R. Kelly‘s alleged efforts to groom, molest and control underage girls have done little to scar his brand…until now.

For, after his brother Carey Kelly urged him to seek help for his “problems”, Kelly now finds himself drowning in the depths of despair after the world learned of his “sex cult.”

 

 

Now, his label is under pressure to slice him out of its roster.

 It reads:

R&B singer R. Kelly has preyed on teenage girls for the past 25 years. It’s time our society stops his cycle of abuse. Join us in telling Sony to #DropRKelly for habitually preying on teenage girls for the past 25 years!

In 1994, R. Kelly illegally married 15-year-old Aaliyah, and in 2002, he was indicted on 14 counts of child pornography. He was acquitted six years later because neither the alleged victim nor her parents were willing to testify, but more than 40 others took the stand to confirm that the girl in the video was the 14-year-old girl.

Recently, disturbing reports have surfaced from parents and former entourage members who allege R. Kelly is holding multiple women in a sex cult in which he controls their every move, physically and emotionally punishes them if they break his rules, and films his sexual encounters with them to share with his friends.

Despite all of this information being on the public record, Kelly continues to tour, release albums, collaborate with artists like Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga, and be honored at events like BET’s Soul Train Awards. R. Kelly should not profit while he continues to victimize women.

The parents of Jocelyn Savage, 21, say she “is being held against her will” in R. Kelly’s “cult” and that they haven’t seen their daughter since Dec. 2016. And three former members of Kelly’s inner circle — Cheryl Mack, Kitti Jones, and Asante McGee — say six women live in Kelly’s rented properties in Chicago and the Atlanta suburbs, where he controls their entire lives: dictating what they eat, how they dress, when they bathe, when they sleep, how they use their cell phones, and how they engage in sexual encounters that he records.

R. Kelly often pays out his victims before they file charges. A Chicago attorney told BuzzFeed she has negotiated “numerous” settlements, including a recent one involving a 17-year-old aspiring singer.

Care2 members have routinely spoken out loudly to stop serial sexual predators to whom society has given a pass, including Bill O’ReillyBill Cosby, and Dr. Luke. It’s time to speak out just as loudly against R. Kelly.

We must not let habitual abusers float above justice simply because they are rich and famous. Let’s work together to turn R. Kelly into a symbol for victim’s rights, reminding abusers everywhere that no one is untouchable. Join us in telling Sony to #DropRKelly for habitually preying on teenage girls for the past 25 years!

Click here for more.

 

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Rob Kardashian’s nemesis Rarri True is reportedly in talks to join the cast of ‘Love & Hip Hop Atlanta’ following the departure of its ratings rock Joseline Hernandez.

Alas, sources close to the rising Urban star claim he feels production is unwilling to cough up the cash he feels his ties to Rob and Chyna make him entitled to.

TMZ spills:

Contracts have been circulated but not signed, and the unresolved issue is money. Ferrari’s moved on and has already hooked up with someone else, and that relationship will be featured on the show.

Your thoughts?

After watching sales of her music decline, the multitalented Lady GaGa now enjoys life as a bonafide multi-hyphenate star, soaring in music, fashion, television and film.

This year, it appears she’ll be adding wife to that list following reports that she is planning to wed Mr. Christian Carino.

‘In Touch’ reports:

At the moment, they’re planning on getting married in Italy (“Champagne will be flowing throughout the day, and appetizers will be served before guests sit down for a five course Italian feast”) and Malibu. Both Christian and Lady Gaga are proud of their Italian heritage, so they’d love to go back to their roots and are talking about eloping in an intimate ceremony in Italy.

If Christian’s name rings a bell it may be because he’s played a major part in supporting the careers of the likes of Jennifer Lopez & Christina Aguilera via his work at the Creative Artists Agency.

Your thoughts?

It’s official…Ryan Seacrest has returned to ‘American Idol.’

Booted from Fox after its ratings slipped, the show was recently picked up by ABC who called on Katy Perry to stand as one of its judges.

For months, producers were locked into meetings with host Seacrest with hopes of finalising a deal which worked for all parties and, much to the delight of his fans, this week has seen them do just that.

 

ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey beamed…

Much of American Idol’s overwhelming success can be attributed to Ryan, whose larger-than-life personality and laudable dedication to creating quality entertainment has made him a true master of his craft. His talent is limitless, and I can’t think of a more appropriate person to honor the Idol legacy as it takes on new life than the man who has been there through it all.

Ryan added…

It’s genuinely hard to put into words what American Idol means to me. I’m so grateful for the show and all the career and life opportunities it’s allowed me to experience. It’s been an incredible journey from day one. To be asked to return this year, at my new home at Disney|ABC, is an honor, if not a bit surreal.

Your thoughts?

‘The Hollywood Reporter‘s latest Drama Actress Roundtable welcomed Oprah Winfrey, Jessica Lange, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and more to engage in a conversation on the craft.

There, the ladies spoke openly on their journeys in Hollywood, the skill it takes to deliver moving and riveting performances and how they go about handling the pressures of juggling the pressure to perform with Hollywood’s ever-changing demands.

Want more from Oprah?

Click here to learn more about her new project ‘A Wrinkle in Time.’

Your thoughts?

Ashanti is embracing a new method of promotion for her reemergence on the music scene.

As widely documented, her last project ‘Braveheart’ was talked about for years, so much so that when it finally arrived there was little to no fanfare.

Opting for a less is more approach this go round, the 36-year-old has been teasing with mysterious video clips on social media.

The latest was unveiled today and she captioned it with “#justwaitonit #sayless”. Check it out below…

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Jagged Edge has returned to the world with new music!

Standing as their ninth set, The Layover’ made its way to the scene hours ago and treats fans to sixteen original numbers penned to honour the twenty years the group has enjoyed as one of R&B’s leading groups.

Why they’ve chosen to go the independent route?

There were a lot of big companies that made Jagged Edge a household name, but at this point in time it’s all Jagged Edge. It’s all black-owned.

Your thoughts?

‘Sister Act’ may be on its way back to the big screen.

The 90s original and sequel have been cemented as classics in the eyes of many a millennial and now a whole new generation could be introduced to the world famous nuns.

Whoopi Goldberg, who played Deloris Van Cartier in both movies, spoke to Yahoo recently and revealed that a revival may well be on the cards. She said:

“I think that there will be a Sister Act 3. But I don’t know that I would be Deloris, which is OK, because it’s time for someone to do it. But it’s such a fun piece that I’m hoping someone will do it. Maybe I’ll direct it.”

While it’s not the first time Goldberg has hinted at the project, this is the most she’s said about the nature her own involvement in a theatrical reboot.

In the time since the earlier films, the actress has maintained close ties with all things ‘Sister Act’ – including producing a successful live adaptation that played on Broadway and London’s West End. During those ventures talented names such as Cynthia Erivo, Patina Miller, Raven Symone, and Alexandra Burke stepped into Deloris’ stilettos.

Released in 1992, ‘Sister Act’ went on to generate $231.6 million at the global box office. And while the worldwide total for its 1993 sequel ‘Sister Act: Back In The Habit’ remains undocumented, it did gross $57 million in the US alone.

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If handled correctly, we’d be all the way here for this.

Sure, like many, we wouldn’t want our childhood memories marred by something potentially corny or subpar. But Goldberg’s involvement alleviates such worries.

The theater productions were stellar too; as such if the right team is assembled this could be a good look.

Your thoughts?

Viola Davis is determined to use her platform to lift the lid of societal evils.

How? By way of her production company JuVee which is set to shed light on the dark and demonic sex trade with help from her husband Julius Tennon who joins her to turn the book ‘Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not for Sale’ into a film.

The project is yet to lock a release date in but will be developed as Davis commits to another season of her hit show ‘How To Get Away with Murder’     which will return to ABC at the end of the year.


Source.

Your thoughts?

Considering the last few years of headlines related to her have been consumed with legal battles with producer Dr. Luke, it’s easy to forget how much of a chart force Kesha was at the height of her career.  With just 3 official releases over the course of four years, the singer nabbed 12 top 40 singles (7 by her lonesome).

Now, if the commercial performance of her new single, ‘Praying,’ is any indication, she’s set to continue that impressive trend.

As we reported here, the song shot to the top 5 shortly after the unveiling of its accompanying music video.  By the end of the week, ‘Praying’ laid claim to over 50,000 downloads.  That figure, in conjunction with some equally handsome streams, helped put Kesh in the top 40 of this week’s Hot 100 (her first entry as a leading act since 2013).

With next week promising to see the tune lifted even higher on the tally, tuck in below to see where it landed this week and what other artists join her in the chart’s upper rankings:

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‘OMG’ singer Usher had fans saying just that after headlines rang out today with reports he was forced to pay $1 million to a woman he allegedly infected with herpes a few years ago. As we reported here, word has it the milli dished out was the result of a lawsuit brought on by the victim who claims the Grammy winner was aware he had the disease (but failed to disclose it to her).

The story picked up steam and found its way all the way to Tameka Foster, Ush’s ex-wife, as reports indicated the victim was one of her bridesmaids.  When fans pressed the stylist for her thoughts, Tameka took to IG to make her feelings very clear:

 

 

 

That wasn’t all (thanks to TSR):

Your thoughts?

Usher‘s name may become synonymous with a different kind of ‘Burn’ – if new reports prove true.

Radar Online have gone to press with court documents, which appear to prove that the singer settled a lawsuit levied against him by a stylist who claimed he infected her with the herpes virus.

The amount he paid in damages? A reported $1.1 million.

Interestingly, the narrative isn’t recent and actually dates back to 2012.

Per the filing, Usher was diagnosed with the virus at some point between 2009 and 2010 (after his divorce from Tameka Foster, who he cheated on) and was accused of having unprotected sex with the alleged victim without telling her.

Indeed, even when a “greenish discharge” appeared from his penis, he insisted he had tested negative for STDs.

Taking this at face value, the claimant continued her “relationship” with the singer. However, per court docs, she was later allegedly diagnosed with herpes, complete with symptoms such as vaginal sores and high fever.

California state law makes it crystal clear that it is a crime to knowingly or recklessly transmit an STD.

In a bid to perhaps smooth things over after allegedly getting his Dr call the claimant to reveal his true status, court docs show that Usher paid some of the victim’s medical bills – with the 2012 tally should $2,754.40.

Paying the bills allegedly formed part of the singer’s desire to deal with the matter outside of the legal system. He was said to be extremely apologetic about the situation. Yet, that didn’t cut it for the accuser. In her filing, she said that she “feels that her health and body have been ruined,” and that she “has suffered severe emotional distress and has been extremely depressed … knowing there is no cure.”

Usher seemingly agreed and cut the bigger check to settle the drama.

Now 38, the singer is married to Grace Miguel (his former manager). They tied the knot in 2015 after years of dating.

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On the one hand, one has to wonder why this is making its way into public domain a) now and b) at all. Aspects of it feel grossly invasive.

And yet (if true) such recklessness naturally leaves one open the mass scrutiny he’s getting now.

It’ll be intriguing to see if he makes a statement.

Your thoughts?

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