Your browser does not support iframes. T he 7th Annual Blitz Showcase works to highlight today’s stars and up-and-comers in the world of R&B and hip hop . With celebs like Nick Cannon , Lil’ Kim , Remy Ma , and Travis Scott on the guest list, it’s sure to be a star-studded affair. Before the show, our own Rae Holliday caught up with songstress and reality TV star Lyrica Anderson to talk Love & Hip Hop , her new single, and her upcoming album release. Of course, this year’s epically messy L&HH reunion special is the thing everyone wants to know about. “It’s a drama show, I mean it’s like you tell your story and everybody has a little drama in their life or what ever but I got brought into something that … I didn’t know it was gonna end up that crazy just be being friends with somebody,” she says. “So, you know, just trying to keep the peace, focus on the music.” Anderson then switches topics to something a little more pleasant: her recently-released single. “So my single just dropped, ‘Don’t Take It Personal.’ Shout out to all the PD’s and radio stations who are showing love and support right now,” she says. What better place to hype up her new record than The Blitz, right? “I’m excited to be performing. I’m excited to be in New York,” Lyrica concludes. “Shout out to my label Empire. I’m just hype, it’s gonna be fun.” See what else Anderson had to say in our exclusive interview, above.
Once again, Jenelle Evans is threatening to quit MTV’s Teen Mom 2, claiming producers are causing major damage to her life and marriage. In response to her portrayal on Monday’s episode, the Carolina Hurricane said she is “not healthy anymore” and put the network on blast. If you watch Teen Mom 2 online , you saw an episode last night that focused heavily on marital problems between Jenelle and David Eason. The 25-year-old did not take kindly to it. Slamming producers in an Instagram post early Tuesday, she said the way her marriage was portrayed by producers is just “uncalled for.” “Yes, me and David have our ups and downs but yesterday’s episode was uncalled for,” she captioned the not-at-all-staged pic above. “Because David didn’t feel like explaining another argument or drama on camera,” Jenelle said, MTV distorted it terribly. “They make it look as if David is hiding some weird ass shit from the public as if he was hurting me in some way?” Evans continued railing against last night’s Teen Mom 2 : “I have decided after this season I’m probably calling it quits for filming this show.” “I told [my Teen Mom producer] Morgan it’s getting to out of hand and it’s not healthy for us anymore, just harming us mentally.” “They treat all of us as if we are in a freak show and in cages. WE aren’t human beings to @mtv what-so-ever.” “The first screenshot of the custody episode someone posted photoshopping a hand mark on my arm.” “The other screenshots are pictures I’ve taken myself from the same episode… and there aren’t any hand marks. “Once they treat me with respect I’ll be back, if they don’t I’ll be happy with the life I’ve got. I told them this last night. #MarriedLife #MIA” Cameras followed the newlyweds last night as they planned a photoshoot for the Save the Date cards for their forthcoming wedding. At one point, Eason appeared to kick the film crew out of the house, though he acted like everything was fine the next day. It was not fine, however, as Jenelle saw it. She continued with a second rant later: “MTV has done a great job this time. I watched last nights episode at 2 p.m. yesterday afternoon and have been very upset ever since.” Though her Instagram is active, she said, “I deactivated my accounts mainly because I don’t want to even begin to read the comments.” “Here are texts of me explaining that subtitling my son when he has speech therapy isn’t right at all,” she adds, with this screen shot: “MTV feels the need to keep it in their story and out the subtitle in ‘feed me,'” she laments, noting “I’ve blocked all my producers numbers.” “I will not stand for the negative shit anymore. I’ll be off social media for a while to be focusing on solely my family. @mtv” Jenelle’s parting shot to the producers? “You guys are making my marriage look like it’s one big f–king joke so thanks.” In Evans’ defense, she is not the only member of the cast to complain about editing, which certainly happens on any show. Producers have a vested interest in a “storyline” fans want to watch, and often times tension beats calm domestic bliss. On the flip side … come on Jenelle. View Slideshow: Jenelle Evans: Pregnant With Fourth Child?! To say she’s had a tumultuous life largely of her own making would be an understatement, and her relationship with David is no exception. Why would we possibly think this tension with David is manufactured, and moreover, why would she care what Teen Mom 2 fans think? If you’re a fan of Jenelle, you’ve come to accept the bad with the good a long, long time ago, and support her through thick and thin. Sure, you might hope reports of a fourth pregnancy (above) are false, and question her decisions, but no one hasn’t formed an opinion. It is what it is. Why hide behind editing like you’re protecting some pristine, otherwise immaculate reputation MTV is intent on ruining? Agree? Disagree? Discuss below. View Slideshow: Jenelle Evans: See All the Photos from Her Wedding to David Eason
Oh no, Donna Karan. This is not the way. Allegations of Harvey Weinsteins decades of sexual harassment have been exposed, and it looks like that’s just the beginning. He’s been condemned by people who once considered him a friend, including living legends like Meryl Streep . Donna Karan has spoken out in his defense, however … in the worst possible way. For years, Harvey Weinstein has been dogged by the occasional rumor of sexual harassment. One of the rumored victims is Ashley Judd , and we knew that years ago. Well, after the New York Times published a massive expose that alleged a wildly disturbing pattern of sexual harassment, in which Weinstein allegedly promised to boost women’s careers if they did as he asked — and, in some accusations, he didn’t even ask — it looks like the cat is out of the bag. In fact, Harvey Weinstein has been fired from his own company . Harvey has issued a weak-ass apology. “I came of age in the ’60s and ’70s, when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different. That was the culture then.” Yeah, that is literally no excuse. You’re an adult. Even if this were the 1500s, the time period wouldn’t be an excuse. At best, it would be an explanation.” “I have since learned it’s not an excuse, in the office — or out of it. To anyone. I realized some time ago that I needed to be a better person and my interactions with the people I work with have changed.” Uh-huh. “I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it. Though I’m trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go. That is my commitment.” The general public reaction has been that this is too little, too late. But Donna Karan, legendary designer and friend of Weinstein’s, was asked while on the red carpet and she gave quite an answer. “I think we have to look at ourselves. Obviously, the treatment of women all over the world is something that has always had to be identified.” “Certainly in the country of Haiti where I work, in Africa, in the developing world, it’s been a hard time for women.” Women have a hard time everywhere, but that’s a great way to plug your own humanitarian work. “To see it here in our own country is very difficult, but I also think how do we display ourselves? How do we present ourselves as women?” “What are we asking? Are we asking for it by presenting all the sensuality and all the sexuality?” The short answer is: no . The longer reply is: what the hell is wrong with you ? No one ever ‘asks for it.” You could walk down the street naked and no one would have the right to touch you. (Well, police might arrest you, but other than that) “And what are we throwing out to our children today about how to dance and how to perform and what to wear? How much should they show?” If an adult is sexualizing a child, that is 100% on the adult. Obviously. “You look at everything all over the world today and how women are dressing and what they are asking by just presenting themselves the way they do. What are they asking for? Trouble.” Women who wear clothing aren’t asking for trouble, Donna Karan. But women who say idiotic things that blame victims of sexual harassment sure are. She’s been blasted for these comments on Twitter, by the general public and by major celebrities. Donna Karan is aware of the backlash and issued a statement via JustJared : “Last night, I was honored at the Cinemoi Fashion Film Awards in Hollywood and while answering a question on the red carpet I made a statement that unfortunately is not representative of how I feel or what I believe.” “I have spent my life championing women.” We have to wonder how in the world one accidentally slips up and says that. You can say the wrong name or get something else wrong, sure, but rambling on about how sexual harassment is the victim’s fault for being so darn irresistible is … not an accident. “My life has been dedicated to dressing and addressing the needs of women, empowering them and promoting equal rights.” “My statements were taken out of context and do not represent how I feel about the current situation concerning Harvey Weinstein.” Ugh, the old “taken out of context” line. Which makes the whole apology just about worthless. “I believe that sexual harassment is NOT acceptable and this is an issue that MUST be addressed once and for all regardless of the individual. I am truly sorry to anyone that I offended and everyone that has ever been a victim.” If she had said just this last part, it would have been better. We don’t know if Donna Karan’s apology will be accepted, particularly given that she tries to throw up the “taken out of context” excuse. There are real quotes that are taken out of context, but unless Donna Karen actually said “the worst thing that a person could say is,” before she said what she said, what context could possibly make what she said okay? To make matters worse, following that initial New York Times expose, the New Yorker has come out with horror stories from a few of Weinstein’s accusers. We’re not longer just talking about allegations of sexual harassment, though that alone is unacceptable. When it comes to Harvey Weinstein, we’re now talking about accusations of sexual assault .
Source: Peopleimages / Getty A Banana Republic manager has been accused of threatening to cut a Black employee’s hours for wearing box braids to work, calling her popular hairstyle “urban and unkempt.” According to a recent Facebook post, Destiny Tompkins laid out the whole incident, explaining that her manager at the Westchester, New York branch pulled her aside to warn her about her hair after the company’s District Manager complained about it. Both mangers are white. READ ALSO: Appeals Court: Employees Don’t Have A Right To Wear Dreadlocks “I came in and he questioned me about the dress code and immediately, I thought there was something wrong with my outfit but he sat me down and questioned my hair instead,” the college sophomore wrote on social media. “He told me that my braids were not Banana Republic appropriate and that they were too “urban” and “unkempt” for their image. He said that if I didn’t take them out then he couldn’t schedule me for shifts until I did.” Tompkins, who has only been working at the clothing store for a month, added: “I have never been so humiliated and degraded in my life by a white person.” She also tried to explain to her boss about protective styling, but it seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. “Box braids are not a matter of unprofessionalism, they are protective styles black women have used for their hair and to be discriminated against because of it is truly disgusting and unacceptable,” she wrote. “There’s no reason why a white person should feel allowed to tell me that I can’t wear my hair the way that I want bc it’s too black for their store image. #boycottbanana Banana Republic.” READ ALSO: Meet The Woman Suing Her Job For Firing Her Over Menstrual Leaks A spokesperson from Banana Republic stated that “as a company, we have zero tolerance for discrimination. We take this matter very seriously and we are actively conducting an investigation. We are committed to upholding an inclusive environment where our customers and our employees feel respected.” As the New York Daily News points out, despite the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission considering treating someone differently based on hair texture race discrimination, many judges have not ruled in favor of plaintiffs suing employers for that kind of discrimination. Just last year we reported that an appeals court ruled that banning employees from wearing their hair in dreadlocks is not a form of racial discrimination. The lawsuit was brought to the court of appeals by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which charged that an Alabama insurance claims processing company had discriminated against Chastity Jones in 2010. They offered her employment [but stated] that she needed to get rid of her dreadlocks because of their grooming standards. When Jones refused, the company withdrew its offer of employment. Why can’t the world just let Black women and our hair be great? RELATED NEWS: Dove Under Fire For Ad That Turns A Black Woman Into A White Woman After Using Soap You Gotta Pay Up: Victoria’s Secret To Shelve Out $12 Million To Employees For Unfair Treatment Wait, What?! Ohio School Bans Afro Puff & Braids! [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”2738320″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Peopleimages / Getty A Banana Republic manager has been accused of threatening to cut a Black employee’s hours for wearing box braids to work, calling her popular hairstyle “urban and unkempt.” According to a recent Facebook post, Destiny Tompkins laid out the whole incident, explaining that her manager at the Westchester, New York branch pulled her aside to warn her about her hair after the company’s District Manager complained about it. Both mangers are white. READ ALSO: Appeals Court: Employees Don’t Have A Right To Wear Dreadlocks “I came in and he questioned me about the dress code and immediately, I thought there was something wrong with my outfit but he sat me down and questioned my hair instead,” the college sophomore wrote on social media. “He told me that my braids were not Banana Republic appropriate and that they were too “urban” and “unkempt” for their image. He said that if I didn’t take them out then he couldn’t schedule me for shifts until I did.” Tompkins, who has only been working at the clothing store for a month, added: “I have never been so humiliated and degraded in my life by a white person.” She also tried to explain to her boss about protective styling, but it seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. “Box braids are not a matter of unprofessionalism, they are protective styles black women have used for their hair and to be discriminated against because of it is truly disgusting and unacceptable,” she wrote. “There’s no reason why a white person should feel allowed to tell me that I can’t wear my hair the way that I want bc it’s too black for their store image. #boycottbanana Banana Republic.” READ ALSO: Meet The Woman Suing Her Job For Firing Her Over Menstrual Leaks A spokesperson from Banana Republic stated that “as a company, we have zero tolerance for discrimination. We take this matter very seriously and we are actively conducting an investigation. We are committed to upholding an inclusive environment where our customers and our employees feel respected.” As the New York Daily News points out, despite the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission considering treating someone differently based on hair texture race discrimination, many judges have not ruled in favor of plaintiffs suing employers for that kind of discrimination. Just last year we reported that an appeals court ruled that banning employees from wearing their hair in dreadlocks is not a form of racial discrimination. The lawsuit was brought to the court of appeals by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which charged that an Alabama insurance claims processing company had discriminated against Chastity Jones in 2010. They offered her employment [but stated] that she needed to get rid of her dreadlocks because of their grooming standards. When Jones refused, the company withdrew its offer of employment. Why can’t the world just let Black women and our hair be great? RELATED NEWS: Dove Under Fire For Ad That Turns A Black Woman Into A White Woman After Using Soap You Gotta Pay Up: Victoria’s Secret To Shelve Out $12 Million To Employees For Unfair Treatment Wait, What?! Ohio School Bans Afro Puff & Braids! [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”2738320″ overlay=”true”]
Time has not been kind to Nelly. And, if we’re to believe recent accusations against him, Nelly has not been kind to others in return. Early yesterday morning, he was arrested for allegedly raping a woman on his tour bus . He’s currently on tour with Florida Georgia Line, and the arrest happened a few hours after a show in Washington on Friday night. According to a statement from local police, a woman called 911 at nearly 4:00 AM and reported that Nelly had sexually assaulted her. After officers arrived on the scene and did some investigating, there was apparently enough evidence to make an arrest, and Nelly was taken into custody. There wasn’t enough evidence to hold him though, and a few hours later he was released. His lawyer then made a statement saying that “Nelly is the victim of a completely fabricated allegation.” “Our initial investigation,” he explained, “clearly establishes the allegation is devoid of credibility and is motivated by greed and vindictiveness.” “I am confident, once the scurrilous accusation is thoroughly investigated, there will be no charges.” The lawyer added that “Nelly is prepared to pursue all legal avenues to redress any damage caused by this clearly false allegation.” So far it’s obviously a pretty serious case of he-said, she-said, right? But now Nelly is speaking on his own behalf. Shortly after the news broke of his arrest, he hopped on Twitter to defend himself. “Let me say that I am beyond shocked that I have been targeted with this false allegation,” he began. “I am completely innocent.” “I am confident that once the facts are looked at, it will be very clear that I am the victim of a false allegation.” “I do want to apologize to my loved ones for the embarrassment and for putting myself in a situation where I could be victimized by this false and defaming allegation,” he wrote. Nelly also thought it was important “to thank my fans for their unwavering support.” “They know me,” he said. “I assure you I will be vindicated. And I assure you, I will pursue every legal option to address this defaming claim.” “Thank you.” And just in case you didn’t follow that statement his lawyer wrote for him, he added “In other words y’all know damm well I ain’t do no dumm S^*t like this..!! Love ..!!!!” About an hour after making those tweets, he logged back on to clear up an extra bit of confusion. “To be absolutely clear,” he wrote, “I have not been charged with a crime therefore no bail was required. I was released, pending further investigation.” At this point, it’s hard to say who’s telling the truth. Nelly and his team could be right, this woman could have made up this whole story. But then again, Nelly could be doing his best to cover up his crimes — let’s be real, it’s not exactly unprecedented for a celebrity to use his fame as a way to prey on women like this. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out. View Slideshow: 21 Most Memorable Celebrity Mug Shots of All-Time
Delilah Rene, a nationally syndicated radio host who specializes in dedicating love songs to fans who call in, broke some awful news to her Facebook followers yesterday: Her son, Zachariah, committed suicide last Tuesday. “My dear friends, I need to share some devastating news with you. In the early morning hours, Tuesday, October 3, my son Zachariah, took his life,” Delilah wrote to her 1.4 million online fans. She went on to give a bit of background on Zachariah’s condition: “He was being treated, counseled, and embraced fiercely by family and friends while battling depression for some time now. “My heart is broken beyond repair and I can not fathom how to go on… but I have to believe he is at peace with the Lord and that God will get us through.” In a January Facebook message, Delilah had said her son was autistic. Zack was one of the host’s 13 children, 10 of whom are adopted. Another child, Sammy, passed away in 2012 due to complications from sickle cell anemia, just two years after she adopted him from a Ghanaian refugee camp in West Africa. This is what she wrote after that personal tragedy: “My son Sammy passed from this world today into heaven, but he left behind a piece of his amazing soul in all that met him. “As painful as this moment is, I am so so so so so thankful that God allowed me, my family and friends to experience the essence of his soul for the past two years. “Everyone who met him was blessed by his big heart, his silly character voices, his wonderful sense of humor and his kindness towards all. “He was a precious, precious young man and I praise the Lord that I was allowed to be bathed in Sammy’s love as his “MommaBear”… “We have been forever changed by having him in our lives.” Delilah is proudly known as the “Queen of Sappy Love Songs.” She has responded to an endless array of requests and dedications throughout her impressive career, as her nightly show is recorded in her home and airs on various stations around the country. “I will be absent from the radio and on social media for a time as I grieve and try to process this loss with my family,” Delilah wrote on Facebook shortly after confirming Zach’s passing. She added: “In the meantime we’ll be playing some of my favorite shows from the recent past. I’ll look forward to my return, as you all lift me up so very much. “Please pray for my beloved Zacky, and I will pray for all suffering from this debilitating disease called depression.” View Slideshow: 24 Stars Who Committed Suicide
Here’s the first trailer for Pacific Rim: Uprising starring John Boyega from Star Wars: The Force Awakens , who stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost. John takes over from Idris Elba to play a once-promising Jaeger pilot whose legendary father gave his life to secure humanity’s victory against the monstrous “Kaiju.” This is going to be an epic 3D adventure film that also stars Scott Eastwood and Charlie Day . In theaters March 23rd, 2018.
How much drama can one person endure in a lifetime? We’re not sure, but it’s becoming pretty clear that Jenelle Evans is doing her best to set the record. From her depressing childhood with the abusive father that later abandoned her entire family to her teenage pregnancy with one of the sketchiest characters in Teen Mom history, things have just never gone well for this girl. Throw in all of her arrests, her problems with addiction, her obvious emotional issues … It’s been overwhelming just to witness. Even now that Jenelle’s managed to get her life together a little bit — enough to stop doing heroin and become a homeowner, at least — things are still very, very far from perfect. She’s got that new custody battle over her youngest son, Kaiser, which began when the boy’s grandmother learned that she’d been doing drugs while pregnant with her third child . In the papers filed for the case, the grandmother claimed that Jenelle is seriously neglectful when it comes to her poor kids, and that her husband, David Eason, has been physically abusive. Oh, and speaking of that brand new husband of hers? Yeah, even though they’ve only been married for about two weeks now, we know that they’re already having major issues. Who could forget that now-classic fight Jenelle and David had the night before the wedding , the one where Jenelle called off the wedding and David brushed her off because he was “f-cking raking”? It wasn’t exactly a great sign for their future together. So yes, there’s a lot going on in Jenelle’s life right now … but it looks like there’s about to be a whole lot more added on to the pile. See those two gentlemen right there? That’s Nathan Griffith, obviously, but the guy next to him? That’s Ryan Dolph. Ryan is a friend of Nathan’s, but he’s been around long enough to be a friend of Jenelle’s, too. Or at least they used to be friends. Let’s back up. Ryan appeared on the recently aired Teen Mom 2 special, Being Nathan, and Jenelle took some sort of issue with him shortly afterwards. We know because she made some tweets directed at him — tweets that she deleted, but thank goodness, the internet never forgets . “Remember YOU don’t come from sh-t and STILL don’t do sh-t with your life JUST LIKE NATHAN, if you want to compare each other’s lives,” she told him. “Can’t even hold a relationship because you abuse your girls just like you did to Rachel, probably Ashley. You and Nathan are peas in a pod.” Nathan, of course, is facing charges for domestic violence , and it looks like she’s accusing Ryan of the same. She also wrote “Let’s not even get started what you do for a living …”, which is interesting, because Ryan is alleged drug dealer. In an even more interesting turn of events, he’s also alleged to be her drug dealer. Jenelle’s tweets got Ryan pretty riled up, because he responded with “Let’s get something straight Jenelle, MTV has been contacting me for months before I agreed to recently film with Nate.” “I’ve been nothing but loyal to you. I was a mutual friend to you & Nate, ya never had an issue with it until you started dating David.” “Next time you got something to say Jenelle Evans or whatever the f-ck your last name is now, @ my ass,” he added. “I know where I come from. Guess you forgot you come from the same place, bitch. The only reason you’re any kind of sh-t is because of MTV.” Jenelle told him that she was the one responsible for getting him his brief MTV gig, and she also told him that he is “a two faced person.” And for having the nerve to say anything remotely negative about David, she wrote “You’ve never met David but maybe one time. You wouldn’t have any idea how much love that man has for me. How DARE you speak about him.” “Jenelle, what ya smoking?” Ryan asked her in response. “Did I never meet David, or did I meet him multiple times? I think I’ll go with multiple times. David’s changed that.” He said that he actually has a job, while David’s job is now “collecting that $$ from you.” “You think you run sh-t Jenelle, get the f-ck over yourself, MTV has blown up my phone wanting me to release our conversations & I didn’t because I didn’t want you to have to deal with David.” It seems like saving Jenelle from dealing with David was a big concern for this guy — he asked her if she remembers him “covering for your ass, and hurt your man’s feelings with the truth?” Then, in a beautifully crafted tweet, he said “Jenelle, you’re right on 1 thing though, Nate & I are 2 peas in a pod in one area, I would’t left your ass too after walking in on you f-cking Keifer.”‘ The triumphant return of Kieffer Delp! It seems like Ryan and Nathan both seen Jenelle wif Kieffer … but Ryan has one more hit for her. “Remember ‘the call’ from the Reunion when David saw Nate’s dick on ur phone, & him saying sorry his dick wasn’t as big,” he wrote. “I covered your ass.” We’re not entirely clear on the picture being painted here, but it sounds like Jenelle is still walking around with dick pics from Nathan on her phone, and that is sensational. Did David apologize sarcastically, or was it sincere? We need a million more details on this exchange. View Slideshow: Teen Mom Couples: RANKED From Worst to First! And while we don’t have those details now, it sounds like we could get them soon — in other tweets, Ryan claims that he’s currently in negotiations with various tabloids, and we should have his full story soon. Looks like Christmas is coming a little early this year!
Source: Richard Cartwright / Getty Scandal is back for the last time season. This is the final season. Woosah, let’s keep it together. Anyway, Linda Vargas is dead and the public thinks it was a heart attack, but we know better. Mellie Grant and Cyrus are the president and vice president of the United States, but you know Olivia Pope really pulls the strings. The episode opens with Olivia persuading a senator to vote for the Vargas Bill (his education bill that would make college free for all Americans) that he is staunchly against. You know Olivia is persuasive, and that everyone in this world has dirt on them. Said senator has a lot of career-ending dirt on him and Olivia has receipts. He knows what’s up so he bends to her will. In fact, this entire episode, and possibly season, is about Olivia and keeping the massive amount of power she has been given. via GIPHY The gladiators, led by pregnant Quinn, get a new case that turns out to be a big one. A woman comes through, desperately seeking her father, who went missing. Her dad is a traveling college professor with an affinity for teaching in extremely dangerous countries and he was last heard from in a shady country that has a contentious relationship with the US (over nuclear warheads), at some sort of symposium. That’s just surface level though, we know he’s not really a professor. via GIPHY Olivia and Rowan Pope link up for dinner and we already know that daddy is a straight shooter. Papa Pope tells her not to become a slave to the power she has because it can take her to dark places and she can lose control. Olivia is a bit naive and insists that she will be in charge at all times, but Rowan used to be her so he knows. He warns her that there is a reckoning coming for her, meaning that one day she will be forced to make terrible decisions in order to keep her power because she “can’t have it all.” Olivia naively disagrees and tells daddy to watch her werk. But we know that Papa Pope is always right. via GIPHY Speaking of power, Olivia and Jake are getting it on again. They’re not in a relationship, as per Olivia’s wishes, but it’s going to get complicated again. Jake is a glutton for punishment. We find out the missing professor is actually a CIA agent who got captured. Jake gets the scoop and he’s nervous that this man will give away classified info on the US so he wants to follow protocol, which is to kill captured spies, but they must authorize this quietly. Olivia is reluctant so she says she’ll think about it. Jake informs her that being command gets easier–you know, once you’ve lost your soul, but Liv isn’t budging. This is definitely a source of contention between the two of them. Later on, Cyrus meets with a democratic senator who tells him that he should vote against Mellie on the Vargas Bill for now and then wait until he becomes president to push the bill again. Said senator says that the bill is really the democratic platform anyway, and that even though he’s a registered republican, all signs still point to liberal. He’s gay, adopted a black baby, he’s the VP to the first woman president, he stumped for Frankie Vargas, etc. Cyrus is hesitant at first, but the senator already put the bug in his ear and you know how Cyrus is when it comes to the allure of power. via GIPHY By this point Jake went behind Olivia’s back and convinced Mellie to agree to killing “the professor.” Meanwhile, Olivia reaches out to the country’s ambassador, who is in DC for peace talks, and demands to know where the spy is. He plays dumb at first, but l Liv has Huck on standby, ready to shoot the man’s son who is on the playground being a kid (cold blooded). At the same time, Jake and Mellie are watching the strike set up to kill the spy (and play it off as a casualty) only to discover that the man has been moved. Basically, Olivia got what she wanted. “The professor” was delivered to the US embassy unharmed. Olivia always wins. via GIPHY The episode winds down with Cyrus deciding against colluding with the democratic senator and remaining loyal to Mellie. Then the announcement comes that Mellie got all the votes she needs to pass the Vargas Bill. College will be free for all Americans. Too bad that isn’t real life. Olivia breaks up with Jake again. via GIPHY And then we find out that Olivia was actually colluding with the democratic politician as a way to test how loyal Cyrus is. Finally, Mellie goes off on Olivia for side stepping her authority. Mellie demands that Olivia bend to her will, but Olivia makes it clear that she bows to no one. Olivia delivers a convincing speak in a way that only a Pope can, about how they’re fighting the patriarchy together and that Mellie has to stop thinking of her as an employee and thinking of her as what she is, the boss–that’s if she wants to be iconic. Mellie wants to be iconic. via GIPHY RELATED POSTS ‘Scandal’ Recap: Mama Pope Makes A Move No One Saw Coming ‘Scandal’ Recap: You Won’t Believe Who Rowan Pope Is Really Afraid Of
