Mariah Carey has a new video (starring Tyson Beckford& Jussie Smollett) and she's hitting the dating scene in a big way!  So she says.  Catch up with the Las Vegas-diva inside and find out the deets on Kat Graham's upcoming Tami Terrell biopic. 

The summer is upon us and Mariah Carey is dipping her Louboutins into the dating pool. Yep....it's finally happened.  Mariah is moving on as a single mother of twins and she's ready to meet a man to share her penthouse lifestyle. Don't believe us? Log on to Match.com.....

In addition to debuting her latest video (the Brett Ratner-directed "Infinity"), Mariah revealed her dating profile on Match. SHOCKER: She's a social drinker!  </sarcasm>  Just socially, Mimi?

In a statement, Mariah said,“I hope every woman who is single and listens to this song goes out and finds her infinity, whether on Match or the traditional way.”

And in the fun video below (which watch shot in Mariah's closet with a bottle of Champagne), some of her potential suitors include Chippendales hunk Tyson Beckford and "Empire star Jussie Smollett.  We're not sure how this collabo with Match.com came about but everybody needs love so....whatever's in the budget.

Enjoy.....

BTS with Jussie Smollett:

 

A video posted by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey) on Jun 1, 2015 at 2:18pm PDT

Coming soon...

"Vampire Diaries" star Kat Graham is set to make her feature film debut as Tammi Terrell in a biopic chronicling the life, career and sudden death of the Motown soul singer.

For the younger folks who didn't have any Motown music playing throughout their homes and parents' cars growing up....Tammi Terrell was a Motown songstress who had a string of successful duets with Marvin Gaye, including ""You're All I Need to Get By", "Your Precious Love" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

The movie will definitely require Kat to pull on her acting chops. Tammi died of a brain tumor in 1970 at the age of 24 years old (she was diagnosed with the brain tumor after collapsing on stage with Marvin Gaye in October 1967).  The legend was also reportedly in a series of abusive relationships prior to her death. Speaking about the project,Kat said:

“I immediately connected to Tammi and her story in many ways and have felt the incredible need to tell it. Tammi Terrell defined passion and soul itself. … Getting lost in the music enabled her to override life’s punishments — for when she sang, she could use the hurt to create greatness and give the world hope that maybe they could overcome their pain as well.”

According to Deadline, The biopic is the first full-length feature through Kat's Panthera Pictures production company and shooting will begin next year. 
Outside of the biopic, we've also heard that Kat is working her debut album with producer Babyface. This should be interesting....

Photos via Kat Graham Instagram/Mariah Carey Instagram

Tyga and his 17-year-old rumored girlfriend Kylie Jenner was spotted together in Beverly Hills yesterday after her dad introduced the world to Caitlyn Jenner via her Vanity Fair cover.

Peep their coupledom candids and get the deets on Adrian Peterson returning to the Minnesota Vikings after he was indicted on child abuse charges inside…

The world stopped yesterday after Olympic gold medalist-turned-reality star Bruce Jenner introduced us to his “real” self, Caitlyn Jenner, on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine.

While Caitlyn was busy changing her social media handles and thanking everyone for their support, her youngest daughter Kylie Jenner was spending time with rumored 25-year-old boyfriend Tyga.

Playing the supportive boyfriend role, T-Raww (who has Kylie's name tatted on his arm) was right by the young reality star's side as the twosome was spotted (surrounded by bodyguards) making their rounds in Beverly Hills, paying a visit to Kylie’s sister Kendall Jenner at her apartment.

Over the weekend, Tyga and Kylie made a stop at XIV Karats jewelry store in L.A. for some new bling before hitting up a celebrity basketball game at the Equinox Center that Tyga hosted. Hmm….

Guess Kylie is finding solace with her boo with all the extra media attention these days.

In other news....

NFL running back Adrian Peterson will be returning to the Minnesota Vikings today after a 9-month hiatus stemming from an indictment on child endangerment charges in Texas last year. Adrian missed the entire 2014-2015 football season after only playing in the opening game.

You’ll recall, Adrian pleaded no contest in a Texas court to one count of misdemeanor reckless assault to avoid jail time for whipping his 4-year-old son. Following the indictment, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Adrian for the rest of the season.

The 30-year-old running back will participate in the team's voluntary practice today. In an email written to the AP, Adrian seems excited about suiting up and getting back on the gridiron. He wrote,

''I've been away from the game for an entire season. I wanted the chance to be around the players and coaches, the guys that really matter to me. I love my teammates. We have a great group of young players and a solid coaching staff and I'm excited to get back on the field with those guys and play in front of the fans again.''

While he seems to be eager to reunite with his team, last week, he went on a Twitter rant about the NFL’s lack of guaranteed contracts. He tweeted (read from the bottom up):
 

Even with his semi-uncertain contract, he still decided to return to the Vikings. Adrian will receive his $12.75 million salary for 2015 guaranteed in Week 1, but it’s up in the air after that. In the email, he wrote,

“I have an agent who handles any contractual questions or business-related questions, but it's normal procedure for any player in my position to want to secure his future.”
 

We're sure he's happy to be playing for a team rather than no team at all. Let's see if the fans welcome him back...

Photos: FameFlynet/Getty

Industry insiders are talking…and they’re saying Drake backed out of Jay Z’s TIDAL music streaming launch just two days before the March unveiling in NYC. New reports suggest the Canadian rapper has inked a deal with Apple for their upcoming music streaming service. Get the juice inside….

Music streaming services are the latest trend in the music and Internet space with an array of platforms to choose from such as Spotify, Pandora, and most recently, Jay Z’s artist-owned TIDAL to rock out to your favorite tunes.

Well today, we learned Drake was originally supposed to be apart of the 16 artist partners (including Beyonce, Kanye West, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, to name a few) for TIDAL, according to Billboard. But get this, the Young Money rapper had a change of heart TWO (yes, two) days before the launch event in NYC back in March. Why?

It appears Drizzy may have backed out on the TIDAL deal to collaborate with Apple’s upcoming streaming service, set to be announced during the 2015 Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco next week (June 8-12).

Industry insiders suggest Drizzy, Pharrell Williams and French DJ David Guetta will sign on as guest DJs for the iTunes Radio overhaul. Oh..and those rumors about Apple paying Drake $19 milli to ink the deal appear to not be true. A Billboard source explains, “Apple doesn’t normally pay artists for those types of collaborations.”

We can’t help but wonder if the “6 God” rapper had a deal with TIDAL that similar to his labelmate Nicki Minaj. We all know Jay likes to negotiate and strategize, so did the two rappers make a sweet deal to benefit them both?

Drizzy may have agreed to be featured on Beyonce's tracks (they collaborated on “Mine” for her self-titled album) in exchange for her hopping on a track of his (which she did for Drizzy’s track“Can I,”supposedly being featured on his upcoming Views from the 6 LP). As you know, Nicki and Bey similarly joined forces on Bey's "Flawless" and Nicki's "Feeling Myself."

Guess we will find out if Drake will be riding the wave with Apple next week. Stay tuned...
 

EXTRAS:

1. Jimmy Carlton Winfrey, the man accused of shooting up Lil Wayne’s tour bus (who also has ties to Young Thug), turned himself in to police this morning. STORY

Photo: Getty

Hey, ladies! “The Game” star Jay Ellis says he’s single...and ready to mingle! At least, that's what he told us. TheYBF.com sat down with the sexy actor to chop it up about the upcoming season finale…and a few other interesting things that made our crush grow even more.  Come inside and find out what we learned...

With BET’s “The Game” season finale right around the corner, TheYBF.com got a chance to chat it up with two of the show’s stars over brunch at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills last week.

While chopping it up with Jay Ellis who plays "Blue," the star rookie, he dropped one major nugget on us that we’re sure you ladies would love to know:  He’s single…AND he's ready to get into a serious relationship...like yesterday. That’s right ladies, Jay is looking for “HER.”  We asked (...for a friend) if he was taking applications.

The YBF actor, rocking Diesel denim, Hugo Boss boots paired with a shirt and jacket he picked up from a boutique in France, jokingly told YBF correspondents Lauren Smith and Ashlee Laughlin we should hold a speed-dating contest to help him find Mrs. Right. When asked about his relationship status, he spilled,

“Still single,” he tells the TheYBF.com. “We should do a YBF dating contest. We should like a speed date. Sitdown and do 3 minutes.”

OH?! Well Jay, if you’re serious about this speed-dating thing, we can definitely make it happen. Right ladies?

He then revealed he's ready to settle down in a real relationship telling us,

“I won’t lie, I’m ready. I just had this realization last week where I was like ‘Oh, I’m ready.’ Like I wished I had a girl with me while I was out of the country last week. And I wish I had my girl with me to experience that, you know what I mean?”

We sure do!

Jay also revealed how his on-screen relationship with Keira (played by Lauren London) helped him figure out exactly what he wants in his next relationship and what he needs to work on to be a better partner. He revealed,

“I think that’s one of the biggest things I learned from Blue was his relationship ups and downs. And really figuring out what I want and what I don’t want; where I need to compromise and where I need to grow up. I think I learned a lot through his relationship with Keira.”

So there you have it ladies. IF Jay does decide to do a YBF speed-date, we’ll definitely keep you posted.

Here are a few highlights from the rest of our chat between YBF Correspondents Lauren Smith/Ashlee Laughlin and Jay Ellis:

On what we can expect from professional baller Blue in the finale season:
“I think we see Blue grow up and become the man we always wanted him to be. He was supposed to be blueprint, the dude who made good decisions and not be the typical athlete. And for the most part, he has been the typical athlete. But this season, I think we finally get to see him grow up and choose what’s most important to him.”

“We’re going to see some sad moments. It’s going to be fall out about something. We’re going to see a shocker moment where you’re going to see him take a stand. He’s going to take a stand as a human being, not just as a player. As a human being, he takes a stand. His teammates respect and take a stand with him. It’s a very shocking moment.”

On his upcoming projects:
“I’m producing two movies. One is called 'Lemonade' [which he is also starring in]. We start production in about a month. It’s a romantic comedy, very New York. And another drama that’s a little bit further out. I’ve been writing a lot lately trying to tell different stories and kind of create my own lane. I also want to do comedy.”

On filming last season's elevator fight (similar to the Ray Rice/Solange incidents) on “The Game”:

“[It was] stressful. You know that you’re shooting a big scene. It’s stressful in a way that you want to make sure you’re honoring what’s really happening. You want to make sure that you’re not imitating that very infamous moment that we know that happened in that elevator. You want to have a very honest moment. The emotions are super, super heightened in the hour of shooting that scene. There was a lot that went into shooting that scene.”

The final season of "The Game" premieres tomorrow night on BET at 10p ET. Stay tuned for our sitdown with Wendy Raquel Robinson where she dishes on her exciting new role, her health and beauty secrets and more!

Photos/Interview: Lauren Smith (@laauurren_s) & Ashlee Laughlin (@hashtag_ashleee) of TheYBF.com/BET

Keke Palmer and Raven Symone both lent their high profile names to a pair of events last night.  Find out where they were inside...

Whether its the Broadway stage or the silver screen, we love KeKe Palmer's ability to use her fame to inspire the next generation of Black youth.

After wrapping up promotion for her hit film Brotherly Love, fab chick KeKe (in cute culottes from Forever 21) partnered with LA-based P.S. ARTS and students from Warren Lane Elementary School to honor the legacy of Olympic gold-medalist Jesse Owens with a fabulous mural.

Quick YBF History debrief: Jesse Owens was the son of a sharecropper went on to win 4 gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. He paid Adolf Hitler dust! And he held the record for winning four gold medals for 48 years! Keke shared the story of Mr. Owens' triumphs to a large gathering of students before the official unveiling.

P.S. ARTS Teaching Artist, Tiffany Graham (not shown), who led students and teachers in designing and painting the mural said, “I want the kids to think deeply about what it means to overcome challenges, how they can overcome the challenges in their own lives, and how they can be change agents in their own community!”

KeKe is working on the return of her talk show will spend the fall on small screen in "Scream Queens" on Fox, Tuesdays at 9/8c, beginning in September 2015.

Also on the social scene.... 

"The View" moderator Whoopi Goldberg must have let Raven Symone run free in her shoe and cape closet as the controversial actress turned talk show/pot-stirrer walked the red carpet in black boots with a very unique heel.  But the fashion statement didn't stop there - Raven continued with  purple/grey hair and a Salem-withcraft trails inspired outfit.

The event was the 2015 GLSEN Respect Awards held in NYC, honoring individuals who's efforts help ensure a safe school environment for all students in the GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network.

The event allowed Raven to reunited with her former "That’s So Raven" costar Anneliese van der Pol.

Before the event ended, Raven posed with the GLSEN Student Ambassadors.  Nice!

EXTRA:

1.  Cheryl Lynn denies sending those nasty tweets to Anita Baker.  She claims she's not even on Twitter! Story.

Photos via Getty/Pacific Coast News

Congratulations are in order for one of our fave YBF chicks. Kerry Washington took home the Best International Actress award at the 2015 Glamour Women of the Year Awards in London today. Peep her red carpet slayage and flicks of EJ Johnson hitting the party scene in Hollywood inside….

The gorgeous Kerry Washington jetted overseas to attend this year’s Glamour Women of the Year Awards at Berkeley Square Gardens in London today.

Dubbed as one of London’s biggest nights in fashion, the “Scandal” star did not disappoint. The fab mother-of-one sparkled in a printed high-slit skirt and black strapless crop top by David Koma. She finished her look with black pointed-toe Christian Louboutins, Effy Jewelry earrings, an EF Collection bracelet and her hair in a loose, wavy mid-length bob. Gorge!

The 38-year-old actress had plenty to celebrate during the event. Following a stellar run on the hit ABC series, the Glamour Magazine covergirl was awarded the Best International Actress Award. And it was presented to her by French footwear designer Christian Louboutin.  Well deserved. Congrats Kerry!

Afterwards...

The YBF chick posed it up with “Game of Thrones” actress Maisie Williams, “Britain’s Got Talent” singer Alesha Dixon and girl group Little Mix. Fab times.

Back in the States....

#RichKidsOfBeverlyHills star EJ Johnson, son of Magic and Cookie Johnson, is still shrinking. And clearly, he's having fun showing off his post-surgery bod with mesh tops and leather shorts. Werk!

The reality star made his way to Hooray Henrys last night to party it up in Hollywood. He has always been fashion forward and now his new trimmed body (losing over 100lbs) allows him to wear even more trendy outfits. Congrats to him on his major weight loss.  Lookin' great!

Photos: WENN/Splash

TheYBF.com got the chance to girl-chat with one of our fave YBFers Wendy Raquel Robinson. She stars as the loud mouth and very opinionated Tasha Mack on “The Game,” but that's not all she's good at. Get the deets on her upcoming role in the Disney original movie Descendants, the inside scoop on her health and beauty secrets that keep her looking flawless and more inside...

With “The Game” going into its final season, Wendy Raquel Robinson already has her next project coming down the pipeline. She will be starring as Cruella de Vil in a Disney original movie titled, Descendants. And it premieres next month. Nice!

Over brunch at the the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills last week, the 47-year-old star (who celebrates a birthday next month) dished to YBF correspondents Lauren Smith and Ashlee Laughlin about her upcoming role and what we can expect from the film. She spilled,

“It’s called the ‘Descendants’ and it’s all about the children of the evil queen Maleficent, Cruella de Vil [101 Dalmations] and Jafar [villain from Aladdin]. It’s exciting. It comes out around my birthday. I think it comes out July 31st. “

We’re here for it!

Right now, Wendy says she open to new possibilities and reveals she wants to get behind the camera to create and tell stories. Any story she’s dying to tell? She dished,

“I’ve always had a thing for Eartha Kit. Always had a thing for Eartha Kit. I really just want to tell stories that portray women in a positive way, even though we have flaws and we go through our struggles, there’s always something redeeming and something humanistic about all of us.”

If she had any advice to give her character Tasha, she said she would tell her, “Shut up twice before you speak once. You don’t always have all the answers and it’s ok not to. Love yourself first and every man isn’t a bad man.”

The fit and trim starlet also disclosed a few of her health and beauty secrets. So how does she keep her svelte bod? She credits it to working out and genes! She said,

“I get facials, I drink my water and working out. I work out. My stress reliever is the gym. I would take my script, I would learn my lines, I answer my emails standing right there on that elliptical and before I know it 55 minutes have gone by.”

She added,

“I started out as dancer, so I still go back to that. It’s kind of in my genes. It is genetic. I don’t deprive myself. I try and work out as much as possible and it helps me stay grounded. When I don’t work out, it’s a problem.”

Nice!

Peep the newly released trailer for Wendy’s new project Descendants below:

It’s almost game time!  The final season of "The Game" airs tonight on BET at 10pm E/T.

If you missed our chat with "The Game" star Jay Ellis, where he chops it up about the single life and currently looking for Mrs. Right, you can check it out HERE.

Check out our chat with "The Game" star Lauren Londonwho spilled some tea about the ATL2 project HERE.

Photos/Interview: Lauren Smith (@laauurren_s) & Ashlee Laughlin (@hashtag_ashleee) of TheYBF.com

Kerry Washington has landed the cover of GLAMOUR Magazine's UK edition.  Check out a sneak peek of the cover inside...

International fashion icon Kerry Washington revealed her latest magazine cover moments ago. The hot mom is covering the July 2015 issue of Glamour UK which she captioned,"Fun! Soooooo excited and honored to be one of @glamouruk WOMEN OF THE YEAR! Epic night! #GlamourAcrossThePond #UKGladiators"

This curve hugging canary yellow printed dress and hair are definitely doing the trick.

The "Scandal" star's latest cover comes on the heels of acceptance of the Best International Actress award at the 2015 Glamour Women of the Year Awards in London last night.

In a previous post, we brought to all the action from across the pond as Kerry turned heads in a printed high-slit skirt and black strapless crop top by David Koma, black pointed-toe Christian Louboutins, Effy Jewelry earrings, an EF Collection bracelet and her hair in a loose, wavy mid-length bob.

Congrats to Kerry on her cover and award!

Photos via Kerry Washington's Instagram

"Power" is back!  Season 2 kicks off this Saturday (and we are counting down the HOURS), but before we find out how Ghost will handle all the things popping off within his empire, the cast partied it up at their New York premiere party last night.  Pics inside....

After pulling up to the scene at the Best Buy Theater on a megabus, Omari Hardwick (James "Ghost" St Patrick) and Joseph Sikora (Tommy Egan) linked up on the carpet for a face-off of sorts:

We can only guess where Tommy & Ghost's relationship is headed after that season 1 finale...

Omari looked damn good on the carpet in a tailored toffee suit and that beard....

His wife, Jennifer (Jae) Hardwick, was on his arm after recently giving birth to the couple's second child.

Omari's on-screen wife Naturi Naughton (Tasha St. Patrick) hit the carpet in this look.  While we LOVE us some Naturi/Tasha, this isn't our fave look of hers.  We want more 'chic', less 'usher board's day-off.'

Natiri is a fab chick nonetheless, and she posed it up with singer Elle Varner (who rocked the stage later) and Michael Strahan:

And speaking of Naturi/Tasha, her on screen semi-side piece Sinqua Walls was there looking GOOD.

Naturi's on-screen bestie LaLa Anthony (Lakeisha) hit the carpet looking hot in a House of CB curve hugging dress. 

50 Cent's character 'Kanan' is out of jail....and we have a feeling things are about to get REAL.  Curtis hit the carpet with his new girlfriend Nancy Babochian:

Oh.

Omari's on-screen mistress we love to hate, Lela Loren (Angela Valdez), hit the carpet in a fab silk blue jumpsuit.

Co-star Rotimi (Dre, far right) was there to party it up.

Performer Elle Varner showed off her svelte look.

Joe, who sings the theme song "Big Rich Town" with Executive Producer/star 50 Cent, hit the carpet in all white.

Inside the party:

"Power" creator Courtney Kemp Agboh celebrated with the cast and crew:

And Fif put on a full out 2 hour concert.  He brought out Joe, Rotimi, Tony Yayo, Jeremih, Lloyd Banks and Elle Varner:

It looks like Omari, his wife, and his co-stars had a blast:

Who's ready?!

Photos: Getty/Jae Hardwick's IG

In "The Perfect Man," Michael Ealy stars as a controlling and obsessive man who's set his sights on Sanaa Lathan.  But he'll have to go through Morris Chestnut first.  And both men are nothing to play with in this suspense film.  Watch the battle for Sanaa's heart inside....

In "The Perfect Man", director David M. Rosenthal and writer Tyger Williams have crafted a tale of love, sex and obsession that'll give Fatal Attraction a run for the money. Following the success of Taraji P. Henson and Idris Elba in No Good Deed, Hollywood seems ready to put some money and clout behind Black actors in a erotic-thriller....and the trailer for The Perfect Man DOES NOT disappoint.

Here's the synopsis: 

Leah Vaughn (Sanaa Lathan) appears to have the ideal life. She enjoys a challenging, fast-paced career as a lobbyist; Dave (Morris Chestnut), her long-term boyfriend loves her. And yet, at 36, she’s ready to move to the next phase. Marriage and a family seem a logical and welcome step. Dave is not so sure. A bit commitment phobic, his misgivings lead to a painful break up.

Enter Carter Duncan (Michael Ealy), a handsome, charming stranger whose path keeps crossing with Leah’s. Caring and solicitous of Leah and her family and friends, their relationship rapidly progresses. It seems Leah has met the perfect guy. But if it seems too good to be true… Soon Carter’s protective nature morphs into something more sinister. It’s clear Leah has to end this new relationship and when she does, her onetime lover becomes her ultimate enemy. It will take every bit of her cunning and resolve to escape and outwit him.

Check out how Michael Ealy goes from hot to hot mess in the trailer above. 

The Perfect Guy hits theaters in September 2015.  And if you want more Morris Chestnut, he's also starring in FOX's medical thriller Rosewood this fall. 

EXTRAS:

1.  Comedian Marlan Wayans sells the rights for 50 Shades of Grey parody 50 Shades Of Black for $5 Million. Story.

Photos via The Perfect Man Instagram

Well, what do we have here? Looks like Houston Rockets baller James Harden got caught slippin’ by a random chick posting up a pic of them lying in bed together. And get this…it’s rumored he’s currently dating Lil Wayne’s baby mother Sarah Vivan!

Sip the tea inside....

After a tough loss against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Western Conference Finals last week, Houston Rockets baller James Harden seems to be finding solace with a random chick. Unfortunately for him, the chick he decided to lay up with put his business on BLAST via Instagram.

The woman in question goes by the monikers Farrah Flossit or GVNG$TER X BOO. We've heard about her alleged "job," but until we confirm we're not risking the legalities by exposing said job.

We’re not sure what happened before the picture was taken (although we have our thoughts); but it appears the two were pretty tired afterwards:
  

The blondie captioned,"#Lilsleepytime @jharden13."

Not only did she snap his pic while he was sleep, she tagged his IG handle as well...so we know it's real. Sighs...when will these ballers, who have everything to lose, learn to stop messing with chicks who have nothing to lose?!

Here's another pic of Farrah below:

The MVP runner-up has been linked to a few female celebs such as raptress Trina, Joe Budden’s ex-girlfriend Tahiry and even Amber Rose. (SIDENOTE: Remember when Amber hinted at James being her Valentine and said they had a "special" relationship?)

Interestingly enough, a few years ago, Amber and Farrah Flossit were at least cordial with one another, snapping up pics together. Hmph. Guess they have the same taste in men.

And get this...

There have been rumors circulating that James is currently dating Lil Wayne’s son’s mother Sarah Vivan. While we can’t confirm their coupledom status, we do have a little proof that the rumor may possibly have some truth to it.

We noticed Sarah’s a regular at Houston Rockets’ games. In fact, she flew to Houston to ring in the New Year at the Toyota Center on December 31st as the Rockets battled it out against the Charlotte Hornets:

 

A photo posted by Ess-To-Tha-Vee (@sarahvivan) on Dec 31, 2014 at 9:23pm PST

Then she showed up in New Orleans when the Rockets went head-to-head against the New Orleans Pelicans. She even brought her daughter and son (with Lil Wayne) along with her:

 

A photo posted by Ess-To-Tha-Vee (@sarahvivan) on Jan 2, 2015 at 6:54pm PST

A few weeks later, she showed up in Houston again to attend his game against the Dallas Mavericks. And she brought her kids along with her again: 

 

A photo posted by Ess-To-Tha-Vee (@sarahvivan) on Jan 28, 2015 at 5:27pm PST

Then in February, for her birthday, she hit up Madison Square Garden to cheer James on (picture of her atop) in the 2015 All-Star Game. She also posted up a video of him making a slam dunk:

 

A video posted by Ess-To-Tha-Vee (@sarahvivan) on Feb 15, 2015 at 6:58pm PST

This was right around the time Amber was gushing about her "special relationship" with James. Sighs... 

Like we said, we can't confirm Sarah and James are an item, but it does appear something may have been going on between the two. She hasn't responded to James' pic with the random chick....yet. But, we'll keep you updated if she does.

Photos: @gvngstvxboo/Sarah Vivan's IG

2014 Superbowl champ Russell Wilson doesn't just put Seattle on the map on the football field, he gives plenty of his time to the kids at Seattle Children's Hospital on a routine basis.  But this week...he brought his new boo Ciara along with him.  Check out their sweet visit inside, plus Amber Rose spilling on her new boo...

Hot new coupleRussell Wilson and Ciara paid a visit to Seattle Children’s Hospital yesterday for some coupledom community service. After wrapping up her JACKIE tour last week, CiCi spent some time with her man on a charitable trip to spread good cheer to the children in the hospital fighting life-altering diseases.

Every Tuesday, Russell volunteers at the Seattle Children’s Hospital to give back. In an article on the hospital’s website, he writes,

"Sunday is game day for me, but my best day is Tuesday when I visit Seattle Children’s. All the amazing opportunities I’ve had on the field can’t compare to helping kids whose lives are on the line.

"I started volunteering a couple of years ago. I’m humbled by the courage of the patients and families I meet and proud to witness the amazing work of the nurses and doctors who care for them."

I believe God has put me on this earth to serve others. That’s why there’s nothing more fulfilling than walking into a child’s hospital room and finding out how they’re doing – listening to their stories. All these kids are so brave and to be there for them and give them a boost is really important to me. What they don’t know is how much they affect me: I get an even bigger boost from them!"
 

During his recent visit, he posted up pics of himself and his new love with patients captioning, "We are #StrongAgainstCancer with Nico @Ciara @SeattleChildrens @StrongAgainstCancer".

CiCi also posted up a few shots, in which she captioned, "George aka #TheFighter It Was So Much Fun Speaking Japanese With You And Your Mom. Praying For You @SeattleChildrens"

Loves it!

BONUS:

Ciara brings Citi behind-the-scenes for an interview where she talks about motherhood, her career and more. Check it above.

In other couple's news, Amber Rose just confirmed her relationship with rapper Machine Gun Kelly.  Yes, we've seen them walking the streets holding hands and all, but she hadn't vocally confirmed their relationship...until now.

On the heels of Kelly semi-confirming on Hot 97 last month saying the two "just natural" and all the attention came out of nowhere, Amber flat out said the two are dating.  She said on Big Boy's morning show on LA's 92.3 yesterday:

"We’re dating. We’re just getting to know each other,” she said. “He’s a really nice guy. He treats me really, really nice, and I have a blast with him.”

And her tatt fetish is real: “You know I like ’em tatted and all.”

She also revealed she still sees her exhusband Wiz Khalifa every single day.  Hmph. 

Photos: Ciara's IG/Big Boy

2015 has been a busy year for Zoe Kravitz. Chick has landed yet another role in an upcoming film where she’ll play a gun toting hit woman in an Old Western titled Black Belle. Get the deets on her new gig and the latest on Joe Budden working out with Kaylin Garcia inside…

Triple threat Zoe Kravitz is having one stellar year thus far. She has already starred in three major films this year, including Insurgent, Mad Max: Fury Road and Good Kill. She will also be flexing her acting skills in the upcoming coming-of-age film DOPE (in theaters June 19th) and she just wrapped up filming for independent films Vincent-N-Roxxy and Viena and the Fantomes.

Now, the 26-year-old daughter of rocker Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet will be tackling an Old Western flick. According to Deadline, the YBF chick is set to star star in a gritty revenge thriller as a gunslinging hit woman from the Old West titled, Black Belle.

Set in a post-Civil War era, the film will follow a “loner/bounty hunter who specializes in revenge killing when a client shows up with information about her mother’s murderer.” Ish goes left once she realizes who the alleged killer really is, which is sure to keep us on the edge of our seats.

Production for the film is scheduled to begin in September, directed by Shana Betz and produced by Chad Simpson’s Brain Scratch Prods in partnership with Mark Canton and Lawrence Smith’s Mad Riot Entertainment.

Chick is serious about making her mark in Hollywood...and we're not mad.
 

Coming to your tvs....

Last we heard, rapper and former “Love & Hip Hop: New York” star Joe Budden called it quits with his then girlfriend Kailyn Garcia to work on rekindling a relationship with Tahiry Jose. But apparently, the two have kissed and made up and are working to get that old thing back.

So who do they call? VH1, of course!

Joe and Kailyn will work out their relationship issues (in front of millions) on the upcoming sixth season of "VH1 Couples Therapy with Dr. Jenn,” coming to a television screen near you this Fall. They will join “Mob Wives” star Angela “Big Ang” Murphy& Neil Murphy, Creed’s front man Scott Stapp & Jaclyn Stapp, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant Carmen Carrera& Adrian Torres and model/former "America's Next Top Model" judge Janice Dickinson & Robert “Rocky” Gerner.
 

The Slaughterhouse rapper hinted at a reconciliation when he posted a picture of himself and Kailyn on Instagram back in March (above) with the caption, "Awwwwww, she love me ? Lol"

Let's hope if Joe decides to do another on-screen proposal, he doesn't get played out like that Tahiry situation.

Photos: Getty/Joe's IG

TheYBF.com chopped it up with the cast of Starz hit series "Power" recently and got an earfull when Executive Producer 50 Cent hinted at some sexual tension brewing with co-star Naturi Naughton.  But doesn't he have a new girlfriend?  Hmph.  Watch our exclusive interview inside...

The stars of"Power" are gearing up for a sizzling second season (kicking off this weekend) and TheYBF.com had the pleasure of chatting it up with the cast during their round of promo in NYC and during the fabulous Season 2 premiere party (see pics here).

During our no-holds-barred sit down with executive producer and actor Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, alongside series regulars Omari Hardwick, Naturi Naughton, Lela Loren and Joe Sikora, we got the cast to open up about those titillating love scenes, how they helped create their characters and if they see parallels between their own lives and the folks they play on screen (peep the video below).

First things first.....TheYBF.com wanted to know what we can we expect from Ghost, Tasha, Tommy, Angela and the rest of the sexy cast.  50 Cent told us:

"They all come to life…the characters…they’re real people now. It’s amazing to see how people invested in it because we’ve timed things the right way. It’s an amazing project."

As you know, we love to stir the pot.  So during our chit chat with 50 Cent, YBF correspondent Shirley Vernaeasked Mr. Cent to respond to a little tidbit we heard from Naturi Naughton saying  she wouldn't be opposed to an on-camera love scene with his character Kanan.  He quipped, “It would be fun."  Of course, 50 Cent is ALWAYS extra, so he added,"Maybe we do it off of the camera. Somewhere else.”

Not missing a beat, co-star Joe Sikora (aka Tommy) piped in, "You've got to rehearse...if you're gonna get it right."  Mmhmmm....We can't help but think there's MAY be some truth in these "jokes".

Since we just saw Curtis with his new girlfriend Nancy Babochian last night, we won't stir that pot....yet!

We got Naturi (shown above with Omari, Lela and "Power" creator Courtney Kemp Agboh) opened up about creating the "Tasha" character we've come to love and you'd be surprised to know that she pulled on the very nasty split from girl group 3LW (with Adrienne Bailon & Kiely Williams) to find her character's strength.  

"There are certain similarities…Tasha’s a fighter….I'm a natural fighter. I've been through some things where I had to be a fighter too. And I definitely connect to how Tasha's not going to give up.

So many people come up to me and they're like oh my gosh you're killing it. I’m proud of you. You came through that situation in that group (3LW) and now you’re really an actress."

By the way, we asked Naturi if she's in contact with her former 3LW members.  And she kept it 100 saying, “No….it was not an amicable breakup.”

Since we got to see the first few episodes of the new season (and they're GOOD!), it was a must that we got Naturi's take on girl code...when it comes to women being into the same man. When asked if she'd ever been in that situation, she said,"I've definitely been there…friendship is more important. A guy can come and go but friendship is always."

Good to know!
 

"POWER" premieres June 6th at 9PM ET on STARZ.  Stay tuned for our sit down with Omari Hardwick and his on-screen mistress Lela Loren!

Photos/Video via Naturi Naughton's Instagram/Shirley Vernae

The 2015 Emmy nomination announcement is coming soon. And before we find out who the nominees are, “EMPIRE” stars Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard bring the heat on EMMY magazine's latest cover. There’s no doubt the show will nab a few nominations this year. On another cover, the “Orange Is The New Black” ladies shine on ESSENCE magazine’s July 2015 BODY inssue. Peep the covers inside….

The debut season of FOX’s Hip Hop family drama has seen unprecedented success, breaking viewer ratings week after week and becoming a staple in pop culture. And their huge success continues as the leading stars, Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard land the cover of EMMY magazine.

With its diverse cast, compelling storylines and infectious music (produced by Timbaland) EMPIRE has pushed the envelope and captured the nation by storm. But, before all of the fanfare and rave reviews, Terrance Howard admits in the beginning, he didn’t think people would accept it. He told the publication,

"I didn't know that the American public was really ready to tackle some of these issues that we're tackling, especially the African-American population," Howard says. "With the homophobia that runs through there, I didn't think a lot of the scenes that we've had would be welcome. I thought 20 minutes in[to the first episode], by the time they had the first [same-sex] kiss, it would be a wrap. Everybody would change the channel."
 

Well…he certainly was wrong…and likely doesn’t mind it. Ha!

Breakout star Taraji P. Henson, who made history as the first black woman to receive the Critics' Choice Best Actress In A Drama Series Award, has been having an incredible year after debuting as the slick-mouth Cookie Lyon on the hip hopera. The YBF chick recalls the time her father predicted she would blow up like she is now, sitting at his bedside in the hospital right before he passed away from cancer.

She said,

"He was like, 'Baby, that ain't nothin'. You are going to be a sensation,'" the Empire star recounts now. "He was looking off into the distance, and I think he saw what was coming.

"At the time, I was like, 'What you see? Shoot, I want to see it! Time went on, and I'm getting older. I ain't no spring chicken. I'm thinking, 'Maybe the Oscar [nod] was it.' Then [Empire] comes along, and it blows up, and it's like, 'Okay, Daddy, this is what you were talking about.' He saw this moment right here."
 

Beautiful.  This issue hits newsstands June 9th. We'll keep you posted on the Emmy noms once they are announced on July 16th.

By the way, Taraji & Terrence are hosting the ninth annual Guys Choice, premiering Thursday, June 18th at 9/8c!

Another show nabbing a magazine cover....

The “Orange Is The New Black” cast glowed in an array of orange hues for the cover of ESSENCE magazine’s July 2015 BODY issue, celebrating spotlights the many shapes and sizes of beauty. And the ladies are looking amazing on this cover.

“OITNB” stars Laverne Cox, Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Samira Wiley, Vicky Jeudy and Adrienne C. Moore dish to ESSENCE on how they learned to love themselves in spite of their flaws and being "sexy at every size."

TIME magazine cover girl Laverne Cox describes the steps she takes to loving every piece of her being, saying,

"This is intense, and it's hard. What I've been doing is looking in the mirror and listing all the things I have an issue with and then saying, 'This is beautiful.' I just go down the list and tell myself, 'You have to accept that this is you today.' I make time to do this."

We're taking notes on this great advice...

Emmy winner Uzo Aduba reveals it took her some time before she accepted her signature smile. She says,"For the majority of my first 18 years, I hated my gap. My mom would tell me that in Nigeria, it's a sign of beauty. I was like, 'We're in Massachusetts.'"

She continues, "Today there's not a selfie or personal photo I take where I'm not smiling wide. It sometimes feels as if I'm making up for lost smiles."

The fab cover will be on newsstands soon.

Photos: Mike Ruiz/Aardvark Artists via Emmy Magazine/ESSENCE

In today's candids, we spotted Pharrell Williams along with his wife Helen, Janelle Monae and singer Tinashe in the NYC streets.  Find out what they were up to inside...

Grammy-winning producer Pharrell Williams and his wife Helen Lasichanh were spotted out and about earlier today.

It's been a busy week for the "Happy" singer.

Two peas in a style-lover's pod.  Last night, Pharrell performed at the 2015 Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner where Usher Raymond was honored for his charity work.

Singer Tinashe was seen leaving "Good Morning America' in NYC's Times Square this morning.  She hit the stage to see her chart-topping single "All Hands On Deck."

Singer Janelle Monae was spotted leaving her hotel - and we suspect she's headed to the airport.

Janelle has been in town for the past few days, walking many red carpets and turning heads.

Last night she supported Pharell at the Gordon Parks Foundation Awards show AND she also made a head-spinning appearance at the CFDAs earlier.

 Photos via Splash/FameFlynet

“EMPIRE” co-creator/director Lee Daniels had dinner with Denzel Washington, Russell Simmons and Rocsi Diaz in Hollywood last night. Hmm…was it an ”Empire” season 2 meeting perhaps? Meanwihle, over on the east coast, Rihanna was spotted solo making her way to dinner. Peep their candids inside….

With just three months away from the season 2 premiere of “Empire,” the show’s creator seems to be busy holding meetings with industry heavyweights over dinner…possibly about upcoming roles/cameos for the hit FOX series.  Or one of his many other projects in the works.

Director Lee Daniels, Oscar winner Denzel Washington and Hip Hop mogul Russell Simmons trekked it to celeb hotspot Craigs Restaurant for dinner last night.

The upcoming season of “Empire” is set to premiere September 23rd.  So anything is possible...

It appears Lee is continuing his quest to nab Denzel Washington for role on the second season of the highly popular dramedy. You’ll recall, he posted an “us-ie” of himself and Denzel over dinner on Instagram earlier this year, captioning he was trying to recruit him for the show. And now it looks like he may be trying to persuade Russell Simmons to make a cameo as well:

"The Daily Share" anchor Rocsi Diaz was also spotted leaving Craigs, likely after dinner with the guys:

With production starting soon and the premiere right around the corner, we shall see soon enough.

Over on east coast….

Rihanna was spotted in a casual laid-back look as she made her way to dinner in SoHo last night.

The Bajan beauty decided on a chill night after hitting the party scene these past few days and traveling quite a bit. Last week, she was busy serving up flawless shots during a photoshoot in Cuba. And before that, she jetted to London for a day to handle some business.

Maybe after dinner she hit up the studio to finish her highly-anticipated R8 album.  We're sure the Navy is still impatiently waiting....

Photos: Splash

Talk about giving back! Akon is lighting up the Mother Land with his new Solar Academy for over 600 million Africans without electricity. Get the deets on his solar energy powered project and check out Jennifer Hudson’s new visuals for her track “I Still Love You” inside…

International recording artist Akon, a Senegalese-American, is all about giving back. And for his latest philanthropic effort, he’s helping to provide electricity for over 600 million Africans with the launch of his new Solar Academy through his Akon Lighting Africa initiative.

According to Reuters, the institution will teach African engineers and entrepreneurs the skills needed to develop solar power to provide electricity to those who do not have it.

European experts and engineers will provide the training equipment and programs to school them on how to install and maintain solar-powered electricity systems as well as micro grids. It’s scheduled to open in Bamako, Mali's capital, this summer.

Nice!

Speaking of musicians who are making a difference:

Jennifer Hudson shows her support for the LGBT community in her newest video treatment for her track “I Still Love You.” The video follows a father’s last-minute decision to attend his gay son’s wedding, in which he ultimately declines. But, that doesn’t stop the celebration.

JHUD opened up to MTV on how the concept for the video came about saying,

“I just think the concept was just powerful to go with such a positive song. It’s about love and everyone should have love and have the right to love who they want to love,” Jennifer told us. “So I thought it would be powerful to take a concept like trying to find your equality in love no matter who you love.”

In support of the LGBT community, the Grammy Award winning singer has teamed up with W Hotel’s marriage equality campaign, TURN IT UP FOR CHANGE, to help spread a positive message of love and acceptance.

She added,

“I hope people walk away with a broader perspective of marriage equality,” JHud said about what she hopes the video conveys. “And everyone being able to choose who they want to love and just accept each other as their own and just give love and receive love, just love and be happy people. I love seeing people come together, so I thought it was a very real, beautiful inspiring moment,” she said. “And I think the video is just beautifully shot.”

Check it above.
 

Photo: Getty

A tabloid claims Chris Brown recently cut the fool (again) and blew illegal weed smoke in a flight attendant's face.  He's denying it, but do we believe him?  Deets inside, plus Mariah Carey's brother is allegedly talking to a tabloid about fearing for his sister's life...

On Wednesday, Us Weekly claimed that Chris Brown was up to his bratty ways while taking a recent flight aboard a private jet.  While Breezy has been putting in overtime in convincing the masses that his new baby girl Royalty has changed him for the better....this rumor is definitely a set back in his progress, if true.

In the latest issue of the mag, a flight attendant claims Chris was smoking a ton of weed.  And it led to some serious rudeness.  According to Us:

Not only was the “Run It!” rapper enjoying some MJ in-flight despite the fact that the FAA doesn’t allow smoking on planes, but he didn’t seem to care about the crew's worries when they addressed the issue, the source says. “He blew smoke at a flight attendant and said, ‘I paid $60,000 for this jet, so I own it and everyone inside,’” the source tells Us.

And there's more:

According to the insider, the 26-year-old lit up again before the plane landed and gave some jaw to another flight attendant. “He told her, ‘What is your old ass doing here anyway? I like to have the help be people I’d actually like to f---,’” the source tells Us.
 

Chris is denying it, of course.  Not in another Instagram diatribe, but via his official rep.  By the way, where has THIS person been?  The official statement says it was actually Chris' FIEND who was being argumentative, not the singer:

"This story is false. Chris was smoking on the plane prior to takeoff as was a companion of his. The pilot explained it was a non-smoking flight so Chris immediately extinguished his cigarette. His companion did as well but in a manner which angered the pilot who then said he would not fly the plane until this person was removed. Chris spoke to his tour manager, who was speaking with the pilot, and asked if they could replace the pilot. In the end, his companion was removed and the plane departed.

"Also, contrary to the story, there was only one flight attendant, not two and Chris was never rude to her. In addition, Chris did not pay for the plane, the music label paid," his rep continued.

Sounds like he needs to get rid of his homies.  Us said they're standing by their story.

In other tabloid news that may or may not hold water, Mariah Carey's brother is speaking out.  Allegedly.  The National Enquirer (yeah, take this with a grain of salt) claims to have spoken with MiMi's brother MOrgan...and he's concerned.

Apparently, according to the alleged conversation, Morgan believes Mariah doesn't have a true support system.  He supposedly claims that he's terrified she will "die like Whitney Houston" because of her alleged--according to Morgan--addiction to alcohol.

The Daily News got some quotes from the article coming out this week.

'Mariah was drinking through her pregnancy - even while she was nursing.'

'I can't say that I have ever been around her when she was sober, and that's very scary.'

Morgan also claimed his 45-year-old sister takes a daily cocktail of medications including Zyprexa, Ativan and Depakote, and fears she will 'die like Whitney Houston'.

He added: 'She does not have a support system, and she is not mentally capable.'

He said: 'If my sister turns up dead ... I'm not going to look the other way! Anyone who's filling her glass is jeopardizing her life!'

Whoa. Those are some serious allegations. Morgan also gave his take on Mariah's ex-husband Nick Cannon, alleging he was only in MiM's life for personal gain.

The new issue is on sale today.

Jada Pinkett Smith hit the streets of NYC today looking her usually fab self.  And, once again, she's explaining how she and Will Smith's marriage works with that rumored "open relationship" allowance.  Check out her latest interview inside...

Jada Pinkett Smith jumped right into summer yesterday with a bold and bright romper by MSGM as she rolled to the Howard Stern show on Sirius XM radio. 

The former "Gotham" star addressed those "open marriage" rumors again that have been following her and her Hollywood star husband Will Smith for years.  When Howard asked about her statement to Oprah Winfrey years back, the quote where she said that if Will wanted to go with another woman then he could go ahead 'as long as he could look at himself in the mirror,' Jada clarified further:

'Look I'm not here to be anybody's watcher. I'm not his watcher. He's a grown man.'

Here's what I trust. The man that Will is, is a man of integrity. So he's got all the freedom in the world.

'So as long as Will can look at himself in the mirror and be OK? I'm good.'
 

This sounds, to us, like she's saying she's not going to spend HER time trying to find out if he's cheating.  Instead, she trusts her man and if he does slip up....he would have to live with himself afterwards.  Thankfully, she say, they haven't had to test all this out. 

Interestingly, she also admitted that she thought she was too young (she was 25) when she got married to Will. She tributes their success as a couple to him being a 'gangster partner'.

As for how that came up in the conversation, Howard asked Jada if the couple talks to the kids, Willlow and Jaden, about marriage and what they say.  Her response: "Heck yeah, don't do it."

Oh?

Check out the audio clip:

Jada is currently starring in the big-screen stripper flick Magic Mike XXL.

Work.

Photos: Splash