Beyonce, billionaire, renaissance, film, world tour, Forbes

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 14, 2023

Beyoncé ‘Well On Her Way To Becoming A Billionaire’ As Net Worth Reaches $800M

Beyoncé is closer to joining her husband in the billionaire club. Her net worth has reached an estimated $800 million.

Queen Bey had a busy—and profitable—2023.

On Wednesday, Dec. 13, Forbes revealed that Beyoncé “is well on her way to becoming a billionaire” as the global superstar’s net worth grew to $800 million. The $300 million jump from her 2022 net work comes thanks in part to the “Cuff It” singer’s $100 million post-tax earnings from the hugely successful Renaissance World Tour.

In October, Billboard listed the Renaissance tour as one of the Top 10 tours of all time, having grossed a reported $580 million in 56 shows performed throughout Europe and the USA in less than five months. When the tour wrapped on Oct. 1, 2023, it amassed $141.8 million in Europe and $438 million in the U.S. and Canada. Not too bad.

Among the list of top 10 world tours, Beyoncé is the only woman, Black musician, and American solo artist to make the list. In addition to the world tour, the “Single Ladies” singer has a music catalog worth $300 million and a multi-million dollar art collection.

Other additions to her $800 million net worth include personal assets shared with her billionaire husband Jay-Z, including a $320 million real estate portfolio that includes their $200 million Malibu mansion that’s said “to be the most expensive home in California history.”

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé opened in movie theaters Dec. 1. and was produced and directed by, you guessed it, Beyoncé. It reached No. 1 at the box office and earned $21 million in North American ticket sales.

Though Beyoncé ended her Adidas partnership for her Ivy Park brand in March, she still earned $20 million in annual compensation, Hypebeast reported. She also earned money from her Balmain collaboration and her Cé Noir perfume, which retails for $160.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 14, 2023

Draymond Green ‘Indefinitely’ Suspended by NBA

"Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended indefinitely for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face."

Draymond Green has been “indefinitely” suspended by the NBA after his latest flagrant foul during regular season play.

This is the third time the Golden State Warriors player has been kicked out of a game this early season. He was given a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected from the contest after he hit Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face Dec. 12.

That led the NBA to severely punish Green due to his “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.”

The suspension was announced by Joe Dumars, executive vice president, Head of Basketball Operations.

ESPN Sources: The NBA is suspending Golden State’s Draymond Green indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/CNaIXavM0C

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 14, 2023

“Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended indefinitely for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face. This outcome takes into account Green’s repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.”

The NBA said Green “will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play.” The suspension starts immediately.

According to ESPN, Green will be docked $153,941 per game if his suspension is fewer than 20 games and $202,922 per game if it’s more than 20 games.

Green, no stranger to being assessed for flagrant fouls, was just suspended last month after an altercation with the Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert. After being ejected from that game on Nov. 14, the league suspended Green for five games “for escalating an on-court altercation and forcibly grabbing…Gobert around the neck in an unsportsmanlike and dangerous manner.”

According to ESPN, Green will be meet with Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Green’s agent, Rich Paul to discuss counseling options.

Currently, the Warriors are 7-8 with Green and 3-5 without him. Time will tell how the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year’s absence will impact the struggling team.

by Daniel Johnson

December 14, 2023

IRS Signals Leniency On Audits Of Lower-Income Taxpayers

IRS Commissioner Daniel I. Werfel said the changes were coming in an effort to make sure income tax audits are more fair and equitable to taxpayers

After several reports analyzing the disproportionate focus of IRS audits on lower-income people, the IRS appears to be cutting a little slack this year. According to Yahoo, the IRS announced that it will be more lenient on taxpayers who qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). That credit typically is applied to American citizens or residents who report earning below $59,187 and/or report earning below $10,300 in investment income on their federal taxes.

In a Sept. 18 letter to the Senate Finance Committee, IRS Commissioner Daniel I. Werfel said the changes were part of an effort to make sure income tax audits are more fair and equitable to taxpayers, writing, “Over-reliance on audits to resolve basic errors can lead to fewer taxpayers receiving credits and deductions for which they are eligible and thus decrease accuracy in tax administration.”

Werfel’s letter continued, “We are making broad efforts to overhaul compliance efforts in a manner that robustly advances our commitment to fair, equitable, and effective tax administration.”

In 2022, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, about half of audits initiated by the IRS were focused on those with an annual income below $25,000 who claimed the EITC. Joanna Ain, the Associate Director of Policy for Prosperity Now, a non-profit that is dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for low-income families and communities in the U.S., told Yahoo in February 2023, “As we know, tax time is a critically important time for families and individuals — especially low-income households and households of color — and a tax refund can be a lifeline, helping households meet daily needs and start saving for their futures.”

Most of those audits came via the postal service, which Erin Collins, the National Taxpayer Advocate, told Congress was a point of concern via her annual report, “Correspondence audit letters fail to provide a point of contact,” Collins wrote. “Low-income taxpayers encounter communication barriers that hinder audit resolution, leading to increased burdens and downstream consequences for taxpayers.”

Black taxpayers were also selected for audits at a rate between three and five times that of non-Black taxpayers, according to a Stanford University study. The study also found that even when Black taxpayers did not claim the EITC, a disparity was still present in their audits. Dorothy Brown, a Georgetown Law tax professor and lawyer, praised Commissioner Werfel’s letter before issuing a critique, telling Yahoo, “The Commissioner’s letter to the Senate was a great first start,” Brown said. “Going forward, he needs to ensure that regardless of income level, Black taxpayers are not more likely to be audited than non-Black taxpayers.”

Ain, in turn, praised both Brown and Steven Dean for their work in making sure that the disparities in tax audits from the IRS were put forth to the media, which created pressure on the IRS to change how it conducts its tax audits. Ain told Yahoo, “The initiative outlined in this letter is an outcome of the incredible work of legal thinkers and tax law professors like Dorothy Brown and Steven Dean to bring this disparity to the attention of the media and policymakers.”

Ain continued, focusing on the propensity of the rich to legally dodge paying their fair share of taxes, saying, “The need to focus tax audits on the wealthy and corporations and high-end tax evasion rather than households with low-incomes and households of color is critical to putting forward a fair and equitable tax code.”

Diddy, Cassie, Ryan Leslie, tour, allegations, sexual assault, Sean combs, relationship

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 14, 2023

Ryan Leslie Says Cassie Is ‘Planning For A Tour’ After Diddy Settlement

Cassie has plans for a musical comeback, according to her ex-boyfriend and former collaborator, Ryan Leslie.

Cassie has plans for a musical comeback and the support of her ex-boyfriend and former collaborator Ryan Leslie.

TMZ caught up with Leslie in New York City on Tuesday, Dec. 12, where he was asked about the current status of his relationship with Cassie, whose sexual assault lawsuit against Diddy was settled in 24 hours. According to Leslie, anything that happened to Cassie at the hands of Sean “Diddy” Combs happened “much later” after they had parted ways.

Leslie has spoken to the “Me and You” singer in recent years after the 2017 death of their former manager, Ed Woods. According to Leslie, Cassie is planning to release new music and go on tour.

“The last conversation we had she’s planning for a tour,” Leslie revealed. “So we had talked about that.”

Leslie brought Cassie over to Diddy’s Bad Boy label in 2005. She did get signed to Bad Boy. But according to her shocking 35-page lawsuit, it was an unfortunate move.

In the suit, Cassie accused Diddy of subjecting her to a pattern of control and abuse over about a decade. She also accused him of rape, plying her with drugs, beating her, and forcing her to have sex with a series of male prostitutes while he filmed the encounters as part of his “freak offs.”

In 2018, near the end of their relationship, Cassie claimed Diddy forced his way into her home and raped her.

“After years in silence and darkness,” Cassie said in a statement, “I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships.”

Diddy has denied Cassie’s allegations along with those in three additional additional lawsuits filed by women. The Bad Boy founder has experienced a drastic fall from grace in recent weeks after stepping down as chairman of his company Revolt along with having his Hulu reality show scrapped.

The Grammys are “evaluating” whether or not Diddy will be invited to attend the award show despite being nominated.

by Rafael Pena

December 14, 2023

Black Man Dies In Police Custody, Officers’ Lawyers Argue It Was Drug Use

Washington state police officers are on trial for the death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who died during the use of excessive force.

NBC News reports that three Washington state police officers, Christopher Burbank, Matthew Collins, and Timothy Rankine, are on trial for the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man. The defense argued on Dec. 12 that Ellis’s death resulted from drug use, not excessive force. The trial is the first since voters removed the requirement to prove police malice in 2018.

“This is a situation where he created his own death,” stated Fricke on the use of excessive force during his closing arguments during the nine-week trial on murder and manslaughter charges for the accused officers. “It was his behavior that forced the officers to use force against him because he created a situation that required them to act.”

Special prosecutor Patty Eakes, from the Washington Attorney General’s Office, urged the jury to compare officers’ statements with videos and witness testimony to assess credibility. Ellis repeatedly said, “Can’t breathe, sir” before his death, reminiscent of the George Floyd case. Eakes played audio clips showing contradictions in officers’ statements.

Jared Ausserer, representing Officer Matthew Collins, argued about witness credibility, questioning why Sara McDowell, who recorded part of the incident, waited three months to come forward. Ausserer also questioned the phones recording the videos, alleging they stopped working after meeting the family’s lawyer.

Eakes countered officers’ claims, pointing out discrepancies. Collins said Ellis threw him into the street, but no witnesses saw it. Videos showed Officer Burbank present despite Collins claiming not to see him. Ellis remained on the ground, with hands in a surrender position, contradicting officers’ statements. Eakes noted contradictions between six witnesses and the officers’ claims.

Fricke argued that officers acted appropriately, responding to Ellis’s resistance. He questioned McDowell’s statement, “Just arrest him,” suggesting something happened before her recording. Fricke emphasized that Burbank followed training and facts, denying any intent for Ellis to die.

“No one wanted him to die, but ultimately he died, and that’s sad,” Fricke said. “We don’t compound that tragedy by convicting innocent people of these charges.”

Ausserer stressed that the officers’ actions were lawful during Ellis’s arrest, citing his assault on a patrol car’s window and resistance. He argued against felony murder charges, stating no felony was committed by the officers.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 14, 2023

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Family Reality Series Dropped By Hulu Amid Sexual Assault Claims

Sean "Diddy" Combs latest setback amid his sexual assault claims comes in the form of an axed Hulu reality show about his family.

Sean “Diddy” Combs fall from grace continues in the wake of four lawuits accusing him of sexual assault. His latest setback comes in the form of an axed reality show about his family.

Hulu was in the process of developing “Diddy + 7,” a reality series following his life as a celebrity father of seven. But with the music mogul facing multiple lawsuits for alleged sexual assault, Hulu has decided not to not move forward with the series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

James Corden’s production company Fulwell 73 was behind the project that was in the early stages of development. But that was before Combs was hit with three lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault among other violent claims.

Most of the suits were filed within the deadline of New York’s Adult Survivors Act. The Bad Boy founder quickly settled the first lawsuit filed on Nov. 16 by his ex Cassie Ventura. The two reached an undisclosed settlement just 24 hours after Ventura filed the suit accusing Combs of rape, physical abuse, forcing her to take drugs, and engage in sexual encounters with male prostitutes that Combs would film.

Less than a week later, a woman by the name of Joi Dickerson-Neal filed a suit accusing Combs of having “drugged, sexually assaulted, and abused” her and subjecting her to “revenge porn” created and distributed by the hip-hop mogul. A third lawsuit was filed by a Jane Doe who claims Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall took turns raping her and her friend at Hall’s apartment sometime between 1990 and 1991.

Most recently, another Jane Doe came forward to accuse Combs, Bad Boy Entertainment president Harve Pierre, and a third man of raping and sex trafficking her when she was 17.

Combs has denied all allegations and released a statement last week claiming “enough is enough.”

“FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I HAVE SAT SILENTLY AND WATCHED PEOPLE TRY TO ASSASSINATE MY CHARACTER, DESTROY MY REPUTATION AND MY LEGACY,” he wrote in all caps. “SICKENING ACCUSATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AGAINST ME BY INDIVIDUALS LOOKING FOR A QUICK PAYDAY.”

“LET ME BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR,” he continued. “I DID NOT DO ANY OF THE AWFUL THINGS BEING ALLEGED. I WILL FIGHT FOR MY NAME, MY FAMILY AND FOR THE TRUTH. SEAN DIDDY COMBS.”

pic.twitter.com/GpxzhBDWMw
— LOVE (@Diddy) December 6, 2023

In addition to the axed Hulu show, Combs has stepped down as Charmain at Revolt, had his charter school sever ties with him, saw a series of Black-owned companies separate themselves from a Black-owned marketplace he created, and has his 2024 Grammys invitation under “evaluation” amid the sexual assault claims.

by Rafael Pena

December 14, 2023

Black Twitch Streamer Gains More Views Switching Avatar To A White Man Cartoon

Twitch streamer Just_Relax_Kid experimented with changing his avatar from a Black man to a white man, significantly increasing views.

Business Insider reported on Dec. 2 that Twitch streamer Just_Relax_Kid, also known as Zach, recently experimented with changing his avatar from a Black man to a white man, significantly increasing views on his channel. Zach, a Twitch creator for nearly nine years with 77,000 followers, usually streams gaming content.

The change immediately impacted his viewership, with his average views per stream surging threefold. Zach expressed surprise at the sudden rise in his view count, acknowledging a comment suggesting it was because he appeared as a white man. Reflecting on the experience, he remarked, “Is this what it feels like to have privilege on Twitch? That shit worked earlier than I thought it would.”

Oh y’all think I’m joking? My numbers while being black vs white https://t.co/6CRaxGERSu pic.twitter.com/mhXmdyzsqE
— Just Relax Kid (@JustRelaxK1d) December 3, 2023

In a video shared on social media platforms, Zach emphasized the substantial increase in viewership after adopting the white avatar. He noted receiving messages from fellow Black creators who had tried similar experiments and observed comparable results.

Despite the experiment’s success in boosting visibility, Zach felt hurt by the realization and emphasized that he didn’t want people to feel shame for being themselves. He received criticism from both Black and white individuals, with some accusing him of exaggerating racism while others believed he was not vocal enough on the issue.

“Honestly, I’m hurt ’cause of all these Black creators who were like, ‘I’m not using my camera anymore. I’m not doing it,’” he told Dexerto. “And they were serious. So, I feel bad because I feel like I’m kind of responsible for that. I don’t want people feeling shame just for being who they are.”

Zach also expressed a sense of betrayal toward Twitch, highlighting that despite being a partnered streamer for almost a decade, he had not received significant recognition or support from the platform. Feeling overlooked, he stated, “I’ve been one of your partnered streamers for almost a decade, and I’ve never gotten any love or nothing from Twitch ever.” Then he added, “Like, not a single thing besides Black History Month. Like, nothing. It was wild to me, and I was like, ‘You know what, I probably won’t show my camera anymore.'”

LOUISVILLE, Breonna Taylor, cop, police, retrial

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

December 14, 2023

Prosecutors Intend To Retry Ex-Louisville Officer Who Fired Shots In Breonna Taylor Raid

After a mistrial, federal prosecutors intend to retry ex-Louisville officer Brett Hankinson for his use of excessive force during the fatal raid of Breonna Taylor's home.

Federal prosecutors will attempt to retry a policeman involved in the Louisville no-knock raid of Breonna Taylor’s home in March 2020 that resulted in her death. The case of whether ex-officer Brett Hankinson used excessive force during the incident ended in a mistrial due to not reaching a unanimous decision by a jury in November.

The 12-member jury, comprised mainly of white people, could not reach a unanimous verdict. However, the judge relayed that the deliberation room was intense, overhearing “elevated voices” that prompted security to enter. Despite calls from one of the prosecutors over the trial, Michael Songer, to allow them more time to decide, the judge declared a mistrial on the grounds the jury “cannot get past” certain issues regarding the case.

Although his bullets did not strike anyone, Hankinson fired his gun 10 times as the bullets went into Taylor’s apartment as well as a neighbor’s. Despite the mistrial, prosecutors have shared with the public that the “government intends” to seek justice in the case. If the retrial is set in motion, Hankinson’s case will have been heard in front of the courts for the third time, being acquitted last year on state charges of wanton endangerment after shooting the windows and a glass door in Taylor’s home.

According to ABC News, the retrial is set for October 2024 by order of U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings, but prosecutors are aiming for an earlier time in the summer. However, Hankinson may replace his counsel before the new date occurs, as revealed by one of his defense lawyers, Jack Byrd.

As for the other former members of the Louisville Police Department still facing trial, ex-officer Kelly Goodlett pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and civil rights violations. The Courier-Journal reported that Goodlett is expected to testify against other officers, Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany, during their trials.

KRS-One Explains Why He Turned Down ‘A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop’

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 14, 2023

KRS-One Explains Why He Turned Down ‘A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop’

"You ignored hip-hop for 49 years. At the 50th year, you wanna call us? 49 years you ignored us. The 50th year, that's when you call."

This year, there were many celebrations for the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Yet, there have been many recording artists who have a historic place in this genre who have not been happy with the bastardization of the culture, specifically among corporate entities. The latest hip-hop artist to make his thoughts known, Boogie Down Productions’ KRS-One, expressed in a recent interview the reason he turned down a chance to perform at the Grammys’ recent hip-hop celebration.

A video appeared online on the YouTube channel of Harold St. Louis of KRS-One sharing his feelings about the Grammys, which he feels has not treated hip-hop with the respect it deserves in the first 49 years of the genre’s existence. He starts the video off by stating why he did not accept a personal invitation from another pioneer of hip-hop, LL COOL J.

After telling the interviewer that he did not watch the airing of “A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop,” the New York City lyricist goes into his thought process in terms of the organization’s tribute.

“I was asked about two months ago; they asked me to do it, and I turned them down,” he said. “With all due respect, LL COOL J himself called me, spoke to my wife, and pretty much begged for me to be on the show, but we turned him down. And reason being is because I know other people don’t understand this, and I say this respectfully. Meaning that KRS-One is a hip-hop extremist. I’m not violent, a violent extremist, no. I’m insane with this culture. I know I must have lost my mind in this.”

The legendary rapper stated that he doesn’t apologize for his experience or the reason for feeling this way. The “temple of hip-hop” is “our home,” and the corporate entity behind the Grammys has exploited the culture; hence he will never stand “in the environment” where hip-hop is being taken advantage of.

He said, “So when I got the call, I immediately said nah, nah. First of all, it’s the Grammys? You get no respect here. None. None, you have no respect here. Now, we respect your existence, we know you exist. And we know that you’re the Grammys and we understand that and we respect that. Your existence. But you ignored hip-hop for 49 years. At the 50th year, you wanna call us? 49 years you ignored us. The 50th year, that’s when you call. You couldn’t even call on 47 and gear it up to at least 50. OK, at least get us into 47. You wait to the 50th year to want to call hip-hop’s authentic teacha? Nah, you don’t get that privilege. I refuse to show up.”

Check out the full interview below:

The Grammys have an immediate concern that has to be addressed. With the recent settlement of Cassie’s sexual assault lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs, with an added three pending lawsuits of the same nature, the Recording Academy may have to rescind the music mogul’s invite. Diddy was nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album at the 2024 Grammy Awards, but reportedly, other nominees and executives are stating that they don’t want to be seated near the “Bad Boy” during the ceremony.

Southwest Airlines Gain Praise From Plus-Sized Influencers Over Free Extra Seat

by Rafael Pena

December 14, 2023

Southwest Airlines Gain Praise From Plus-Sized Influencers Over Free Extra Seat

Southwest Airlines' "customer of size" policy is earning praise from plus-size TikTok Influencers, who laud the airline for providing more comfort.

Southwest Airlines’ “customer of size” policy is earning praise from plus-size TikTok influencers, who laud the airline for providing more comfort and accessibility for larger passengers. The policy allows passengers whose bodies extend beyond the armrest to request an additional seat at no extra cost, according to The New York Post. The airline’s approach is seen as a positive step in addressing the challenges faced by those who might otherwise experience anxiety when flying due to size-related concerns.

“We’ve had a long-standing policy for more than 30 years designed to meet the seating needs of customers who require more than one seat and protect the comfort and safety of everyone onboard,” the company says on its website.

Under Southwest’s policy, passengers can purchase one seat and discuss their seating needs with the Customer Service Agent at the departure gate. If it’s determined that an additional seat is required, the passenger is accommodated with a complimentary seat. The airline encourages customers to purchase extra seats in advance to ensure availability and proactively notify them of special seating needs.

https://www.tiktok.com/@kimmystyled/video/7288443901491350827?_r=1&_t=8i9fKxm8NOU

Kimmy, a self-described “fat solo traveler,” went viral with a video explaining how she used the program. She highlighted Southwest as the only airline that allows a second seat at no extra cost, even on fully booked flights. She shared her positive experiences, emphasizing the policy’s ease of use and the benefit of preboarding.

Jae’lynn Chaney, a plus-sized travel expert, praised Southwest’s policy for making air travel more comfortable and accessible for all, including fat and disabled individuals. She emphasized that the policy helps offset the disproportionate costs incurred by larger passengers, addressing both physical and financial accessibility.

However, not everyone has had a positive experience. A TikTok user shared her opposition, claiming she and her teenage daughter and friend were kicked off a flight in June due to an alleged overbooking caused by an oversized person not purchasing a second ticket. The incident raised concerns about the impact on passengers who may face inconveniences due to the policy.