What a dummy. Of all the places to show up with a spliff in your pocket , this has got to be the worst case scenario. A New Orleans lawyer would have saved himself a lot of trouble if only he checked his pockets before heading to court on Monday. Assistant city attorney Jason Cantrell was issued a summons after he dropped a joint while talking to a police officer in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. Cantrell, 43, was cited for simple drug possession and released under a city policy for low-level marijuana cases, according to police. According to the New Orleans Police Department spokesperson Garry Flot, Cantrell was talking to one of the officers waiting to testify in court when the rolled up joint tumbled out of his pocket and landed on the floor. People who witnessed the comical scene said that two officers glanced at the joint, and then exchanged a bemused look before making arguably the world’s easiest drug bust. The pair were spotted chuckling as their colleagues led Cantrell out of the courtroom at around 4.15pm to issue him a summons. Ryan Berni, a spokesman for Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s office, told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that at the time of the incident, Cantrell was not working on behalf of the city. He was suspended without pay pending an investigation. Cantrell resigned on Monday and, whatever his next career move is, we hope he learned his lesson and keeps his joints at home from now on! Source Images via facebook
Tyler Perry’s on the cover of Essence…again. Opening up about his new role as Alex Cross, Perry praises black women (his number one fan base according to Essence), and takes a serious moment to talk about the late greats Whitney and MJ. Telling the mag, “When Black women are down with you and in your corner, you have an ally that will move heaven and earth…”, you can’t help but realize that even Tyler knows the huge number of female supporters, particularly those with religious backgrounds, have had a lot to do with his successful career. According to The Grio… Essence estimates that Perry’s film enterprise spawned from the beloved stage character Madea — a fierce-talking mother figure — is worth an impressive $1 billion. After parlaying his Madea plays into movies, the actor-producer aims to extend his entertainment brand even further by playing the complete opposite of the grandmotherly mad woman. Yes, get ready for: Tyler Perry, Action Star. Taking over the role of Alex Cross, which was previously played by Morgan Freeman, Perry beat out Idris Elba among others for the role in the coming eponymous film. “Rising past the haters — and the sheer desolation of losing his beloved mother — Tyler Perry has only just begun to soar,” the magazine states about the iconic producer. “Respected as a writer, director and mogul, the man behind the $1 billion-plus Madea franchise is now moving into unchartered territory: Action hero.” Perry’s Alex Cross, in which he plays the butt-kicking lead, is certainly a departure from his female-oriented melodramas. On the heels of the announcement that Tyler Perry will be uniting with Oprah Winfrey to produce original, scripted series for her OWN network, this is shaping up to be quite an exciting week for the performer who is also a seasoned television producer. We’re glad to see Perry moving into a different genre but we wonder if he can finally shake off all the Madea stigmas he’s boxed himself into. Images via Essence
Please O…none of us want another Perry Produced/Written sitcom. Is it just us or is this a bad move for her and the OWN Network? We’ve got to hand it to Oprah…her network was falling so far in ratings many of us were wondering if OWN would still be on air right now. But with shows like Super Soul Sunday, Oprah’s Lifeclass, Iyanla, Fix My Life, and her Next Chapter interviews, the network was has bounced back and reported numbers in the double-digits this past quarter. So what’s her next step? She’s bringing scripted programming to the network and she’s turned to Tyler Perry…(kill us now). OWN sent out a press release recently and they’ve confirmed that the network has entered into a partnership with Perry, who is set to produce ‘scripted’ material for the channel: Los Angeles, CA – OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today an exclusive partnership with Tyler Perry, the award winning actor, director, screenwriter, playwright and producer, to become his singular destination for all new television series and projects, including two new scripted series for the network to premiere in mid 2013. These will be the first original scripted series for OWN and Perry will executive produce, write and direct both series. The announcement comes as OWN’s momentum and ability to draw new viewers continues to grow. The network closed its third consecutive quarter of year-over-year, double-digit ratings gains across primetime and total day in the key women 25-54 demo (+63% and +70% respectively) and saw triple-digit ratings growth in September. Perry’s popular television series “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” “Meet The Browns” and “For Better Or Worse” have been massive hits with record-breaking ratings. Perry had his first foray into television in 2007 with the hit series “House of Payne,” which premiered as cable’s biggest comedy debut ever. The series remained basic cable’s top-rated sitcom only until the premiere of Perry’s second series “Meet The Browns.” “I have been looking forward to the day when we would be in the position to enter the world of scripted television. That day has come,” said Oprah Winfrey, CEO, OWN. “We are all energized by the opportunity to collaborate with Tyler who has a proven track record for producing highly successful cable series. He has an incredible ability to illuminate life stories and characters in his unique voice and inspires and encourages people all over the world.” “It’s a dream realized to partner with Oprah and bring scripted programming to OWN,” stated Perry. “She has accomplished so much with the network and I’m excited to work with her to be a part of its continued growth.” “Bringing Tyler Perry exclusively to OWN is a major coup. Today’s announcement demonstrates the power of the Oprah brand to attract some of the biggest names in television and film to OWN,” said David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery Communications. “OWN’s growth over the past nine months has been nothing short of phenomenal and, with the continued support of our advertising and affiliate Partners, this bold move into scripted entertainment positions OWN to continue that momentum going forward.” What do you think about this collab? Is Oprah trying to reach out to the black community via Perry? And will he step outside of the box and not give us show(s) like House of Payne, Meet the Browns, and For Better or Worse? Images via WENN
Looks like they had a good day! You almost forget how much drama Halle’s got going on and we’re glad to see her looking pretty damn good while she enjoys some stress-free time out with Nahla! Hit the flip for more pics…
What do you think about all this bullisht? We’ve all read about the backstage scuffle that went down at BET’s Hip Hop Awards over the weekend and a lot of folks have spoken out against the beef since it happened Saturday night. BET finally released a statement and we’re wondering if they dismissed it a little too quickly. Tonight during a taping of the BET Hip Hop Awards 2012 (not the BET Awards, which went down without incident two months ago) an altercation between two rap entourages broke out backstage. Atlanta police and BET security quickly defused the altercation. According to the Associated Press, police spokesman Carlos Campos said officers responded to the scuffle at around 7:30 p.m. EST Campos says there were no shots fired. More drama unfolded as two men were involved in a fistfight in the parking lot of the venue. BET Networks issued a statement in response to the many inaccurate reports and rumors circulating on social media. “BET Networks works very hard to bring the best in entertainment to the city of Atlanta. For the past 7 years BET has celebrated the true art form of Hip Hop. Due to some misjudgment of select attendees, it is unfortunate that certain incidents took place. BET Networks does not condone any type of violence. Local authorities are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. Despite the actions of a few the 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards embodied the true spirit of hip hop and was not impacted at all by any incidents.” What do you think about the way it was handled…does stating that the event “was not impacted at all by any incidents” really ring true? Source Images via WENN/facebook
Swizz just added Ambassador to his multifaceted career … Celebrating the new $325 million wing at Harlem Hospital, and revealing original paintings created under President Roosevelt’s Harlem Renaissance-era Works Progress Administration, Swizz touched on the importance of healthcare. Choosing to honor Dr. John W.V. Cordice during his speech, and reflecting on the surgery he performed on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. after a failed assassination attempt (which ultimately helped save his life), Swizz shared heartfelt words while accepting the nomination to become the first-ever Global Ambassador for NYC’s public hospital’s system. “I can honestly say tonight represents something bigger than a Grammy… bigger than selling millions of records… bigger than my wildest musical dreams,” said rapper-turned-Renaissance man Swizz Beatz (born Kasseem Dean) in his keynote address at a celebratory dinner for Harlem Hospital’s new Mural Pavilion Thursday night. “When I go home tonight, I’m going to write in my journal… today’s date, because it marks history…” Swizz said that he would like this new responsibility to help him show the youth today that you can be more than a rapper. “I encourage our youth to step outside of the box that some of us may have been put in,” expressing fatigue over the many requests he gets from fans looking for advice on how to become a rapper like him. “I want to be the renaissance man for my generation to show them that there are so many more things that we can do out here to move this world to a forward-thinking place.” Many pieces of art on display are being curated by Swizz himself and upgrades to the new six-story building include a new emergency department, a burn unit and an intensive care unit, and the hospital will expand access to preventive health services to address the community’s high rates of asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, and stroke. That’s something anyone, celeb or not, would be proud to be a part of. Source Images via WENN
What do you think of these 49-year-old cakes Ashton left for Mila? Some folks keep saying she’s looking gaunt and “dangerously” thin but with toned legs and snapped leaving the gym in LA the other day, we think she’s looking pretty damn good for the year she’s been having. Hit the flip and let us know what you think about Demi’s Cougar Azz…
How many racist statements can this woman make in one week?? Ann Coulter’s at it again. The attention-loving slore knows how to say isht that will have people fuming and this is the third time this week that she’s made a disgusting statement. Sitting down for an interview on the right-wingers beloved Fox and Friends, Coulter was promoting her new book “Mugged”. In it, she claims that the left-wing is “racially biased” and slammed Chris Matthews for accusing Money Mitt and Repubs for playing the “race card” in order to get votes. “And the Democrats have a lot to be apologetic about,” she said. “They really do,” co-host Steve Doocy agreed. Coulter said that that he had to refer to “black people in other countries” because “here in America, he doesn’t have any black friends. He doesn’t have any black neighbors.” She said there was “not a black face” at Matthews’ son’s wedding, and said if that were true for a Republican, he would be “convicted of racism.” She also hit out at Rachel Maddow, who she claimed introduces her black guests as “wicked smart” or “special.”…”This is not a person that is comfortable around black people,” Coulter alleged. Ann continued, trying to crack a joke that only showed us just how racist she really is… “These are not people who have black friends, who know black people…Oh sorry, except for Lawrence O’Donnell and Bill Maher, who date black gals, so they think they’re freedom riders.” That’s some serious isht to say right there…and it doesn’t even make that much sense when you think about it…SMH We’re not sure how many Freedom Riders were swirlin’ but we’d like to thank ALL of them. They risked their lives so we could have a Voice today and the right to call this crazy b*tch out! Source Images via WENN
What happened to going to the JOP or saving for the wedding of your dreams?? Accused of faking Stage 3 and 4 bladder cancer , Lori Stiller just got her lyin’ azz slapped with a theft by deception charge. The 40-Year-Old announced the sad news in February 2011 and friends and family immediately began delivering food, held fundraisers, and quickly set up funds and planned her wedding…SMH. They raised roughly $10k because she clamed she didn’t have insurance to cover her chemo and care. Apparently, it was all a lie. According to The Huffington Post… An investigation found that Stilley had never been treated for nor diagnosed with cancer, prosecutors said. Her sister says she was the one who turned in Stilley. “I just did it for her to get help and for my niece and nephew, too, to feel safe,” Lori Digiovanni told WCAU-TV in Philadelphia. DiGiovanni told the TV station that she became suspicious when Stilley’s story changed quickly. Soon after telling friends and family that she was making hospice plans and was given a month to live, she posted on Facebook that she felt a miracle coming and was feeling better. DiGiovanni said she believes her sister needs mental health counseling…Stilley’s lawyer, however, said she did not do anything wrong. Not sure what her lawyer’s spittin’…she sounds crazy to us! Images via facebook
Here’s some good news for your football lovin’ ears… we told you earlier the league was trying to work things out and looks like both sides made nice for the love of the game. According to the New York Times: The National Football League reached agreement on a new labor deal with its game officials late Wednesday night, ending a lockout that forced unprepared replacement officials onto the field, creating three weeks of botched calls, acute criticism, furious coaches and players, and a blemish – however temporary — on the integrity of the country’s most popular sport. The agreement came 48 hours after the nadir of the league’s experiment with replacement officials, when an incorrect call on the final play of the Monday night game cost the Green Bay Packers a victory against the Seattle Seahawks. That nationally televised debacle spurred two days of furious and lengthy negotiations against the backdrop of immense public pressure and scorn, most of it directed at the league. Both sides were so determined to play no more games with replacements that they raced Wednesday night to get officials in place to work this week’s slate. A crew of regular officials will be in Baltimore on Thursday night to work the Ravens’ game against the Cleveland Browns. The members of the officials’ union will gather in Dallas to vote to ratify the contract on Friday, and regular officials will work Sunday’s games. Guess Foot Locker’s excited to have their employees back! Now let’s see all those isht talkers on Sunday take a seat when their teams are bringing in the right points instead of wins based on bogus calls! Images via facebook
