Is Bobbi Kristina going to be the next big reality star? Bobbi Kris, the 19-year old daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, is in talks to star in her own reality show. Bobbi Kris is no stranger to reality TV. She was featured in her dad’s reality show Being Bobby Brown in 2005. Bobbi Kris will also be featured in Tyler Perry’s TBS sitcom For Better Or Worse. Will she be able to handle all this? Family members are not happy with her. They feel Bobbi Kris never mourned her mother’s death.
Speaking of Whitney Houston, her autopsy report was made public last week. It ruled her death an accidental drowning, but other things noted will create a lot of buzz. For example, the coroner found scaring on Houston's body. That scaring is consistent with breast implants and a tummy tuck. Tabloids have been reporting for years than Houstonhad work done. The report doesn’t acknowledge the facelift the tabloids have always referenced. It does acknowledge Houston’s missing teeth. More than likely, just like the loss of her voice, as a result of her drug use.
The BET network has renewed the show The Game for a sixth season and the show Let’s Stay Together for a third season. There has been no word yet on the Tracee Ellis Ross-Malcolm Jamal Warner family sitcom Reed Between The Lines.
Vanessa Williams is ready to tell all. In 1983, Williams became the first African American to win to the title of Miss America. She lost the crown and title a few months later when she surfaced in a nude photo scandal. Williams wrote the book with her mother Helen. In the book, You Have No Idea, she talks for the first time about being molested by a woman when she was ten-years old.
Changes are coming to the Bravo show The Real Housewives Of Atlanta. Sheree Whitfield is out, and Singer Monica could be replacing her. I also hear Monyetta Shaw could be joining the cast. Shaw has two kids by her boyfriend Singer Ne-Yo. Monica is married to L.A. Laker Shannon Brown. Whitfield is devastated by her firing. She needs the money and loved the stardom the show brought her. Sources say NeNe Leakes makes a million dollars a season on the show, and is basically seen as its star. Did NeNe have Sheree fired? Sheree is one of the original stars of the show along with NeNe.
Actress Paula Patton (a.k.a. Mrs. Robin Thicke) has signed on as the new spokesperson for Pepsi’s new cola, Pepsi Next. It has the same cola taste but 60 percent less sugar. Patton has also signed on for the movie 2 Guns with Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg.
The divorce proceedings between Singer Seal and Supermodel Heidi Klum are taking a nasty turn. Klum is worth $70 million, and Seal wants her money and joint custody of their four kids.
Oprah Winfrey’s OWN cable network has announced some new shows coming soon. Comedienne/Actress Kim Coles will be hosting the game show Are You Normal America. Iyanla Van Zandt has been given the green light for her show Iyanla: Fix My Life. A third season has been ordered for Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s, and Ohio’s first sextuplets are getting their own reality show with their parents in Six Little McGhees.
Producer Shonda Rhimes has a hit on her hands with her latest ABC drama Scandal. Scandal stars Kerry Washington and Columbus Short. I like the fast pace of the show. Rhimes also has Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. Scandal airs Thursday nights at 10pm on ABC. Washington plays “Olivia Pope,” a woman who gets the job done as a Washington enforcer.
Upcoming DVD releases: Joyful Noise with Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah comes out May 1st, and George Lucas’ movie about the Tuskegee Airmen, Red Tails, comes out May 22nd.
The FOX network is gearing up to mark 25 years on the air. Sunday, April 22nd it’s their silver special with The Wayans (In Living Color), The cast of Married With Children, and Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal) will be on hand, just to name a few. In other FOX news, FOX News Channel has hired Jesse Jackson’s oldest daughter, Santita Jackson, as a liberal voice on their network. Santita is a radio host in Chicago.
Gabrielle Union is on a roll. She is one of the stars of Think Like A Man
Former Football Star Warren Sapp has filed for bankruptcy. Sapp says he’s broke, and he’s lost his Superbowl ring. Sapp won the ring back in 2002. He is millions of dollars in debt, and he owes hundreds of thousands in back child support to four different women.
Pam Grier’s autobiography could be coming to the big screen. Grier says if it happens she wants everybody’s go to actress, Halle Berry, to play her on the big screen.
One of the most anticipated movies of the year has to be Sparkle. The movie features Whitney Houston in her last movie role and it also stars Jordin Sparks, Mike Epps, Derek Luke, Cee-Lo Green, Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter.
O.J. Simpson is feuding with his daughter Arnelle. Simpson, 64, is currently serving a 33-year prison sentence on kidnapping, armed robbery and assault charges. He was sentenced in 2008. Simpson put his daughter in charge of his affairs, but she has let his Florida home go into foreclosure. Apparently, Arnelle has not paid the mortgage in two years. Friends say Arnelle has been drinking and partying, and she figures her dad isn’t getting out of prison anytime soon. O.J. Simpson knows his daughter is squandering his NFL pensions on shopping and booze.
Singer Montell Jordan is best known for his hit song This Is How We Do It, but right now he is having a hard time with the I.R.S. They claim he owes them over $600,000. Jordan says he settled the debt a while ago. He is just waiting for funds to be released from a business deal where he sold the rights to his music catalog. Jordanhas also written and produced huge hits for others like Deborah Cox (Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here) and Sisqo (Incomplete) to name just a couple.
The Hudson Family murder trial is getting underway in Chicago. Jennifer Hudson’s family members were murdered in 2008. William Balfour is on trail for the deaths of Hudson’s mother (Darnell Donerson), brother (Jason Hudson) and seven-year old nephew (Julian King). Balfour, 30, faces a maximum life sentence. Jury section has been finalized. Sources say Balfour, who was married to Jennifer Hudson’s sister Julia, had made threats to the family before. Jennifer says she plans to be there for every day of the trial in Chicago.
View Co-Host Sherri Shepherd is still in shock after being eliminated from Dancing With The Stars. Shepherd cried like a baby after being the third contestant to be booted off the show. Shepherd had been working really hard on the show, and she thought she would last a while. Next week, the judges are going to decide on who gets the boot.
Is a black bachelor coming to ABC? In an effort to boost ratings and interest in the show The Bachelor, producers may cast an African American male to pick from the competing bachelorettes. Word has it a Portland, Oregon sportscaster, Lamar Hurd, may be cast on the show.
Congrats to Think Like A Man Co-Star Meagan Good. She’s getting married. Good is engaged to DeVon Franklin. Franklin is an executive at Sony Pictures, and he is a Seventh Day Adventist Preacher. He co-produced the movie Jumping The Broom, which co-starred Megan and where the couple began dating. Franklin also worked with Bishop T.D. Jakes on the upcoming Sparkle movie.
Speaking of Think Like A Man, the April issue of Essence magazine features dual covers of the film’s stars. One Essence cover features Taraji P. Henson and the other features Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy and Taraji. In more Michael Ealy news, his new TV show, Common Law, debuts May 11th on the USA network.
First Lady Michelle Obama graces the cover of this month’s Ebony magazine. It’s the May Mother’s Day issue and Mrs. Obama gives her insight on the challenges of parenting.
Toni Braxton wants to take a break from Braxton Family Values. Toni says you will be seeing less of her this season because she wants to concentrate on her singing career. She has a new album coming out, and she feels the reality show is too demanding and invasive. Toni says she loves her sisters, but she wants to get her music career back on track. Toni’s sister Tamar is really the star of that show, and many feel Toni just wants to branch out with her own career.
Bishop T.D. Jakes has just released his latest book, Let It Go: Forgive So You Can Be Forgiven. At the movies this week, the Bishop also has a new movie called Woman Thou Art Loosed: The 7th Day. It stars Blair Underwood, Sharon Leal and Pam Grier. Bishop Jakes is also one of the producers of the new Sparkle movie. Sparkle stars Jordin Sparks (American Idol) and will mark the final screen appearance of the late Whitney Houston. That movie comes out in August.
Also at the movies, it’s We The Party with Mario Van Peebles, his son Mandela, Snoop Dogg, Tiny Lister, Quincy Brown and Salli Richardson-Whitfield, to name a few.
Usher is getting ready for the big screen. He will be playing Boxing Great Sugar Ray Leonard in an upcoming movie. He is currently training in London. Usher has a new CD, Looking For Myself, coming out on June 22nd.
Former Disney Star Corbin Bleu is coming to Broadway. He will be starring in the Broadway revival of Godspell beginning April 17th. In more Broadway news, Blair Underwood is on the Great White Way in A Street Car Named Desire. The cast also includes Nicole Ari Parker, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Wood Harris. Raven-Symoné is currently on Broadway now. Raven best known for her Disney hit That’s So Raven and for getting her start on The Cosby Show. Raven joined the cast of Sister Act starring in the lead role. Raven started on Broadway with The Boys Choir Of Harlem at the age of five.
Sade’s 2011 concert tour is coming to DVD and CD. Sade: Bring Me Home features 22 performances and arrives in stores May 22nd.
Will Smith‘s new movie Men In Black III opens in theatres Memorial Day weekend.
Mary Mary’s (sisters Tina and Erica) new reality show is on the WE Network Thursdays at 9pm called Mary Mary. The show features the gospel stars as they juggle their careers and their ever growing families. The ladies have a new song out called Go Get It, which is the title track to their new album due out in May. Congrats to Tina Campbell from the duo. She is expecting her fifth child. Tina’s sister Erica gave birth to a baby girl a few weeks ago.
In more gospel news, BET is gearing up for the fifth season of Sunday Best. Joining Yolanda Adams and Donnie McClurkin at the judges table will be CeCe Winans. Winans is replacing Mary Mary.
Lionel Richie is coming to TV. First, he has a CBS concert special airing Friday, April 13th. Then, Richie will be one of the hosts of ABC’s new reality singing show Duets. Richie will star along with American Idol Winner Kelly Clarkson and Singer Robin Thicke. They will be traveling across the country looking for undiscovered talent. The show debuts this summer. This summer is going to be exciting for Richie. He is also being inducted into the Apollo Theatre Hall Of Fame. The late Etta James will also be inducted with Richie. They are in good company with previous Inductees Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson and Patti LaBelle.
Country Singer Trisha Yearwood is coming to the Food Network. Trisha’s Southern Kitchen debuts April 14th.
The Steve Harvey talk show will be filmed in Chicago. The show debuts in the fall. Alex Duda will be the executive producer. He formerly worked on The Tyra Banks Show, the Style network show Jerseylicious and its spinoff Glam Fairy. Steve Harvey has also been added to the lineup of the Game Show Network with Family Feud.
The original basketball wife, Author Crystal McCrary, is back with a new book. McCrary used to be married to Basketball’s Greg Anthony of the New York Nicks. She is the co-author of the book Homecourt Advantage and Gotham Diaries. Her new book is awesome. Inspirational is the title, and it profiles 30 black women who are changing our world. The book features Patti LaBelle, Rudy Dee, Susan L. Taylor, Whoopi Goldberg and Soledad O’Brien, to name a few. The book is available in bookstores now.
Speaking of Sparkle and books, R Kelly is back with a new book about his life titled Soul-A-Coaster. I had a chance to talk to Kelly. He told me he wants people to get to know Robert, and how he came up in the business. The book is coming out June 12th. Kelly also has a new song Share My Love and a new album, Write Me Back, coming out in May. Kelly is also working on the soundtrack for the Sparkle movie remake.
Oscar Winner Cuba Gooding, Jr. is coming to TV in a new show on FOX. On April 22nd, you can also check out Gooding, Jr. in the ABC Hall Of Fame TV movie Firelight. Gooding last big screen movie was Red Tails, the story of the Tuskegee Airmen.
Upcoming Movies:
Think Like A Man – based on the bestselling book by Steve Harvey- April 20th with Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Gabrielle Union, Melyssa Ford, Meagan Good, Regina Hall and Taraji P. Henson;
Men In Black III opens May 25th with Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin;
Rock Of Ages opens June 1st with Tom Cruise, Mary J. Blige and Catherine Zeta Jones;
Sparkle opens August 17th starring Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Mike Epps, Derek Luke, Cee-Lo Green, Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter;
