Month: July 2022

Comedian Lil Duval was involved in a car accident in the Bahamas, Tuesday night, and was forced to be airlifted to the hospital after a vehicle struck him while he was riding a four-wheel motorbike, causing a broken leg and other injuries. 

The 45-year-old comedian posted a video on his Instagram, last night, showing him strapped to a gurney and covered in bandages, as medical personnel load him into the hospital aircraft.

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Figures from across the media landscape came together to share their good wishes for Lil Duval’s speedy recovery.

“Praying for you champ,” comedian Kevin Hart said. “Get well immediately…”

“Damn my prayers go out to @lilduval and his loved ones” rapper 50 Cent said. “I hope he has a speedy recovery.”

Lil Duval, whose real name is Roland Powell, took to Twitter to thank everyone for their prayers and support.

Duval has been busy in recent years on a variety of platforms. His rap single “Smile B—h” featuring Snoop Dogg peaked at No. 56 on the Billboard Top 100 in 2018. He starred in recent comedic roles such as Cronut in the Meet the Blacks franchise, Darius in 2017’s Grow House, as well as Half Rack Rickie in the television series Tales.

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Grand Theft Auto is one of the most popular video game franchises of all time, so it’s no surprise that fans have high hopes about the incoming sixth installment. The sequel is still about a year away, but now new details have come out about what to expect in GTA VI.

According to Bloomberg, Grand Theft Auto VI will feature a Latina woman as its protagonist. The move marks the first time in the series that players will take a female role. The report also says that the sixth installment will feature two main characters and take a similar path to the story of Bonnie and Clyde.

GTA VI will take place in a fictional version of Miami. Originally, the game’s developer, Rockstar, had hoped to make the map even more sprawling, including areas of both North and South America, but the developer has since narrowed its focus. It has said, however, that it intends to add new cities over time after the game is out. The developer also said that it will focus on interior locations more than any of the previous installments.

The news comes at a time when Rockstar is trying to rehabilitate its image after being criticized for its “frat boy” culture and unhealthy work-life balance. Since the watershed reports in 2018, the company has attempted to change its ways, firing “abusive” managers and implementing a new management structure. The company has also encouraged employees to avoid “punching down” in their work against marginalized populations. The company recently removed transphobic jokes from Grand Theft Auto V.

Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to drop some time between April 2023 and March 2024.

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Over the weekend, a Bishop from Brooklyn went viral after he was robbed of nearly $1M in jewelry during his live-streamed service. The footage spread across social media of Bishop Lamor Whitehead going down on the floor mid-speech as armed men came and robbed him of his goods.

It didn’t take long for 50 Cent to chime in on the matter. Shortly after receiving the Houston Humanitarian Award, the rapper commented on the current state of New York City. “Mean while back in New York, they robbing the church while it’s in service. 🤷🏽‍♂️WTF,” 50 Cent wrote.

Bishop Whitehead recently spoke to CBS News about the incident, claiming that he was targeted because the suspects were aware of his collection of jewelry. Ultimately, Whitehead was stripped of his wedding band, bishop’s ring, and a few chains. Though some criticized him for flaunting his jewelry in the first place, he explained that “it’s not about me being flashy.

“It’s about me purchasing what I want to purchase,” he explained. It’s my prerogative to purchase what I want to purchase. If I worked hard for it, I can purchase what I want to purchase.”

Meanwhile, NYC Mayor Eric Adams updated the public and said that there’s currently an investigation into the crime. 

We’ll keep you posted on any updates surrounding the investigation into the robbery of Bishop Lamor Whitehead.

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It was the slap heard around the world. After Will Smith hit Chris Rock at the Oscars, it seemed like everyone had a take on the event. For a while, Rock refused to talk about the hit, but now it seems like he’s beginning to open up.

In a recent standup set at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, Chris Rock talked about his side of the slap story. He emphasized that he didn’t want to be considered a victim, but that the slap did indeed hurt.

Al Seib /A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images

“Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face,” Rock said. He then added, “I’m not a victim. Yeah, that shit hurt, motherfucker. But I shook that shit off and went to work the next day. I don’t go to the hospital for a paper cut.” Rock has been performing alongside Kevin Hart, and the two were recently joined in New York by Dave Chappelle.

Rock had been doing a solo tour right after the Oscars, which immediately sold out after Smith’s slap. But at that time, Rock wasn’t ready to talk about the event. “I don’t have a bunch of shit about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend,” he said at his first show since the slap. “I’m still kind of processing what happened. So, at some point I’ll talk about that shit. And it will be serious and funny.”

Will Smith has also discussed the slap. He resigned from the Academy, and said in a statement, “The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken.”

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After he was convicted of sex trafficking crimes, R. Kelly’s sisters have come to his defense in a new interview with Good Morning Britain. Cassandra, Lisa, and Theresa offered their opinions on the outcome of the trial during the interview, claiming that racism played a significant role in the singer’s conviction. 

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,”African Americans have always been treated unfairly. And so I think that has a lot to do with [R. Kelly’s sentence] as well as other factors,” said Cassandra. The host, Noel Phillips, pressed her about whether she believes her brother has had sexual relations with underage women. Cassandra called the victims “bitter,” before seemingly denying that he has ever engaged in sexual acts with minors.

“I can say he may have been with younger women, but as far as underage girls, no—and I stress underage girls. Who has seen that? I believe a lot of the alleged victims are bitter,” she added. 

Phillips pushed back against this claim, asking if they would “acknowledge the victims.” However, she stated that she wouldn’t “acknowledge something I don’t have proof of.”

“He is not a monster, he is not a pedophile,” Lisa Kelly said. “The only victim I’ve seen that’s been stolen from, lied on, is Robert.”

She added, “I don’t care about what a lot of people [say], I can only go by what I see, what I know, what I’ve experienced.”

GMB later obtained a statement from one of the alleged victims, which Phillips read on air. “R. Kelly’s sisters should be supporting us women of color for bravely speaking out. He deserves to spend the rest of his life in jail,” the victim said.

Watch the clip below.  

Beyoncé’s highly-anticipated upcoming album, Renaissance, has reportedly fully leaked online 36 hours prior to its scheduled release for July 29. Social media is loaded with numerous posts containing links to download files for the unreleased project.

Variety has since reached out to reps for Beyoncé as well as the album’s distributor, Columbia Records, for comment but has not heard back; however, the outlet says that the files appear to be legitimate. Some posts claimed that CD copies of the album were put out early in Europe.

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Renaissance was announced, earlier this summer, when the legendary singer shared the project’s lead single, “Break My Soul,” in June. Speaking about what fans can expect from the album in a recent Instagram post, Beyoncé explained that she created Renaissance as an escape from the outside world.

“Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world,” she wrote. “It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration. I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.”

Check out the physical packaging for the new album below, as recently sharted on Beyoncé’s Instagram.

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