Source: Paramount Pictures
Elite assassin Will Smith faces off against a younger version of himself in the upcoming Spider-Man meme-y action thriller that looks like an explosive good time at the movies. Peep the trailer below!
“Gemini Man” hits theaters October 11, 2019.
Source: Steve Dykes / Getty
The NBA playoffs have been incredible thus far and last night the Portland Trailblazers’ Damian Lillard put on the crown as the king of the 2019 post season.
After the Blazers battled back to tie the game, Dame took it upon himself to drive a knife through the heart of the Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder with one of the most epic game-winning shots we’ve ever seen.
The Avengers is ending. Game of Thrones is ending. The Thunder are joining a pretty prestigious list of things that will have met their fate by the end of this week.
Press play below to see the shot from multiple angles including a great shot of Dame’s teammates and coaches nervously watching the ball hit the net.
We love this game!
Source: Chuck Hodes / Fox
Empire returns again this week and things are getting real as Jamal and Kai get closer to their wedding. In an exclusive clip, the couple (played by Jussie Smollett and Toby Onwumere) is interviewed about their wedding and they’re confronted with the rumor that it’s canceled. Let’s just say the two don’t take too kindly to the negative talk.
Check out the clip for yourself below, and be sure to tune in tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX for more Lyon family secrets and a special performance from Chaka Khan! Mario and Wood Harris also guest star!
Source: Dana Scruggs / Dana Scruggs/ESSENCE Magazine
This. Is. Iconic.
Diddy and his beautiful baby girls are covering ESSENCE’s Mother’s Day issue in remembrance of Kim Porter.
As previously reported Diddy’s been public about his grief after his soul mate Kim passed in November from lung infection from lobar pneumonia.
Now he’s telling ESSENCE in a story written by Dream Hampton that Kim’s final words to him were; “Take care of my babies.”
“Three days before she passed, she wasn’t feeling well. She had the flu, and she sent the kids over to my house so they wouldn’t get sick,” he said. “One night I was checking on her, and she was like, ‘Puffy, take care of my babies.’ She actually said that to me before she died.”
According to Diddy, he’s doing just that.
Initially, after he heard the news, Diddy said he jumped into “mommy mode” and turned off his son Christian’s phone so he wouldn’t hear about Kim’s passing on social media. He also took extreme measures to protect the rest of his kids.
“I jumped into mommy mode. I sent people in every direction to try to make sure the kids would not hear about it on social media or the news,” said Diddy. “I had to get to the girls’ school and find Quincy, who was onset in Atlanta. Christian was on a plane, and I had his phone disconnected so he wouldn’t read it in the air. Every time Kim and I talked, it was about the kids. It was what she cared about the most.”
He now says he’s a more “present” father, something Kim urged him to be before she passed.
“Before this, I was a part-time father, you know? My family was always first, but there are countless times when I chose work over everything else. But every day I can hear her telling me to go and spend some time with the kids and make sure everybody’s all right, like she would do. I’m just a lot more present, and, most important, now my kids come before anything else in my life…”
Inside the mag, ALL of Diddy’s kids are featured; Quincy, Justin, Christian, Chance, D’Lila and Jessie.
Beautiful words, beautiful family.
ESSENCE’s 49th anniversary May issue hits newsstands Friday—will YOU be buying???
Photography by Dana Scruggs
Manicurist—Andrea Viera for Creative Management
Set designer—Cristina Forestieri
For Chance Combs, D’Lila Combs and Jessie Combs:
Stylist—Kiki Tillman
Hairstylist—Keema Chang
Makeup artist—Rocio De La Cruz
For Sean “Diddy” Combs:
Stylists—Marielle Bobo, Avon Dorsey, Jun Choi and Derek Roche
Barber—Marcus Hatch
Groomer—Rocio De La Cruz
Take another look at Diddy x ESSENCE on the flip.
A brand new episode of “Hustle & Soul” is set to air Thursday at 10PM EST and we’ve got an exclusive clip… In the clip LP meets up with Thandi in Brooklyn, but will punches be thrown again or will she accept that he’s now with Ana?!
Here’s more of what you can expect from the episode:
Cola is shocked to discover the identity of Jon Jon’s lover. LP works up the courage to demand a prenup from Ana, while still flirting with Thandi. Aneka has a surprising proposal for the Twins.
A new episode of “Hustle & Soul” airs Thursday at 10pm ET/PT on WeTV!
Source: Sony Pictures / Picture provided by Sony Pictures
May 3rd is still a few weeks away but we’ve got an exclusive clip from “The Intruder” for your viewing pleasure. Check it out below:
Screen Gems upcoming film, THE INTRUDER, starring Meagan Good, Michael Ealy and Dennis Quaid – in theaters May 2nd. The film follows a young married couple who recently buys a beautiful house on several acres of land only to find out that the man they bought it from refuses to let it go.
When a young married couple (Michael Ealy and Meagan Good) buys their dream house in the Napa Valley, they think they have found the perfect home to take their next steps as a family. But when the strangely attached seller (Dennis Quaid) continues to infiltrate their lives, they begin to suspect that he has hidden motivations beyond a quick sale.
THE INTRUDER is in theaters May 3rd
What would you do if that happened to you?!
Source: Courtesy RED Music / Courtesy RED Music
Texas bred singer/songwriter Alex Harris released his 5-track debut EP ‘Pink Cloud’ on RED Music back in February, but we’re only recently catching on, thanks in part to the recent video release of his song “Blue.” Check out the video below:
Harris penned and co-executive produced his EP ‘Pink Cloud’ alongside Nathaniel “Nature” Jones and executive producer Damian Clarke. The project, which fuses classic and contemporary pop, hip-hop, alternative, and R&B melodies, details Harris’s personal journey as an artist coming into his own and ready to make his introduction to the world. Pink Cloud is available on all digital streaming platforms now HERE.
On his debut EP, Harris shares, “The process of creating Pink Cloud allowed me to explore my own vulnerabilities as an artist, and a person. This project reflects the realities of my life—the good, bad, and ugly. I used experiences from my own life and those close to me to create an EP in which I believe everyone can connect and relate. I’m just happy to have made it through those times and to have the opportunity to share my music with the world.”
“I want to bring honesty through my music,” Harris confesses while discussing what he wants listeners to take away from his music. “It’s okay to be vulnerable and express how you feel. There’s so much pressure to look cool, be cool, and control your life through social media to give the perception that everything’s good. If I can give people my true interpretation of the good, bad, and ugly in my life, maybe it can encourage others to embrace those things in their life. You can better yourself.”
That’s a beautiful philosophy right?
Hit the flip to watch Harris’ video for “Five Miles.”
Syleena Johnson is a strong woman. The songstress/talk show host debuted her new music video “Woman” on “Sister Circle” Monday and in it, we see her surrounded by fellow powerful ladies who “think like a woman but act harder than a man.”
It’s filled with feminist imagery and a message about how to really “Make America great again.”
“As an artist, my superpower is to be able to use my artistry to evoke emotion and change,” said Syleena about the track. “With what woman have endured in this world, I believe this record will empower and inspire and hopefully change a few perspectives.”
“Woman” is also the title track from Syleena Johnson’s upcoming album.
Are you feeling Syleena Johnson’s “Woman” video???
Directed by Chris Brann
Makeup by Kelvin Myers & Matty
Wig by Latoya Alexander
Styled by Robbin Mykia
Produced by Toxic & Gilflo Productions
Visualized by Syleena Johnson
MGMT: Dr.Syleecia
Www.SyleenaMusic.com
Source: Michael Tullberg / Getty
He hit the big time playing Tracy Morgan’s loyal to a fault cousin Bobby on TBS’s “The Last OG.”
And actor and entrepreneur Allen Maldonado said his time on set has become a masterclass with Morgan, who after suffering traumatic head injuries in a 2016 car crash has bounced back to become one of America’s best-loved comedians of recent years.
“It’s like an amusement park,” Maldonado told BOSSIP. “You’re on a ride. He’s always on.”
He added: “I’m learning. To be as great as he is and to have the longevity he has is a constant day to day process. His whole entire job is making people laugh. It’s a full-on live show when the cameras aren’t rolling.”
Maldonado plays the best friend and relative of Tray (Morgan), the one who is always down for Morgan’s harebrained schemes.
Source: John Sciulli / Getty
It’s a far cry from his youth in LA’s Compton and Bellflower neighborhoods, with summers in the projects of East Harlem. He said that experience in NYC as a youth was great fodder for his character Bobby, who is supposed to be from Brooklyn.
Maldonado also filled us in on what we can expect from bumbling Bobby in season two: “It’s a lot of heart with Bobby,” he said. “Everybody gonna really really care because of the obstacles that Bobby goes through. You’ll see Bobby going through things rather than just Trey’s problems. The trials and tribulations in his life come to the surface.”
Besides “The Last O.G.,” Maldonado just wrapped another on-screen project the scripted series “Sneakerheads,” in Hong Kong, which he promised, “will blow people away.”
And when he’s not on set, Maldonado runs a few businesses, including the app “Everybody Is Digital,” which he describes as the Netflix for short films.
“Our key focus this year is to help our filmmakers transition over to feature films and television,” Maldonado said. “We want to help filmmakers get to the next level.”
Source: Prince Williams / ATLPics.Net
Is proud dad Future a father, again? That’s the question that’s being asked after model Eliza Reign seemingly hinted that she’s given birth.
As previously reported Eliza’s the Haitian model who said she’d been threatened by Future after she told him she was pregnant.
Eliza claimed that Future who recently welcomed a son, Hendrix, with Joie Chavis, “put a bounty on her head” for not aborting their child.
“They even told me the amount,” wrote Eliza in a since-deleted Instagram post. “And maybe this is some legal trouble behind it but I’m not letting no one’s legal team make me silent while they threaten my existence and my unborn child. It’s sad to think that a person that I laid up with for years would put a price tag/ value on my death and the death of their unborn child. I haven’t stopped crying!” I AM IN TOTAL SHOCK. SCARED FOR MYSELF, MY UNBORN CHILD, AND MY FAMILY! Never thought that a person with 5 baby mamas would want the 6th one dead. It’s truly heartbreaking!!!” It seems the best way to protect myself at this point is to bring this situation to light to hopefully make him back off.”
Neither Future nor his legal team responded to the allegations.
Eliza’s since had a baby shower (that Future wasn’t invited to) and it looks like she’s welcomed a baby girl.
“Still glowing,” Eliza captioned a selfie of herself in a hospital bed next to a floral covered bassinet.
Congratulations—-we think?
Future previously said that he’s open to having more kids and wants more boys to continue his legacy.
He told Big Boy’s Neighborhood;
“Hendrix is number 6, all boys, one girl. Hendrix is the last—naw, naw Hendrix not the last. I gotta have more kids. […] “Me and my boys [sons] we’re like best friends, it’s unbelievable.”
Welp!
Congrats to Eliza Reign on her baby girl.
Source: (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) / Getty
The blue shield is strong for one cop who seems to have a pattern of profiling Black people for arrests.
According to New York Daily News, NYPD Officer Xavier Gonzalez falsely arrested a Black financial planner on pick pocketing charges then lied in a complaint about what a witness said. He has yet to face disciplinary actions for the false arrest nor charges from the Manhattan District Attorney.
The situation went down in Harlem at the Lexington Ave. subway station back in June 2016. Gonzalez handcuffed investment adviser Darrell Williams, and accused him of picking the pockets of a straphanger and an undercover cop on a northbound 4 train, according to the criminal complaint. Gonzalez was working undercover on the train.
Williams was on his way to meet a client, dressed in a suit with his phone in one hand and his briefcase in the other.
Gonzalez, who joined the NYPD in 2010, said in arrest documents that paint shop clerk Anthony Osei, who was on the train, had claimed that Williams stole his phone. However, Osei told the Daily News that this was false. He said he had also explained to cops and prosecutors that this wasn’t true.
When Williams sued the city and NYPD over the arrest, Osei swore in an affidavit that Gonzalez hadn’t even spoken to him and that the statement attributed to him was false:
“I defended him (Williams) because it was the right thing to do,” Osei said. “A cop came up to me and said, ‘Did he take your phone?’ I said, ‘No, I have my phones and wallet.’ Two weeks later, I get a call from the prosecutor. I told them the same thing.”
Williams’ lawyer Joel Berger said, “The evidence is overwhelming that Gonzalez simply fabricated the allegations against my client, Darryl Williams, near the end of Gonzalez’s tour of duty so that Gonzalez could earn overtime.” Gonzalez, who was promoted to detective in December 2017, has stacked up $35,871.41 in OT in 2018 and $31,185.54 in OT in 2017, above his $94,000 annual salary.
A process called “arrest overtime” is applied when an arrest is made near the end of an officer’s shift. It’s a coveted bonus considering the overtime drives up an officer’s annual salary, and subsequently their pension.
Williams was working for the Sanitation Department and was catering to private clients when he was arrested. His financial license was suspended for two months and he was scrutinized by Sanitation, where he was an employee for two decades. Williams said he spent $1,500 on a lawyer, and eventually the charges were dismissed after two months.
However, entries mentioning his arrest still remain in a financial industry database called BrokerCheck. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority said criminal charges must be revealed to FINRA, and they ultimately appear in BrokerCheck. They said there are procedures to removing charges from a broker’s record and they’re currently looking into Williams’ case.
Once Williams’ case was thrown out and sealed by the courts, he filed his lawsuit, which the city settled for $100,000. The now-retired 60-year-old said the whole experience has left him anxious around cops and he won’t even ride the subway unless his wife is with him.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez is still in the field assigned to the Brooklyn Special Victims division.
Smh.
When the DA moved for dismissal on Williams’ case against Gonzalez, the prosecutor Daniel Makofsky said the case could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, according to a hearing transcript.
“If you can’t get the DA to indict on these facts, what’s it going to take?” Berger said. “They covered it up. The DA’s office admits they never kept any notes about their conversation with Osei. All they do is dismiss the case, but they make no record of why.” Berger said it was actually Gonzalez’s partner, Officer Ronald Cobilich, who actually questioned Osei, and even Cobilich said under oath that Osei had not accused Williams of any crime. In a deposition, Gonzalez admitted that he didn’t speak to Osei on the platform before the arrest, even though his criminal complaint said that he did.
“This case vividly demonstrates the failure of the city’s prosecutors to do anything about police lying,” Berger said.
This isn’t the first time Gonzalez has been accused of a false arrest either. A 66-year-old postal worker, Leonard Kelley, said in a lawsuit that he was falsely arrested by Gonzalez back in 2015. Kelley was going home from an all-night shift when Gonzalez arrested him at Union Station for jostling, or bumping up against another person like a pick pocketer might.
Kelley told Daily News, he felt “humiliated” when he was paraded through the station in handcuffs. “I just thought I was being singled out for no reason,” he said. “There was no reason for me to be arrested. I’m a homeowner. I’m a law abiding citizen. But he was hell bent on doing what he did. I’m a black male and I felt like I was being profiled.” Kelley’s arrest was dismissed a few months later, and the arrest paperwork didn’t even include a victim’s name. The city paid $25,000 to settle his lawsuit.
Source: Courtesy Netflix / Courtesy Netflix
Netflix keeps the hits coming for the month of May with the Spike Lee produced “See You Yesterday.” Check out the trailer and description below:
High school best friends and science prodigies C.J. and Sebastian spend every spare minute working on their latest homemade invention: backpacks that enable time travel. But when C.J.’s older brother Calvin dies after an encounter with police officers, the young duo decide to put their unfinished tech to use in a desperate bid to save Calvin. From director Stefon Bristol and producer Spike Lee comes See You Yesterday, a sci-fi adventure grounded in familial love, cultural divides and the universal urge to change the wrongs of the past.
SEE YOU YESTERDAY will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on May 3rd.
SEE YOU YESTERDAY will launch globally on Netflix May 17th.