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“Is it Halloween?” Beyoncé and Heidi Klum Show Out at Met Gala

Sandra Rose
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“Is it Halloween?” Beyoncé and Heidi Klum Show Out at Met Gala
Photo of Beyonce and Heidi Klum
Wireimage, Getty Images

Beyoncé and Heidi Klum wore their best Halloween costumes to the 2026 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday, May 4.

BFA.com / BACKGRID

Beyoncé returned to the Met Gala after a 10-year absence. She wore a sheer crystal-embellished skeleton gown complete with a ribcage, spine and pelvic bones designed by Olivier Rousteing in keeping with the Costume Ball’s “Fashion is Art” dress code.

BFA.com / BACKGRID

Bey complimented her costume with a grey feathered cape and a long train that looked like a mass of spiderwebs. She completed her lewk with a crystal-embellished crown headpiece.

MEGA/WENN
BFA.com / BACKGRID

Beyoncé’s Halloween outfit did nothing to silence the rumors that she is part of the Illuminati or that she practices witchcraft.

BFA.com / BACKGRID

Beyoncé was accompanied by her rapper husband, Jay-Z, and their eldest daughter Blue Ivy.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Heidi Klum is best known for her extravagant Halloween costumes. The 52-year-old model dressed up as a marble statue to align with the Met Gala’s “Costume is Art” theme.

Everyone agreed that Heidi’s Halloween costume topped Beyoncé’s scary skeleton. Beyoncé doesn’t like being stood up by the competition. But no one tops Heidi’s Halloween costumes.

Michael Jackson’s Mother Katherine Jackson Turns 96, and Brother Jackie Jackson Turns 75 Today

Sandra Rose
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Michael Jackson’s Mother Katherine Jackson Turns 96, and Brother Jackie Jackson Turns 75 Today

Pool Photographer/WireImage

Michael Jackson’s beloved mother Katherine Jackson turned 96 on Monday, May 4. Her eldest son Jackie Jackson (right) turned 75 on the same day. Jackie was born on Katherine’s 21st birthday in Gary, Indiana.

He is the second eldest of Joe and Katherine Jackson’s 10 children.

Photo of Colman Domingo and Katherine Jackson
kingofbingo/Instagram

The Jackson family matriarch was seen on a rare outing at the April 20 Michael Jackson biopic Los Angeles premiere. Katherine took a photo with actor Colman Domingo, who plays Joe Jackson in the film.

Colman captioned the image: “To receive her love and support is all I needed. We laughed and looked eye to eye and had such a lovely moment that night.”

Janet Jackson honored her mom and brother on X.com.

Katherine was born Kattie B. Screws on May 4, 1930, in Barbour County, Alabama. She contracted polio at a young age and walks with a limp.

After moving with her family to East Chicago, Indiana, her father changed her name to Katherine Esther Scruse. Katherine met a boxer and aspiring musician named Joe Jackson. He was a married man, but he divorced his wife, and he bumped into Katherine again.

WENN.com

They were married in November 1949 and moved to Gary, Indiana, where they welcomed 10 children. Marlon’s twin brother died soon after he was born.

Katherine and Joe Jackson encouraged their sons, Michael, Marlon, Jermaine, Tito and Jackie to develop their musical talents as children.

WENN.com

Katherine hand sewed the costumes the Jackson 5 wore on stage in the 1960s. Joe soon quit his job at a steel mill and became their manager. Joe made 5-year-old Michael the lead singer of the group. While Jermaine, who was the lead singer, took up the bass guitar and shared lead vocals with Michael.

After Michael died in 2009, Katherine became legal guardian of his three children – Paris, Prince and Bigi – until 2017.

WENN.com

Jackie has been married three times and has four children. In 2001, Jackie married his second wife, Victoria Triggs. They later divorced. At age 61, Jackie married his third wife, Emily Besselink, who gave birth to twin boys.

Anthony Stanley/WENN.com

Jackie released 2 solo albums, Jackie Jackson (1973) and Be the One (1989). Be the One charted at #89 on the R&B charts. The first single, “Stay”, was a Top 40 R&B hit.

Taraji P. Henson calls out celebrities attending Met Gala 2026: “WTF are we doing?”

Sandra Rose
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Taraji P. Henson calls out celebrities attending Met Gala 2026: “WTF are we doing?”
Best Image / BACKGRID

Taraji P. Henson is among the celebrities skipping tonight’s Met Gala Costume Ball in New York City. Taraji made an appearance last year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She also attended in 2015 and 2021.

But she won’t be in attendance this year. The “Empire” actress is “confused” by celebrities who are attending this year’s event.

Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

Taraji responded to a viral post by Meredith Lynch, who wrote on Instagram: “If you are a celebrity and you attend the Met Gala and you wear the ICE OUT pin, please note that I will be dragging you in perpetuity. You cannot wear the ICE OUT pin to the Jeff Bezos-backed Met Gala.” She blamed Bezos for being “part of the reason we’re in this f–king mess.”

Best Image / BACKGRID

Taraji responded in the comments: “I am so confused by some ppl that are going. I am just like WTF ARE WE DOING!?!?!?!”

Some of the people who are going to the Met Gala include Kim Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner, Beyoncé, Serena and Venus Williams, Rihanna, Teyana Taylor, and many more.

Celebrities who are skipping this year’s Met Gala, include Zendaya, Meryl Streep and Bella Hadid, who “liked” Lynch’s viral Instagram post.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos contributed $10 million to the 2026 Met Gala. For that much money, he doesn’t care what people think.

Jairo / BACKGRID

Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez are co-chairs of the 2026 Met Gala. The other co-chairs are Anna Wintour, Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams.

NYC activists plastered posters near the Metropolitan Museum of Art urging people to “boycott the Bezos Met Gala”. Some posters read: “Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by the firm that powers ICE.

Due to inflation, individual tickets to the Met Gala cost $100,000, up from last year’s cost of $75,000. Tables are selling for around $350,000. However, few celebrities actually pay for their own tickets.

A-listers pay nothing to attend the Met Gala. Corporations including OpenAI, Meta, and Snapchat will sponsor celebrities.

Stars and public figures who are banned from attending tonight’s Met Gala include President Donald Trump and rappers Nicki Minaj and Kanye West.

Celeb Style: Stars Attend Pre-Met Gala Parties in NYC

Sandra Rose
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Celeb Style: Stars Attend Pre-Met Gala Parties in NYC
BACKGRID

Celebrities such as tennis champ Serena Williams and her sister Venus Williams attended pre-Met Gala parties in New York City ahead of the NYC’s biggest fashion event, being held on Monday, May 4.

affinitypicture / BACKGRID

Serena wore a red sequin gown with a thigh high split. The 2026 Met Gala theme is “Costume Art,” while the dress code is “Fashion is Art.”

Melanie Miller / BACKGRID

A-list celebrities, including Zendaya, will skip this year’s Met Gala in protest of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ participation as co-chair. Bezos dropped $10 million to sponsor the event.

Jairo / BACKGRID

Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos are honorary co-chairs for the 2026 Met Gala. Calls to boycott the Met Gala are growing as Hollywood elites criticize Bezos for his ties to the Trump administration and ICE.

NYC activists plastered posters near the New York Museum of Art urging people to “boycott the Bezos Met Gala”. Some posters read: “Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by the firm that powers ICE.”

Due to inflation, individual tickets to the Met Gala cost $100,000, up from last year’s cost of $75,000. Tables are selling for around $350,000. However, few celebrities actually pay for their own tickets.

A-listers pay nothing to attend the Met Gala. Corporations including OpenAI, Meta, and Snapchat will sponsor celebrities who can’t afford to attend. Meta/Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg is rumored to be attending the Gala for the first time.

The Hollywood Reporter blog claims many A-listers will skip tonight’s event in protest.

JosiahW / BACKGRID

Kim Kardashian isn’t boycotting the Met Gala this year. She can’t afford to miss the exposure that comes with attending NYC’s biggest fashion event of the year.

BlayzenPhotos / BACKGRID

Petite pop star Sabrina Carpenter leaves Anna Wintour’s star-studded pre-Met Gala dinner party in NYC.

Melanie Miller / BACKGRID

Actress Zoe Kravitz made sure every photographer got a shot of her massive engagement ring. Zoe and pop singer Harry Styles are engaged to be married.

Diggzy / BACKGRID

Singer Doja Cat stopped to sign autographs while shopping for cosmetics ahead of the 2026 Met Gala in NYC.

UrbanxDivinity / BACKGRID

Kris Jenner denied reports that she spent $100,000 on botched plastic surgery. She was spotted at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s pre-Met Gala party in NYC.

UrbanxDivinity / BACKGRID

Magic and Cookie Johnson’s son EJ Johnson will be in attendance at the 2026 Met Gala on Monday evening. Someone paid for his $100,000 ticket. EJ attended a star-studded pre-Met Gala party in NYC on May 3.

Nicolas Gerardin / BACKGRID

Lauren Sanchez was seen leaving her hotel on her way to Met Gala meetings in NYC. Lauren and Jeff Bezos contributed $10 million to the Met Gala in exchange for being name co-chairs of the event.

BlayzenPhotos / BACKGRID

“Cosby Show” actress Phylicia Rashad was seen leaving an event ahead of the 2026 Met Gala in NYC.

Former NYC Mayor Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition

Sandra Rose
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Former NYC Mayor Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition
TIMOTHY A.CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is hospitalized in critical but stable condition in Florida, his spokesperson confirmed. His medical diagnosis was not made public.

“Mayor Giuliani is a fighter who has faced every challenge in his life with unwavering strength, and he’s fighting with that same strength now,” spokesman Ted Goodman said in a statement.

JLN Photography/WENN.com

Giuliani, 81, was hospitalized on Sunday, May 3, after he sounded hoarse during his talk show. He told his audience that he was “a little under the weather.”

“My voice is a little under the weather, so I won’t be able to speak as loudly as I usually do, but I’ll get closer to the microphone,” he said during his “America’s Mayor Live” podcast on Friday.

Giuliani, a Republican, served as New York City mayor from 1994-2001. He was widely criticized for his decision to locate the New York City Office of Emergency Management headquarters on the 23rd floor of the 7 World Trade Center building. The move was considered dangerous in light of the World Trade Center bombing in 1993.

AFP POOL/AFP via Getty Images

But Giuliani was hailed a hero for his leadership during the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Former President George Bush praised Giuliani’s leadership as mayor during a joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001.

Oprah Winfrey called Giuliani “America’s Mayor” at a 9/11 memorial service held at Yankee Stadium on September 23, 2001.

Americans turned on Giuliani for supporting President Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Trump appointed Giuliani as his informal cybersecurity adviser on January 12, 2017. In April 2018, Giuliani joined Trump’s legal team, and defended Trump during the Russian interference allegations.

In 2023, a judge ordered Giuliani to pay $148 million to former Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and daughter Wandrea’ ArShaye Moss. The amount included $75 million in punitive damages.

Giuliani filed bankruptcy and emptied his New York City apartment of valuables. On January 16, 2024, the two parties settled the lawsuit. Giuliani kept his homes and valuables in exchange for compensating Freeman and Moss with an undisclosed amount and agreeing to refrain from defaming them on social media.

Fulton County Sheriff/MEGA

On September 26, 2024, Giuliani was disbarred in Washington, D.C. following his arrest in Georgia for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

In 2025, President Trump announced he would award Giuliani with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The medal is the nation’s highest civilian honor. Trump’s announcement came 2 days before Giuliani was badly injured in a car accident. Giuliani was confined to a wheelchair and wore a back brace.

Chris Brown Denies Reports of Shooting Outside His home, Suspect arrested

Sandra Rose
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Chris Brown Denies Reports of Shooting Outside His home, Suspect arrested
Photo of Chris Brown's mansion
BACKGRID, Getty Images

Chris Brown responded to rumors that shots rang out near his mansion in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Police responding to a shots fired call took one suspect into custody, later identified as Markeith Cunigious, 35. Cunigious was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and property damage. No one was harmed in the incident.

In 911 audio obtained by TMZ, officers are dispatched to Brown’s Tarzana address. A suspect is described by the clothing he was wearing at the scene.

Officials clarified that Cunigious fired a C02 air-powered handgun during an altercation with another man and fired at an occupied vehicle. The argument stemmed from one of the men asking a woman to leave the area.

The suspect told police the situation escalated when the woman drove her vehicle over his foot. So he fired shots at her car.

Brown pushed back on reports that the gunplay happened right outside his house. He called the reports “total BS,” and said he was at home the entire time and he didn’t hear a peep.

“DON’T ATTACH MY NAME TO NONE OF THE BULLSH*T,” he wrote on his Instagram Stories.

Photo of Chris Brown post

However, police confirmed the shooting took place on the street outside Brown’s home.

Fans compared the incident to a recent drive-by shooting involving his ex-girlfriend, Rihanna. The pop singer’s Beverly Hills home was shot up by a Florida woman who believed Rihanna was dissing her through the television and print advertising at a beauty store.

Meanwhile, Brown recently welcomed his 4th child, a boy, with one of his 4 baby mamas. Jada Wallace shared a B&W image of the adorable newborn in the hospital.

The newborn is Chris Brown’s fourth by as many women. He shares daughter, Royalty, with Nia Guzman, son Aeko with Ammika Harris, and daughter Lovely with Diamond Brown.

Fans noted that Chris hasn’t committed to any of his baby mamas.

Philadelphia Prep School Expels Student for Proving His Classmates Can’t Read

Sandra Rose
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Philadelphia Prep School Expels Student for Proving His Classmates Can’t Read
Photo of Menvekeh Kosia
@whatthevek/TikTok

A South Philadelphia prep school is expelling a foreign-born student for recording his classmates who can’t read.

Menvekeh Kosia, who carries a high grade point average (GPA), went viral last week when he asked his classmates to read a handwritten sentence on an index card.

The sentence read: “She wore a silhouette of clothes that were extraordinary but somewhat gauche.”

The students had difficulty pronouncing the words “silhouette”, “extraordinary”, and “gauche.” One boy said, “I don’t even know how to read. I don’t know why I didn’t know.”

Critics argue that students at a college preparatory school, weeks away from graduation, should know how to pronounce “silhouette” and “extraordinary.”

The TikTok video has been viewed more than 14 million times – not counting the clips going viral on Instagram and X.com.

Menvekeh shared a second video in which he asked classmates to read another sentence: “The colonel asked the choir to accommodate the governor’s schedule.”

Most students could read the sentence. But when asked to explain what the sentence meant, the students struggled. One student said “accommodate” means “to sing with the governor.” Another student guessed accommodate meant “to read his schedule.” A third student understood the assignment. But when pressed, he said, “I don’t know, bro.”

The Preparatory Charter High School responded to the public uproar by moving to expel Menvekeh. The school’s administration decided to expel Menvekeh for violating school policy by identifying other students in his videos.

The school argued that the harsh discipline is warranted because some of the students were recorded without their consent and exposed to public ridicule.

But parents and critics argued that the school system allowed seniors at a college prep school to reach graduation while struggling with basic reading and comprehension.

Black people are approximately 12.1% of the U.S. population, but black students have the lowest reading proficiency of any racial group in America.

Factors include poverty, poor nutrition, trauma, and chronic absenteeism.

@whatthevek Should I Do a Part 2? #fyp #viral #funny #highschool #read ? Satie Gymnopedie No. 1 Healing(980355) – Tani Taka

@whatthevek It’s kernel lol #whatthevek #funny #viral #philly #highschool ? sonido original – Música_Clásica

Outrage: Coffee Shop Paints Over Mural Honoring Jovita Moore

Sandra Rose
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Outrage: Coffee Shop Paints Over Mural Honoring Jovita Moore
Photo of Jovita Moore mural painted over
Screengrab

An Atlanta coffee company apologized for painting over a mural honoring beloved anchorwoman Jovita Moore. The mural was painted on the side of Bellwood Coffee shop in Grant Park after Moore died from an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2021.

Bellwood Coffee leased the building for its new location in Grant Park. The company painted over the mural with signage advertising the new location.

Photo of Jovita Moore
Channel 2 News

As the outrage spread on social media, the company’s owners offered to commission a new mural of Moore.

In a post on X.com, the company acknowledged knowing Moore’s story, but they had no idea how much the mural meant to Atlantans.

Angry Atlantans left 1-star reviews for the coffee shop on Yelp and Google. Others called for a boycott of the coffee shop’s Atlanta locations.

X.com user @PulOutNWalkAwaY wrote: “I think it’s crazy you have so many locations in this city and no knowledge of the culture. We want you to commission a new mural. This is why you should research the city you’re trying to gentrify.”

X user @ashynoodles wrote: “I see that Bellwood Coffee spot f***ed around and severely found out. Atlanta does NOT play when it comes to Jovita Moore.”

User @VCTruth45 commented: “Ha…Atlanta native here. Seriously, block the noise. Cancel culture here is about to be off the hook. A better idea would have been to open your business in an area that isnt the hood.

X user @zthancock wrote: “Most folks have no clue how hard it is to run a coffee shop/restaurant. Yall need that visibility to thrive there. Murals like that aren’t meant to be there forever. If they were, they would be commissioned by the city on public property. The 1 star reviews are such BS.”

IRS to Revoke Floyd Mayweather’s Passport Over $7.25M Tax Debt

Sandra Rose
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IRS to Revoke Floyd Mayweather’s Passport Over $7.25M Tax Debt
Photo of Floyd Mayweather Jr on private jet
Instagram

Floyd Mayweather Jr‘s upcoming boxing match against Mike Tyson is in jeopardy. The IRS has notified Mayweather that it intends to revoke his passport, which means he can’t leave the country.

Mayweather reportedly owes the IRS $7.25 million in back income tax, liens and levies
 
READ ALSO: Floyd Mayweather Jr. reacts to $7.3 million IRS tax lien
 
The IRS’s decision to revoke the boxing champions’ passport has major implications for his upcoming fights, including a June 27 exhibition match in Greece. He faces certain financial ruin if he can’t fly internationally.

Floyd owes the government over $7 million in cash. He has not indicated when he will pay the debt plus late fines that accrue daily.

Photo of Floyd Mayweather Jr on private jet
Instagram

According to documents obtained by The Ring, the IRS notified Mayweather in late March of its intent to alert the State Department over his “seriously delinquent tax debt.”

The IRS can notify the State Department to revoke a passport for debts as low as $62,000. Mayweather has an upcoming exhibition fight against Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis. But he can’t get to Greece by plane or boat if he doesn’t have a U.S. passport.

Al Bello/Getty Images

Mayweather, 49, is also in talks with longtime rival Manny Pacquiao, 47, over a proposed September 19 exhibition. Pacquiao told The Ring magazine, “I wouldn’t fight an exhibition. It’s either a real fight or nothing.”

Sources say Floyd was forced out of retirement to fight because he’s nearly broke after decades of reckless spending.

AOC Suggests America May Have Elected a Gay President

Sandra Rose
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AOC Suggests America May Have Elected a Gay President
Photo may have been deleted
Getty Images (2)

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez raised eyebrows when she suggested Americans may have already elected a gay man as president.

Ocasio-Cortez, a.k.a. AOC, was the youngest member of Congress in 2018 when she was elected to the House of Representatives by New Yorkers. She was mixing drinks at the bar where she worked in NYC on election night.

Now AOC has shaken up the political world again by suggesting that a gay man may have already served as U.S. president.

TMZ‘s Charlie Cotton bumped into the congresswoman as she ramps up her reelection campaign.

Charlie asked AOC, “What do you think we’re going to have first: Are we going to have a female president first, or a gay president?”

The question seemed to catch AOC off guard. She hesitated before responding, “Well, we don’t know if we’ve already had a gay president, to be honest with you. I think there are chances that maybe we have, I dunno.”

There have been rumors over the years, but nothing concrete has ever been proven.

Pete Buttigieg, the openly gay former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, ran for president in 2020. The closest Buttigieg came to the White House was as former President Joe Biden’s transportation secretary.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris said in her 2025 book, 107 Days, that she decided against picking Buttigieg as her running mate because a black woman and a gay man on the same ticket was “too big of a risk.”

Buttigieg was straight forward when asked if America has ever had gay presidents. He said, “statistically it’s almost certain” that a former U.S. president is gay.

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