Shocking and truly awful news from the entertainment industry this weekend: Laurel Griggs, an up-and-coming Broadway actress who also appeared twice on Saturday Night Live, died back on November 5. She was 13 years old. At this time, it’s unknown what the cause of her death was, although, a funeral service was held on November 8, according her Dignity Memorial page. Griggs made her Broadway debut in 2013 at age six as Polly in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. She’s best known for her role in ONCE opposite Scarlett Johansson, which she performed for 17 months between 2013 and 2015. The play earned a Tony Award. Griggs also starred in the 2016 film Café Society, which also featured Steve Carell, Kristen Stewart and Blake Lively to name a few major names. Moreover, she appeared on Saturday Night Live on two separate occasions. Actress Eliza Holland Madore, who portrayed Ivanka in ONCE expressed her devastation as follows: “I am deeply saddened by the sudden loss of one of my Ivanka sisters. Laurel – you were always smiling and always made other people laugh.” She continued: I’m so incredibly grateful that I got to know you. You will never be forgotten, and we will never stop loving you. Everybody in the Once Family is going to keep you alive through us. R.I.P. My heart goes to her family. Following news of Griggs’ passing, Young Broadway’s Twitter account shared a tribute to the rising star: We are saddened to share that Laurel Griggs passed away this week at the age of 13. Laurel was a brilliant young lady who appeared on Broadway in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Once. We send our condolences to her loved ones at this difficult time. UPDATE : A Facebook account appearing to belong to Griggs’ grandfather says that the young actress died of a massive asthma attack. “The world lost a real princess who only wanted to make the future happy for all,” this grandfather, David Rivlin, said adding: “Acting was a just a childhood dream come true and she had big plans for the future.” Laurel Griggs, seen here on Saturdya Night Live, has passed away at 13. Donations in Laurel’s’ memory can be made to Broadway Cares. We send our thoughts and condolences to her friends, family members and loved ones. May Laurel Griggs rest in peace. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2019: In Memoriam
David Eason is dangerous and violent and capable of practically anything. This should not exactly read as a shocking statement to anyone familiar with the Teen Mom universe, considering the former reality star has admitted to SHOOTING AND KILLING HIS FAMILY’S BULLDOG . And yet: A new photo released by Eason himself perhaps drives this frightening point home as strongly as ever. The controversial homophobe shared a picture (above) on Thursday of himself and 11-year old daughter Maryssa at a local fair, captioning the image with the very basic: “It’s the fair!” It’s something, alright. Eason was obviously trying to paint himself as a responsible father by posting the snapshot, attempting to combat all the negative rumors that continue to float around the Internet about him, his attitude and his overall behavior. But the dude totally failed. “SHE LOOKS UNCOMFORTABLE,” one person commented,” while another simply left a one-word response we’re all thinking: “Scary.” “Drop her off at the fair,” read a third message from a concerned commenter. “Don’t go with her and her friend!!!” (If only.) And yet another Instagram user studied the expression on the young girl’s face and wrote: “Her eyes say it all.” “She’s not a happy young lady.” This comment actually prompted a response from Eason, who clapped back in his typically abhorrent fashion: “Are you speaking for yourself oooor does someone need to show you a mirror?” Eason, of course, is right smack dab back in the news these days. Jenelle Evans finally filed for divorce from her awful husband. Or, to be more specific, she finally told followers that she plans to file for divorce. “With time away from Teen Mom, I’ve started to look at my life differently and I know I need to make changes. I’m starting that now,” the former MTV star wrote on Instagram on October 31. Fans were left to wonder what she meant by this. But then Jenelle clarified: The kids and I have moved away from David. Nobody gets into a marriage expecting it to end but I know that’s what is best for me, and for my kids. Today I’ve filed papers to start that process. I appreciate the support from everybody who has asked how I am. Me and the kids are doing great. We need some time to be together, but you’ll hear from us again soon. We haven’t heard much from Evans since, with the major exception of her having just obtained a restraining order against Eason. For the time being, Davis is banned from getting close to either his estranged wife or any of Jenelle’s three kids, the youngest of whom she shares with Eason. Maryssa, for those wondering, if Eason’s child from a previous relationship. She’s often forgotten about when websites report on all this drama – but she’s only 11 years old and is stuck with Eason as her dad and is deserving of our sympathy and attention. On Tuesday, meanwhile, Eason wrote on Facebook that he would be filing a missing persons report with the police because Evans and daughter Ensley “disappeared,” prompting Jenelle to seek this temporary restraining order against Eason. She was granted the order, and the filings revealed that Eason’s threats have against her “escalated” over the past few days. It takes a lot for us to feel bad for Jenelle Evans, but Eason has managed to pull it off of late with his general terribleless. “Because of his recent threats, his history of violence, his erratic behavior and his large stockpile of weapons, I am scared for my life and my children’s well-being,” Jenelle wrote in her recent legal papers. Poor Maryssa, you guys. Can someone please help get her away from her dad? View Slideshow: Jenelle Evans: David Eason Threatened to Kill Me! I’ve Got the Receipts!
Source: Bambu Productions / Getty Anti-Vax Mom Hands Out Chickenpox Lollipops For Halloween A mother who is a strong advocate for anti-vaccination took to social media this week to let everyone know about her decision to give out tainted lollipops this Halloween . The Australian woman–who identifies herself online as Sarah Walker RN–posted in the private Facebook group “Stop Mandatory Vaccination,” saying that her son contracted chickenpox and she planned to “help” other children by spreading the virus through candy. “So my beautiful son [redacted] has the chickenpox at the moment and we’ve both decided to help others with natural immunity this Halloween!” she wrote. “We have the packaging open and closing down pat and can’t wait to help others in our community.” What….the f***? Walker’s message ended up making it out of the anti-vax community and a screenshot and shared on Light for Riley , a page dedicated to protecting “babies & families from vaccine-preventable diseases” in honor of Riley Hughes, a baby boy who died from whooping cough. Though the mother claims to be a registered nurse at the “Royal Children’s Hospital, Brisbane” on her Facebook page, Queensland Health confirmed that she was never employed at any of its medical facilities. After getting negative responses to her chickenpox plan, Walker took to Facebook once again to double down on her plan, despite backlash online. “Dear internet trolls,” she wrote. “You think you’re right by judging me and my trying to report me and get me fired. I don’t care. The health and wellbeing of my baby is far more valuable than any job…You say I’m vile and gross like I have done something that hundreds of thousands of parents haven’t already done. How many times do you see children dropped off to day care or school when they’re clearly sick and contagious? Exactly!” She continued, “I’m offering life long immunity for the price of a couple of blisters and a few days off school.” Luckily, whether or not Walker actually went ahead with her weird scheme, Queensland Health told News.com.au that the risk of chickenpox transmission from such lollipops would be extremely low, since the virus does not survive long on surfaces. But, if she were to be found guilty of food tampering, or making false claims to do so, she could be facing serious prison time.
Source: Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Time flies when you’re turning up. 2009-2019. End of an era. — Sidra Aziz (@NamkeenJalebi) June 16, 2019 The era when Facebook was new and poppin’, flip phones and baggy clothes were out and sidekicks and skinny jeans are in — but one thing that doesn’t change with the times is our love for music. Ten years ago, Rihanna hadn’t solidified her place in music, Beyoncé and Jay Z weren’t even parents yet and Kanye West was Kardashian-free. 2009 was a such a transitional year, too. It was the end of a decade, we lost Michael Jackson, and the death of autotune was on the rise. Music still had a little meaning and a little fun, and wasn’t so drug and club influenced just yet. Life was much simpler back then. @Only1Vlad: What a crazy roller coaster 2009 – 2019 has been thus far. An entire decade of ups and downs (like all of you). The most important takeaway I’ve really learned and took away from the past 10 years is – people aren’t always going to be in your life. So, hold on to memories. Just in time for the nostalgic November weather, hit the flip to check out our list of hit songs that were probably on your playlist in 2009.
One of the cool things about being on Teen Mom is that you make a lot of money. Like, a lot . The moms and the original dads make hundreds of thousands of dollars per season, if you can even believe it, and they also get to travel for free if MTV is filming, which is pretty neat since we've been seeing a lot more vacations on the show recently. But besides the show itself, cast members are pulling in crazy amounts of cash from all kinds of wild and crazy places. “Like where?” you may be wondering. Well, wonder no further … 1. Dang As we’ve said, the original cast members — the moms and the dads of their first children — all make the same amount, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of $350,000 to $400,000 a season. But what else does everyone do? 2. Amber Portwood Let’s start with reviewing Amber’s side hustles — this will be the easiest to do, because she really doesn’t have any. 3. Not Much She shares articles on her Instagram page, which brings in some money, and she did appear on that one season of Marriage Boot Camp a couple of years ago, so that’s something. 4. A Quick Hobby For a little while there, she got into flipping houses with Matt Baier, but she hasn’t done that since he’s been gone. 5. Forever Haute She did have that sketchy clothing company for a little while, Forever Haute, but she hasn’t talked about it in a very long time, and the brand’s Facebook page hasn’t been updated for a year and a half, so it’s probably safe to say that that’s done. 6. Well … Right now, she’s facing years in prison after assaulting Andrew Glennon, so she’s probably not thinking so much about her next business venture, you know? View Slideshow
Source: Lars Niki / Getty If you didn’t know, Dave East is part of a historic series on Hulu that follows the story of Wu-Tang . In his interview with Headkrack , the rapper takes a trip down memory lane revealing his rap favorites, who he grew up listening to and what it was like prepping his first studio album, Survival . Want Exclusives First? Click Here To Sign Up For Our Newsletter! In between music talk, Dave East also let us in on the emotional day he sent his daughter to school for the first time this year and how his parents influenced his own educational experience. Watch: ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Here’s The Real Story Behind The Wu Affiliate Killed By Police In 1994 Dave East Is Playing Method Man In ‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga’ Follow @TheRSMS
Source: The Washington Post / Getty The U.K. production of The Color Purple has been steeped in controversy after old homophobic tweets from the lead actress Oluwaseyi “Semi” Omooba resurfaced. She once wrote on Facebook, “I do not believe you can be born gay, and I do not believe homosexuality is right.” When she refused to apologize for her statements, she was let go from the production of The Color Purple and her agency. She proceeded to sue her former agency, Michael Garrett Associates, for religious discrimination. The ironic point of the whole situation is the character Omooba was meant to play, Celie, is known to be a queer character. Now, the author of the book in which the play is based, Alice Walker , is speaking out about Omooba’s firing. According to Shadow and Act , Walker defended Omooba’s dismissal from the U.K. production of her classic 1982 novel of the same name. “It is safe to say, after a frightful life serving and obeying abusive men, who raped in place of ‘making love,’ my grandmother, like Celie, was not attracted to men,” Walker said. “She was, in fact, very drawn to my grandfather’s lover, a beautiful woman who was kind to her, the only grown person who ever seemed to notice how remarkable and creative she was. In giving Celie the love of this woman, in every way love can be expressed, I was clear in my intention to demonstrate that she too, like all of us, deserved to be seen, appreciated, and deeply loved by someone who saw her as whole and worthy.” When addressing Omooba’s past remarks, Walker said: “Playing the role of Celie while not believing in her right to be loved, or to express her love in any way she chooses, would be a betrayal of women’s right to be free. As an elder, I urge all of us to think carefully about what I am saying, even as you, Oluwaseyi Omooba, sue the theatre company for voiding your contract.” Welp… The legend has spoken. Time will tell if Omooba will get the message.
Source: Facebook / facebook The police officer that murdered Atatiana Jefferson inside her apartment has resigned from his post before he could be fired according to new reports. Fort Worth officer Aaron Den was slated to be fired according to the department’s chief. As reported by local outlet CBSDFW.com, Dean, who shot and killed Jefferson inside her home after performing a welfare check on the apartment early last Saturday, was going to be fired Monday according to a press conference statement from Chief Ed Kraus. As has been widely reported, Dean entered the apartment where Jefferson was playing video games with her nephew before the officer unloaded his weapon and fatally shooting her. Kraus says that Dean resigned before he was interviewed by the department and that he expects the officer to face criminal charges, which many activists on social media have called for. Kraus adds that he sent the matter over to the FBI to examine whether or not civil rights violations occurred. — Photo: Facebook
F ormer NFL player DeAngelo Williams has turned the pain of losing his mother to breast cancer into something positive. According to Today , the former Pittsburgh Steelers running back has funded mammograms for 500 women over the past five years. DeAngelo Williams sponsors 500 mammograms to honor mom who died of breast cancer https://t.co/REWtWke66Z — TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 9, 2019 For Williams the initiative—which was organized by the DeAngelo Williams Foundation—was personal. The disease is something that has devastatingly impacted his family. His mother Sandra Hill succumbed to her battle with breast cancer 13 years ago and four of his aunts passed away from the disease as well. In honor of his mother—who died when she was 53—he decided to launch a campaign dubbed “53 Strong for Sandra” where he hosted mammogram screening events for 53 women in North Carolina who didn’t have adequate insurance coverage. Since launching the project, his foundation has expanded its reach far beyond North Carolina and has held screening events throughout the country in states including Arkansas, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. The organization also provides funding for treatment for women in need. “This can be life-changing for these women,” Williams told the news outlet. “We are enabling them to get this care that no one should ever be denied or not have access to.” Initiatives like the one created by his foundation are needed. According to research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Black women die from breast cancer at a higher rate than white women. Medical professionals say that the underrepresentation of Black women in breast cancer research leads to the lack of effective treatment options and socioeconomic factors are tied to the alarming trend. “About 40% of health is driven by social and economic factors,” Dr. Timiya Nolan told Forbes . “We also know that these women face more stress-inducing environments with the experience of racism and discrimination, low healthcare access and/or knowledge of resources, and even challenging encounters with healthcare providers.” October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month; an annual observance created to celebrate individuals who have battled the disease and support education and research initiatives. SEE ALSO: Prayers Up: Mathew Knowles Is Fighting Breast Cancer Black Woman Applauded For Breast Cancer Surgery On Facebook Live Amid High Death Rates [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3889769″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Dia Dipasupil / Getty While promoting her anticipated children’s book, Sulwe , Oscar winner lupita nyong’o dropped some serious nuggets about colorism . When talking to BBC Newsnight on Monday (October 7) about the concept of her book, which centers on a Black girl who has darker skin than her family, Lupita shared her own personal experiences. “I definitely grew up feeling uncomfortable with my skin color because I felt like the world around me awarded lighter skin,” the Black Panther and Little Monsters star told host Emily Maitlis. Adding that said her lighter-skinned younger sister was called “beautiful” and “pretty,’ adding “Self-consciously that translates into: ‘I’m not worthy.’” Most importantly, she stressed that colorism “is the daughter of racism” in “a world that rewards lighter skin over darker skin.” Take a look: While colorism is an extension of racism and white standards of beauty that have been force-fed to us (hence, her being told that she was “too dark” during an audition), Lupita is stating nothing but facts when she says that Black folks have also internalized this hate. “We still ascribe to these notions of Eurocentric standards of beauty, that then affect how we see ourselves among ourselves,” she said. She’s absolutely right because the lens we view ourselves through doesn’t always reflect the reality of our infinite beauty. It’s society’s own initial reception of Lupita’s beauty that truly woke me up to how dangerous and irrational colorism is in our community. Back in 2012, when Lupita first came on the scene playing Patsy in 12 Years A Slave and how instantly inamoured Hollywood became with her—as was I. Whether it was her slaying the red carpet or being named People’s Most Beautiful Person, people couldn’t get enough of this new It-Girl. And yet, while this was happening in the “mainstream” world, it felt as is some Black folks had a different take on her fame. On the blogs, Twitter and Facebook, even the “wokest” folks expressed this fake concern about Lupita being overexposed and worry that she was being eroticized and fetishized by white folks. Even worse, there was this widespread belief that white folks were only praising her beauty (and dark skin) to somehow make fun of Black folks. Quite honestly, it’s pretty damn pathological. When white people praise light-skinned Black women like Beyonce or Tessa Thompson or the countless other beige-looking starlets, we wouldn’t bat an eye or question their motives because light-skinned and racial ambiguity is the standard of beauty. It’s what has been forced down our throats and we accept it. But when that same shine was focused on Lupita, it invoked something in us. It was an internalized disbelief that white folks could never find Lupita beautiful because we didn’t (well y’all, ’cause she’s the baddest woman on the planet to me). It was if her mocha skin and short tight 4c afro should never rock the cover of Vogue because we actually believed it wasn’t worthy because that’s what white folks had been telling us…and believed it. Somehow we were flipping this to say and do everything except admit we were the ones having a problem. Self-hate is a helluva drug. Granted, it’s been years since that all went down and things are slowly getting better, but colorism and disdain for darker-skinned Black women is still as persistent and pervasive as ever. Just look on Twitter, the ‘Gram or any other pocket of Black culture, there are examples of how our darker-skinned sistas are mistreated, ignored and verbally berated for the melanin. Even our favorite Black Hollywood gatekeepers continue to push this narrative by casting mostly lighter-skinned starlets in roles (especially as love interests), pushing out the chocolate sistas who are equally if not more talented. So say what you want, but all of this is happening on our watch by our own hands. While colorism may be the daughter of racism, it’s also the sister of internalized racism. The real question is what are we as Black people going to do to stop it? BEAUTIES: What are your thoughts on colorism in Black America? RELATED NEWS: SpeakHER Podcast: Season 3, Episode 5, Clarissa Brooks On Speaking Truth To Power, Colorism & Decolonizing Her Mind ‘Basketball Wives’ Recap: This OG Situation Seems Like Colorism At Work Youtube Vlogger Disappointed Her Daughter Didn’t Have ‘Pretty Eyes,’ Responds To ‘Colorism’ Backlash [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”2949694″ overlay=”true”]
