding cash due to the pandemic.
Per TMZ:
There’s also this tidbit that some are resurfacing amid this news — namely, the fact that Red Lobster’s recent endless shrimp reportedly hurt their bottom line quite badly … only for them to pivot to endless lobster after reporting a $12.5 million operating loss in ’23’s 4th quarter.
Even before the $12 mil hit … Red Lobster was bleeding cash, with reports saying they’d suffered a $19 million loss through the first 9 months of ’23… attributed to the pandemic, among other issues. Some minority owners in the biz have also started to jump ship.
For those who know about running a business and financial issues, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy does not mean the end for the restaurant that Beyoncé at once had popping cause she sang, “When he fuck me good, I take his ass to Red Lobster.”
Despite knowing that, the reactions to Red Lobster possibly filing for bankruptcy are flowing like butter you pour on your lobster tails, and they are hilarious.
One user hilariously wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “they still got them unlimited crab legs cause if so I’ll go tomorrow.”
“oh lawd somebody save the biscuits,” another person wrote in response to the news of Red Lobster considering chapter 11 bankruptcy.
“How did we let this happen???? Y’all too bougie for Red Lobstas?!?,” another post on X read.
We don’t think Red Lobster is going anywhere, but we are always here for funny reactions. You can see those in the gallery below.
2. Sharing means caring
3. Solid suggestions
4. Very important question
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Take-Two
Even with games like Grand Theft Auto V, the forthcoming GTA 6, and the NBA 2K franchise under its belt, Take-Two Interactive is the latest video game publisher that will reduce its workforce and drop projects.
Spotted on The Verge, Take-Two announced it will lay off “approximately five percent” of its global workforce and scrap several projects already in development.
In an SEC filing published Tuesday, the company said it was “streamlining its organizational structure, which will eliminate headcount and reduce future hiring needs.”
Take-Two says that its “cost reduction program” will see the company be subject to charges up to $200 million, hoping to save $165 million a year.
The website reports that Take-Two’s downsizing efforts should be “largely completed” by December 31st, 2024.
As for the workers, a 5% reduction in the workforce would amount to around 579 out of the company’s 11,580 employees, which Take-Two disclosed in a previous impact report.
There is no word on what departments the layoffs will happen in or what projects Take-Two will be cutting. GTA 6 will feel the sting of these cost-cutting measures.
Of course, the news is not sitting well with gamers who tire of hearing about layoffs in an incredibly profitable industry.
Oh, and we can’t forget that Take-Two Interactive is still working on purchasing Borderlands developer Gearbox from The Embracer Group for $460 million.
“They’re doing this a year out from releasing the sequel to the most commercially successful game of all time,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, said.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Follow his lead
9. It better not
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Source: Ramsey Cardy / Getty / MKBHD
YouTuber Marques Brownlee, aka MKBHD, has caused quite a stir with his recent review of Humane’s AI Pin.
Regarding reviews on your favorite tech items, the newest smartphones, smart cars, electric vehicles, and other new gadgets, no one is more revered than MKBHD. The tech enthusiast has become the go-to for all things tech, and his YouTube page has become the premiere destination for reviews, boasting over 18 million followers.
So it’s no surprise that his opinions can make or break an item’s reception by the masses; Brownlee’s latest review is a case in point.
[embedded content]
Humane’s new AI Pin arrived, and it’s not receiving any glowing reviews from anyone. However, MKBD’s in-depth analysis, in which he said it was the “worst product I’ve ever reviewed…for now,” has caused quite a stir on X, formerly Twitter.
In the video, Brownlee ripped the wearable tech, slamming it for being “too much of a pain to use” and noting that it was “bad at almost everything it does.”
The popular YouTuber said the device’s responses to commands were often slow and incorrect because the generative AI chatbot technology was not up to snuff.
He slammed the device’s battery life, pointing out that in his review, it could only last a couple of hours during heavy use.
His thoughts on the camera were no better, adding that photos taken by the Ai Pin “look pretty bad” and videos “look even worse.”
He Did Have Some Positive Things To Say
But his review was all negative; he did like the Ai Pins’ ability to save notes quickly and how it could be used for first-person videos, adding, “As a brand new product and a team trying to make something new — that I respect, I respect the attempt.”
But in the same breath, he also said the device has “a long way to go” before it hits the usable stage and that “never buy a product based on the future promise of updates to it.”
The Backlash From His Review
Following the release of his review, there was some backlash, most notably from internet personality Daniel Vassallo. In a post on X, Vassallo called out Brownlee, saying, “I find it distasteful, almost unethical, to say this when you have 18 million subscribers. It’s hard to explain why, but with great reach comes great responsibility.”
“Potentially killing someone else’s nascent project reeks of carelessness. First, do no harm.”
In response to Vassallo’s assertions, Brownlee wrote, “We disagree on what my job is.”
Of course, Vassallo’s comments opened up a discourse. Some pointed out the power of MKBHD’s opinion, and one person alluded to how he “bankrupted a company in 41 seconds.”
Some defended Brownlee. Philip DeFranco said in a YouTube video that Vassallo’s post on X was “one of the dumbest, braindead takes” he had ever seen.
MoistCr1TiKaL said Vassallo’s response to MKBHD’s review was “dogsh*t” and helped potential buyers steer clear of a “turbo ass” product.
It definitely sounds like Vassallo is a hater.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Just saying
3. Exactly, is this where we are at now?
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Source: Micaiah Carter For Hennessy / Micaiah Carter For Hennessy
The culture’s most beloved cognac is looking to shake up its public perception. Hennessy has teamed up with Teyana Taylor and Damson Idris for a new campaign.
Source: Micaiah Carter For Hennessy / Micaiah Carter For Hennessy
As spotted on Hype Beast the spirits brand aims to build on its legacy. Earlier this week they announced a new campaigned titled “Made For More” which is a lighter and brighter reintroduction to the Madison. To bring the narrative to life they tapped into model and musician Teyana Taylor and British Nigerian actor Damson Idris. The project features five off-beat mixing films which are accompanied by five signature cocktail recipes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C5oBx1Js47j/
Teyana Taylor expressed her enthusiasm about the campaign saying “One time, for the love of all things anew, and we all love new things. With that being said, I’m super excited to embark upon this journey with my favorite Cognac, Hennessy. Destination: fresh, bright, and invigorating, like any good cocktail should be.” For Damson the partnership means more than just cocktails. “When I think of Hennessy I think of my three older brothers, I think of amazing memories. The visuals are stylish, the films are fun, it’s magic. It’s cinema” he said.
The Hennessy campaign will be brought to life via dedicated spaces at music festivals throughout the season. You can read more about “Made For More” and the cocktails here.
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Source: Ramona Rosales / Women’s Health
Megan Thee Stallion is in her rebirth phase, and to celebrate, she bared all on the cover of Women’s Health magazine and left us all collectively saying, D A M N.
Showing off her finely tuned physic, Megan Thee Stallion graced the cover of Women’s Health’s “The Body Issue.” The senses tantalizing cover debuted on Wednesday, Apr. 10, and, as expected, set social media timelines ablaze.
On the cover, Megan Thee Stallion stuns in the suit she was born in, with wavy jet-black hair and her leg ideally in place to keep things tasteful.
In the post on Instagram showing off the cover, Women’s Health wrote in the caption:
“Megan @theestallion has changed ⚡️ She’s a new woman—in both mind and body—thanks to a period of transformation, which included learning how to become the ultimate hype woman for herself. Now, with her third album on the way, hip-hop’s it girl is in her strongest era yet. “I want to see myself grow and be better than I am right now,” she tells WH. “And I will. I know I will.”
As for the cover story, the Houston rapper touched on her new approach to her health, revealing she has ditched brown liquor and other sugary drinks. Still, if she does consume alcohol, it’s only tequila and drinking a gallon of water daily.
The 29-year-old Hip-Hop star also touched on her healthy eating habits, including pan-seared salmon for lunch. For dinner, she enjoys potatoes, cod, and sea bass, while if she feels the need to snack on something, cucumber slices with salt and pepper and cherry tomatoes with balsamic vinaigrette dressing are her go-to snacks.
Combine that with her new workout routine, and you will get the Thee Stallion you see today.
Megan Thee Stallion Touches On Her Mental Health Challenges
Of course, Megan Thee Stallion also touched on her mental health, which she also worked hard on improving following the tumultuous months after Tory Lanez shot her in the foot.
The “Hiss” rapper credited her therapist for helping her achieve mental clarity. She also admits how challenging at times dealing with her mental health was.
“A lot of people didn’t treat me like I was human for a long time,” Thee Stallion said. “I feel like everybody was always used to me being the fun and happy party girl. I watched people build me up, tear me down, and be confused about their expectations of me. As a Black woman, as a darker Black woman, I also feel like people expect me to take the punches, take the beating, take the lashings, and handle it with grace. But I’m human.”
We love this version of Megan Thee Stallion.
You can see more photos from the cover spread in the gallery below.
1. Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine Body Issue cover story
Source:Women’s Health
Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine May/June Body Issue cover story exercise,body,workout,female rapper,megan thee stallion,meg thee stallion,megan pete
2. Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine Body Issue cover story
Source:Women’s Health
Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine May/June Body Issue cover story exercise,body,workout,female rapper,megan thee stallion,meg thee stallion,megan pete
3. Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine Body Issue cover story
Source:Women’s Health
Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine May/June Body Issue cover story exercise,body,workout,female rapper,megan thee stallion,meg thee stallion,megan pete
4. Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine Body Issue cover story
Source:Women’s Health
Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine May/June Body Issue cover story exercise,body,workout,female rapper,megan thee stallion,meg thee stallion,megan pete
5. Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine Body Issue cover story
Source:Women’s Health
Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine May/June Body Issue cover story exercise,body,workout,female rapper,megan thee stallion,meg thee stallion,megan pete
6. Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine Body Issue cover story
Source:Women’s Health
Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine May/June Body Issue cover story exercise,body,workout,female rapper,megan thee stallion,meg thee stallion,megan pete
7. Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine Body Issue cover story
Source:Women’s Health
Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine May/June Body Issue cover story exercise,body,workout,female rapper,megan thee stallion,meg thee stallion,megan pete
8. Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine Body Issue cover story
Source:Women’s Health
Megan Pete aka Megan Thee Stallion featured in Women’s Health Magazine May/June Body Issue cover story exercise,body,workout,female rapper,megan thee stallion,meg thee stallion,megan pete
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Source: JOCE/Bauer-Griffin / Getty / Doechii
Azealia Banks is not done barking at people. Her latest target, TDE signee Doechii, is the latest subject of Banks’ ire, and she had something to say to Banks.
The “212” rapper had time Doechii, taking to her favorite soapbox, her Instagram Stories, calling Doeichii the “ugly version” of her, and her tirade didn’t end there.
“They find this kind of like ugly version of—well, she’s not even a version,” Banks said. “She’s ugly. And I hate to call a dark skin girl ugly because she just is ugly. She’d be ugly if she were light skin. They find this ugly girl and they try to sic her on Azealia Banks.”
Banks then hopped in Doechii’s comments, writing in a post chiming in on a post where Doechii asked her fans what the name of her fanbase should be.
“Definitely should call them the ‘wannabe’s,” Banks wrote. Doechii had enough of Banks trolling, clapping back, “The first time you came for me, I let it slide outta respect for my elders,” she wrote. “It’s not my fault you sellin bussy soap and I’m sellin platinum records. Leave me alone PLEASE.”
Doechii is referring to her song “What It Is,” which is her first platinum record.
Is Doechii A Wannabe Azealia Banks?
Banks has been on one following the release of Doechii’s latest single, “Alter Ego,” featuring JT. The song features both of the artists performing over a house beat.
Some fans of Banks were quick to compare Doechii to Banks because of the song, but the Harlem rapper was not trying to hear it.
“Doechii, girl, first off, I don’t really think anyone thinks your music is impressive,” Banks said. “So that means you need to go back and you need to discover who you are as an artist.”
In a follow-up post, Banks sings a melody before adding, “I don’t know why everybody associates that sound with me because I don’t have any songs—I don’t have a single song that has that synth on it.”
Azealia Banks Had Time For TDE
Banks even had time for Doechii’s TDE labelmates, calling out Isaiah Rashad for “sucking d*ck” and calling SZA “boring,” adding, “TDE is going out f*cking sad.”
She also accused Doechii of talking with a fake Azealia Banks account.
You got this like Doechii chick, who I have no f*cking clue who she is,” Banks said. “She’s been having this months-long dialogue with some fake Azealia Banks account and I guess thinks that I owe her some sort of collab. Honey, no.”
We won’t hold you, but this Azealia Banks mean-girl act is really tired.
You can see reactions in the gallery below.
2. Howling
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Source: Michael Buckner / Getty / Jerrod Carmichael
Comedian/actor Jerrod Carmichael isn’t afraid to push the envelope with his style of comedy, but his latest joke went too far with Black Xitter, formerly known as Black Twitter.
Spotted on TMZ, Jerrod Carmichael is catching some serious flack for his joke on his new HBO Max reality series, Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.
In the most recent episode, the comedian, who used a previous HBO comedy standup special to come out as gay, joked he partakes in “race-based role-playing” with his white boyfriend.
Per TMZ:
The controversial quip came on HBO’s “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show” … where JC says, “I sometimes joke to him that our relationship is like that of a slave and a master’s son … who, like, teaches me how to read by candlelight.”
Just that opening line drew some jeers, but Jerrod pressed on, “Yeah, he groans too ’cause he’s a good person. He doesn’t like that f***ing joke. I like that joke. That’s my burden, I think that s***’s hilarious!!’
Black X Users Didn’t Find Anything Funny ABout Carmichael’s Joke
The eyebrow-raising moment from the show immediately went viral on X, formerly Twitter, with many Black users giving Carmichael the side eye.
“HBO Max cancelled every Black led show on the network so Jerrod Carmichael could suck on white feet,” one user on X wrote.
Another X user said, “everything i know about Jerrod Carmichael has been against my will…”
“Niggas like Jerrod Carmichael confuse me. If I were into race play, I’d never be the slave. I’d be whipping white bitches and calling it reparations. How you still the slave in YOUR fantasy?” another person added on X.
Carmichael catching slack on X comes after he called out Dave Chappelle for his transphobic remarks.
We are curious to see if Carmichael responds to the backlash.
You can see more reactions to the clip in the gallery below.
1. There is Dr. Umar reaction for everything
2. Howling
3. Y’all ate not serious lol
4. Good point
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Source: John Nacion / Getty / Jonathan Majors
Jonathan Majors can breathe a sigh of relief after learning he won’t be facing jail time.
Unsurprisingly, former MCU star Jonathan Majors will not go to jail. A New York judge ordered the 34-year-old Creed III star to complete a yearlong counseling program for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, dance Grace Jabbari.
Majors was facing up to a year behind bars after his assault conviction by a Manhattan jury in December.
If he does violate the terms of his probation, he faces a year in prison.
Per AP News:
In court Monday, Judge Michael Gaffey sentenced Majors to conditional discharge after noting that both sides in the case agreed the charges did not warrant jail time, given the actor was a first time offender with no prior criminal record.
He said Majors must complete a 52-week, in-person batterer’s intervention program in Los Angeles, where the actor lives. He also has to continue with the mental health therapy his lawyers say he’s been participating in. Majors faces a year in jail if found in violation of the terms, which also included a no contact order with his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari.
Jonathan Majors Did Not Say Anything In Court Following His Sentencing
Majors and his new boo, Meagan Good, were on hand for the sentencing, where he declined to address the court and left without speaking to reports AP News reports.
While Majors was quiet, his lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, spoke on his behalf, claiming that her client did not want to say anything that Jabbari could use against him in her civil suit.
Chaudhry says Majors is “committed to growing as a person” and will complete his court-mandated programs “with an open heart.”
He’s lost his whole career,” Chaudhry said in court. “This has been the most challenging year of his life.
Grace Jabbari Accuses Jonathan Majors of Not Being Sorry
Jabbari wasn’t silent; while holding back tears, she accused the Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania star of not being sorry and not acknowledging his guilt in the matter.
“He’s not sorry. He has not accepted responsibility,” Jabbari said. “He will do this again, and he will hurt other women, adding that “He believes he is above the law.”
Jabbari said Majors had made her believe the two were in a loving relationship, but, in reality, he isolated her from the rest of the world and cut her off from family and friends.
“I was so emotionally dependent on him,” she said. “I became a different person around him — small, scared and vulnerable.”
Jonathan Majors’ acting career is currently in limbo, so we shall see if Hollywood will welcome him back with open arms following his conviction and sentencing.
You can see reactions in the gallery below.
2. Exactly
3. Lol, no chill. SMH
4. Interesting
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Source: Wirestock / Getty / NYC / Earthquake
No, you were not bugging; that was an earthquake you felt this morning.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the East Coast was seriously shaking this morning after a 4.8-magnitude earthquake centered near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, 40 miles west of New York City.
It was the largest in the area since 1973, local news affiliate ABC7NY reports.
Per CBS News, the earthquake hit around approximately 10:20 a.m.
The website reports there are no signs of damage.
The quake could be felt throughout the entire tri-state area, from Philadelphia and as far as Baltimore. The immediate reactions of buildings shaking began pouring in from New Jersey, New York, and Long Island.
This quake is not the first to rattle the East Coast and New York. However, the last earthquake of that magnitude felt in New York City was in 1887, when a 5.0-magnitude quake rocked the city.
“A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York. My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“Our preliminary reports do not indicate major life safety or infrastructure issues from the earthquake. We are performing thorough inspections of critical areas,” NYC Mayor Eric Adams said on X, while also giving guidance in case of aftershocks.
New Yorkers Are Shook
As expected, New Yorkers are still reacting to the 4.8 earthquake on social media, which is extremely rare on the East Coast.
As expected, there is plenty of shock from New Yorkers, who are not about the earthquake life like those on the West Coast, but with folks on X, no one takes anything seriously cause there is humor involved.
Lol, we can’t front, that’s very arrucate.
We hope everyone is good. You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. This is extremely accurate
2. We are foreign to these types of things B!
3. Listen, we do come together during events like this.
4. Wait a minute…
6. There was nothing “small” about that to us.
7. Here comes the folks on the west coast.
8. We gotta during a natural disaster, just saying.
10. Hey, we get it, they ain’t used to this sh*t either
12. Good question?