Source: JLN Photography/WENN.com / WENN John Witherspoon , best known by many as Pops from Ice Cube ‘s Friday franchise, passed at the age of 77 last week. In a star-studded celebration of life, the beloved actor and comedian was honored by family, friends, and peers on Tuesday (November 5). Entertainment Tonight reports that the service for Witherspoon was held in Los Angeles as was attended by the likes of Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Cedric The Entertainer, and opened by his longtime friend and godfather to his son, former late-night host David Letterman. Ice Cube was among a long list of speakers who gathered to honor Witherspoon at the event. Regina King couldn’t make the event due to scheduling but left a video message for Witherspoon. Marlon Wayans was also unable to attend due to work conflicts but left a moving message on Instagram that illustrated the love shared between them. The Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder was also in attendance, fitting as Witherspoon voiced Granddad on the television series. “Laughter is the medicine for our mind, body and soul,” Ice Cube said. “It helps us get through this crazy world, and God bless the ones that make us laugh. John was naturally funny.” May John Witherspoon rest powerfully in peace. — Photo: WENN
Source: 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Expo Hall – Press Room Featuring: Queen Latifah Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 30 Jan 2016 Credit: FayesVision/WENN.com Hip-Hop legend turned actress Queen Latifah is a cultural force to be reckoned with and her contributions to the culture are being recognized in a major way. The Queen is among six other recipients slated to receive the prestigious Black Culture Award named after cultural, civil rights and literary icon W.E.B Dubois, who was also the first African American to graduate from Harvard in 1895. Other honorees include poet and educator Elizabeth Alexander, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lonnie Bunch III, poet Rita Dove, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television Sheila Johnson, artist Kerry James Marshall and Robert Smith, founder, chairman, and chief executive of Vista Equity Partners. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on October 22 at the school’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research. In other Queen Latifah news, over the last week fans got a glimpse of the iconic artist tapping into her inner “Ursula” as she readies for her live performance in the ABC live musical television version of Disney’s Little Mermaid , Little Mermaid Live! . Last week, ABC tweeted out a teaser featuring Queen Latifah singing “poor unfortunate souls”, before revealing the entire cast in full costume. Poor unfortunate souls… your first look at @Iamqueenlatifah as Ursula is minutes away! pic.twitter.com/3OucSq8UMx — ABC (@ABCNetwork) October 7, 2019 Introducing the cast of @ABCNetwork 's #TheLittleMermaidLive : @auliicravalho , @iamqueenlatifah , @direalshaggy , @johnstamos , and @grahamphillips . pic.twitter.com/tXgoXrPegq — Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) October 7, 2019 Despite releasing teasers, the cast is still being updated as ABC announced the addition of Glee’s Amber Riley . Riley will appear as the emcee for the show and will present the “Daughters of Triton” with a special performance for “King Triton” and his subjects. Riley joins previously announced cast members Auli’i Cravalho (Ariel), Queen Latifah (Ursula), Shaggy (Sebastian), John Stamos (Chef Louis), and Graham Phillips (Prince Eric). According to ABC , The Little Mermaid Live! will combine live-action with animation and puppetry as a part of The Wonderful World of Disney franchise, but will not be associated with Disney’s official live version starring Halle Bailey . The Little Mermaid Live! will air on ABC Nov. 5 at 8pm in honor of the 30th anniversary of the animated movie.
Source: MediaPunch/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images / Getty Lil Kim Accosted By Anti-Fur Protester Things got heated this afternoon when some brave white woman ran down on Lil Kim in protest of the Queen B’s extensive collection of fur coats. According to TMZ , Kim was outside the Verizon Media Studios when the woman began aggressively screaming “STOP WEARING FUR!!!” at her. The woman tried her damnedest to get right in Kim’s face and when Kim finally decided she had had enough, security knew exactly what time it was. Press play to peep the video below. Watch yaself now, Judith…
Source: Tony DiMaio / SplashNews / Splash News Alex Trebek May Be Leaving ‘Jeopardy!’ Due To Cancer It’s been over 35 years that Alex Trebek has graced our televisions and homes as the host of Jeopardy! But according to reports, Trebek’s time as the legendary’s show’s host may be coming to an end. In an interview with Canada’s CTV television network , Trebek revealed that his chemotherapy treatments are starting to affect his speech. “I talk to the producers about this all the time now. I say, ‘Look, I’m slurring my words. My tongue doesn’t work as much, as well as it used to. The chemo has caused sores inside my mouth. It makes it difficult for me to speak and enunciate properly,’” He continued: “I’m sure there are observant members of the television audience that notice also, but they’re forgiving,” he added. “But there will come a point when they will no longer be able to say, ‘It’s OK.’” You may recall that back in March, the 79-year old revealed that he’d been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. However, he vowed in the TV interview to continue to fight. “We’ll play it by ear and keep chugging along until we either win or lose. I’ve lived a good life, a full life, and I’m nearing the end of that life… If it happens, why should I be afraid of that?” Let’s keep Trebek and his family in our prayers.
Source: Starz / Power L ast week, Angela Valdes’ death on the Power’s premiere set the tone for the show’s sixth and final season, and that is revenge . Ghost thinks he has settled the score with Tommy after he sprayed his iconic mustang with bullets. He will learn that he was sadly mistaken and just made matters much worse for himself. Ghost Is Getting Played Like A Fool Source: Starz / Power G host firmly believes he killed Tommy that night, but we all know that wasn’t the case, so Jason decides to use that to his advantage. James’ lust for revenge comes with some severe consequences cause now he has to explain himself to Jason. After surveying his handy work on Tommy’s bullet-riddled mustang, Ghost meets up with the druglord to clarify that the hit wasn’t aimed at him or his crew, but just at his former business partner. He goes into his struggling piggy bank to make a peace offering to Jason and after some convincing gets him to accept it. BUT, Jason, of course, knows he has the upper hand on Ghost and decides to make him pay $100K every two weeks to keep him from retaliating against him. Ghost has no choice but to agree to the lopsided arrangement and at the same time has no idea he is getting played. The deceit doesn’t end there. The two people he thought he could trust the most, his son and his estranged wife Tasha, are also playing him like a fiddle. They too also know that Tommy is not dead but plays along and hatch plans with his rival behind his back. He will soon learn about all of this at the worst possible time, and we will touch on that in a bit. Tommy Has The Advantage Source: Starz / Power W ith Ghost believing that he is dead, Tommy knows he has an advantage, and he decides to use it. His first move while “dead” is to get people on his side and he manages to recruit both Tasha and Riq. Tasha wants a divorce, but thanks to their prenup, she gets nothing because she initiated the proceedings. With Ghost dead, she can get all of his money and assets plus the revenge she seeks for him killing the “love of her life,” Terry Silver. Riq just can’t stand his dad and wants him out of the way, and he has no feelings if Uncle Tommy kills his pops. Tommy also uses the time to school Keisha onto the game. She is down for the cause and Tasha advises her to keep her and Kash happy so she won’t dime them out. Keisha, on the other hand, is over the St.Patricks and wants her boo to stop talking to Tasha altogether and is excited to be involved with Tommy’s drug business. Funny we remember she was all against that a few seasons ago but whatever. Jason is cleverly using this whole Ghost vs. Tommy thing to his advantage as well. He tells Tommy that he cannot kill Ghost because basically, he would be out of $100K payments every two weeks. Jason doesn’t reveal that to Tommy, of course. He offers Tommy protection, but it won’t come free, and if he misses a payment, Jason will tell his guys to sit back and let Ghost kill him. With the upper hand, Tommy will make a colossal move later that we will touch on that will shake Ghost to his core and hit him where it hurts. Ghost and Tasha 2.0? Source: Starz / Power W hile his parents are currently beginning the divorce process, Riq is at Choate working on becoming the man he hates so much… his dad. No longer satisfied with just getting good grades and living his best life, the oldest seed of Ghost is now a pill-pushing hustler. Riq has a very lucrative drug business going on at his school and is using his roommate to help push his product. It looks like Uncle Tommy and the lessons from his mentor Kanan are rubbing off on him. But like any good business, word spreads around very fast. Riq’s drug dealing ways has caught the attention of another Black student who requests to have a conversation with Riq. Unlike Riq, she is from the hood, but is about her studies (sounds very familiar) and feels that being both she and he is a handful of Black kids at the school his decision to peddle pills is only adding to the stereotype. Of course, Riq doesn’t give a damn what she thinks and hits her with a clever counteroffer to join his crew which will provide her with the opportunity to make some real money to improve her conditions at Choate. His pitch works because she shows up later at his dorm room and accepts his offer. The new business partners and more than likely couple go inside to play some video games. If this doesn’t sound precisely like Ghost and Tasha’s origin story, we don’t know what does. Brilliant, young, Black woman getting involved with a knuckled head teen boy, this just screams James and Tasha 2.0. We see what you’re doing here Power writers. Paz Makes A Tough Decision Source: Starz / Power P oor Paz, she is really not handling the death of her sister well. Not only does she not have the money to pay for the funeral — keep in mind she told Jamie no — Angela’s benefits are being held up too. Annoying ass Saxe reveals to her that due to Angela’s complicated involvement in the case the government is holding the funds up. He vowes to help speed things up but needs more information from Paz. She is still fed up because he hasn’t arrested Ghost yet and thought that allowing Saxe to perform an autopsy on her sister would help. Newsflash it won’t. Saxe tells her he will keep working to put James behind bars and to share anything she finds of relevance in Angie’s belongings with him. While going through her sister’s things in the deceased government prosecutor’s apartment, she stumbles upon the burner phone she used to speak with Tasha. She texts the number she believes belongs to Ghost asking to meet up but has no idea it’s his estranged wife on the other end. Paz is surprised to find out that she was speaking with Tasha but learns that Angela was working with the St.Patricks and had no intention of flipping on Ghost. Tasha also convinces Paz that Ghost didn’t kill her sister at all. After leaving the meeting with some new clarity on the situation, she makes a tough decision. She learns from the pastor that someone paid for the cost of the funeral, she decides to find out who. She immediately calls Saxe to see if he was able to get Angela’s benefits to clear, he says they are still being held up. After she hangs up the call, she texts Tasha and says thank you because she figured it out that Jame’s wife paid the funeral costs. It’s there she decides to bury her sister’s secrets with her, and she puts the burner phone in Angela’s casket. Finally, Paz does something right. Proctor Has A Problem Source: Starz / Power O ur favorite attorney has a big problem, his wife is back. Saxe is desperately trying to find some dirt on Ghost and thinks Proctor has it all. He recruits Proctor’s ex-wife who manages to convince Saxe to give her a recommendation for a job at a firm. In return, it will her be able to see her daughter again, allowing her to place a bug hidden in a unicorn on her daughter’s backpack so the feds can listen in on Proctor. During the custody hearing, Proctor is blindsided by his ex-wife’s power move after she announces she has a job to the judge. During a chamber meeting, the judge asked Proctor’s daughter to choose who she wanted to stay with. Proctor’s daughter breaks down because of the pressure of having to choose between her parents. After seeing enough, he grants his coke head ex-wife joint custody. Little does he know he played right into Saxe’s hands. Councilman Tate Doesn’t Trust Ghost Source: Starz / Power C ouncilman Tate makes his season six debut, and he is just as conniving as ever. Tate wants to be Governor more than anything and doesn’t need Ghost and his problems sinking his election bid. The shady figures have a heart-to-heart and Ghost assures him that Angela’s death and his alleged involvement will not be a problem. Tate still allows Ghost to be a part of his campaign but wants him to keep his mouth shut. Now, do you think Ghost is going to listen? Of course not. During a press conference where Tate gets grilled about having St. Patrick on his team as well as Angela’s death. Things get testy when a constituent from the old neighborhood busts in demanding answers from Tate. The upset neighborhood local also calls Ghost out for his past, pointing out that he ain’t nothing but a former corner boy. Ghost hearing enough from the disgruntled man decides to jump in and speak much to the chagrin of Tate. We quickly learn that Tate saw an opportunity in the bungled press conference. He meets up with the angry constituent and offers him a job. Tate wants him to follow Ghost and do some “research” on him. He agrees to do Tate’s bidding, but we know he more than likely just signed his death warrant. Nobody gets the upper hand on Ghost. We also finally get to see THE REAL Rashad Tate, not the fake political figure we have grown accustomed too. Tommy Harlem Shakes At Angela’s Funeral Source: Starz / Power I t’s finally time to say goodbye to Angela Valdes. In a very somber moment, all of Power’s most prominent players gather to pay their respects to the fallen prosecutor. Tameika is also on hand to say farewell to her former employee. She and Saxe engage in a conversation to catch up and update each other on the case. Tameika suggests to Saxe that he should leave before his new boss gets rid of him too. Saxe still firmly believes that Ghost is responsible for everything while Tameika is still skeptical. Their conversation stops when Ghost and Tasha appear surprising all of them. Things get even more interesting when Tommy — Angela’s killer — walks in pays his respects to both Paz and Angie’s sobbing dad. D I S R E S P E C T F U L. Ghost is absolutely stunned because: Tommy is still alive. Tommy has the balls to show up at Angela’s funeral, knowing he killed her. His wife, Tasha, and his son lied to him about Tommy being alive. After Tommy’s stunt at the funeral,. Ghost immediately runs to talk to Jason and wants to know why he didn’t tell him. Jason tells him that he had to protect his interest because Tommy is his distro. Ghost isn’t trying to hear that and wants his former best friend dead. Jason gives him permission to kill Tommy, but of course, there is a big stipulation. If Ghost does manage to eliminate Tommy, he will have to replace him as the new distro. Ghost has no desire to get back in the game, Jason tells him he doesn’t care how he does it, but if James does kill Tommy, he has to be replaced. Oh man, Tommy’s move was spicier than Popeye’s spicy chicken sandwich. Forgot About Dre? Source: Starz / Power W e have been wondering where Dre was, and we finally learn what he has been up to. He is currently under witness protection and is set to testify against Alicia Jimenez. He has no idea that Angela is dead and learns after news of her funeral hits the television. Dre discovering that Angela is deceased is the fed’s most significant fear because they feel it will spook him out of testifying. After Jerry stops by to inform him that are moving him and his daughter to another secure location, Dre looks like he is now more determined to get back in the game. Things are starting to get real exciting quickly in the world of Power . The game is wide open, and it would seem the Power writers are positioning Dre for an opportunity to take over with Ghost not wanting to deal drugs any longer. Photo: Power/Starz [ione_media_gallery src=”https://cassiuslife.com” id=”96691″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Jun Sato / Getty The executives over at FOX have revealed how they will have Jussie Smollett ’s character make a smooth exit from the series Empire. “He’s on his honeymoon,” entertainment president Michael Thorn told The Wrap at the Television Critics Association press tour. “He’s on his honeymoon and working on some projects abroad… that’s how we hear about him at the beginning of the season.” Thorn added that they have already started shooting the episodes for the final season and the writers haven’t decided what else will be added to Jamal’s story. Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). “Honestly, I prefer to leave it at that because we’re only five or six episodes into the breaking of the season and I would rather the writers tell that story, rather than me guessing where it might go,” Thorn said. Smollett was fired from the FOX series after he was accused of staging a hate crime against himself, recruiting two people who he had worked with and paid for fitness services to be a part of the scheme. Smollett had even did an interview with where he described the alleged attack in detail and even dubbed himself “the gay Tupac” after he “survived” the ordeal. After his investigation played out in the media, Smollett became a casuality of the cancel culture. While some celebs and fans stood with him, many others poked fun at him (i.e Chris Rock at the NAACP Image Awards ) and dismissed him. Smollett has been lowkey since the scandal has died down. 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 This story was originally published on MadameNoire.com . ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Every Time Remy Ma & Papoose’s Baby Girl Shined Online [PHOTOS] Alabama Woman Tosses Hot Grease On Man Trying To Break Into Her House [PHOTO] Tiffany Haddish Told Regina Hall To Use Monistat Cream To Regrow Her Edges, And It Worked Follow @TheRSMS
Source: Gabe Ginsberg / Getty OK Ray J we see you making money moves! He just signed a major deal with a marijuana company. via TMZ Ray J signed on to become the chief strategic media officer for MarijuanaStock.org … and his new duties include making infomercials for the brand, encouraging people to invest in the burgeoning bud biz and enlightening potential investors on the possible high returns. Financially, that is.
Source: VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images / Getty FX Renews “Atlanta” And “Snowfall” FX has renewed two of their most popular shows for new seasons. Donald Glover’s “Atlanta ” will return for season 4, as well as the late John Singleton’s “FX.” The news comes as production has yet to begin on “Atlanta” season 3. Variety reports that FX made the “Atlanta” announcement Tuesday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour. “What more can be said about ‘Atlanta’ than the critical acclaim and accolades that Donald, Paul, Dianne, Stephen and Hiro have earned for two exceptional seasons of what is clearly one of the best shows on television,” said Eric Schrier, president of FX Entertainment. “This group of collaborators and cast have created one of the most original, innovative stories of this generation and we are proud to be their partners.” View this post on Instagram when you hit add to cart twice. atlanta seasons 3 and 4 will be filming this spring. A post shared by fxnetworks (@fxnetworks) on Aug 6, 2019 at 2:09pm PDT As for “Snowfall”, season 4 will premiere in 2020. The renewal was also announced Tuesday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour. “ Snowfall has continued its creative leap forward this season with the hard work and contributions of John Singleton and the brilliant performance of Damson Idris ,” said Grad. “We are grateful to Dave Andron, Thomas Schlamme, Michael London, Trevor Engelson and Walter Mosley for honoring John’s legacy through their commitment to building on the artistic excellence of Snowfall with a fourth season on FX.” Congrats to the talented actors on BOTH of these shows! View this post on Instagram Can’t stop, won’t stop. #SnowfallFX is coming back for Season 4. A post shared by Snowfall (@snowfallfx) on Aug 6, 2019 at 2:44pm PDT
Source: Steve Granitz / Getty Mary J. Blige just booked another role on the small screen. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul has been casted to star in the Power spin-off Power Book II: Ghost, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Series creator Courtney Kemp revealed during the Television Critics Association press tour that Blige has been added to the Power family. Blige, who is a big fan of the STARZ series, is ecstatic about joining the cast. “I’ve known so many Tashas, I’ve known so many Ghosts. I’ve dated so many Ghosts,” Blige said Friday (July 26.) “I’m a huge fan for life, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.” Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). Kemp added that the spin-off will not just focus on Ghost, played by Omari Hardwick , despite the show’s title. Kemp said the show will “continue the journey of some of Power ‘s most controversial characters,” not revealing who else’s story we can expect to be told. 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 Blige is very booked and busy when it comes to her burgeoning television career. The R&B vet is currently starring on Netflix’s Umbrella Academy, which has been renewed for a second season, and VH1’s third season of Scream. The Grammy award winner also signed a television deal with Lionsgate where she will create content and produce series through her new production company, Blue Butterfly Productions. “They are incredible collaborators and have been natural partners from when we first started talking,” the New York native said in a statement. “I can’t wait to bring all of our projects to life.” [ione_media_gallery src=”https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com” id=”1936518″ overlay=”true”] ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : LisaRaye Goes Off On Nicole Murphy [VIDEO] 3-Year-Old Girl Killed By Her Father After Running Out To Greet Him A Lela Rochon Appreciation Post: The Brown Bombshell Of The 90s [PHOTOS] Follow @TheRSMS
Kim Kardashian delivered a major plot twist when she revealed she was studying to become a lawyer earlier this year. It may be hard to imagine Kim representing anyone in court, and not just because she hasn't yet passed her Bar exam. But now that Wendy Williams is calling out for Kim's help, it's clear that Kim's influence and legal know-how are already in high demand . In a recent segment on her talk show show, Wendy Williams asked Kim Kardashian to help get A$AP Rocky released from jail in Sweeden. The 30-year-old rapper was arrested for assault after he and his crew were involved in a street altercation in Stockholm late last month. The beatdown was caught on camera, but Rocky's lawyer insists that it was done in self-defense. Additional footage of the incident, posted to the rapper's Instagram seems to confirm the lawyer's account. In the videos, we can plainly see that Rocky and his crew are being followed and harrassed by shrimpy guys who should really know better. Rocky and his entourage all but beg the two men to leave them alone and “walk the other way.” Of course, both men repeatedly refused to take the advice and continued to stalk the crew around Stockholm, resulting in the eventual fight and arrests. Look, laws are laws, and violence should always be discouraged. But after watching the tapes, it's hard not to feel like those jerks had it coming. Wendy Williams seems to think of the Swedish as organized, healthy, and humane, and assumed their prisons would follow suit. “I'm thinking the prison probably has down sheets, 700 thread count,” Wendy says in the clip. She muses, “You can eat the meatballs like at IKEA all day long.” But Wendy was appalled by the reality of Rocky's imprisonment when she learned of the horrific, inhumane conditions in his cell. “It's Holy Hell!” Wendy reveals about the prison. She goes on to explain that he sleeps “down on the floor” on something akin to a yoga mat. She adds that he has no cell-mate, and he's been alone in his cell for 16 days. “This is stupid, he needs to be released,” Wendy asserts. Apparently, this is where Kim Kardashian comes in. Wendy Williams feels that if Kim were to speak up about this, her voice would make a difference. Kim would be joining a handful of other celebrities who have spoken out about the wrongful imprisonment, including Al Sharpton, Snoop Dogg, and even Donald Trump. In fact, it's Snoop Dogg who first mentions that Kim should get involved, as Wendy's clip shows. “Hey Kim Kardashian,” Snoop says in a self-recorded video post, “go get Rocky out of jail.” “Look out for us,” the famous rapper entreats, adding “The black community needs this.” Snoop and Wendy both also call on Kanye West to simply make his wife help Rocky out, in case their pleas didn't reach her directly. But why Kim Kardashian? What exactly do all these celebrities expect her to do? Well, the “queen of celebrities” as Wendy calls her, is on track to becoming a full-fledged lawyer. And although she may not be legally certified yet, she may have a more a nuanced perspective of this issue from a legal standpoint. “She's involved with the law right now,” Wendy points out, “and this would be a big feather in her cap if she can help make this happen.” Truly, Kim's influence is so mighty that she could bring a lot of attention to Rocky's plight without ever stepping into the courtroom. But Wendy ackowledges that Kim can't pull this off all by herself. “When I say help, I mean she should not be the main person,” Wendy clarifies, suggesting Kim contact a law firm. Wendy goes on to explain that “Kim needs to be in the shadows, but clearly present, making it happen.” Wendy also suggests that Kim go so far as to make use of her connections with the white house, pushing our government to fast-track the issue with Sweeden. We love this fantasy of Kim as some kind of fame-powered superhero, fighting for justice from “the shadows” despite her insane level of visibility. We think Wendy may be giving Kim a little bit too much credit. But we live in a time when celebrities seem to make all the rules, so honestly, who even knows anymore? In any event, the world will know more about A$AP Rocky's fate on Friday, when prosecutors must either formally charge him or request to extend his detainment.
