Month: July 2022

Bloggers can often find themselves on the wrong side of the celebrities that they write about, especially if the content isn’t favorable. We’ve watched as bloggers and musicians, specifically rappers, have been at odds over articles and posts; Akademiks is regularly on the receiving end of criticism, DJ Vlad is plagued with allegations, and Tasha K recently lost a $4 million defamation lawsuit involving Cardi B. Hollywood Unlocked‘s Jason Lee has been in the blogging game for several years and has had his fair share of tense moments with celebrities, but he recently revealed that someone once tried to have him killed.

On the We In Miami Podcast, Lee was asked if a celebrity ever “[ran] up on him,” and he revealed that “somebody actually hired somebody to kill me.”

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“I’ve never talked about it. Somebody paid somebody to kill me,” he continued. “I never talked about it—I don’t even know I brought it up today because it’s going to go in my book but I looked at it like one of those things where I had to really process the fact that what I said wasn’t even worthy of you risking your freedom, ’cause that’s what you’re doing if you kill me.”

“But yeah, they paid somebody to kill me and I found out and a person mediated or whatever. Um, yeah! People aren’t going to like when you are a reflection of what they do. If you’re f*cking somebody else and f*cking off your marriage or your image, n*gga that’s you and your d*ck, that ain’t got nothin’ to do with me.”

Lee added that he learned about the deadly plot because the person who hired the hit “told somebody” and that’s how they all “ended up on a call.” He added, “I will say, I pride myself on having good relationships, though. I’m cool with a lot of people in the streets who make sure that when things do get a little challenging that there’s communication.”

“I have a lot of security at my house, I always carry a gun on me in L.A.” Watch Jason Lee detail his story below.

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Couples make decisions that are best for their relationships, but Channing Crowder’s recent revelation left Kevin Hart with more questions than answers. The comedian took a break from interviewing his friends on Hart to Heart and once again put himself in the hot seat, this time on The Pivot Podcast. Unsurprisingly, Hart brought laughs during the revealing conversation, and a moment involving host Channing Crowder was a highlight that became a point of discussion on social media.

The former NFL star told Hart that once a year, he and his wife, Aja Crowder, visit a nudist colony. “We go to a place, we walk in, everybody’s just like, just gets naked,” said Crowder. A confused Hart replies, “I heard what you said… I’m just asking you, what’s goin’ on?” He added, “You listening to what you sayin’ out loud, brotha?”

Crowder added, “Yeah, we go to the nudist colony, you gotta go around, you gotta shave everything and show out. Especially when you shave your sh*t, it looks bigger because you gain inches from no hair.” Everyone remained silent, aside from a few stifled laughs, until Hart once again surfaced with questions.

“Y’all…hanging out or y’all f*ckin’ these people?” Hart asked. Crowder stated that there are swingers who visit these locations, but people are able to set their boundaries once they arrive. However, Crowder didn’t answer Hart’s question, so the comedy mogul reiterated himself.

“We don’t ‘get down,’ but we just like to be around naked people,” said Crowder. Hart couldn’t understand the desire to be around a bunch of nude strangers, but Crowder seemingly drew comparisons to people visiting strip clubs. 

“I’m willing to bet—a good number—there ain’t a lotta put together people going to these things,” said Hart. Check out the hilarious clip.

The unfortunate news about Desus Nice and The Kid Mero continues to be a hot topic as their fans, as well as the industry, speculates about what led to their split. The award-winning duo has been entertaining the masses for about a decade, so it came as a shock to hear that they would be disbanding. After rumors surfaced, Showtime interjected to confirm the news, stating that the pair’s Desus & Mero series had come to an end. Now, Mero is speaking about the controversy in an interview with Keith McPherson.

“It’s just a natural progression. It’s like we said on the podcast, ‘It’s Hollywood, baby.’ You develop strengths and things that you want to explore and do,” he said, according to Complex.

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“And then things just happen naturally. It’s like Spike Jonze said on the Viceland show, ‘Everything is finite.’ What’s the corny cliche? Don’t be sad that it’s gone. Be happy that you experienced it.”

“Everybody grows. I’m sure D’s got his things that he wants to do,” Mero continued. “I got my things I want to do, and they’re very specific to us. We’ve been a duo for a long time. I love everything that he’s done. It’s just natural. I’ve got my life, my worldview, my things going on, and he’s got his. So, it’s only right that, instead of just saying like, we’re only going to do this one thing…we explore. Let’s break out, let’s see what we do as individuals, and then form like, Voltron later on. Who knows?”

Later, Mero reportedly admitted that he gave a “political” answer and admitted that he’s hurting at the moment, but promised that they’ll be back sooner than fans think.

Listen below.

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He may take some flack for the wigs he uses in his productions, but Tyler Perry has built a billion-dollar brand that has continued to elevate his Hollywood status. He began on the “Chitlin Circuit,” touring in smaller venues in the South, promoting the plays that would earn him international fame. His films have become cult classics and the Madea franchise remains a moneymaker—so much so that he has retired and unretired the character.

Back in 1995, Perry began developing A Jazzman’s Blues, and finally, the filmmaker was able to get the project in motion. During his appearance on the PEOPLE Every Day podcast, Perry revealed that the movie is a drama set in the 1940s.

“I’m beyond excited about it,” said Perry. “It’s something very, very different for me. And, so far the reception of it has been incredible.” However, he did mention that finding actors for the film was a bit of a struggle because he specifically sought out new talent, and while they loved the script, they decided not to move forward.

“Unfortunately with this film, I went to a bunch of up-and-coming young artists who were getting a lot of attention and I asked them about doing the role. They read the script, they loved the script, but I think there was a reservation or hesitation about working with me in particular on this film, because I guess they didn’t know how it would turn out.”

“Too bad, so sad for them,” he added. “A lot of times these teams don’t necessarily understand the power of my audience and what I bring. The people who are in [A Jazzman’s Blues] made it exactly what it was supposed to be. It’s better than I ever thought it would be, but it’s always been very important to me to break new faces. And that has opened the door for me to be able to help so many people.”

A Jazzman’s Blues will premiere on Netflix on September 23.

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She has been held in a Russian jail for months as her legal team fights for her freedom, and Brittney Griner returned to court today (July 26) for her fifth hearing. Earlier this year, the WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist was detained while traveling through an airport. Russian officials claimed that she was found with hashish oil, an illegal substance in the country, but Griner’s attorney’s argued that the small amount was used as a painkiller, prescribed by her physician.

Weeks ago, Griner pleaded guilty to charges, but her legal team reportedly told ABC News that that plea was only agreed upon following recommendations by Griner’s lawyers in Russia.

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“Brittney sets an example of being brave. She decided to take full responsibility for her actions as she knows that she is a role model for many people,” the legal team said in the statement. “Considering the nature of her case, the insignificant amount of the substance and BG’s personality and history of positive contributions to global and Russian sport, the defense hopes that the plea will be considered by the court as a mitigating factor and there will be no severe sentence.”

During today’s hearing, Griner was photographed holding several photos and when asked what they were, she said, “My wife. My two best friends, my teammates.” ABC News also wanted to know if Griner had a message for her wife. “Good luck on the bar exam,” she simply stated, adding that she had “no complaints” and was “waiting patiently” to learn her fate.

Check it out below.

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