Kanye West appears to be getting his kids acclimated to their new stepmother, Bianca Censori. With North West being the eldest, she’s seemingly up first.

The rap and fashion mogul and his quote-unquote wife were spotted waiting for North to arrive at Nobu in Malibu, the Daily Mail reported. Photos showing North, 9, arriving at the lavish restaurant with one of her friends.

It’s the first time Kanye, 45, and his new wife, 28, has been spotted out with one of the West kids. It comes two weeks after reports revealed Kanye’s non-legal marriage ceremony in Beverly Hills to Censori.

Censori, an Australian native, has worked at Yeezy as an architectural designer for years. It’s said that Kanye’s ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, never liked Censori and had an inkling Kanye and Bianca were working on a lot more than designs.

“Kim hates her. [She] has a bad opinion of her,” an insider told page six. “This woman has done stuff to make herself look like Kim.”

The impromptu marriage is said to be taking an extra toll on Kim and Kanye’s co-parenting dynamic.

“It’s already a nightmare co-parenting with [Kanye]; this is just another wrench,” the insider added.

The Kardashian family is reportedly “confused” by Kanye’s sudden marriage to Bianca in wake of his finalized divorce from Kim in November 2022.

“The family isn’t taking this as a marriage yet,” a source told page six. “They don’t know what it is.”

“They aren’t sure if it is a PR [public relations] stunt. They are waiting to see if he files for papers. They are nervous because if it’s real, she would be in the children’s life.”

Censori has been called a Kim K look-alike up until she recently dyed her hair blonde. In wake of the rumored marriage, Kanye was seen wearing what appeared to be a wedding ring on his left hand, Hollywood Life reported.

Despite the private ceremony, Kanye’s current marriage is reportedly not legal with the government, since the couple hasn’t filed for a marriage certificate.

Actor Jonathan Majors is being praised on social media for standing with a Black reporter who interviewed him on the red carpet.

The Lovecraft Country star walked the red carpet for the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah, over the weekend and was gearing up to answer questions for one Black and queer journalist Daric L. Cottingham who patiently waited for a chance to interview the screen star.

Super cut of the premiere of “Magazine Dreams” press line w/ Jonathan Majors and Taylour Paige #Sundance2023 #SundanceFilmFestival pic.twitter.com/MAmkxMS3le

— Daric L. Cottingham, M.A. (@DaricCott) January 21, 2023

But a video clip captured the moment Majors stopped for the interview and was interrupted by festival staff who tried to rush him inside and abruptly stopped the reporter’s line of questioning.

Majors’ publicist even stepped into the fray to intervene and tell the staffer to give Majors just “two minutes” to conduct the interview.

Also, this happened and Jonathan Majors is so nice/kind & stood up for me to make sure I got my question answered. lol the life of a Black journalist. pic.twitter.com/tJo0PtvX0d

— Daric L. Cottingham, M.A. (@DaricCott) January 21, 2023

Cottingham told the staffer that he literally could have already gotten his answer from Majors in the time he was trying to shoo him away.

Majors, who returned to the festival to promote his film,  “Magazine Dreams,” refused to let the staffer halt the interview.

“Just go. Just go,” Majors told the journalist who was trying to reason with the staffer.

“If he physically pulls me, I’m sorry,” Majors tells the reporter who asked the staffer to step out of his camera frame.

Fans and onlookers celebrated Majors for defending a Black journalist working the red carpet. Many shared comments about the harsh conditions Black reporters tend to experience on red carpets.

“This is the life of Black people in the entertainment industry,” one user wrote. “Even though we’re widely revered as actors and musicians we’re treated like afterthoughts as people.”

“Unfortunately this is what the majority of Black journalists have to deal with at these functions,” added someone else.

“Mr Majors a real respectful and respectable dude!” one fan said.

Majors has joined the ranks of Halle Berry who went viral back in 2019 after refusing to be rushed away from speaking with a Black journalist on the red carpet.

We need more people like Jonathan Majors and Halle Berry who take notice of the Black reporters who tend to get placed on the end of the red carpet lines.

• Leadership

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

January 23, 2023

Littler Names Michael Wilder Chair of 2023 Board of Directors, Welcomes 3 New Members

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Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has elected Michael Wilder (Chicago) chair of its 2023 board of directors, succeeding Kate Mrkonich Wilson (Minneapolis), who reached the firm’s three-year term limit and will continue on as a board member.

Littler also elected three new members, including: Gregory Iskander (Walnut Creek), Eric Mack (Boston/Providence), and Joshua Waxman (Washington, D.C.).

“On behalf of the firm, I congratulate Michael on his appointment to chair, and extend a heartfelt thanks to Kate for her skillful leadership and service. We look forward to her ongoing contributions as she continues her role as an active board member,” said Erin Webber, Littler’s managing director and president.

“I am thrilled to work alongside Michael as he takes the leadership reins. Michael has been a board member since 2021 and his vast leadership experience in numerous firm committees and professional organizations will be integral as the firm works to advance its strategic initiatives in the coming year. I am equally excited to welcome our newly-elected board members – Greg, Eric and Josh – as we will undoubtedly benefit from their collective wisdom, insights and perspectives.”

“I am honored to serve as Littler’s chair and look forward to working with Erin and our current board – building upon Kate’s leadership – as we advance the firm’s business goals and continue to maintain our reputation as the world’s premier employment and labor law firm,” added Wilder.

Nearly 60% of Littler’s 2023 board includes diverse members – attorneys who identify as women, of color and/or LGBTQ+ – further demonstrating the firm’s deep commitment to fostering inclusion, equity and diversity (IE&D) at every level. Littler recently published its Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Annual Report and you can read more about the firm’s innovative IE&D programs and initiatives at Littler.com. In addition to the firm’s inclusive board of directors, Littler’s management committee is 100% diverse.

Littler’s entire board slate and their bios can be found on Littler.com.

Keke Palmer is letting the world in on the “sacred” love she shares with her boyfriend and daddy-to-be Darius Jackson.

The Nope star took to Instagram over the weekend to wish Jackson the “happiest” of birthdays ahead of welcoming their first child. Palmer, who debuted her baby bump while hosting Saturday Night Live last month, posted a video clip showing her and Jackson enjoying a car ride.

“I can easily write long emotional posts for all my girls birthdays, but it’s so cringy writing a birthday post for you 🥴 because the love is so sacred,” Palmer captioned her post. “It almost feels asinine to try to share or give a glimpse into something that only we could understand. I can share most things so easily, but not you.”

“Happiest Birthday to the best Aquarius, Darius, my guy! Let’s go Birds! 🦅,” she added.

 

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The couple had been tight-lipped about their romantic relationship prior to announcing their pregnancy. However, once Palmer debuted her baby bump during her SNL opening monologue, Jackson followed up with a photo of the pregnant actress and teased their “2023” due date.

Palmer was elated to finally debut her baby bump after months of keeping her pregnancy under wraps.

“Honestly, this has been the biggest blessing and I am so excited guys—I’m gonna be a mom!” she said during her opening monologue.

Jackson works in fitness while pursuing an acting career. He grew up playing sports and attending Fresno State University on a football scholarship.

Jackson is the brother of actor Saraunas Jackson, who played “Dro” in Issa Rae‘s Insecure, Page Six reported. The show might’ve helped introduce him to Palmer. She met the actress at Issa Rae and Diddy’s Memorial Day party in 2021 following Palmer’s brief cameo in season five of Insecure.

Palmer and Jackson went Instagram-official in August 2021 and kept their relationship private until announcing their pregnancy.

She may not have been singing about us when she said “I Will Always Love You,” but the world will always love her back.

To mark the late singer Whitney Houston‘s 60th birthday, the Estate of Whitney E. Houston and Primary Wave have launched the “Whitney Houston Hotel,” as part of Grammy week. The Grammys will take place Sunday, February 5.

According to Variety, the week-long celebration will honor Houston’s career and life through an exhibit, pop-up shop, live performances, a party, and more.

The week’s events are set to take place at the W Hotel in Hollywood, presented by Sony and sponsored by MAC Cosmetics, Proflowers, and City National Bank.

The exhibit will feature memorabilia that includes photos of Houston, in addition to a collection of the iconic gowns the superstar wore during some of the most legendary moments of her career. Attendees can also expect to experience a pop-up shop featuring exclusive merchandise and electronics in honor of Houston.

A lineup of celebrity artists will perform their own pieces of music and some of Houston’s hit songs. The two days of live music will include Grammy winner and Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams; actress and Grammy-nominated singer Amber Riley; Baby Tate and Teddy Swims, and Coco Jones.

The unveiling of the WH-Whitney Houston Hotel will take place Wednesday, February 1, along with the opening of the Whitney Houston Pop-Up Retail Shop, Gallery, and the Sony’s 360 Reality Audio Immersive Listening Lounge.

Primary Wave Music and the Estate of Whitney E. Houston will co-host the Primary Wave 16th Annual Pre-Grammy Carpet & Party on Saturday night with a special guest DJ.

As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, MAC Cosmetics announced its December collaboration with the Estate of Whitney E. Houston for a limited-edition beauty product line in honor of the singer’s legacy.

Houston, one of the biggest pop stars of the late 20th century, died in 2012. She was 48 years old.

• Education

by Jeffrey McKinney

January 23, 2023

Black Americans Can Win A $5,000 Scholarship To Help Pay College Costs

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Student debt for Black Americans is often more exhausting for those borrowers than others.

Based on new data from the Education Data Initiative, Black and African American college graduates owe an average of $25,000 extra in student loan debt than white college graduates. It reportedly takes Blacks more time to repay the loans, potentially straining their overall financial more.

The good news is that Black undergraduate and graduate students can win a $5,000 scholarship to help conquer barriers to attending college. They can pursue it through Earnest, a fintech lender offering $50,000 in scholarships to 10 recipients. The lender says the funding is available to any U.S. college student, including permanent residents like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students and Black Americans.

Earnest CEO David Green shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE by email the 2023 Earnest Scholarship is one example of free money available to help reduce the financial burden of school. Since 2019, the company reports it has awarded $875,000 through the Earnest Scholarship Fund.

Green says the scholarship may be used to pay for educational expenses at the winner’s accredited institution. Those expenses can include application fees, course credit hour fees, books, computers, and school-related supplies. It’s aimed to help any student, regardless of their background. Green explained the scholarship has no GPA minimum, residency, or demographic requirements.

“Earnest is on a mission to make higher education accessible and affordable for everyone,” Green says, adding that his firm recommends exhausting resources like scholarships, financial aid, and grants to supplement and reduce any student loans.

In fact, he says, Earnest acquired Going Merry in 2021 to fuel the mission and expand beyond just student loans by offering access to scholarships and resources to make college education more affordable. Black students could also gain more scholarship and funding information at Going Merry.

The Deadline to apply for the Earnest scholarship is January 31 and can be done here.

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 23, 2023

Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson Reportedly Rejected $133M Guaranteed Contract

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Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson reportedly turned down a guaranteed contract of $133 million.

Last September, ESPN reported that sources said Jackson turned down a contract offered by the Baltimore Ravens that called for him to make over $250 million over the life of the deal. About $133 million of the deal was guaranteed. Neitherr Jackson nor the Ravens confirmed nor denied the aspects of the deal.

Now that the Ravens have been eliminated from the NFL playoffs, the discussion has come up again as Jackson’s rookie contract is coming to an end.

The subject came up after a recent episode of ESPN’s  First Take. Analyst Ryan Clark spoke about it and essentially confirmed the speculative amount of the contract that the 26-year-old NFL player turned down before the beginning of the just-completed football season.

“We went back and forth on @FirstTake yesterday about @Lj_era8’s guaranteed money. Based on a source with knowledge of the negotiations Lamar was initially offered $113 million in guarantees and eventually raised to $133 million. That was the most Lamar was offered.”

We went back and forth on @FirstTake yesterday about @Lj_era8’s guaranteed money.

Based on a source with knowledge of the negotiations Lamar was initially offered $113 million in guarantees and eventually raised to $133 million.

That was the most Lamar was offered.

— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) January 21, 2023

Although Jackson finished this season a little banged up and did not play in the last few games, his value is still high. Now that he is a free agent, he may be the player that teams covet this off-season.

According to The New York Post, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said last week that he is “100 percent” certain that Jackson will be the team’s quarterback after this year. He emphasized it his certainty by saying, “You know, 200%.”

“Lamar Jackson is our quarterback,” Harbaugh said. “He’s been our quarterback. Everything we’ve done in terms of building our offense and building our team, how we think in terms of the people and put people around him, is based on this incredible young man and his talent and his ability and his competitiveness.”

Nia Long is back outside following her high-profile split from her cheating ex-fiancé, Ime Udoka, and she’s got the internet buzzing with dating rumors.

The Best Man star was in Dubai over the weekend for Beyoncé’s first concert in four years, which took place at a luxury resort. After the show, Long was seen linking up with actor/TV personality Terrence J in a video clip that made its way to social media.

The video shows the highly sought-after actress giggling while Terrence J helps her out of a luxury car.

https://twitter.com/DailyLoud/status/1616785885785391104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1616929808025554944%7Ctwgr%5E6e011a9528affec412a84188e174c5a59c7b074f%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hotnewhiphop.com%2F623862-nia-long-terrence-j-link-up-after-beyonces-concert-in-dubai

The video set Twitter ablaze with reactions to a single Long living her best single life in the wake of Udoka’s cheating scandal that got him suspended from his coaching position with the Boston Celtics, as noted by the NBA.

“Ime seeing Nia Long get her lick back and knowing he can’t do anything about it,” one fan wrote.

“Somebody check on Ime,” added someone else.

One observer called Udoka out for how he “fumbled the bag man.”

Others praised Long for bouncing back after dealing with the media spectacle that followed Udoka’s embarrassing cheating scandal.

“Nia deserves all this love she is receiving 😍” one fan wrote.

Long has been exchanging flirty energy with a number of famous faces amid her single status. Last week, she broke necks at the You People premiere and had the streets talking about how she delicately held Omarion’s hand during a red carpet photo op.

https://twitter.com/Omarion/status/1616248503927439361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1616248503927439361%7Ctwgr%5E6e011a9528affec412a84188e174c5a59c7b074f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hotnewhiphop.com%2F623862-nia-long-terrence-j-link-up-after-beyonces-concert-in-dubai

Around the time of Long and Udoka’s split, rapper Cam’Ron posted the direct message he sent Long, hoping to shoot his shot at the Soul Food actress.

“Hey stink,” the Dipset rapper wrote at the time. “I was giving you some time to yourself till I reached out. Your perseverance as a strong Black woman through this turbulent time has been something to behold. You shouldn’t be taken advantage of and exploited as you did nothing to deserve this. Especially all over these sports networks. You’re bigger and better [than] that.”

Long is enjoying bringing all the boys to the yard as she remains single and ready to mingle.

• Business

by Sharelle B. McNair

January 23, 2023

British Mega-Entrepreneur Announces $100M Fund for Female-Founded Startup Companies

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There is faith in the female founder. A new venture capital fund is set to highlight Europe’s next shining star.

 

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A post shared by Flight Story Fund (@flightstoryfund)

For the last few years, the mega-entrepreneur has built an amazing network of investors and CEOs. He promotes the work he’s done on the highly rated podcast, The Diary of a CEO.

Calling his network “Europe’s most successful entrepreneurs,” the 30-year-old has tagged in some mutually successful business owners to assist with FSF. Big names like founder and CEO of sports nutrition giant Grenade, Alan Barratt and Christian Angermayer, and billionaire founder of biotech firm Atai Life Sciences, Christian Angermayer, are joining Bartlett’s mission.

“It’s going to enable me to use my network, my resources, to build greater companies, to accelerate them in a way that I don’t think they would be able to accelerate otherwise,” Bartlett said.

The plan for FSF is to invest $1 million to $10 million annually for at least 10 Europe-based early-stage startups. While it hasn’t been announced how much of the $100 million fund has closed, Bartlett said he has “verbal and contractual commitments for the entire amount.”

MC Lyte is speaking out after she retained her entire music catalog that was up for grabs in her lengthy divorce.

Lyte, real name Lana Michele Moorer, finalized her divorce from entrepreneur John Wyche last week, nearly three years after the initial filing. The pair called it quits in 2020 after three years of marriage.

MC Lyte took to social media to let the public know why her “divorce was not a battle,” after various reports insinuated that her husband was trying to go after her music.

 

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A post shared by mclyte (@mclyte)

According to the rapper, Wyche was never after her music catalog and assets in the three years they were married and the nearly three years they spent getting divorced.

“My ex-husband, John Wyche, has never attempted to take any assets from me at any time before, during or after our marriage.” Lyte wrote. “Anything that is written or said that states or implies otherwise is untrue and unfair.”

Lyte called out the headlines seemingly trying to paint her ex-husband out as a gold digger and defended his innocence. “I do not agree with or support anything that aims to secure clicks and views by crafting slanted messaging at the expense of the reputation of innocent parties,” she added.

Lyte also shut down her own past comments about the delay in her divorce and claimed the delay might’ve been caused by Wythe’s desire to repair their marriage.

“While I made public comments related to the delay in signing papers, I can state that any delay may have been connected to his desire to save the relationship; never to take any of my property,” she continued.

Lyte ended her statement with three lessons she learned in wake of the divorce. “1. Divorce does not equal failure. 2. If you have anything to protect going into a marriage, get a prenuptial agreement so there’s no confusion if it comes to an end.” The last piece of advice was to “Focus on love and truth.” Her fans and followers praised her empowering message and “bars of life,” as noted by The Source.

In wake of the finalized divorce, the Cold Rock a Party emcee kept her entire music catalog thanks to her prenuptial agreement, one outlet reports.

Court documents reveal that “MC Lyte keeps her clothing, jewelry, watches, and personal effects in her possession, custody, or control, and earnings and accumulations before the date of marriage, during the marriage, and post-separation, her Subaru, financial accounts in her name, all furniture, furnishings, and other personal property in her possession, custody, or control.”

Additionally, the rapper and TV personality “also gets to keep her term life insurance policy,” according to the documents.