J&W Entertainment News
Reporting on the most pressing matters in entertainment, fashion, and pop culture.
Jake's SectionArmy officer crowned Miss USA 2016June 6th, 2016
26-year-old Deshauna Barber has been crowned Miss USA 2016. Barber is an Army Reserve officer and IT analyst from the District of Columbia. She took a strong stand in support of women in combat roles in the military. When asked by judge Joe Zee whether the Pentagon's decision to open up all combat roles to women had "put political correctness over our military's ability to perform," 1st Lt. Barber responded: "As a woman in the United States Army, I think it was an amazing job by our government to allow women to integrate into every branch of the military." She continued: "We are just as tough as men. As a commander of my unit, I'm powerful, I am dedicated and it is important that we recognize that gender does not limit us in the United States." Barber hopes to use her profile as Miss USA to highlight the health issues veterans face when they return from combat, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Demi Lovato Opens Up About AddictionsMay 17th, 2016
Demi Lovato is opening up about struggling with childhood stardom and dealing with addiction. It was just a few years ago when Lovato was a star on Disney. During this time she was in the darkest stages of her life. Lovato, now 23, candidly revealed to Refinery29 about her life before becoming sober, a time she says she couldn't go an hour without using cocaine. "'Try to ground me – I pay your bills,'" she remembered telling her parents. "Prior to getting sober, I was one of those people who was like, I don't give a f---, whatever. And I used that as an excuse to do whatever I wanted. I was a nightmare to work with." said Lovato. She spent three months in rehab for substance abuse, eating disorders, and cutting, which proved to be a failure when she relapsed at age 18. "I had to learn the hard way that I can't do parties anymore," she recalled. "Some people can go out and not be triggered, but that's not the case for me." Since her downward spiral in 2010, Demi has turned a new leaf and spends her time focused on staying healthy, advocating for the mentally ill, speaking up for LGBT rights, and is getting ready to embark on her "Future Now Tour" with co-headliner and childhood friend Nick Jonas. "I still have more things to prove – not just about the things I can do with my voice. Some people think that because I'm young, I can't stay sober. But these are things I want to prove to myself. People underestimate me." Michael Strahan Leaves "Live!"May 13th, 2016
Kelly Ripa has said goodbye to her 4 year co-host Michael Strahan. “It’s your final day on the show and we all came today to celebrate you,” said Ripa. All Live With Kelly and Michael merchandise is now available at a deep discount, she announced. “It’s bittersweet,” Strahan began, who left "Live!" to join Good Morning America full time. Michael said, “I’m not dying,” and that he’d still be part of the Disney-ABC family over at GMA. Ripa had gone MIA after learning of his exit plans shortly before the press did. It is said that the team over at "Live!" was completely blindsided with the exist of Strahan. “Of course you get nervous. I’ve done this for four years… This is a moment that I didn’t anticipate being here. At least at this point,” Strahan said. It was originally announced he was leaving in September, only when Ripa returned to the show, after receiving apologies from ABC for the late notice, the company announced he’d be leaving today instead. Ripa will begin hosting "Live with Kelly" on Tuesday, with Jimmy Kimmel as her first guest co-host until a replacement is found. More Bad News For 1D FansUPDATE: According to NME, One Direction singer Harry Styles is reportedly planning on leaving Simon Cowell’s record company. Styles has started a bidding war between two major record labels to start his solo career. Since One Direction announced their break in January, Styles has stayed silent on plans for his solo material.
But a new report in "The Sun" claims that Styles wants to cut ties with Cowell’s record label, which has represented One Direction since the band first started in 2010, on "The X Factor." May 5th, 2016 News rumors might destroy hope of One Direction reuniting. It is said that Harry Styles isn't even on speaking terms with band member Louis Tomlinson. “The fans have hoped that the group would honour their announcement of returning within 12 months, but that is a long way off and the boys are not even on track to mention a comeback,” dishes a UK source close to 1D, who says that Louis and Harry had already cut ties with each other before the band had even officially broken up. The insider also says that while Louis has his hands full being a dad to son Freddie out in LA, Harry, also in LA, is focused solely on becoming an actor and has no plans to return to the boyband life, according to "Gossip Girl". Beyonce Kicks Off "Formation" TourApril 28th, 2016
The Queen Bey kicked off the first show of the "Formation" World Tour, in Miami, Florida last night, just days after releasing "Lemonade," a visual album that premiered on HBO Saturday night. Beyonce doesn't simply release albums anymore; she unleashes events. Beyonce brought to light the infidelity rumors surrounding her marriage with rapper Jay Z, who she has a combined net worth of over a billion dollars with. Beyonce held nothing back; in one song she says, "And keep your money, I got my own. Get a bigger smile on my face, being alone." The album seems to progress through the stages a person goes through as they process the emotions they feel after being cheated on ( “intuition,” “denial,” “forgiveness,” “hope,” etc.).
The album is absolutely nothing short of brilliance. I am so proud of Beyonce for taking such a huge political and social stance. She empowers black women everywhere, and I respect how deeply personal she was in this album. One of my favorite parts of "Lemonade," is the last song, "All Night," in which she shows all kinds of love and couples, (gay, lesbian, interracial, straight, etc.). She also not only addresses the infidelity in her own marriage, but in her mother's marriage to her father. Having to go through something twice, once through your parents'marriage and then again in your own relationship is surreal, but Beyonce reminds us and herself that we can handle anything.
GAP Pulls "Racist" AdClothing empire, GAP, has pulled its most recent ad, one that many critics are calling "racist."
On April 2nd, 2015, GAP released the pictures for their new campaign, a partnership with Ellen DeGeneres. The campaign was made in collaboration with DeGeneres' lifestyle brand, and GAP is donating $250,000 to the charity Girls Inc. which supports an economic literacy program. Because of the controversial photo, in which a 12-year-old white girl leans her arm on an 8-year-old black girl, many people began bashing GAP on social media and calling the ad racist. The girls are adopted sisters. GAP decided to replace the image and released the following statement regarding the issue: "As a brand with a proud 46-year history of championing diversity and inclusivity, we appreciate the conversation that has taken place and are sorry to anyone we've offended," a Gap spokeswoman said in a statement. "This GapKids campaign highlights true stories of talented girls who are celebrating creative self-expression and sharing their messages of empowerment. We are replacing the image with a different shot from the campaign, which encourages girls (and boys) everywhere to be themselves and feel pride in what makes them unique." Kardashians Sued For MillionsThe Kardashians are finding themselves caught in a legal battle with millions at stake. Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe Kardashian are being sued by a former investor for not promoting their makeup brand on social media as was originally promised.
In a lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles, Hillair Capital Management claims that it invested $10 million to help the Kardashian Beauty line, but according the company, the sisters did not promote the brand on social media as promised. Hillair Capital claims that its investment was to be used in the distribution of the line after the Kardashian's former partner, Boldface, began having financial issues. Court documents obtained by Radar Online claim that Hillair held up their end of the deal while the Kardashians allegedly stopped promoting the beauty line because they wanted to search for new, better investors to replace Hillair. Michael Kump, a lawyer for the Kardashians, insists the lawsuit is filled with lies. "This complaint is an obvious attempt to create leverage by hedge fund operators who took over the Kardashians’ cosmetics brand,” he told FOX411. “The Kardashians have suffered enormous damages as a result of the many failures and breaches created by the operator’s mismanagement of the company. The lawsuit is a disgrace. It is a jumble of false accusations which will be exposed as lies.” The Kardashian "K"amp looks forward to bringing these truths to light in court. Khloe Kardashian On Loving YourselfKhloe Kardashian has been very open about her journey to healthiness, mentally and physically, especially in her new book, "Strong Looks Better Naked." In a recent Instagram post, Kardashian shared a lengthy message with her followers:
"I find that people may be practicing self care on so many levels but abandon themselves emotionally. So many search for others to make them feel whole. Try to stop searching for your missing pieces in other people or material things. Self-love or personal happiness should never be contingent on success because there are always failures to contend with no matter what level." "Self-love is dynamic and runs deep. When we act in ways that expand our self-love, we begin to expand our minds. We start to notice the parts we once abandoned. We will find dimensions of our soul that needs attention too," she continued. "We begin to know exactly what we deserve and we shouldn't settle for anything less. Don't apologize for your past for it made you who you are today. Make your past fuel your future and the way you choose to live. Be in the now!" "When your intent is to love yourself rather than abandon yourself, you start being able to feel compassion for your past choices. You will start to be proud of the progress you've made in life. Instead of letting your past control your present—let it fuel your daily evolution to greatness. Don't look at your past as a mistake. Look at how far you've grown and be grateful. You will finally begin to grow and elevate to a better you. You define your worth! Don't ever give anyone else that much power over your self. Less judgement--more dynamic unbiased self love. My Opinion: Khloe Kardashian gives some of the best life advice. It is so important to have self love and happiness regardless of what else is going on in your life. I know, as many of you do, that Kardashian is referring to her own "mistakes", such as her failed marriage to Lamar Odom. The way that she handled her situation with Odom makes me admire her even more. The fact that she can have forgiveness for someone who had done so many negative things to her and still be by his side during his time of need shows that she is a strong person. There are so many hateful people in this world who are going to attempt to bring you down, but love always wins. If you don't give hateful people the opportunity to hurt you, they can't. Life is too beautiful to be miserable. As long as you are being the best version of yourself and trying your best, you are great. Khloe Kardashian's words show me that you can always have love for someone and love them from afar, while not being intimate or even in a relationship with that person. And just because your relationship has come to an end, it does not mean you cannot have their best interests at heart and want them to live a healthy, fulfilling life. Always put your best interests first and do what you think will make you happy. Lady Gaga's Powerful MessageLady Gaga's performance at the Oscars left the audience in tears with her rendition of "Til It Happens to You" when she brought rape survivors onstage. We could tell by the look in Gaga's eyes that this was something that she felt strongly about.
Gaga posted the following comment on her Instagram page: "The first day of rehearsal with all the survivors I could barely get myself together. My body was wrecked with inflammation and pain, crying and shaking the whole walk to the stage," wrote Gaga, who has previously alluded to having Lupus. "The whole night before I did not sleep. The fear of knowing I would finally face that I belonged in that group. I told them I was so sorry I couldn't be Lady Gaga for them, that I couldn't even get dressed. I could barely get through the song, couldn't hit any of the high notes. Hair wet, sloppy tee shirt jeans uggs [sic], tissues." Her fellow survivors came to her aid and helped her get through her tough first day of rehearsal because they could relate to what she was going through too. "They all hugged me and told me that it was okay because it was more real this way, that they understood[,] that they were in pain too. They told me they were there for me to support me because they believed this message needed to be heard," she continued. "Without them I never could have felt strong. They accepted me for me, at my lowest and that was good enough for them, so somehow through the magic of their courage they made it good enough for me too." HISTORY: Gaga addressed her sexual assault for the first time in her 2013 album, "Artpop", as a way to express the rage and demoralization she felt after being sexually assaulted as a teenager. Although she declined to reveal the person who raped her at age 19, she said that the man was 20 years old. "It didn't affect me as much right after as it did about four or five years later," Rolling Stone reported. "It hit me so hard. I was so traumatized by it that I was like, 'Just keep going,' because I just had to get out of there." UPDATE: Lady Gaga's family did not find out she was raped until after her Oscar performance. Her grandmother called her crying the next morning, expressing how proud she was of her granddaughter. Gaga discussed on Instagram how she blamed herself for the rape the past 10 years, and was ashamed to tell her family. Oscar MomentsLeonardo DiCaprio finally took home his first Oscar for his powerful performance in The Revenant. Kate Winslet, his Titanic co-star, was the first person to hug him. She, along with everyone else, was thrilled about DiCaprio's well-deserved win.
Lady Gaga brought the world to tears with her performance, "Until It Happens To You", her Oscar-nominated song about sexual assault. In her performance, a curtain parted onstage, and dozens of grim-faced young men and women stepped forward. The group, all of them survivors of sexual assault, exposed their forearms to reveal such words and phrases as "Survivor," "You Are Love," "Unbreakable" and "Not Your Fault". When Gaga finished the song, the men and women joined hands and raised them in solidarity. Everyone knew that Oscars host Chris Rock, after six weeks of silence on the issue of race, was going to address the #OscarsSoWhite controversy during his monologue Sunday night. He addressed the "White Oscars" multiple time throughout the night with comments and pre-recorded segments. This has to do with the all-white list of nominees, which the Oscars board of judges has said they will improve by the year 2020. Beyonce ControversyControversy continues to swirl about Beyonce's new political stance. The Queen Bey is being accused of using her performance to attack police officers.
“I think it was outrageous that she used it as a platform to attack police officers, who are the people who protect her and protect us,” former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani told CBS2’s Dick Brennan. "Beyonce and her dancers were wearing leather and black berets, which was apparently a nod to the Black Panthers movement. One dance formation seemed to acknowledge Malcolm X, and other dancers had fists in the air, which was reminiscent of the black power salutes of the 1960s and 70s." said CBS. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., told CBS2 that the NFL should have canceled her appearance. “I found the entire show objectionable. It was extolling the Black Panthers who were a terrorist organization, killing police officers in the 60s and 70s,” King said. A protest is even being held against Beyonce next week outside NFL’s headquarters in New York. According to an Event Brite page, an Anti-Beyonce Protest rally will be held Tuesday, Feb. 16, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m UPDATE: Only 3 people showed up at the protest, while hundreds showed up in support of Beyonce, protesting against the anti-Beyonce protesters. My Opinion: I think that the conservatives feel some type of way because Beyonce is this strong, powerful, rich, influential, black women that is taking a stand against the inequalities in America and is making the issue known. They are haters who are mad that a black women has more power than them and that she is starting this movement. Not only during black history month and to her fans, but to over 100 million Americans watching the Super Bowl. They feel like they are losing control. Beyonce has addressed feminism and being an independent women in the past, and now she is moving onto the next issue, race. She is one of the most respected artists in the world and she has the power to make a change. John Legend Opens Up About Diversity in the AcademyIn case you missed it, there is a lot of controversy around the Oscars this year regarding the nominees and diversity. While appearing at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend, John Legend, who is a previous Oscar winner, voiced his approval at the Academy's latest goal of doubling the number of women and diverse members by 2020.
"I don't really have a stand on the boycott right now. I do believe that the Academy made a good move yesterday in trying to diversify the ranks in the Academy," he told says. "I just became a member of the Academy this year. This is my first year voting and I think it's important for the Academy to come closer to reflecting what the real population looks like." With 2016 marking the second year of all-white Oscar nominations, some in Hollywood have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Academy. Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith have gone as far to say they will not be attending the Oscars this February. For John, he believes the problem with diversity doesn't just rest on the Academy's shoulders. Instead, it's much bigger than that. "I don't think it's the Academy's responsibility solely because so much of the Academy is fed by who's working in the industry and if people aren't getting jobs in the industry, they can't be in the Academy because they aren't working," he explained. "It runs through Hollywood and it's a bigger problem than the Oscars themselves and a bigger issue than just the Academy's membership." Ciara and Future Custody BattleFormer couple Future and Ciara, are off to a rough start this new year. The rapper took to Twitter on Tuesday, blasting his ex-fiancée and accusing her of keeping their 19-month-old son, Future Zahir, from seeing him.
"This ----- got control problems. I gotta go through lawyers to see babyfuture…the ------ for 15k a month," Future, 32, tweeted in two back-to-back posts. The couple welcomed their son in May of 2014 – the first child for Ciara and the fourth for Future – while still engaged. However, their engagement ended months later when the two split in August amid reports of Future's alleged infidelity. The couple's split wasn't exactly amicable and Future has been vocal about his feelings regarding his son, especially when it comes to the toddler spending time with Ciara's boyfriend, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. When photos of his son at the Seahawks training camp surfaced last year, Future shared his thoughts on Twitter. Ciara has responded to Future's claims against her, and says she has never kept Future from seeing their child and that Future does not and has never payed $15,000 in child support. Her rep continues to say that Future is just using her name and this situation for publicity.
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Whitney's SectionBethenny Frankel, "Racist"?
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