by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

December 13, 2023

Black Woman Suing Colorado Chili’s After Being Forced To Pay Upfront

Markesha Futrell-Smith has filed a discrimination lawsuit against Chili's in Denver, Colorado after being forced to pay for her food upfront, allegedly due to her being Black.

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A Black woman in Colorado is suing a Chili’s in Denver after being forced to pay upfront for her family’s meal at the dining establishment. The restaurant allegedly refused to take Markesha Futrell-Smith and her family’s order unless they paid first.

The incident occurred on April 30, 2022, with Futrell-Smith filing a federal discrimination lawsuit on Nov. 28 in the state’s capital. Within the complaint, the woman detailed that she, her husband, and two children were the only Black patrons inside the restaurant when they sat down. Upon looking over their menus, a manager stopped by their table to question the family on how they would pay.

According to the document, the manager “demanded that (she) provide a valid form of payment upfront prior to taking her order if she wished to dine at the restaurant.”

Their reasoning, as stated in the complaint, was that the woman skipped out on her last meal at the establishment, an accusation the plaintiff denied.

The woman was a frequent customer of the Denver location as well, with the lawsuit stating that the woman was “frustrated, angry, embarrassed, and humiliated” by the incident. The complaint also detailed that Chili’s has no policy in place that demanded upfront payment from customers who had not paid for meals before, stating that the request violated the state’s discrimination law.

“The incident has caused Ms. Futrell-Smith immense anxiety and fear that when she enters a store or restaurant, she will be falsely accused of shoplifting or thievery, solely due to her African-American race,” the lawsuit states. “Futrell-Smith is genuinely fearful that similar discrimination will occur to her and her children in the future based on their African-American race.”

A spokesperson for Chili’s released a statement on “fostering an inclusive environment” at their restaurants, but refused to comment further on the specific matter,

Futrell-Smith is seeking compensatory damages, as well as additional damages to be determined at the trial.

“We value every Chili’s Guest and take the responsibility of fostering an inclusive environment for all very seriously. We do not condone or tolerate discrimination of any kind, as the safety and wellbeing of our Team Members and Guests is a top priority.”

• News History

by Iman Milner

December 13, 2023

Beyoncé Accused Of Copying Artist For Costume Worn During ‘Renaissance’ Tour And Film

An artist is accusing Beyoncé of referencing his work in visuals she used for both the Renaissance World Tour and film.

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A Japanese artist has accused Beyoncé of copying his artistic creation for a visual she included in her Renaissance tour and film. Hajime Sorayama posted his claims to Instagram in several photos, TMZ reports.

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A post shared by Hajime Sorayama (@hajimesorayamaofficial)

“Yo @beyonce. You should have asked me ‘officially’ so that I could make much better work for you as like my man @theweekend,” Sorayama captioned his Instagram post, which featured a carousel of images of his illustrations and the alleged reference pieces from Beyoncé’s record-breaking world tour. Sorayama partnered with The Weeknd to create a cover for the 10th anniversary of his 2011 mixtape Echoes of Silence. The rereleased music featured an image of a silver robot-like figure in profile with an arched neck.

Along with the side-by-side visuals, the artist posted a photo of merchandise featuring the referential visuals, seemingly hinting at the singer having made a profit from his idea.

Several commenters believed the pair had worked together prior to his posting, while others expressed dissenting opinions about Sorayama’s claims.

“You and whoever made her headpiece clearly drew from the same metropolis inspo. Doesn’t make anyone a thief, certainly not Beyonce,” one commenter said. “She’s wearing Thierry Mugler based on an archive Mugler look that referenced metropolis.”

“Were you this incensed when she wore a similar headpiece in 2007 at the BET awards?” said another.

Still, it isn’t the first time Beyoncé has been accused of drawing inspiration from another creative and failing to credit them. In 2011, Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker claimed the singer lifted her dance moves in the video for her track “Countdown.”

“I’m not mad, but this is plagiarism,” De Keersmaeker told The New York Times. The 42-year-old pop star responded to De Keersmaeker’s claims in the affirmative, saying, “Clearly, the ballet ‘Rosas danst Rosas’ was one of many references for my video ‘Countdown.’ It was one of the inspirations used to bring the feel and look of the song to life.”

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A post shared by Marlyn Ortiz (@marlynortiz)

Beyoncé was once again in the hot seat in 2016, when choreographer Marlyn Ortiz accused her of pulling inspiration from her dance troupe De La Guarda during the Formation World Tour. “I’m sorry I don’t bash artist! But I respect fellow creative artist…and don’t like to use social media to promote something that can be perceived as negativity,” Ortiz wrote in an Instagram post. “BUT @beyonce you have the nerve to steal exact concepts n choreography from other real creative genius.”

RELATED CONTENT: ‘Nonstop Silver’: Beyoncé Fans Flock To Thrift Stores, Unloading Unwanted Silver Outfits From Renaissance Tour

• News History

by Iman Milner

December 13, 2023

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Argues Proposed State Bans On Conversion Therapy Violate First Amendment

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas argued that state bans on conversion therapy for minors violate First Amendment rights.

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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that state bans on conversion therapy aimed at minors may violate First Amendment rights. Justice Samuel Alito has supported Thomas’ claim, Business Insider reports.

The Supreme Court published the thoughts of both Thomas and Alito on Dec. 11 in announcing its decision to bypass hearing a case brought before the justices by conversion therapist Brian Tingley, who believes a person’s sex is “a gift from God, integral to our very being” and assists minors suffering from gender dysphoria who “want to become comfortable with their biological sex” through talk therapy. The state of Washington opposes Tingley’s belief and asserted that it should “protect its minors against exposure to serious harms caused by” conversion experts, according to Supreme Court documents.

The ban would require licensed counselors like Tingley to comply with state laws, making conversion therapy illegal and leaving perpetrators open to punishment. “Under SB 5722, licensed counselors cannot voice anything other than the state-approved opinion on minors with gender dysphoria without facing punishment,” Justice Thomas wrote. “The Ninth Circuit set a troubling precedent by condoning this regime.”

Alito agreed, writing, “It is beyond dispute that these laws restrict speech, and all restrictions on speech merit careful scrutiny,” in a separately published article.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh was said to be open to hearing the case. But the court failed to meet the minimum requirement of four justices in order to have it reviewed, so Washington’s ban on conversion therapy remains in place. According to Business Insider, Judge Ronald Gould vehemently disagreed with the assertion made by Justices Thomas and Alito.

“Washington’s licensing scheme for health care providers, which disciplines them for practicing conversion therapy on minors, does not violate the First or Fourteenth Amendments,” Gould wrote. “States do not lose the power to regulate the safety of medical treatments performed under the authority of a state license merely because those treatments are implemented through speech rather than through scalpel.”

RELATED CONTENT: Conservative Judges Halt Investigation Into Former Law Clerk And Friend Of Clarence Thomas For Racist Texts Saying ‘I Hate Black People’

• News History

by Daniel Johnson

December 13, 2023

Supreme Court Agrees To Wipe Federal Vaccine Mandate From Judicial Record

The Justice Department, however, maintained in its court filings that the motions from the Biden Administration were due to changing public health circumstances and not a cynical attempt to win in a court battle

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In early May, the Biden administration rescinded its executive order that created a vaccine mandate for federal employees, ahead of a case relating to the mandate reaching the Supreme Court. As The Hill reported, this set the stage for an argument about whether or not federal employees could challenge the constitutionality of the mandate directly in court or if they had to go through the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Two appeals courts reached two different conclusions about the vaccine mandate in March, with one D.C. appeals court ruling that federal law required the MSPB and another court, the Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, ruling in favor of Feds for Medical Freedom and other assorted plaintiffs. 

A third court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, issued an injunction that stopped the Air Force from making religious exemptions to become inoculated against COVID-19. This prompted Congress to pass a bill that directed Biden’s defense secretary to rescind the executive order. The administration was transparent in all three cases, stating that the judges should issue a Munsingwear vacatur, which sets aside a lower court’s ruling when the ruling is moot. 

An attorney for the plaintiffs wrote to the Supreme Court justices, saying, “Petitioners ask this Court to endorse a ‘heads we win, tails you get vacated’ version of Munsingwear, where they can litigate to the hilt in both district and circuit court and—only if they lose—then decline to seek substantive review from this Court and instead moot the case and ask this Court to erase the circuit court loss from the books.”

The Supreme Court chose to wipe the lower court rulings from the judicial record, essentially siding with the Biden administration’s desire to create a clean legal slate for any such actions in the future. Justice Ketanaji Brown Jackson disagreed with the Court in two of the three cases and said that though she doubted the federal government’s entitlement to use the vacatur, she followed the Court’s established precedent. 

The Justice Department, however, maintained in its court filings that the motions from the Biden administration were due to changing public health circumstances and not a cynical attempt to win in a court battle, writing, “The President revoked EO 14,043 because of the waning of the pandemic, not any effort to evade judicial review or gain litigation advantage.” 

• Celebrity News

by Iman Milner

December 13, 2023

Drew Barrymore Draws Criticism For Touchy Interview With Oprah

Actress turned talk-show host Drew Barrymore drew criticism when a clip showed an awkward and touchy exchange between she and Oprah.

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Actress turned daytime talk-show host Drew Barrymore drew criticism from fans for a “cringy” interview with media maven Oprah Winfrey. In a clip released ahead of the Dec. 12 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the Charlie’s Angels actress can be seen touching and holding Winfrey as they sat on a couch during the interview, Page Six reported.

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A post shared by The Drew Barrymore Show (@thedrewbarrymoreshow)

In the clip posted by the show’s official page, Barrymore and Winfrey discuss the importance of a live audience in the land of talk shows. As the show’s host sat with her legs curled up on the couch, Winfrey applauded her for having no audience throughout the show’s run, due to both COVID restrictions as well as the SAG strike. However, things turned touchy when the pair’s high-five turned into a tight grasp initiated by Barrymore. Winfrey appeared to try to take her hand back from the E.T. actress; however, the pair remained interlocked. The host also caressed the media mogul’s arm throughout the clip.

Fans of both women took to the comments to discuss the seemingly awkward interaction. “Drew, everyone doesn’t want their hands held boo,” said one commenter.

“As much I love Drew..ill stick to watching her in movies. She comes across as over bearing and over the top and that seems fake to me…its all too cringy!!!” another commenter expressed. Barrymore has become known for her authentic approach to daytime TV hosting by breaking both physical and emotional barriers between herself and her guests. While some have found it endearing, in the clip with Winfrey, it appeared to cross a boundary. “Oprah’s body language was so clear she wanted her hand back,” said an Instagram user.

It was unclear whether Barrymore would retain much of her viewership after she was criticized for being a scab—a person who crosses a picket line—by writers when she announced plans to bring her show back to television amid the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike in September. The actress later recanted her decision, opting to honor writers, and remained off-air until the strike ended, Vox reported.

RELATED CONTENT: Who Said That? Oprah Winfrey Denies Claims She Asked Mitt Romney To Run With Her On 2020 Presidential Ticket

• Women Registry

by Stacy Jackson

December 13, 2023

Oprah Shows Off Slimmer Physique, ‘Color Purple’ Mocktail Recipe

Oprah Winfrey's weight loss was noticeable in a video on social media where she revealed a "Color Purple" drink for the holiday season.

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Renowned 69-year-old talk show host Oprah Winfrey served a look in a new Instagram video revealing a slim physique while her personal chef made mocktails in honor of The Color Purple. 

The billionaire lounged around in the $50 million Montecito, CA home that she has lived in since 2001. She was outfitted in a luxurious white set with her spacious white kitchen. And she and her bartender were not stingy with the mocktail recipe, The Daily Mail reported.

“We have come up with our own Color Purple drink for the holiday season,” Winfrey said before sharing the recipe with viewers. The mocktail recipe included apple juice, ginger, beet juice, lime juice, blue Curaçao, simple syrup, sparkling water, and blackberry garnish. She added a tip for those who care to add a splash of alcohol, suggesting vodka, gin, or tequila. 

The recent video is not the first reveal of a slimmer Winfrey. During the premiere of The Color Purple in Beverly Hills, Winfrey graced the red carpet, where her smaller waist captured much attention. While on the red carpet, she told Entertainment Tonight, “It’s not one thing, it’s everything. I intend to keep it that way,” speaking on her weight loss and fitness journeys. Winfrey’s recent 40-pound weight loss required her to make several changes.

Of course, some people speculated that Winfrey had used weight-loss drugs. But she quickly shut down the rumors at a panel in New York City for “Oprah Daily’s The Life You Want Series.” She was accompanied by Sima Sistani, Weight Watchers CEO, a psychologist, and two obesity specialists for the panel that happened in September.

Winfrey opened up about having her “weight struggles” “exploited” in the public eye and the “shame” she endured for years because of changes in her physical appearance.

“One of the things I carried so much shame for, and even when I first started hearing about the weight loss drugs, at the same time I was going through knee surgery, and I felt, ‘I’ve got to do this on my own because if I take the drug, that’s the easy way out,'” she said.

“There’s a part of me that feels — like I think a lot of people feel with bariatric surgery — that I’ve got to do it the hard way, I’ve got to keep climbing the mountains, I’ve got to keep suffering, and I’ve got to do that because otherwise I somehow cheated myself.”

She was honest about her thoughts of being tired of living in a world where people get shamed and treated differently for their weight.

Winfrey, a cast member of the original The Color Purple, directed by Steven Spielberg in 1985 and awarded an Oscar nomination in 1986, continues to remain open about her weight.

The Color Purple remake will hit theaters on December 25, directed by Blitz Bazawule and starring Danielle Brooks, Halle Bailey, Taraji P. Henderson, and Fantasia Barrino. 

• Women

by Stacy Jackson

December 13, 2023

Chicago Comedian Hits Cultural Nerve With ‘Corporate Erin’ TikTok Persona

A Chicago comedy scene regular from Gary, Indiana, honed characters while contracting for corporations.

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Chicago comedian Lisa Beasley struck a chord on TikTok with her “Corporate Erin” executive parody — but don’t expect the persona to break character for an interview.

In her videos, Beasley incarnates the passive-aggressive office culture and empty corporate-speak familiar to millions of workers. Erin’s distinguishing verbal tics, like the “corporate gulp” between buzzwords, are provoking traumatic flashbacks, 13 News reported.

“This is SPOT ON. The corporate accent, the nonsense, the talking for 30 min and saying nothing,” one delighted viewer commented, according to the news outlet.

Another follower said, “The corporate word salad is so accurate,” about one of her enactments. 

Neither Beasley nor her alter ego Erin will elucidate the enigmatic executive’s backstory. “I’m the manager for the manager of logistics from Management MC Management,” Erin said when asked about the comedian’s sabbatical.

The brilliance of Beasley’s performance art reflects her roots. A longtime Chicago comedy scene regular from Gary, Indiana, she homed characters while contracting for corporations. “You encounter a version of me in every workplace,” Beasley told 13News. Her 2022 Chicago mayor parody likewise went viral. 

Erin has struck a collective nerve as Americans grow unhappier at work, per a 2023 Gallup poll. Like “The Office”’s Michael Scott, she lets viewers cringe yet keep watching. “Even though she causes me anxiety…I’m so invested,” one confessed. Erin is a safe scapegoat who can’t actually fire anyone.

By refusing to break persona, like Stephen Colbert facing down Bill O’Reilly, Beasley leaves Corporate Erin’s reality open to interpretation — and endlessly memeable. Since there’s no clear backstory, TikTokers project their own work trauma onto the act. “This is every meeting, every day,” a veteran manager concurred. 

Another trend involves duetting Erin’s speeches to act out exasperated reactions, sparking catharsis through shared camaraderie online.  

While millions find humorous release through Erin’s antics, the caricature also hints at deeper dysfunction within real work culture. “Corporate Erin is a little too real for me,” one commented. “This is satire but also my corporate life. It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine.”

Where she goes next depends on her audience’s reaction. For now, the creator seems content, allowing the mystery executive to take on a self-perpetuating life of her own.

• News

by Daniel Johnson

December 13, 2023

Third Mississippi Man’s Death Allegedly Concealed From Family For Months

Following the discoveries of Dexter Wade and Marrio Moore in a pauper's field, the family of Jonathan David Hankins is now seeking answers of their own

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After BLACK ENTERPRISE reported that the Jackson Police Department buried two Black men in a pauper’s grave on the same day, The Associated Press reports that there has been a third occurrence in Mississippi. Following Dexter Wade and Marrio Moore, the family of Jonathan David Hankins is seeking answers in what is becoming a common occurrence within the Jackson Police Department.

Civil Rights Attorney Benjamin Crump released a statement detailing that Hankins’ family had been searching for information about what happened to him for over a year. “Jonathan David Hankins’ family has been desperately seeking answers about their loved one’s disappearance for more than a year,” Crump said. “Now, to find out from news reports that his body was found in the same county where Dexter Wade’s body was buried after being struck by a police cruiser raises disturbing questions.”

Similar to the stories of Wade and Moore, what happened to Hankins was not revealed to his family by the Jackson Police Department, who said in the other cases that it did not communicate with the families of those men because it could not find their correct phone numbers or addresses. The only difference between Hankins and the other two men is that while Wade and Moore are Black men, Hankins is white.

Instead of the police contacting Jonathan David Hankins’ family, The Associated Press reported, they found out through reporters from NBC News, who informed them on Dec. 4 that Hankins’ body had been found in a motel room on May 23, 2022. Similar to the other two men, according to Crump, the family of Hankins was not notified of his death, even though investigators had been able to identify his body. 

The Hinds County Penal Farm in Raymond, Michigan, has become a focal point of the reports concerning the Jackson Police Department, especially after Wade’s body was found there in August. Wade was killed on March 5 after he was struck by an off-duty Jackson Police Department officer while walking across Interstate 55. Making things worse, Wade’s mother said that she was not informed that her son had been killed until late August, a full five months after his death. 

As previously reported by BE, Moore was buried in the same field on the same day as Wade: July 14. Crump said that Moore’s family waited even longer than Wade’s family. They did not find out he had died until eight months had passed. The police said they tried to contact Moore’s brother, but the number they had didn’t work. However, several members of Moore’s family told the AP that they didn’t recall being contacted by the department. 

There have been calls for the federal government to investigate the burials, but Gretchen Hankins, Jonathan David Hankins’ mother, believes that the department simply didn’t care because they thought her son was a drug addict.

Hankins told NBC News, “I want people to know that somebody is not doing their job and making folks go through what I’ve been through,” Hankins continued, calling the department’s competence into question, “They can’t even do the job of notifying a dead person’s next of kin. They probably just thought, ‘Another drug addict, gone.’”

Jason Ware, an attorney representing the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, told The Mississippi Free Press, “She [Hankins] came up [to the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office] and said, ‘My son’s been missing.’ We put out all this information to try to locate him,” Ware said. “We still had this individual listed as a missing person as of last week.”

Meanwhile, Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade announced a new next-of-kin notification policy during a press conference on Nov. 13, saying at one point, “We have several policies that we have to revise, create, and change. You would think that we’d have a death notification policy, but we do not. But we will as of today.” 

According to The Mississippi Free Press, the policy gives direct responsibility to Jackson Police Department officers to contact the next-of-kin when a body is discovered.

This, of course, is no consolation to Hankins’ mother, who described her anguish over not knowing what happened to her son. “That’s ridiculous,” she said. “Going that dang long and not calling people that’s just inhumane. It’s wrong. It’s just wrong.”

• Health and Wellness

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

December 13, 2023

Dak Prescott Tackles Colon Cancer With ‘Sh-t Talk’ Video

Dak Prescott is the latest partner of the colon cancer awareness initiative Lead From Behind, debuting his new video clip "Sh*t Talk" on the importance of health screening.

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Dak Prescott is sparking the conversation regarding colon cancer with the new video “Sh-t Talk,” as part of the colon cancer awareness initiative Lead From Behind. In the video, Prescott tackles the importance of screenings for the illness.

The clip, in partnership with Colorectal Cancer Alliance and Ryan Reynolds-led Maximum Effort, features the NFL star breaking the stigma on screenings for colon cancer. Prescott, whose mother died after battling the disease, is taking the notion of “sh-t talking” on the football field and twisting it to be a push for ensuring one’s health instead.

“As a professional quarterback, I get a lot of shit,” says the Dallas Cowboys player amid clips of fans trash-talking the 30-year-old. “And I get it — when you are not a fan of something, sh-tting on it can make you feel good. But what if I told you that now, it can do some good, too.”

The professional athlete explains an “important-ass message” of home screening kits, encouraging people who are 45 or older to speak to their medical providers about testing.

For Prescott, sh-t-talking doesn’t always have to be negative — it is a way to stay on top of one’s health.

“It’s that easy to get screened for colon cancer and make your feelings abundantly clear. So talk to your doctor today,” he says.

Dak released a statement regarding his new partnership with the health cause, saying his mother’s passing from cancer was a motivator, and also noting that Black Americans are significantly impacted by the disease.

“Losing my mother to colon cancer was devastating, and no one should have to go through that,” said Prescott. “That’s why I started the colon cancer screening and research pillar of my Faith Fight Finish Foundation. Partnering with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and LEAD FROM BEHIND is another way I can let people, especially Black Americans who are at greater risk, know that colon cancer is preventable and there are a variety of screening options.”

With Black Americans being 15% more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 35% more likely to die from the disease, the awareness campaign is vital for the health and well-being of underrepresented groups. With this in mind, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance has also launched a health equity fund that will provide Cologuard screening kits in communities of color. More information on Lead From Behind can be found on its platform.

• Celebrity News

by Sharelle B. McNair

December 13, 2023

Jason Lee Accuses Beyoncé Of ‘Snubbing’ Black Media From ‘Renaissance’ Premiere

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During an episode of “The Jason Lee Podcast,” Lee accused Beyoncé of shading Black media outlets during her sold-out Renaissance World Tour, and social media is all ears.

While the superstar’s tour made millions in revenue and her Bey Good Foundation issued checks to both Black and LGBTQ+ businesses around the world, Lee feels that isn’t enough.

“I think optically when you don’t include other Black leaders in the culture in the fold, take me out of it, The Breakfast Club. I mean, you should have honored and brought more Black people in because Beyoncé has such a huge voice,” Lee said. “I’ve done a lot, and I’m not even going to say it here because if I did, this internet, Beyoncé’s good internet, would go crazy. Did I tell y’all what I’ve done?”

He continued to spill the tea to his co-hosts while covering his mouth with paper and having his producer bleep his words out, all to get their reactions.

The controversial creative claims he spent over $40,000 to see Beyonce’s show three times and says he feels unappreciated. Leaving viewers curious, Lee went on to say, “There should be a little love there.”

Then, after alluding to “receipts,” the former “Love and Hip-Hop: Hollywood” star pointed the finger at the “Cozy” singer’s longtime publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, saying while Bey doesn’t know what he has allegedly done, Noel-Schure does.

That’s where things got sticky. Lee hopes to have Kelly Rowland, Destiny Child member and Beyoncé’s best friend, on his show, and said if that doesn’t happen, the “receipts” will be exposed. “I’m just being critical. That’s just what I do. You know that, Yvette. I’m trying to book Kelly Rowland right now,” Lee said.

“Now, if I don’t get Kelly Rowland because I say this about — then, then it’s gon’ be a problem. Then I’m putting out receipts. The receipts I just told y’all about, then I’ll put those out.”

As the video started circulating around social media, users called “cap” on Lee’s accusations, calling him shady and pointing out that he may not have said anything under the paper.

“He didn’t say shit under that piece of paper. I’m crying,” @itunesdrop said.

Another reminisced on Lee being ignored by Bey at a past Roc Nation brunch. “Isn’t this the same guy she was avoiding at the Roc Nation brunch,” @HenriettaSnacks wrote. “That is the closest he is ever going to get to her, and now he just lost his invitation to the next one.”

Hopefully Lee will change his ways, as the reality show star recently filed paperwork to enter the District 6 council race in his hometown of Stockton, California. He says that after all these years in the entertainment industry, now is the right time to run.