As you’ve likely heard by now, hip hop icon Nipsey Hussle was murdered outside a store he owned in Los Angeles on Sunday. He was just 33 years old. For the past 48 hours, Hussle’s death has dominated headlines and social media feeds for two distinct reasons: 1. The rapper’s music and philanthropy made him an indispensable part of the hip hop community and a role model to millions. 2. Hussle’s killer remains at large, and his murder is viewed as symptomatic of the growing gun violence problem in America and the unique challenges facing neighborhoods such as Nipsey’s native South Los Angeles. While a suspect in Hussle’s shooting has been identified, the Los Angeles Police Department is still gathering facts as the manhunt for 29-year-old alleged gang member Eric Holder continues. Today, that meant releasing the results of an autopsy that confirmed the tragic cause of Hussle’s death: According to a report released this morning, Hussle “was found to have died from gunshot wounds of the head and torso.” The LA County Coroner’s office added that Hussle was shot and then “taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m.” “The manner of death was certified as a homicide,” the department wrote. This statement aligns with tweets posted by the LAPD in the moments after the shooting: “At approximately 3:20 pm there was a shooting reported in the area of Slauson Ave and Crenshaw Blvd. 3 victims were transported to a local hospital where one was pronounced deceased,” police tweeted Sunday afternoon. “We have no suspect info at this time and will provide more details as they become available.” The department has been praised for its diligence and transparency in this matter, as well as for keeping the public apprised on the investigation. The LAPD tweeted yesterday that it would be forgoing its annual April Fools’ joke “in light of yesterday’s events” so that they might better focus “on bringing justice to yesterday’s homicide on Slauson & Crenshaw in South LA.” Hussle dedicated much of his life to bettering the neighborhood he grew up and helping to curtail gang violence. He was scheduled to meet with LAPD officials to discuss these matters just one day after he was gunned down. “Having strong enemies is a blessing,” he ominously wrote on Instagram just hours before his passing. We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2019: In Memoriam
Lauren London is devastated. She’s in shock and mourning and nearly in denial about what happened to Nipsey Hussle . But not completely. The actress has accepted that her boyfriend of five years is dead. She just can’t believe it. “I am completely lost,” London wrote on her Instagram page late yesterday, adding: “I’ve lost my best friend. My sanctuary. My protector. My soul…. I’m lost without you. We are lost without you babe. I have no words.” The 34-year old actress, who has starred on such shows as The Game and Games People Play, included a sweet image of Hussle throwing the couple’s two-year-old son Kross in the air. She also posted a selfie of Hussle and Kross on her social media page, marking the first time London has shared a photo of their baby son’s face. (London is also mother to son Cameron Carter with rapper Lil Wayne; while Hussle was a dad to daughter Emani Asghedom from a previous relationship.) London’s tribute tp Hussle went viral just hours after a suspect was arrested in the Bellflower neighborhood of Los Angeles for the star’s murder. Police have identified 29-year-old Eric Holder as the suspected gunman; he was taken into custody on Tuesday afternoon and is believed to have walked up to Hussle on Sunday and shot him multiple times. According to the autospy report, the rapper died from gunshot wounds to his head and torso. Holder allegedly then ran off to a waiting vehicle, as the homicide was premediated and, per TMZ sources, likely gang-related. Two other men were also shot outside of Hussle’s Marathon Clothing Company, although they survived their injuries. The Grammy-nominated artist and London have been together since 2013 at the time of this horrible incident, which has affected celebrities from across various platforms. After recording a historic 20-20-20 triple double in his basketball game last night, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook said the performance was “for Nipsey.” Many others have also expressed shock and sorrow over this senseless murder . Yes, Hussle grew up with ties to the Bloods, but he also worked with members of the Crips and he had dedicated his life to trying to find peace in the violent area in which he was raised. At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel R. Moore said a personal dispute between Holder and Hussle may have been to blame for this shooting, alleging that Holder showed up in front of Hussle’s clothing store numerous tiple times before killing him. Said the officer: “Mr. Holder walked up on multiple occasions and engaged in a conversation with Nipsey and the others that were there. He left and subsequently came back armed with a handgun and purposefully and repeatedly fired, striking and killing Nipsey Hussle.” At the time of his death, Hussle was in the middle of redeveloping a strip mall, where his boutique is located, and also owned a barbershop, a burger restaurant and a fish market. His other charitable community acts included buying shoes for students, refreshing local basketball courts and playgrounds, paying for funerals for people who could not afford them and providing jobs for the homeless. TMZ actually reports that he was only at his store on Sunday to assist a friend who had recently been released from prison. Insiders tell this celebrity gossip site that Nipsey was providing this friend with some new clothing so he could look respectable upon meeting up with loved ones later that day. It was a spontaneous decision, hence why no members of the rapper’s security team were around. “He was a solid man who loved his woman, his family and his community,” fellow California native and Insecure star Issa Rae tweeted on Sunday. “This hurts.” Such a tragic loss. May Nipsey Hussle rest in peace. View Slideshow: 34 Musicians Who Died Too Young
Source: Luis Sinco / Getty Inspirational Quotes From Nipsey Hussle The entire world is continuing to mourn the loss of Nipsey Hussle and the legacy he left behind. One of his greatest achievements was his ability to talk and share his inspiration. Nipsey was always giving us soundbites and pushing the message wherever he could. “In our culture, there’s a narrative that says, ‘Follow the athletes, follow the entertainers,’” he once told The L.A. Times . “And that’s cool but there should be something that says, ‘Follow Elon Musk, follow [Mark] Zuckerberg.’ I think that with me being influential as an artist and young and coming from the inner city, it makes sense for me to be one of the people that’s waving that flag.” Take a look at these videos and moments from his life and career and how they continue to spread the messages he was trying to deliver. Nipsey visiting children in Eritrea. pic.twitter.com/8QEmVyALUX — ASAUC Ohio U (@asaucohio) April 1, 2019
Justin Bieber tried to celebrate April Fools Day on Monday. But the singer just ended up looking like an offensive fool himself. The artist messed up in a pretty major way. In honor of the annual joke-based holiday that falls on April 1, the global superstar shared a sonogram photo on his Instagram page several hours ago. He didn’t include a caption with the snapshot, but the implication was clear: He and Hailey Baldwin are expecting their first child! How exciting, right? Especially in light of Bieber recently saying he was struggling and in need of prayers and looking for ways to turn his life around. What better way to derive purpose than from being a father, you know? Except it turns out this was all a misguided prank by Bieber, one he wasn’t content to let go even after many on the Internet questioned the validity of the pregnancy claim. Yes, even after Baldwin remarked “very funny” underneath the picture, Justin continued to hammer the pregnancy rumor home. “If U thought it was April fools,” he wrote as a caption to an image of Baldwin at the doctor (below), seemingly having her womb and impending baby checked. The pop star did later confess the original sonogram was fake, adding another sonogram of a puppy and writing: “Wait omg is that a,,, APRIL FOOLS.” But the damage had already been done. It’s fine to joke about Donald Trump sleeping with Kim Kardashian . Or Jenelle Evans losing her home because it sank into the ground. Those are victimless references that are pretty clearly not serious from the moment you read the headline. But one in four women have suffered the painful tragedy of a miscarriage. Countless others have difficulty getting pregnant, spending thousands upon thousands of dollars on fertility treatments and still, very often, not having success. In other words: This is an extremely sensitive and personal issue for so many families. It’s really not a joking matter. At all. And many social media users jumped all over Bieber for turning it into one. “Can’t only be me who thinks it’s bloody disgusting that Justin and Hailey Bieber lied about being pregnant????” one Twitter user wrote, while another added: “Every single year, someone does this prank [and] we call them out for being s–t, yet because it’s a huge celeb we’re just gonna let it slide [and] laugh????” No. We’re not. We’re gonna call Justin out for it, too Not only is it insensitive and inappropriate, it’s simply unoriginal. Just days before he made this terrible quip, Bieber actually opened up about his mental health struggles, earning sympathy from his legion of fans around the world. “I am now very focused on repairing some of the deep-rooted issues that I have as most of us have, so that I don’t fall apart, so that I can sustain my marriage and be the father I want to be,” he wrote on March 25, referencing a future child and adding of why he won’t be touring any time soon: “Music is very important to me but nothing comes before my family and my health.” We still wish you a lot of luck, JB. But be better in the future.
It has been just over a week since Porsha Williams welcomed her first child , and everyone is so, so happy for her. Everyone except for NeNe Leakes, that is. NeNe sent Porsha a series of nasty, body-shaming messages just days after she gave birth … and Porsha exposed those texts to the world. On Friday, Porsha Williams took to social media to share screenshots of texts that appeared to be from NeNe Leakes. “This is what my so called ‘Big sis’ sent me last night,” Porsha begins. She notes that this was only “6 days after giving birth.” “@neneleakes is so miserable and ain’t happy for nobody,” Porsha laments. “It’s not a contest I’m just living my life and being blessed.” “Yes I posted this since you wanna go on live and speak on me yet again talk & about these texts,” she says. “I figured I’d let them see for themselves!” In the texts, NeNe Leakes goes off in NeNe fashion. “You lying ass big fat hungry b–ch!” NeNe accuses. “You know i never put my hands on you!” She insists that “Marlo, Cynthia, nor Bailey can EVER say that!” “You want an excuse for going in my closet without my permission so You can talk yo fake s–t on IG all you want,” NeNe theorizes. “But remember,” she warns. “My house is lit wit cameras!” During an episode that aired last March, NeNe was understandably furious when Kandi and Porsha went into her closet. “Oh and don’t forget,” NeNe notes. “Who was by your side & saved yo wack ass when u pulled Kenya off that sofa.” “Don’t forget nobody f–ked with u in San Fran or in Spain but ME!” she adds. “If u got something to say,” NeNe instructs. “Say the truth because if i put my hands on you, you will know it.” Oof, that’s a good line. “Oh and remember you had your hair flipped over yo thin bald spot!” NeNe accuses. “I have hair but if i don’t,” she brags. “I have enough money to buy all the wigs & Extensions i want.” This is where Porsha Williams fires back. “You know dayum well I ain’t recorded that in no studio to set you up!” Porsha insists. “Kiss my ass!” “How dare you make that claim,” she exclaims. “I would not conspire no s–t like that!!” NeNe wasn’t having it. NeNe says that Porsha is “full of s–t.” “Yo day is coming,” NeNe warns. “Just like it has in the past!” “Imma lot of things,” NeNe admits. “But what i don’t do is f–k over people and lie for no reason!” she claims. She taunts Porsha: “Just remember I’m the HBIC that YOU want to be!” She then body-shames Porsha, calling her a “big piggy with the busted shape.” It was at this point that Porsha hit back at the body-shaming, saying that NeNe is not one to talk. “Girl,” Porsha writes. “I know you and them granddaddy long legs and box body not coming for my body !!!!” NeNe and Porsha are both beautiful women who get paid tremendous sums to behave poorly on television. These weird labels about body shape and spider legs are meaningless insults. Nonetheless, NeNe responded. “You worry bout them extra small baby ankles you rockin!” NeNe instructs. That doesn’t mean anything, either. It’s like they’re using an online generator to string descriptions and body parts together. “Hopefully they hold up that giant body,” NeNe concludes. “Try dieting! … That’s something you have never been good at.” Charming. View Slideshow: The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 11: All the Secrets… EXPOSED!
The 50th NAACP Image Awards were the Blackest of all time. From Black Panther winning big to Jay Z and Beyonce accepting the night’s most prestigious awards to Chris Rock making light skin jokes, it doesn’t get much Blacker. Keep scrolling for highlights from the show… Chris Rock Jokes On Jussie Source: Earl Gibson III / Getty Apparently Chris Rock was told not to make any jokes about Jussie Smollett, but it’s Chris Rock, you can’t tell him what to do. It wasn’t a few seconds before Rock stepped up to the mic and delivered his first shot at the embattled Empire actor. In Rock’s defense, it was quite hilarious and a great way to kick off the show. “They said no Jussie Smollett jokes. Yeah, I know. I know. What a waste of light skin. You know what I could do with that light skin? That curly hair? My career would be out of here. F—ing running Hollywood,” Rock said. “What the hell was he thinking?” the comedian added. “You’re Jessie from now on. You don’t even get the ‘u’ no more. That ‘u’ was respect. You ain’t getting no respect from me.” View this post on Instagram #PressPlay: Last night they told #ChrisRock no #JussieSmollett jokes…so ya’ll know he came through with the Jussie Smollett jokes!! ( : @tvonetv/ @naacpimageawards) A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom) on Mar 31, 2019 at 9:24am PDT Jay Z Accepts The President’s Award Source: Earl Gibson III / Getty Jay Z and Beyonce have been on an award world tour. After accepting the GLAAD Media Vanguard award, they hit the NAACP Image Awards to collect their next honors. Jay looked dapper in a classic blue suit as he stared at his Image Award, delivering his acceptance speech. Keeping everyone on edge, Jay used a quote from our “very humble and kind-hearted president.” But it’s not the president you’re thinking of. He took it back to Abe Lincoln. “It’s not the amount of years in your life, it’s about the life in your years that count in the end.” “Thank you to the NAACP for allowing me to forward this so she can put this on her mantle next to her favorite grandson. And when she’s, like, sneaking pork, and, like, her legs swell up, she can remember how much of a G she is.” Beyonce Thanks Regina King In Her Acceptance Speech Beyonce May have won the Image Award for “Entertainer Of The Year,” but she used her acceptance speech to thank her fellow nominees. “Regina King, I love you so much. You taught us patience, persistence, and how to be masterful in your craft,” she said dressed in a stunning white Balmain gown straight off the runway. “Chadwick Boseman is teaching children to dream and to see themselves as kings. LeBron James has taught us strength of all forms in leading by example and providing education for our kids. Ryan Coogler tells our story in a way that celebrates our history and proved that we do have power at the box office, and I’m honored to be included among all of you and to a part of a vital, thriving, beautiful community. Thank you so much, NAACP, God bless you. I hope ya’ll had a great night.” Drops mic. View this post on Instagram Congrats Bey! Entertainer of the year #ImageAwards50 ••• #bgkc #baddiebey #beyhive #beyonce #Beyoncé #giselle #knowles #carter #queen #queenofpop #iheartbeyonce #wesupportbey #iStandwithbeyonce #TheBeyWorldCom #Lemonade #Formation #GoLiveBeyoncé #EverythingIsLove A post shared by The Beyonce World (@thebeyworld) on Mar 30, 2019 at 9:18pm PDT Black Panther Wins Big Source: LISA O’CONNOR / Getty As if there was any doubt, Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther took home eight awards, including “Outstanding Motion Picture.” Chadwick Boseman won “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” and Letitia Wright took home the “Breakthrough Performance” award. Auntie Maxine Waters Flexes Congresswoman Maxine Waters accepted the NAACP Chairman’s Award and, per usual, left us feeling empowered and captivated but unrelenting fight and spirit. “After a long career journey, tonight I stand before you as the first woman and the first African-American to chair the powerful U.S. House Financial Services Committee,” she said. “Yes, I got the gavel and I’m not afraid to use it.” Okurrrr!
Source: Burak Karademir / Getty 20 Year Sentence For Swatting Hoax That Got A Man Killed Gamer guys are weird. They say weird things online and have weird personalities. What this guy did isn’t weird, it’s sick. And now he’s going to jail for it. According to DailyMail , 26-year-old Tyler R. Barriss will spend the next 20 years of his life in prison for 51 federal charges related to fake calls and threats. Barriss was inexplicably recruited by an Ohio gamer to pull a “swatting” prank on another gamer in Wichita, Kansas. For those who are unaware, “swatting” is when someone calls the police to falsely report a violent crime so that SWAT teams come to address the situation with full force. In 2017 Barriss was given the address of the intended target, 20-year-old Shane Gaskill of Wichita, by 19-year-old Casey Viner of North College Hill, Ohio, both men are also charged with crimes related to the police killing of 28-year-old Andrew Finch. Here’s how this nut a$$ story happened: When Barris got the Gaskill’s address he also followed him on Twitter, Gaskill gave Barris an old address and dared him to “try something”. On December 28, Barriss called the Wichita police from Los Angeles and reported that there had been a kidnapping and shooting. When police arrived at the address that was now Andrew Finch’s home, an officer shot him dead when he stepped outside unarmed. Cops ran the usual story. The officer who shot Finch believed he was reaching for a gun when he pulled at his wasitband. No charges will be filed. Why did all this happen? Because Viner and Gaskill had a beef over a $1.50 bet in the video game Call of Duty. Imagine what Andrew Finch’s parents must think. SMFH.
Every now and then, on a random Tuesday when most people are minding their own business and have too much going on in their lives to worry about anyone else, some man will take it upon himself to offer his unsolicited opinion on women’s attire. It could be anything from the weave in her hair to the color on her lip to the length of her dress, somewhere, some man is going to find an issue with one of those things and feel compelled to let the world know. And while the resounding response from women will be to ignore said man and not give a damn. One thing that shouldn’t be ignored are the male microagressions that prompt this sort of behavior and what we can do about them. MUST READ: Take This Week’s Listen To Black Women Poll On Stealthing, Spring Cleaning Your Life, & Prioritizing Sex That’s what we’re talking about in this week’s episode of Listen to Black Women. Watch the conversation with our co-hosts in the video above and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section below. About Listen To Black Women Listen To Black Women is a new show from HelloBeautiful and MadameNoire that discusses the issues that affect us most while incorporating the voices of our audience and experts. Each week, the show will gather insights from of our readers by asking them a series of questions related to the show topic. We’ll also be sharing thoughts from social media and the Internet at large as hosts Shamika Sanders, Africa Miranda, Keyaira Kelly weigh in with their opinions. This show doesn’t work without you so be sure to take our weekly polls, share the videos with your network, and leave feedback everywhere you can. We’re listening to you. RELATED STORIES: Listen To Black Women | If A Man Cheats, Does That Mean He Doesn’t Love You? Listen To Black Women| Is Abuse From Men In Power Inevitable?
Source: NBC / Getty Eight years after Kim Kardashian divorced Kris Humphries , the former New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets center is opening up about their 72-day marriage and its abrupt ending. In an op-ed for The Players Tribune , Humphries insists their relationship wasn’t a charade for KUWTK cameras and talks about how their split affected his mental health. “I met a girl who happened to be really famous, and I got married, and.…. Damn,” he wrote . “Look, I should have known what I was getting into. I was definitely naive about how much my life was going to change. But the one thing that really bothers me is whenever people say that my marriage was fake.” “There’s definitely a lot about that world that is not entirely real. But our actual relationship was 100% real,” he insisted. “When it was clear that it wasn’t working … what can I say? It sucked. It’s never easy to go through the embarrassment of something like that — with your friends, with your family…. But when it plays out so publicly, in front of the world, it’s a whole other level. It was brutal.” Apparently, that level of fame was really hard on him … “I didn’t know how to handle it, because I never thought I was going to be famous in that way,” he recalled. “I remember having this moment when I was getting booed so hard in Philly, and I thought to myself, ‘Why exactly are they booing me, though? Is it just because I’m That Guy from TV? Do they think I was trying to be famous? Is it because they think I disrespected the game of basketball?’” “My whole life, I was a really confident, happy person,” he continued. “But nothing can prepare you for the feeling of walking down the street, or being anywhere, really — the grocery store, the gas station — and having people literally running up on you and trying to film you, trying to grab you, saying God knows what. That’s not natural. That’s not supposed to be real life.” Humphries also writes about having anxiety and being in “a dark place” for about one year after their split. Read his full essay here . Photo: Getty
The Duggars were showing their wild side on the most recent episode of Counting On season 9. Kendra and Joe Duggar catch some rays in Panama Beach, Florida, Jackson begins to drive at the age of 14 and John and Abbie don’t surprise anyone by going on a mission trip to the Philippines. But first let’s dive on over to Panama City, which is one of the most popular and crazy beach vacation spots in America. What sounds more fun than a spring break trip with Kendra and her entire family and Joe Duggar?! I can think of probably anything else… The entire Caldwell clan packed up their sunscreen, modest swimsuits, and an obnoxious amount of beach gear into their van before beginning their voyage to the sea! Once arriving in the sunny state, the family immediately hit the beach and began their fun-filled day by eating lunch, out of sand buckets. We can only imagine the laughs and stares coming from the surrounding spring breakers as they all had to view a large family sitting in a circle eating snacks out of buckets, while the girls show off their bathing suit skirts. But yet, we too are actually watching them do this. Once they finished eating who knows what from the sandy buckets, Kendra’s dad attempts to bring some PG fun onto the beach by having a sandcastle-building contest. Yes we’re sighing and secretly wishing Kendra and Joe would sneak off and go shotgun a beer with a fraternity bro, but instead, we will patiently watch to see which family member can build the best and tallest structure made from sand. Which we know that drunken frat bro will probably be sleeping face-first in tonight. After a long day of sand-castles, burying Joe in the sand, and hearing Kendra call her parents “mommy” and “daddy”, I think we can all agree that it is time to move on over to Texas to see what Jeremy and Jinger are up to. The small little family is getting ready to fly out to New Jersey to pay Jeremy’s family a visit! Jeremy explains that traveling with baby Felicity is much more challenging than traveling as a party of two, however, when the producer jokingly asks about traveling 19-kids-deep, he shuts up real quick. We’re then rewarded with old family video clips where we learn that the family once had a Home Alone moment IRL. The Duggars once lost baby Jackson at an airport, and while everyone laughs, let me remind you he was a BABY and not an 8-year-old Kevin McCallister. Nice going, Duggars. Once the Vuolos arrived at Jeremy’s grandparent’s house, it was time to introduce them to Felicity. And his grandmother nearly fainted upon meeting her adorable great-granddaughter. The feeling was mutual as baby Felicity was also smiling hard at her family member who was not called a Duggar. It’s not everyday Felicity gets attention like that from grandparents, I mean, Jim-Bob and Michelle get a new grand-kid every 6-months, so this special moment was just way too precious. Keeping on board with the traveling theme of the episode, John-David and Abbie also increased their frequent flier miles as they headed to the Philippines for a mission trip! A producer calls out the couple asking why anyone would go on an international trip two weeks before their wedding? John explains that this mission trip, however, is responsible for their relationship. And it was also booked a long time ago and is probably non-refundable. John and Abbie explain that John was looking to bring some nurses on the trip and well, Abbie had been dying for a nursing experience abroad. Thanks to Jim Bob and Michelle teaming up with Abbie’s parents, they had arranged for her to be one of the nurses. And once she got a look at good ole’ John, the two found love at first sight and about a week later John proposed to Abbie in an airport hanger. Once the happy couple arrived in the Philippines, Abbie could not contain her excitement to be back in her nursing element. When producers asked if she would ever go back to nursing once she’s done with being a Duggar baby-making machine, she said yes. She also shocked viewers by saying John would totally support her when she is ready to go back to work. John then shows the cameras the village they are “medical missioning” at and explains that he and the other non-nurses will be “sharing the gospel” to the non-interested enthusiastic villagers. Heading back to Arkansas, USA, a few Duggar men are ready to take Jackson for a driving lesson. While Jackson is a literal pre-teen probably just hitting puberty at the age of 14, he is legally allowed to obtain a driving permit, as long as he has a willing adult passenger. “Most Duggars get their permits at 14,” said John. Jackson proudly told the producers he’s been practicing driving for about three years already and that he still has to use pillows to sit on so he can reach the steering wheel. Sister Jana, AKA Jackson’s real caretaker, is in disbelief that he is already at driving age. But ok, is he really? Jackson then heads to the police department to receive some driving safety tips from officers, which was almost as boring as the sand-castle competition. Jinger dishes to her friend Cara while in New Jersey that she thinks she wants to enjoy some down-time before having baby #2, which I’m sure threw both of her parents into a coma, especially knowing they now have to handle the family’s approaching move to Los Angeles . Once John and Abbie returned from their self-needed journey down in the Philippines, the couple shared that they see many more mission trips in their future as a married couple. On the next episode of Counting On , Jana shows off her party hosting skills by putting together an entire hangar reception and John and Abbie finally say “I do!” View Slideshow: John David Duggar & Abbie Burnett: NO 1 CURR About Jim Bob’s Rules!
