Entertainment

The more we know, the worse it gets!

Source: Chicago Tribune / Getty

When it comes to R. Kelly, there’s alcways more sick sh*t to uncover. Buzzfeed News reports that on the 18th day of testimony, Cheryl Mack took the witness stand in the disgraced singer’s sex trafficking and racketeering trial on Friday. Mack, who is the mother of platinum music producer London On Da Track, stated that she didn’t want to be part of the trial, but she was subpoenaed by the prosecutors.

She first started working with Kelly in 2009 as a talent manager for a 17-year-old artist identified in court as Precious. Kelly offered to collaborate with Precious on her music and invited her to work in his studio. The young artist even started living in a hotel near the singer’s home. Mack said the partnership ended “abruptly” and Kelly demanded that she travel from Atlanta to Chicago immediately because her client threatened to sue him for sexual harassment. “He told me she was trying to file a lawsuit, and I needed to pick a team.”

That choice came with what Mack described as a threat from Kelly, “In these situations, people come up missing.” His manager and lawyer rushed Mack into signing a pre-written affidavit without even reading it. She recalled seeing questions about whether Kelly had sexual contact with Precious or gave her alcohol, but she isn’t sure if ever answered them.

The Chicago attorney who helped keep R. Kelly's settlements with victims out of the courts (and out of the news) for decades: My latest on the stories behind the trial @NewYorker. https://t.co/5lA2P7rTnk

— Jim DeRogatis (@JimDeRogatis) September 14, 2021

It is unclear exactly what happened to Precious and her potential lawsuit against Kelly. Mack didn’t see Kelly again until she was working with Devyne Stephens, who was behind a comeback for the Pied Piper in 2013. After they reconnected, she continued working closely with Kelly as his executive assistant.

During her time as an assistant, she was bullied into signing one of the incriminating false apology letters other witnesses and survivors of Kelly’s abuse previously discussed. I apologized out of fear. I was 1,000% scripted,” Mack said. He was also financially abusive as a boss, refusing to pay her for 3 – 6 months as punishment for booking a performance that didn’t Kelly didn’t think paid enough money.

She saw firsthand how the very young women in his company were subjected to strict and humiliating rules like having to face the wall or flee the presence of any other men. While in his hotel room after a show, she also witnessed a young woman giving Kelly a massage that made the former assistant “very uncomfortable. That wasn’t my business, I was there to work.” That woman is one of the Kelly’s accusers in the trial who was only publicly identified as “Jane.”

For nearly a month, reporter Anastasia Tsioulcas has been in a New York courtroom to cover R. Kelly's federal trial. After hearing testimony from dozens of witnesses, here's what she can't stop thinking about: https://t.co/IDECS4vS3D

— NPR (@NPR) September 16, 2021

The next day, Mack quit after Kelly lost his temper, screaming and cursing at her in the middle of a McDonald’s over a spoiled birthday surprise for his stylist at the time. So far everyone who worked with Kelly, seemed to be an enabler, a victim of abusive behavior themselves, or a combination of both.

Throughout her tesimony, Mack was very emotional. She often required long pauses before she could continue answering questions on the stand. Courtroom drawings depicted her clutching tissue for her tears. The trial will resume next week with more testimony  from clinical psychologist Dana Hughesa bout how underage girls are groomed for and cope with sexual abuse.

Read more: https://bossip.com/2042234/tearful-testimony-london-on-da-tracks-mother-testifies-about-time-as-r-kellys-assistant/

When the goat talks you listen, simple as that!

Source: Ian MacNicol / Getty

The eight-time Olympic gold medal winner, Usain Bolt has offered up some advice to fellow sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson telling her to tone down her trash talk and concentrate on her training.

A post shared by Usain St.Leo Bolt (@usainbolt)

Bolt explained to the New York Post that by bad-mouthing her rivals she would actually just make them more determined to beat her. Sha’Carri Richardson, who was booted out of the US Olympic team earlier this year after testing positive for cannabis was given a one-month ban, which meant she wasn’t able to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“I would tell Sha’Carri to train harder and to be focused and not say too much… If you talk that big talk you have to back it up. So just train hard and focus on that and try to come back, do it and then talk about it.”

Richardson returned to the track last month, for the 100m dash at the Nike Prefontaine Classics and did a lot of talking before the race took place. So much to the point that all the trash talk back fired once she came in last.

Bolt says his fellow Jamaican runners were less than impressed with Richardson’s attitude.

“Jamaicans were vexed because she was talking a lot of s**t before the actual race, it is just one of those things. Jamaicans don’t like when people talk s**t about us because we are a very proud people so if you talk about us we are gonna want you to back it up. It definitely gave those women the extra push [to win.]”

If it’s one thing Bolt is familiar with that’s winning and dealing with competitors who talk trash so we hope sis listens to the goat and instead of being offended actually taking his advice and putting it to use.

Don’t get us wrong, there is nothing wrong with hyping yourself up and talking yo ish however, make sure you can back it up and always remain humble because what The Lord gives, The Lord can also take away!

Read more: https://bossip.com/2042239/goat-talk-usain-bolt-advises-shacarri-richardson-to-train-harder-and-not-say-too-much/

Let LeVar live!

Source: Kevin Winter / Getty

After all these years, LeVar Burton is still teaching vital life lessons like the importance of keeping it cute and mute. On Friday, the perpetually pleasant icon reminded a line-stepping journalist that he’s not the one to play with! It all started with his appearance on The Daily Show Thursday night.

I’ll be on Thursday night… 🙏🏾 #bydhttmwfi https://t.co/edTn8Eb5Pf

— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) September 13, 2021

In addition to discussing his legacy, Burton told Trevor Noah that he’s no longer interested in pursuing the role of hosting Jeopardy!, which has become a colossal clusterf**k since Alex Trebek’s passing earlier this year.

“I made it public that I wanted it for myself, that it made sense to me, and they were all about it,” Burton explained. “It made as much sense to them as it did to me. And, so, they wanted it for me as much as I wanted it.”

While fans are still disappointed that LeVar has officially closed the door on that Jeopardy! opportunity, he shared that this has been a blessing in disguise to open several others. He also hinted at a new game show in the works that would still feature his love of learning and reading.

 “The opportunities that have come my way as a result of not getting that gig, I couldn’t have dreamt it up. If you had given me a pen and paper and said, ‘Well, so what do you want this to really look like?’ If it doesn’t include Jeopardy I wouldn’t have been this generous to myself.”

My sincere thanks to all y’all for your love and support. I’ll see you on the island! https://t.co/QOMvsUTlbb

— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) September 17, 2021

Even someone as beloved as LeVar Burton still has people waiting with the shade after such a difficult, but brave moment.

Please. If offered, he would take it in a heartbeat.

— Stephen Battaglio (@SteveBattaglio) September 18, 2021

LA Times writer Stephen Battaglio quickly found out that the booked and busy Burton had time. He quickly apologized when corrected by the Star Trek star, but by then it was too late. The fans, whose campaign helped push Burton to a deserving spot on the Jeopardy stage, must have rushed to his defense.

No, Stephen… you don’t get a pass. You made erroneous assumptions about me and made them public. Throughout this entire ordeal I have done my utmost best to take the high road in spite of the amount of vitriol and bile some folks have felt it necessary to post on my timeline.

— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) September 18, 2021

I have a perspective on this entire J! saga which I intend to share at a time of my choosing, probably my memoirs. As a journalist I hope you can appreciate that any and all speculation about my motives or intentions is simply uninformed.

— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) September 18, 2021

After this ordeal, he’s had enough speculation and people playing in his face. He also offered that more details about the situation could be coming in his memoirs. When the exchange got more attention, Burton reminded everyone that our heroes are still very human.

Sometimes we f*ck around and find out. #bydhttmwfi https://t.co/eBE2HeKCwq

— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) September 18, 2021

Even while checking someone on Twitter, Burton is still a class act about politely packing someone up. Even if he doesn’t respond to haters or doubters, the Reading Rainbow gang is deep and dedicated! Tread lightly because “sometimes we f*ck around and find out,” but you don’t have to take my word for it!

Read more: https://bossip.com/2042209/sometimes-we-f-around-and-find-out-levar-burton-claps-back-when-pressed-about-jeopardy-hosting-gig/

A father in Michigan is taking legal action after his 7-year-old daughter’s hair was cut by a school employee without his permission.

Source: Kinga Krzeminska / Getty

The father, Jimmy Hoffmeyer, filed a $1 million lawsuit against Mount Pleasant Public Schools, a librarian, and a teacher’s assistant on Tuesday, according to reports from MLive.com. In the lawsuit, he alleges racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, and that his daughter’s constitutional rights were violated.

Hoffmeyer previously told USA Today that his biracial daughter, Jurnee, had to get an asymmetrical hairstyle after a classmate cut one side of her hair by a few inches. Just a few days later, his daughter returned home with the other side of her hair cut, Hoffmeyer explained, adding that he later learned an employee of the school was the one responsible.

Not that we really need to clarify, but, unsurprisingly, both the student and employee who cut Jurnee’s hair are white, according to the Associated Press.

“The Defendants failed to properly train, monitor, direct, discipline, and supervise their employees, and knew or should have known that the employees would engage in the complained of behavior given the improper training, customs, procedures, and policies, and the lack of discipline that existed for employees,” the lawsuit alleges.

In a previous statement by the school, they said that Jurnee “grew unhappy and dissatisfied with the way her hair looked after the other student cut it and asked a school library employee to help fix her hair during a classroom visit to the library.” According to the school, Jurnee’s teacher was also made aware of the situation.

The statement continued, “Regardless of their good intentions, these actions are unacceptable and show a lack of judgement on the part of our two employees. Both employees have admitted their actions and apologized.”

In July, following a third-party investigation, the school said the employee who cut Jurnee’s hair “will be placed on a ‘last chance’ agreement during which time any future violations will likely result in termination.” The school also said the investigation found no evidence of racial bias…..so…..yeah.

Following Hoffmeyer filing a lawsuit, the school district released a statement saying they are “confident that the facts will prevail.”

“We will aggressively defend against these baseless allegations in court and will not allow this to distract us from our mission to provide every child a world-class education that prepares them for college and careers,” read a statement from Mount Pleasant Public Schools Board of Education president Amy Bond, per the AP.

Read more: https://bossip.com/2042225/smh-dad-files-1m-lawsuit-against-school-after-student-and-employee-cut-biracial-daughters-hair/

Though Nicki Minaj may think she was just stating her personal opinion about wanting to do more “research” before getting the vaccine, her millions of impressionable fans heard her loud and clear–and while some of them are disappointed in her rhetoric, others are supporting her statements.

Source: Will / Getty

Earlier this week, Barbz marched on the Atlanta HQ of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chanting about their belief that the pop star “told the truth” with her comments about COVID vaccines.

According to reports from Page Six, more than a dozen protesters shouted through a loudspeaker on Wednesday in defense of Minaj’s fears about the jabs, which includes her (still-to-be-proven) story that a cousin’s friend was left impotent and with swollen testicles after getting vaccinated.

“Nicki told the truth to me! Fauci lied to me!” the group chanted, referring to White House infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. In response to Nicki’s tweets, he said this week there’s “no evidence” backing her claims.

Sadly enough, protest leaders told CBS46 that they trusted the rapper’s word over that of CDC officials and Fauci.

“Nicki the queen of rock!” one of the march’s ringleaders told the outlet of her apparent credentials. “And she said, ‘I’m questioning this vaccine, and we should all question this vaccine.'”

@NICKIMINAJ told the truth to me, Fauci lied to me” Protesters are approaching cars leaving the @CDCgov in ATL.Claiming the CDC is lying about the vaccine& @NICKIMINAJ is telling the truth. More on COVID-19 misinformation & locals protesting the vaccine. @cbs46 pic.twitter.com/6DwNo6ffbn

— Tori Cooper (@toricoooper) September 15, 2021

CBS46 did not say if anyone from the CDC addressed the protest outside its HQ in Georgia, a state where less than 45 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, according to Johns Hopkins University data. However, Dr. Neetu Abad–a scientist and misinformation expert for the group–told the outlet that the CDC “is advocating that people take advice from trusted healthcare professionals.”

“If somebody doesn’t have that background, then no, we don’t recommend listening to them,” she said.

It’s sad that they even have to say that, but…here we are. Barbz, stay in school.

Read more: https://bossip.com/2042222/barbz-stay-in-school-nicki-minaj-fans-march-on-cdc-hq-chanting-she-told-the-truth-about-vaccines/