Source: Leon Provost / Radio One Houston Be careful what you wish for. Remember in March when YesJulz came under fire for being the culture vulture anti-black spectacle that she always is? Remember how Daniel Caesar came flying to her defense like your mother’s brother Thomas? Remember how he put out an IG video daring black people to cancel him? Well, fast forward to July and Daniel has released a surprise album like he thinks he’s Beyonce. The album, Case Study 101, only managed to sell roughly 3,000 copies with 22,000 streams according to The Grapejuice , which is…not great. Some will point to this as a result of Caesar begging to be canceled, but it probably has more to do with the fact a surprise album coming out while other highly-anticipated albums are dropping doesn’t usually bode well. He probably isn’t canceled or boycotted…but Twitter is still going to roast his a$$ for his sales. Right? Right. Take a look… Daniel Ceasar’s tap dancing ass album is flopping?? pic.twitter.com/cktjLlucAU — PHoxy Grandpa (@_Petty_Wap_) July 5, 2019
Meghan King Edmonds has penned a blog entry in which she opens up about something personal and painful. Titled “My Hart,” this post by the former Real Housewives of Orange County star delves in the state of Hart, one of her twin boys, who was born along with brother Hayes in June of 2018. “From the minute he was born I knew something was different with Hart,” wrote the long-time Bravo personality over this past weekend, adding: “The nurses struggled to straighten his legs to measure his length. He suckled hard, shallow, and often until I bled and he spit up black.” Edmonds, who was recently in the news because her husband has been accused of having an affair while she was pregnant with these boys, went on to write that she took Hart to see a pediatric ophthalmologist for a couple of reasons: He couldn’t see his hands, for example, and his eyes remained crossed for too long. The reality star says she was told nothing was the matter with Hart, but she refused to accept this as an answer. “I just knew,” Meghan continues. “I told our pediatrician – she said he was fine. I begged for a neurologist referral and when I got it – he said he was fine. I then begged for a neurologist who specializes in Cerebral Palsy (I jumped through hoops to get this appointment, so many hoops) and she said he might be fine. “I then begged for an MRI.” Via “an elective MRI with anesthesia,” as Edmonds describes it, a diagnosis was finally made. “I sat at a table with my husband for an hour as we waited for Hart to come out of the MRI. Tears gushed from my eyes as I blankly stared at the cars on the highway – but I wasn’t crying,” she recalled in this blog post. “My husband asked me what he could do. ‘Get me a Coke.’ Those tears were for a lot of things, but mostly the unknown and mostly Hart.” Three days after the exam, the toddler’s neurologist called. He relayed the awful news. “Hart has minor Periventricular Leukomalacia on both sides of his brain (namely the white matter), but more so on his right,” Edmonds revealed, explaining in further detail: “She said that this explains all of my concerns: the rigidity in his muscles, the (somewhat) delayed physical milestones, the lack of fluidity with arm and leg movements, the stiffness in joints, the weakness in his lower back, the somewhat favored use of his right side. “She told me this mainly occurs in premies and since he was not a premie (he was born at 37 weeks gestation) she believes this damage somehow occurred ‘a couple months before he was born.’ “She explained that he is at risk for being diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and will be monitored.” Edmonds previously opened up about her reaction to her husband’s misdeeds . But this admission is even more raw and unimaginable. “Hart has irreversible brain damage, it’s called PVL,” Meghan says. “Like I said, I already knew.” Referencing her husband and his reaction, along with how she chose to view the situation, Edmonds adds: “That night Jimmy and I went out to dinner for the first time in weeks. “I explained to Jimmy how we are not somehow compromised or punished for having a child with special needs (whatever that may or may not mean!), we are BLESSED. I will go on about this another time but just know that I do not see his diagnosis as anything but a gift: we were chosen to take on this special person. “I truly feel as if we’ve doubled down and won the underdog hand. Truly.” And Edmonds is stillt trying tomake the best out of the situation. She’s still trying to remain as positive as possible. “I pray for a miracle and I grapple with how to navigate his life,” she wrote. “This is a heavy challenge as a mother: where do we go from here? This is where: one foot in front of the other.” We applaud Edmonds for her candid post and we send her and her loved ones the very best during this difficult journey.
Source: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic / Getty Disney Channel mourns the death of another one of their young stars. On Sunday, it was announced that “Jessie” actor Cameron Boyce died Saturday night in his sleep. According to law enforcement: “The 20-year-old actor,who starred in several Disney shows including “Descendants,” could not be revived after paramedics rushed to his home. Cameron’s family said he had an ongoing medical condition and died in his sleep the result of a seizure.” Boyce is most known for his role in the ‘Descendants’ TV series and movies, playing Adam Sandler’s son in ‘Grown Ups’, “Shake it Up,” “Austin & Ally” and “Good Luck Charlie.” Cameron’s family released a statement about their son’s sudden passing, writing: “He passed away in his sleep due to a seizure which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated. The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him.” Fans and family alike have taken to social media to mourn the loss of Cameron. rest in peace to cameron boyce he was so young, incredibly talented, but also one of the kindest ppl I’ve ever met. sending love to his friends & family — James Charles (@jamescharles) July 7, 2019 Tell me why I just woke up and I see that Cameron Boyce passed away all over my tl. #RIPLuke pic.twitter.com/hrKlTXzTIX —
A tlanta-bred rapper T.I. has been a fierce advocate for criminal justice reform and he is taking his involvement in the movement to another level. According to WSB-TV , T.I.—whose real name is Clifford Harris —has joined Atlanta’s city jail task force to change the way the Atlanta City Detention Center is utilized. A newly formed task force charged with finding a new use for Atlanta’s city jail includes criminal justice reform volunteers, activists, council members and… @Tip https://t.co/KEwUAV0UTS — AJC (@ajc) July 3, 2019 The task force—which is being spearheaded by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms —is comprised of 25 elected officials, activists, and thought-leaders within the criminal justice reform space. They will gather to determine the best way to use the Atlanta City Detention Center where individuals are currently being held for minor offenses. According to a statement released by the task force, Mayor Bottoms wants to transform the facility into a space that can be used for wellness, the reduction of recidivism, and a support center for individuals who are impacted by mass incarceration. “There is a much better use for this facility,” said Mayor Bottoms as she signed legislation to have the jail closed in May. “My dream for this jail, for this physical facility, is that it becomes a center of equity. I see this as a place that we will have access to childcare, GED training, vocational training, also perhaps some type of housing in this place, workspace.” She believes that reimagining the jail will be an impactful step towards getting ahead of crime in the city. Facilities like the one being proposed by the mayor and the task force are needed. According to Patch , Georgia is the No. 1 state in the country when it comes to the number of people who are under supervision. This includes individuals who are in prison or jail or who are on parole or probation. Harris has been dedicated to bettering Atlanta. In April the rapper—who was awarded by the Georgia Senate for his philanthropic efforts—teamed up with the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church to bail out nonviolent offenders so they could be reunited with their families for Easter. SEE ALSO: T.I. Teams Up With Georgia Church To Bail Out Nonviolent Offenders For Easter T.I. Awards Single Mother With $25K Scholarship [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3881815″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Nicky Nelson/WENN.com / WENN Go Behind The Scenes Of Desus & Mero’s Everyday Life Have you ever wondered what it must be like behind the scenes with DESUS & MERO ? It’s really no surprise that with these two on set, the jokes never stop–but what else goes on in between filming skits and interviewing illustrious guests? Peep the video down below to spend a week with the boys and take a look behind the scenes to find out what really goes on while the TV magic is being made.
Source: OWN/Photographer Peter Forest Summer of OWN Cocktail Party Photos OWN through a ritzy soiree Saturday during the 2019 ESSENCE Music Festival. The Summer of OWN Cocktail Party sponsored by Dove was held at New Orleans’ Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern and was bustling with stars from the Oprah Winfrey network. Ava Duvernay who met with media before the party at an exclusive press conference was (of course) on hand… Source: OWN/Photographer Peter Forest as well as Oprah’s bestie/journalist Gayle King. Source: OWN/Photographer Peter Forest Source: OWN/Photographer Peter Forest The stars of “Queen Sugar” celebrated in good spirits… Source: OWN/Photographer Peter Forest Source: OWN/Photographer Peter Forest Source: OWN/Photographer Peter Forest and the cast of OWN’s “Ambitions” brought their black excellence to the gold carpet. Source: OWN/Photographer Peter Forest Source: OWN/Photographer Peter Forest Source: OWN/Photographer Peter Forest “Greenleaf’s” Lynn Whitfield, Deborah Joy Winans, and Merle Dandridge were spotted partying with Gayle and hitting the dance floor. Source: OWN/Photographer Peter Forest Source: OWN/Photographer Peter Forest The party featured passed plates and craft cocktails as well as sounds by DJ Princess Cut. Also, surprise guests The Exonerated 5 stopped by to celebrate with their “When They See Us” director Ava. Source: OWN/Photographer Peter Forest Fun times were for sure had. See more photos from the Summer of OWN cocktail party on the flip.
Source: Ted Soqui / Getty Kamala Harris Has A Plan To Invest In Black Homeownership According to CNN , California Sen. Kamala Harris unveiled a $100 billion plan to invest in black homeownership. Harris would reportedly invest $100 billion of federal money into housing assistance for black families as part of an effort to close the racial wealth gap in the United States. Harris tweeted: “A typical black family has just $10 of wealth for every $100 held by a white family,” she said. “So we must right that wrong and, after generations of discrimination, give black families a real shot at homeownership — historically one of the most powerful drivers of wealth in our country.” Harris’ housing program would come in the form of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants limited to families with incomes up to $100,000, or $125,000 in high-cost areas. Harris also pledged to work to expand HUD’s fair housing program, strengthen anti-discrimination lending laws and amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to require that credit scores include rent, phone and utility payments.
Source: Martin Ruegner / Getty Man Gets Jail Time For Clogging Toilets Around Wisconsin People are really going out of their way to find new ways to be arrested these days, and apparently, you can go to jail for clogging a bunch of toilets. 35-year-old Wisconsin man Patrick Beeman has been sentenced to a few months in jail because of his habit of clogging toilets around the state. During the time period of April 2017 to March 2018, Beeman regularly clogged toilets wherever he went using plastic water bottles. The Sheboygan man explained that he has a natural instinct to clog every toilet he encounters, telling police about his problem and hoping they would let him off easy. But after it was revealed that he had clogged over thirty toilets, the authorities felt they needed to take action and in turn, they’re locking him up for 150 days. Back when the Sheboygan Police Department was still trying to locate Beeman to take action, they issued a statement about his strange habit. “Why do this? I do not know but if you help us find the person I will tell you. This is very strange…and gross, but that is the reality of life,” said the Police Department. Once he heard that police were investigating the matter, Beeman stopped intentionally clogging toilets–but that wasn’t enough to keep him safe. He was charged with thirteen counts of criminal damage to property and because of that, the judge went extra hard on him. The recommended sentence was thirty days in jail but Judge Kent Hoffmann decided to hand down thirty days for each count. In addition to the 150 days, Beeman will have to pay $5,500 in restitution and cannot be found in possession of alcohol for three years. He also has to perform 100 hours of community service.
Tragic and shocking news today out of the television universe: Cameron Boyce, a rising and popular actor best known for roles on Disney projects such as Descendants and Jessie, has been found dead. He was only 20 years old. According to a statement releasd by Boyce’s family, the actor passed away in his sleep after suffering a seizure. This is what the 20-year old’s loved ones wrote in their heartfelt statement: It is with a profoundly heavy heart that we report that this morning we lost Cameron. He passed away in his sleep due to a seizure which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him. We are utterly heartbroken and ask for privacy during this immensely difficult time as we grieve the loss of our precious son and brother. Boyce had been acting since he was nine years old and was deeply involved in charity work. In March of this year, he was actually introduced former Vice President Joe Biden at the Biden Courage Awards. He was also honored with the Pioneering Spirit Award at last year’s Thirst Gala, sponsored by the Thirst Project, a nonprofit for which Boyce raised $30,000 to build wells for clean drinking water in Swaziland. Cameron was a very impressive young man. “We offer our deepest condolences to his family, castmates and colleagues and join his many millions of fans in grieving his untimely passing. He will be dearly missed,” a Disney Channel spokesperson said in response to the awful news. After making his big screen debut in the film Mirrors, Boyce struck it big just two years later when he was cast as one of Adam Sandler’s children in the movie Grown Ups. He went on to achieve Disney stardom as one of the leads in show Jessie. Boyce starred as Luke Ross alongside the eponymous Jessie Prescott, played by Debby Ryan on a series that ran for four seasons and 98 episodes. His role in the Descendants films, which led cable TV film ratings in 2015 and 2017, catapulted him to even greater heights. Here is a promotional photo from that franchise: Added Disney Channel in its message: “From a young age, Cameron Boyce dreamed of sharing his extraordinary artistic talents with the world. As a young man, he was fueled by a strong desire to make a difference in peoples’ lives through his humanitarian work. “He was an incredibly talented performer, a remarkably caring and thoughtful person and, above all else, he was a loving and dedicated son, brother, grandson and friend.” Boyce, who had 8.1 million followers on Instagram, was next set to appear in the HBO shows Mrs. Fletcher. We send our condolences to his friends, family members and loved ones. May Cameron Boyce rest in peace. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2019: In Memoriam
