Celebs Out & About: Aretha Franklin

Singer Aretha Franklin, 68, threw up the Roc sign (or some may say the illuminati sign) while sitting courtside with the Rev. Jesse Jackson during the Miami Heat vs Detroit Pistons game in Auburn Hills, Michigan on Friday (Feb. 11). Franklin is still recuperating from a mysterious surgical procedure that was performed late last year.

Ms. Franklin wore a $530 pair of satin patent toe Lanvin sneakers to match her animal print blouse.

Judging from this photo snapped February 5 at her Bloomfield Hills, Michigan home for JET magazine, it looks like the Queen’s rumored gastric bypass surgery was a success!

Rumors swirled in early December that Ms. Franklin underwent gastric bypass, aka weight loss surgery. But then a report surfaced that Franklin was suffering from pancreatic cancer and had less than a year to live. Ms. Franklin vigorously denied that rumor in subsequent interviews.

“I know my fans are concerned. Let them know I am feeling great and coming along,” she told JET magazine. At any rate, she looks great! If she did have gastric bypass surgery, it appears to be successful.

Photo: Getty Images, JET magazine and AP

---

If Rihanna doesn’t care what Chris Brown did to her face, why should we?

I know I wrote that I would never mention Rihanna’s name on this blog again, but that post was written during a moment of anger and frustration.

The reality is that Rihanna, 22, is one of the most popular singers in the world right now (behind only Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Ciara – in that order).

I would be remiss if I didn’t at least acknowledge the fact that Rihanna’s ungrateful tweets has brought more traffic to my blog over the last few days than any post I’ve ever written about her.

But this post is not about Rihanna and her unintended blessings, this post is about a victim of domestic abuse who made light of a serious situation because it no longer benefits her career to play the victim.

Now, after 2 years, Rihanna’s attorney has asked a judge to modify Rihanna’s restraining order against Brown.

Why didn’t she lift the restraining order a year ago when Brown was struggling to rebuild his career?

I agree with Brown’s Stans who said Rihanna was extremely selfish and manipulative. Rihanna never hesitated to drag Chris Brown’s name across the coals when she was promoting her new album, LOUD. But now that LOUD has crossed the 3 million plateau in sales, Rihanna has a change of heart.

Brown’s plaintive weeping at the 2010 BET Awards failed to soften her heart because Rihanna had an album to promote. She couldn’t care less about him or his career.

The fact that Rihanna took to her Twitter page last week and tweeted that her fans didn’t care about a restraining order, she missed the point entirely: some of her fans do care about a restraining order — especially the ones who still suffer at the hands of their violent abusers.

By making light of a tool put in place to protect victims of domestic abuse, Rihanna empowers abusers and discourages other domestic abuse victims from seeking protection and speaking out about their hurt and pain.

Rihanna has done her fans a great disservice.

---

McConnell Says Obama’s Agenda is “Over”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declared Saturday that President Barack Obama’s legislative agenda is “over.”

If you recall, McConnell drew fire for his remarks following the midterm elections, by saying his No. 1 goal was to make Obama “a one-term president.” McConell has since backtracked from that statement. He now says Republican lawmakers will work together with Obama and the Dems to do what they “think is right for America.”

The Kentucky Republican criticized Obama for performing “Clintonian back flips” to portray himself as a moderate now that he’s running for re-election. But McConnell said it’s yet to be seen whether Obama’s new tone is “rhetoric or reality.”

But McConnell said that congressional Republicans – who took control of the House and increased their numbers in the Senate following last year’s election – are “prepared to do business” with Obama.

“And to the extent that the president wants to do what we think is right for America, we won’t say ‘no’ simply because there’s an election coming along,” said McConnell.

---

Celebs Out & About: E-V-E

Rapper Eve was spotted looking like a million bucks backstage at the Rebecca Minkoff Show in the Lincoln Center, during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NYC yesterday. Just the other day I asked a friend if he’d seen Eve around town. He answered, “She’s somewhere spending some rich man’s money.” He may be right. Eve, 32, has managed to parlay her stripper mentality and feminine wiles into personal wealth beyond her wildest dreams.

She’s still a private dancer — dancing for money in mansions and on yachts in the Mediterranean. Eve gets mad respect for accomplishing what so many wannabe video vixens and former strippers are striving for: personal wealth and independence.

And she did it without getting breast implants or butt injections.

Photos: Splash News Online

---

James Brown’s daughter: “He’s the reason I’m emotionally attached to men” (VIDEO)

Before you read any further, please click this link and save the article to your favorites so you can read it later.

The article was published in Atlanta magazine in 2009. It chronicles the sad story of a brilliant con artist named Darren Lumar who as a little boy aspired to live in one of those upscale mansions on Tuxedo Road in the wealthy Buckhead enclave of Atlanta.

Lumar eventually did make it to Tuxedo Road, where he lived in a fabulous $1.5 million pristine white mansion with his wife and two beautiful children. But the story doesn’t end there.

The story of how he acquired that home, and how he eventually lost all his riches, his family, his mansion — and his life — will astound you.

Lumar was married to Dr. Yamma Brown, a pharmacist and the daughter of the late, leendary James Brown.

The well-written article goes into great detail about the abuse, the fights, the stabbing, and everything she endured at the hands of a raging narcissist.

Today, Yamma has found the strength and the insight to see that her father’s many absences from home is what caused her emotionally dependency on men like Lumar.

In this video, she gossips about Chilli, Jada Pinkett and Sheree Whitfield (‘Real Housewives of Atlanta‘). But the real story is the struggles she went through to arrive at the woman she is today.

Here’s that link again.

Source: Christ James

---

Celebs Out & ABout: Vivica A. Fox, Syr Law, Ne-Yo, Omarion, Mya

Actresses Syr Law and Vivica A. Fox, 46, attended the Candy Ice Pre-Grammy Affair For Breast Cancer event at the Supperclub in LA on Wednesday. I don’t care what anybody says, Miss Vivi is HAWT. By the way, Syr Law emailed me this morning. Hers was one of the emails that I sent straight to the trash bin without reading it (I have to stop doing that). I immediately fished the email out of the trash once I saw her picture. You’ll be seeing more of her on this blog.

Singer Neyo, 31, right, hung out with actress Michelle Rodriguez, 32, rapper Killa Mike, 31, aka Mike Bigga, and comedian Cedric the Entertainer, 46, at the Westwood One Radio Remote room yesterday in LA. Also attending the event were rapper Yung Berg, singer Mya, among others.

Singer Omarion, 26, attended the Bacardi presents The Black Eyed Peas Peapod Benefit at The Music Box in LA yesterday.

Photos: Wireimage/Getty

---

Celebs Out & About: Keri Hilson, Lil Mama, Amber Rose

Singer Keri Hilson, 28, attended the Westwood One Radio Remote at The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center in LA yesterday. Doesn’t she look HAWT?

Rapper Lil Mama, 21, gave the kids FEVER at a pre-GRAMMY event at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Hollywood yesterday. I hope she ignores all the people who call her names. They’re just jealous of her success!

Pseudo-celeb Amber Rose, 27, attended the GRAMMY Style Studio a couple of days ago in LA. She had the ‘net going nuts yesterday after she leaked nude cell phone pics of herself online.

Photos: Wireimage/Getty

---

« Previous Page — Next Page »