Halle Berry’s ex-husband David Justice is opening up in a new interview about rumors that have been circulating for years abou Halle and domestic violence issues. Now, he’s demanding that the truth be told. Find out what he said inside….
Former Atlanta Braves star David Justice is fed up with the domestic violence rumors that have haunted him for years. And now, he wants his ex-wife Halle Berry to set the record straight once and for all.
In a brand new interview with Inside Edition, the Hollywood actress’ former husband opens up for the first time in an interview about rumors that he was abusive to Halle during their relationship.
A little backstory….
Back in 2011, Halle revealed she lost 80% of her hearing after she was punched during a domestic dispute with an ex-boyfriend. She never dropped the name of the ex-boyfriend who hit her, but public speculation targeted David as the culprit.
You’ll recall, shortly after Halle and Olivier Martinez announced they were divorcing, he hopped on Twitter to defend his reputation saying he’s NOT the guy Halle was referring to. We’ve watched Halle endure several high-profile breakups, including breakups, including David, Christopher Williams, Wesley Snipes, Eric Benet, Gabriel Aubry and now Olivier Martinez.
He continued with his Twitter rant revealing actor Wesley Snipes was the cause of Halle losing her hearing.
Now, the 49-year-old former baseball player wants her to set the record straight to clear his name, especially since he has a wife (of 15 years) and children and he wants them to know he did not do it.
During the sitdown, he said Halle’s silence has been damaging to his reputation and he wants the truth to come out. He said,
“If it was me, then say it. Say it, you see? But she can’t say it because she knows it wasn’t. So she’d rather not say it and then just let you go ahead and believe it.”
That’s fair. If he wasn’t the guy who did it the least she could is say that it wasn’t him without having to reveal the person who actually did it.
He then sent a message to the Oscar winning actress saying,
“It would have been cool if you came out a long time ago and at least let the people know it wasn’t me. That would have been cool, but you didn’t do it.”
Check it:
David’s full interview will air on Inside Edition.
EXTRAS:
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Viola Davis and Lupita Nyongo went there for Vanity Fair's Hollywood 2016 special inside the March 2016 issue. Go inside the pages to see their stunning makeup free and natural coif'd portraits, as well as a fresh faced Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
Three YBF women, Viola Davis, Lupita Nyong'o and Gugu Mbatha-Raw joined Jennifer Lawrence, Helen Mirren, Cate Blanchett, Jane Fonda and more for the pull out cover and spread.
Shot by Annie Lebowitz, the ladies all presented a simplistic look at their beauty with little to no makeup, simple tees and jeans, or nothing at all.
"How To Get Away With Murder" star and new SAG winner Viola is totally our spirit animal. She's got the fiery gall to present herself as is, no matter how exclusive the occasion. All we see is strength, intellect and beauty.
Star Wars actress and upcoming Broadway star Lupita Nyong'o also stripped down to her natural state for the shoot. With her bare untouched skin front and center, she said:
In the company of Wonder-Women. Thank you @VanityFair and Annie Leibovitz!
Loves it.
Beyond The Lights and Concussion star Gugu Mbatha-Raw is slowly but surely making her mark, and we've been a fan of hers since Belle.
She took the natural approach showing off those gorgeous lips of hers.
The March 2016 issue wil be on newsstands in LA & NY February 4th and nationally February 8th. Work.
Photographs by Annie Leibovitz, Styled by Jessica Diehl
So, this happened. While most of America was watching the Iowa Caucus results, Amber Rose & Kim Kardashian joined forces on the Gram. Lord help us all....
In Kanye's "apology tweets" a few days ago to Amber Rose, Wiz Khalifa, and their son Sebastian, he mentioned he and his wife have the kind of "love" that can turn exes into best friends. He calls that love, we call it something entirely different.
Like with most things Kanye says, we wrote it off as gibberish. But it looks like he's intent on pulling out all the stops in promoting this new Waves album. He made his tweet come to life in the pic atop in an apparent come to Yeezus meeting.
Amber and Kim snapped a selfie together either last night or in the wee hours of this morning (sources are reporting Kim invited Amber to a secret meeting at Kim's mom's house last night to squash the beef). Both conveniently posted the same pic at the same time with captions that read:
Plenty of commenters on both their timelines are calling it all a thirsty PR stunt for reality show ratings and Kanye's album sales. Others, like us, also believe Amber MAY have been offered some selfie action so the Wests could make sure she didn't spill any more #FingerInTheBooty tea.
Yep, that's Blac Chyna back in full effect at Ace of Diamonds West Hollywood strip club early this morning...with bestie Amber in the same outfit she's in for the pic with Kim. Chyna was spotted driving boyfriend Rob Kardashian's Bentley up to the scene, by the way.
Either all three chicks linked up together or happened to see each other elsewhere or...who knows. Our brains can't process this anymore.
Bill Cosby made his way to court in Pennsylvania this morning hoping his lawyers can persuade the judge to have his sexual assault case thrown out. Deets inside….
Bill Cosby arrived at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania this morning to face sexual assault charges brought against him recently. And he's hoping his lawyers can argue to have the case dismissed.
The troubled comedian emerged from a black SUV wearing a tan suit and tie as two men helped escort him up the ramp inside the courthouse. He showed up for a hearing where his lawyers will request to have the sexual assault case thrown out. (FYI--He had two cases in L.A. where he was NOT criminally charged.)
This is the only case in which he has been charged after a multitude of women came forward claiming they were sexually assaulted by the famed comedian.
You’ll recall, the former “Cosby” star was brought up on felony sexual assault after former Temple University athletics employee Andrea Constand -- who is now a massage therapist in Canada -- accused Bill Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting her at his Elkins Park, Pennsylvania mansion in January 2004.
According to ABC News, Cosby’s lawyers claim he had a deal with then- District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. in 2005 that he wouldn't be prosecuted and that he could testify freely in Constand's civil lawsuit. Bruce Castor said at the time there wasn’t enough evidence to charge Cosby.
Since testimony from the lawsuit was released, it caused Castor’s successors to reopen the case and ultimately charge Mr. Cosby with felony sexual assault. Newly elected D.A. Kevin Steele is pursuing the case.
In the 78-year-old actor’s deposition for the civil case, he admitted to having a series of affairs with young actresses and models and gave the women Quaaludes before having sex with them. While he reportedly admitted to giving Andrea three pills before the alleged assault, he claims it was consensual. Hmph.
Pictured above: Bill Cosby's lawyer Monique Pressley and his legal team head into court.
In an surprising twist, Castor is scheduled to testify at the hearing as the defense’s key witness. According to reports, Castor has insisted that he worked out an oral "non-prosecution" agreement in 2005 with Walter M. Phillips Jr., Bill Cosby's lawyer who died last year.
D.A. Kevin Steel said Mr. Cosby would need an immunity agreement in writing to get the case thrown out and has not seen any evidence of one.
Guess we will see how this all unfolds once court is over.
Blac Chyna hit up the strip club with her bestie Amber Rose after spending the day with boyfriend Rob Kardashian. He drove her to her laser appointment to have her “Future” tattoo removed. Pics inside…
Since a new romance with Rob Kardashian is beginning to blossom, Blac Chyna decided to have her “Future” tattoo removed yesterday. And her boyfriend Rob Kardashian was the supportive boyfriend, driving her to the dermatologist in his Bentley:
On SnapChat, Tyga's ex-fiancee shared a few clips of her having the hair under her arm removed AND her "Future" tattoo (that she tried to make us believe was fake) removed:
Afterwards, the two headed home where Chyna whipped up a meal for Rob and then convinced him to get a SnapChat account. In his first Snap, he made a clip of himself laughing in the camera:
Chyna warned her followers "don't be sending my boo...that p*ssy" Lordt.
After hanging out with Rob, the former stripper hopped in her boyfriend's Bentley and drove to Ace of Diamonds West Hollywood strip club to party it up:
She rocked a sexy LBD paired with Christian Louboutin's Apollo knee-length boots.
Chyna linked up with her bestie Amber Rose
The "How To Be A Bad B*tch" author also opted for an all-black ensemble.
Inside...
Chyna had several stacks of ones to make it rain on the strippers and that's exactly what she did:
As for that Amber Rose/Kim Kardashian West selfie, TMZ is reporting Amber and Kim met up earlier in the day to hash out their issues. Sources claim Kim called Amber and asked her to meet her at her momager Kris Jenner's house where they had a long conversation and ended it with a selfie.
On Instagram....
Chyna posted up this seductive shot with the caption, "Eat your heart you." Wonder who that was for....
Speaking of the Kardashian Klan:
In a preview for the next "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" episode, we see Kylie Jenner brought to tears after taking a break from her boyfriend Tyga. Her sisters Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian try to console her where she ends up running off to let out her tears. The clip was shot back in November when rumors of a break up where swirling around the Internet. Check it above.
Azealia Banks can thank her lucky stars that she will not be charged in an altercation with a L.A. bouncer, but she's not totally off the hook. She appeared in court today in NYC for ANOTHER assault case against a female security guard. Get the deets and find out why the Harlem rapper is endorsing presidential hopeful Donald Trump inside….
Azealia Banks can breathe a little easier after being cleared on charges that stemmed from an altercation between her and a bouncer in L.A. back in October.
The 24-year-old raptress got into a nasty altercation with a bouncer at Break Room 86 that was all caught on video surveillance. In the video, you can see Azealia tussling with the bouncer, but there’s no audio.
According to reports, the L.A. City Attorney decided NOT to press charges since it’s unclear who was the aggressor during the scuffle. Since the bouncer didn’t suffer any injuries, the L.A. City Attorney said it would be hard to prosecute, so the case was thrown out.
While she’s in the clear for this case, the "Yung Rapunxel" appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court yesterday for another.
You’ll recall, the “212” rapper was arrested back in December for allegedly spitting on and BITING a female security guard at nightclub Up & Down in NYC. She got into a verbal altercation with the guard that resulted in her being thrown out.
Azealia went before Judge Laurie Peterson to face assault, attempted assault, disorderly conduct and harassment charges.
According to the NY Daily News, prosecutors recommended she do anger management if she were to plead to the top count against her, but the case was adjourned for her attorney to file motions on her behalf. She’s due back in court March 29th.
As she left the court building, she and her crew reportedly pushed and cursed at photographers. She even posted a picture of a reported on Twitter:
This girl was like "AZEALIA DO YOU WANNA COMMENT?!?!" I was like NAH, HIT THE ROAD MAMA pic.twitter.com/0laG9GeL6A
The Broke With Expensive Taste is stirring up drama on Twitter again. And this time she’s talking politics. In a series of tweets, Azealia announces she’s supporting controversial presidential hopeful Donald Trump. Really Azealia?
Peep her tweets below (read from the bottom up):
Right before she announced her Trump endorsement, she revealed she’s dropping a new project:
Of course.
EXTRAS:
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Mike Epps’ estranged wife Mechelle Epps is speaking out for the first time since the comedian up and filed for divorce last week. She said she was blind-sided by it all! Deets inside…
Let the divorce drama begin.
We told you comedian Mike Epps filed for divorce from his estranged wife Mechelle Epps just months before their 10-year anniversary. Now, his wife is speaking out for the first time and she claims she had NO idea he wanted to separate.
TMZ photogs caught up with Mechelle at LAX were she revealed she was shocked to learn her estranged husband had filed for divorce.
“It was SHOCKING to me," Mechelle said.
Why? Well she claims they have been acting as a married couple up until last month, which directly contradicts what Mike said in his filings. He claims they were separated since last summer!
“I didn’t know we were separated since the summer time," Mechelle continued. "We’ve been doing everything a couple does up until January. I think when I saw him walking down the streets of NYC with a mysterious girl I think that’s what did it.”
Chile....
We showed you pics of the “Survivor’s Remorse” star grabbing lunch with the mysterious woman Mechelle is referring to in NYC last month, but we assumed she was an assistant or something. Hmph. Wonder if he was all in her DMs too.
Wiz Khalifa and Kanye West have squashed their beef. It’s a good thing too because Wiz was spotted "training" in a NYC gym. In other news, Usher, Killer Mike, Jermaine Dupri and Big Krit kicked off Black History Month in a mjor way. Pics inside…
Looks like all is well with all parties involved in the Twitter beef that took over the Internet last week. FollowingAmber Rose and Kim Kardashian West’s truce, Wiz Khalifa and Kanye West hashed it out and are now on good terms.
Yeezy hopped on Twitter today and announced:
Well good for them.
We can't help but think this was all concocted drama to help with Ye's WAVES (Feb. 11th) album sales. Oh, and Wiz is a dropping a new LP titled Khalifa on Feb. 5th. How convenient.
Following his chat with the "Gold Digger" rapper....
The Taylor Gang honcho hit up the gym to train. What he's training for, we're not exactly sure, but a good workout does the body good. Wiz was spotted burning up calories on the treadmill (gotta get that cardio in for endurance) and doing shoulder presses while listening to music:
The "Black and Yellow" rapper just returned to the States after performing a few shows in South America.
In some do-gooder news...
Yesterday, R&B crooner Usher, producer Jermaine Dupri, rapper/activist Killer Mike and rapper Big Krit celebrated the first day of Black History Month in a major way.
The four entertainers made their way to Citizens Trust Bank in Atlanta to open up new personal accounts at the small, black owned financial institution. In doing that, they hope to inspire others to start banking small and “banking black.”
Killer Mike said on Instagram, “Four Entertainers Four New Accounts! #BankSmall #BankLocal #BankBlack #CitizensTrustBank #happyblackhistorymonth”
In another IG post, Mike said, "A buncha guys with #CitizensTrustBank President Cynthia Day. She is the most powerful human in the pic. This is why I love ATL, Amercia, My Culture and My people. #CitizensTrustBank #BankSmall #BankLocal #BankBlack #95Yrs #CuzImBlack"
Three uber FAB chicks will be honored at ESSENCE’s Black Women In Hollywood Luncheon later this month. Also, Misty Copeland’s documentary “A Ballerina’s Tale” is set to air on PBS. Get the deets inside…
“black•ish” starlet Tracey Ellis Ross, producer/director/dance Debbie Allen and entertainment attorney Nina Shaw will be honored by ESSENCE magazine at their pre-Oscar award luncheon, sponsored by Lincoln Motor Company.
Spotlighting three African-American women pushing the limits, Tracee will be honored with the Fierce & Fearless Award, Debbie will be honored with the Legend Award and Nina will accept the Lincoln Power Award at the 9th annual Black Women In Hollywood Luncheon, set to take place February 25th at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
Black excellence will be at an all-time high. The star-studded affair will include appearances by Oprah Winfrey, Shonda Rhimes, Zendaya, Nick Cannon and Ryan Coogler, along with a performance by R&B artist Leon Bridges. Nice!
We’ll get to see all that goes down during the empowering luncheon as it will air on Saturday, February 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on OWN. Can’t wait!
Speaking of FAB chicks....
If you haven’t seen principal ballerina Misty Copeland’s documentary, it’s coming to a TV near you real soon. The prima ballerina’s documentary “A Ballerina’s Tale” is set to premiere February 8th at 10 PM EST on PBS.
The history-making ballerina, who became the principal dancer at the prestigious American Ballet Theatre, gives an intimate look as she shatters barriers and transcends her art, inspiring little brown girls everywhere that they can accomplish anything they want in life.
"A Ballerina's Tale" documents Misty's historic rise to the elite level of ballet while shining a light on the absence of women of color at major ballet companies. Peep the clips above and below.
Tinashe is showing off her amazing bod for the newest COMPLEX cover magazine. And we have to admit, it’s pretty hot. Peep her flicks and get the deets on Erykah Badu styling a NYFW show that will reflect the “black experience” inside…
R&B singer Tinashe is heating up the magazine circuit with her super sexy COMPLEX magazine cover and spread.
The 22-year-old songstress is flossing her toned bod on the cover and inside of the magazine’s Feb/March issue. And we’re crushing on her.
Yes, she's taking it there.
She dished on the sexy shoot in the magazine saying, “I had a little bit more creative control than I normally have so I had a really, really great time on this shoot.” And it shows.
In the cover story, Tinashe opens up about not having a Plan B outside of music because she’s determined to make it to the top. She also talks about the creative process behind her upcoming sophomore album JOYRIDE, how her peers didn’t take to her in middle school and dating issues in high school.
Peep the highlights:
On not having a Plan B if music doesn’t work out:
“I have no Plan B. I’ve set this up so that my entire life is based on this, and if this fails I have nothing else. No career options. No life options. I’ve sacrificed so much for this; failure is so beyond an option. There can only be setbacks. It’ll eventually work because it can’t not work.” She laughs. “And it’s never a fully hopeless situation, because I’ll always have some support.”
On relating to her fans:
“Everyone wants to think that everything you do is a direct reflection of who you are,” she says. “It’s not always that deep. I’ve definitely had a particular life that many haven’t. I think that it’s important to share your story but also to be able to find the relatability [in the stories of others]. Because it’s important to me to be able to relate to my fans.”
On struggling to make friends in middle school:
“When I was in middle school and everybody didn’t like me. I’d wonder, ‘What am I doing wrong?’ Because it’s hard not to feel like it’s a reflection of what I’m doing wrong. You have to try to remember that that’s not always the case. That it’s not always a reflection on you.”
On no guys wanting to date her in high school:
“Nobody wanted to fuck with me. As far as the guys go, nobody wanted to like me or date me. They’d talk to me in secret and then at school they’d ignore me. Literally ignore me to my face. And psychologically that messes with you. It makes you feel that you must be genuinely unattractive if this person doesn’t want anyone to know that you even talk. That’s bad.”
Interesting. You can read her full interview on COMPLEX.
HOT!
In new music...
Tinashe just dropped a new single titled "Ride Of Your Life" from her upcoming JOYRIDE album. Take a listen above.
In fashion news...
Erykah Badu is coming to New York Fashion Week!
The soulful songstress is gearing up to style Pyer Moss AW16 show with designer Kerby Jean-Raymond, where they will explore the black experience in contemporary America.
The Tom Ford and Givenchy muse explains why she decided to lend her expertise to the NYFW show saying,
“(Kerby and I) were a match made in fashion heaven. We share an eye for truth through art. Though risky at times, he stands in his truth. And the strength of that truth lies in the belief of his vision. I’m inspired by the bold statements he makes in this, sometimes, fickle industry.”
According to DAZED Digital, Jean-Raymond is continuing his ode to the Black Lives Matter movement at NYFW. Last year, he showed a short film at his presentation, which featured footage from police killings of Eric Garner and Walter Scott, along with Nicole Bell (the widow of Sean Bell, who was killed by the police in 2008) and Wanda Johnson (the mother of Oscar Grant III, who was killed in 2008).
It’s a subject that Erykah holds dear to her heart and it will be interesting to see how she interprets the “double bind” of being black in America through fashion.
Zendaya just gave a tease of an upcoming new track featuring Chris Brown. And it's Creeptastic. Get it inside...
Yes, Zendaya! Serve some TLC fab to the chil'ren.
The actress/singer/fashion designer is back on her music steeze. She just teased a brand new upcoming track featuring none other than Breezy, and sampling none other than TLC's 1994 hit Creep.".
The "K.C. Undercover took to her Instagram to say:
“I probably should wait, but I wanna let you go there / I wanna try something new, all night.”
Well, we're already here for it. Check out her announcement and teaser below:
In a new interview, Wiz Khalifa opens up about squashing his beef with Kanye West and whether or not they'll be joining forces on a new track. In another interview, Meagan Good sets the record straight after a news outlet alluded to her having multiple relationships with a few high-profile men. Get all of the deets inside…
Wiz Khalifa has a new album dropping on Friday, so he’s making his rounds to promote his sixth studio album titled Khalifa, the follow-up to his 2014 LB Blacc Hollywood.
The Taylor Gang honcho hit up HOT 97 to chop it up with radio personality Nessa where he opens up about burying the hatchet with Kanye West, following Ye’s disrespectful rant aimed at him, his ex Amber Rose and his son Sebastian.
“We spoke on the phone,” Wiz said. “Kim and Amber spoke on the phone. It’s all good.”
He added,
“It was crazy because I don’t think that’s anything that wouldn’t happen between anybody else. That could have happened between anybody. The way that we settled it, the way that we bounced back, that’s all the really matters.
So IS all of this just some fake drama to help boost both his and Yeezy’s album sales? He said it’s not.
“It’s the universe man,” Wiz calmly said. “The universe puts a lot of things. It could have went so many different ways. Individually, we all have control When you put certain elements together you can make something that people see as impossible.”
Well, since the two have let bygones be bygones and are on good terms now, can we expect a joint track featuring the two? The ”Young Wild & Free” rapper responded, “We’re focusing on friendship. Let’s focus on being friends first.”
Switching gears, Wiz was asked if he was single these days. He said he’s currently “spreading love” and that he does not have a Valentine’s Day date.
He then went on to talk about if he would ever get married again.“I love having a family, Wiz said. “Amber and Sebastian, that’s my family. Am I looking for more of that? Not really.”
Later, Wiz revealed his son Sebastian is on his new album, he talked about how a fan tried to steal his shoes off his feet during his tour in South America and more. Check it:
In another interview with 107.5 Chicago’s Tone Kapone, Wiz briefly touched on RIAA’s new rules and shared exactly what he was doing when Ye initially started going in on Twitter. He also confirmed he did NOT play Kim Kardashian’s sextape during one of his recent shows and he responded to rumors about his watch getting stolen. Take a listen below:
In another radio interview...
Meagan Good and her husband DeVon Franklin have been heavy on the promo trail promoting their new book “The Wait” (which was released on Feb. 2nd). But, they found time to call into Power 105’s “The Breakfast Club” to address a few rumors that have been circulating about her alleged promiscuous past.
The New York Post posted an article that said she had been in many high-profile relationships, including Lil Wayne, Jamie Foxx, Nick Cannon, 50 Cent, and "Being Mary Jane" star Thomas Jones. While she didn’t deny her relationships with Thomas and 50, she did confirm she has never been with the other men listed. She said,
“I haven’t been with Lil Wayne, I haven’t been with Jamie Foxx, I haven’t been with Nick Cannon. It’s really disappointing. Why would someone print something in a story that I never said?”
In the article, it said Meagan started abstaining from sex after a boyfriend cheated on her, which she said is simply not true.
“I never said I gave up sex after an ex-boyfriend cheated on me,” Meagan said. “I gave up sex because I got tired of being in relationships and getting the same results and I wanted to grow. It’s something I believed I should have done all along.”
The article also gave wrong facts when sharing how long she had been celibate and how long she has been a born again Christian. She clapped back:
“I wasn’t celibate for two years, I was celibate for a year. I’ve been a born again Christian since a teenager I was just a work in process.”
By the way, she also has kicked her smoking habit. She said, “Yeah. I quit smoking two years ago.” Well good for her. Check out the interview above.
You can grab a copy of her and DeVon’s new relationship book “The Wait” now.
In a new episode of as The Instagram Turns, K. Michelle and Toya Wright are back to dragging each other on social media. Sighs…when will this end? Peep their shade-filled (“bedazzled a** bonnets”) postings and K’s apology inside….
Chile…
K. Michelle and Toya Wright clearly STILL do NOT like each other. Both of them were with the same man, Memphitz, at one point in time. While neither of them are with him now (Toya and Memphitz are getting a divorce), their disdain for each other is still strong.
After their social media showdown died down, K took to her Instagram to apologize for the ordeal. She said she’s human and she makes mistakes, but made it known that “Petty Anna” can/will show up when need be. She posted:
We noticed K said Toya started the spat, but from what we gather, SHE was the one who initiated this round of beef.
Yesterday, The Shade Room shared a post of Toya’s cover for her upcoming book “How To Lose A Husband.” K hopped in the comments sections posting up a series of laughing emojis. Then Toya responds with, “Glad your [you’re] watching #thankyoufortheinspirationK #howtoloseahusband”
K claps back “@toyawright watching you look stupid” then next thing you know all hell breaks loose on their personal accounts.
Peep their back and forth below (that they both have deleted):
We can't lie, this line took us out, "Go hot glue some more rhinestones on some bonnets..."
By the way, K's fans have been flooding Toya's comment sections with little cars since K dubbed her as "Toyota."
Lordt...as you can see the petty levels were very high!
RIAA is changing up the game on how how albums sales are counted, bumping up Kendrick Lamar and Big Sean's new albums (along with others) to platinum staus. Plus, we've got deets on Rihanna's certified platinum album ANTI and why the numbers aren't as they seem. More inside....
Technology is changing the way the RIAA hands out certifications.
The Recording Industry Association of America recently announced the new Album Award methodology for its Gold & Platinum Program.
As one of the biggest changes in its six decade history, the RIAA will now include on-demand audio and video streams as part of its singles and albums certification process. So what does that mean? It means, a lot of albums are being pushed to gold and platinum status.
Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise and Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly are now certified Platinum. And they aren’t the only ones. Michael Jackson’s Thriller is now 32X Multi-Platinum, The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind the Madness is 2X Multi-Platinum and Wale’s Ambition is now Gold.
Here’s how they’re breaking down the streams:
The RIAA set the new Album Award formula of 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video song streams = 10 track sales = 1 album sale. Also effective today, RIAA’s Digital Single Award ratio will be updated from 100 on-demand streams = 1 download to 150 on-demand streams = 1 download to reflect streaming’s enormous growth in the two plus years since that ratio was set.
Interesting.
While most artists are likely happy to hear the news, Kendrick Lamar’s Top Dawg Entertainment CEO Anthony Tiffith is criticizing the new rule calling it BS. He says to save the congratulatory tweets until Kendrick's album sells 1 million copies the old school way. He tweets:
we don't stand behind this @RIAA bs. ole skool rules apply, 1 million albums sold is platinum.until we reach that #, save all the congrats.
Rihanna’s studio album ANTI was certified Platinum by the RIAA roughly 36 hours after her album was leaked (on the night of January 27th) and then released for free the following day on TIDAL.
The announcement caused some controversy as some were wondering…how on earth did her album become platinum so quickly? Well, it all boils down to that $25 million contract with Samsung.
Since the mobile giant bought a million copies of ANTI, it was guaranteed it would go platinum. But, if you’re wondering how the album fared the old school way, ANTI only sold approximately 460 copies on Thursday, Jan. 28th, according to a source with knowledge of the Nielsen numbers. It debuted at No. 27 on the Billboard 200, selling less than 1,000 copies in the United States in its first day on sale.
In fact, ANTI is reportedly one of RiRi’s lowest-charting album debuts. According to TIDAL, the album been streamed 5.6 million times, while Nielsen says the album has been streamed 4.7 million times by the end of the January 28th. If you're looking to get your hands on a physical copy, ANTI is expected to be released in stores on Friday, Feb. 5th.
It’s interesting to see how technology is starting to change the music game. How do you feel about it? Are you here for the RIAA’s new streaming rule?
Kerry Washington and Zendaya are gracing the covers of two magazines. Come inside to find out what the “Scandal” star has to say about societal pressures women face and what the “K.C. Undercover” star says about excessive photoshopping….
“Scandal” starlet Kerry Washington is featured on Entertainment Weekly’s newest issue, dubbed “Beyond Beautiful,” where she is joined by fellow actresses Reese Witherspoon, Eva Longoria and Elizabeth Banks.
The Golden Globe nominee sits down for an unfiltered round table discussion with the other ladies to discuss everything from Hollywood’s sexism, societial pressures women face (in general), what it feels like to take charge and more.
In a clip, Kerry touches on what it’s like growing black in America, where black people have to be TWICE as good to get HALF of what we deserve. If you’re an African-American, you may have had this exact conversation with an elder at one point in your life. Often times, African-Americans are reminded to go the extra mile if you want to accomplish your goals and be recognized for the hard work you’ve put it. And it also holds true being a woman in America.
Kerry eloquently started off the conversation saying,
“It reminds me of this line that Shonda Rhimes wrote on our show that has really resonated with African-Americans. It’s this idea you have to be twice as good to get half of what they have. It’s something that most black people I talk, when they heard that line, it completely resonated with how they were raised and the messaged their parents gave them. ‘That’s just the truth.’ I think it’s the same for women. You just know, you have to be twice as good. In a way, until girls don’t have that feeling, we will not have done our jobs. That’s almost the point: to not feel the pressure to be extraordinary.”
She then went on to say that she loves that they can get together and celebrate each other (girl power!), but she said the need to this is the problem.
“It will be so exciting when we don’t have to do this because we’re just equal players at the table,” she said
Very well said.
Peep the clip below:
The full video of their round table discussion will be released online Friday (Feb. 5th).
On another magazine cover...
Fab chick Zendaya just launched her new “DAYA” shoe line and now she’s taking over the magazine circuit with a HOT new cover. The “K.C. Undercover” star graces the Spring issue of NEW YOU magazine and she totally nails it, per usual.
Work!
Inside, the socially conscious 19-year-old YBF chick opens up about excessive photoshopping where she encourages other young people that they are perfect at being themselves. We know y’all remember when she popped off on Modeliste magazine for photoshopping her pics in one of their issues. She's passionate about her beliefs and isn't afraid to speak out on it. Just another reason why we're so obsessed.
The gorgeous teen starlet also lets her hair down about her biggests fears, ignoring bullies in school and using her starpower for the greater good.
Peep the highlights below:
ZENDAYA DISCUSSES HER VOCAL STANCE ON EXCESSIVE PHOTOSHOPPING:“There is no such thing as ugly. That’s a word that doesn’t really enter my vocabulary. If there’s any definition to being perfect, you’re perfect at being yourself. No other person can be you 100 percent; no one has your fingerprint; no one has your DNA. You are you 120 percent, through and through. Whether it is through my social media or whatever, I want anyone who looks up to me to know that I go through the same problems. I have to be confident in who I am. When I learn things about myself, I like to share that journey with people because I know there are a lot of people going through the same thing.”
ZENDAYA MESSAGE TO TODAY’S YOUTH ON "THE NEW COOL": I want to promote to young people that it’s okay to be a good citizen. It’s okay to learn. It’s cool to be knowledgeable, to know what’s going on in your country and your world. To form opinions and to talk about it, have discussions and be respectful. I’m trying to make that the new cool.”
ON LOVING YOURSELF AND NOT BEING “BOTHERED” BY HER BULLIES: “I was made fun of [in school] but it didn’t bother me very much because I was very comfortable in who I was. I was taught as a young child by my parents and family to love myself. And it’s the same today—there are certain things that don’t bother me. I just focus on being a good person. I was always very aware of the world and I was never sheltered from the negative things that were out there. I feel that if you shelter your kids from everything, one day they are going to be out in the world on their own and they are going to have to figure it out. You can’t give them a test if you never taught them anything that’s on the test. They’re going to fail. You have to prepare people and sometimes that’s just being honest with them and letting them know things sooner.”
HER BIGGEST FEARS:“Everyone is scared of something. For me, I’m a Virgo so I’m a perfectionist and I am afraid of not being perfect; of things failing or not doing as well as I think I should. That’s a constant battle that I have with myself because I hold myself to really high standards and I want to be so good. Sometimes I’m like dude, you’re only 19! Relax, stop overdoing it, and just breathe for a second. You’re doing really good, you’re on a roll here, stop stressing yourself out!”
WHERE SHE WANTS TO BE IN 10 YEARS:“Ten years from now I see myself doing what I love to do and doing great stuff for humanity. When I say doing what I love to do, if I decide in five years that I don’t want to sing, dance, or act another day in my life and that it does not make me happy anymore, I’m going to do something else. Maybe I’ll go to school for something else and live my life that way. I just want to be happy and I want to be able to [be happy] where I can help people.”
ZENDAYA’S ADVICE TO YOUTH TO “BE HONEST WITH YOUR PARENTS”:“That’s how you gain their trust, that’s how you get more responsibility, that’s how they will be able to trust you. My parents never have to question. Even before I became an adult, they would never question or worry because I have already proved to them a million times over that I’m a good kid. If something ever happened, I would come to them first. Just be honest with your parents, it’s so much easier.”
CREDITS FAMILY FOR HELPING HER TO STAY GROUNDED:“I have parents and family who will never allow me not to be grounded. If I thought for a second that I could possibly lift off the ground, I have a thousand people who will grab my ankles.”
Such a good role model for the younger generation.
Daya's issue hits newsstands Feb. 9th.
EXTRAS:
1. FOX and “Empire” reign victorious in a legal battle against a San Francisco-based music company on trademark infringement. STORY
Lupita Nyong’o stopped by the TODAY” show to chop it up about her highly anticipated Broadway debut. Meanwhile, Keke Palmer dished on a few “Grease Live!” bloopers. More inside….
One YBF chick is gearing up for her newest gig, while another just wrapped up her live production.
Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o rolled up to the “TODAY” show today like a total boss.
Chick kept it stylish in a deep purple Michael Kors dress, matching SJP Collection pumps and Zac Posen bag topped off with a soft pink coat to keep warm. So classic.
Inside, the Star Wars actress gushed on her Broadway debut in the all female production, "Eclipsed." She’s super excited about the gig in more ways than one.
With the show coming to Broadway soon, she said it was a full-circle moment for her. She understudied the character she's playing back in 2009 at Yale Repertory Theatre. The Kenya beauty said she remembers making a promise to herself that she HAD to play this role one day. Now, that time has come and the fact that it’s now on Broadway (after a 10-week off-Broadway run) is more than she could ever ask for.
As an Oscar winner, she also touched on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy once again. She addressed a while back it on her Instagram saying she was standing with her peers who were calling for change. During the interview she added,
“It’s a symptom of something else. What we’re asking for is inclusion in the stories that are being told. It’s good for all of us when we hear a diverse number of stories. It’s more reflective of the world we live in. I think that’s what we ultimately want is for a diversity of stores to be told.”
The Yale graduate then said she feels grateful for the position she’s in because she’s able to use the little weight she has to push for more untold stories to be told. Check it below:
"Eclipsed" begins previews on February 23rd and opening day is March 6th at the Golden Theatre.
Another fab chick on the move...
Keke Palmer did her thing as Marty Maraschino in the live production of “Grease Live!” this past Sunday with 12 million people tuning in. Now the 22-year-old star is dishing on the bloopers that most viewers may not have even noticed.
She was spotted chatting it up on her cell phone after an interview with Entertainment Tonight recently. In the interview, Keke revealed co-star Kether Donohue, who played Jan, flubbed a line.
"I told her, 'Girl, nobody heard that,’” she said about a conversation they had after the show.
While the show seemed flawless, there were also issues with crackling microphones AND it rained!
"We rehearsed for the last week with umbrellas and literally 30 minutes before we went live, we did it," Keke said. "We wanted to make sure it was safe."
She credited her Broadway experience (where she starred as Cinderella) on how she was able to get through the super quick wardrobe changes.
Later, Keke also talked about her co-star Vanessa Hudgens having to perform a day after her father passed away due to cancer. She said her strength brought her to tears. "To see her grace -- that's the kind of thing that ended up bringing a lot of tears to our eyes," Keke said.
Peep the interview below:
Meanwhile...
Today, Keke hit the gym and worked up a good sweat. Looks like she's ready for whatever new gig comes her way. We still don't know if she's returning to the newly renewed "Scream Queens" series, but once we do, we'll keep you posted.
Jurnee Smollett Bell, Terrence J and Monica hosted a Black History Month summit in NYC yesterday. In movie news, Kevin Durant’s mother Wanda Pratt has landed a LIFETIME biopic about her life. Pics and deets inside…
Black History Month is in full swing. And to celebrate our rich culture and history, upcoming "Underground" actress Jurnee Smollett Bell, actor/producer Terrence J and R&B songstress Monica hosted a Black History panel discussion at Macy’s Herald Square in NYC yesterday.
The three hosts took the stage to chop it up about the new wave of African American influencers who paved the way for present and future generations.
Loving that 'fit Mo!
Afterwards, the hosts had some fun snapping pics together at the reception that followed their panel discussion.
Monica gushed over the event on Instagram saying:
"Today was pretty amazing !!! Thanks to everyone that came out to @macys to share in lots of healthy discussion about many different topics surrounding our incredible people and their accomplishments ... See you tomorrow Philly. #BlackHistory these two were incredible... All of our stories are different but the one thing we all have in common is that we NEVER gave up!! #KeepStriving"
Jurnee said she already felt like they were family. By the way, we'll be seeing more of Jurnee on the small screen when WGN America's original series "Underground" premieres March 9th.
Gorge. The three will be making their way to Philly today for another discussion panel.
Peep this clip of Monica and Jurnee calling out "Empire" star Jussie Smollett below:
When OKC baller Kevin Durant won the NBA MVP Award for the 2013-2014 basketball year, he had us all in tears with his emotional speech where he dubbed his mother, Wanda Pratt, the REAL MVP. He talked about the sacrifices his mother made to make sure he and his siblings were taken care of.
Now, we’ll get a glimpse at all she had to go through as her life will be turned into a LIFETIME biopic titled The Real MVP: The Wanda Pratt Story. Get it!
Queen Latifah and Shakim Compere’s Flavor Unit are executive producers and the cast has already been chosen.
According to Deadline, the cast includes “Single Ladies” star Cassandra Freeman, The Devil Wears Prada star Tracie Thoms, Antwone Fisher actress (and Denzel's wife) Pauletta Washington, “The Exes” star Nic Few, “Real Husbands Of Hollywood” actor Demarius Mack and actor Daniel Bellomy will star as Kevin Durant.
Production is already underway in Vancouver and it’s set to premiere this Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8th on LIFETIME. We’re here for it!
While Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa were spreading love at his album release party, Kanye West was busy posting fake magazine covers and poppin’ off on Twitter. Deets inside….
Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa’s relationship after marriage has done a total 360 since around this time last year. You’ll recall, the two were involved in a nasty custody battle over their son Sebastian. And then, Wiz dropped that track “For Everybody” (featuring Juicy J) firing shots at his baby mama, alluding to her being a ho and other things.
But, that’s no longer the case.
Wiz and Amber have been happily co-parenting together (they’ve been spotted out on family outings with their son a few times) and it seems their relationship goes beyond just caring for little Bash.
Last night, the “How To Be A Bad B*tch” author popped up at her baby daddy’s Khalifa album listening party in NYC to show her support. She hopped on Instagram captioning, "Supporting Sebastian's Dad at his #Khalifa Album Listening Party"
It appears the twosome may have left together and were all cuddled up in the back seat of their ride. In a video, Wiz sticks his tongue out and starts wiggling it around before Amber leans in and kisses him on his cheek.
Hmm…maybe they want that old thing back. Their divorce is still pending and hasn’t been finalized just yet. Also, Wiz recently confirmed he’s single and Amber doesn’t seem to be dating anything, so maybe it could it happen. And we're sure Bash would LOVE it.
Back at the party...
Wiz made his rounds, enjoying his favorite pastime and chopping it up with former NFLer/daytime talk show host Michael Strahan all while listening to his new LP:
Fun times.
In foolery news....
Kanye West is back to his Twitter antics.
Yesterday, he posted a Rolling Stone cover announcing he was gracing the magazine’s newest cover and that rapper Tyler The Creator shot the flick. Well apparently, Ye was just feeling himself because the cover he posted was NOT an official one. Kanye made it himself.
Soon after Yeezy’s “unauthorized” cover starting making its rounds on the Internet, Rolling Stone hopped on Twitter to respond. They tweeted:
Bloop!
Following Rolling Stone's response, the "All Day" rapper posted up a poll asking his fans if he should be on the next cover. Hmph. He then started going in on Billboard for tweeting that he posted up a "fake" cover.
Peep his tweets (read from the bottom up):
Guess he wants to troll them into putting him on the cover. It worked for VOGUE didn't it?
We've noticed Yeezy has been tweeting a lot more than normal. Guess he's going to keep with the dramatics before WAVES drops February 11th.
Photos: Johnny Nunez/Amber’s IG/Billboard’s Twitter/Kanye’s Twitter/@culturecustodian
Janet Hubert is bringing her beef with the Smiths, Stacey Dash and everyone else to TV. Get the shade she dished to the ladies of "The Real" inside...
We've all seen and heard Janet Hubert go IN about #OscarsSoWhite, the Smiths' reaction to it, and Stacey Dash's foolish reaction to diversity in Hollywood and beyond. Now, she's taking her shade talents to "The Real."
Today, she's chatting up the hosts about the Oscar® diversity issue and what she believes is the REAL reason why she lost her job on the hit sitcom "Fresh Prince of Bel Air."
Janet spoke about herself saying:
Janet Hubert was never difficult on that set. Janet Hubert was so professional, it wasn’t even funny. I think Will simply needed to win and I think sometimes when you get caught up in a lie and those things never happened. She never left the set. I never left the set. We got along great. I think he was young and he was inexperienced and I think he simply had to win. And sometimes when you get caught up in a lie… And I went back to them in 2009, and I said, “Please I need you to clear my name.”
She continued:
"I spoke to J.L. when my dad died and when my brother died and I begged them. I said, "I have a family. I need you to tell the world that this stuff didn’t happen.” And I was waiting, in my heart thinking somebody would come to me one day and help me, but they didn’t. Because I’ve been trained as a young woman, as when I was a young woman, you always have your dignity and you don’t just go, ugh, you know? But I realized that that redemption was not going to come unless I did it myself."
Hmph. Check out the videos below and check your local listings for today's show:
EXTRAS:
1. Judge rules against Cosby, criminal trial will proceed. STORY
2. Documentary Claims Diddy Was Behind Tupac's Murder STORY
Photo credit: Erica Parise/Warner Bros. Television
Quadruple threat Zendaya is putting her singing hat on again as she teams up with Chris Brown for her new single "Something New." Get it inside...
The full version of 'Daya and Breezy's "Something New" dropped a little early, and we're not mad at it.
The singer-actor-dancer-spokeswoman sampled TLC's "Creep" for her new track, and it works.
Zendaya, who is CoverGirl's newest face, serves R&B tease with the light hearted track about trying something new in her love life. Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds co-produced the track, so it looks like Daya's stacking the deck to make sure this one is a hit.
