Category: Celebrities

Gabrielle Union Calls Out Julianne Hough’s Blackface Scandal In New Complaint Against AGT!

Gabrielle Union is leaving no stone unturned and no blackface wearer unpunished in her fight against America’s Got Talent!

According to reports, the Bring it On alum filed a harassment complaint on Thursday with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing against the producers and network behind the talent competition series she worked on for a mere season. This time, she’s coming after everyone — including fellow judge Julianne Hough.

The complaint started out by recapping what we already know:

“Union, an African American woman, was a judge on America’s Got Talent (“AGT”), but, in what has become a widely publicized matter, was terminated from the Cowell-created show after just one season. Sadly, what led to Union’s termination was her refusal to remain silent in the face of a toxic culture at AGT that included racist jokes, racist performances, sexual orientation discrimination, and excessive focus on female judges’ appearances, including race-related comments. Union raised numerous complaints while working on AGT.”

But this time, Gabrielle raised a new claim that NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy threatened her over speaking out against racism on set! The filing read: 

“By virtue of Union refusing to silently endure the racist and misogynistic conduct on AGT, she was labeled as ‘intimidating’ and viewed as the problem, thus resulting in her termination… If NBC was so concerned about eradicating racism it would not continue remaining silent when confronted with racist behavior by its on-air talent, executives and other employees, but would instead implement swift disciplinary action.”

Ouch! It’s unclear what the nature of Telegdy’s accused threat was. But the docs were very clear in calling out NBC’s decision to hire Hough and other stars who have gotten heat for wearing blackface. 

Calling the network “a snake pit of racial offenses,” the suit continued:

“Make no mistake, NBC is part of the problem. NBC’s current attitude towards racism can be deduced from its defense of those individuals who have appeared in blackface, including, but not limited to Julianne Hough, Jimmy Fallon, Fred Armisen and Ted Danson (whom NBC hired multiple times even after he wore minstrel show blackface and used the ‘n-word’ publicly).”

In the docs, Union said she believes it was a mistake for NBC to hire Hough — who infamously attended a 2013 Halloween party wearing full blackface dressed as an inmate from Orange Is The New Black — to be on the same panel with a black woman. 

The complaint stated:

“ made a decision to hire Union as a judge on AGT while simultaneously hiring Hough, a two-time professional champion of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars who had recently gone through a widely publicized scandal for personally appearing in blackface. Hough apologized in response to the public uproar that she caused. Combining someone who so openly wore blackface (Hough) with someone who is black and regularly advocates on behalf of minorities (Union) should have at least alerted Telegdy that this could cause Union to experience some trepidation or concern about being unprotected from racially insensitive individuals while working as a judge on AGT. The suit is seeking unspecified damages and calls for changes to be made at NBCUniversal.”

Union said in the docs that she complained about Simon Cowell’s smoking on-set, a contestant performing with blackface hands, judge Howie Mandell having “mocked a Spanish-singing performer from Arizona by stating that, in sum and substance, America would not be able to ‘understand’ her singing,” and Jay Leno making a racist joke.

She also accused Cowell of having “orchestrated the rejection of 10-year-old black rapping sensation Dylan Gilmer a/k/a Young Dylan,” and claims that, in response to her complaint about this decision, Cowell told her the reason Young Dylan was being cut was because he wasn’t an act “America can get behind.” 

In response to the new claim that Union was threatened over whistleblowing, a rep for NBCUniversal told Variety:

“he allegation that anyone involved in this process threatened Ms. Union is categorically untrue. We took Ms. Union‘s concerns seriously, and engaged an outside investigator who found an overarching culture of diversity on the show. NBCUniversal remains committed to creating an inclusive and supportive working environment where people of all backgrounds are treated with respect.”

While the network still hasn’t budged in its fight with the Being Mary Jane star, she has at least gotten support from someone in the AGT family: Terry Crews, who issued another public apology to her on Twitter.

As you might know, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine star was accused of throwing Union under the proverbial bus after news first broke of her fight with AGT last year. When asked to comment, Crews, the host of the talent series, claimed he never experienced racism while working on the series. 

But it appears the murder of George Floyd has caused the actor to acknowledge his own privilege as a man, which inspired him to “make further amends” with Union.

Terry wrote on Twitter Thursday:

“The murder of George Floyd has forced me to search my heart to find out what more I can do, as a human being, as a citizen, and more specifically as a Black man, to ensure our community can not only survive but thrive in this new world… Whites have always had privilege in a society that has systemic racism built in, a fact that has been proven over and over again  with the senseless deaths of unarmed Black men and women— with no one being held accountable… But I also see that I am privileged as man, in a society that also has sexism built in. This privilege carries over into my community as a Black man in relationship with Black women… It is in this light I want to make further amends with Black women, and in particular @itsgabrielleu for not recognizing the privilege I have – especially in the workplace- and adding this fact to my earlier apology… If we are to move forward as a people we must do the work required to heal the relationships in our community first.  To whom much is given, much is required. I have a huge responsibility —and I vow to honor it.”

Way to hold yourself accountable, Terry!

What do U think about this latest complaint?

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Travis Scott Is ‘Hopeful’ About Reconciling Romance With Kylie Jenner

Travis Scott envisions himself reconciling his romance with Kylie Jenner, a source exclusively tells Us Weekly.

The Kylie Cosmetics mogul, 22, and the “Sicko Mode” rapper, 28, “aren’t back together” at this time. “He is still hopeful that there’s a chance that they’ll reconcile,” the insider adds. “They stay in touch and hang out.”

Jenner and Scott began dating in 2017 after the businesswoman split from Tyga. Later that year, Us confirmed that they were expecting their daughter Stormi, now 2.

Jenner and Scott pumped the brakes after more than two years together, Us confirmed in October 2019. A source revealed at the time that “everyone around them thinks they will get back together,” but the exes had not been progressing toward having a romantic bond again.

“It doesn’t look like they will immediately reconcile anymore,” the insider said. “They have differing objectives and two different lives.”

The Grammy nominee broke his silence on the breakup in a December 2019 interview with XXL magazine. “I love her mommy and I always will,” he said of the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star. “The hard part about relationships is just trying to be in one without a million outside voices interfering.”

Two months later, an insider told Us that the pair were working toward a resolution. “Everyone around Kylie and Travis is rallying for these two,” the source said in February. “They are coparenting and hanging out more and more, working on getting back together.”

However, despite these reports, Jenner’s 10-year-old nephew, Mason, stated that they “are not back together” in an Instagram live in March.

Since their split, the former pair have focused on maintaining a strong coparenting relationship while raising their daughter, Stormi. “Kylie and Travis coparent great together and those close to them are hopeful that they officially get back together,” a source previously explained. “But Kylie and Travis are doing their thing and trying to keep their current relationship status low-key and to themselves at the moment.”

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TV Talk Podcast: How The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Transforming Emmy And Oscar Campaigning

On this week’s episode of Deadline’s TV Talk podcast, we discuss how the industry will transition to a “new normal” — not only during this Emmy campaign season now in full swing but also how the coronavirus pandemic could also drastically overhaul awards campaigning in general, and especially during the upcoming Oscar season.

Listen here:

With virtual screenings (including Deadline’s own) in lieu of in-person gatherings all the rage, will that template be the same for theatrical motion pictures? Will virtual premieres and awards shows become part of this new normal, or will we go back to the way it was? Our conversation also speculates on how this new method of campaigning not only changes the landscape but also may stay in place since it appears more voter eyeballs are being reached at a fraction of the cost — and that includes food receptions, which could be a thing of the past. Stars may like the idea of doing everything from the comfort of their living rooms, but will voters tire of it and once again yearn for direct interaction with those contending for their votes?

That and more are just some of the issues we tackle today, plus you will hear portions of the Behind the Lens interview with the prolific Janet Mock, writer-director-producer on such high-profile shows as Pose, The Politician and the Netflix limited series Hollywood. She too represents a sea change in knocking down the old ways the industry used to operate, and she’s becoming a major new force in television.

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An apology

Yesterday, an email exchange between a journalist and a member of Stylist staff was brought to our attention on social media.

We undertook an investigation and discovered that due to a large volume of pitches, the Stylist team member had sent a blanket response to all journalists she had received ideas from which were unsuccessful in being commissioned that week. The email was not a personalised response to the writer or her idea.

Regardless of this, we would like to make it clear that we agree that the wording and sentiment lacked the appropriate professionalism which we demand of our team. Our team member agrees this was an error of judgement and apologises for the upset this has caused, as do we at Stylist. We have been in touch with the writer to offer appropriate feedback

We have a long-held commitment to include and celebrate the voices of all women and have a library of content on Stylist.co.uk that demonstrates this.

Stylist stands in solidarity with the black community and we pledge to continue to:

· Give a platform to, and celebrate, black voices

· Call out inequality and racism whenever we see it

· Play an active role in the fight for equality

· Keep the conversation going and encourage everyone to be part of change

· Look at our own business and those who contribute to Stylist to improve diversity

· Never stop listening

#blacklivesmatter

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John Boyega’s impassioned speech during London’s anti-racism protests is essential listening

Joining protestors at yesterday’s anti-racism protests in London following the death of George Floyd, John Boyega made an emotional speech in which he implored the crowd to “join together to make this a better world”.      

On 3 June, John Boyega joined anti-racism protestors in London following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer. 

The Star Wars actor, who has been vocal in his support of anti-racism and Black Lives Matter movements on social media, shared a rallying speech with protestors, reminding the crowd that they were a “physical representation” of the black people who had lost their lives to racist violence in the US and the UK.

“We are a physical representation of our support for George Floyd,” Boyega said. “We are a physical representation of our support for Sandra Bland. We are a physical representation of our support for Trayvon Martin. We are a physical representation of our support for Stephen Lawrence. For Mark Duggan.

“This today is about innocent people who were halfway through their process. We don’t know what George Floyd could have achieved, we don’t know what Sandra Bland could have achieved, but today we’re going to make sure that won’t be an alien thought to our young ones.”

Joined by rallying cries from the gathered crowd, Boyega was clearly emotional as he told white and non-black people why he needs them to “understand how painful it is” to watch black people be killed just because of the colour of their skin.

“I need you to understand how painful this shit is,” he said. “I need you to understand how painful it is to be reminded every day that your race means nothing and that isn’t the case anymore. That was never the case anymore.”

He added: “This is very important. This is very vital. Black lives have always mattered. We have always been important. We have always meant something. We have always succeeded regardless. And now is the time – I ain’t waiting.

“We don’t leave here and stop. This is longevity. Some of you are artists, some of you are lawyers, some of you are bankers, some of you own shops and stores – you are important. Your individual power and individual rights are very important. We can all join together to make this a better world.”

Global protests have taken place over the last week to demand justice for George Floyd’s death at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In a now viral video, Floyd can be heard saying “I can’t breathe” multiple times as officer Derek Chauvin kneels on his neck for at least eight minutes.

On 29 May, Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. However, the charge has now been elevated to second-degree murder. 

Three other officers present at the scene – Thomas Lane, J Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao – all face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Floyd family lawyer Benjamin Crump said in a statement: “This is a significant step forward on the road to justice and we are gratified that this important action was brought before George Floyd’s body was laid to rest.”

Image: Getty

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Meri Brown Vanishes! Where is the Sister Wives Star?!?

Meri Brown… out?

Over the past couple days, Sister Wives fans have noticed that Brown has been busy at work, sharing Facebook posts to promote various LuLaRoe clothing items and outfits.

This is not unusual. Brown has made a lot of money off the business endeavor.

Meri, who shares daughter Mariah with Kody, also set up guest retailers to run Facebook Live sales all week. Also not unusual.

What many fans did take note of, however, and what was unusual, though, was this:

The TLC personality, who is always very active on social media, did NOT tag her location when she posted on Instagram.

This has prompted many followers to ask a simple and obvious and maybe even worrisome question: Where is she?!?

Brown has made a point of exerting her independence of late.

In a recent Instagram post, for example, Meri recently wrote the following:

I don’t need anyone but ME to tell me how to dress in the morning, or how do do my hair, or heaven help me, how to do my eyebrows!

I’m a woman who has lived on this earth for nearly 50 years, and I’m not afraid to say it.

I’ve raised a daughter. I’ve had ups and downs. I’ve had crazy and amazing life experiences.

She then continued as follows:

I’ve loved and been loved. I’ve felt pain and caused others pain. I’ve felt comforted and hopefully have been a comforter. Point is, I’ve LIVED. These experiences have shaped and formed me.

And I’m not finished yet!

Why might this be relevant right now?

Because the combination of Brown NOT revealing her location, along with Brown stating for the record that she is NOT under anyone’s control (such as awful husband Kody), has folks wondering if she’s finally making a move.

Away from Flagstaff and away from a spiritual marriage that continues to make her unhappy.

Meri first sparked divorce rumors when she posted without her wedding ring and shared cryptic quotes in May.

“When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person that walked in. That’s what the storm is all about,” she wrote back then.

She also published the following around this same time:

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. Do the thing you think you cannot do.”

All this said and theorized, it could be much speculation over nothing.

Meri could absolutely be at home in Arizona or having just taken a quick trip someplace, not that most stay-at-home restrictions around the country have been lifted.

And yet:

This is a situation worth monitoring.

For many months, Sister Wives fans have been pushing Meri to leave Kody.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if she at last took this advice and just disappeared for awhile?

Sister Wives RANKED: Who is Kody Brown’s #1?Start Gallery

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John Boyega’s Anti-Racist Protest Speech Was Simply Masterful

Since May 25, protests over the death of George Floyd have gone countrywide. By June, protests were happening in all 50 states of the union. But racial injustice isn’t a problem confined to America’s shores. It’s an issue across the Western world, and it wasn’t long before countries from Canada to France were marching in the streets as a sign of solidarity that Black Lives Matter everywhere. In London, there was a massive demonstration in front of Parliament, and actor John Boyega’s anti-racist protest speech made headlines.

Boyega rose to fame in the United States for his role in the final Star Wars trilogy. His role as a Stormtrooper who finds himself by joining the Resistance was hailed as revolutionary. But certain racist parts of the fandom attempted to boycott the film over his presence. Boyega has been upfront in speaking out against racists, and in recent weeks has posted about the death of Floyd on social media.

His fans weren’t surprised to see him join in the demonstrations in London. However, no one expected how fiery his speech would be or how much Hollywood would stand up following his impassioned pleas.

Here’s his speech in full.

Around the 3:30 mark, Boyega admits he is deeply aware speaking out could harm his career: "I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this but, f*ck that."

It wasn’t long before directors like Jordan Peele, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Matthew Cherry were stepping forward, with promises they would not let that happen.

Boyega’s fellow Star Wars colleagues also tweeted their support.

The official Star Wars account also posted his speech in full.

Star Wars fans hope that Boyega’s words will encourage the franchise to hire more diverse voices. Though the final Star Wars trilogy was praised for its diversity in front of the cameras, behind the scenes, critics have pointed out that the franchise is still run mainly by white creatives. With the franchise branching out from the Skywalker Saga on the big screen starting in 2022, and live-action Star Wars shows like The Mandalorian a hit for Disney+, this is a perfect opportunity for Lucasfilm to put hiring actions to its words. The future of the galaxy deserves it.

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BTS’ Tweet Backing Black Lives Matter Takes A Stand Against Racial Discrimination

BTS is one of the most powerful celebrities in the world. Following the senseless killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, the group is using their platform to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. BTS’ tweet backing Black Lives Matter is simple, but sends an impactful message.

More to come…

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Emma Watson Vows To Fight ‘Structural Racism’ After Criticism Of Her Blackout Tuesday Posts

After receiving backlash for her Blackout Tuesday posts, Emma Watson took to social media to share a powerful message about racism and show her support for the black community.

Emma Watson will not stand for racial injustice, and she made that very clear with her Instagram post on June 3. The actress’s message was inspired by the latest death of a black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, which sparked a widespread conversation about racism in the United States. “I stand with you,” Emma told the black community in her post.

I stand with you.

A post shared by Emma Watson (@emmawatson) on

“There is so much racism, both in our past and present, that is not acknowledged nor accounted for,” Emma wrote. “White supremacy is one of the systems of hierarchy and dominance, of exploitation and oppression, that is tightly stitched into society. As a white person, I have benefited from this.” She added, “We need to work harder externally to actively tackle the structural and institutional racism around us. I’m sill learning about the many ways I unconsciously support and uphold a system that is structurally racist.”

Emma concluded her message by sharing that she’ll be using her social media platforms in the coming days to share links to resources that she’s found useful in researching and educating herself. This post came one day after Blackout Tuesday, which was a day for pausing promotional content on social media in order to use the platform to share knowledge and information about racial injustice instead. Instagram users acknowledged the movement by sharing a blank, black square to their pages.

However, Emma received backlash for the way she honored Blackout Tuesday. Rather than just posting one black square, she posted three, and they each had a white border around them, like all of her other Instagram posts. People accused Emma of trying to fit her Blackout Tuesday posts to her “Instagram aesthetic,” rather than actually fighting for the cause. One person on Twitter called Emma’s Blackout Tuesday post the “worst” one they saw.

Many other fans jumped to Emma’s defense, though, and pointed out that Emma has been an ally to the black community for years. “Emma Watson has dedicated her ENTIRE CAREER to support feminism and end racism & twitter things it’s ok o cancel her because she didn’t fake temp activism like other celebs,” someone wrote. Another fan added, “Why hate on Emma Watson, an ally of the black community that has been speaking about racism, intersectional feminism and white privilege before all of these celebrities who just do it for the clout?” Emma did not directly respond to any of the messages about her Blackout Tuesday posts.

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Beyonce Urges Fans To ‘Remain Aligned & Focused’ Following George Floyd’s Death — See Message

Beyonce delivered another empowering message to her millions of followers in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

Beyonce, 38, posted a captionless Instagram photo on Wednesday, June 3, that included a ton of powerful words in relation to what has transpired across the planet since George Floyd died. “The world came together for George Floyd. We know there is a long road ahead,” she wrote above a protest photo that happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he passed. “Let’s remain aligned and focused in our call for real justice.” The “Crazy In Love” singer broke her silence days earlier about the manner in a heartfelt IG video where she demanded justice for him and many others who have had to go through something similar.

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“We need justice for George Floyd,” she began. “We all witnessed his murder in broad daylight. We’re broken and we’re disgusted. We cannot normalize this pain. I’m not only speaking to people of color. If you’re white, black, brown, or anything in between, I’m sure you feel hopeless by the racism going on in America right now.”

“No more senseless killings of human beings. No more seeing people of color as less than human,” she continued. “We can no longer look away. George is all of our family in humanity. He’s family because he’s a fellow American. There have been too many times that we’ve seen these violent killings and no consequences. Yes, someone has been charged but justice is far from being achieved.”

If you want to demand more charges brought on all those involved in the death of George Floyd, click the link in my bio to sign the petition.

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Beyonce posted that video before the other 3 officers along with Derek Chauvin (Thomas Lane, J.A. King, Tou Thao) were charged in the murder of George. Thomas, J.A. and Tou have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Derek, the officer who was seen kneeling on George’s neck for almost 10 minutes, has now been hit with an additional charge of second degree murder in his passing.  The felony charge includes a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, according to the amended complaint obtained by HollywoodLife.

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