Jada Pinkett Smith Opens Up About Her Drug Dealing Past

Jada Pinkett Smith had come a long way from her teenage years. The 52-year-old actress-turned-talk show host had reached a point in her life where she could reflect on her past with a newfound perspective. In a candid interview gracing the cover of People magazine, Jada opened up about her early life, shedding light on the dark corners of her past. It was a story of survival, independence, and the relentless pursuit of something more. As a teenager, Jada explained how she had found herself caught in the mix of the drug epidemic of Baltimore. She says during the interview that it was her mother who taught her and encouraged her to never depend on a man for finances, so she felt like she had to result to other things.

She then developed the mindset of maintaining financial independence by any means necessary. “What if something happens to my mother?” she recalled during the interview. “What if she doesn’t come home one night? Either overdosed, arrested, whatever. And so, I decided to sell drugs. I decided to sell crack cocaine.” Jada emphasized that drugs were prominent throughout the city. “Drugs were going to touch you, period,” she continued. “You could use them, you could sell them, but there was no being in an environment like that and drugs not touch you. And I’m not saying that it’s right, of course, now being in a whole different mindset. But when you’re living in a war zone and you just thinking about survival, I wasn’t trying to use drugs. I surely wasn’t going to be a drug dealer’s girlfriend. But I wanted money so that I could be independent. I wanted to take care of myself.”

Read More: Jada Pinkett Smith Reveals She & Will Smith “Live Separately”: Fans React

Jada Pinkett Smith Graces “People” Magazine

She had ventured into the world of selling drugs, not by choice but out of necessity. Jada discussed how her childhood had been anything but easy, growing up under the shadow of her parents’ drug addiction. With her parents both partaking in substance abuse, Jada had found peace of mind in her grandmother’s arms. She says it was her grandmother who had provided her with the love, care, and stability that were lacking elsewhere in her life. She often wondered what it would be like to have parents who were not battling addiction. “When you aren’t the priority of your parents you don’t know how to be a priority to yourself,” she said. “I had parents who were addicted to drugs.”

Over the years, Jada has clearly transformed her life. She rose above the hardships of her youth, emerging as a powerful force in the entertainment industry. Her journey was a testament to her strength and determination, a beacon of hope for those who had faced similar challenges. Looking back, Jada’s story was a reminder that the past does not define the future. Despite the darkness of her early years, she had found her way to the light, proving that with resilience and determination, one could overcome even the most daunting obstacles.

Read More: Jada Pinkett Smith Calls Tupac Shakur Her “Soulmate”

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Usher Reflects On Keke Palmer & Darius Jackson Drama: “We Just Keep It Light”

They say that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but unfortunately, the age of social media makes that nearly impossible – especially for celebrities. While in Sin City several weeks ago, new mom Keke Palmer dropped by Usher’s residency in a stunning, sheer dress that showed off her naturally enhanced body. The R&B crooner picked the former child star as his guest of honour that evening, beautifully serenading Palmer as she grinned from ear to ear and soaked up every bit of his attention.

Before long, videos of the steamy moment began floating around social media. There, the Chicago native’s baby daddy, Darius Jackson, caught sight of them and quickly threw shade at Palmer for her outfit. What followed that was nothing short of chaos, and though the buzz has obviously since died down, Usher was still happy to share his thoughts on the situation during a new interview with PEOPLE. “I think everybody’s vision or a version of what they felt happened there just leads you back to just really having a good time in Las Vegas. And that’s what I hope came out of it,” he told the outlet.

Read More: Keke Palmer Dance Diss Video Has Fans Speculating Her & Darius Jackson Were Beefing Before Usher Concert

Usher and Keke Palmer Couldn’t Quite Keep Their Antics in Vegas

“Every night I’m thinking about how the world now is going to react to this moment that I’ll have with whoever I’m choosing to sing to. But it was a pop moment, and it was fun to have at least a conversation going and we just keep it light. I don’t see anything negative happening in Las Vegas,” the Texas-born performer added. He also addressed those online calling him a “domestic terrorist” in good humour, saying, “The internet is [wild]. You can’t beat the internet.”

Elsewhere in his discussion with PEOPLE, Usher spoke plenty about his new collaboration with 21 Sav and Summer Walker, “Good Good.” If you haven’t heard that yet, tap in at the link below. For more HNHH release recommendations, you can find our weekly Fire Emoji playlist update here.

Read More: Usher Teams Up With 21 Sav & Summer Walker For New Single “Good Good”

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Chilli & Usher: TLC Singer Stayed In Contact With R&B Star During His Marriage

One of pop culture fanatics’ favourite couples to watch over the past year has been Chilli and Matthew Lawrence. The unexpected duo first got together in 2022, shortly after he finalized his divorce from professional dancer Cheryl Burke. It’s obvious that the TLC alum’s feelings for Lawrence run deep, as she previously shared that she would be happy to marry him. While Chilli is more in love than ever before since beginning her new relationship, she recently revealed to PEOPLE that it took years to get over one of her past loves.

Usher seems to be the “one that got away” for the “No Scrubs” songstress, though they apparently remained in contact up until 2019 – even while he was married. “I love hard. I was like, ‘God, why can’t I get over this?’ He couldn’t either,” she reflected to the outlet. Finally, Chilli got tired of repeating the same cycles and cut the Houston native off to “focus on [herself].” Not only did she quit Usher, but the 52-year-old “stopped dating” as a whole, proving how committed she was to her healing journey.

Read More: Chilli Reflects On “Amazing” Relationship With Matthew Lawrence

Chilli and Usher Have Plenty of History

Chilli and Usher during EMI Grammy Party Arrivals at The Blue Fin at The W Hotel in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/FilmMagic)

“Before that, I thought if I met the right guy during that time that I wasn’t over [Usher] it wouldn’t work. I would never want to straddle the fence,” Chilli added. Prior to going no contact, she and the Confessions hitmaker could find themselves back in each other’s lives during periods of being single.

While Chilli has been falling further in love with Matthew Lawrence, Usher has been living the dream during his Las Vegas residency. One of the most recent celebrity guests to get the up close and personal performance treatment from the vocalist is Baby Phat designer Kimora Lee Simmons. Read all about that at the link below, and check back later for more music/pop culture news updates.

Read More: Usher Gets Up Close & Personal With Kimora Lee Simmons During Las Vegas Residency

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Angel Reese Talks Life Changes In New Interview

Angel Reese is the it girl of college basketball right now. After transferring from Maryland to LSU ahead of the 2022-23 season, all she did was become a mainstream sensation and win a National Championship. Since then, she’s linked up with celebrities, appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, and made a cameo in a Latto video. Additionally, she recently attended the White House, seemingly squashing the beef she generated with FLOTUS after LSU’s title run. Angel Reese is the big thing in college sports and only getting bigger.

Furthermore, Reese is set to helm a new superteam in Baton Rogue. LSU have added stars in Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow to their roster for the next season. LSU are currently among the favorites for the 2024 National Championship. However, she’s now telling all in a new interview with PEOPLE. Be it how the experience has changed her or what her day-to-day looks like now.

Angel Reese Breaks Down New Life

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MAY 6: Flau’Jae Johnson and Angel Reese attend Angel Reese’s 21st Birthday Celebration at Revel on May 6, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)

“I’ll go down in history for doing what I did, and our team will for winning. I’m happy we were able to do that for Louisiana,” Reese told PEOPLE on the set of a new commercial she’s filming. She also spoke on how the national spotlight has helped shape her in recent months. “It’s a blessing, honestly. I’ve kind of embraced it. People are watching me,” she says. “I mean, it’s a fast life I’m living. I think I have to mature quickly.”

However, she also detailed how the attention has completely changed her college experience. “I don’t party, I don’t date, I’m just living my life,” Reese said.”I’m not really on campus much just because of my security work reasons, so I stay at my apartment and my teammates come over and we’ll eat. We’ll cook or we’ll do whatever, have fun, watch movies, listen to music, do whatever. TikTok.” Furthermore, she spoke about meeting Karl-Anthony Towns on the set of the commercial they were filming together. “Like, star-struck. Karl was just casually talking to me, and they watch my game. They respect women’s basketball and they were just telling me that everything I did was really monumental,” she said.

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Lance Reddick’s Family Disputes Cause Of Death

Lance Reddick’s sudden death at the age of 60 in March sent shockwaves across the entertainment industry. The actor, known for roles in shows such as Fringe and The Wire was mourned by colleagues and fans alike. He was praised for his work ethic, easiness to work with, and belief that there was no role too small. Tributes included the unique sight of the character he voiced in Destiny 2 being swarmed by players paying their respects.

Last week, TMZ published Lance Reddick’s death certificate, which listed the actor’s cause of death as coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, affecting over 18.2 million Americans. However, the news has not been accepted by everyone.

“Wholly Inconsistent” Cause Of Death

According to a statement to PEOPLE, Lance Reddick’s family is disputing the listed cause of death. “Lance was the most physically fit person I’ve ever known,” the statement from Reddick’s attorney James Hornstein read, “He exercised daily at his home gym, including extensive cardio work, and the availability of gym facilities was a contractual requirement for his work away from home. He ate as if a dietician was monitoring his every meal. The information appearing on the death certificate is wholly inconsistent with his lifestyle.” Hornstein also noted that he believed the cause of death was not determined as a result of an autopsy. “The coroner statement on the death certificate is not a result of an autopsy. No autopsy was performed on Lance. To my knowledge, no medical examination of Lance during his lifetime ever indicated such conditions”

Hornstein’s statement did not indicate what next steps the family would be taking. Additional medical examinations would depend on whether Reddick was cremated or not. TMZ‘s original report indicated that he was, but Hornstein declined to remark on the matter. Furthermore, while autopsies can be requested by the family of the deceased, they are performed at the discretion of the medical examiner. Regardless of the course of action Reddick’s family decides to take, it is clear that the news concerning his cause of death has been deeply upsetting.

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