Snooki, Leah Remini and Christina Milian are among those appearing on Dancing With the Stars this season, according to a celebrity gossip report. The Jersey Shore star will make her post-pregnancy return to … doing whatever it is she does, while Remini also makes for an interesting story. Remini, now one of the world’s most famous ex-Scientologist, recently underwent a very public split from the church after raising questions about it. Specifically, she inquired about leader David Miscavige’s wife Shelly, filing a missing persons report regarding her alleged disappearance in July. In addition to Remini and Snooki, TMZ says Elizabeth Berkley , Amber Riley from Glee , Christina Milian, and Keyshawn Johnson will also be Dancing . Also notable? Valerie Harper, whom doctors gave three months to live back in March due to her terminal brain cancer, and has defied the odds. So much so that she’s not just staying alive … she could be dancing to the Bee Gees song by that name on DWTS . Bad segues aside, it’s impressive. Valerie, 74, and her partner Tristan McManus have been practicing for two days now, and this is no charity case – she’s surprisingly good, it appears. The full Dancing With the Stars cast will be announced next week; Paula Deen and Farrah Abraham are also among those who have been approached. Whether they sign on is another story, obviously.
Looks like Demi Lovato may have a nude pic scandal in her hands. According to Radar Online, a supplier of the candid photos attempted to sell the risqué images to the entertainment site. Apparently, a dark-haired young woman who looks just like Lovato is shown posing nude in a bath tub and showing off her tatas in bed, among other sexual poses. [ Lossip ] Family Hustle 2.0? Ja Rule To Star In A New Family-Oriented Reality Show Since his May prison release, it appears that rapper Jeffrey “Ja Rule” Atkins is making an attempt to clean up his once popular bad boy persona. A few weeks ago we told you about his new movie role in upcoming Christian drama, I’m In Love With A Church Girl. We’ve also recently learned that he’s in the process of working on a new reality show with T.I. & Tiny: Family Hustle producer, Cris Abrego. According to Ja, the show will be extremely positive and family friendly. – See more at: http://madamenoire.com/292174/family-hustle-2-0-ja-rule-to-star-in-a-new-family-oriented-reality-show/#sthash.O7yR60PU.dpuf [ MadameNoire ] Lindsay Lohan Launches Lifestyle Site Lindsay Lohan warrants no introduction. We all know the success she came from as a child and the trouble she keeps finding herself in as a young adult. Now that she’s out of her latest court-ordered rehab stint (we’re on number…ah, who’s counting?), we can only imagine how slowly the scripts are rolling in. With all this free time, LiLo has decided to start a blog! – See more at: http://styleblazer.com/176311/lindsay-lohan-launches-lifestyle-site/#sthash.tOtswjFm.dpuf [ StyleBlazer ] Prince Features Dave Chappelle In New Single’s Artwork [PHOTO] Prince Rogers Nelson clearly has a great sense of humor. The cover art of the renowned singer’s new single, “Breakfast Can Wait,” features Dave Chappelle. Yes, Dave Chappelle in full Purple Rain era garb. – See more at: http://hiphopwired.com/2013/08/19/prince-features-dave-chappelle-in-new-singles-artwork-photos/#sthash.jR5ZwLRS.dpuf [ HipHopWired ] LEBRON JAMES Police Escort Now ‘Under Investigation’ [ TMZ ] Oh God, Lady GaGa and Perez Hilton Are At War [ EvilBeetGossip ] [Video] Russell Simmons Responds To ‘Harriet Tubman Sex Tape’ Controversy And Spike Lee Criticism [ NecoleBitchie ] Getting High With Seattle’s Finest [ TheDailyBeast ] CIA Admits It Was Behind Iran’s 1953 Coup [ HuffingtonPost ] Shaunie And Evelyn Discuss Divorces And Basketball Wives Season 5 On Access Hollywood [ VH1 ] Remember When: Britney Spears Had The Urge To Herbal [ Buzznet ] Stacey Dash Slams Oprah on Twitter [ VibeVixen ] Selena Gomez’s Family Urge Her To Stay Away From Justin Bieber [ StarPulse ] Continue reading →
Can the gay community be fully embraced in any religion? Pope Francis Reaches Out To The Gays Via HuffPo reports: Pope Francis reached out to gays on Monday, saying he wouldn’t judge priests for their sexual orientation in a remarkably open and wide-ranging news conference as he returned from his first foreign trip. “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis asked. His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, signed a document in 2005 that said men with deep-rooted homosexual tendencies should not be priests. Francis was much more conciliatory, saying gay clergymen should be forgiven and their sins forgotten. Francis’ remarks came Monday during a plane journey back to the Vatican from his first foreign trip in Brazil. He was funny and candid during a news conference that lasted almost an hour and a half. He didn’t dodge a single question, even thanking the journalist who raised allegations reported by an Italian newsmagazine that one of his trusted monsignors was involved in a scandalous gay tryst. Francis said he investigated and found nothing to back up the allegations. Francis was asked about Italian media reports suggesting that a group within the church tried to blackmail fellow church officials with evidence of their homosexual activities. Italian media reported this year that the allegations contributed to Benedict’s decision to resign While stressing Catholic social teaching that calls for homosexuals to be treated with dignity and not marginalized, Francis said it was something else entirely to conspire to use private information for blackmail or to exert pressure. Francis was responding to reports that a trusted aide was involved in an alleged gay tryst a decade ago. He said he investigated the allegations according to canon law and found nothing to back them up. But he took journalists to task for reporting on the matter, saying the allegations concerned matters of sin, not crimes like sexually abusing children. And when someone sins and confesses, he said, God not only forgives but forgets. “We don’t have the right to not forget,” he said. The Catholic Church is making progress but until they move forward with their views on women in the church growth within the church will remain stagnant Continue reading →
While a pamphlet of sex alternatives from an Australian Christian school was amusing, this story of a coach taking an interest in her players’ lives well beyond that of a normal coach is far from it. Beckie Francis was fired from her position of women’s basketball coach at University of Oakland on June 12th. Didn’t hear about it? Well at the time it wasn’t a big story. The school joined Division I in 1997 but hasn’t been what one might call an athletic powerhouse, so the news didn’t make “the news.” Until last night. Everyone who has played sports has a story about a coach who was a jerk. Worked them too hard, expected too much, wasn’t happy with anything. Most of the time it turns out the coach was just trying to get the best out of the players and being ‘hard’ was the way they decided to go about it. Their actions rarely inflict lasting bad feelings, and in the end usually end up being to the players’ benefit. The women who played for Beckie Francis are telling their own “horrible coach” story and it’s not one that has that element of wistful remembrance of a time and person that meant so much to them, a happy moment in their lives. No, those players are telling the tale of a coach who would often question their religious practices, inviting them to her church. A coach whose constant monitoring of their weight led quite of few to the dark world of eating disorders. A coach who even inquired about their sex lives, insisting that they tell all who asked that they were virgins; Christian virgins. Beckie Francis has made news headlines before. Last fall she became a spokesperson of sort against sexual abuse, admitting to her own experiences of being sexually abused by her father. Now she is making headlines for a different kind of abuse, mental and emotional. When talking to the Detroit Free Press , former University of Oakland player, Stacey Farrell said that “mental abuse is definitely the two words that describe my three years there.” According to other former players, many of who have requested to remain nameless in the press, Francis would join in practice with the players, only to touch their stomachs asking to “feel your sixpack”. Francis even went so far to ask one of her assistant coaches to take photographs of her players in their sports bras and spandex, “flexing their muscles” at different times so she had a record of their weight and appearance. So why didn’t these players go tell someone all this was happening? Besides the usual sports mentality of “coach knows best”, Beckie Francis is married to the University president, Gary Russi. The same day that Francis was fired, it was announced that Russi would retire, effective August 1st. Many players that left the Oakland program have gone on to find success at other schools, but there are plenty more who have lost a love of the game and are left with a distrust of those who should be looked to for guidance.
Elisha Cuthbert has found her happy ending. The Canadian actress tied the knot with her longtime, hockey star love Dion Phaneuf Saturday, according to the Journal Pioneer of Prince Edward Island. Cuthbert wed the Toronto Maple Leafs captain at the St. James Catholic Church in Summerfield, P.E.I., with a reception for nearly 300 guests at Phaneuf’s home. Toronto Star reporter Rosie DiManno live-tweeted the hockey star’s nuptials from inside the church (which was fittingly decorated with maple leaves). “It’s a big wedding, probably the biggest I’ve ever done in my 46 years, as far as the celebrity part of it goes,” said Rev. Paul Egan to the publication. The couple began dating five years ago. Dion Phaneuf popped the question last September and announced their engagement to 35 friends and family during a lobster dinner at New Glasgow Lobster. Congrats to the newlyweds!!
Pastor Jim is going ham… threatening to bounce out and preach at a smaller more appreciative church! A video excerpt of a sermon by Jim Standridge, senior pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Skiatook, Okla., has gone viral on the Internet, inspiring hundreds of comments about the Christian minister storming from the pulpit during his message to admonish a congregant for falling asleep and then calling out other worshippers, one of whom he decries as “the sorriest church member I have.” Advertisement More Church & Ministries News Arizona Ecclesia Church and Pastor Steve Gilbertson Takes Gospel to Bar by Making It a Sanctuary Former Lesbian Janet Boynes’ Message to Christians after Demise of DOMA: ‘Keep Hope Alive’ Founder of “Reasons For God” Carson Said About Christian Apologist: Having Answers for Skeptics Can Lead to Faith SMH @ The kid turning the video room into his own kingdom… youtube
The White House was forced to respond to a recent petition asking it to designate the Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group , which it declined to do. The Obama administration did, however, include this passive-aggressive GIF in its response, showing where all the anti-WBC signatures came from: The official “We the People” site guarantees a response to any petition with 100,000 signatures, no matter how much it wants to ignore something or someone. The takeaway? Even if the White House can’t really do or say much of anything about them, a lot of people all over the place really dislike the Westboro Baptist Church! Hundreds of thousands of people attached their names to efforts to expose WBC – which even called out Taylor Swift of all people – for what it is. Reprehensible as the church may be, as long as it operates within the law, any action against it (beyond lemonade stands for peace ) is not happening. “To the extent that these petitions request a particular law enforcement or adjudicatory action, we cannot issue a comment,” reads the White House response. “In addition, the federal government doesn’t maintain a list of hate groups.” It does however, retain a list of your email contacts and Facebook friends. Just kidding. Not really. Five petitions in all asked the Obama administration to either recognize WBC as a hate group or revoke the tax-exempt status of the extremist organization. Other than pointing to legislation that pushes the protestors out of military funerals, the White House can’t really do a whole lot. Bill of Rights and all. Nevertheless, the above GIF serves as a subtle acknowledgment of the fact that this was one of the most popular petitions in We the People history.
