The 9-year-old black boy at the center of the “Cornerstore Caroline” debacle is not ready to turn the other cheek after a white woman falsely accused him of groping her.
With his mother standing beside him and with tears running down his face, Jeremiah Harvey spoke out at a community meeting in New York outside the Flatbush deli where the incident occurred. “Friendship is really the key,” the boy said.
Jeremiah’s emotional response came just days after Teresa Klein accused the boy of grabbing her butt in a Brooklyn corner store and threatened to call the police. Video footage showing her antics went viral on social media and she was given the nickname “Cornerstore Caroline.”
Klein apologized after viewing surveillance video that proved that Jeremiah never touched her. The footage showed Jeremiah’s backpack brushing against her backside as he passed her in the store, and his hands were clearly in front of him the entire time.
“I was wrong. The child accidentally brushed me,” she told News 12 Brooklyn, as laughter erupted from people in the deli who gathered to watch the footage with her. “Young man, I don’t know your name, but I’m sorry.”
Jeremiah’s mother, Someko Bellille, also spoke at Mondays’ meeting, telling the crowd, “What happened to us respecting one another, having unity and being neighborly?”
After the meeting, Jeremiah told ABC New York station WABC that he does NOT accept Cornerstore Caroline’s raggedy a** apology. “I don’t forgive this woman, and she needs help,” he said.
Justin Crawford, a former Georgia high school and college football star and NFL flameout, was arrested last weekend for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl who is related to him.
Police said Crawford, 23, was spotted by his wife in the living of the couple’s home in Columbus, GA standing over the young girl while he had an erection at about 5 a.m. Saturday (Oct. 13), the Ledger-Enquirer reported.
Crawford’s wife, Chakeya Crawford, later said that she only saw him exposing himself and he immediately ran into the kitchen to cover up.
When she questioned her husband about what had happened, he denied any wrongdoing, and she went back to bed with the hopes of revisiting the incident at a later time. (Ed. note: First of all… WTF?!)
“I did not see anyone having sex, or I would have called police right away,” Mrs. Crawford later told the Ledger-Enquirer. She said when she asked her husband why he ran, he told her, “You scared me. That’s why I ran.”
When she took the 12-year-old to the child’s mother, she asked what happened, and that’s when the girl explained everything. She said when she was asleep in the living room, Crawford walked in and had her perform oral sex on him before they had sexual intercourse.
The girl was taken for a medical exam that included compiling a “sex assault kit” to collect any DNA evidence, Detective Mark Scruggs said.
When questioned by police, Crawford initially denied any sexual contact with the girl, but later admitted to having oral sex and intercourse with her, claiming that the whole thing was her idea, Det. Scruggs said.
A judge found probable cause to send Crawford’s case to Muscogee Superior Court and ordered him to be held without bond, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Crawford now faces felony charges of incest, sodomy and enticing a child for indecent purpose, jail records show.
Crawford—a native of Columbus, GA—was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in his senior season at West Virginia University after transferring from Northwest Mississippi College following his sophomore season.
While at junior college, he was named the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Offensive Player of the Year.
During his time at West Virginia, Crawford racked up more than 2,200 rushing yards with 11 touchdowns in two seasons. He was considered an exceptional running back who rushed for 331 yards in a game against Oklahoma in 2016 when he was a college junior.
Crawford signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons in May, but, according to the team’s website, he was cut from the roster in September during the preseason. The Atlanta Legends of the Alliance of American Football also said Crawford was waived after his arrest.
Police in have one suspect in custody and are looking for two others following a shooting outside the Cook Out fast food restaurant in Spartanburg, South Carolina over the weekend that sent six people to the hospital.
Here’s what you need to know:
1The shooting happened in the parking lot of a Cook Out restaurant. Six people were shot and admitted into the hospital.
Spartanburg Police Department officers responded to reports of shots fired at the Cook Out on John B. White Sr. Boulevard not too long after 11:30 p.m. last Saturday night (Oct. 13). According to the responding officers, the suspect(s) never entered the fast food joint and shooting happened in the parking lot.
A total of six people were shot: two males and one female victim were taken to Spartanburg Regional via ambulance, and the four others with gunshot wounds were taken to the hospital by personal vehicle.
The shooting victims’ ages range from 16 to 24-years-old, and fortunately, none of them suffered any life-threatening injuries and were expected to recover, police said.
The majority of the victims in the shooting were innocent bystanders, police said, adding that some of them were students from either Dorman High School or Spartanburg High School.
Three vehicles in the parking lot were hit by gunfire, police said.
2Dorman High School senior Kaden Vaughn said he was shot in the leg and his arm was grazed by a bullet.
One of the shooting victims, a Dorman High School senior, spoke to Fox Carolina about the incident. He said he was struck in the ankle and his arm was grazed in the shooting.
“We heard shots and I remember getting hit,” Kaden Vaughn said. It felt like a rock hit me. Like, I didn’t want to believe I got shot, at first, and then I got grazed in the arm and it went straight through my cup.”
Vaughn said he and another Dorman student, who was also injured, were about to leave the restaurant when the shooting broke out. He said they went to the restaurant to eat after the Byrnes vs. Dorman football game—which is something most high schoolers do after sporting events.
“Before I could even get down to the parking lot, we just heard shots and everyone started running,” Vaughn said. “I kind of went down at first to like, feel my leg. I was like, this is going to be a nasty bruise when I wake up. I ran to my truck. All of a sudden, I look down and there was a hole in my pant leg and I pulled my pants up and there was blood everywhere.”
The teen added: “There was still shots going off when I got in the truck so I didn’t want to stay. I wasn’t about to wait for nobody so I just tried to drive myself home. I remember, my right foot kind of gave out on me halfway home so I had to drive home left-footed then I got home and my parents rushed me to the ER.”
Vaughn said when he arrived at the Emergency Room, doctors found “two big holes” in his ankle. “It went clean through and left some holes, but thankfully it didn’t hit the bone or tear anything major,” he said.
3The shooting happened after a fight broke out in the parking lot. One of the suspected shooters is in custody and the other two have warrants out for their arrests.
From L to R: Trevor Lamont Gist (18), Jarcoby Tramon Geter (16) and Fredrick Lee Smith Jackson (18)
On Thursday (Oct. 18), nearly one week after the shooting, police have finally released the names of the three suspects accused of opening fire and they finally have information about the shooting.
Police said the shooting was the result of a fight that broke out in the parking lot of the Cook Out restaurant. The suspects are 16 and 18 years old, police said.
Frederick Smith’s mugshot
18-year-old Frederick Lee Smith Jackson was arrested and charged with unlawful carrying of a pistol, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, possession of a weapon underage, and six counts of assault/attempted murder.
Police said warrants have also been issued for 18-year-old Trevor Lamont Gist and 16-year-old Jarcoby Tramon Geter—who were both still wanted as of Thursday.
Geter was charged with possession of a weapon underage, possession of a stolen weapon, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and assault/attempted murder.
Police are asking anyone with any information about the incident to contact the Spartanburg Police Dept. at 864-596-2065 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIMESC.
4Cook Out is a popular late-night fast food restaurant in the South.
Cook Out is a popular fast food restaurant chain that is located in the following Southern states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Mississippi and Maryland.
The menu features grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, BBQ and milkshakes.
The food has a distinct “Outdoors Style” taste (i.e. it tastes like it was cooked at a “cookout,” hence the name) and the restaurant is popular with young people as a hang-out spot because it stays open past midnight (up to 3 or 4 a.m. at some locations).
The restaurant received national attention after Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay’s 15-year-old daughter Trinity was shot and killed at a location in Lexington, Kentucky in October 2016.
The four men responsible for that shooting were found guilty on Monday (Oct. 15), almost exactly two years to the day of the incident.
Keyshia Cole appears to be madly in love with her much younger boyfriend Niko Khalé.
Keyshia took Niko on vacation to Dolphin Cay at Atlantis Paradise Islands in the Bahamas to celebrate their birthdays, which are just a few days apart. Keyshia just turned 37 on October 15th, while her barely legal boy toy Niko turned 23 two days later on October 17th.
The both of them have shared photos and videos from their vacation all over Instagram. Keyshia captioned one of the photos:
My babes, @nikokhale myself and a Sea lion named Dolce … Can’t even trust a sea lion, smh ? she was all up on bae, I ain’t lying [y’all] … SHE WAS DEFINITELY A LITE WIBE
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpAnS7OAyNt/
Keyshia also shared a video with her boyfriend’s new song playing in the background (FREE PROMO?!) along with a special message:
Happy BDay to My libra, I appreciate you, I love you, and thankful for your presence, Sooo So happy we were able to spend our BDays TOGETHER, You’ve also been inspiring me, to not give up on my music, in times of being discouraged, Your work ethic has been impeccable! Soo I gotta show Your new project, that you released TODAY, Some love!!!! Keep grinding Maaaa Doooooo!!!! It gets better!!! #ONMYOWN EP OUT NOW., By @nikokhale You guys check it out and let me kno what u think!?
It isn’t clear exactly how long Keyshia and Niko have been dating, but the couple first went public with their relationship on social media back in February, and they’ve been regularly posting photos of each other on their respective accounts since. She even wrote a lengthy post defending her relationship against “judgemental” people:
“Now the reason I’m posting The pepper to my salt @nikokhale is because he’s been such a sweetheart to me, and I know people have been very judgmental about our relationship but I gotta nurture what nurtures me.”
The pair apparently hit a rough back in June, however, when Keyshia deleted all of her Instagram photos and made her account private and Niko deleted most of the pics and videos of Keyshia he had on his page as well.
At the time, Niko posted a photo of himself with the caption “What’s far fetched to a dog off the leash?” insinuating that he was single before changing the caption to “My drip a little different” after folks started questioning him in the comments.
About a month later, the two were back on strong like donkey kong, as Niko updated his IG with a bunch of new photos/videos of Keyshia, captioning one pic: “N**** that’s ALL ME… she ain’t goin no where.” And Keyshia posted a bunch of photos of them enjoying the Fourth of July together with Keyshia’s 8-year-old son DJ, whose father is Keyshia’s ex-husband, former NBA player Daniel Gibson.
Also in July, Keyshia Cole trolled the internet with a fake pregnancy announcement for which she later (kinda sorta) apologized:
“I KINDA APOLOGIZE for #TROLLING yesterday, telling y’all I was ##Preggo !!!! Buuuuuuut y’all need to stop body shamming me and sayin I’m PREGNANT EVERY OTHER DAY !!!! Like seriously, it hurts my feelings … HEY @fashionnova … thought it was sweet that you all were excited about the news tho”
Over the weekend, a video surfaced showing a white woman refusing to let a black man enter his apartment building in downtown St. Louis.
D’Arreion Toles was returning home late from work Friday night (Oct. 12) when Hilary Brooke Thornton, who lived on the third floor of the Elder Shirt Lofts, demanded Toles provide proof that he lived in the building.
“Please move, ma’am,” Toles can be heard saying in the video footage he recorded of the encounter, showing the woman—who was given the nicknames “Apartment Patty” and “Hallway Hilary”—with her dog on a leash standing in the doorway at the condominium complex. “I can,” she responds. “Do you live here?”
“I’ve already answered that question,” Mr. Toles, 24, replied as he continued to try to get into the building. “Excuse me… You are blocking me into my building. This is my building as well. So, I need you to get out of my way.”
Refusing to move the hell out of the man’s way, Hallway Hilary—who said she was “uncomfortable”—then asked Toles what unit he lived in and to see his key fob. When he declined to give her that information, she remained in his path.
“If you want to come into my building…” she began before Toles cut her off: “It’s not your building, you’re not the owner. Excuse me.”
After Toles moved to pass Hallway Hilary, she followed him onto the elevator all the way to the front door of his loft.
Asked why she was following him, Hallway Hilary said “I would like to know whose friends [you are] … and why you’re here” and then she tried to flip the script and say that if he did indeed live in the building, she was just interested in meeting her neighbor. “You didn’t start off on a good note,” he said. “I don’t want no dealings with you.”
After the video went viral on the internet, it didn’t take long for social media to track the woman down and find out her place of employment.
It turns out Hallway Hilary works at another apartment building—Tribeca St. Louis Apartments to be exact—and management was far from pleased to learn that one of their employees was out here being racist.
According to a statement released from the complex, Hilary Brooke Thornton aka Hallway Hilary has since been fired.
“Tribeca-STL was recently shared a video containing a disturbing interaction that we believe is important to clarify,” the statement read. “The video did involve one of our employees, but the event did NOT take place at Tribeca-STL and did NOT involve one of our tenants. The video is showing the employee in her private life at her own residence interacting with another person.
The statement continued: “The Tribeca-STL family is a minority-owned company that consists of employees and residents from many racial backgrounds. We are proud of this fact and do not and never will stand for racism or racial profiling at our company. After a review of the matter, the employee has been terminated and is no longer with our Company. At Tribeca-STL we want all residents, guests, and visitors to feel welcome, safe and respected.”
“I need a police officer here now. I have, like 30 people standing out here and they will not leave! It’s like a riot out here. They’re destroying the outside … they’re standing outside my store, they’re videoing us and everything” — Brenda aka “Gas Station Gail.”
Wow, I can only imagine that as a 911 dispatcher, calls like this must send shivers down their spines. A call comes through and you have a frantic woman desperately pleading for help while trying to survive a violent riot.
You take down her location, locate the nearest responding officer, and then simply pray the officer can get there in time before the incident turns tragic.
And now Gossip On This has managed to get footage of the “riot” in question. I warn you, what you are about to see may be disturbing. Viewer direction is most certainly advised.
**MAKE THIS GO VIRAL** Whyt woman calls 911 on us during our Stop the Violence walk in North Charleston. She is the Manager at Murphy's Gas Station on the Corner of Rivers Ave and Otranto rd. She says she doesn't care about our money, just leave the store. We stopped there to get the children some drinks after we walked a mile during our Rally. I thought 911 was for emergencies???? Their customer service number is 1-800-843-4298. The store location is 8599 Rivers Ave, North Charleston, SC 29406.. Call the store and let them know we will be boycotting. Her hashtag is #GasStationGail
Posted by Shakem Akhet on Sunday, October 14, 2018
Just…wow. It’s tough to watch. I mean just go back and listen to the horrible, hate-filled speech being thrown at this poor, brave woman. “You don’t gotta be rude.” “Look at that, she’s calling the police.” And worst of all, “In a respectful manner, let’s leave.”
I can’t imagine the emotional scars those are going to leave. And those last shots of this violent gang finally leaving, politely walking away surrounded by children and pushing strollers. Scary stuff, man!
Kidding aside, this is disturbing, because it’s just one more instance in a long line of examples of black citizens being harassed for having the gall to live their lives. I mean we have Cornerstore Caroline, Hallway Hillary, BBQ Becky, Permit Patty … the list, sadly, goes on and on.
So what was the horrible thing this group was doing before “Gas Station Gail” decided the cops needed to be called? Trying to buy some drinks for their thirsty children.
They were a part of a peaceful march in North Charleston, South Carolina meant to help put an end to gun violence and were wearing anti-violence T-shirts that read “Guns Down Chuck Town.”
After marching for a mile, the group stopped by Murphy’s Gas Station to get drinks for themselves and their children when, next thing they know, the cops are being called.
The man who posted the video, Jonathan Thrower, told Yahoo Lifestyle: “A cashier came outside and said, ‘OK, I just want to make sure everyone stays on the sidewalk.’ A few minutes later, a red truck pulls up and a woman gets out and starts yelling, ‘Leave no! Leave now! I’m calling 911.”
**911 TAPE PLEASE LISTEN** This needs to go viral. This is the 911 tape of #GasStationGail aka Brenda Metz, manager at Murphy's Gas Station in North Charleston. She lied and said we were rioting outside the store, tearing up the outside and shutting down the gas pumps. We will be pressing charges against her ASAP. Remember to call Murphy's Corporate Office and file a complaint ASAP. 1-800-843-4298. 8599 Rivers Ave, North Charleston, SC. Original Video is here———->https://www.facebook.com/ShakemAmenhotep/videos/2157183114606347/
Posted by Shakem Akhet on Tuesday, October 16, 2018
“I felt sick when I heard the 911 call,” Thrower said. “A few kids said, ‘Every time we try to do something good, they call the police.’ I kept reassuring them that this was part of conflict resolution and why we walked that day.”
Gas Station Gail was not hurt and can continue to live her life vigilantly stopping non-white people from getting drinks, but unfortunately for her, Thrower’s last threat looks to be coming true: “We just gotta make this go viral.”
Go do your job internet. Make Gas Station Gail famous.
Blake Griffin was once one of the most exciting, explosive players to ever come through the NBA. When he and Chris Paul turned the perpetually “meh at best” Los Angeles Clippers into the must-see Lob City … well, let’s just say the duo were frequent features on Sports Center’s Top 10.
Seriously, just watch. Even if you don’t read another word, your click will be worth it if you watch this.
Still reading? Well if you want your perception of Blake Griffin to remain unchanged, I’d recommend stopping here, because what comes next isn’t pretty.
On Wednesday, October 17th, Blake Griffin learned he ain’t quite the young buck he used to be. In the first quarter of a game against the Brooklyn Nets, Blake Griffin put a move on his defender, spun into the paint, and leaped up for one of his signature posterizing dunks.
That’s Jarrett Allen, the Nets 20-year-old Center who stands at 6’11” with an ungodly 7’6″ wingspan. A wingspan he put to good use by viciously making sure Blake Griffin understands that he owns the paint now.
And this wasn’t even the first time Allen has made Blake (I’m guessing) question what his 29-year-old, injury ridden body is capable of. During a pre-season match up between the two teams, Allen shut Griffin down in the paint with this beast of a block.
Jarrett Allen erases Blake Griffin from Planet Earth for the second time in 9 days. pic.twitter.com/QprpiVP4Wo
So Blake, maybe it’s time you start to step away from basketball and go pursue that stand-up comedy career you’ve been eyeing for some time. That’s right, Griffin has said that he considers stand-up as a viable second career for him once basketball is over. And truth be told, he’s not bad.
He’s hosted multiple stand-up shows, does sets at clubs, and even went up against notable roast master Jeff Ross on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle. So maybe he really can go off and make a living telling jokes when the time comes.
And based off that set of rejections, that time might be coming sooner rather than later.
How old were you when you had your first orgy? A$AP says he was 13 years old, and it didn’t go over as well as you think it would.
In a recent interview with Esquire, the 30-year-old rapper revealed that he’s known for hosting group sex events at his Beverly Hills, California home—which is decorated “in the style of Tim Burton and Wes Anderson”—on a huge custom-designed bed that cost about $100,000 to make.
“The women that I’m around are into that free-spirited s–t like me,” he told the magazine. “And why not? Let’s smoke some good weed in the teepee and have a fun time!”
But it turns out that having orgies isn’t a new thing for Rocky, who says he’s been having them since he was a middle schooler.
“My first orgy was when I was in seventh grade,” he said. “Thirteen years old. Yeah, I was at Booker T. Washington [High School] in New York City. My dad had went to jail for drugs, so my mom moved us to a homeless shelter on 104th and Broadway. Our school was like three blocks away, and they used to let us out for lunch, for 45 minutes. The first time was in this apartment building. We took the elevator to the roof, and everybody put their coats on the ground. There were like five girls and 10 guys, and we all just took turns.”
Rocky said the older guys teased him because he wasn’t as “big” as he is now—if you know what we mean.
“And hopefully you didn’t have a little dick because they’re going to tease you! At that time, I wasn’t the biggest guy, but come on, cut me some slack, I was in the seventh grade! F***ing bullies!” he added, laughing. “Nah man. I love those guys.”
Sounds like A$AP Rocky had a pretty eventful life as a teenager!
Tommie Lee from Love & Hip Hop Atlanta can add yet another mugshot to her growing collection of booking photos after she was arrested Tuesday (Oct. 16) at her daughter’s middle school.
WSB-TV Atlanta obtained an arrest warrant listing a number of things the reality star was accused of, including shoving her daughter’s head into a locker at Griffin Middle School.
According to Smyrna police, Tommie—whose real name is Atasha Chizaah Jefferson—was charged with felony aggravated assault, simple battery, first-degree child cruelty and disruption of public schools.
Tommie posted $27,000 bond Wednesday morning and was released from jail.
The reality star is no stranger to run-ins with the law, as she has been arrested twice this year alone, not counting the dozens of arrests she’s had over the years, which we extensively covered in 2016 when it was revealed that she had at least 30 mugshots. Since then, she’s been arrested at least three or four times (it’s hard to keep count, honestly).
Back in July of this year, Tommie was arrested after police said she refused orders from officers and hit a valet on the head. The valet didn’t press charges, but Tommie was charged with “disorderly conduct under the influence.”
Tragedy struck a college in Crimea during the morning of Wednesday, October 17th when a lone 18-year-old set off an explosion before going on a shooting rampage. The student, Vladislav Roslyakov, killed at least 19 people and wounded an additional 70.
Reuters reports that Roslyakov set off a bomb in the Kerch Polytechnic College’s cafeteria, and then walked through the school attacking fellow students with a shotgun. The massacre came to an end when Roslyakov took his own life in the school’s library on the second floor.
It’s a heartbreaking turn of events that has shaken the entire area. The director of the school, Olga Grebennikova, spoke to reporters about the scene, saying, “There are bodies everywhere, children’s bodies everywhere. It was a real act of terrorism. They burst in five or ten minutes after I’d left. They blew up everything in the hall, glass was flying.”
She continued, “they then ran about throwing some kind of explosives around, and then ran around the second floor with guns, opened the office doors, and killed anyone they could find.”
Roslyakov was the sole perpetrator in the killings, and his motives are still being investigated. Russian broadcaster RBC spoke to a friend of Roslyakov who suggested he had hinted of the attack. The friend is quoted as saying that the suspect “hated the technical school very much because of the evil teachers, he hinted that he would take revenge on them.”
There are also investigations into whether there’s any connection to the killings and Roslyakov’s admiration of the Novorossia project, which supports a reunification of parts of Ukraine with Russia.
Students who were onsite recounted the terrifying ordeal to local reporters, like Anastasia Yenshina, a 15-year-old student at the school.
When describing the scene, Yenshina said: “I came out and there was dust and smoke, I couldn’t understand, I’d been deafened. Everyone started running. I did not know what to do…I saw a girl lying there…the wall was covered in blood…everyone was scared. People were crying.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDTGPtywXTc
Another student, Sergei, 15, who was rushed to the hospital following the attack described the aftermath.
“I arrived at the hospital, the scene there was awful,” he told Reuters. “They’re bringing in people all covered in blood, some with arms missing, some with legs missing.”
In a strange twist, Roslyakova’s mother was working at the nearby hospital where his fellow students turned victims were being taken. She was initially helping care for those who were injured when investigators arrived at her ward to let her know that her son was responsible before leaving with detectives.
After looking into Roslyakova’s online presence, The Daily Telegraph’s Russia-based reporter Alec Luhn says that he went by the moniker “Reich” online.
Luhn added that the suspect was “obsessed” with serial killers, with local media suggesting that he was emulating one of the Columbine High School killers Eric Harris by using a shotgun in his attack while wearing a white T-shirt.
Fans of Orange Is the New Black will be saying their goodbyes in 2019, because Netflix has announced that the show will end after Season 7 premieres next year.
Netflix officially made the announcement with a heartfelt video of the cast bidding their loyal fans goodbye.
“Hey y’all, we got some news,” Danielle Brooks (Tasty) says to the camera, before Taylor Schilling (Piper) cuts in to say that “the final season is coming.”
Yael Stone (Lorna) also chimed in, confirming that “season seven is the end,” with Kate Mulgrew (Red) confessing that she’s going “to miss playing and living on the edge of one of the most groundbreaking, original, and controversial series of the decade.”
“After seven seasons, it’s time to be released from prison. I will miss all the badass ladies of Litchfield and the incredible crew we’ve worked with. My heart is orange but fade to black,” series creator Jenji Kohan said Wednesday (Oct. 17).
OITNB was renewed for a seventh season when the Lionsgate-produced series received a three-season pickup ahead of season four back in 2016. The news that season seven will be the dramedy’s last comes as little surprise given the bulk pickup — a first at the time for Netflix. Last year, amid mixed reviews of season five’s three-day riot storyline, Kohan did not rule out as much when speaking to The New York Times.
“I haven’t made a final decision yet, but I’m leaning toward ending it after seven,” she said, “although the nature of the show is one that can go on and on because you can bring in new people.” She also said she thought she had a series ending in mind, though she wouldn’t share it.
After spending six years in the minimum and maximum security prisons of Litchfield Penitentiary, OITNB delivered a game-changing finale at the end of season six. The series set the stage for its final run when its central character, inmate Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), was released early. That set the stage for season seven to follow her life outside the show’s central core of inmates for the first time since season one.
Both Schilling and co-star Laura Prepon (Alex) told The Hollywood Reporter that they were both already preparing for the end of the show. “As an actor getting ready to say goodbye to a role that I’ve lived with for six years, it’s very poignant,” Schilling said before heading back into production on season seven. “It’s a very kind of surreal time. It’s as surreal as it was when the thing came out of the gate and was so powerful those first few seasons. It’s equally as surreal now to be ending it all.”
Prepon added, “The endgame is there. As of now, season seven is our last season. So, the endgame is clear. … I don’t know if I can say that I’m prepared for the end, but I’ve been doing this for a long time and I know that there’s always going to be more after that. It will just be different. Orange is its own special thing, just like That ’70s Show was, and I’m so happy that I get to be a part of it.”
“During production of season one, everyone involved with Orange Is the New Black felt like we knew a special secret we couldn’t wait to share with the world. Since then, we have laughed, cried, raged and roared with the women of Litchfield, and every moment spent with them felt like borrowed time — too good to last forever,” Netflix vp originals Cindy Holland said. “We will be sad to say goodbye but we will definitely be going out on a high. We are grateful to Jenji Kohan and her groundbreaking vision; to her supremely talented team of writers and producers; and to a once-in-a-lifetime cast and crew for creating a truly special work of art that has inspired conversations and connected audiences around the world.”
For her part, showrunner Kohan will remain in business with streaming giant Netflix, where she inked the company’s first massive overall deal. Under the pact, she already exec produces awards darling GLOW as part of the deal. Kohan produced OITNB for Lionsgate TV, where she was under a longtime overall deal (and for whom she created Showtime hit Weeds) before moving to Netflix. She next produces Lifetime’s American Princess.
“Orange Is the New Black has profoundly impacted popular culture worldwide, and has played a prominent role in building Lionsgate into a platform-defining brand,” said Lionsgate Television Group chairman Kevin Beggs. “Thanks to the brilliance of Jenji Kohan, the mastery of the creative and production team, the transcendent cast, and our tremendous partnership with Netflix, the series has surpassed our expectations year after year. With great pride, we are working together to bring this landmark series to a triumphant, satisfying close with the upcoming seventh season.”
For Netflix, meanwhile, the decision to wrap up signature awards darling OITNB arrives as the streamer is saying farewell to House of Cards. The political drama launched it into the scripted originals business, with OITNB following shortly afterward.
OITNB, which is inspired by Piper Kerman’s memoir of the same name, launched with critical acclaim in 2013. The 16-time Emmy nominated dramedy received 12 nods for its first season, including a historic nomination for Laverne Cox, who become the first transgender person nominated for an Emmy. That year, the show won the Emmy for best comedy. The series has since nabbed three additional Emmy wins. After an Emmy rule change in 2015 classifying the series as a drama, OITNB became the first series to receive Emmy nominations in both the comedy and drama categories. Though the streamer does not release numbers, OITNB has became one of Netflix’s most-watched original series.
Are you sad that Orange is the New Black will be ending after next year? Or did you already see this coming? Let us know below in the comments!
A veteran state trooper was shot and killed while making a traffic stop early Wednesday morning (Oct. 17).
According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, the deadly confrontation unfolded just after midnight when Kevin Conner stopped a pickup truck for speeding in Columbus County.
When the driver pulled over to the shoulder of the road, Conner approached the vehicle, and the driver allegedly fired several shots, authorities.
The suspected shooter then drove away, authorities said, leading police on a car chase, but his pickup became stuck while trying to drive over a railroad crossing, so he fled on foot.
After an “extensive search,” the suspect was found in a wooded area and taken into custody without incident.
“The Highway Patrol family is mourning the loss of a hero,” State Highway Patrol commander Colonel Glenn McNeill Jr. said in a statement.
Conner was an 11-year veteran in Columbus County. In 2011, he extinguished a car fire while also tending to a driver involved in a head-on collision.
The department “will forever be changed by the tragic events,” McNeill Jr. said. “We ask everyone to please keep Trooper Conner’s family and all who knew him in your thoughts and prayers.”
The suspect’s name has not been released and charges are pending.
Dennis Hof, the owner of the infamous Bunny Ranch where Lamar Odom overdosed in 2015, has died. He was 72 years old.
TMZ reports that a 911 call was made from Hof’s Love Ranch in Crystal, Nevada around 11 a.m. PT on Tuesday (Oct. 16) for an unresponsive male. Though detectives are on the scene, no foul play is suspected.
Meanwhile, a cause of death has not been revealed yet.
Hof’s Bunny Ranch was featured in the HBO series “Cathouse,” which followed him as he ran his brothels in Nevada and also chronicled the lives of the sex workers employed by Hof.
Hod often bragged about being a pimp and even came up with his own catchphrase: “There’s no business like go business.”
The biggest incident at one of Hof’s brothels happened in October 2015 when Lamar Odom overdosed after going on a binge at Hof’s Love Ranch South.
Odom spent 3 days in the hospital in a medically induced coma, and blood tests later revealed he had cocaine in his system.
Lamar recently revealed he suffered 12 strokes and 6 heart attacks while hospitalized for the incident.
Porsha Williams from the Real Housewives of Atlanta recently announced her pregnancy and engagement to a man named Dennis McKinley, and now he’s being accused of a number of disturbing things by his ex-girlfriend’s daughter.
According to court docs obtained by Radar, McKinley sued his ex for “trademark infringement, conversion and other wrongful acts” in connection to a company called Queen Virgin Remy—a hair weave and extension line they started back in 2011.
The lawsuit, which was filed in 2015 and has been proceeding for years, was finally settled on July 16th, 2018 after both parties agreed on a confidential settlement.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoZb6JmAclZ/
Fast forward a few months, and now McKinley is being exposed by Thomason’s daughter, Jamecia Simmons, for being a “fraud” and a “crook.” And on top of that, Jamecia wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post that Dennis beat her mother when they were together and she was pregnant with his child.
Jamecia wrote:
“I have been quiet the whole time McKinley since my mom @hairbyaoki has been in this lawsuit with you but you will not lie & make her look bad. All this fakeness to get on TV. You ain’t nothing but a fraud, crook & a thief. You out [here] holding Porsha stomach in pics but the whole time my mom was pregnant by you, you jumped on her and beat on her. Am I lying McKinley?”
She continued:
“All the hurt you caused my mom, I will never forgive you!!! You asked my mom to be your business partner in Queen Virgin Remy because you didn’t have the money to start it, then you go & lie & take it from us. I finished school early to help build it & this is what you do? You put your name as the sole owner knowing you didn’t even have the money or even a car to get around in.”
According to Jamecia, Dennis is nothing but a scammer who’s using Porsha so that he can be on television. She wrote:
“You have been trying to get on TV the longest, that’s why you tried to settle with my mom before the show aired but everything you have done to people is gonna come out!!! [You] are the DEVIL & your karma is about to come back around.”
Read Jamecia’s entire post (via screenshots) below:
Shanise also shared a now-deleted post about Dennis, accusing him of calling her multiple times after her daughter’s post went viral on social media.
“The sad thing is women will want a man so bad especially if they have money but don’t do a background check to see who they stole it from or hurt to get it!!! @Porsha4real Get your man & tell him to stop calling!!! She’s not answering!!! Leave My Daughter, Me & my Friends Alone!!!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Boj0deKFkP9/
RHOA Season 11 premieres in just a few short weeks—November 4th to be exact—and judging from the trailer released by Bravo a few weeks ago, Dennis will be a huge part of Porsha’s storyline as Kandi Burruss and Porsha’s sister Lauren are both shown trying to warn her about him. “He’s a dog alright,” Kandi says in the trailer.
Good news! Yella Beezy is at home recovering after being released from the hospital following his drive-by shooting incident.
The rapper, whose real name is Deandre Conway, was driving on the Sam Rayburn Tollway in Lewisville, Texas (near Dallas) early Sunday morning (Oct. 14) when someone in another vehicle pulled up beside him and opened fire. Police said at least a dozen shots were fired and Beezy was struck three times.
The severely wounded rapper was discovered around 3:30 a.m. and he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. His condition was later updated to “stable,” and he was discharged from the hospital Monday afternoon, police said.
Captain Dan Rochelle said police haven’t yet determined a motive and no arrests have been made, however, rumors suggest the shooting was retaliation for the shooting death of Dallas-area comedian Roy Lee Pate, who died Saturday from a blood clot two weeks after he had been shot.
Yella Beezy, best known for his hit single “That’s On Me,” opened for Beyoncé and JAY-Z’s “On the Run II” tour stop in Arlington, Texas in September.
Even though he’s a married man, Justin Bieber is still madly in love with his ex Selena Gomez. Or at least that’s what a “source” is telling People magazine.
A Miami music source tells PEOPLE of the “What Do You Mean?” singer, who secretly tied the knot with Hailey Baldwin, 21, in September, “He is not over Selena.”
“This was his first great love and while he was young and traveling around the world as a superstar, he learned a great deal from her,” the source explains of Bieber, 24, and Gomez, 26.
The source says that Gomez’s health struggle is taking a toll on Bieber. Gomez, who was hospitalized twice in the last few weeks for a low white blood cell count, recently entered dialectical behavior therapy after suffering a panic attack during her second hospitalization.
“He may or may not have made a mistake with his recent marriage but he was extremely upset over what has happened to Selena,” the music source explains. “He feels like she is part of his life and he wants her to happy and healthy.”
Bieber was seen crying in a car with Baldwin on Thursday as they left their pastor’s home. He also was spotted looking somber as he hugged friends at church in Los Angeles.
A source close to Bieber tells PEOPLE, though, that Bieber’s public displays of emotion were unrelated to Gomez. “Hailey makes him super happy,” the Bieber source said. “He feels bad that Selena isn’t doing well, but that has nothing to do with his gloomy mood a few days ago.”
In July, Bieber popped the question to Baldwin just four months after splitting from Gomez, who he dated on and off since 2011. Earlier in October, the Bieber source told PEOPLE, “Justin will always care about Selena.”
The Bieber source added, “It’s hard for him to hear that she isn’t doing well. They have both had their separate struggles over the years and Justin was always very sympathetic to Selena’s. He wants the best for Selena. He wants her to be happy and healthy.”
Another source told PEOPLE in October that Bieber’s marriage is one of many causes of stress for Gomez.
“Yes, having Justin’s relationship everywhere isn’t easy, but she’s also been dealing with other stressful situations and being back in the hospital was really difficult and brought back tough memories,” the second source said. “It’s not fair to say this caused it or that caused it because depression and anxiety is so layered. She knows it’s something she will be facing for the rest of her life, but she’s committed to tackling her issues head on.”
As for whether the singer’s lingering affection for Gomez could create issues in his marriage to the model, the source close to Bieber says, “It could be a problem down the road.”
Justin Bieber—whose estimated net worth is $265 million—married Hailey Baldwin without a prenup, so if they do divorce, she could take half of everything he owns.
A white man who shot at a black teen who was asking for directions was found guilty of assault by a Michigan jury.
Jeffrey Zeigler was arrested in April for firing his gun at 14-year-old Brennan Walker, who had gotten lost on his way to school and was asking for directions.
The incident, which sparked national outrage, was recorded on Zeigler’s home surveillance system, and the footage was shown by prosecutors to a jury on Thursday, October 11th.
Zeigler was standing on trial for a more serious charge, assault with intent to murder, but the judge gave jurors the option of convicting him on the lesser charge.
Back in April, Brennan Walker had missed his school bus and tried to walk the four miles from his bus stop to Rochester High School, which is about 29 miles outside of Detroit.
Along the way, he got lost and started knocking on doors of nearby houses to get directions before eventually stopping at Zeigler’s house. He didn’t have his cell phone to help guide him because his mother had taken it the night before as punishment.
After knocking on the door, Brennan says a woman in the house (Zeigler’s wife) started yelling at him and accusing him of trying to break into the home. “She was like, ‘Why are you trying to break into my house?’ I was trying to explain to her that I was trying to get directions to Rochester High,” Brennan told Fox 2 Detroit at the time.
Moments later, Zeigler came to the door armed with a shotgun, and Brennan took off toward the street after spotting the weapon. As he ran away, Zeigler fired a shot at the teen.
Afterward, Zeigler claimed he never intended to fire the gun, telling police that the gun accidentally went off after he fell backward and his finger hit the trigger. However, the surveillance footage from Zeigler’s home, which was shown to the jury at the trial, directly contradicted Zeigler’s account of events.
The video actually shows a shirtless Zeigler raising his weapon and taking a few seconds to aim at Brennan before firing a shot. The recoil from the shot sent Zeigler back. Fortunately, Zeigler’s one shot missed, and Brennon said that that he was happy he didn’t “become a statistic.”
“My mom says that black boys get shot because sometimes they don’t look their age, and I don’t look my age. I’m 14, but I don’t look 14,” Brennan said.
Brennan’s mother, Lisa Wright, says race definitely factored into the incident and she considered Zeigler’s actions a hate crime.
“One of the things that stands out, that probably angers me the most is, while I was watching the tape, you can hear the wife say, ‘Why did “these people” choose my house?’” Wright told Fox 2 Detroit. “Who are ‘these people?’ And that set me off.”
During his defense testimony, Zeigler said he didn’t try to see what Brennan was doing at his door because the scene was “so chaotic.” He said, “I was concerned about my wife. I was concerned that someone was coming through the door.”
Of course, the surveillance footage showed Brennan waiting patiently on the porch, barely moving until he ran off after seeing Zeigler’s shotgun.
Around the time of the incident, Zeigler’s lawyer said the man, who is a retired firefighter, and his wife had been on “high alert” for possible break-ins after their home had been broken into several times before.
“He has given his whole life to the business of saving lives,” defense attorney Robert Morad said in April. “He has no signs, no history of racism. If there were any racial issues, he wouldn’t have spent his career working in the city of Detroit.”
Morad said the Zeiglers had been victims of home invasions four times, including once by a “neighborhood kid” who was subsequently convicted, however, that doesn’t give Zeigler the right to be trigger happy.
Zeigler’s attorney said his client’s conviction of the lesser charge of assault with intent to do great bodily harm showed that the jury didn’t believe that he intended to kill Brennan … EVEN THOUGH HE SHOT AT HIM WITH A FRIKKIN’ SHOTGUN.
Jeffrey Zeigler could face up to 10 years in prison for the assault conviction, plus a mandatory two years for the firearm charge. His bond was revoked and he was ordered to jail until his sentencing on November 13th.
Erica and her BF, Clifford Dixon, were hauled off to jail Friday in Johns Creek, GA — about 27 miles outside of Atlanta — after someone called cops from their home to report an argument getting out of hand.
Once cops arrived, they interviewed different people in the home and discovered Cliff and Erica had been fighting … and that Cliff allegedly kicked through a bedroom door to a room in which Erica had locked herself.
According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, one of Erica and Cliff’s roommates heard them fighting upstairs and apparently heard someone get slapped. Cops say they didn’t see any visible marks on either person, but ended up busting Cliff when 2 different people reported he’d kicked through the door. He denied breaking it.
Cliff was arrested for criminal trespass because Erica told cops the property was in her name. Meanwhile, Erica was arrested for possession of bud.
Cops say Erica admitted smoking weed and that she had some inside her home. Cops say they found baggies of weed and possible THC wax in her bedroom and her kitchen.
Erica Mena was featured on the seventh season of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, but she had previously been a main cast member on Love & Hip Hop New York for four seasons.
A white woman dubbed “Cornerstone Caroline” sparked outrage yesterday after a video showing her calling the police on a young black boy she falsely accused of sexually assaulting her in a Brooklyn store went viral. 53-year-old Teresa Sue Klein has since apologized for her lies.
The hella delayed apology from Klein came Friday (Oct. 12) after she watched surveillance footage from the Sahara Deli clearly showing the 9-year-old boy’s backpack brushing up against her as she was at the counter.
“I was wrong. The child accidentally brushed me,” she told News 12 Brooklyn, as laughter erupted from people in the deli who gathered to watch the footage with her. “Young man, I don’t know your name, but I’m sorry.”
Klein says she’s received numerous death threats since the incident, while community members say they’re more worried about the boy’s wellbeing.
One of Klein’s neighbors—a man named Jason Littlejohn, who recorded the viral video showing the little boy crying as Klein confronted his mother and called the “police”—said the incident was heartbreaking. “The second I saw that little boy crying, it broke my heart,” said Littlejohn, who is a father himself.
Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft alongside Bill Gates in 1975, has died. He was 65 years old.
According to King 5 Seattle reporter Chris Daniels, Allen died from complications as a result of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which he was diagnosed with in 2009. He underwent chemotherapy for large B-cell lymphoma and the treatment put him into remission, however, the cancer returned in 2018.
Allen wrote a personal blog earlier this month about the disease returning, saying that his doctors were “optimistic” about his prognosis. You can read the post below:
I learned recently that the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that I was treated for in 2009 has returned. My team of doctors has begun treatment of the disease and I plan on fighting this aggressively.
A lot has happened in medicine since I overcame this disease in 2009. My doctors are optimistic that I will see good results from the latest therapies, as am I. I will continue to stay involved with Vulcan, the Allen Institutes, the Seahawks and Trail Blazers, as I have in the past.
I have confidence in the leadership teams to manage their ongoing operations during my treatment. I am very grateful for the support I’ve received from my family and friends. And I’ve appreciated the support of everyone on the teams and in the broader community in the past, and count on that support now as I fight this challenge.
Go Seahawks! Go Blazers!
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is, according to the Mayo Clinic, “cancer that originates in the lymphatic system, the disease-fighting network spread throughout your body. In non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, tumors develop from lymphocytes — a type of white blood cell.”
Treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and drug treatments. The 10-year survival rate for this cancer is 59 percent, according to Geek Wire.
Before his death, Paul Allen was estimated to be the 46th-richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $20.3 billion, including 100 million shares of Microsoft.
Allen also had a multibillion-dollar investment portfolio that included technology and media companies, real estate, stakes in other companies, and more. Some of his biggest investments were Ticketmaster and Charter Communications.
He also owned two professional sports teams: the Seattle Seahawks (NFL) and the Portland Trailblazers (NBA). He was also part-owner of Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC soccer team.
Allen was also a philanthropist and gave more than $2 billion towards causes such as education, wildlife and environmental conservation, the arts, health and community services, and more.
Paul Allen—who was, at times, considered reclusive—never married and didn’t have any children.
