Netflix has announced the release date for Grammy-nominated, Oscar and Golden Globe award-winning actor and comedian Mo’Nique’s first stand-up special with the streamer. The special, My Name is Mo’Nique, is set for release on April 4.
The special’s synopsis reads:
Mo’Nique delivers a career defining, powerhouse stand-up performance in her unprecedented return to the stage. Filled with laugh till you cry stories as well as soul bearing emotion, Mo’Nique promises that by the end of the show you will understand why she is the way she is, and true to form, she delivers. From the mean streets of Baltimore and remembering her Grandma Mimi’s warnings about men, to why she “ACCEPTS” the sometimes-harsh realities that come with life, Mo’Nique with her unique brand of candor, fearlessness, and humor reveals all of herself, and leaves nothing on the table.
The special is directed by L. Frazier, with Sidney Hicks and Monique Hicks serving as executive producers.
Additionally, Mo’Nique will return to Netflix in the film The Deliverance, created by Lee Daniels.
Sunday, March 4th marks the ninth annual Truth Awards, with Raven-Symoné set to receive the 2023 Icon Award. The 37-year-old actress is being recognized for her commitment to family programming and LGBTQ advocacy, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Initiated by the Diva Foundation and Better Brothers Los Angeles, the Truth Awards honors Black LGBTQ+ members and allies. Specifically, the ceremony shines a light on stars who’ve used their platform to embrace and advocate for their identity.
The Icon Award will add to Symoné’s impressive list of acclamations. Previously recognized for her work in The Cosby Show and That’s So Raven, the Georgia-born star has racked up five trophies from the NAACP Image Awards. In addition, Symoné has earned two Daytime Emmy nominations for her work on The View.
Symoné’s Star Continues To Rise
Raven Symone attends 28th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards at Millennium Biltmore Hotel on June 17, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/WireImage)
The Disney Channel alum will receive her recognition at the 2023 Truth Awards, which will be hosted in Hollywood, CA. Sheryl Lee Ralph, the founder of the DIVA foundation, gave a statement about the ceremony. “The Truth Awards, along with our acceptance and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community, will encourage, inspire and motivate others to live their truth unapologetically,” she wrote.
“It’s important that we focus on supporting our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ+ community as they continue to fight for equality. Our public acknowledgment and partnership make it possible for them to live out loud and openly for the world to see.” The ceremony will be led by Pose actress and transgender rights advocate Angelica Ross. Joining her are Cocktails With Queens host Claudia Jordan and news anchor Marcus Washington.
Raven Speaks Her Truth to Oprah
Despite her industry-shaking success in her early career roles, Symoné received backlash after a 2014 interview with Opera Winfrey. During their discussion, the actress reflected, “I don’t want to be labeled gay, I want to be labeled a human who loves humans.” She continued to expand, “I’m an American; I’m not an African-American. I’m an American.” Even with Winfrey warning her of the criticism she would likely face for the comments, Symoné stood with her truth.
The 2023 Truth Awards will be recognizing Bryon Perkins, the first openly gay HBCU football player, with the Courage Award. Additionally, The Upshaws (created by Wanda Skyes and Regina Hicks) will receive the Cultural Affirmation Award. The STARZ network will also be honored with the Corporate Diversity & Leadership Award for 2023. To keep up with the hottest pop culture news, don’t forget to check out HNHH.
50 Cent’s empire is expanding. Though things with Starz seemingly fell through, despite shows like Power and BMF generating massive revenue for the network, Fif hasn’t allowed this minor setback to impact his goals as a television mogul. The new season of Power Book II: Ghost is expected to debut next month while fans are at the edge of their seats to find out what happens next with the Flenory brothers and the Black Mafia Family empire during this season.
Though the cast of Power and BMF have traded shots at each other over the past few weeks, each has cemented its places on television must-watch lists. While the second season of BMF might be coming to an end soon, it’s apparent that the demand is high. STARZ recently renewed the show for a third season, which will likely debut next year. Already, 50 Cent began plotting out how he’ll expand the cast further and it seems he has some more star power to back it up.
2 Chainz & Ne-Yo Will Join The “BMF” Cast In Season 3
Over the years, we’ve seen how 50 Cent included many of hip-hop’s favorites in his television world. Kendrick Lamar appeared in the original Power series, Method Man and Mary J. Blige have roles in Power Book II, and Kash Doll has held it down on BMF as Monique. However, it appears that BMF will get even more star power in the near future with the inclusion of 2 Chainz and Ne-Yo. 50 Cent hit Instagram where he confirmed both artists will appear on BMF season 3.
According to Variety, 2 Chainz will take on the role of an Atlanta-born distributor named Stacks. “Fiercely loyal and determined to provide for his family no matter the cost, Stacks lives by the street code and challenges Meech’s leadership style,” Starz described Chainz’s role. Ne-Yo will also play the role of a local Atlanta hustler named Rodney “Greeny” Green whose primary focus is making money, though he’ll unveil layers to his character throughout the season. We’ll see how this all pans out in the next season but we’re certainly excited to see how they shape up to be on screen.
CNN This Morning host Don Lemon faced backlash last Thursday (February 16th) after commentating on Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s age. The 56-year-old news anchor has been absent from the show and has participated in “formal training,” according to People. The network has announced that Lemon will be returning on-air this week. The controversy initially transpired after Lemon remarked that Haley was “past her prime.”
During a conversation with co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, the trio discussed the former governor of South Carolina’s previous claim that politicians above 75 years old should be forced to take a mental competency test. Initially, Lemon commented on how the conversation about age made him “uncomfortable.” However, he was quick to add in his two bits by saying, “Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime. Sorry. A woman is considered to be in their prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”
Lemon Publicizes Apology On Twitter
The reference I made to a woman’s “prime” this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it. A woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.
Correspondingly, Lemon received criticism for his “sexist” and “ageist” remarks. Soon after, the TV journalist took to Twitter to issue an apology. “The reference I made to a woman’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it,” he wrote. “A woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.”
People also reported that the network chairman Chris Licht had personally discussed the issue with Lemon, as revealed by a memo released to CNN‘s staff. The same statement announced Lemon’s upcoming return to CNN This Morning. It read, “he has agreed to participate in formal training, as well as continuing to listen and learn. We take this situation very seriously. It is important to me that CNN balances accountability with fostering a culture in which people can own, learn and grow from their mistakes.”
Lemon’s Controversial Comments
According to the Times, Lemon also issued an apology to his CNN colleagues, stating, “I am sorry. I did not mean to hurt anyone. I did not mean to offend anyone.” Following his several-day hiatus, Lemon will return to CNN This Morning tomorrow (February 22nd). For more updates to circulating controversies, don’t forget to check out HNHH.
Lily-Rose Depp discussed her upcoming role in HBO’s The Idol during a new cover story for i-D. In the piece, Depp discussed starring alongside The Weeknd, who plays her love interest on the show. She says that the singer helped her feel “so empowered” on set.
“Talk about trust and comfort. I had to go to a lot of really vulnerable places in the show. Abel was the best partner that I could have ever asked for. He has my back and I have his,” Depp told the outlet. “I just felt so free and liberated, so empowered.”
As for her role, she explained that Jocelyn was the role of her dreams. “I’ve dreamt of roles like this for forever. I just don’t think that you could give an actress a greater gift than a role like this,” Depp said. “This has been the most meaningful and important project that I’ve ever done, and the thing that I’m the proudest of. I don’t know where to begin. Jocelyn is the most wonderfully complex character. She’s so fascinating. A mystery. After a year of living with that character, I’m still obsessed with her. I just want to keep digging deeper.”
Depp also explained that The Idol was a learning experience for her. “I was gaining so much from just being present in the moment, even in between takes or when they’re changing the camera setup. Just watching our DPs set up these shots and the lighting. I gained so much from really having my eyes open,” she said. Elsewhere in the interview, she discussed growing up as the daughter of celebrities, something she says gives her imposter syndrome.
In addition to Depp and The Weeknd, The Idol stars Jane Adams, Hank Azaria, Hari Nef, Dan Levy, Troye Sivan, and Jennie of K-Pop supergroup Blackpink. The Weeknd is credited as a creator alongside Reza Fahim and Euphoria’s Sam Levinson. The show doesn’t have an official release date but is scheduled to hit HBO at some point in 2023. Check out the second official teaser trailer for The Idol below.
Although the legendary emcee has reconciled with 21 Savage after the “Rich Flex” rapper questioned whether or not the Queensbridge native remains a fixture in today’s music landscape, saying, “I don’t feel like he’s relevant.” The conversation flooded social media for days. After other musicians like Fivio Foreign took to social media to give Nas his flowers, 21 Savage seemingly walked his initial comments back, stating “he would never disrespect Nas.”
As Nas locks in to work on his next album, King’s Disease IV, in which 50 Cent will appear, his 2001 song “Got Ur Self A Gun” from Stillmatic is receiving love from the Peacock original series. The hype track is the perfect backdrop to the fictional action character John Wick’s fast-paced fight scene montage.
This isn’t the first time the beloved hip-hop icon’s music has been used in a television series or film. But with this track, considering how it samples The Sopranos’ theme song “Woke Up This Morning,” this is certainly a full circle moment.
Paul Rudd is taking the world by storm with his role as Scott Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.Now, he’s reminiscing about his career. Before he became the household name that he is thanks to popular franchises like Anchorman and Ant-Man, Rudd was in Friends. During his time on the show, he played Mike Hannigan in seasons 9 and 10. Mike was Phoebe’s boyfriend and eventually her husband. He shared recently that he didn’t think the show should have included him in the finale of the show.
Roughly twenty years after the finale aired, Paul Rudd was interviewed by The Heart’s breakfast show. There, he shared that he didn’t think he should have been included in the series’ final episode. It was the fifth most-viewed series finale of all time. Rudd spoke highly of the surreal experience of joining Friends toward the end of the show’s time airing. He explained that being a part of the last episode was incredibly overwhelming for him. Check out the part of the interview where he discussed this below:
He said, “The whole thing was a bit surreal, I must say, to be a part of that — because I came on really at the end… I never knew that I was going to be in as many [episodes] as I was. But it also felt strange. I was in that last episode, and I just thought, ‘I shouldn’t be here. I’m getting a front-row seat to things I’m not supposed to see.’ They were all crying, it was all emotional, and I was just like, ‘woah!’”
While Rudd wasn’t on the show until its last two seasons, Mike Hannigan remains one of the series’ most beloved additions. He was a former attorney with negative views on marriage. Joey (Matt LeBlanc) introduced Mike to Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) after he forgot to find someone to set Phoebe up with. Mike responds to Joey’s random call for a “Mike?” in Central Perk, and the rest is history. Mike and Phoebe’s romance became one of the primary aspects of Phoebe’s character wrap-up on the show. Rudd is an iconic part of Friends, even if he doesn’t entirely think so.
Viewers of a show or film will oftentimes associate the actor and or actress with their character outside of the show. Point in case, star La La Anthony. The former MTV personality has been under fire for her role in BMF on STARZ as of late. While she has talked about it in the past, it was co-star Kash Doll who spoke on her behalf last week.
The Detroit rapper and new mom was nearing the end of her NYC promo run when she was approached by TMZ reporters last Friday (Feb. 17). They asked her to share her thoughts on Markisha Taylor and Terry Flenory’s relationship, played by La La and actor Da’Vinci. The on-screen—rumored off-screen lovers—have eyes on them for the portrayal of an older woman having an affair with an up-and-coming drug kingpin still in high school. Especially since the show is largely based on the real lives of the Black Mafia Family.
Kash Doll Defends Co-Star La La Anthony
As Anthony’s name was mentioned, Kash Doll immediately came to her defense. “Why is it a problem if she’s acting it?” she questioned. “It ain’t like she’s dating him for real.” She went on to add that “a lot of it is not all the way true.” “[The show is] based on a true story but they[‘re] putting the lil’ sauce on it.”
Her response comes after backlash from BMF viewers since the season 2 premiere. Twitter user @taurusk_ tweeted: “So we just gonna breeze by La La Character in BMF being a child predator? lol.” Lala recently alluded to Markisha being the “older girlfriend” who forced Terry to step up and become a man in his late teens. During a visit to The Breakfast Club, Anthony spoke on her role and the woman who inspired it. The First Lady in question, Tonesa Welch, went on to share the interview and her grievances with the show as a whole. Big Meech is also providing his thoughts on the drama series. This was detailed by his son Lil Meech in a January interview. Let us know what you think about all of this, in the comments below.
On February 13th, the Michigan State University campus underwent a shelter-in-place order after an active shooter was reported. The aftermath of this mass shooting resulted in four deaths and five injuries. Deelishis’s niece, Arielle Diamond, was of those tragically killed in this horrific attack. The Flavor of Love 2 star initially took to Instagram to ask followers about Diamond’s whereabouts.
“My beautiful niece @ariellediamond_ is a student at Michigan State University… she was in her classroom in the same building as the active shooter and we have not heard from her, ” Deelishis wrote. “If you know her whereabouts please dm me… in the meantime my family and I ask for your prayers.” Diamond, who was 19 at the time, was studying at MSU with hopes of becoming a pediatrician.
Nearly a week after the shooting, Deelishis sat down with NewsNation‘s Chris Cuomo in an emotional interview about Diamond’s death. “She was good, she was innocent, she was family,” the grieving aunt told the news anchor. “She was important, she was loved, she was kindness, she was goodness. This shouldn’t have happened to her.” The emotional interview brought tears to Deelishis’ eyes as she recounted the life of her late niece.
Deelishis, who initially rose to fame after winning Flavor of Love 2, continued to reflect on her niece’s impact. When asked about the legacy that Diamond would have built, she responded, “She would have definitely been a contribution. She still will be a contribution, you know the devil won’t win. She has a purpose that’s gonna definitely live out.”
The 45-year-old media personality has continued to post on Instagram in Diamond’s honor. In her most recent post, she writes, “As you can imagine, this is tough for my family. But we refuse to lose our Faith in God, even in the midst of our greatest challenges and crisis.”
While the identity of the MSU shooting suspect is confirmed, a motive is seemingly impossible to identify. The 43-year-old gunman concluded his killing spree with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to CNN. The outlet reports that chaos ensued across the campus, which in turn affected distant family members, including Deelishis. For more updates regarding this ongoing investigation, be sure to check out HNHH.
Fans know Angus Cloud best from his role as Fezco on Euphoria. However, he is now on the radar of the California Highway Patrol. The actor allegedly participated in a hit-and-run. Police officers are looking to speak with Cloud regarding the incident from Tuesday. A witness told TMZ that it occurred in Marina del Rey. According to them, Cloud and another male were driving in the area in an SUV. Said SUV rear-ended a white Toyota RAV-4, then took off to a nearby parking lot.
At least one person involved in Cloud’s alleged hit-and-run suffered injuries due to the accident. Through photos and statements provided, it is easy to see that a female who was riding in the Toyota had injuries from the impact of the accident. The injuries extend to her arms and legs. Pictures of her arms show bruising and redness on her skin. According to the report, the same types of markings are on the woman’s legs, as well. Also according to TMZ, there was more than one person in the Toyota. However, they did not report the genders, numbers, and injuries of other passengers involved.
Angus Cloud Accused
Angus Cloud attends the GQ Dinner at the Red Sea International Film Festival on December 07, 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival)
The report states the witness knew the people who were in the Toyota. Apparently, once the chaos from the accident settled down, said witness went to look for Cloud and the SUV. The witness went to the parking lot where Cloud and the other person in the car had driven. However, upon further inspection of the area, the Euphoria star and his friend were nowhere to be seen or found. This is shocking, especially because a hit-and-run can be charged as a felony in the state of California. However, if the hit-and-run is charged as a misdemeanor, Cloud can still be charged with a possible sentence of up to six months in jail. He could also face a fine of up to $1,000.00.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ that, while Cloud is not an official suspect in the case, police officials have mentioned the Euphoria star for possible involvement. Rightfully so, cops want to speak to him to determine if he was involved or even responsible for the car accident. If he was, the issue will be dealt with accordingly in a legal matter. Cloud’s team has yet to make a statement on the allegations and evidence of the hit-and-run.
