Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty Deion ‘PrimeTime’ Sanders accomplished a lot of the goals all professional athletes strive for. But at one point in his life, the two-sport star was in a very dark place and tried to end it all. A new ESPN 30 For 30 documentary will touch on Sanders’ almost succumbing to the pressures of fame. Sanders an NFL Hall-of-Famer and two time Superbowl champion on the outside was a charismatic figure on an off the field. He was living the life and the “Must Be The Money” rapper had it all but reveals in his autobiography Power, Money & Sex: How Success Almost Ruined My Life , it all of those things brought him to the brink of taking his own life. The book was first released in the late ’90s but a new ESPN 30 For 30 documentary about Sanders airing January 31st,2019 will revisit the moment as reported by The Undefeated . The trouble began for the high-stepping cornerback during his first marriage to then-wife Carolyn Chambers back in 1997 who is the mother of his two children Deion Jr and Deiondra. Their union was hit a snag and propelling him to spiral downward with him attempting suicide. “I was going through the trials and tribulations of life. I was pretty much running on fumes. I was empty, no peace, no joy. Losing hope with the progression of everything.” Sanders tried to kill himself by driving his car off a cliff 30- to 40-feet down. He survived and after the life-changing experience gave his life to God. “I finally just got on my knees and gave it all to the Lord. Slowly, but surely, I had to deal with my faith, deal with my strength. I had to get a lot of Word in so that I could fight off the enemy. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my faith. People argue about what faith is, and who Jesus is, but it works for me. I’m not going to sit here and argue about who is what, and what is what, I’m just going to say it works for me.” We are looking forward to seeing the doc which will give us a closer look on Deion Sanders’ life while he a star in the NFL, and his attempt back in 1992 at playing in a pro-football game and MLB National League Championship game in the same day. — Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty
Source: Universal Pictures / Universal Pictures It’s finally here. On Christmas morning, Jordan Peele blessed us with the first trailer for his forthcoming new horror movie, Us . Somehow, Peele managed to make The Luniz classic “I Got 5 On It” start to sound horrifying. Starring Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke, a Black family is suddenly under siege by some psychotic weirdos, who happen to look exactly like them. We’re sold. Us is in theaters in March, and we can’t wait. Watch the trailer below. Here we go. #WatchYourself #UsMovie @UsMovie pic.twitter.com/rWev0UjgEv — Jordan Peele (@JordanPeele) December 25, 2018
Source: Matteo Marchi / Getty Safaree used this past Christmas Eve to get on bended knee to propose to fellow reality star Erica Mena . There are so many jokes we wouldn’t know where to even start. But hey, love is love, and she said yes. So we’ll go the high road and congratulate the happy couple. Will Nicki Minaj and Bow Wow offer congrats, too? Surely, the Internet will be provided all types of slander, though. According to TMZ, Safaree went all out with 20,000 rose petals and 200 candles along with R&B group 112 singing “Cupid” and “Crazy Over You,” with a band, in her living room. Peep the proposal in the clip below. — Photo: Getty
A Black woman who played an integral role in pushing space exploration and technology forward is finally receiving the credit that she deserves. Dr. Gladys West —the mathematician who helped create the Geographical Positioning System—was recently inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame, The Hill reported. Gladys West, the “hidden figure” behind invention of GPS, inducted into Air Force hall of fame https://t.co/z4ptwXcPnh pic.twitter.com/cFBYGAF071 — The Hill (@thehill) December 21, 2018 During the 1950s and 1960s, Dr. West did computing for the U.S. military, the news outlet writes. She joined the U.S. Naval Weapons Laboratory and served as a mathematician during a time where new technological systems were being introduced. She also contributed to groundbreaking studies surrounding different planets. “She participated in a path-breaking, award-winning astronomical study that proved, during the early 1960s, the regularity of Pluto’s motion relative to Neptune,” read a statement released by the Air Force Space Command. “The Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Award pays tribute to the leaders of the early years of the Air Force space program, as well as the subsequent innovators whose vision and perseverance overcame the obstacles of the unknown, those who transformed the cutting edge of technology into operational systems, and those who dedicated their lives to exploring space in support of our national security concerns.” The stories of Black women who have made major contributions to STEM are coming to the forefront, and many of them are being honored for their achievements. Their legacies are inspiring the next generation of Black leaders who are interested in the field. Earlier this year 10-year-old Akosua Haynes , a young Black aspiring astronaut from Chicago, received a huge honor from the Library of Congress after penning a letter to the author of the book that inspired the film Hidden Figures ; detailing how the story motivated her. “I really want her to know how much her book inspired me and how it has really motivated me to push my math skills to a much higher level. I have a little STEM program on Saturdays and I’m trying to make myself more like Katherine Johnson every day,” she said. SEE ALSO: Black Girl Pens Letter To ‘Hidden Figures’ Author, Wins Award From Library Of Congress Lego Excites Girls About STEM With Toy Set Honoring ‘Hidden Figures’ Pioneers [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3841238″ overlay=”true”]
L ittle League phenom Mo’ne Davis is taking her talents to Hampton University. According to the Daily Press , Davis has committed to joining the HBCU’s softball team. Little League legend Mo'ne Davis to play softball at HU https://t.co/CKPzmLrUEU pic.twitter.com/KfTtdmCxKa — Daily Press (@Daily_Press) December 19, 2018 The 17-year-old Philadelphia native first made major waves in the sports industry four years ago after becoming the first girl to pitch a shutout game during the Little League World Series, the news outlet writes. Once news spread about her accomplishments in the realm of sports, she became an athlete to watch. She was the first Little League player to grace a national cover of Sports Illustrated , she landed a spot on TIME ’s “25 Most Influential Teens of 2014 List,” and she secured a book deal. The world was watching to see what her next move in sports would be. Davis recently inked a letter-of-intent to play at Hampton. She was considering other schools that included Coppin State University, Southern University, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Pennsylvania, and Bethune-Cookman University, but thought that Hampton would be a good fit. Angela Nicholson —the head softball coach at Hampton—says she had no clue that Davis wanted to play softball in college until she received an email from her a few months ago. “She sent me an email, and I invited her to camp. She came to camp, and she was phenomenal. That’s how it all started,” she told the news outlet. “Having Mo’ne is great. I know she doesn’t want it to be about her, and neither do we. We want her to have a great experience and be like everybody else.” She will reportedly join the team as a middle infielder. Davis currently attends Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia where she plays softball, basketball, and soccer. SEE ALSO: 2018: Year-in-Review | Sports Russian Player Goes Unpunished In ‘Sportsmanship’ Double Standard That Probably Would Have Gotten Serena Fined [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3841096″ overlay=”true”]
Source: DJDM/WENN.com / WENN A former employee of Busta Rhymes has been swindling promoters out of thousands of dollars in cash, and now the veteran rapper is taking actions. Busta is suing Rasheem “Bubba” Barker for $1.5 million after it’s come out he’s been pretending to be the manager of the Conglomerate caption. The Blast reports : According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Busta says he had a working relationship with Rasheem “Bubba” Barker. But Busta claims, “At no time did those duties include the authority to negotiate and/or enter into agreements with third party promoters binding Plaintiffs to render the professional services of Plaintiff Smith.” But in 2016, Busta claims Barker collected $20k for a gig he negotiated on his own and claims he did the same thing again in 2018 for $40k for a show in New Zealand. Things got so bad, Busta claims he got hit with a $22,478.40 judgment in a lawsuit he knew nothing about and believes other lawsuits might be coming … all because of Barker’s actions. Busta is suing for a total of more than $1.5 million in damages. Check out Busta Rhymes calling out Rasheem “Bubba” Barker in the clip below. — Photo: WENN
“I got to a point where I could no longer live with myself and be the mother I wanted to be, be the Amber I always dreamed of being if I tolerated the history of the abuse,” says Amber Dixon Brenner https://t.co/7NGCDV3sXY — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) December 21, 2018 Days after OWN’s drama “Love Is_” was cancelled , Salim Akil’s accuser and former mistress Amber Dixon Brenner is finally speaking out. And it gets real. Brenner, a screenwriter and actress, recently told Deadline that Mara Brock-Akil , Salim’s wife and show co-creator, was fully aware of her husband’s 10-year affair with Brenner. Also, Brenner admitted that what prompted her to go public was seeing Mara speaking out in support for the #MeToo movement , meanwhile her own husband was violent towards women. “It started when Mara was on the cover of some magazine and she stood along with other women in the industry talking about #MeToo or Time’s Up. I read it and I was appalled and I felt disregarded and that the issues from the relationship that in the past I had tried to resolve or discuss regarding violence she was very silent about. Like not responding to texts earlier on in the relationship.” She also states that she emailed the Girlfriends creator to talk about the issue as well. “I wrote her an email saying how is it that you come forward now when in your private life you knew that your husband had a habit of hitting me? The letter I wrote was very thorough. I said I came to know it as reflective of the definition of abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and the abuse of power also based upon their stature in the industry and otherwise.” When asked about her thoughts on OWN canceling the show, she stated that they “did the right thing” by axing the show after her lawsuit against him became public . “I did feel a sense of this is the right thing, this is correct response from the OWN network. This is a correct response to Salim and Mara and it felt like a bit of an acknowledgment of what I had gone through.” Yet she added that the entire situation is “terrible.” “Look, it’s a sad situation. It’s a terrible situation that I was ever in the predicament of having to call him out and her out. It’s tragic to me that these things ever happened. It’s tragic to me that my work was stolen and then misappropriated to their supposed love story. Finally, when asked why she filed the lawsuit, Brenner stressed she had to in order to live her truth. “I got to a point where I could no longer live with myself and be the mother I wanted to be, be the Amber I always dreamed of being if I tolerated the history of the abuse…I could not walk with my head up.” As we previously reported , despite being renewed earlier this summer for a second season , OWN reps announced on Wednesday (Dec. 19) that they were cancelling the show. “OWN has decided not to move forward with the second season of Love Is __, ” a network spokesperson said. The popular drama was based on how the Akil’s met in the 90s and fell in love. The cancellation came weeks after Brenner’s lawsuit against Akil came public. In it, she accused him of of domestic violence and breach. Papers that Brenner filed on November 20, 2018, claim she had a lengthy “physically and sexually abusive relationship” with Akil that occurred during his marriage to Mara. Brenner is also suing the “Black Lightening” co-creator for breach of contract accusing Akil of taking her 2015 script “Luv & Perversity in the East Village”about their relationship and using part of that script for his OWN show Love Is without her consent, knowledge and compensation. Last month, Jezebel reported that Brenner’s lawsuit paints a disturbing picture of Akil and their relationship, which included the following: Multiple claims of physical and sexual abuse i.e. forcing her to perform oral sex on him which ended with him urinating in her mouth. Outside his house on Martha’s Vineyard, she alleges that “he proceeded to stick three fingers up her anus and started lecturing her.” Multiple instances of him slapping and strangling her during sex. Him taking sexual pictures of her without her consent. Bouts of verbal abuse threatening that if she ever got pregnant he would dispose of her in a desert if and said if they were married and she cheated on him, “he would stick her hand in a hot skillet of grease.” No word on whether the CW will cancel the Akil’s other show “Black Lightening.” Read Brenner’s interview with Deadline in its entirety here . RELATED NEWS: It’s A Wrap! OWN Cancels ‘Love Is__’ In Wake Of Domestic Violence Allegations Against Salim Akil Salim Akil, Mara Brock Akil’s Husband, Sued For Domestic Violence And Breach Of Contract “Listen To Black Women” POLL: Do We Really Want #MeToo For Us Too? [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”2969052″ overlay=”true”]
Source: The Rewind / Global Grind Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a joyful New Year, it’s time for a special Christmas edition of Global Grind’s The Rewind with DJ Franchise and Landon Levarius. Every week we revisit some of the pop culture trends, movies, viral moments and music from the week before and give our hot takes. Our experts Landon Levarius and DJ Franchise share their opinions, sprinkle in some facts and then when it’s all over and done with, provide a rating of 1 to 10. We listen to the songs, watch the movies, scour the internet, and do the hard work so you don’t have to. So let’s get started, shall we? This week DJ Franchise and Landon Levarius do a deep dive into Jennifer Lopez’s new movie, Second Act , which hit theaters on December 21, 2018 and is directed by Peter Segal. The film is about Jennifer’s character, Maya Vargas, who is a Value Shop assistant manager and desperately wants a promotion for her 43rd birthday. With the help of her friend Zoe, played by Vanessa Hudgens, Maya Vargas enhances her less than stellar resume to match her street smarts and reinvents her life and her life-story for the job of her dreams. The film got a 57% on Rotten Tomatoes and The New York Times said that “Jennifer Lopez Deserves Better” but what does Global Grind think? Franchise and Landon dig into the movie and surprisingly when it comes to J. Lo’s acting, they’re actually impressed by her skill. As far as her ability to act and portray a homely, minimum wage worker turned high level exec, Jennifer Lopez was able to execute the role flawlessly. DJ Franchise had a few things about the film that he wasn’t in love with. One of which was what he called the “Disney fee”, which you likely will get from most romantic comedies. He also feels that the film would have been even better if Jenny was actually from the block. Otherwise, according to our resident bully DJ Franchise, Second Act wasn’t half bad. Our two in house critics give their own review and drop a rating. Should you see Second Act ? Hit play and we’ll let you know. Then, Franchise and Landon share their favorite all time holiday movie classics. Some are a little more “Christmasy” than others and at one point it gets a little awkward. Check out episode 22 of The Rewind above!
Source: Kyle Goldberg / GlobalGrind.com According to ESPN, Astroworld’s own Travis Scott will be joining Maroon 5 on the lineup for the Super Bowl LIII halftime show. Some of his counterparts aren’t too happy with his decision, but he will certainly help bring an edge to an otherwise bland performance lineup. Rappers like Meek Mill have expressed on twitter that Travis doesn’t need this performance, hoping that he drops out. But, if he does perform, we know he’s going to steal the show! Travis was recently nominated for a Grammy for best rap performance and best rap song. He also spent a week at #1 on Billboards Hot 100. Should Travis perform at the Super Bowl LIII halftime show? Let us know below… Take Our Poll
Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). Source: Thaddaeus McAdams / Getty via Bossip : Congratulations are in order for Joe Budden and his lady love of nearly three years, Cyn Santana . The couple share an adorable one-year-old son together and a lovely house in New Jersey, so fans have been counting down the days on Joe to make the big move toward officiality with Cyn. 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 During a live taping of the Joe Budden podcast in NYC this evening, Joe called Cyn to the stage, dropped to one knee, and asked Cyn to spend the rest of her life with him. . @JoeBudden proposed to @Cyn_Santana during the @JoeBuddenPod live show tonight. Congrats to the couple! ( via @ @KevinSparkz ) pic.twitter.com/lxsVqRwX4y — Missinfo (@Missinfo) December 20, 2018 SEE ALSO: Joe Budden Claims He Did Not Run Away From Offset, Had To Use Bathroom [Video] Congrats @JoeBudden & @Cyn_Santana @JoeBuddenPod . pic.twitter.com/3kQlqQlP7a — sᴀʀᴀʜ♡ (@smarzxx) December 20, 2018 Good for them! We can’t wait to see this Mona Scott-Young produced wedding special! See photos of Joe Budden and Cyn Santana together below! ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Somebody Needs To Get Jacquees Before Keith Sweat Lays Him Out [VIDEO] After Losing 30 Pounds By Changing Her Diet, A Slim And Sugar-Free Sherri Shepherd Is Ready To Date Again Michelle Obama Shares Funny Story About President Barack Obama’s Car When He Was In Law School [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] [ione_media_gallery src=”https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com” id=”1950154″ overlay=”true”] Follow @TheRSMS
