American Basketball Player, Indonesian Prison, Cannabis Gummies,Compassionate Release — (Photo: Juan Camilo Bernal/Getty Images)

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

June 3, 2025

Escaped New Orleans Inmate Professes Innocence In Viral Video

Massey is one of the last two escapees still on the run.

One of the last New Orleans jail escapees seemingly professed his innocence in a new video dropped on social media.

A video of a man who appeared to be escaped inmate Antoine Massey was posted on Instagram June 1. According to NOLA, officials began to investigate the authenticity of the clip. It featured a man with the same facial tattoos as the 32-year-old.

In the video, Massey made several claims regarding the New Orleans jail escape, including his own innocence regarding the crimes that put him there. However, the clip was swiftly deleted the following afternoon after news sources caught wind of it.

“They say that I broke out. I didn’t break out. I was let out,” stated the unverified man in the footage.

He then shared his motive behind fleeing the jail, citing his potential life sentence for his alleged multiple offenses.

“The reason why I left the jail is because these people were trying to give me a life sentence in both parishes for something that I did not do,” he continued.

Massey was one of the 10 incarcerated men who escaped from the Orleans Justice Center in May. Since their run that made national headlines, eight inmates have been recaptured. Only Massey and Derrick Groves remain out in the streets.

The man in the video also discounted the story of a prison plumber, Sterling Williams, who was allegedly involved in helping the men escape. The 33-year-old civilian reportedly cut the water off in a jail cell to help the men sneak out through a hole behind a broken toilet.

Williams told New Orleans police that Massey threatened to shank him. Massey, however, denies the accusation.

“Sterling [Williams] flat-out lied on me,” asserted Massey.

Williams’ lawyer also denied police claims that his client made that allegation against Massey. However, the accusation would match Massey’s criminal history. He held charges of motor vehicle theft and domestic abuse battery involving strangulation. The escapee also faced charges in another parish for suspicion of kidnapping and rape.

Massey has a lengthy record that goes back over 15 years, many of which are considered violent offenses. He has even tried to break free from his incarceration before, including the tampering of two ankle monitors. Others involved have been arrested as accomplices for helping hide the inmates, according to WWLTV.

Police continue to search for him and his fellow escapee as this prison break wages on for another week. The jail has increased its reward to $50,000 for anyone with information that can lead to the capture of the suspect.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 3, 2025

Phaedra Parks Reveals The High Price She Pays To Fly Her Family First Class

Phaedra Parks opens up about her love for first-class flying.

Phaedra Parks pulled out the receipts to show the high price she willingly pays to fly herself and her two sons first class on every trip.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star opens up about her love for flying first class in People‘s new YouTube series Keeping Receipts. According to the Delta receipts, Parks spends nearly $3,000 per ticket to ensure she and her two sons travel in luxury.

“I always fly first class or private,” Parks tells the camera. “Okay, so I have a ticket for Aiden, and that ticket was $2,767.97. One for my youngest son, Dylan, $2,767.97, and one for myself, $2,767.97. I would never put my children in coach.”

“If I’m in first class, my children will definitely be in first class,” she added. “I think that’s in poor taste to travel in first class and make your kids flying coach. What does that say about you as a parent? That’s horrible.”

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Parks traces her love for luxury air travel back to her younger days, when a professional athlete she dated would fly her first class to watch his games. After that first taste of the experience, she was hooked.

“I didn’t really fly first class until my boyfriend, who played in the NFL, started sending me on first class trips to watch him play games,” she shared. “I was 18, 19, and I got a taste of luxury, honey. I never went back.”

The Bravo star, who recently returned to RHOA after being fired in season 9, added up the ticket prices and revealed the nearly $10,000 it costs her family to take a flight.

“So when you add all of the junk fees in, it comes out to $8,303.91 in US dollars,” Parks said. “The prices to fly is incredibly high. It almost makes more sense to fly private because jet fuel is almost going neck to neck with first-class tickets.”

To offset the high costs of flying first class, Parks is now looking to purchase her own private jet.

Kirk Franklin, Jamaica, Crip Walk, fun in the son, performance, concert, — (Photo: Mireya Acierto/Getty Images)

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 3, 2025

Kirk Franklin Partners With Insignia Assets For New Black-Owned Media Merger

Kirk Franklin is teaming up with Insignia Assets on a Black-owned media merger that's looking to transform the media landscape.

Kirk Franklin is heavy on the “For Us By Us” with the launch of a new business venture powered by an all-Black ownership team that’s looking to reshape the media landscape.

Grammy-winning gospel icon Kirk Franklin has joined forces with Insignia Assets, a new entertainment venture founded by Norman Gyam and Jonathan Jay.

The partnership, announced on June 2, merges Franklin’s Fo Yo Soul Recordings and CLTRE Lab with Insignia’s broad portfolio, which spans recorded music, publishing, television, touring, film, and live events. As part of the deal, Franklin will take on an active leadership role as chief of creative services for Insignia Assets.

“It’s Black-owned. It’s Black business,” Franklin tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “It’s from the culture for the culture. It’s men of color that are unifying their vision, their assets, their resources, their gifts, their talents to move and push the agenda of inspiration and aspiration forward through the medium of entertainment.”

“We want to seize. We want to engage. We want to transform. We want to communicate so that we can have a clear conversation of the bigger things of life, the bigger purpose of life, to be able to point people vertically while creating and curating horizontally,” he adds.

To start the new venture, Franklin will drop a new single, “Do It Again,” on June 6, three days before accepting the BET Ultimate Icon Award at the 2025 BET Awards. On Sunday, June 15, Franklin’s media company, CLTRE Lab, will team up with Insignia Assets’ 3 Diamonds Entertainment to produce Den of Kings, a dinner conversation series hosted by Franklin.

The premiere episode, centering on the theme of “fatherhood” and featuring guests D.C. Young Fly, Kountry Wayne, Lou Young, and Devale Ellis, will debut on Franklin’s YouTube channel in honor of Father’s Day. Modeled around Franklin’s love for communing over fine dining and good conversation, the gospel star brings together a group of Black men in comedy for meaningful conversations about life.

“It’s funny, it’s engaging. And we’re not there to preach. It’s not a preaching conversation. We’re listening, we’re laughing, we’re crying, we’re struggling, we have the tension, we are debating,” Franklin said of the first episode. “It is a beautiful moment to see Black men in this space. The level of vulnerability that you’re going to see from this moment is going to be impressive.”

Teaming up with Insignia Assets is a big step within the space of Black-owned media. As a Black-owned and self-funded entertainment company, Insignia boasts a diverse music portfolio that includes Christian and gospel labels Tribl Records, Maverick City Music, and Franklin’s Fo Yo Soul Recordings, along with the R&B label Platform Sounds.

Pictured l-r: EJ Gaines, Phil Thornton, Norman Gyamfi, Kirk Franklin, Ron Hill, Trell Woodberry, Jonathan Jay
Photo credit: Rob Ector

The company also operates several other divisions, including Undivided Entertainment for touring and live events; 3 Diamonds Entertainment for television and film production; and the Icho Group, which serves as the marketing powerhouse behind the multifaceted enterprise. As part of the agreement, 3 Diamonds Entertainment will serve as the production partner for select scripted and unscripted projects from Franklin’s CLTRE Lab, offering both production services and funding to bring original storytelling to life across multiple formats.

“We’ve worked with Kirk for some time now—from the 2022 release of the multi-GRAMMY®-winning collaborative album, Kingdom, to producing sold-out arena tours with him consecutively over the past few years,” said Norman Gyam, co-founder and CEO of Insignia Assets. “Today, we’re thrilled to fortify and deepen our partnership by welcoming Kirk to our executive team and by charting a course for the future with him from recorded music to touring, film/TV to digital media, and more. We are collectively very proud of this moment.”

Sarah Michelle Washington, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance — (Image: iStock/CatLane)

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 3, 2025

Monyetta Shaw-Carter Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis: ‘Our Health Is Irreplaceable’

Monyetta Shaw-Carter is revealing her breast cancer journey and advocating for regular doctor's visits.

Monyetta Shaw-Carter is stressing the importance of regular check-ups as she opens up about her breast cancer journey, one she was able to overcome thanks to early detection and timely diagnosis.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star recently completed her cancer treatment in May, which included a lumpectomy—the surgical removal of the tumor and surrounding tissue—in January, followed by 16 rounds of radiation. Her swift treatment came after being diagnosed with stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma in September 2024.

“I had a biopsy about ten years ago, and it came back benign,” Shaw-Carter told People in an interview published May 31. “Then, last year in September, I was doing a self-check because I felt this random sensation that I can’t really describe in my left boob. It was like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It was literally like my body was alerting me that something was wrong.”

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Because the tumor was slow-growing and low-grade, and Shaw-Carter’s oncologist received clear margins during surgery, the reality star and Atlanta socialite did not require chemotherapy. Her treatment concluded just ahead of her reveal, and she advocated for regular doctor’s visits.

“Because I caught the cancer early, I will be here for my kids,” she said. “There’s nothing more important than getting checked often and early to protect your future. Our health is irreplaceable. I can’t thank my exceptional doctors and nurses enough. They are our heroes.”

The mother of two, who shares children Madilyn and Mason with ex-husband Ne-Yo, received an outpouring of support from friends and followers after announcing her breast cancer diagnosis on Instagram.

“Here for you sis. We are now officially Breasties. We got this. In Jesus’ name, you healed,” one friend wrote.

“Praying for your optimum healing and less stress manifestation, sister,” added someone else.

Shaw-Carter’s announcement and push for regular doctor visits come amid recent studies showing that while breast cancer rates are similar between Black and white women, Black women face a nearly 40% higher mortality rate from the disease.

Alpha Kappa Alpha, For Members Only, period, poverty — Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. attend the game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on March 03, 2023, in Atlanta. (Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 3, 2025

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Charters New International Chapter In London

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. has expanded its international presence with the launch of a new chapter in London, United Kingdom.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. has chartered its 19th international chapter with the introduction of the Alpha Delta Alpha Omega Chapter in London, United Kingdom.

Established on May 30, the new chapter comprises 25 professional women with portfolios across various industries, including real estate, finance, medicine, and business, Watch The Yard reports. Over the past year, the interest group, known as the Royal Pearl Society, led community volunteer efforts highlighting Alpha Kappa Alpha’s global legacy of sisterhood and service.

The new chapter marks Alpha Kappa Alpha’s first return to London in nearly 20 years, following the dissolution of the Tau Sigma Omega Chapter in 2006.

“As the 19th chapter in the Ingenious International Region, Alpha Delta Alpha Omega Chapter emerges as a beacon of sisterhood, service, and global impact,” the organization’s international region wrote in an Instagram announcement.

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“Under the visionary leadership of International Regional Director Mrs. Carrie J. Clark, this milestone marks the beginning of a powerful new chapter in our legacy of excellence.”

“s members of the Royal Pearl Society, the women partnered with over a dozen local organizations to lead impactful initiatives, delivering more than 350 Childhood Hunger Power Packs (AKA CHIPP™ weekend meals), assembling over 200 Blessing Bags, hosting an eight-week entrepreneurship program for women, contributing over 200 volunteer hours, and investing more than £3,000 in Black-owned businesses.

“These women are already making an enormous difference in and around London,” said Carrie J. Clark, International Regional Director for Alpha Kappa Alpha. “They are an amazing group of servant leaders who I am confident will expand Alpha Kappa Alpha’s legacy of service in the Greater London area for years to come.”

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“mong their first official acts as a chapter, Alpha Delta Alpha Omega members will join volunteers and visiting sorors to host a chchildren’sook drive, collecting and distributing titles by Black authors. Upcoming initiatives include gathering professional attire for women re-entering the workforce.

Nike, Office Full Time, in office, return to office — (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 2, 2025

Nike Hosts 12 Female Sports Figures For 4th Athlete Think Tank

JuJu Watkins, Sha’Carri Richardson, Carson Pickett, Dora Atim, Erin Matson, India Sardjoe, Jess Sims, Leah Williamson, Sanya Richards-Ross, Sophie Hahn, Sue Bird, and Tayla Harris participated in the gathering of sports figures

Nike has been doing its Athlete Think Tank for several years and recently recruited 12 sports influencers and athletes to participate in the company’s fourth one.

According to Complex, the sportswear entity announced the 12 women who would give their thoughts and insights to help the company advance, as their feedback will be used for future purposes. Those 12 come from different aspects of the athletic spectrum: Carson Pickett, Dora Atim, Erin Matson, India Sardjoe, Jess Sims, JuJu Watkins, Leah Williamson, Sanya Richards-Ross, Sha’Carri Richardson, Sophie Hahn, Sue Bird, and Tayla Harris.

The gathering of women for the purposes of elevating the Nike brand was initiated five years ago as the athletic brand sought the input of selected individuals who are active in their respective sports and could give insight based on their experiences as athletes. The opinions and suggestions have been used to help the brand introduce new technology like Nike’s Leak Protection while receiving the women’s input regarding decisions that led to implementing community-focused initiatives. This also included the company allocating over $4.4 million to organizations supporting women and girls participating in sports.

The meeting reportedly took place on May 29.

📬 | leah via ig
“Nike Athlete Think Tank.
So grateful to have had the opportunity to be in conversation with these incredible women.
They inspired, educated and empowered me. I’ll be forever grateful to Nike for creating space for all the magic to happen.” pic.twitter.com/nEs7UQNELn

— leah williamson source (@lw6source) May 31, 2025

Footwear News reported that some members of this group met previously during the Paris Olympics last summer and then again in Mexico in November. The media outlet spoke to Richards-Ross about the Athlete Think Tank, as she has been with the brand for 20 years.

She said, “We’re headed in the right direction when it comes to supporting women in sports and giving women an opportunity to be heard and seen. Nike now pays so much attention to athletes holistically. And that’s the part that I want to continue to see. I feel like there’s always that athlete inside of us, whether we’re competitive professionally or not. So, what does that journey look like for all women? And how do we support women as they continue on that journey of being their best selves? I see that change, and I know we’re going to continue to get better at that.”

Larry Hoover, gov. Pritzker — photo credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Hoover

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 2, 2025

Larry Hoover’s Family Advocates For State Commutation From Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker

Larry Hoover's family is seeking state clemency to help the Gangster Disciples co-founder secure his freedom for the first time in over 50 years.

After receiving federal clemency from Donald Trump, Larry Hoover’s family has turned to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to seek a state commutation for the Gangsters Disciples co-founder.

The Hoover family visited Gov. Pritzker’s office May 31 to advocate for the release of Hoover, 74, after more than five decades behind bars, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Hoover’s wife, Winndye Jenkins-Hoover; their son, Larry Hoover Jr.; and nearly a dozen family members left Pritzker’s office feeling hopeful that the former drug kingpin and reformed gang leader may soon gain the governor’s support and reclaim his freedom.

“I think we have a great chance right now,” Jenkins-Hoover said.

State Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago, showed his support for Hoover’s family by joining them for the visit and calling the review process into Hoover’s clemency process on the state side “imperfect.”

Preston agrees that a case as sensitive as Hoover’s is “best handled directly by the governor through a swift and decisive action.”

“If we believe that no one is beyond redemption, then we have to look at the totality of this individual’s life, and I think, if we take all that into context, whether you’re Black, Hispanic, white, you will say that we need to allow this elderly man to come home and have some sense of humanity given back to him,” Preston said.

The office visit came days after Trump commuted Hoover’s federal life sentence, issued in 1998, for running the Gangster Disciples’ $100 million-a-year drug operation from behind bars while already serving up to 200 years for ordering a rival gang member’s murder in 1973.

Hoover remains incarcerated under his state sentence unless Pritzker commutes it or the Illinois Prisoner Review Board grants clemency.

“My father is not the notorious Gangster Disciples leader Larry Hoover…He’s not a murderer. He hasn’t murdered anyone,” Larry Hoover Jr. said. “He deserves a chance.”

“We just want him to come home so he can have his final days with the love and compassion and respect that we all have for each other, within our family,” Jenkins-Hoover said.

KeKe Palmer, Keke palmer — Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

June 2, 2025

Keke Palmer Reveals How Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’ Was The First Time She Got Proper Pay For A Role

Despite working since age 9, Palmer only recently scored a sizable paycheck for her acting.

Keke Palmer has entertained audiences since she was 10 years old. However, it took nearly two decades for her to feel that she received proper pay for her acting skills.

While she got her big break in the early 2000s with films like “Madea’s Family Reunion” and “Akeelah and the Bee,” the actress cites her 2022 film “Nope” as the first time she was paid adequately.

The 31-year-old told Business Insider how the Jordan Peele-directed film was her first paycheck worthy of her resume.

“‘Nope,’ that was probably the first time,” she told the news outlet.

Considering how pay gaps impact Black actors and actresses, Palmer tries not to compare her success to her Hollywood counterparts. She chooses to stay focused on her own career, especially given all the factors at play in “making it” in entertainment.

“I don’t compare — especially as a Black person, a Black woman — because it’s not a fair thing to do to myself,” Palmer continued. “I don’t think that comparing oneself makes sense in any regard because you’re not at the same vantage point, beginning or otherwise, as someone else.”

The “One Of Them Days” star has always kept humility at the forefront. This gratitude for where one is at has helped her stay positive even through some unfair moments.

“If you are getting your needs met, that has to be at the forefront of your mind,” she emphasized. “That doesn’t mean that everything is fair, but it’s an important thing to think about and have a particular perspective about.”

To make up for this income gap, the one who many deem “Keke ‘Keep a Job’ Palmer’ branched out. Beyond acting, Palmer has turned to television and podcast hosting, letting her real-life personality pay the bills.

“It’s essentially why I turned my brand into a holdings company with subsidiaries. You have to diversify,” explained the entertainer.

Pay discrepancy in Hollywood remains an ongoing issue in the industry, with fellow Black actors like Taraji P. Henson previously speaking out about the wage gaps. While Palmer has not been as historically vocal about the problem as Henson, her admission of not getting a sizable check until decades into her career makes clear how this impacts Black talent across generations.

This issue is further explored in the documentary “Number One on the Call Sheet,” which features Black Hollywood giants as they dissect their plight of making it on the big screen.

Diddy, Lawyer, Federal Raid — (Photo: John Lamparski/WireImage)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 2, 2025

Diddy Making Millions Renting Private Jet While In Prison

The Gulfstream G550 jet Diddy owns has reportedly made about $4 million since he was arrested

As the world tunes into the Federal RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs, and he may be paying a hefty price toward attorneys’ fees, he is also collecting millions through the rental of a private jet that the entertainment mogul owns.

According to The U.S. Sun, the Gulfstream G550 jet Diddy owns has made about $4 million in the past eight months since he has been jailed for the crimes he’s accused of committing. The plane has made approximately 126 trips since September 2024.

Customers have been renting the aircraft, which has 14 seats, on celebrity charter broker sites, not realizing that Diddy owns it. Luxury rental operator Silver Air operates the flights and advertises itself as a company with a “comprehensive fleet of luxury aircraft.” Records allegedly reveal that the Gulfstream G550 has been rented at least every other day as it has traveled 149,540 miles, with each trip averaging 1,186 miles.

A posting on the Jettly website states that renting out the costly aircraft will cost at least $32,597.

The plane, which was built in 2015, has used 136,665 gallons of fuel and is registered to LOVEAIR LLC, which is stationed at Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles.

Diddy has been charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted on the most serious count.

NBC News reported that the trial has continued with the testimony of a woman who purportedly worked for Diddy as his personal assistant for several years and is using a pseudonym, “Mia,” to testify against the No Way Out producer. She has returned to the stand after accusing Diddy of sexually assaulting her multiple times while she was employed by him last week in the Manhattan courtroom.