Nia Long Gets Emotional Discussing Her ‘Devastating’ Breakup With Ime Udoka
Nia Long has been pushing through in the wake of her public split from ex-fiance Ime Udoka. But she recently broke down while admitting how “devastating” the breakup was.
It’s been nearly two months since Long and Udoka’s breakup made headline news following his cheating scandal with a Boston Celtics staffer. His affair got Udoka suspended from the team and put his adulterous business all over the streets.
Long has been a celebrated screen star for over 30 years with little to no scandals tied to her name. That is until her fiance was caught having an improper relationship with a Celtics staff member, prompting their separation, LA Timesreports.
In the wake of their high-profile split, The Best Man actress is opening up about how hard the initial scandal was and the challenges of suffering a heartbreak.
“I’ve had some pretty devastating moments in my life over the last couple of months,” Long toldYahoo.
“And I’ve had just to say, ‘It’s all right. You’ll pick yourself back up and — oh my god. I’m about to cry.”
The Friday star began fanning her face with her hands to fight back the tears that started to well up in her eyes.
“‘You’ll pick yourself back up and keep moving,” she said.
Long has spoken out against how the Celtics handled the scandal that impacted the family she and Udoka started together.
“I think the most heartbreaking thing about all of this was seeing my son’s face when the Boston Celtics organization decided to make a very private situation public,” Long toldThe Hollywood Reporter.
Long, who shares son Kez Sunday Udoka, 11, with her ex, took her son out of school the day the scandal hit the headlines.
“It was devastating, and it still is,” she said. “He still has moments where it’s not easy for him.”
“If you’re in the business of protecting women —I’m sorry, no one from the Celtics organization has even called to see if I’m OK, to see if my children are OK. It’s very disappointing.”
Long and Udoka met in 2010 and got engaged in 2015. The pair co-parent their son Kez. Long also has a son Massai Dorsey, 22, from a previous relationship.
La La Anthony Explains Why ‘Most’ of Her Married Friends Are ‘Miserable’
It looks like La La Anthony’s views on marriage have changed in the wake of her divorce from Carmelo Anthony.
While serving as a guest co-host on The Breakfast Club on Wednesday, marriage became the topic of discussion, prompting the BMF star to explain why she thinks more people are opting out of wedlock.
“I don’t hear people who aren’t married saying like, ‘I wanna get married.’ You just start hearing it less and less,” she said on the show.
“Like, before, that was a goal… I’m not in conversation with people who are like, ‘I can’t wait to meet someone and get married.’”
La La revealed just how “miserable” most of her married friends are.
“Most–I’m not saying all, I’m being careful with my words–most married people that I know are miserable. And not happy. And don’t wanna be married.”
When it came to infidelity, La La admitted that she didn’t go into her past marriage with the belief her husband would be unfaithful.
“The people in the public eye go through stuff,” La La said. “It’s like this kinda idea of like, well, people don’t feel bad for them, or what did you expect, or what did you think.”
She continued.
“Especially even dealing with athletes. It’s kinda like, well, what did you think was gonna happen? Guess what? Nobody goes into a marriage thinking that that’s gonna happen.”
“No, you don’t go into a marriage thinking that. If you thought that and believed that your connection with that person wasn’t something different, then you wouldn’t get married to them.”
When Charlamagne reminded La La of her past remarks claiming that “people gon cheat,” the Power actress shared the mindset she went into her marriage with.
“I went into a marriage saying I found a connection with someone that, we’re gonna do it different,” she explained. “Regardless if you’re an athlete, whatever you are, entertainer. Any kind of business you’re in.”
Gender Reveal! Keke Palmer Subtly Teases Sex of Her Baby
Leave it up to Keke Palmer to let the cat out of the bag when it comes to what the pregnant screen star is having.
The Nope star appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday where she subtly made her in-utero child’s gender public knowledge, The Los Angeles Timesreported. Palmer and Fallon, who are both Virgos, were chatting about astrology when the late-night host asked the actress what her unborn child’s zodiac sign will be.
“My baby is either going to be a Pisces or Aries—I’m not sure exactly,” she said.
“Let me know guys, Pisces are known to be very deep, they’re emotional creatures, so I just want to make sure I’m not too blunt for my baby boy.”
Actress Keke Palmer Expecting Baby Boy
American actress, Keke Palmer has revealed the gender of her unborn baby.
She is pregnant and expecting her first baby with her boyfriend, Darius Jackson.
Palmer’s reveal comes nearly two months after she announced her pregnancy by debuting her baby bump during her Saturday Night Live opening monologue.
“I’m especially glad to be here, though, because there’s some rumors going around. People have been in my comments saying, ‘Keke’s having a baby, Keke’s pregnant,’ and I want to set the record straight -I am,” she said while opening her jacket to reveal her baby bump.
One month after debuting her baby bump on the December 3’s SNL, Palmer took to Twitter to sound off on expecting fathers who show disappointment when learning they’re having a girl.
“It kills me when guys are disappointed that they are having a girl, like they aren’t the reason for that genetic outcome lmao,” Palmer tweeted. “Also, baby girls are a blessing 😍”
It’ll be the first child for Palmer and her boyfriend, Darius Jackson, who expressed his excitement for their baby-to-be by posting a photo of the pregnant actress and teasing their “2023” due date. Now, thanks to Palmer, fans know they’re having a boy around late March to early April.
$1 Million Awarded to Portland Woman Told, ‘I Don’t Serve Black People’
A jury has awarded an Oregon woman $1 million in damages after finding she was discriminated against by a gas station employee who told her, “I don’t serve Black people.”
According to the Associated Press, the Multnomah County jury’s award this week to Portland resident Rose Wakefield, 63, included punitive damages of $550,000.
Wakefield’s lawyer, Gregory Kafoury, said Wakefield stopped for gas at Jacksons Food Store in Beaverton on March 12, 2020, and saw the attendant, Nigel Powers, ignore her and instead pump gas for other drivers.
When she tried to ask for assistance he said, “I’ll get to you when I feel like it,” according to Kafoury.
Attendants are required to pump fuel for motorists at gas stations in Oregon’s larger population centers including Portland and the nearby suburb of Beaverton.
According to KGW, surveillance video shows Wakefield go inside to ask for help. Another employee follows her back outside to pump her gas. Kafoury said as she was leaving, Wakefield asked Powers why he refused to help her and that he said, “I don’t serve Black people.”
“I was like, ‘What world am I living in?’ ” Wakefield told KGW. “This is not supposed to go down like that. It was a terrible, terrible confrontation between me and this guy.”
During the following week, Wakefield complained twice to managers, but her phone calls were largely disregarded, Kafoury said.
Powers was fired a month later after corporate records showed he had been written up several times for talking on his cellphone, Kafoury said.
“Ms. Wakefield originally was just going to let this go,” Kafoury said. “She told her friends that it was too disturbing, and she didn’t want to deal with it. And then she thought about it and said, ‘It’s too wrong. I have to do something about it.’
TheAssociated Press also reported that a statement from Jacksons Food Stores said the company has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind and that it respectfully disagrees with the jury’s ruling because “our knowledge does not align with the verdict.”
“After carefully reviewing all facts and evidence, including video surveillance, we chose to take this matter to trial because we were comfortable based on our knowledge that the service-related concern actually reported by the customer was investigated and promptly addressed,” the statement said.
The company didn’t elaborate, but Kafoury said Powers was never questioned by the company about the racist comments and was disciplined only for failing to serve customers in the order of their arrival.
TikTok Video of Colorado Police Arresting Two Black Women Sparks Internal Investigation
Is self-defense even an option for Black women?
A felony charge against a Black woman who was arrested for getting into a fight with a white man has been dropped by the Westminster Police Department after a video of the altercation surfaced on TikTok.
According to 9 News, the fight happened in the parking lot of a Party City store near 92nd Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard, when Charleene Gibson parked her car in front of the store entrance to run in and grab some items for her birthday celebration.
A white man, 74, approached in anger that Gibson’s car was blocking a curb ramp. As the man attempted to take a photo, Gibson said she stepped in front of his camera lens.
“Then he grabbed me, and he went like this and punched me in my jaw and then he yanked me again and then punched me two times right here, and that’s when I started to punch him back,” she said.
Gibson shared that the white man ripped through the thick jacket she was wearing as he allegedly grabbed her.
Both parties were questioned after police arrived to the scene.
Gibson’s friend NiaShay Burns, recorded the moment on her phone.
As Gibson and her sister pleaded that Gibson was only defending herself after the white man allegedly hit her, officers detained the sisters.
“He hit her first,” one of the women can be heard saying in the video.
“I understand that,” an officer responded. “We can go over this at f—— court, OK?”
Reportedly, Gibson was jailed and charged with a felony assault on an at-risk adult, while her sister and friend were both ticketed for disorderly conduct. Gibson’s sister was released from cuffs at the scene.
The white man, who was not detained, was ticketed for misdemeanor third-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
On Tuesday, Gibson received a call from WPD who told her the DA dropped the felony charge to misdemeanor disorderly conduct after hearing conflicting statements from witnesses that night.
“If I didn’t have my phone and I didn’t take it out in this situation, she would have gotten a felony charge,” Burns said. “We would have had no help.”
WPD opened an internal investigation on how the officers reacted to the call.
2 Chainz: ‘Pop’s Old Stash of Cash’ Found in Basement of House
Georgia recording artist, 2 Chainz, talked about the 10th anniversary of his father’s passing in March 2022.
He just recently revealed in an Instagram Story this week that a bag full of cash left by his father was discovered in the basement of his home when a repair was done.
According to HipHopDX, the rapper took to his Instagram account and appeared on his Instagram Story to show his followers that after a crew came to repair a busted pipe in his basement, they found a bag that his father had stashed in the home.
The 45-year-old artist posted a video clip on Jan.25 that showed him rifling through rolled-up bills as he explained that the cash may have been a stash his father had tucked away in the basement.
As he was going through the newfound money he said, “Quick story. I had a busted pipe in the basement. They fixed my basement and they found. I guess this is my pop’s old stash of cash.”
In the background, someone is heard theorizing that his father stashed that money before the 6′ 5″ rapper was born.
DJ Akademiks captured the video and reposted it on his Instagram page.
According to XXL, the former college basketball player’s father died in 2012. He told the magazine about how his father was a street hustler who “sold bricks” and weed. He credits his father with having an entrepreneurial spirit coming up.
“My daddy sold bricks and he sold weed. My mama’s mama, she was a bootleg lady. My mama was into real estate when I was young. My daddy never had a job. I never remember him getting up early. I never remember him complaining about being in traffic from coming home late from work. I don’t remember none of that. I remember Cadillacs and I remember my uncle having plenty of jewelry.”
He also mentioned that he watched his uncle, who owned his own business, give jobs to other family members. The hustle mentality of his father and uncle shaped his business acumen.
“I had an uncle who owned a liquor store,” he stated. “He employed all of my uncles. A lot of that stuff was just stuff that I was subconsciously peeping out. Like, how to do it by yourself. I’m a hustler as well.”
West Philadelphia Man with Schizophrenia Pleads Guilty to Fatally Shooting His Family, Faces Life Sentence
More than three years ago, Maurice Louis of West Philadelphia shot his mother, stepfather, and two younger half-brothers after he was diagnosed with schizophrenia two years prior.
He has now pleaded guilty to four counts of third-degree murder,KYW Newsradio reported and could be facing a life sentence.
On Oct. 29 2019, Louis, 32, bought a shotgun and carried out the killings of his mother Janet Woodson, 51, her husband Leslie Holmes, 56, and their two sons Sy-eed Woodson, 18, and Leslie Woodson-Holmes, 7, per the news outlet.
According to homicide investigators, the then-29-year-old had confessed to the murders during an interrogation and informed the judge he “suffers from depression and a related mental wellness issue.”
On Jan. 26, Louis pled guilty at the Criminal Justice Center in Philadelphia and admitted to being depressed.
Louis’ aunt, Kia Morgan Smith of Atlanta, said she was notified of the hearing but decided against attending. But after learning that Louis pled guilty to third-degree murder, Smith said she didn’t like the end result but was glad the ordeal as over.
“Maurice clearly intended to kill my sister and her family so to me that’s flat-out first-degree,” Smith told BLACK ENTERPRISE exclusively. “But at the same time, he is mentally ill and is a victim too since my sister tried to get him help but couldn’t, so I get why he was handed third degree.”
“None of it makes me feel any better,” she concluded.
Police confirmed that they were visiting Woodson’s home in October 2019 for a wellness check after Woodson and her husband didn’t show up for work. The police couldn’t get inside but eventually found their way in through an open second-floor window before discovering Louis naked inside the home with a bottle of vodka in his hand. Reports said that Louis admitted that police would find “bodies” inside.
They were not only partners at home, but also co-workers at the Protestant Home, a seniors residence in Lawndale. At the time, Woodson had purchased a studio on Baltimore Avenue and was gearing up to open a hair salon.
“Janet had one of those spirits where you just felt loved. If you were a stranger and came in contact with her, she became your sister. If you were in her chair getting your hair done, she became your therapist,” Woodson’s sister, Smith previously said per the Inquirer.
LEFT: Janet Woodson – RIGHT: Kia Morgan Smith (Courtesy)
“With a room full of black women, it was a sisterhood like no other in her hair salon.”
But she had never expressed fear of her first-born son.
A 2015 Towson University grad, Louis had moved back into his mother’s house two years later, towing a failed marriage, apartment eviction, job dismissal, and signs of substance abuse. His aunt, Smith, recalled him not being the same when he returned.
With concerns about his wellbeing, his family had him voluntarily committed to the mental health facility at Mercy Catholic Medical Center in West Philadelphia. He left after a two-week stay and a schizophrenia diagnosis.
The condition worsened for Louis as relatives said he refused to take his medicine. As a result, Woodson filed for power of attorney over her son.
National Alliance for Black Business Launch First- Ever Black Business Enterprise Certification and Scorecard
The National Alliance for Black Business (NABB), co-founded by the National Business League (NBL) and National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), in partnership with the World Conference of Mayors (WCM) and the Historic Black Towns and Settlements Alliance (HBTSA) today announced the nation’s first-ever Black Business Enterprise (BBE) certification and scorecard programat the WCM Black Business Breakfast and Press Conference presented by Comerica Bank.
Black Business Enterprise (BBE) Certification Trademark
The landmark BBE certification and scorecard program, designed and trademarked by the NBL, will certify businesses that are at least 51% Black-owned to be eligible for mainstream public, private, and philanthropic contracting and procurement opportunities.
The BBE certification was created to address the fact that today, 59 years after the 1964 Civil Rights Act, less than 1% of the nation’s 3.2 million Black-Owned Businesses are certified as U.S. Minority Businesses according to a 2021 report published by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). Of 3.2 million Black-owned companies, only 5,881 Black businesses have an MBE certification.
Uncertified minority-owned companies are ineligible for U.S. government procurement equity programs, freezing them out of more than $100 billion in minority-designated U.S. government contracts according to data released by the White House. Also, less than 1% of Black-Owned Businesses are certified with any federal, public, private or minority certification programs in the U.S., since the 1968 expansion of the Civil Rights Act.
The BBE certification is accompanied by the BBE scorecard, a groundbreaking digital accountability tool that will help organizations measure, publish, and improve participation and spend ratios with Black business, led by national Black business organizations. The scorecard will hold all sectors and industries accountable, including the 1,100 private U.S. corporations that pledged an estimated total of $200 billion to Black equity efforts after George Floyd’s murder in 2020, with those promises still mostly unfulfilled, according to a 2020 McKinsey & Company report.
“The BBE certification and scorecard are designed to offer Black-led solutions after decades of economic equity programs have failed Black people,” said Dr. Ken L. Harris, president, and CEO of the NBL and co-founder of the NABB. “The Black community can no longer depend on non-Black-led certification programs and non-Black-led business organizations that, in large part, have failed to produce the results necessary to change the economic conditions of Black people in America,” he said. “Booker T. Washington had it right at the turn of the 20th century. It is time for the Black community to take ownership of their economic destiny, we are looking for ROI, a return on inclusion.”
Although the U.S. Civil Rights Act was a response to Black civil unrest, data shows that Black people have not economically benefited from these initiatives as much as other disadvantaged groups. Federal Reserve Data shows the wealth gap between Black and White communities has not materially changed since the years immediately following the U.S. Civil War and is unchanged since 1968 with the expansion of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
In 2021, White Americans had seven times the wealth of Black Americans, the widest wealth gap of any other minority group in the U.S., according to the Economic Policy Institute.
The BBE certification will address the barriers to certification unique to the Black business community and engage Black-owned businesses through established Black commerce channels, which broader diversity and minority certifications have failed to do.
“The illusion of inclusion is no longer an acceptable business model. Today, we unveil a powerful tool to clear the smoke and mirrors from minority business data and keep score on our own Black economic progress,” said Charles H. DeBow, III, president and CEO of the NBCC and Co-Founder of NABB. “NABB will be the organization of the future that delivers measurable results to the Black community, while mitigating the dilution of diversity and benign neglect approach to addressing Black economic inequity. Living the Black experience, we are the only ones who can define what equal market access and accountability look like for us, by us.”
The NABB will introduce the pilot BBE certification and scorecard program to several historically Black municipalities, including Grambling, Louisiana; Mound Bayou, Mississippi; Eatonville, Florida; Hobson City, Alabama; and Tuskegee, Alabama, and other cities with Black mayors, before launching the initiative on a national scale.
“The BBE certification and scorecard are perfect examples of Black self-determination—it’s a powerful thing to measure and validate your own progress, said Johnny Ford, President and founder of the WCM and the HBTSAand the first Black mayor of Tuskegee, Alabama.”
Working It Out? T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach Head to Mediation with ABC
It has been two months and the fate of Good Morning America‘s romantic co-hosts, T. J. Holmes and Amy Robach is still undecided.
Mediation has been scheduled for both parties to engage with ABC to see what the next step may be, according to a report by Entertainment Tonight.
The media outlet also reported that both hosts have retained high-powered attorneys to navigate through whatever process the network may put in place.
A source stated that the two may not have technically done anything wrong, but Holmes may be the one with the biggest headache.
Since the romance between the two was first documented, other alleged affairs that Holmes has had over the years have turned up.
Both GMA3 hosts separated from their spouses last summer, while Robach is purportedly waiting for her divorce to be finalized. Meanwhile, Holmes recently filed for divorce as the two wait for the decision from management on their employment status.
Last week, The Daily Mail revealed that Holmes was involved in another “romantic affair” that took place in his office in 2015 with an intern. That brought the total of alleged affairs to three, including the current one with Robach.
The paper stated that the suspended GMA3 co-host had an affair with 24-year-old Jasmin Pettaway, who connected with him for the possibility of gaining him as a mentor. She was a script coordinator and was 13 years younger than Holmes. Holmes had been married to his wife, Marilee Fiebig for five years.
“This third staffer was no secret to most ABC employees, especially those at GMA who worked closely with her during that time,” the source said. “The question now is, will this latest revelation speed up the investigation and force ABC to decide T.J. and Amy’s fates sooner rather than later?”
The current couple reportedly began their romance last year in March 2022 while both were training for the New York City Marathon. Holmes and Robach, who hosted GMA3: What You Need To Know, have both been suspended as an investigation into their relationship continues.
Christian Hip Hop Artist Turned Executive Reintroduces Himself with New Album
The energy hits differently when you can accept where you are and acknowledge where you’ve been.
West Philadelphia-born artist and songwriter, Emanuel Lee Lambert Jr., is setting the bar. Ten albums later, the self-proclaimed “middle child in Christian hip hop” is harnessing the power of his personal and creative evolution, trusting his faith, and propping up the next generation of artists.
Known to the Christian hip-hop community as Da’ T.R.U.T.H., Lambert is retiring his artist name after selling over a quarter million records worldwide over a two-decade career. He is reemerging in his 40s with wisdom, healing, and seasoning in his soul.
Courtesy
“The stigma that comes along with getting older is pervasive in our culture,” Lambert told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I’m embracing my age. I understand who I am, where I sit.”
After a three-year creative process, Lambert is setting the pace in 2023 with a celebratory declaration and fresh sounds. He is reintroducing himself with the release of his new soul-stirring, self-titled album, Emanuel, and as chief executive officer of his own entertainment company, NXT Agency.
Available everywhere on Jan. 27, Emanuel aims to not onlybuild a bridge between the generations and cultures but to send all walks of life on a “sonic journey” through Lambert’s career. As a classroom-trained percussionist, he also brings passionate songwriting to life in this spiritually awakening hip hop album, boasting powerhouse collaborations with Fred Hammond, PJ Morton, Kim Burrell, Todd Dulaney, Aaron Cole, Dante Bowe, Tamela Mann, Maranda Curtis, Rich Tolbert, Yolanda Adams.
“This is probably one of my biggest albums in terms of profile, in the past 10 years maybe,” Lambert said.
Emanuel means “God is with us”
In retiring Da’ T.R.U.T.H., the award-winning lyricist is stepping into who he is today, marking it down in history in his powerful and self-affirming track “Set The Bar.” His decision brings him back to when mainstream artists such as Jay-Zand P. Diddy went “through this evolution of name changes.”
“Now, say 10, 15 years later, I totally get it. And I think what I understand, is that when you are in this industry for any significant amount of time, at some point you realize you are not the person that you started out as,” Lambert told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
He clarified that he’s not getting away from the truth, but he is releasing what feels like a “caricature” of himself and challenging listeners to look below the surface and understand the plot of his journey.
“Emmanuel is a person who understands that life is nuanced,” said Lambert. “And that there are more complexities than I’ve given credit for, more complications and more.”
With tracks like “Count On You,” “Tell Somebody,” “Free” and “Alright,” Lambert and his collaborators are deconstructing the peaks and valleys of life with affirmative, upbeat, and empowering melodies. From humble beginnings in the projects to nights in Atlanta, Lambert seems to find healing in the dark, when he can count on God.
“And so I feel like the evolution was necessary, just as I began to transition into a space where I understood life differently, and grew to be more in touch with my humanity,” Lambert continued.
Salute to how hip hop changed the world
The 50th anniversary of hip-hop is a pivotal moment for generations to pay tribute to when it all started and then pay it forward. For Lambert, hip hop “provided a voice for the marginalized” and “has the uncanny ability of bringing, accomplishing what the politicians and preachers have not been able to.”
“I feel the responsibility of standing in the middle, and building the bridge between the two worlds, building the bridge between the two generations, telling the older generation, ‘It’s okay, you got the green light to get older, and it’s all right,'” Lambert explained.
He continued, “Telling the younger generation, ‘Listen, we need your young legs,’ and telling the younger generation, ‘Listen, you need our grey hair.’ Now let’s lock arms and mobilize together so we can get something done. That’s what I say in all of this.'”
In doing so, Lambert nods to the pioneering Christian hip-hop ensemble The Cross Movement, who believed in his talents, invited him on tour, and continues to leave an indelible mark in the Christian hip-hop space.
“They were very intentional, about not just imparting, transmitting, but then also propping,” Lambert said.
Courtesy
Taking on the responsibility to elevate artists
Today, Lambert is resolving a problem in the music industry with his NXT Agency. He launched it in 2014 with the intention to createa system that provided artists the opportunity to make them great enough to move upward in the music industry.
“I started with a label and I was like, ‘Everybody leaves labels mad.'” Lambert recalled. “I would rather not sign artists at seven-album deals. I’d rather platform them, and then allow them the freedom to go somewhere else where they can really flourish. And then we benefit from it. Everybody wins in the end.”
NXT signs artists, like Nigerian-born artist Limoblaze, to two-album deals and propels them forward as far as they can.
He added: “They say your greatest frustration is probably the problem that you were placed here to solve. And so that’s probably why I started NXT.”
