Wendy Williams Show staff demand producers permanently replace her with Nick Cannon as they accuse her of not being ‘authentic’
Article via DailyMail
- Staff on The Wendy Williams Show are demanding producers replace the star with stand-in host Nick Cannon or Jerry O’Connell
- The 54-year-old TV host did not return to set after the holiday hiatus due to alleged health problems stemming from her Graves’ Disease
- But employees have accused Williams of not being ‘authentic’ with fans or staff and claim she actually took time off to deal with her ‘cheating’ husband Kevin
- ‘It’s time Debmar stepped up, said goodbye to Wendy and Kevin and hired Nick to take over, a source told DailyMail.com, adding: ‘We all want Nick to replace Wendy’
Staff at the Wendy Williams Show are calling on producers to permanently replace the star with stand-in host Nick Cannon claiming she has not been ‘authentic’ with her fans or her employees, DailyMail.com can reveal.
Cannon, 38, is among the rotating cast of temporary hosts filling in for Williams, who did not return to set after the show’s holiday hiatus due to alleged health problems.
Her extended break, however, has sparked outrage among longtime employees who say they were left ‘in the dark’ about her absence and now claim she actually took time off to deal with her ‘cheating’ husband Kevin.
One told DailyMail.com: ‘I mean it’s probably time Wendy steps away from the show. She’s not authentic anymore. How can she discuss hot topics when the biggest topic involves her husband publicly cheating on her for years?’
‘It’s really sad as you’d think that Wendy would have more respect for herself and she would stand up, dump her cheating husband, take control of her business and empower women who are going through the same thing,’ the source added.
This is her chance to be a role model, but she’s letting women everywhere down by not being the boss that she pretends to be on her show.’
‘Think about it – Oprah or Ellen never treated their audience and staff like this on their shows. So it’s time Debmar stepped up, said goodbye to Wendy and Kevin and hired Nick to take over. However, if he says no, we’d happily take Jerry O’Connell who is also a joy to work with,’ the source added.
In 2017, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that Williams’s husband Kevin Hunter was having a decade-long affair with masseuse Sharina Hudson, who was wearing a massive diamond ring on her ring finger.
Although Williams initially said she was standing by her man, more reports over their marriage troubles have emerged, with the National Enquirer reporting last month that Williams was a victim of domestic violence.
Last week, the New Jersey-based host was seen in Florida, where her parents live, sparking speculation she retreated to the Sunshine State to spend time with her family while figuring out if she should divorce Hunter.
The insider told DailyMail.com: ‘With Wendy there is always drama, especially when Kevin is around. Now that they are away everyone feels they can breathe and do their best work,’ the source added.
‘We all want Nick to replace Wendy. He has been an absolute dream. Everyone on the team adores him and he’s such a professional.
‘Debmar needs to sign him up and make him the new host. He’s gracious and kind and he’s really fun to be around. We have a chance of surviving if he stays on as host.’
‘He’s also open about his life. He talks about everything. I suppose you can be when you’re not in denial about your life like Wendy.’
‘A few of us have a theory that the glue from her weave has seeped into her brain and she can no longer think rationally,’ the source added.
‘Nick can save the show. Women love him, Wendy’s fans love him and he’s really low maintenance.’
‘He also has ideas about how he can make each segment better and elevate what we’re doing. He’s not checked out like Wendy.’
Staffers had also branded Williams as ‘selfish’ and ‘hypocritical’ for calling Cannon during her absence but refusing to speak to her employees.
Cannon told her audience on Monday that he spoke to Williams, and her husband Kevin Hunter, and said shewas doing ‘amazing’ and praised her ‘family unit’.
Another staffer said: ‘For her to be talking about her ”family unit” to Nick, it’s an absolute joke. That ain’t no normal family unit.’
Meanwhile executives at Debmar-Mercury, the company that produces The Wendy Williams Show, have already been on pins and needles about Williams’ alleged health challenges.
Currently, her show is the only talk show the company has on TV right now and Debmar doesn’t have a backup plan in case they need to pull the plug on her series.
A source at the TV network told DailyMail.com the show fill-ins are being used as on-air auditions of sorts, with the network already having its eye on possibly developing one or more replacement show with several of the stand-in guest hosts.
Among those Debmar is looking at as replacement options, include actor Jerry O’Connell, who filled in for Williams in March 2018 when her health challenges caused her to take three weeks off.
Nick Cannon, KeKe Palmer, Michael Rapaport and Jason Biggs have also been announced as guest co-hosts throughout the month of February; but apparently Debmar is also looking at former The View co-host Sherri Shepherd as a possible replacement option as well.
The network source said: ‘The truth is, it’s become a s**t show behind the scenes and at any given moment, as we’ve already seen twice this year already, the working plans tend to change day to day, hour to hour, and minute to minute.
‘So everyone is holding out hope, and many are already seeking jobs elsewhere.’
A source at the The Wendy Williams Show added: ‘We’re worried, we have bills to pay – who says she is ever coming back. The last thing any of us want is for the show to be cancelled.
‘Just remember – the show is called Wendy. So it needs Wendy Williams back – but when she comes back, she better not bring Kevin back with her because we’ve all had enough of him.’
Check out some Lovelyti videos:
Wendy Williams’ husband is STILL seeing his sidepiece and she looks like she’s knocked up??
Wendy Williams’ Mother-In-Law Reportedly Witnessed Abu$e~“I Saw Kevin CHOKING OUT Wendy!”
Wendy Williams faints on live TV during her Halloween special ?
Serial killer who stalked Toronto’s gay village to be sentenced Friday
Article via TheWashingtonPost
For years, members of Toronto’s gay community warned there was a serial killer on the loose, that vulnerable men were going missing, that the streets were not safe. They were right.
On Friday, Bruce McArthur, a 67-year-old landscaper and former mall Santa, will be sentenced on eight counts of first-degree murder, ending a trial that shocked a city — and a country — that likes to see itself as inclusive and safe.
McArthur was accused of killing and dismembering eight men between 2010 and 2017, hiding seven of the corpses in planters and the eighth in a ravine. He pleaded guilty last month.
At a sentencing hearing that ended Tuesday, Canadians heard how he lured and murdered men he met in Toronto’s Gay Village, then posed corpses in costumes, keeping pictures of each victim in labeled digital folders.
They learned McArthur was stopped when police raided his home, finding a man tied to a bed. He was a potential ninth victim, the court heard, and McArthur had a folder waiting.
In a city that prides itself on being gay friendly and welcoming to new Canadians, McArthur sought out men marginalized by their sexuality, ethnicity, immigration status or poverty. Most of his victims were refugees or immigrants. Several struggled with substance abuse. Some had not revealed they were gay.
The details of the case are so brutal, the crimes so depraved, that the headlines at times obscured the fact eight men — Skandaraj Navaratnam, Majeed Kayhan, Abdulbasir Faizi, Soroush Mahmudi, Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, Dean Lisowick, Selim Esen and Andrew Kinsman — were killed.
Now, with the trial over, advocates want to put the focus back on why so many died before police cracked the case. Some have argued the police response was slowed by homophobia and racism — that the force might have acted more quickly if different men disappeared.
Asked about allegations of bias, Meaghan Gray, a spokeswoman for Toronto Police, said the force launched two investigations, Project Houston and Project Prism, “to do everything possible to locate the missing men.”
“We will continue to do what we can to support the community and look for opportunities to improve our relationship,” she said in an email.
Haran Vijayanathan, executive director of the South Asian Alliance for Aids Prevention and a longtime advocate for the victims and their families, praised the team of detectives that caught McArthur, but expressed anger that it seemed to take the murder of a white man, Kinsman, to spur action.
“This is a real wake-up call for Canada,” he said.
Toronto’s Gay Village is a couple blocks of shops, restaurants and bars in the heart of the city. It was there, in the early 1980s, that police raids on bathhouses spurred Canada’s gay rights movement.
McArthur was a regular in the area. Kyle Rae, Toronto’s first openly gay city councilor, recalled seeing him around. “I remember seeing Bruce McArthur sitting outside Starbucks. He was a fixture,” he said.
The first victim to go missing was Navaratnam, a refugee who fled Sri Lanka and settled in Toronto. He was last seen leaving a village bar in September 2010.
In December of the same year, Faizi, originally from Afghanistan, vanished. By 2012, Kayhan, also an immigrant from Afghanistan, was gone, too.
The disappearances of the three men sparked an investigation called Project Houston, for which officers interviewed McArthur. Eventually, the effort was disbanded. The killing resumed.
In 2016, McArthur was interviewed for a second time after a man claimed McArthur had tried to choke him. Detectives did not press charges. The officer who handled that case, Sgt. Paul Gauthier, now faces professional misconduct charges.
The break in the case came in June 2017, when Kinsman, a white, Canadian-born activist with deep ties to the community, went missing. By July, Project Prism was launched to look into his disappearance and another recent case.
Many in the community say they were convinced a serial killer was on the loose, an idea the police dismissed about a month before McArthur was caught.
“We follow the evidence, and the evidence is telling us that that’s not the case right now,” Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders told reporters in December 2017. “The evidence today tells us that there is not a serial killer.”
Rae, the former city councilor, said the resistance to believing there could be a serial killer reflected the city’s need to believe it was safe. “This is part of the culture of Toronto and Canada. We are, ‘Toronto the good.’ That can’t happen here. But this type of murder can happen here,” he said.
In January 2018, they arrested McArthur on two counts of murder. After months of sifting through remains buried at a property where he once worked, police charged him with eight counts of murder.
At the time of his plea, one of the detectives who helped gather evidence of McArthur’s crimes said he hoped it would provide closure for the families. “People wanted answers,” Detective David Dickinson, told reporters. “I’m hoping we brought some of those answers to them.”
The city, though, is not done asking questions. A recent editorial in the Toronto Star expressed hope that an independent review of the investigations could shed light on whether systemic bias played a role in how the disappearances were handled.
“Why did the police seemingly not take the concerns of the LGBTQ community more seriously?” the paper asked.
“Would police have taken more and swifter action if McArthur’s victims had not been gay or people of colour, homeless or addicted to drugs?” the editorial read.
“Answers to those questions are what the broader community still needs for any real closure in this case.”
Calls for Liam Neeson to be digitally removed from ‘Men In Black’ after racist comments
Article via FOXnews
Calls for Liam Neeson to be removed from the upcoming “Men In Black” film are making the rounds on social media after the actor made highly controversial statements about wanting to find and kill a black person.
As previously reported, Neeson spoke in an interview where he revealed that he walked the streets with a “cosh” years ago hoping that a black man would accost him so that he could take out his anger over the recent rape of a close friend. The star appeared on “Good Morning America” to address the controversy, but fans far and wide felt he missed the mark once again.
“We were doing a press junket and the topic of our film was revenge,” he said. “The lady journalist was asking, ‘How do you tap into that?’ and I remembered an incident nearly 40 years ago when a friend of mine was brutally raped I was out of the country and when I came back she told me about this … I had never felt this feeling before which was a primal urge to lash out.”
Following the remarks, a large contingent of critics took to Twitter to call for Neeson’s character in the upcoming “Men In Black International” to be digitally removed. The film takes place in the world of the first three “Men In Black” movies but stars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson rather than any of the series’ original stars. Neeson plays one of the higher-up agents in the ranks, but several fans are asking for him to be given the boot.
“I really hope it’s not too late to digitally erase that racist f— Liam Neeson from the new Men In Black movie,” one user wrote.
“Was really excited for Men in Black: International with @chrishemsworth & @TessaThompson_x. Was 1 of my most anticapated (sic) films for 2019. Hated his casting before the horrifying controversy, but now really hope it’s not too late to digitally erase racist f— Liam Neeson from it,” another said.
“You can literally hear Liam Neeson evaporating from all the upcoming Men in Black International marketing,” wrote another.
“@MenInBlack boycott Men In Black the gutless coward Liam Neeson said he was walking around looking to kill an innocent black man who had nothing to do with his personal issues he’s a gutless coward and a racist bigot boycott Men in Black,” a more blunt user noted.Whoops! We couldn’t access this Tweet.
Others noted the parallel between Neeson’s situation and the recent predicament the film “All The Money In The World” faced. When it was revealed that Kevin Spacey was caught up in a sexual misconduct scandal, actor Christopher Plummer was brought in to do reshoots on the film so as to remove the specter of Spacey entirely.
“I guess Sony pictures will soon be hiring Christopher Plummer to replace Liam Neeson in the upcoming Men In Black reboot,” one user joked.
“Christopher Plummer is currently reshooting Liam Neeson’s scenes in Men In Black International,” said another.
Photo of ‘View’ host Joy Behar resurfaces amidst blackface scandals
Check out Lovelyti’s video:
Trevor Noah Speaks On Tomi Lahren’s Suspension For Her Controversial Comments On the View
Baltimore picked for federal program to help eradicate HIV/AIDS
Article via BaltimoreSun
Baltimore is one of dozens of hotspots the federal government plans to target as it aims to drastically reduce HIV and AIDS nationwide during the next decade, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The city, along with Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, is among the areas where the federal health department estimates about half of new HIV cases occur — including 48 of some 3,000 counties nationwide, seven states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The department plans to direct funding to those areas to boost resources for fighting HIV and AIDS.
But the day after President Donald Trump announced the initiative in his State of the Union address, neither the Maryland Department of Health nor the Baltimore City Health Department had received details about how the initiative might be implemented locally.
The program was among the public health goals Trump mentioned in his State of the Union address Tuesday.
“In recent years we have made remarkable progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS,” Trump said. “Scientific breakthroughs have brought a once-distant dream within reach. My budget will ask Democrats and Republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years. Together, we will defeat AIDS in America.”
While Trump spoke of eliminating HIV within 10 years, the program’s actual goals are to reduce new HIV infections by 75 percent in five years and 90 percent in a decade, according to a statement posted by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
Maryland ranked fifth of all U.S. states and territories in HIV diagnosis rates, with 20.4 diagnoses per 100,000 people in 2017, according to data from the state health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Baltimore City and Prince George’s County had the highest diagnosis rates in the state that year. In Baltimore, the rate of new HIV diagnoses among patients age 13 and older was 44.7 per 100,000 people in 2017, according to the city health department.
In Baltimore, 231 new HIV cases were diagnosed in 2017, the most recent year for which data were available, said Dr. Adena Greenbaum, assistant commissioner of the clinical services and HIV/STD prevention for the Baltimore City Health Department. She said the city already surpassed its goal of a 25 percent reduction in annual HIV diagnoses between 2010 and 2020.
More than 12,000 people are living with HIV in the city, she said. Statewide, there were 30,566 adults or adolescents living with HIV at the end of 2017, according to state health department data.
Federal health officials analyzed data on the spread of HIV to identify the counties with the highest number of new HIV diagnoses and states with high rates of HIV in rural areas, according to information from the department. The initiative will provide funding to those jurisdictions in phases, “starting with the areas with the highest burden,” according to the federal health department.
The Maryland Annual HIV Epidemiological Profile for 2017 estimated 11.6 percent of people living with HIV in Maryland had not been diagnosed.
Of those people who were diagnosed with HIV in Baltimore, about 73 percent were men, 24 percent were women and 3 percent identified as transgender according to Greenbaum. About 80 percent of those patients were black, 13 percent were white and 3 percent were Hispanic. And 37 percent of all the new cases were diagnosed in people younger than 30, she said.
“HIV does not affect all communities equally. That’s true nationwide and it’s also true in Baltimore, and there are those who are disproportionately affected by HIV,” Greenbaum said. “We cannot address HIV without reducing disparities and reducing health inequities.”
The city health department already offers free HIV testing, works with community groups and clinics to reduce the stigma around HIV and AIDS, and is aiming to increase access to a pill that can prevent HIV infection for people who are exposed to the virus. The department also works to link HIV and AIDS patients with health care providers by making appointments and arranging transportation for them.
“We would certainly welcome any additional resources that were available to Baltimore City to be able to increase our efforts surrounding HIV prevention and treatment,” Greenbaum said.
The federal health department said it plans to meet with community members to develop plans tailored to communities in the program and ensure the initiative is meeting their needs.
While Trump spoke of wiping out HIV in 10 years, the program’s actual goals are to reduce new infections by 75 percent in the next five years and by 90 percent in a decade.
Azar said the initiative would increase investments to existing programs in geographic hotspots, establish a new program through community health centers to provide medicine to protect persons at highest risk, use data to target services and fund the creation of a local HIV HealthForce in these targeted areas.
The proposal was met with a mix of skepticism and cautious optimism by activists in the fight against AIDS. And state and local health officials warned the administration not to take money from other programs to finance the initiative.
“This effort cannot move existing resources from one public health program and repurpose them to end HIV without serious consequences to our public health system,” said Michael Fraser, CEO of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, in a statement.
While Trump spoke of wiping out HIV in 10 years, the program’s actual goals are to reduce new infections by 75 percent in the next five years and by 90 percent in a decade.
Azar said the initiative would increase investments to existing programs in geographic hotspots, establish a new program through community health centers to provide medicine to protect persons at highest risk, use data to target services and fund the creation of a local HIV HealthForce in these targeted areas.
The proposal was met with a mix of skepticism and cautious optimism by activists in the fight against AIDS. And state and local health officials warned the administration not to take money from other programs to finance the initiative.
“This effort cannot move existing resources from one public health program and repurpose them to end HIV without serious consequences to our public health system,” said Michael Fraser, CEO of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, in a statement.
It’s unclear how much the federal program will cost. Funding for the initiative, in addition to investments in current efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, is expected to be part of Trump’s budget request for fiscal 2020.
AIDS activists said they’re ready to work with the White House but also wary because of Trump’s previous efforts to slash Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income people, and his administration’s ongoing drive to roll back newly won acceptance and rights for LGBTQ people.
“To date, this administration’s actions speak louder than words and have moved us in the wrong direction,” said AIDS United, which funds and advocates policies to combat AIDS.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Wendy Williams’ Staff Reportedly Fuming Over Nick Cannon Replacement
Article via HotNewHipHop
She is apparently being called a hypocrite.
Wendy Williams enlisted Nick Cannon to take over her talk show during her hiatus. Cannon revealed how they shared an intimate conversation and expressed excitement about the prospect of stepping in to help her. However, according to reports, the television host’s staff isn’t so happy about how things went down.
“Many of us have been here since the early days, and it’s a complete joke to be kept in the dark like this,” one staff member reportedly told the Daily Mail. “How could she be so selfish? We all rely on this paycheck.”
The source went on point out how her conversation with Nick Canon was hypocritical. “I mean, please. She has made a fortune from tearing people down. However, when it comes to her own life, it’s all a secret,” they said. “Imagine if this was another celebrity living their life like she does. She’d be sipping the tea and talking about it on Hot Topics every damn day. She’s such a hypocrite.”
Another insider revealed that the reason for her absence might still be private. “She’s managed to keep the real reason for her absence a secret, however, you can’t leak something that no one knows,” the staffer reportedly said. “She’ll allegedly pick up the phone for Nick Cannon, but she can’t tell us what is going on.”
Check out some Lovelyti videos:
Wendy apologizes & blames pain meds for her STRANGE behavior +Is her Husband’s Mistress Pregnant?
Wendy Williams’ Mother-In-Law Reportedly Witnessed Abu$e~“I Saw Kevin CHOKING OUT Wendy!”
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This Marie Kondo-inspired Twitter tool will help you declutter your timeline so it again ‘sparks joy’
Article via TechCrunch
Does your Twitter timeline spark joy? If you’re like most people, probably not. Over the years, you probably politely followed back a few too many Twitter accounts, and now have a timeline filled with all sorts of random tweets from people you can’t even remember following in the first place. A new Twitter tool, Tokimeki Unfollow, may help.
Designed by Julius Tarng, previously of Facebook and Branch, “tokimeki” roughly translates to “spark joy.” It’s a nod to Tarng’s source of inspiration for the new tool — Marie Kondo’s hugely popular Netflix show “Tidying Up.” The series, based on the decluttering expert’s own KonMari method of organization, has prompted many to start purging their homes of unwanted and unloved clothing, books, papers, toys and more in the weeks following the series’ debut.
So why not take the idea to Twitter?
After all, if anything is a source of clutter these days, it’s the build-up of timeline junk thanks to poor following choices in years past.
Tokimeki Unfollow is easy to use, though its newfound popularity may have it running a little slow at times, we found.
The tool works by using cookies and your browser’s local storage to save its progress. If you opt in, it can save your “keep” and “unfollow” progress secured on the Glitch servers.
The tool also uses your Twitter authentication to pull in your follows, their tweets and to unfollow accounts and help you manage your lists.
The tool will ask you which order you want to use to begin the decluttering, with “oldest first” as the recommended default. It suggests that you hide the account’s bio — in case you’re too swayed by who someone is, rather than what they tweet. But you can toggle this setting on or off as you prefer.
Once up-and-running, the tool asks you if the tweets still spark joy or feel important?
You then have to choose to keep following the account or unfollow it.
If you unfollow, the tool even reminds you to thank the account for all the tweets you enjoyed before.
You can also organize accounts into lists along the way, which is handy.
List-making is a good middle ground for those times when there are accounts you want to track — like perhaps those with memes or jokes, or those dedicated to favorites celebs, musicians, sports figures and teams, etc. — but don’t want in your main timeline.
Unfortunately, the tool missed pulling in a couple of my lists (perhaps I have too many…), but you can open the Twitter user’s account in a separate tab and add them to a list from there, if need be.
The process of decluttering Twitter this way will take time, but it will also give you the chance to truly consider whose content is worth following.
For those who have been on Twitter from day one, it may be impossible to ever get through the decluttering process this way — but it’s at least a productive time filler.
Now if only someone would build Tokimeki tools for Facebook, Instagram and my browser’s bookmarks…
We asked Tarng to give us more info about the idea behind building Tokimeki Unfollow and how it helps to clean up messy Twitter accounts.
TC: Were you a fan of Marie Kondo and the KonMari method before the Netflix series?
JT: I wouldn’t say “fan” but I had adopted her clothes folding techniques since her book made the rounds a few years ago. The new Netflix show was definitely a reminder, and it was interesting and (at times disappointing) to see American mixed reactions to it!
TC: Have you practiced the method yourself at home?
JT: I actually had always been pretty good about getting rid of stuff since I was young, so KonMari was actually more of a confirmation to me that I wasn’t the only one that thought that way. But I loved the idea of thanking the objects before throwing or donating them away — it’s a very thoughtful way to think about your possessions.
TC: Why did you decide to use this organizational method on your Twitter account?
JT: Well, I had just come back to the states after a year abroad and a year off of Twitter. I really missed the human connection, but my feed had become very anxiety-inducing. I saw some joke tweets about KonMari for Twitter, and that was the confirmation for me that I should spend some time building it! Firstly, it was for myself, so some of my personal opinions are in there — like hiding people’s bios so I wouldn’t be swayed by who they were, [and] focusing on the content itself.
TC: How long did it take to build?
JT: I started about three weeks ago. Finished this past weekend. The code is open source on Glitch and you can rewind the history to see the development unfold!
TC: Did anyone help?
JT: I had some guidance from my fiancée and some friends, but I did most of it myself.
TC: What should people know about using this tool?
JT: The tool is more about the process than the end result. Even if people use it for 15 minutes and stop, I hope those 15 minutes help them construct new rules for themselves for who and what type of account to follow in the future. I hope they reflect on how they’ve changed as a person through their follows over the years! I recommend using the “Oldest first” option to really get a look at your past.
TC: The tool has received a lot of attention in the past couple of days (see, for example, Wired, Fortune and Motherboard’s reports, among others). Do you plan to keep working on it or adding more features, as a result?
JT: It is open source so I’m hoping others remix it on Glitch and customize their experience. It is a personal tool that happened to become popular, so I won’t add features I wouldn’t use myself. I still have 600/1,000 to go myself, so however long it takes to go through the rest I’ll tweak it!
B. Smith’s husband speaks out about girlfriend controversy: ‘It spun out of control’
Article via TODAY
Dan Gasby opened up about the reason he thinks the backlash has been so intense after he revealed he has a girlfriend while his wife battles Alzheimer’s.
Dan Gasby says he believes race plays a role in the backlash he received after revealing that he is in a relationship with another woman while caring for his ailing wife, model and restaurateur B. Smith, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
Gasby, 64, who is African-American, revealed in December that he and Alex Lerner, 53, who is white, were in a romantic relationship, sparking an angry response from B. Smith fans. Gasby said he has even received death threats.
“The 800-pound gorilla in this situation is she’s white,” Gasby told Al Roker on TODAY Wednesday.
“In other words, if Alex were black, you don’t think that…” Al said.
“Nah,” Gasby said. “Not at all. I’m not supposed to be conscripted to somebody because of their race.”
Gasby also responded to criticism about why he made his relationship with Lerner public rather than just keeping it private as he cares for his 69-year-old wife, who was diagnosed in 2013 with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
“Because that’s what Barbara asked me to do, to talk about it,” he said. “It spun out of control to ‘I’m having an affair. This woman, because of who she is, is taking B’s money. We’re abusing B. B wouldn’t want this.’ These people have never even talked to B.”
Gasby and his wife – whose full name is Barbara Smith – spent the time after her diagnosis spreading awareness of the disease and speaking about the challenges of living with it. B. Smith is a former fashion model who had a nationally-syndicated television show, “B. Smith With Style,” owned multiple restaurants, and frequently appeared as a guest on TODAY.
Her initial diagnosis was a crushing blow for the couple, who are going on 27 years of marriage.
“It was like chewing glass,” Gasby said. “She said to me one day, ‘Dan, I feel broken, like there’s something not right.’ And then I started to notice things were becoming more repetitive. I had an inkling, but I wouldn’t believe that it could be something as devastating, as catastrophic, as Alzheimer’s.”
Gasby said he fought depression and loneliness in the years following his wife’s diagnosis until he met Lerner, who was caring for her dying father, who also had Alzheimer’s disease.
“Taking care of someone like B, even having someone who is taking care of her periodically…the weight of every minute of the day is a blanket on you,” he said. “And (Lerner) was funny. The most important thing, she was kind. And we became friends, and that friendship got closer and closer.”
Lerner admitted she was hesitant to enter in a relationship with Gasby given the circumstances.
“But after a while, I understood, or it seemed to me, as if I had met a man who has a child,” Lerner said on TODAY. “In a sense that B. is now very child-like. And his responsibilities are almost those of a single father. Like, really being there 24/7. Taking care of every and all of her needs.”
Ariana Grande sued over ‘God Is a Woman’ video
Article via FOXNews
A Las Vegas artist accused Grande, 25, of copying an image of a woman’s silhouette in front of a candle for the steamy clip.
Vladimir Kush and his company Kush Fine Arts Las Vegas alleged that the image in Grande’s music video was “nearly identical” to Kush’s paintings that he copyrighted in 1999 and 2000.
The “God Is a Woman” music video has racked up nearly 200 million views since its debut in July 2018.
Kush is seeking unspecified damages from Grande and requested the music video be removed from the Internet.
The lawsuit lists Grande under her legal name, Ariana Grande-Butera, along with defendants Universal Music Group and the video director, producer and production company.
Susan Gutierrez, an attorney who represented Grande in a 2016 copyright infringement lawsuit, declined to comment to the Associated Press about the Las Vegas case.
The 2016 case, filed in Los Angeles, involved a songwriter’s claim that Grande’s song “One Last Time” was similar to his work of two years earlier. It was settled in August 2017.
Kush’s attorney, Mark Tratos, also declined comment to AP about the current suit.
It’s the latest accusation Grande faces of allegedly copying others’ work.
Last month, rapper Princess Nokia accused Grande of stealing lyrics from her song “Mine” for Grande’s smash “7 Rings.”
Rappers Soulja Boy and 2 Chainz later accused Grande of biting their work for the song as well, though 2 Chainz would later join forces with the singer for a “7 Rings” remix.
Grande has not yet publicly commented on the allegations of stealing others’ work.
A rep for Grande did not return a request for comment on the lawsuit.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
R. Kelly announces overseas tour
Article via CNN
Embattled singer R. Kelly announced new tour dates in a tweet Tuesday, but the tweet was later deleted.The announcement promised shows in Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
No further details were offered.
The singer has been embroiled in renewed controversy in the wake of the recent Lifetime docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly,” which chronicles allegations of abuse, predatory behavior and pedophilia against the singer.
Kelly has consistently denied the allegations, some of which date back decades.
Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg told CNN Wednesday he does “not believe that is accurate,” when asked about the tour announcement.
In 2017, the #MuteRKelly movement began to encourage radio stations to stop playing the singer’s music.
Since then it has expanded to protesting Kelly’s shows and calling on various businesses, including RCA Records, Spotify and Apple Music to stop doing business with the singer.
Last month, Kelly and Sony — the parent company of Kelly’s record label, RCA Records — reportedly agreed to part ways. The singer has continued to book shows in recent months.
In November, the Tampa Bay Times reported that a planned protest of the Kelly’s concert on the campus of the University of South Florida never materialized.
“If there’s anybody in here that feels they are going to be offended tonight, they need to leave, because it’s about to get freakier than a mother,” the paper reported the Grammy-winning artist as saying during his show.
Kelly’s announcement of his new shows was met with both anger and support.
“Hopefully Kelz will do a tour here in Chicago or the USA he has fans who know he is #survivingGroupieLies,” one person tweeted. German company Eventim has promoted two concerts for Kelly in Germany in April.