Category Archives: Celebrities

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Producer and Preacher DeVon Franklin To Host New Talk Show ‘Food For Thought’ & Allegedly Has New Girlfriend…

Hello World,

Producer and Preacher DeVon Franklin is combining two of my favorite things – good food and conversation – in new show Food For Thought! See his announcement below…

Below is an excerpt of the official Deadline article “Dr. Holly Carter’s MergeTV Launches On In The Black Network; Slate Includes DeVon Franklin Series ‘Food For Thought’ & More” by Denise Petski.

EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Holly Carter (The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel) today announced the launch of her family, faith and lifestyle network MergeTV on James DuBose’s In The Black Network, a streaming service that highlights Black voices and original stories.

Carter also announced MergeTV’s slate of original programming dropping on April 2, which includes its flagship show Food for Thought with DeVon Franklin, hosted by the bestselling author, producer and preacher. Franklin will be joined by some of his famous friends “to bake up delicious desserts and share deep conversation,” according to the series description, with guests ranging from Smokey Robinson to Cedric the Entertainer.

Another interesting show that will be featured on In The Black is a Preachers of LA reunion, according to the Deadline article.

PREACHERS WEDDING EDITION
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Dr. Holly Carter, Keesha Brickhouse, Paul Mays
TALENT: Bishop Noel Jones and First Lady Loretta Jones, Pastor Deitrick Haddon and First Lady Dominique Haddon, Bishop Ron Gibson and First Lady LaVette Gibson, Bishop Clarence McClendon, Pastor Wayne Chaney and Myesha Chaney.
LOGLINE: The long-awaited wedding event of Bishop Noel Jones and Loretta Jones is finally happening and your favorite high-profile Pastors and First Ladies are together again to celebrate–but will they be able lay those long-standing arguments to rest, or will the drama surface again after all these  years?

Click HERE to read the entire article…

Considering the wedding of Bishop Noel Jones and Loretta Jones that took forever and day to happen and the divorce of Pastor Wayne Chaney and Myesha Chaney, that should be an explosive reunion to say the least…

Now in more messy news, DeVon has been spotted with a new woman according to The Shade Room. Click HERE to see the paparazzi photos of him and this new unidentified woman. According to the photos, they are definitely dating at the very least. Just from the pictures, his type may have shifted a bit post his divorce from Meagan Good. While this woman is a pretty woman, she doesn’t have that actress vibe that Meagan Good has. In fact, she seems like the girl next door. Judging from Meagan Good’s new man Jonathan Majors, her type has most certainly shifted…Apparently, she is in love, according to People magazine…

I continue to wish both of them the best…

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

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Oprah Winfrey To Host Primetime Television Event, ‘An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution,’ Airing Monday, March 18, on ABC and Next Day on Hulu…

Special Features Conversations With Medical Experts and People Who Have Taken the Medications, Discussing the Pressing Questions Around Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and Other Prescription Diabetes and Weight Loss Meds...

 

Hello World,

This is not expressly a Christian topic, but body image issues have had me seeking God for many years. Like many young girls growing up in America and likely elsewhere, I struggled with my weight and thoughts about whether I was enough because of my weight. At one point in my life, I overexercised as a way to my control my weight. Thank God I no longer feel compelled to overexercise and I am now more accepting of how God made me externally and internally. All of that being said, I have never been obese so I don’t know what it’s like to struggle with hundreds of extra pounds. But because of the struggles that I have had, I have paid attention to all of the ways that people approach weight loss, and I’ve definitely watched Oprah and how has she has traveled on her years-long weight loss journey. I remember when Oprah wheeled that wagon of fat onto her show while wearing skinny jeans, I bought Make the Connection: Ten Steps to a Better Body – and a Better Life, her book with exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer Bob Greene the same year I graduated from college in 1996; I paid attention to when she connected with Weight Watchers more recently and now she has left Weight Watchers in favor of weight loss medications. And she looked snatched too especially while promoting The Color Purple! For her sake, at 70 years old, I hope she’s come to a place of peace and acceptance around weight WHILE doing the best she can with the body God gave her. 

And so I will be watching as Oprah Winfrey hosts a sit-down conversation around the radical impact of prescription weight loss medications in the primetime event, An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution, airing MONDAY, MARCH 18 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC and the next day on Hulu. The special delves into the prevailing questions and concerns surrounding the impact on our health care, economy, lifestyle and culture.

Speaking in front of a live studio audience, Oprah gathers the country’s leading medical experts and everyday people who are in the battle of one of the biggest health care crises the world has ever known. For the first time in history, new drugs could prove to be the game changer to stem the tide of people living with obesity, an epidemic which has grown exponentially since the 1970s, costing $173 billion per year in medical costs in the United States alone.

“It is a very personal topic for me and for the hundreds of millions of people impacted around the globe who have for years struggled with weight and obesity,” said Oprah Winfrey. “This special will bring together medical experts, leaders in the space and people in the day-to-day struggle to talk about health equity and obesity with the intention to ultimately release the shame, judgment and stigma surrounding weight.”

“We are thrilled to work with Oprah and the voices she has assembled to open a dialogue that destigmatizes and educates viewers on the important and polarizing topic of weight loss,” said Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group. “I can think of no one better to lead this meaningful conversation about such a critical issue that touches all of our lives.”

Joining the conversation are medical experts including Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. W. Scott Butsch, ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News medical correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Dr. Amanda Velazquez and patients from around the country who have a range of personal experiences with prescription weight loss medications, including a teenager who was among the first to take the new drugs and begs the question whether these medications should be given to minors. Oprah also invites leaders from the two global pharmaceutical companies behind these revolutionary drugs to address what this means for the 100 million Americans and over 1 billion adults worldwide living with a deadly disease.

Key questions are addressed: Why is obesity designated a disease? Who are the medications really intended for? Who is eligible to receive weight loss drugs? What should folks ask their doctors? What are the short-term and long-term side-effects? What are the supply chain challenges and the impact on those with diabetes? Why is there shame surrounding taking medication, and what is the future of these medicines in our society and culture?

An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution is produced by Harpo Productions, executive produced by Oprah Winfrey and Tara Montgomery.

Here’s a conversation she had with Jimmy Kimmel a few days ago about her upcoming special. Didn’t she look and sound good? Definitely goals at 70…(And she shared a bit about Stedman as well…)

Will you be watching tomorrow?

About Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is a global media leader, producer, philanthropist, actress and author. Over the course of her esteemed career, she has created an unparalleled connection with people around the world, making her one of the most respected and admired figures today. For 25 years, Winfrey was host and producer of the award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, engaging in range of multifaceted cultural conversations. Currently, Oprah oversees Harpo Productions, serves as chairman and CEO of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, is the founder of O, The Oprah Magazine and digital companion site OprahDaily.com, and the host of the award-winning podcast “Super Soul.”

For more information on An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution (#OprahSpecial), visit abc.com and follow ABC on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Any thoughts?

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‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Star Angela Bassett Admits She Was ‘Gobsmacked’ After Losing Oscar Last Year Ahead of 2024 Oscars TONIGHT!

Hello World,

As a Christian, we are promised that all things (good and bad) work out for our good in the end, but I’m still salty that actress extraordinaire Angela Bassett didn’t win the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award last year for her role as the queen in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”  However, I do feel somewhat pacified that the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences opted to give an Honorary Academy Award to Angela in January. She’s more than worthy as Angela’s career has established her as one of the most esteemed actors of our time.  Her breakthrough role as Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got to Do with It” earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.  Her film credits include “Boyz N the Hood,” “Malcolm X,” “Waiting to Exhale,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “Music of the Heart,” “Sunshine State,” “Black Panther,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Soul” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” in which her supporting performance earned her a second Oscar nomination.  Her television credits include “The Jacksons: An American Dream,” “The Rosa Parks Story,” “American Horror Story” and “9-1-1.” The Honorary Award, an Oscar statuette, is given “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network recently premiered an all-new OWN Spotlight one-hour special featuring Oprah Winfrey in conversation with 2024 Honorary Academy Award Recipient, Angela Bassett, for a retrospective look at her incomparable career spanning four decades. In this OWN Spotlight, Oprah met with the legendary actress at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to discuss her recent, well-deserved honorary Academy Award  and how losing the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award last year felt as well.

On how she felt in the moment: It was, of course, a supreme disappointment. A supreme disappointment is human. So I thought, yes, I was disappointed. And I was. And I handled it like a human being.

On her viral facial face expression: I know a pastor who says technology’s different, people are the same.

On being gracious in the midst of a visible loss: For myself and for my children who were there with me.

Below is the entire clip in which Angela recounts what it was like last year when her name wasn’t announced as the winner…

Oprah and Angela also looked back on her illustrious career, from how she knew acting was her destiny to her blockbuster roles in both TV and film. Oprah reflected on the many highlights from her viral, uplifting acceptance speech and the impact of her legacy on future generations. They discussed the iconic women she’s portrayed through the years and what those characters have given to her. A devoted mother and wife, Angela shared moments from her journey of parenting with her husband, actor Courtney B. Vance and the dreams she has for her children.

Below is a clip of the full episode…

In looking for the good in this situation, what Oprah said to Angela following Angela revealing how she felt in the moment of “supreme disappointment” is something good… “And you know what’s interesting, that actually teaches your children more than anything you can ever say about what you’re supposed to do is how you behaved in that moment.” As Angela’s twins Bronwyn and Slater are headed to college next fall (I remember when it was announced that they were born), they will experience moments of triumph and disappointment, and it’s important to know how to respond to both.

Additionally, Angela and her family were recently featured on the cover of PEOPLE magazine in the article “How I Fought For My Dreams” and that feature may have not happened had it not been for her Oscar loss the year prior. We journalists live by the mantra “if it bleeds, it leads” so there’s that…

It was also a full circle moment as Angela, her husband Courtney Vance and their newborn twins were featured in the magazine back in 2006.

As a twin mom just two years into the journey, this full-circle moment gives me all of the feels…

I hope to be able to watch the Oscars later today (with toddlers,  TV time is not always guaranteed), but the top winner already took home the trophy in more ways than one…

Any thoughts?