In the wake of Luke Perry’s tragic death on Monday, countless celebrities have paid tribute to the last star. Each has been legitimate and heartfelt, of course, but most have also simply rundown the same sentiments of sadness and shock. This is why Colin Hanks and the story he has shared on Instagram truly stands out. The actor has found a way to not only honor what sort of man Perry was… … but also to make followers laugh out loud and to realize that Perry was just as cool in real life as he was while portraying Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210. “I only met him once but the story is too good not tell given todays sad events,” Hanks wrote late yesterday, teasing the incredible tale he was about to share. He then dove right into it as follows: “My wife and I are on a plane back from Mexico. Couple of rows ahead of us, these two brothers, young kids, are beating the hell out of each other. Their poor parents are powerless to stop the crying, yelling and screaming. “If you’re a parent you understand. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do. It was like this for close to two hours.” Yup. We’ve certainly been there. Go on, Colin… Then about 10 minutes before landing it starts to get real bad. Out of no where, a man comes from first class. Hat, beard, sunglasses, blowing up a balloon. He ties it off, hands it off like he’s holding out a sword to a king. Kneeling, Head down, arms up. Kids calm down in milliseconds. Plane damn near bursts into applause. 15 minutes longer and it probably would have started WWIII, but we landed before that could happen. As we post Hanks’ story about Perry, we’re also gonna post a few more stories about Perry that have gone viral in the day since his passing. For instance: Back to Hanks now, though: We get off the plane, are waiting on line in customs. Finally get a good look at the guy and I say to my wife “Holy shit. I think that balloon man/hero” is Luke Perry”. As luck would have it we end up standing next to each other. And now another amazing story about Perry: Again, back to Hanks: Out of the blue he turns to me and says some kind words about Fargo, which kinda blew my mind. I start singing his praises about how long I’ve admired him and also about the move with the balloon. ” That’s a pro move! You can’t teach that!” I say. He tells me he always flies with a couple of balloons for that very reason, to give to screaming kids. Don’t know if that’s true, but have no reason to believe it wasn’t. And now another incredible story about Perry: This is how Hanks concluded his message: Guy seemed like a true gent. Gone way too damn soon. Also, I’ll be damned if I don’t start traveling with some spare balloons. Wow, right? Just…. wow. It’s sad any time we lose an icon, someone whose career made us smile or cry or simply sit up in appreciation. But it really does sound like we lost an original in Luke Perry. Just an all-around great and decent and awesome guy. Here’s a look at what others stars have said about him: View Slideshow: Luke Perry: Mourned, Remembered by Co-Stars and Friends
Source: NBC / Getty “There are two sides to every treason”… The Enemy Within Get ready for that type of action tonight at 10/9C on NBC! Morris Chestnut is back on TV. This time he is bringing all types of intense drama, suspense, and of course eye-candy to NBC’s The Enemy Within. A real spy drama, Morris plays Will Keaton, an FBI agent who must work with America’s greatest traitor, Erica Shepherd to get the job done. HelloBeautiful.com caught up with the actor during SCAD aTVfest 2019 in Atlanta, GA to discuss his latest drama series, the importance of trust, and why The Enemy Within is good TV for NBC. The Enemy Within premieres on February 25 / Mondays 10/9C. HelloBeautiful.com: Congratulations on The Enemy Within. We can’t wait to see the drama unfold. Morris Chestnut: Thank you! HelloBeautiful.com: Let’s talk about trust. Morris Chestnut: Trust… HelloBeautiful.com: Why is it so important to you and especially your role in The Enemy Within? Morris Chestnut: Why is trust so important? Trust is important in this role because at a certain point in order for me to accomplish certain things with my job, I have to have a certain level of trust. As you will see in the show – other people haven’t been so trustworthy. That’s the challenge – to trust. HelloBeautiful.com: And can we talk about who that person is? Morris Chestnut: That person is my co-star Erica Shepherd played by Jennifer Carpenter. When the story opens I am pursuing her character because she is a traitor. She committed treason and she is also responsible for the death of my fiancée. At one point she’s giving me all this information. I don’t know what information that I can trust and what I can’t. I have to determine that all while being in a fast-paced pursuit of other villains. Source: NBC / Getty HelloBeautiful.com: You’ve played so many characters throughout the course of your career. You are doing network television again. Tell us, what attracted you to the story. Also, take us through that moment when you got the script in your hand. Morris Chestnut: So, I just finished Rosewood. Rosewood was fun and light. My manager sent me this script and while reading it I was really involved in the character. I was engaged with the story. When I got to the ending of the pilot I was like wow! – I didn’t see the ending coming. The character was very dynamic. I wanted to get back to doing something that was more challenging dramatically. This was it. HelloBeautiful.com: What’s it like for you to go from the big screen working on those big box office films to working on 30 minutes to hour projects? Morris Chestnut: It is a blistering pace. That’s the most challenging part. Most of the times, that’s the only drawback to doing television. The material nowadays – most are big blockbuster comic book, Black Panther, The Avengers – big ticket type films. So, a lot of the really good material is also going to television. However, the challenge with doing network TV is that you don’t have time to prepare, because it is so fast paced. HelloBeautiful.com: In this role you are very stoic and focused. What makes you weak and what makes you fold? Morris Chestnut: There is going to be a lot of vulnerability that you see and it all relates to my fiancée that I lost. You will see the moments when I have to trust and sometimes I am burned by that trust. You will see me vulnerable. HelloBeautiful.com: In sync with that – let’s talk about sacrifices. Erica Shepherd didn’t want to lose her daughter. You lost your fiancée. Let’s talk about some other sacrifices that you had to go through in The Enemy Within. Morris Chestnut: The FBI and the CIA – they don’t have a good relationship. The FBI is more by the book and the CIA are more like cowboys who go and do whatever they want to get the job done. The FBI somewhat resents the CIA. So, part of the sacrifice is having to work with someone who Will feels is responsible for the death of his fiancée, while working with others from the CIA. HelloBeautiful.com: Why is The Enemy Within good for NBC? Morris Chestnut: The one thing that I love about NBC is that they really focus on diversity. They don’t just talk about it – they are definitely about it. We have diversity in front of the camera and behind the camera. We have diversity with our PA’s, writers, directors, and the crew. There is so much diversity. I am proud to be on a network that emphasizes that in the workplace. The Enemy Within premieres on February 25 / Mondays 10/9C.
Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). Source: WENN.com / WENN Many of us use our trials to help others going through similar circumstances. Le’Andria Johnson , season 3 winner of BET’s “ Sunday Best ” has always been very transparent when sharing her story. Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit According to U Gospel , the singer was in Philadelphia this past weekend and took part in a Family and Friends Day at HolyGhost Headquarters Revival Center at the Met. At this event several women from the Women’s Rehabilitation Center that are overcoming substance abuse as well as alcoholism attended. Johnson during her set shared with the congregation that she struggled with alcohol. She would drink every day and didn’t realize it had become a problem. One evening after heading home from the bar she was pulled over by the police and was arrested. SEE ALSO: Le’Andria Johnson On The Shock Of Winning A Grammy While Pregnant Out Of Wedlock [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] Although she was placed under probation after breaking it she served 30 days in jail. Johnson released a public statement saying, “For those that follow me on social media know I am very transparent. I refuse to be fake from the pulpit nor paying people off to not tell my story. While ministering yesterday I shared the most recent incident in my life as a testimony to others. “ Watch Le’Andria Johnson’s testimony below! Check out gospel artists that went from singing background to going solo below! ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Rapper Killed In Taxi Crash On Way His Way To A Show Show Me How To Love: YFN Lucci And Reginae Carter Call It Quits Kandi Shares Updated Photos Of Her Daughter Riley’s Weight Loss Journey & She Looks Amazing! [ione_media_gallery src=”https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com” id=”1938416″ overlay=”true”] Follow @TheRSMS
Source: Jamie McCarthy / Getty Tonight’s episode of Love and Hip-Hop Miami tackles the subject of sexual violence with an assist from #MeToo founder, Tarana Burke. Jessie Woo leads the charge by talking to Trina about all the BS she has had to deal with in the industry. She comes to tears as she talks about how a popular producer raped her. Trina comforts her and is inspired to meet up with Tarana Burke after hearing Jessie’s story. Mind you, this is the first step toward taking hip-hop to task when it comes to sexual violence because the #MeToo Movement hasn’t caught on in the music space yet. Trina’s theory is that people are more afraid to burn bridges in hip-hop, which could true. It’s either that or, people just don’t want to come to terms with some of the misogynistic lyrics and real-life behavior they’re complicit in. I digress. The meeting resulted in Tarana interviewing Trina as a correspondent for Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Red Table Talk . They discuss Trina’s career, her unapologetic nature, her brother’s death and more. Tarana is also having another event in Miami related to the #MeToo Movement and Trina is invited. Hold that thought. Meanwhile, Joy finds out that if she stays in her marriage then she would be contractually obligated to pay Trick half of everything she makes due to his financial problems. So basically, she can’t start any businesses or really move forward right now. She knows she can’t count on Trick to come up with the money for the divorce ($50,000 or maybe even more), so she has a car wash fundraiser to make it happen. Trick crashes that fundraiser acts like a manbaby and tries to sabotage her. He gives her a condescending $40 before leaving but it doesn’t matter because she’s distraught. Then Trina comes through with her calming energy and asks her why she didn’t just ask her for the money. Joy doesn’t think it’s fair for that to be on Trina, but Trina blessed her cousin anyway. She gives her a check for an undisclosed amount and refuses to let Joy refuse it. Joy is finally going to get her divorce. The next moment is at Gunplay’s listening party. This is where Amara finally gets to talk to Keyara about the whole sliding in Gunplay’s DM’s situation. Mind you, Keyara and Gunplay are broken up now, but Keyara still feels some type of way. In short, they keep it classy. Keyara says she went through Gunplay’s phone and found what she was looking for. She said she saw Amara asking Gunplay out and flirting with him with emojis. Amara says she has no interest in Gunplay and that she’s naturally friendly and bubbly so the perceived flirting was misconstrued. She also said she wasn’t trying to kick it to him. She was actually trying to network since they’re both artists. It seems believable. Keyara buys it and she and Armara agree to let bygones be bygones. Look at them being mature! Finally, Tarana Burke invited some of the women to a panel she’s doing at Center for social Change discussing how she founded #Meetoo and healing from sexual violence. Trina, Jessie, and Chinese Kitty show up to support. Jessie breaks down in tears again thinking about what happened to her and the women in the room support her. She tells her story again but also explains how she’s bitter that the person who raped her is living an abundant life and doesn’t feel free when that person doesn’t seem to be facing any type of punishment. Then Chinese Kitty shares her story about being drugged, raped and thrown on the side of the road and just when you’re thinking that everyone is trash, Tarana steps up with her warm spirit and comforts them. She offers powerful words about finding and embracing the joy they already have in their lives in order to move forward. Hope you got the serious stuff out of your system because it gets ratchet again next week. RELATED POSTS ‘LHHMIAS2’ Recap: Pretty Ricky Still Can’t Get Right ‘LHHMIAS2’ Recap: Shay Pops Off On Jojo For Breaking Girl Code
Source: Bennett Raglin/BET / Getty Despite the fact that Jussie Smollett squashed the rumors that he made up his attack, folks like Joe Budden seem to remain skeptical. The rapper and reality star shared his thoughts about the “Empire” actors alleged hate crime on a recent episode of his podcast “ State Of The Culture.” He opened with going over the news about his attack. “[He] was allegedly brutally attacked recently in Chicago by ‘MAGA terrorists.’ They broke his ribs, they put a noose about his neck, they poured bleach on him and called him derogatory names. The FBI is on the case now but it has confirmed that a letter was previously sent to a FOX studio that contained threatening language and a powdery substance said to be Tylenol.” According to Hip New Hop News , while his co-hosts attempted to make the point that since President Trump has been elected that has been an uptick in hate and bias crimes committed over the years. “Why can’t we trust that there is black pain, that that has happened?” – @ScottieBeam responds to @JoeBudden ’s speculations of what happened to Jussie Smollett. #SOTC pic.twitter.com/93bOXSjwy1 — StateofTheCulture (@StateofCulture) February 6, 2019 Yet, Budden, who has been accused of domestic violence himself, refuses to believe Jussie’s version because he cannot fathom the idea that any Black man could wear a noose on his neck for 45 minutes after being attacked. The 38-year-old also made fun of the threatening letter allegedly sent to FOX saying it looked “like some bulls**t I saw in Austin Powers.” While Budden says that he believes that Jussie was attacked, he isn’t sold on the idea that it was a hate crime. “Famous rich people, when bad things happen and they want to cover the story because famous people to fuck shit sometimes like humans,” Joe stressed. “You cover the story to protect your image, your likeness and your career.” He concluded that Jussie may be preying on the emotions of the community to garner support and sympathy. “I’m waiting for footage. Just show me footage and I’ll shut the fuck up,” he said. Not surprisingly, some of Budden’s fans agreed with him, believing that Jussie’s story isn’t adding up: Man Joe Budden bust this Jussie Smollett story wise open. @theeonlyme and I been saying that something was off about it — ShaQuann (@MissShaLeJoan) February 2, 2019 Im glad that I’m not the only one who thinks Jussie is lying @JoeBudden pic.twitter.com/3vDTCdXbzp — sammiesopinion (@sammiesopinion) February 2, 2019 i cant wait til the truths comes out and the whole world has to say @JoeBudden was right about this nigga #Jussie Story and he just got beat up over Dick. ctfu — chucktheworld_ (@ChuckTheWorld_) February 6, 2019 However, there were also people who disagreed with Budden, asking their own questions about why folks are so quick to invalidate the pain Black LGBTQ folks face: Soooo #JoeBudden doesn’t believe Jussie was attacked.. Why LGBT Black men pain and experiences can never be acknowledged and validated. Is it not that valuable to us? God for bid this was Andy Cohen or Anderson Cooper no one would even question the story. — Petty J. Blige (@FxckgirlBri) February 5, 2019 There’s no reason for Jussie to lie. pic.twitter.com/zzi1coKT6H — Auntie Fan4ever (@1Truvet) February 5, 2019 Joe Budden needs to be cancelled for being out here questioning the authenticity of Jussie Smollett’s attack….. #alwaysurown pic.twitter.com/LpY0yj85tX — itstheCoConutWater (@DivaHoneyPri) February 6, 2019 Wow! Just wow! What is sad is that now in this day and age you need some mf receipts to prove you was attacked. Back then ya word was good enough and the family would be ready to go whoop whoever ass. Now we have show footage that he was beat to believe him? TF! #TheAudacity — TheChattyBlogger (@DaChattyBlogger) February 6, 2019 Budden isn’t the only Black celeb to publicly question the validity of Jussie’s attack. Recently, Azealia Banks posted on social media that this is nothing but “propaganda.” “Sorry…this is all promotion for the next season of empire/propaganda to make sure black for the DNC next go round,” she wrote in her IG Stories. “Loads of black people didn’t vote at all in the 2016 election which worked in Trump’s favor.” Girl, huh. Meanwhile, the Chicago Police Department are still looking for the two men involved in the attack. RELATED NEWS: Jussie Smollett Speaks Out About Attack: ‘I Fought The F**k Back.’ Y’all President Called Jussie Smollett’s Attack ‘Horrible,’ But Then Made It About His Wall Kevin Hart Sent Jussie Smollett ‘Prayers’ After Attack, Twitter Snapped Off [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3022208″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Matt Dinerstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank / Getty LaRoyce Hawkins Stars And Eriq LaSalle Directs “Chicago P.D.” Episode About Police Involved Shooting NBC is set to air an especially sensitive episode of “Chicago P.D.” Wednesday night called “Night In Chicago,” where Detective Kevin Atwater goes undercover to bring down a dangerous drug lord and ends up in a difficult situation after a traffic stop turns into an officer involved shooting! Eriq La Salle, who directed the episode, spoke with BOSSIP exclusively about working on the show. “The first thing I told LaRoyce [Hawkins, who plays Det. Atwater] was we owe it to a lot of brothers and sisters who can’t tell the story,” La Salle told BOSSIP. “It’s our responsibility now to make sure that we tell the story right and that we represent that. That was really the start for me.” Source: Matt Dinerstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank / Getty “I’ll never forget that call,” LaRoyce Hawkins told BOSSIP about his initial conversations with LaSalle about the episode. “What I love about working with Eriq La Salle is his excitement for the job. This was a story that really touched him, written by Ike Smith who is a Chicago native, and actually I am from the Chicago area, and Eriq La Salle thought it was really important that we made this story so authentic and real to the people who have actually been in those experiences, to the people who have actually been pulled over, to people who haven’t been pulled over to the people who don’t understand and the people who do. I like to think we tell stories for everyone’s perspectives, even the people you might not like in this episode. Atwater gets jammed up and the struggle for power gets political and uncomfortable but at the end of the day it’s a night in Chicago that I don’t think anybody can really run away from.” With a plot that feels pulled straight from the headlines, the show ventures into some complicated waters, particularly after some of Atwater’s superiors try to place the blame for the shooting on him, saying he should have disclosed his undercover status to diffuse the situation. “I think when these kinds of things happen, officer involved shootings, now there is somewhat of a vulnerability or a perception of a vulnerability because people are becoming more vocal and things need to be criticized,” La Salle told BOSSIP. “We’re not telling anybody how to think… We’ve become so segregated and divided, not to point out the obvious, but things become very black and white. If you’re from the black community you see it this way, if you’re from white community you see it this way. That’s not necessarily true, people have their own opinions. We don’t try to force feed any of our stories, we basically just put it out there and let the audience decide which side of an issue they fall on.” One of the cops who makes the traffic stop is blatantly racist — something that viewers will likely grapple with while watching. The other, La Salle says, is simply doing his job. At the end of the day, Atwater will play a major role in deciding whether or not to publicly burn the offending cop. “The piece of advice that Atwater takes to heart is from Voight, when he tells him ‘Win lose or draw, you have to live with yourself at night. Whatever is going to allow you to go to sleep peacefully is ultimately the best decision or the right thing to do for you, that might be the truth, that might not be the truth,’” Hawkins told BOSSIP. The highly acclaimed Wendell Pierce has a crucial guest role on the episode, as a local Alderman whose own political agenda only further complicates matters for Atwater. Both Hawkins and La Salle heaped praises on his performance in the episode. “Wendell and I go way back, we went to college together,” La Salle told BOSSIP. “He’s an amazing actor. For me it’s just bonus when you get to go basically play with one of your boys who happens to be extremely talented. He makes us all look good and I’m thankful for him and appreciative of what he contributes. I think his character having the potential mentor role over an Atwater in this episode is really interesting, but it’s really about Atwater finding his own way and being his own man and standing on his principles and what he believes is right no matter what. He’s really torn, he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. Wendell represents the community… so if Wendell is saying ‘Maybe you should lie a little bit,’well you have to decide where your moral compass is. That’s a major theme of this episode.” Hawkins told BOSSIP he saw the opportunity to act in a scene with Pierce as a dream come true, especially because it coincided with other meaningful milestones for his character. “The relationship with Wendell Pierce’s character Ray Price and Atwater is really interesting,” La Royce Hawkins told BOSSIP. “I’m excited about where that relationship can go. That was my first scene with him… Just off the strength off the relationship, I think that Atwater respects Ray Price, even though he knows that Ray Price is a politician. I just appreciate Wendell Pierce for being so gracious in that scene and not just running circles around me because I am a big fan of his work. He’s a dynamic actor… It’s a lot of dreams come true for me on this show. This episode brought a lot of those things out, like I’ve always been a fan of Wendell Pierce, to be able to work with Mikelti Williamson and be directed at the same time by an Eriq La Salle. That’s pretty amazing for me as a young black man, so I learned a lot.” La Salle and Pierce weren’t the only pair of longtime friends on set either. Hawkins told us he and the actor who played the racist cop, Officer Doyle, have a lot of history. “Actually I met the cop that plays Doyle, who is the racist cop, I met him in high school,” LaRoyce told BOSSIP. “We used to compete against each other in speech. We ended up going to college together, he’s actually a real good friend and he was probably the perfect person for us to explore that energy with because he and I were so close. But he’s a great actor, he did his thing, I believed him, but for topics this sensitive it was almost extremely perfect for me to be working with a homie like that.” Source: Matt Dinerstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank / Getty Fans of “Chicago P.D.” know that this isn’t the first time the show has touched on such sensitive matters, particularly when it comes to race, and Eriq La Salle said it’s not just coincidence. He credited “Chicago P.D. writer and showrunner Rick Eid for not shying away from tough conversations. There’s a moment between Det. Atwater and Officer Adam Ruzek where Ruzek acknowledges his whiteness will never allow him to truly experience what Atwater has to deal with, but he pledges to have his back regardless of his lack of understanding. “I think that to me sort of represents what I was saying about Rick Eid,” La Salle told BOSSIP. “We gotta just start having honest conversations about race and gender if we hope to make any progress. A man has to be able to talk to woman, a white man has to be able to talk to a black man and so on. We have to be able to talk and we have to be willing to own what we don’t know and that’s what I love about that conversation between Ruzek and Atwater. ‘I don’t know and I’ll never know but I got your back’ We have to be able to say what we know and what we don’t know and that scene is my relationship to a degree with Rick. He teaches me certain things and I teach him certain things but we both respect each other as men. One happens to be black and one happens to be white and we respect each other as men that we’re able to have conversations.”
Source: Splash News / Splash News On this fine Black History Month, Liam Neeson shocked the Internet when he revealed that he once went looking for a “Black bastard” to kill after a close friend of his was raped. Neeson made the confession in an interview with Independent when he was promoting his new flick Cold Pursuit. While explaining his character’s need for revenge, Liam described an instance when his friend was raped and she told Liam that a Black man did it. In fits of anger, Neeson said he would roam the streets with a cosh (a bar used as a weapon) looking for the nearest Black man to provoke him: “I went up and down areas with a cosh, hoping I’d be approached by somebody – I’m ashamed to say that – and I did it for maybe a week, hoping some [Neeson gestures air quotes with his fingers] ‘black bastard’ would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could…kill him.” Many online souls were flabbergasted by Liam’s words. Liam Neeson didn't say he wanted to kill his friend's rapist….which you could chalk up to revenge…..bruh straight up said he wanted to kill any black man…..if you're defending him….you're just as trash as he is…. — Bae Mama (@mc_magic1887) February 4, 2019 Liam Neeson being ready to take any Black life over what one person allegedly did just shows how meaningless and inconsequential black lives are to some. Even him telling the story demonstrates a level of privilege and understating that there may not be repercussions. — Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) February 4, 2019 Yup so Liam Neeson is definitely cancelled. — King K. (@Unkle_K) February 4, 2019 Liam then went on Good Morning America on Tuesday to clarify his story… But he just made things worse. In his interview with Robin Roberts, Liam said “There were some nights I went out deliberately into Black areas in the city, looking to be set upon so that I could unleash physical violence.” He continued: “And I did it maybe four or five times, until I caught myself on and it really shocked me, this primal urge I had. It shocked me, and it hurt me. I did seek help. I went to a priest who heard my confession…[I had] two very, very good friends that I talked too, and believe it or not, power walking two hours everyday to get rid of this. I’m not racist, this was nearly 40 years ago.” Like whaaaa??? First off Liam, you said you deliberately went into Black neighborhoods to take out your anger on any random Black person. This is, in fact, racist. Like…you didn’t go to the nearest Whole Foods in your neighborhood to find a Black person. You specifically went into Black neighborhoods to enact terror. And even if your need for revenge has subsided over the years, you’ve yet to acknowledge that your targeting of Black communities was racist, which proves you still have some racism up in your bones. Finally… And listen closely… If you’re a White person, you should more readily assume you are racist, rather than believing you’re not. It’s times like these that self-identified “non-racist” White people love to distance themselves from other White people who are blatantly racist, because if there’s one thing that “non-racist” White people H A T E, it’s to be called racist. “I’m not like that horrible Liam Neeson who said he wanted to beat a random Black person,” said your random White neighbor. “I would NEVER say the N-word,” said your White lover. “Liam Neeson is canceled,” said the White head of your marketing team. I get you “non-racist” White person. But what about your racist cousin demanding more police presence in their newly gentrified neighborhood ? What about your racist uncle who bought private prison stock when Trump got elected ? It can be outright dangerous to use Liam’s actions as the sole measuring stick for racism. Wanting to kill a random Black person is the tip of the iceberg and the most primal manifestation of racist attitudes. But the system of racism is inherently violent and White people either participate in it or benefit from it. Racism, and especially anti-Black racism, is a system of power that subjugates Black people in all corners of society, from institutions to your own personal circles. While Liam’s attitude might be an inter-personal manifestation of racism, the wealth gap between races is just one example of institutional racism that White people can benefit from. A 2019 study by the Institute for Policy reported that the median Black family today owns $3,600, which is just 2% of the wealth median White families own at $146,984. On top of this, median White wealth is continuing to increase, while median Black wealth is on track to reach zero by 2082, according to the report. This major gap is due to years of wealth-stripping practices aimed at Black people in the housing market , prison-police systems and more. Now you’d think with such reports, there’d be complete social media outrage from “non-racist” White people demanding more research on the racial wealth divide, discriminatory practices and the need for reparations . The same criminalization of Black people enacted by Neeson is the same criminalization used to keep Black people out of wealth stability and instead, in prisons and resource-stripped environments. Is this not the groundwork for targeted violence? Are the “non-racist” Whites starting a social media campaign around this? If they’re aware of these issues and do nothing, aren’t they complicit in racism? Any White person claiming they’re not racist is not beneficial to anti-racist work. In contrast, it might be better for a White person to say “how do I benefit from racism” or “how can I be less racist today?” Part of this can be just doing your research on how systematic racism can be violent along with searching for the nearest Black person to pummel with a “cosh.” I understand violence is on a spectrum and might require different reactions, but “I’m not racist” attitudes aren’t helping the conversation. Racism is normal. The goal is to make it not normal on all levels.
Marriage is complicated. Throw in a time limit, an international move, cultural differences, and sudden reality stardom, and you have a recipe for drama. Sometimes, you have a recipe for disaster — real world, scary disaster. Leida Margaretha accused Eric Rosenbrook of abuse and the couple called the police. Since then, we have learned a lot more about the alleged incident — both sides have confirmed aspects of the story. 1. This is serious On January 20, 2019, Leida and Eric were visited by police. It was very early Sunday morning, and the married 90 Day Fiance couple had just had a fight. 2. Leida accused Eric of domestic violence In a series of “leaked” messages, Leida claimed that Eric had pulled her hair painfully — and that wasn’t the most upsetting part. 3. Read Leida’s words for yourself As you can see, she says that she had thratened suicide, but that Eric had taken the knife from her — it was after this, Leida writes, that he abused her. 4. She says she doesn’t want to live with him anymore These text messages were “leaked” — we’ll get into that later. 5. Then Eric shared his side Eric acknowledges much of what happened, saying that he was focused on saving her life, and essentially that he got carried away. 6. Abuse is never acceptable Eric may have explained why he went too far and pulled her hair, but that is not an excuse. We hope that both he and Leida know this. View Slideshow
Tamra Judge wants to make something abundantly clear: She is a strong supporter of the LGBT community. What has driven The Real Housewives of Orange County star make this point as precisely as possible? Because not only did her son go on a homophobic rant last week that included the call for a transgender individual to be murdered… … but Judge also Liked one of the posts include by her son, Ryan, in this diatribe. Back on January 17, the 33-year old brought up someone who sued a Colorado baker for refusing to make a cake celebrating this person’s gender transition. “Hopefully this guy goes on a rampage and kills whatever transgendered f-ck head took him to court. Ooops did I just say that,” Ryan Tweeted in response to the story. Ryan later added that this “country needs to kill off this f-ckery bullshit” and said: “You want to be transgender cool that’s your life but don’t push your transgender bullsh-t on me or America.” View Slideshow: Tamra Judge’s Son Pushes for Murder of a “Transgendered F-ck Head” We recapped Ryan’s heinous words above, but his Tweet storm included a link to a story about a transgender couple in Great Britain who is transitioning its five-year old child. Judge Liked this post and wrote along with her button-push: “Wow, that’s sad. 5-year-old cannot make a decision like that.” Many social media users interpreted this Like and this remark as support for her son’s views, something the veteran Bravo star did NOT attend, she now explains. Tamra and son Ryan are pictured here in a scene from an old episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County. “I’d like to address the many comments regarding my son Ryan’s posts on Instagram,” wrote Judge to open a lengthy caption, which she included along with the Martin Luther King Jr. photo/quote below. “I have been extremely upset my son would post such a thing. A post that I did NOT see because he took it down immediately knowing it was WRONG,” she added. Why did she remark on the story about that British couple? “Admittedly, I had a concerned “mom” moment when referring to a post about a 5-year-old making life altering decisions. My comment did not come from a place of hate,” she said on Instagram yesterday. Ryan is the 33-year old son of Tamra and ex-husband Darren Vieth. She gave birth to him at the age of 18 and has tried to stick by him through a handful of trying situations. For example: He was arrested in 2015 on a charge of domestic abuse against his girlfriend. “I’ve encouraged Ryan to make his own amends but in the meantime, I’m extremely sorry, His words were harsh & unacceptable,” Judge wrote here of her child, concluding: “I have nothing but love & respect for the LGBTQ community….always have always will. I will continue 2019 with a renewal of peace, wellness & love for all.” Tamra shares three other children with her ex, Simon Barney: daughters Sidney, 20, and Sophia, 13, and son Spencer, 18. The reality star married Eddie Judge in June of 2013. Do you accept her apology in this case? Or do you think Tamra is full of it and still deserving of scorn?
Source: Noam Galai / Getty Normani Talks About Her Recent Collaboration With 6LACK Normani sat down with the people over at Billboard to share the story behind her collaboration with 6LACK. While talking “Waves,” the singer explains what her favorite lyric from the song is, who the first person she played the song for was, and much much more. Check out the video below to hear some behind-the-scenes details from the making of the track.
