VIOLA DAVIS TO PLAY HARRIET TUBMAN IN HBO BIOPIC

From How to Get Away with Murder to one of American history’s most famous women.  We have a long way to go before there are enough biopics about women and people of color to match the full century of movies about Great White Men. And what better way to start evening the score than with a biopic starring Viola Davis? The two-time Oscar nominee is set to star in an HBO movie about Harriet Tubman, the abolitionist and participant in the Underground Railroad who is easily one of the most famous women in American history.

The project, which Variety reports is likely to film during Davis’s hiatus next year from How to Get Away with Murder, will be written by John Adams’s Kirk Ellis, and produced, believe it or not, by Entourage’s Doug Ellin. It will be the third film about Tubman (none of which have been theatrical releases—but we’re focusing on the positive for now); the most famous version was a mini-series released in 1978, in which Tubman was played by Oscar nominee Cicely Tyson.

Technically Harriet Tubman has also been played by Davis’s The Help co-star Octavia Spencer, but we’re told that fictional Tracy Jordan productions don’t actually count.

The ABC series, produced by powerhouse Shonda Rhimes, that has made Davis a bigger star than ever, and makes this Harriet Tubman project not just an overdue effort, but a blockbuster event.

SPOTTED JANET JACKSON & HUSBND ATTEND GIORGIIO'S ARMANI 40TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER IN MILAN

Found....the 48-year-old "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" singer made a rare public appearance Wednesday when she attended Giorgio's Armani 40th anniversary dinner reception at Nobu in Milan, Italy. Jackson brought her husband, Qatar-based business magnate Wissam Al Mana, as her date for the starry soirée.

The six-time Grammy Award winner managed to stay under the radar, wearing a hooded blazer and black pants. Other famous attendees included Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sophia Loren, Chris Pine and Tina Turner.

Jackson had not walked a red carpet since October 2014, for the Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience. Prior to that, her last public appearance was at amfAR's 20th Annual Cinema Against AIDS event in May 2013.

The "Rhythm Nation" singer was last seen by paparazzi in February.

Last week, Jackson retweeted a fan-created "missing persons" poster that jokingly asked people who "have any information about Janet Jackson and her return to the music industry" to contact the @MYVELVETROPE Twitter account.

The pop diva was amused, writing, "LOL. Too funny, too sweet."
Days later, Jackson cryptically tweeted, "Letting go doesn't mean you stop."

Janet married longtime boyfriend, billionaire Wissam Al Mana, in 2012. The couple reside in Dubai.

THERE BACK! BBQ WIVES! SHAUNIE ONEAL & TAMI ROMAIN JOIN BASKETBALL WIVES LA SEASON 4 (TRAILER)

In the latest addition of "Black women, Behaving Badly....VH1’s hit series “Basketball Wives: LA” is back for  its fourth, explosive season. While Sundy Carter is no longer on the show, the returning cast members from last season are Draya Michele, Malaysia Pargo, Brandi Maxiell, and Jackie Christie.

Executive Producer, Shaunie O’Neal, joins the LA crew, along with three new cast members. See the network’s official release.

Between the new personalities, major life challenges, and old resentments, sparks will fly. Shaunie O’Neal joins the LA ladies for some West coast fun but soon realizes that they are a very challenging group.

When her old time East coast buddy, Tami Roman, joins the cast, the Basketball Wives: Miami / LA cast divide is set in stone.

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Basketball Wives LA

LET ME UPGRADE YOU... QB RUSSELL WILSON ESCORTS CIARA TO THE WHITE HOUSE STATE DINNER

 Feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, 26, surprised everyone by taking ingle singer Ciara Harris to the White House State Dinner in Washington D.C., Tuesday night after pretending he was taking his grandmother.

Ciara, Wilson and the Obamas dined on wagyu tenderloin and silken tofu cheesecake and washed it all down with pink champagne.

Ciara was styled by Walter Mendez.

Earlier Tuesday, CiCi dropped her latest single “Dance Like We’re Making Love,” to capitalize on the increased attention she’s received in the past week.

“GOOD ENERGY Is Contagious! Surround Yourself With It At All Times,” she tweeted.

Ciara, 29, recently split from rapper Future Hendrix, 31. Future sired a son with Ciara, 1-year-old Future Zahir Wilburn.

Ciara and NFL Quarterback Russell Wilson Attend State Dinner for Japan's PM

RIHANNA SHARES VACATION PICS FROM HAWAII

 When she was not modeling for the camera, RiRi and her BFF Melissa Forde went ziplining, but before they did, they showed off their twerking skills on Snapchat.

RiRi has been in Hawaii since 4/20 for her assistant Jenn Rosales’ wedding.

Check out more hot pics of RiRi in paradise.

EUDOXIE & LUDARICS INTIMATE BABY SHOWER IN ATLANTA (PICS)

 Newlyweds and Atlanta power couple Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges and his lovely bride Eudoxie Fabiola Agnan-Bridges celebrated the impending birth of their daughter with a baby shower at Centennial Park over the weekend.

The baby shower was an intimate affair limited to family and friends, including singers Monica Brown and LeToya Luckett who posted these images to their Instagram pages. 
Also attending was Luda’s teenage daughter Karma

 

 

 

BLUE IVY SHOWS HOW ADORBLE SHE IS AT BEYONCE MOMS WEDDING

Beyonce, Jay Z, and their daughter Blue Ivy make funny faces while posing for photos at Tina Knowles wedding earlier this month.

The 33-year-old entertainer just shared a whole lot of photos from the event on her website and we love the inside look at the family affair!

Also in attendance at the wedding were Solange Knowles and her son Daniel, Kelly Rowland, and other family members including Richard Lawson‘s daughter Bianca, who has starred on Pretty Little Liars.

CIARA TO ATTEND WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER WITH SEAHAWKS QB RUSSELL WILSON

Ciara might have a future with the new man in her life. The “I Bet” singer is reportedly dating Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

The two were first spotted together at a Mariners-Rangers game in Seattle on Sunday and continued their date at Pike Place Market.

The new couple will step out together to this weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C. A press release (via Billboard) listed Wilson as attending “with his date Ciara.”

In August, Ciara called off her engagement to Future, the father of her 11-month-old son Future Zahir Wilburn, but the two remain cordial.

“We’re cool. We have a child together and I think as a parent it’s important to be able to communicate even if you don’t talk,” she told “The Breakfast Club.” “We don’t talk every day. There’s no need to. But my son is clearly the connection between he and I.”

When asked if she would date someone in the industry again, she replied, “Never say never, but I do think you gotta switch it up a little bit.”

Ciara is gearing up to release her sixth album Jackie on May 4 featuring appearances from Missy Elliott, Pitbull, and T.I.

BRANDY BRINGS BROADWAY MUSICAL ‘CHICAGO’ TO ‘TODAY’

Before she kicks off her Broadway run next week, Brandy paid a visit to “Today” on Wednesday morning. The singer, who will take on the role of Roxie Hart in the Tony Award-winning musical Chicago, hit Rockefeller Plaza to perform the Chicago classic “Roxie.” She and the cast busted out some Bob Fosse moves while singing the Broadway tune.

“I’m excited, I’m nervous. The child has awakened in me,” Brandy told Savannah Guthrie and Matt Lauer. “It’s just been such a great experience. I’m so thankful for it.”

Brandy’s Broadway engagement will run from April 28 – June 21.

She will also star in BET’s new scripted comedy “Zoe Moon” about “a newly-divorced single mom embarking on her new life and career as a fledgling cosmetics mogul.”

Preview: Mike Tyson Vs Terry Crews In A Lip Sync Battle

Mike Tyson brings the battle to Terry Crews with “Push It” by Salt N Pepa. See the full performance this Thursday at 10/9c on Spike.

JANET JACKSON RESPONDS TO FAN MADE ‘MISSING’ POSTER

After a fan made ‘missing’ poster of singer Janet Jackson went viral and was re-tweeted by her longtime producer Jimmy Jam, the pop icon came out of Twitter seclusion to respond to fans who have anxiously been awaiting her return for almost a decade.

Without saying much, and yet saying it all, Janet basically let fans know that her days of releasing music are firmly behind her, despite numerous tweets from those associated with her camp saying the opposite.

It was almost a year ago to the day that Jimmy himself set off speculation that Janet would be releasing new music when he sent out this notorious tweet.

Below is Janet’s cryptic tweet about her absence, and while some fans remain hopeful, I personally see no reason to remain so. It’s been seven years since Janet released her last album “Discipline.” That’s a long time. In between she has lost her brother, seen her niece try to commit suicide and gotten married. Janet has moved on to the next stage of her life and music doesn’t appear to be a part of it.

 And while that saddens me as a fan, as a woman, I can understand why Janet now chooses to focus on family and not fame.

 

Janet JacksonVerified account‏@JanetJackson

Letting go doesn’t mean you stop.