*Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson gave his mom a new home for Christmas and he shared his gift giving spitit in an emotional post on Instagram.

Johnson, 46, posted about the surprise on Sunday, writing, “This one felt good. Surprise! Bought my mom a new home for Christmas. All our lives growing up we lived in little apartments all across the country. Lived like gypsies on the road from one state to another.”

He continued, revealing that “The first home my parents ever lived in was the one I bought for them in 1999. They divorced about 5yrs later and as with life, stuff happens and things got a little complicated. Since then I always made sure my mom and dad have everything they’ll ever need – houses, cars etc. But the house this time is a special one and the timing is very meaningful. I told her to treat this card like it’s “Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket” because she gets to choose any home she wants – anywhere she wants.”

Read his full post below.

*Earlier we told you about Kanye West and Kim Kardashian announcing that they are expecting baby number 4 (scroll down for MORE info). Now, we can tell you about Kobe and Vanessa Bryant‘s plans for their #4, too.

It happened yesterday, New Year’s Day, that the couple announced they’re expecting.

“New Year, New Baby! Baby Mamba On The Way 2019,” Kobe posted on Instagram.

He followed up with:

*A few weeks ago the NFL announcement plans to strengthen its commitment to consider minority candidates when hiring coaches and executives in their front offices.

“Our focus was simply: How do we make the Rooney Rule better?” Robert Gulliver, the league’s chief human resources officer, said, referring to the rule adopted in 2003 and named for Dan Rooney, the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers at the time who pushed for the regulations, reports the NY Times.

Now, the Rooney Rule will be put to the test.

There were seven Black coaches at the beginning of the 2018 season. On Monday, only two remain: Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh and Anthony Lynn with the LA Chargers. Carolina Panthers Coach Ron Rivera, who is Latino, is the only other minority head coach.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Big Ass White Man Assaults Small Black Female McDonald’s Worker; Manager Just Watches – LOOK!

Four black coaches were fired this week, including the Jets’ Todd Bowles, Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos Coach Vance Joseph, and Cardinals’ coach Steve Wilks. Cleveland’s Hue Jackson had previously been canned back in October.

via the New York Times:

But the next several weeks will unquestionably heighten the scrutiny on the N.F.L.’s hiring practices and how reliably, or willingly, the Rooney Rule will be employed.

Under the new regulations enacted a few weeks ago, when teams are looking to fill positions, they must interview at least one minority candidate from a list kept by the league’s Career Development Advisory Panel, or a minority candidate not currently working with a team. Teams also must keep detailed records of who they interview, which is perhaps a response to criticism from minority candidates who say they are routinely called, but not formally interviewed, by teams trying to do the least possible to fulfill their obligations.

After it was first established, the Rooney Rule appeared to be having an impact. By 2011, eight N.F.L. teams had coaches of color, the most to that point, or since.

Yet, at the same time, hiring minority front office executives did not keep pace.

With this latest shake-up of Black coaches, and the N.F.L. under pressure to increase the presence of minority coaches and executives, many sports fans wonder if the Rooney Rule is even effective, and if so, why does the future for minority coaches still look so bleak?

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/nfl-fires-several-black-coaches-after-vow-to-strengthen-the-rooney-rule/

*Dwyane Wade’s baby mama, Aja Metoyer, decided to be messy on social media over the weekend by seemingly shading the NBA star’s wife, Gabrielle Union.

The former “Basketball Wives” star, who shares a son with Wade named Xavier Wade, posted a picture of her C-section scar along with a message praising mothers who experienced a Caesarean birth. She added “LOL” at the end of her note… and that’s when things went left.

Fans are now slamming Aja because many believe she was mocking Union, who recently welcomed a baby girl with Dwyane via surrogate after many miscarriages.

One person commented: “So why did she remove the “LOL” from the end? The “lol” is what made it shade. Why put it? That was the purpose? Shade! She was throwing shade at Gabby. It wasn’t innocent. You still big mad he didn’t choose you, sis. Let’s just be honest with ourselves,” Celebrity Insider reported.

Another follower noted that influencers such as Kim Kardashian and Nicole Kidman also had babies via surrogate.

“Umm… Interesting? So, please “Add” a Shout-out to mothers who did not physically birth their kids or just hit “Delete” be authentic! Being petty looks small on your part, whether it was intentional or not. The timing is absolutely questionable! I am just saying, “Beautiful Single Mother” level up! Whether a woman birth a child does not make her connected or disconnected. It is simply in the soul, spirit, and heart of the woman! Salute to all mothers! Surrogate, Adopted, etc. Why did she remove the original caption? If you’re gonna stand in your truth stand ALL the way in it. You didn’t think the blogs was watching your ass because this doesn’t even match the previous explanation she gave when someone asked her about the LoL.”

But one defender had this to say: “Intentional shade or not, it’s her page and her journey (the caesarian) so she can post what she wants. I stated this earlier. And remember, ppl are feeling sorry for a person who admitted that they were a mean girl, who wished bad and was gleeful when other women of color had hardships. So….I’m not sure how people got all the negative foolishness out your post. I saw the post & not one time did I think of the other young lady. People just being messy.”

Another user added: “I don’t agree with the womb post if!! It was sent out of Anger!!, but kiddos for not signing over full custody… Raise your child, but please heal.. yeah it’s hard, but many mothers experience different hurt, regroup and start fresh. Forgiveness is Priceless.”

Aja has responded to her critics, claiming she wasn’t being shady at all and she slammed folks for being so negative. Check out her response below (via The YBF):

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/aja-metoyer-responds-to-critics-who-slammed-her-for-shading-gabrielle-unions-surrogate-baby/

*21-year-old Lamar Jackson will make NFL history when he steps onto the field for the Ravens in a playoff game against the Chargers on Sunday.

As reported by The Baltimore Sun, Jackson will start at quarterback for the Ravens AFC wild-card-round game, making him the youngest-ever QB to start a playoff game.

“I’m trying to taste that victory for my birthday Monday,” Jackson said, per the team’s official website. “I can taste it!”

Per NFL.com:

“Coincidentally, Jackson is attempting to break the record of another scampering quarterback, Michael Vick, who was 22 years, 192 days old when he ran over the Green Bay Packers in 2003 at Lambeau Field, becoming the youngest signal-caller to win a playoff game. Vick was in his second season.”

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: 7 Unacceptable Cycles Black People Have to Change to Move Forward – VIDEO

*Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has vowed to donate his NFL playoff game check to the family of the 7-year-old girl who was killed over the weekend when a white male in a pickup truck pulled up alongside the vehicle she was a passenger in and opened fire.

“When I see Jazmine Barnes‘ face, I see my own daughter,” Hopkins, 26, tweeted Thursday. “On Saturday, I will be playing in your honor, Jazmine.”

Hopkins wants to help the family cover the funeral costs and to add to the reward being offered by authorities for information leading to an arrest of the gunman.

“It’s been a moving number, but it’s safe to say that the number is in the six figures,” Harris County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jason Spencer told The Post.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: $35,000 Reward Offered for Suspect Who Fatally Shot 7-year-old Girl in Texas Drive-by

On Thursday afternoon, a sketch of a possible suspect was released… see below.

“Our investigators have been sifting through a consistent stream of tips coming in locally and nationally,” Spencer said. “And the ones that have the most specificity and the most promise are being prioritized. Obviously, no arrests have been made or arrest warrants issued, but we are getting promising leads that are being pursued.”

As previously reported, Jasmine’s father is asking the public for help finding the shooter, who has been described as a white man in his 40’s.

“I just want anybody, whoever out there that knows anything about the murder of my daughter, to just please step up as if it was your own,” Jazmine’s father, Christopher Cevilla, said at a news conference Monday, according to People.

“Just put yourself in my shoes — in my family’s shoes,” he said.

Jazmine and her three siblings were with their mother, LaPorsha Washington, 30, at the time of the shooting. Two teens and a 6-year-old were also in the car. The teens were not seriously injured during the incident.  Washington was shot in the arm while Jazmine’s 6-year-old sister was hurt by shattered glass after the gunman fired into the family’s car “totally unprovoked,” said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

“The family should be celebrating and spending time together anticipating the new year and instead they’re making plans to bury this innocent, precious child,” he told reporters Monday.

As reported by The New York Post, the community organized a rally in Jazmine’s honor scheduled for Saturday in the Walmart parking lot near where she was killed. A funeral and a ceremonial balloon release is set for Monday at Houston’s Green House International Church.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/deandre-hopkins-to-donate-nfl-check-to-find-houston-girls-killer/

*Hmm, you have to wonder just WHAT is going on between estranged couple Keyshia Cole and Daniel “Booby” Gibson. We’re pondering that thought because they are still legally married.

So what’s the problem with that you ask? Because Cole filed for divorce in 2017 and since then, nada.

The bottom line is that Cole has been warned by a judge to hurry up and finalize her divorce from Gibson, a former NBA player with Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings, or the case will be dismissed and they will remain married, reports The Blast.

Seeing as how they’ve both been in various relationships with other people since their split, the news from the court SHOULD scare Cole or even Gibson to get ta crackin’ and make that move!

*Eddie Levert’s son, Gerald, passed away in 2006 from an accidental overdose of various medications. 14 months later in March of 2008, his other son, Sean, reportedly died from withdrawals from Xanax, while in police custody for non-payments of child support, per I Love Old School Music.

Fans have been wondering how Eddie and his ex-wife, Martha, (Sean and Gerald’s mom), have been coping since then.

Eddie opened up to The Plain Dealer and Ebony a few years ago about life after the death of his son. Below are excerpts from those interviews via ILOSM.

If it wasn’t supposed to be, it wouldn’t have happened. I wish I could tell you that I had a sense of why, but I don’t. I still wonder: Was it something I did? Maybe that’s why I’ve made so many changes in my life, to better myself and try to be a better father, a better husband, a better friend. Maybe that’s the reason why: for me to come to a better place. But I can’t dwell on it. It becomes very emotional for me. It gets to a place where . . . [he pauses and his voice cracks] … I really miss them. It’s just hard. But I can’t get caught up in the fact that it wasn’t supposed to be like this, because it happened.

How He Copes (Via TPD):

I read the Book of Job. He lost everything. I didn’t lose everything. I lost two sons. It’s not trivial. But compared to somebody who lost their whole family — do you understand? — I was left something. God is still great. I kept praying to God, and God kept giving me strength. I had days when I blubbered like a baby, just crying. I still have those moments. But I have a purpose now.

“The music has always been healing. With Gerald and Sean, the times we had together onstage are some of the greatest moments of my life, man. The times that I was onstage with them doing ‘Casanova’ or ‘Baby Hold on to Me’ or ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ — to me, those are priceless.

Even now, when I go and perform those songs by myself, they’re medicine. The most therapeutic time I have in my whole life is that hour and a half that I do onstage.

Because for an hour and a half, I don’t think about nothing but the music. Don’t think about the pain in my knees. Don’t think about the pain in my back. Don’t think about how I feel bad. All of that goes away as soon as I start doing that music.

On His Regrets (Via Ebony)

When Gerald and Sean passed away, I wanted to really blame myself because I felt like it was some things I could’ve kept them from seeing that I did in my life, as a father. You know what I’m saying? People say, ‘You’re a great dad,’ and all of that, but I’m a person, too, you know?

I used to take them on the road with me, because it was my wife’s chance to get her break. I’d take the kids for the summer and she’d be able to get off into her ministry as being one of Jehovah’s witnesses. She was a great woman; she just had a rotten man. You know? And I can speak of that guy as being a rotten man because he didn’t know what he had and he didn’t know who he was or what he should’ve been doing. It was ignorance. I had to learn.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/eddie-levert-on-life-after-the-death-of-his-sons-gerald-sean/

*Standing at an impressive 6-foot-9, weighing 220 pounds, the San Jose native Aaron Gordon is a force on the basketball court, now in his fifth season playing for the Orlando Magic.  He epitomizes values that are emulated by those who are successful like his outstanding work ethic, determination, and his devotion to performing at an optimal level in each of the games he plays.

Yet, Gordon’s gifts extend beyond the basketball court.  While he was given a chance growing up to develop his athleticism, education was heavily promoted and revered during his formative years by his mother and father.  The lessons that Gordon was taught by his family about developing and building a robust, healthy mind is the same insight he wants to pass along to the youth of Central Florida.

To achieve this goal, Gordon created CodeOrlando, a STEM education program that is in partnership with CodeFWD by Facebook, Sphero, and Orange County Public Schools’ (OCPS) Academic Center for Excellence (ACE).

Gordon kicked off his initiative in December and provided local Orlando students from disadvantaged communities the chance to learn computer science, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence through creative technology projects.  The program will provide a platform for students to participate in valuable speaking and teamwork skills, and give them the opportunity to hear from distinguished technologists along with visiting various businesses and colleges.

Through the Gordon Family Giving Fund, Gordon will financially support the coding program, which will officially kick off this year and ACE will teach and oversee the curriculum. On behalf of his charitable foundation, Gordon donated $6,000 to ACE  which will allow the school to provide the necessary instruction for the coding program during the school year, purchase the equipment that is needed to expand the classes, and conduct intensive summer courses that will include 30 students from the eighth grade to the 12th.   ACE students will learn to operate Sphero robotic balls through simple block-level commands by utilizing smartphones and tablet apps to create instructions that will cause the balls to perform in a particular manner, thereby, giving students a more in-depth understanding on how the process of programming works.

Gordon has a deep respect for technology and wants to impart to students how learning about this particular field can fun and rewarding.  The idea for his newly minted program CodeOrlando was cultivated from his youth where he was exposed to the benefits of the technological occupation based on his mother’s chosen career in Silicon Valley.

“Growing up this was something that was very much a part of our family with my mom working in the semiconductor industry,” said Gordon. “I understand the importance of all students being given the opportunity to learn and experience new things especially in the field of STEM.  I’m thrilled to be able to partner with giants like Facebook and Spheros on this labor of love and bring something to the underserved students in Central Florida.”

Gordon’s mother, Shelly Davis Gordon, had a career in high tech as a semiconductor for 35 years, working for such employers like Xilinx and Alera, a firm that was bought by the microchip giant Intel while she was still employed there.  She also worked on projects like Siemens’ first MRI machine and helmet cams developed for fighter pilots. Shelly Davis Gordon understood the importance of sharing her knowledge and started an after-school program that allowed local students to take old computers and dismantle them to know how they operated.“We’d bring over 10 systems, and after three hours they would all be bits of dust,” she said. “That was their ‘aha moment,” states Shelly Davis Gordon. So it is only natural that her son would follow in her altruistic and educational footsteps by creating a STEM education program for the Central Florida community.

*Following the premiere of “Surviving R. Kelly,” many celebs took to social media to slam the artist, including John Legend, Chance The Rapper, Meek Mill and Omarion – but fans weren’t exactly feeling his statement.

The B2K singer said he’s ready to strike all the songs that R. Kelly wrote for the group … but only AFTER they profit from performing the tracks on their upcoming Millennium Tour.

“While I know our fans would be greatly disappointed if we didn’t perform those songs on #TheMillennoumTour, after the tour I am retiring those songs from my set list,” he tweeted. “I too am raising a future queen.”

Kelly penned the track “Bump Bump Bump” for B2K which peaked at number one on the Billboard charts for a week straight. He also wrote and produced “What a Girl Wants,” and “Girlfriend.”

The group announced a reunion tour back in December, but now many fans are wondering why they won’t retire R. Kelly’s songs before the tour ends.

“Unbelievable so you gone profit off the mans work what type of stance is that?” one person tweeted in response to Omarion.

“‘But first I’m gonna get this bag’ is basically what he’s saying,” wrote another.

“Nope! Disappointed. I was so excited to see this tour. But absolutely not supporting your ‘get money and THEN I’ll give a hell no’,” said one fan.

“This is a (expletive) joke! Make money off the songs R Kelly wrote, first, then join the movement?!?! So you sir are also part of the problem. Pick a stance and be courageous enough to stick to it,” one person wrote on Instagram.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/fans-slam-omarion-for-not-removing-r-kellys-songs-from-b2k-reunion-tour-setlist/

*According to a poll conducted by The Athletic, 95 percent of NFL defensive players believe quarterback Colin Kaepernick should be on a team.

The former San Francisco 49er was the first player to kneel during the national anthem as a means of protesting police brutality and racial inequality. Kap has gone unsigned for the past two seasons. He last played in the NFL  in 2016 due to being blacklisted — as such, he filed a collusion grievance against NFL owners in Oct. 2017.

Eighty-five defensive players anonymously participated in the survey and only two reportedly said Colin should not be on an NFL roster, and two had “No comment.”

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: D.L. Hughley Says Listening to R. Kelly’s Music is Now a ‘Tough Call’ [VIDEO]

*Regarding our earlier story today  about Keyshia Cole needing to finalize her divorce from Daniel Gibson before it gets dismissed, Cole is reacting.

The singer says she’s ready. Been ready … to pull the trigger. However, she says, Gibson is the problem. She claims he is deliberately making things difficult for her.

It seems she has yet to reach an agreement with her estranged husband since October 2017. A month earlier, she had filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.

Via a post on The Shade Room, Cole notes that Gibson is requesting spousal support and also full custody of their child together. This, as far as she’s concerned, is a non-starter. Period

*Jermaine Dupri  is a Grammy-winning producer, member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and star of the hit Lifetime show, “The Rap Game.”

As a super producer, Dupri gave the Hip-Hop world acts like Kriss-Kross and Bow Wow. Now he is creating a new crop of young stars. Season 5 of “The Rap Game” promises to be the most intense ever. The stakes are high for the young rappers – this season features a battle every episode – to try to stay on the HIT list and in the house.

Yours truly, EURweb correspondent Jill Munroe, sat down with Jermaine to discuss season 5 – including current and former contestants – the controversy behind his curated concert series for the NFL’s Super Bowl LIII and R. Kelly.

Dupri was selected by the Atlanta Super Bowl Host committee to produce a series of free concerts during the week leading up to the big game.

*Following the premiere of “Surviving R. Kelly,” many celebs took to social media to slam or distance themselves from the artist, including Lady Gaga John Legend, Chance The Rapper, Meek Mill, Omarion and most recently Mathew Knowles.

The former manager of Destiny’s Child says he and ex-wife Tina refused to let the girl group work with R. Kelly, as they were aware of the rumors and sexual assault allegations.

via Metro:

The 67-year-old, the father of Beyonce and Solange, told us: ‘I was there, and my former wife Tina was there. The thing with R Kelly was, he liked to record late at night, around midnight. And what was different with his studio was that one room had a recording suite, and next door was a club, with 40 or 50 people dancing.

‘R Kelly was managed by Sony, by someone I won’t name, and at that time, they would almost force you to record with [their] artists. ‘And R Kelly wasn’t cheap – it was $75,000, plus travel costs, so we’re talking $100,000 for a song.

‘I personally rejected the song, because I didn’t think it was a good song. Not just because of [his] reputation – this was around 1998, we had just begun to hear some of those things.’

More from the publication:

However, when we asked Mathew if the rumours surrounding R Kelly played a role in his decisions from then on, he said ‘certainly, it was both of those things’.

The music manager said: ‘The girls were 15, 16. When they went to the bathroom, Tina would go with them. They did not leave our eyes.’

A source told Metro.co.uk: “Record labels would ask R Kelly to write songs for emerging artists as a way to help them break into the industry and he made several requests for Destiny’s Child. Mathew and Tina rejected all of them because they didn’t want him anywhere near the band which is why they are one of the few acts to debut in the 90s without an R Kelly song in its official discography.”

R Kelly wrote one song for Destiny’s Child, “Stimulate Me,” which appeared on the soundtrack for the 1999 Eddie Murphy film “Life.”

However, according to the report, Kelly was not in the studio when the girls were recording with producer Jermaine Dupri. Said a source: “Mathew didn’t want it on any official Destiny’s Child’s albums so it didn’t appear.”

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/mathew-knowles-never-let-destinys-child-work-alone-with-r-kelly/

*While accepting her best supporting actress Golden Globe on Sunday night, Regina King vowed to give women in Hollywood more opportunities to share their voices.

She made clear her mission to only work on projects going forward where at least half the crew are women.

The Emmy winner has now revealed that multiple industry players, including Tyler Perry, have reached out and praised her acceptance speech and her new Hollywood goals.

“[Producer] Bert Salke has [reached out], Tyler Perry, immediately, and those are just a couple of the men,” King told ET. “I haven’t even finished going through all my congratulations emails, so I’m sure there’s a couple of others.”

She also admitted to ET that some folks tried to convince her to pump the breaks on the speech because it was too bold.

[People have told me] that to take the risk of saying something like that and putting something on myself [like] that was too big,” King said. “I don’t feel like it is. I feel like it’s possible, and the reality is all I had to do was say it.”

ccording to the report, she then compared it to her directing career, which includes helming episodes of “Southland,” “The Catch,” “Scandal,” “Being Mary Jane” and “Greenleaf.”

“All I had to do was start saying it out loud, and the amount of support I got and people that helped find workshops and programs for me to go through to hone those directing skills, it happened as soon as I said it,” she explained.

“In the next two years, and it’s going to be hard, I’m making a vow that every thing I produce…[will be] 50 percent women,” she said. “And I challenge everyone out there who is in a position of power, in all industries, I challenge you to challenge yourself and stand with us in solidarity and do the same.”

The actress can currently be seen in Barry Jenkins’ adaption of the 1970s James “If Beale Street Could Talk,” for which she has received several nominations and multiple smaller critics association awards, including in New York and Los Angeles, per PEOPLE.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/tyler-perry-reaches-out-to-regina-king-after-her-vow-to-hire-women/

*Serena Williams took to Instagram over the weekend to share an adorable photo of her 8-week-old daughter Alexis Olympia, documenting her baby’s most recent bath on Instagram.

In the picture, Williams’ fiancé, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, is seen holding their child — who appears to be wrapped up in a green frog towel.

“We love bath time,” Williams captioned the photo. 

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Williams and Ohanian dressed up their newborn as Batman to celebrate her first Halloween, sharing a photo of the precious moment on the baby’s Instagram page “When you realize you’re the hero Gotham needs,” the proud parents captioned the snap. See pic below.

As noted by E! News, Williams described finding out that she was expecting her first child during a home pregnancy test, telling Vanity Fair, “[I thought] I’ll take it just because (a) to prove you wrong and (b) because it’s fun, whatever. It’s like a joke, why not? An hour and a half later, I went back to the bathroom and I totally forgot about it because it was impossible for me…So I went back to get dressed and I went back in the bathroom and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that test.'”

She explained her initial reaction upon seeing the test results by revealing “My heart dropped. Like it literally dropped.”

Earlier this summer, Alexis Ohanian opened up about how he knew motherhood would come easily to Serena.

“She’s very good at a lot of things and well on her way to being an awesome mom too,” he told CNBC’s Squawk Box before noting that he will be going on paternity leave from the company.

“I’ll be taking off for six weeks myself and trying to do the best job possible as a new dad, a first-time dad.”

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/serena-williams-loves-bath-time-with-daughter-alexis-olympia/

*(Los Angeles, CA) – The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) and Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) announced the winners of the 24th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards tonight, live from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. Hollywood’s brightest shined at the gala event, which aired on The CW Network and was hosted by acclaimed film, television, and stage star Taye Diggs.

In the film categories, “Roma” took home four awards, the most of the night, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography for Alfonso Cuarón, and Best Foreign Language Film. “Black Panther” and “Vice” followed close behind, each winning in three categories.

The top film acting awards resulted in a tie for Best Actress between Glenn Close for “The Wife” and Lady Gaga for “A Star Is Born,” while Best Actor was bestowed upon Christian Bale for his transformative performance in “Vice.” Best Supporting Actor went to Mahershala Ali for “Green Book” and Regina King took home the Best Supporting Actress award for her work in “If Beale Street Could Talk.”

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” took home three awards, including Best Comedy Series for the second consecutive year. Its leading lady, Rachel Brosnahan, was also a repeat winner for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, and Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series went to Alex Borstein. “The Americans” earned three trophies as well including Best Drama Series, Best Actor in A Drama Series for Matthew Rhys, and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Noah Emmerich. Sandra Oh received Best Actress in a Drama Series honors for “Killing Eve,” with Best Actor in a Comedy Series going to Bill Hader for “Barry.”

As previously announced, Best Supporting Actress nominee Claire Foy received the Critics’ Choice #SeeHer Award, which was presented by former #SeeHer Award recipient Viola Davis. Chuck Lorre, creator of such acclaimed TV comedies as “The Big Bang Theory,” “Mom,” “Young Sheldon,” and “The Kominsky Method” (which all received Critics’ Choice Award nominations this year), was honored with the Critics’ Choice Creative Achievement Award. The cast of “The Big Bang Theory,” including Mayim Bialik, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Jim Parsons, and Melissa Rauch, was on hand to recognize Lorre, just in time to celebrate the show’s final season.

Other major winners on the film side included Elsie Fisher for Best Young Actor/Actress in “Eighth Grade,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” for Best Action Movie, “Crazy Rich Asians” for Best Comedy, “A Quiet Place” for Best Sci-Fi/Horror Film, and “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” for Best Song.

Critics’ Choice Awards are bestowed annually by the BFCA and BTJA to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. The BFCA is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 330 television, radio and online critics. BFCA members are the primary source of information for today’s film-going public. BTJA is the collective voice of journalists who regularly cover television for TV viewers, radio listeners and online audiences. Historically, the Critics’ Choice Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations.

The 24th annual Critics’ Choice Awards show was produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment. The BFCA and BTJA are represented by Dan Black of Greenberg Traurig and WME.

About BFCA/BTJA
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 330 television, radio and online critics. The Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) is a partner organization to the BFCA and includes TV, radio and Internet journalists who cover television on a regular basis. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.

Follow the 24th annual Critics’ Choice Awards on Twitter and Instagram @CriticsChoice and on Facebook/CriticsChoiceAwards.

About The CW:
THE CW TELEVISION NETWORK launched in 2006 as America’s fifth broadcast network, with programming targeting younger viewers, a demographic highly sought after by advertisers. The CW, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, broadcasts a six-night, 12-hour primetime lineup, Sunday through Friday. The CW’s primetime programming is also available to stream for free, without authentication, on the ad-supported cwtv.com and The CW app, now available on every major OTT platform. In daytime, The CW broadcasts a Monday through Friday afternoon block, and a three-hour Saturday morning kids block. The CW’s digital network, CW Seed, launched in 2013, and offers original short-form digital content as well as past seasons of fan-favorite television series. For more information about the network and its programming, visit www.cwtvpr.com.

WINNERS OF THE 24^TH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS

FILM:

BEST PICTURE

“Roma” (Netflix)

BEST ACTOR

Christian Bale – “Vice” (Annapurna)

BEST ACTRESS – TIE

Glenn Close – “The Wife” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Lady Gaga – “A Star Is Born” (Warner Bros.)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Mahershala Ali – “Green Book” (Universal)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Regina King – “If Beale Street Could Talk” (Annapurna)

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

Elsie Fisher – “Eighth Grade” (A24)

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

“The Favourite” (Fox Searchlight)

BEST DIRECTOR

Alfonso Cuarón – “Roma” (Netflix)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Paul Schrader – “First Reformed” (A24)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Barry Jenkins – “If Beale Street Could Talk” (Annapurna)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Alfonso Cuarón – “Roma” (Netflix)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Hannah Beachler, Jay Hart – “Black Panther” (Disney)

BEST EDITING

Tom Cross – “First Man” (Universal)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Ruth Carter – “Black Panther” (Disney)

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP

“Vice” (Annapurna)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

“Black Panther” (Disney)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (Sony)

BEST ACTION MOVIE

“Mission: Impossible – Fallout” (Paramount)

BEST COMEDY

“Crazy Rich Asians” (Warner Bros.)

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Christian Bale – “Vice” (Annapurna)

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Olivia Colman – “The Favourite” (Fox Searchlight)

BEST SCI-FI OR HORROR MOVIE

“A Quiet Place” (Paramount)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

“Roma” (Netflix)

BEST SONG

Shallow – “A Star Is Born” (Warner Bros.)

BEST SCORE

Justin Hurwitz – “First Man” (Universal)

TELEVISION:

BEST DRAMA SERIES

“The Americans” (FX Networks)

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Matthew Rhys – “The Americans” (FX Networks)

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Sandra Oh – “Killing Eve” (BBC America)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Noah Emmerich – “The Americans” (FX Networks)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Thandie Newton – “Westworld” (HBO)

BEST COMEDY SERIES

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon)

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Bill Hader – “Barry” (HBO)

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Rachel Brosnahan – “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Henry Winkler – “Barry” (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Alex Borstein – “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon)

BEST LIMITED SERIES

“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” (FX Networks)

BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” (NBC)

BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Darren Criss – “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” (FX Networks)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION – TIE

Amy Adams – “Sharp Objects” (HBO)

Patricia Arquette – “Escape at Dannemora” (Showtime)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Ben Whishaw – “A Very English Scandal” (Amazon)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Patricia Clarkson – “Sharp Objects” (HBO)

BEST ANIMATED SERIES

“BoJack Horseman” (Netflix)

WINNERS BY FILM FOR THE 24^TH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS

A QUIET PLACE (PARAMOUNT) – 1

Best Sci-Fi or Horror Movie

A STAR IS BORN (WARNER BROS.) – 2

Best Actress (TIE) – Lady Gaga

Best Song – Shallow

BLACK PANTHER (DISNEY) – 3

Best Production Design – Hannah Beachler, Jay Hart

Best Costume Design – Ruth Carter

Best Visual Effects

CRAZY RICH ASIANS (WARNER BROS.) – 1

Best Comedy

EIGHTH GRADE (A24) – 1

Best Young Actor/Actress – Elsie Fisher

THE FAVOURITE (FOX SEARCHLIGHT) – 2

Best Acting Ensemble

Best Actress in a Comedy – Olivia Colman

FIRST MAN (UNIVERSAL) – 2

Best Editing – Tom Cross

Best Score – Justin Hurwitz

FIRST REFORMED (A24) – 1

Best Original Screenplay – Paul Schrader

GREEN BOOK (UNIVERSAL) – 1

Best Supporting Actor – Mahershala Ali

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK (ANNAPURNA) – 2

Best Supporting Actress – Regina King

Best Adapted Screenplay – Barry Jenkins

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT (PARAMOUNT) – 1

Best Action Movie

ROMA (NETFLIX) – 4

Best Picture

Best Director – Alfonso Cuarón

Best Cinematography – Alfonso Cuarón

Best Foreign Language Film

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (SONY) – 1

Best Animated Feature

VICE (ANNAPURNA) – 3

Best Actor – Christian Bale

Best Actor in a Comedy – Christian Bale

Best Hair and Makeup

THE WIFE (SONY PICTURES CLASSICS) – 1

Best Actress (TIE) – Glenn Close

WINNERS BY PROGRAM FOR THE 24^TH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS

A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL (AMAZON) – 1

Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Ben Whishaw

THE AMERICANS (FX NETWORKS) – 3

Best Drama Series

Best Actor in a Drama Series – Matthew Rhys

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Noah Emmerich

THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY (FX NETWORKS) – 2

Best Limited Series

Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Darren Criss

BARRY (HBO) – 2

Best Actor in a Comedy Series – Bill Hader

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Henry Winkler

BOJACK HORSEMAN (NETFLIX) – 1

Best Animated Series

ESCAPE AT DANNEMORA (SHOWTIME) – 1

Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television (TIE) – Patricia Arquette

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR LIVE IN CONCERT (NBC) – 1

Best Movie Made for Television

KILLING EVE (BBC AMERICA) – 1

Best Actress in a Drama Series – Sandra Oh

THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL (AMAZON) – 3

Best Comedy Series

Best Actress in a Comedy Series – Rachel Brosnahan

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Alex Borstein

SHARP OBJECTS (HBO) – 2

Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television (TIE) – Amy Adams

Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television – Patricia Clarkson

WESTWORLD (HBO) – 1

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Thandie Newton

WINNERS BY STUDIO / NETWORK FOR THE 24^TH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS

A24 – 2

AMAZON – 4

ANNAPURNA – 5 

BBC AMERICA – 1

DISNEY – 3

FOX SEARCHLIGHT – 2

FX NETWORKS – 5

HBO – 5

NBC – 1

NETFLIX – 5

PARAMOUNT – 2

SHOWTIME – 1

SONY – 1

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS – 1

UNIVERSAL – 3

WARNER BROS. – 3

source:
Andy Gelb/Elyse Weissman
SLATE PR
andy@slate-pr.com / elyse@slate-pr.com

Jodi Karp
The CW
Jodi.Karp@cwtv.com

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/critics-choice-awards-roma-black-panther-and-vice-are-top-winners/

*Former ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor Jemele Hill will launch a podcast exclusively on Spotify, titled “Unbothered.”

“I have a lot of things to say, and there’s not a lot of platforms that give you the freedom to not just be thoughtful but to come with a realness that not everyone is prepared to accept,” said Hill in remarks at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The Emmy Award-winning journalist spent 12 years at ESPN before she announced her departure in September. She pissed off many on the right when she tweeted that “Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists.” Two days later, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the remarks “a fireable offense” and “one of the more outrageous comments that anyone could make.”

Spotify’s Studios head Courtney Courtney Holt isn’t worried about any potential controversy.

“At the end of the day, we want to enable creators to have a platform to speak their minds,” he said. “It’s about enabling creators like Jemele to do what they do best. It’s not an effort to go after controversial topics. It’s making sure it’s an authentic voice that wants to be heard.”

Hill plans to tackle sports and entertainment news with her podcast.

“Spotify and I are very like-minded,” Hill said in a statement. “We both believe in being bold and authentic. I am thrilled to get the opportunity to stretch myself in a much different way, with a support system that I believe will bring out the best in me. I look forward to sharing my perspective and experience with Spotify’s many listeners across the world.”

nd and she promises to be even more provocative than she is on social media.

“Probably more so, because I get to curse,” said Hill, who joined The Atlantic in October as a senior staff writer covering race, politics and culture.  “It’ll be an opportunity for me to be more unfiltered and more thoughtful about some things, and cover a wide variety of topics.”

Hill’s podcast will air twice a week, starting in March.

“Jemele is an important voice in sports, race, culture and politics, and their intersection in media,” said Holt. “She will bring her unique point of view to our platform with Unbothered, which is sure to be a favorite of listeners with diverse interests and viewpoints.”

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/jemele-hill-is-very-excited-to-launch-podcast-partnership-with-spotify/

*The National Institute of Health found a remarkable paradox in the African-American community.. African-Americans had deficient or markedly low levels of vitamin D, but still had lesser incidences of osteopenia, fractures, or falls as opposed to white Americans.

Vitamin D is known to play a role in bringing about health benefits like good bone condition and strength. The significance of how vitamin D plays this role, however, is still not quite understood because a number of misconceptions have brought forward considerable levels of ambiguity.

First of all, vitamin D isn’t actually a vitamin. Vitamins consist of all those essential nutrients for humans that their bodies cannot produce on their own. This is why vitamins need to be obtained through diets. Vitamin D, on the other hand, was found to be produced naturally on mammalian skin due to the exposure to the sun.

Secondly, it was discovered that vitamin D does not directly contribute toward boosting bone strength and density and staving off bone loss. Instead of enhancing the bone function directly, vitamin D naturally converts into a pre-hormone inside which then circulates around in the blood and offers numerous health benefits.

Coming back to the study conducted by the National Institute of Health in the US, it was previously known that lower vitamin D levels increased the risks of osteopenia in the individual. This, however, in the recent findings only seemed to apply to Mexican-Americans and the white community. African-Americans, on the other hand, were markedly seen to have lower cases of osteopenia, fractures, and falls as compared to their white counterparts.

On the flipside of the coin, a BMC Proceedings report also found through their expert panelists that black Americans didn’t gain any skeletal benefits from high doses of vitamin D supplements. In the rest of the American population, however, high levels of vitamin D tend to bring about adverse effects in the respective individuals.

So should the black community celebrate or be worried? Well, neither. The BMC report also made a statement saying that factors such as environment, genetics, skin pigmentation, and adiposity contributed towards different skeletal health. None of these factors, on their own, could explain why this happens and why black Americans seem to be immune to bone-related disorders.

Maybe this question is the very key to finding the answer to improving overall bone health in various populations. Only time will tell.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/the-vitamin-d-paradox-in-black-americans/

*Dr Glory Van Scott has lived quite an eventful life as a performer, producer, singer, activist, educator and author of her powerful memoir “Glory: A Life Among Legends.” Glory’s book takes the reader from her early life to her dedication and career in the performing arts where she stood at the vanguard of a new vision of African-American dance and theater.

Born in Chicago, Glory’s parents Dr. and Mrs Thomas Van Scott instilled in her a love of education and the arts. Of African American/Choctaw and Seminole ancestry she is also a relative of Emmett Till whose famous murder in Money, Mississippi, shocked the world.

“I saw the controversial photograph of Emmett Till and the tears started to come down and the floodgate opened. After seeing that picture, I feel there is nothing more you can do to me. What is to be, will be, and I made up my mind I will not run from it.” recalled Glory who was inspired by the Negro Spirituals her mother sang and which she heard in church.

“In my home we had to stand up and read. When I was 5 or 6 years old I was already into the music and dance that is the life bread of any artist and I knew deep down I was an artist. I had the strength that comes from spirit. It was the power that motivated me to pursue the arts. I went to the cultural arts center which had a library. I would go and listen to the stories read by the librarian. I was acting, singing, dancing and performing a lot so was noticed by one of my teachers who told me that once I went to NY not to come back because she recognized my place was in the theater and New York was the best place to hone my craft,” recalled Van Scott.

Glory had watched Talley Beatty perform and decided she wanted to dance. She attended the Abraham Lincoln Center where she met Paul Robeson and Charity Bailey. She spend summers in the Ethical Culture Camp in NY. First. Van Scott went to the Martha Graham School of Dance but their technique did not interest her. Someone suggested she go to the Katherine Dunham School and when she did, Glory felt she belonged. Eventually, she auditioned for the “House of Flowers” a play choreographed by George Balanchine. She got the job. In that show was Jeffrey Holder, Louis Johnson, Carmen de lavallade, Alvin Ailey, Arthur Mitchell, etc.

Having met Cicely Tyson at the Society for Ethical Culture’s Encampment for Citizenship, Cicely referred Van Scott to Actress Vinette Carrol who mentored Glory for a time in the theatrical arts. Although Glory was a principal dancer with Katherine Dunham, Agnes de Mille and Talley Beatty ‘s dance companies she also did some modeling for the Wilhelmina Agency. She went on to join the American Ballet Company. Eventually appearing in “Kwamina,” ‘The Great White Hope,” “Billy No-Name” and “Rhythms of the Saints.” She also played the Rolls Royce Lady in the 1974 film, “The Wiz.”

Always the scholar, Glory went on to earn her B.A., and Master’s Degrees from Goddard College, eventually acquiring her Ph.D. From Antioch College’s Union Graduate School. Her love of theater prompted her to teach theater at Bucknell University’s Pennsylvania School for the Arts for 10 years. She also taught Theater as Social Change at Fordham University. A Breadloaf Writer’s scholar she composed eight musicals including “Miss Truth” eventually founding Dr Glory’s Youth Theatre. Her children’s book,“Baba and the Flea” was published by Lippincott in 1972.

Van Scott coordinated Katherine Dunham’s Devine Drum Beats and produced The Katherine Dunham Gala at Carnegie Hall for WNET’s Dance in America as well as the 2003 Tribute to Fred Benjamin at Symphony Space. She was artistic coordinator for the Alvin Ailey Company’s “The Magic of Katherine Dunham” and co-produced the National Black Touring Circuit with producer Woodie King, Jr. of New York Dance Divas. Immortalized in bronze by Elizabeth Catlett in 1981, she was awarded the Katherine Dunham Legacy Award in 2002.

Interested parties can find Glory Van Scott’s latest book “Glory: A Life Among Legends” on Amazon.

Deardra Shuler has experience in theatre, music, concert promotion, television and publishing. She was affiliated with the Negro Ensemble Company and is a former manager of the children’s theatre,”TADA.” She has produced and promoted concerts in Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, and Radio City Music Hall.
Ms. Shuler is the former Editor and Managing Editor of three New York City minority newspapers. Presently, she is the Entertainment Editor of The Black Star News. As a freelance writer she writes for several New York City newspapers; including the Examiner, Amsterdam News and EURweb.

Deardra freelances for Afrocentricnews in California. She is the former PR chairman for the FESPACO film festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Africa, and is presently program manager for BlakeRadio.com where she also hosts her own show “Topically Yours.”

Source Link:  https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/people-of-note-dr-glory-van-scott-life-in-the-theatre/