Email Yvonne at: yvonne@kisswtlz.com
Most of us remember doing Soul Train lines at parties, and recall our first booty-shaking exercise, which likely took place with Don’s television show playing in the background. As the shock from brother Don’s untimely death starts to wear off, there are some questions that people are asking about how he died. Some of the questions are not necessarily politically correct, but since when did that stop anyone from speaking their minds?
Here are some things that most of us are thinking, but some are afraid to ask out loud:
1) Who is that woman anyway? Shortly after Don Cornelius’ death, pictures began to emerge of his ex-wife (Viktoria Chapman Cornelius), who didn’t exactly look like your standard Soul Train dancer. She also looks like she was a baby when Soul Train was in its prime. There were also reports that his wife, who Cornelius allegedly despised, is going to get a monster payday from his life insurance policy. While most of us thought that policies don’t pay out in the event of suicide, this is apparently not the case in California when your policy is at least two years old.
2) How was his health? Don Cornelius was in poor health at the time he died. The pain was reportedly unbearable, and he likely felt that it was time to ride the Soul Train to heaven on his own terms. Can we really blame him for his decision? Don lived a long and fruitful life, achieved many of his goals, and impacted the world. Why not go out in his own way?
3) What in the world would make him shoot himself in the head? There are quite a few ways to kill yourself without forcing your relatives to have to clean your insides off the floor. Some folks are wondering why Don chose to use a gun to kill himself rather than something less gruesome. Also, God forbid he’d survived the incident, for this would have obviously made his pain much worse.
4) How did he do it?….Soul Train I mean: We will always marvel at how Don Cornelius almost single-handedly built an entertainment powerhouse. He had a vision and he saw it through. Every black entrepreneur in America should read about the life of Don Cornelius in order to learn how to rise to the top while strengthening your soul instead of selling it. In many ways, Don Cornelius was the anti-Bob Johnson of his generation.
5) What are we going to do now? There is never going to be another Soul Train, we can accept that. But when I watch shows like BET’s 106& Park, which has become a how-to session for uneducated thugs, I wonder why we still don’t believe that we can be wealthy, conscientious and intelligent, all at the same time. Black entertainment must be redefined, and it’s going to take a Don Cornelius- like effort in order to get there.
Don Cornelius and Soul Train are like sturdy stone structures built 500 years ago, they will last forever. He elevated us, edu-tained us, and gave us something to look forward to after being bored to tears by shows like American Bandstand. But Don Cornelius was also human, and in spite of the immortality of his legacy, his body and mind were not meant to last forever. May Don rest in peace and may we carry a piece of him with us for all eternity.
Not long ago, Aretha Franklin surprised fans with the news that she and her longtime friend, William "Willie" Willkerson, were engaged and planned to tie the knot in June or July. Well, get ready for another surprise -- the Queen of Soul has called off the wedding.
In a statement, Franklin said, "Regretfully, To Our Friends and Supporters: Will and I have decided we were moving a little too fast, and there were a number of things that had not been thought through thoroughly. There will be no wedding at this time." She added, "We will not comment on it any further because of the very personal and sensitive nature of it. We appreciate all of the many well wishes from friends."
Franklin's rep initially told ABC News Radio that the couple were considering a wedding in Miami Beach, followed by a reception aboard a luxury yacht, with the legendary singer sporting a dress designed by Donna Karan, Valentino or Vera Wang.
“Mission Impossible — Ghost Protocol” actress Paula Patton and her singer hubby Robin Thicke are tax deadbeats who are facing a huge tax bill after failing to hand over more than $492000 in back taxes. They claim they didn’t “realize” they owed the money.
Officials at the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) filed a tax lien against the couple last month demanding payment for $492,583.
However, a representative for the “Precious” actress and her crooner hubby insists the bill will be taken care of as soon as possible, telling the Detroit News, “They were just made aware of the issue and it is being taken care of immediately.”
But Patton and Thicke aren’t the only celebrities that have had tax problems. Other celebrities in trouble with the IRS include Wesley Snipes, Bow Wow, Toni Braxton, T-Boz, and Jermaine Durpi.
Toni Braxton has been admitted to the hospital. Toni who has been battling several illnesses over the past few years had a scare and checked herself into the hospital. Our friends over at hiphollywood.com, is reporting that while in LA at an intimate dinner with the ladies from “Braxton Family Values” Toni was missing.
The family told them that Toni had a set back with her fight against Lupus and had admitted herself to the hospital. Systemic lupus erythematosus is a variety of lupus, which harms the immune system by attacking the body's healthy tissue.
Braxton has spoken since her admittance and told US gossip website TMZ that she will be fine after a few days rest. She said: "I wanted to say thanks to all my fans for their support, as I have been experiencing some flare-ups with my Lupus which has me in the hospital for a few days. I wanted to clear the record before rumours started, and I will totally be fine, as I'm blessed having an amazing family for support."
Yes, here we go again with the Will and Jada divorce news.
But this time, according to the Huffington Post, it may be for real; the couple is said be be going in different directions.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which InTouch magazine reported were going their separate ways in August of last year, is now saying that Jada has hired prominent divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, who’s represented the likes of Maria Shriver and Britney Spears, to name a few.
When InTouch first reported the story in August, the couple responded quickly in a statement shutting down the report.
“Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact.”
At this point, there have been too many reports released for us not to take seriously what InTouch is printing. We are sure to expect some sort of statement from this couple in the near future.
Terrence Howard says his estranged wife HATES black people ... and she would often call him names like, "monkey" and "n**ger" ... this according to new court docs obtained by TMZ.
Howard is in the middle of perhaps the nastiest divorce we've ever seen -- with both sides accusing the other of extreme violence and other hateful conduct.
Now, Howard has filed a new declaration in L.A. County Superior Court -- claiming Michelle inexplicably turned from a "loving, gentle" person ... into a monster ... who once threatened to have him killed by some violent Russians.
In the docs, Howard notes Michelle is NOT black -- and claims that when she would get upset, she would scream things like, "[I] never wanted to marry a n**ger in the first place" and "[I] definitely didn't want to be the step mother of some n**ger kids."
As TMZ first reported, Howard claims Michelle is trying to extort him over private recordings she allegedly stole from his personal computer -- and in the new docs, T.H. alleges his wife threatened to have him "clipped" if he went to police.
Howard says his wife once bragged, "I have a lot of Russian friends who would do it as a favor."
Howard also claims Michelle has jealousy issues -- and TWICE attacked him with a bottle after accusing Howard of talking with other women. Howard claims he never struck back.
Terrence has asked the court to issue a restraining order against Michelle. A hearing is set for January 17.
Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa caught the NBA star "very recently" in the latest act of infidelity, and that is why she filed for divorce ... sources directly connected with the couple tell TMZ.
Our sources would not tell us how Vanessa caught Kobe, but we do know it was NOT through text messages a la Tiger Woods.
We're told Vanessa had caught Kobe with "multiple women" over the years ... but his latest affair was the straw that broke the camel's back ... and she felt she needed to finally end the marriage.
What's ironic ... is that Vanessa still loves Kobe -- but she just can't stand his infidelities anymore.
Deion Sanders and his wife Pilar are getting divorced ... Sanders tells TMZ.
In a statement, the NFL Hall of Famer tells us, "Pilar and I have decided to end our marriage and move on to the next phase of our individual lives with mutual respect. We are friends and our top priority has and will continue to be the well-being of our children."
He continues, "We arrived at this decision prayerfully and carefully in order to be able to pursue what is in both of our best personal interests."
Deion and Pilar married in 1999 and they have three children together.
Janet Jackson is set to share her diet tips with her fans after signing up as the new spokesperson for the NutriSystem weight loss program. Janet opened up about her struggles with weight in her 2011 bestseller “True You” when she ballooned up to 180 lbs for a movie role, becoming the butt of fat jokes in the tabloids.
In this new role, Ms. Jackson will be the iconic new face for the Nutrisystem brand, the focal point of the SUCCESS campaign and the co-founder of a new initiative to help combat hunger.
Janet has reportedly lost 10 pounds in just over a month on the weight loss system and says:
“I am so impressed by both the thought and the nutritional science behind the program. There are millions of women like me who want to be successful but don’t have the tools to do it on their own. I hope I can help inspire them.”
Take a look at how fab Janet looks below:
The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday they support a nationwide ban of cell phone use while driving.
Such a law would see great public support, according to an Mlive.com poll yesterday, which showed 82 percent of readers are in favor of a ban of texting while driving.
The recommendation came from the safety board after a review of an August 2010 Missouri highway crash that killed two people and injured 38.
A key recommendation from the board is to ban the nonemergency use of portable electronic devices (other than those designed to support the driving task) for all drivers.
They suggested using National Highway Traffic Safety Administration model of high visibility enforcement for such a law, and greater advertisement of the dangers of using electronic devices while behind the wheel.
USA Today reports one of the drivers in the reviewed crash sent 11 text messages in 11 minutes when his pickup crashed into a tractor-trailer that had slowed for construction.
"Two lives lost in the blink of an eye," said Deborah Hersman, the board chairman. "No call, no text, no update is worth a life."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said last week that one in 11 auto fatalities were due to distracted driving in 2010, a total of 3,092 people.
Nationwide, the number of traffic accident fatalities was at an all-time low, with 32,885 fatalities, but Michigan saw an 8 percent increase in fatalities in 2010. A total of 942 people died in the state in car accidents.
According to People, “American Idol” season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino gave birth to a baby boy, Dallas Xavier Barrino.
Baby Dallas came into the world at Presbyterian hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina at 7 lbs., 9 oz. and 21 inches long. He wasn’t expected to arrive until Dec. 29. He joins big sister Zion, 10.
“I feel so blessed that my son Dallas Xavier was born healthy, and is a wonderful new addition to our family,” Fantasia, 27, told People. “I thank all my fans for their well wishes and continued support.”
Meanwhile, Barrino is still being mum about the baby’s daddy, but all signs point to the still married Antwaun Cook, who the singer is romantically linked to.
So, before we forget, congrats on your new bundle of joy Fantasia!
Anthony Hamilton, already the father of five boys, revealed this morning that his wife is pregnant again. And he learned the good news only moments before announcing the news following a performance Tuesday on live television.
The 40-year-old singer and his wife Tarsha became parents to twin boys, Nolan and Aaron, in November, 2010
After singing his new single “Woo” on “Live! With Kelly,” he was asked by host Kelly Ripa if there is another baby on the way. Hamilton replied, “Well, since we’re here, yes. I just found out. Hopefully this one’s a girl.”
Hamilton also has three sons from previous relationships, ranging in age from 13 to 20
CONGRATULATIONS!
Oprah has supposedly been engaging in some unhealthy eating habits due to the stress of running a new network and rumors that her friendship with longtime BFF Gayle King is fizzling. Other sources claim that she's been downing a lot of alcohol and overeating.
Reportedly, the eating habits have Oprah tipping the scales at about 280 pounds.
"Hitting the 280-pound mark has opened Oprah up to a world of life-threatening health troubles—everything from diabetes to heart problems," a source close to Oprah said. “She’s been told by people in the medical field that this time, it’s diet—or die."
Taking the medical advice to heart, Oprah has gone on a low-calorie diet and started power walking to melt off the excess weight. Oprah's wakeup call came when she saw a picture of herself from an Oscar event on November 12, where she was supposedly spilling out of a loose dress.
“Friends and loved ones have impressed upon Oprah that this is her final warning as far as her weight is concerned and urged her to start a new diet and exercise program," the insider said. "They’re serious and, thankfully, she’s listening."
Now instead of chowing down on double-crust chicken pot pie, caramel corn ice cream and pizza, she's snacking on lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. And Oprah is guzzling down lots water during her daily power walks.
According to eurweb.com Vanessa Long, the wife of Bishop Eddie Long, has filed for divorce.
“After a great deal of deliberation and prayer, I have decided to terminate my marriage to Bishop Eddie L. Long. Accordingly, I authorized my attorneys to file for divorce on December 1, 2011,” Vanessa Long said in a statement on Friday.
It was a little over a year ago that four young men accused Eddie Long, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist church in Lithonia, of coercing them into having sex. Their lawsuits were settled in May, then dismissed.
In the statement, Vanessa Long also said:
“It is my sincere hope that this matter can be resolved expeditiously, harmoniously, and fairly. I ask that you respect my privacy and that of my family, as my attorneys and I have agreed that we will not try this case in the media, and I do not intend to make any further statements concerning this matter.”
According to EURweb.com Comedian Steve Harvey recently surprised listeners of his “Steve Harvey Morning Show” with some startling news.
The “Family Feud” host said that he plans to retire from doing stand up—and that his last stand up routine will be performed next year at the 2012 Hoodie Awards.
Harvey disclosed the news after reading an email on the air from a listener who had heard rumors that Harvey was quitting his syndicated radio show.
“This is my Jamaican background,”Harvey joked. “I don’t quit no job. No, sir. That’s not me.”
No doubt the Hoodies will be packed when Harvey performs his stand up routine for the last time.
