Rihanna Drops $21 Million On Los Angeles Penthouse
Rihanna just dropped $21 million on a Los Angeles penthouse to accommodate her growing family of four.
The pregnant pop superstar is gearing up for the birth of her second child and decided that the three-bedroom luxury condo she’s resided in since 2014 was too small, The Dirtreports. As a result, Rihanna is leaving her 3,500-square-foot home and relocating into her building’s largest condo, a penthouse that spans the building’s entire 40th floor!
The billionaire Bajan singer and mogul lives inside The Century, one of LA’s most expensive and prestigious residential skyscrapers. Rih Rih purchased the pad from Nick Molnar, the billionaire co-founder of tech company Afterpay, who initially wanted $28 million for the condo but agreed to Rihanna’s $7 million negotiation.
It was quite the steal for Rihanna as the home’s biggest selling point is its four separate outdoor terraces facing four different directions that provide panoramic views of LA. With balconies facing north, south, east, and west, guests enjoy astonishing views of the Pacific Ocean, Catalina Island, Downtown L.A. skyscrapers, the San Gabriel mountains, and the snowcapped Mount Baldy.
The home was already customized by its original owner, Friends star Matthew Perry, who worked on the condo with architect Scott Joyce and interior designer LM Pagano. The luxury penthouse is accessible by a private elevator that leads guests into the curved living room with floor-to-ceiling windows that provide a jaw-dropping skyline view of the city.
Sitting on more than 9,000 square feet, the home has dark hardwood floors leading into the dining room that sits near the all-white kitchen with marble countertops, dual islands, and premium appliances. Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, and their two children will also get good use out of the soundproof movie theater that features velour couches and a master suite with a private lounge.
Rihanna’s neighbors include Denzel Washington, Terry and Heather Dubrow, and Candy Spelling, whose two-floor penthouse sits atop the “Diamonds” singer. The penthouse upgrade comes after the Fenty Beauty founder announced her pregnancy while headlining the Super Bowl halftime show in February.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are already parents to a son whom they welcomed in May 2022. His name remains a mystery as the celebrity couple prepares to welcome another family member.
Flying Solo: R&B Singer Mya Speaks On How A Leaked Album Helped Her Decide To Go Indie
If there’s one thing we know about Black women, we know how to turn a bad situation into something that inspires everyone around us.
For R&B singer MYA, a leaked album from her record label inspired her to take things into her own hands. According to UnitedMasters, the “leak” happened in Japan and cost the former dancer and video jockey thousands of dollars. Faced with the choice of taking her label to court or splitting ways to venture out on her own, the “Fallen” singer chose the latter.
And it seems her decision was the right one.
“My fourth album with a major label was accidentally released once the release date changed for the fourth time,” said the “Moving On” songstress in a previous interview. “I was given the choice by my legal representation, at the time, to either go to court, that could take over a year, and sue for the money that were owed to me because the album technically came out and legally came out, or just go independent, so I decided to go independent.” Her record label, Planet 9, is home to over seven compilations and a best-selling vegan wine.
Yes, wine!
Planet 9 Fine Wineis a cruelty-free brand that fans can buy directly from Mya’s website, along with official merchandise and music. Though the cabernet sauvignon with plum infusions is not available for international shipping and has several states where it cannot be found, it has still managed to make a big splash in the wine and spirits industry.
Those who follow the singer online know that she genuinely prioritizes her health and uses what she learned on her journey to educate others. Even while performing worldwide, she still finds time to share the benefits of a vegan lifestyle and encourages her fans to do yearly detoxes through a completely alkaline diet.
Hollywood Walk Of Fame Reveals Date For the Unveiling of Martin Lawrence’s Star
With the sound of the Martin theme song humming in your head… Martin! Martin! Martin!
Bad BoyMartin Lawrence will receive well-deserved recognition when he obtains a coveted star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame later this month. The slated date is April 20.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, April 11, via the Twitter account of Ana Martinez, who is the Hollywood Walk of Fame Producer & Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Media Relations.
“Comedian Martin Lawrence to be honored with star on the Walk of Fame on April 20th! #walkoffame“
Last year, the former Def Comedy Jam comedian and host found out that he was getting a star on the famed sidewalk as part of the Class of 2023. He shared the news with his followers last summer about taking his place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Lawrence will be taking a break from filming the Will Smith-assisted Bad Boys 4, which is currently in production in Atlanta. TMZ reported that Smith was happy on the film set, reprising his role as Det. Mike Lowrey.
Earlier this year, Variety reported that Sony Pictures confirmed that the latest sequel was in early pre-production. The script was written by Chris Bremner, with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returning as the directors. They directed Bad Boys forLife, which came out in 2020, exactly 25 years after the initial Bad Boys movie.
Bad Boys for Life made $426.5 million at the worldwide box office.
Black Women’s Expo Introduces Panel Event with $2,500 Grant Prize
Organizers of the Black Women’s Expo are presenting an innovative way to help businesses.
The expo will host its new brunch and business panel event, Bagels and Bosses, in Chicago, Illinois, on April 22, in addition to awarding a business owner with the first $2,500 BWe NEXT PowHer Business Grant.
According to ABC7 Chicago, Merry Green, president of MGPG Events and creator of the Black Women’s Expo, curated the event to expand on the years of hosting the Black Women’s Expo.
“It’s a smaller event, much smaller, but it’s something we’ve been asked to do,” Green said. “It’s going to be around food and hospitality.”
“We have some incredible women that will be a part of this discussion,” she added.
The BWe website listed panelists as Chrishon Lampley, founder of LCS Entertainment and Love Cork Screw wines; Jackie Jackson, owner of Kilwins Chicago & Fatburger-Buffalo Express; Bridgette Flagg, head cook and owner at Soule Chicago; Yasmin Curtis, founder of Two Fish Crab Shack CO; Lauran Smith, founder of Chicago Black Restaurant Week; and Vanetta Roy, owner of Surfs Up Chicago.
The $2,500 award will also come with coaching sessions for the prize winner. “I wanted to do something…to help small businesses,” said Green.
Green shared that she started a nonprofit nearly a year ago to help small businesses through the Black entrepreneurial fund. As a small business owner herself, she relates closely to the women who attend the expo.
“I know what many of our exhibitors at the expo go through, we hear it every year, we watch them come to our show to be at our show, we make it affordable, so that they can be there, and so we wanted to do something with this grant.”
Every year, there will be funds added to the account to continue supporting small businesses, and Green is excited to see the organizations that apply.
The deadline to apply is Wednesday, April 12 at 11:59 p.m. The winner must be present at the Bagels and Brunch event that will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m at the Hyatt Regency.
BREAKING: US Prosecutors Will Not Bring Charges In Death of Shanquella Robinson
WBTV reports federal prosecutors have announced they will not file criminal charges in the death of Shanquella Robinson.
In a statement, United States Attorney Dena King and the FBI discussed what prompted them to come to this decision, citing insufficient evidence of wrongdoing to issue criminal charges in this case. “Based on the results of the autopsy and after a careful deliberation and review of the investigative materials by both U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, federal prosecutors informed Ms. Robinson’s family today that the available evidence does not support a federal prosecution,” the statement said.
Robinson died last October under suspicious circumstances a day after arriving in Cabo, Mexico, with six friends for vacation. After her family was told she died from alcohol poisoning, the FBI opened an investigation into her death after a video went viral of one of the friends allegedly beating on a defenseless Robinson at the villa. During the video, no one came to help her. A man’s voice, believed to be American, is heard saying, “Can you at least fight back?”
Robinson’s family met with King late Wednesday morning and is expected to hold a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
A few weeks ago, the Robinson family and family attorneys Ben Crump and Sue-Ann Robinson sent a letter to the Biden administration, identifying one of the travel companions, Dejahanae Jackson, as the attacker. They were pleading for justice for the Charlotte, North Carolina native. Journalist April Ryan asked about the investigation and received little to no answers from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“Our hearts go out to Ms. Robinson’s family and friends,” Jean-Pierre said. “It’s devastating what occurred. It’s a tragedy. We’ve been following the news. Because there’s an FBI investigation, there’s very little about what we can say.”
U.S. officials made it clear that Jackson is not a criminal suspect after the FBI investigation but haven’t specified the Department of Justice or Department of State’s position on extradition.
In light of the steady rise of maternal mortality in the U.S. among Black women and amid growing cases of clear neglect in pregnancy, labor and delivery care in hospital systems, the Alliance reminds us that “our bodies belong to us.”
“We need people that look like us to advocate for us and support us,” said Alexis Grantham, a Detroit-based doula, per CBS News. “Black women are dying more than any other race when it comes to childbirth and even postpartum.”
The maternal death rate among Black women in the US is reportedly one of the highest among industrialized nations and has nearly doubled between 2018 and 2021. According to the CDC, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women.
With that said, BMHW is intentionally held during National Minority Health Month to “build awareness, activism, and community-building” and to “amplify the voices, perspectives, and lived experiences of Black Mamas and birthing people.”
Maternal healthcare is not a luxury. To have a doula is not a luxury.
Here are three healthcare companies and startups that strive to serve the needs, wants, and desires of Black women because they deserve to live.
Mahmee
Black-founded maternal healthcare company, Mahmee is revolutionizing maternal and child healthcare while tackling its mission of eliminating the maternal health crisis (particularly for Black and Indigenous women). What started as a software-as-a-service platform has since evolved into a vision for a nationwide workforce of providers that can deliver personalized maternity care at scale.
With more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. being preventable, CEO and founder Melissa Hanna built Mahmee to be a wraparound company that supports parents from initial pregnancy to the first few years of birth. The company also aims to address inequities in maternal healthcare, focusing first on new digital tools that could help the industry reduce adverse outcomes.
For $149 a month, a Mahmee membership includes access to six services, including registered nurses, lactation consultants, doula care, mental health coaching, nutrition practices, and care coordination.
To date, 19,000 new and expecting parents have turned to Mahmee’s platform– nearly half of whom identify as Black women.
“Helping mothers to affirm themselves, DITC is a place to call home. We speak life into ourselves, each other, and our innate abilities as mothers,” according to Doula in the City.
Detroit-based and DONA-trained doula Alexis Grantham founded Doula in the City in December 2021. Despite her own path of life-threatening pregnancies, loss, and even illness, she has turned her pain into a passion for bringing light to maternal rights. The team offers an inclusive pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum experience that aims to further enrich women’s lives.
From virtual doula support to various doula birthing packages, Doula in the City leans on Grantham’s rare expertise in maternal advocacy and unconventional methodology. She is a mother of three and a clinical social worker.
The lack of supportive birthing options available to pregnant Black women and people on the South Side has forced them to go to great lengths to seek adequate prenatal care. This disparity has created what the Chicago Tribune has called a birthing desert.
Currently in development, the Chicago South Side Birth Center will be a safe haven for mothers and expecting mothers to receive abundance in whole health. The center anticipates rising as a non-profit startup and independent, Black midwife-led Birth Center on the South Side of Chicago.
As a Leader in Residence at Chicago Beyond, birth equity champion Jeanine Valrie Logan received funding and professional support to successfully launch the Chicago South Side Birth Center. Logan’s new mission aligns with her influence in pushing through Illinois House Bill 738 to expand access to birth centers across Chicago.
The team will comprise highly qualified professionals, including midwives, nurses, a physician collaborator, pediatrics, nutrition, social work, childbirth and parenting doulas, and educators. Together, they will offer a low-risk option for birth and a mixed-risk option for reproductive healthcare for people in their neighborhood and community.
Woman Convicted of Racism Against Colombia’s First Black Vice President, Called Afro- Colombians “Apes”
Colombia’s first Black vice president, Francia Márquez, has some racists showing their true colors.
NBC News reports Luz Fabiola Rubiano, 62, was convicted of discrimination and harassment this week after making racist comments about the dignitary during an antigovernment protest last year.
The South American country looks at acts of discrimination as punishable up to three years in prison. However, some judges can simply grant parole or house arrest over prison. Rubiano pleaded guilty to the charges and will be sentenced May 30.
Rubiano went viral in September after rallying against the vice president in a video published by a local news site. The small business owner was seen protesting in front of Colombia’s congress and responded to a question from a journalist by shooting insults against Márquez and Afro Colombians, calling them “apes.”
“Apes are now governing us,” Rubiano said. “Francia Márquez is an ape…what education can Black people have, they steal, attack and kill.”
Márquez, 41, became Colombia’s first Black vice president in 2022, according to the Associated Press, after helping President Gustavo Petro win the presidential election.
Born and raised in El Cauca, home to the country’s largest Black population, the human rights and environmental activist and lawyer has been outspoken regarding the racism experienced in Colombia, which she says is part of the legacy of colonialism and slavery.
Politico reports the Afro-Colombian population is round 3 million, with 77% percent of Black Colombians living in extreme poverty. During her speeches, Marquez often draws inspiration from African American civil rights leaders, such as Sojourner Truth, to evoke the Black Lives Matter movement.
Marquez’s lawyers initially filed a complaint that prompted an investigation into the Bogotá resident. During the hearing, Rubiano was accused of inciting hate, and damaging the reputation of Márquez and Colombia’s Afro-Colombian population, while compromising their right to not be discriminated against.
The decision comes after the university declined to renew the contract of former head coach James Howard, who manned the team through four consecutive losing seasons.
Before her time at Tech, Butts spent eight seasons at Louisiana State University as well as short stints at both the University of California Los Angeles and Duquesne.
“We wish Tasha the very best in her first head coaching opportunity at Georgetown University,” said Georgia Tech head coach Nell Fortner. “We believe she will thrive and are super excited for this opportunity for her. It’s been a pleasure working with Tasha, and we wish her nothing but the best.”
In four years with the Yellow Jackets, Butts helped guide Georgia Tech to two NCAA Tournament appearances, two 20-plus win seasons, nine wins over ranked opponents, and the program’s highest outright Atlantic Coast Conference finish in program history at No. 3 in 2021.
It’s obvious that her new position is well-deserved. The Georgia native also brings a storied professional career as a player to her her role.
Butts played college hoops at the University of Tennessee, a storied program, and was drafted by the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx in 2004. Though her playing time was restricted after leaving the Lynx, Butts played for several other teams before retiring to begin her coaching career.
Earlier this year, she was added to the Advancement of Blacks in Sports (ABIS) Women’s Basketball Black College Coaches Watch List and was the recipient of the Giant Steps Award as an individual who has “shown courage, heroism, triumph amid adversity and community activism through the power of sport.”
Georgetown also replaced its men’s basketball coach, hiring Ed Cooley last month.
The Murder of Kenyan Runner Agnes Tirop Sheds Light on Issue of Violence Against Women
In Iten, Kenya, women athletes are reportedly being abused as they work hard on the professional training ground.
After a police inspector found the bloody body of 26-year-old Kenyan professional long-distance runner Agnes Tirop at her bungalow in October 2021, steps have been taken to monitor and raise awareness about the attacks against women in the area.
According to Bloomberg, Tirop had been hard to reach the day she missed an early morning training session, leading her friends and family to report her missing. Police broke through a padlock on the front gate of her house and forced their way in.
“As soon as I entered, I knew something was wrong,” Tirop’s friend and running partner, Victor Koilel, said. “Blood was creeping into the living room. I ran out of the house and cried.” A few days later, Tirop’s husband, Ibrahim Rotich, 44, was found 13 hours away near the Tanzanian border and was arrested for the alleged murder of his wife.
According to legal documents, Tirop had been beaten and abused by her husband several times. The murder of the cross-country champion has attracted international attention to the domestic abuse women athletes face in Kenya as a result of traditional customs being confronted, such as men controlling a family’s wealth and women staying at home.
“When a man is able to drive the career of a woman—drive in terms of suggesting what she has to do, suggesting what is good—tensions can arise,” said Gianni Demadonna, a former marathoner and current representative for athletes with Adidas contracts, like Tirop who signed in 2012. “It is not in the business of a company to follow the family affairs of athletes,” said Demadonna, who helped Tirop recover from a knee injury he later realized was linked to domestic violence, adding that neither he nor Adidas was informed of the abuse. “Nobody could think she was in danger to be killed.”
Tirop’s Angels, an advocacy group formed following her death, was launched to raise awareness about the issue of violence against women through seminars and workshops backed by male runners. “Agnes was a huge talent, and her life was captured,” Joan Chelimo, a runner and victim of an abusive relationship, said. “We promised ourselves, me and my friends, that we don’t want it to happen to any other woman.”
The group has reported several cases alleging domestic abuse to the police. Cases include women who have been hit, slapped, manhandled, had their bank accounts hijacked, or had property deeds changed.
Adidas spokesman Stefan Pursche said the company supports the advocacy by establishing safe housing for women. “We are following the events in East Africa with great concern and were devastated by the tragic loss,” he said.
Sarah Ochwada, chief counsel at Snolegal, is working on getting sports federations to initiate policies on gender-related crimes, banning any violators. Ochwada added that Kenya’s Sports Registrar should register every coach, manager, and athlete. This would ensure all professionals in the country are legitimate.
Stephen A. Smith: Donald Trump is ‘Not Against Black People’
ESPN personality Stephen A. Smithraised a couple of eyebrows Monday when he said that former president of the United States, Donald Trump is “not against black people.”
“I knew Trump before he ran for the presidency,” Smith told the audience at the Semafor Media Summit. “I thoroughly enjoyed talking to him. He was a huge sports fan. He used to throw a lot of events at … you know, at his casinos and stuff like that, and I genuinely liked him,” Smith said before adding, “I didn’t know who this guy was running for president.
“I think he’s changed, but I will tell you this: I think when people call him racist and stuff like that, I’ve never thought of Trump that way,” Smith continued. “He’s not against Black people, he’s against all things not named Trump. There’s a difference.”
Smith also admitted to also having conservative views and that he is not “beyond voting Republican” but he also clarified that, “I am beyond voting for Trump.”
He mentioned that his feelings about Trump are not because of the former president’s politics but because the presidency required “statesmanship.” He feels that the president shouldn’t divide the country but that person should want to galvanize it.
.@stephenasmith says he no longer talks to Trump: “I think he’s changed, but I will tell you this: I think when people call him racist and stuff like that, I’ve never thought of Trump that way. He’s not against black people, he’s against all things not named Trump.” pic.twitter.com/oFcOra6zkL
Although Trump has thrown his hat into the ring to run for the presidency again, he is facing multiple court challenges that threaten his freedom to take office if he is elected.
Last week, Trump, 76, became the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges. He was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in a case stemming from a 2016 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Trump also faces a separate criminal probe by a Democratic local prosecutor in Georgia into whether he unlawfully tried to overturn his 2020 election defeat in the state. He also faces two U.S. Justice Department investigations led by a special counsel into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his handling of classified documents after leaving office.
