Tiffany Haddish getting advice from Tyler Perry to realize dream of owning movie studio

The actress says she’s learning from mogul Perry to realize her dream

This week Tiffany Haddish revealed that she has aspirations of starting her own movie studio, and she’s reached out to none other than Tyler Perry to help her do it.

Monday, the 40-year-old actress revealed to Charles Latibeaudiere on TMZ Live that she hoped to branch out from acting and someday own her own studio like Perry.

The Girls Trip actress said she was inspired after it was announced that Perry has become a billionaire, in large part to his expansive Atlanta studio.

READ MORE: Tyler Perry officially becomes a billionaire, Forbes announces

Haddish also noted she’d already come up with a name, explaining, “Oh yeah. She Ready Studios. I would love to do that. I talk to Tyler all the time. He’s teaching me.”

Tiffany Haddish, Whoopi Goldberg, and Tyler Perry attend ‘Nobody’s Fool’ New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on October 28, 2018, in New York City. (Photo by Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)

She said that she makes it a habit to talk to people, “who are doing the things that I want to do,” adding that just the day before, she “went on a hike with some billionaires.”

Haddish’s drive has always been a hallmark of her personality. As theGrio reported last month, during a sit down with fellow female comedian Luenell, she explained how she went from having trouble reading as a child to writing her book, “The Last Black Unicorn,” a New York Times bestseller in 2017.

The Night School star, in particular, pointed out the irony of getting a Grammy nod for book narration when there was one point she was unable to read at all.

“That was kinda cool to be nominated for a Grammy for reading out loud when I couldn’t read at one point in time in my life when I was in my teens,” she disclosed.

Read More: Legends Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight announced for the next Verzuz

“I thought I was stupid. Everybody would say to me, ‘You’re stupid, you’re stupid, you so stupid.’ At that time in my life, I took things literally,” Haddish said. “So if everybody’s telling me you’re stupid – my stepdad, my mom, grandma, everybody used to say, ‘You so stupid.’ So, I believed I was stupid and I can’t read and I can’t do these things because I’m stupid.”

Ultimately, a drama teacher helped her learn to read and the rest is Hollywood history.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

The post Tiffany Haddish getting advice from Tyler Perry to realize dream of owning movie studio appeared first on TheGrio.

from TheGrio https://ift.tt/2ZlAg6F

Utah police shot autistic boy, 13, after mom called 911 for help

The teenager reportedly suffered injuries to his intestines, bladder, shoulder and ankles.

The mother of a 13-year-old autistic boy is speaking out after he was shot by a police officer in Salt Lake City on Friday night.

Golda Barton’s son Linden Cameron has Asperger syndrome, and she told CNN that on Sept. 4, he was having a hard time coping with her going back to work after nearly a year. When he suffered a “mental breakdown,” Barton called the police and asked for a crisis intervention team to help manage the situation. 

“I said, ‘Look, he’s unarmed. He doesn’t have anything. He just gets mad and he starts yelling and screaming,'” Barton told CNN affiliate KUTV about her call to law enforcement. “He’s a kid, he’s trying to get attention. He doesn’t know how to regulate.”

Read More: White man blames autism for causing him to call police on Black women at pool

When police arrived, Cameron ran away. Moments later, Barton heard “get down on the ground” followed by several gunshots. A Salt Lake City police officer repeatedly shot the teenager, leaving him in serious condition. He reportedly suffered injuries to his intestines, bladder, shoulder and ankles. 

“Why didn’t they tase him? Why didn’t they shoot him with a rubber bullet?” Barton told the station. “He’s a small child. Why don’t you just tackle him? You are big police officers with massive amounts of resources.”

Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Keith Horrocks said in a news conference that officers had been called to the area because Cameron was having a “psychological episode and had made threats to some folks with the weapon.”

Barton says her son was unarmed during the shooting, and police reportedly didn’t find a weapon at the scene.

“Mom can say whatever she wants, but there’s this investigation that has to happen and this process that has to take place,” Detective Greg Wilking, a spokesperson for the Salt Lake City Police Department, told CNN.

AUTISTIC BOY SHOT BY POLICE: The mother of a 13-year-old boy shot by Salt Lake City police is seeking answers as her son was having a mental breakdown. He was unarmed.

FULL STORY: https://t.co/X98K9HEXLQ pic.twitter.com/tgVDvewIJ1

— KUTV2news (@KUTV2News) September 7, 2020

Local autism advocates are calling for changes to how police handle crises involving individuals suffering from mental health.

“While the full details of this incident are yet to be released as an investigation takes place, I will say that I am thankful this young boy is alive and no one else was injured,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in statement to KUTV. “No matter the circumstances, what happened on Friday night is a tragedy and I expect this investigation to be handled swiftly and transparently for the sake of everyone involved.”

Barton wrote in a GoFundMe page for her son’s medical bills that he is a boy who loves “video games, four wheeling, and longboarding” and “is always looking for ways to help people out.”

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

The post Utah police shot autistic boy, 13, after mom called 911 for help appeared first on TheGrio.

from TheGrio https://ift.tt/2DFSXdF

Legends Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight announced for the next Verzuz

Iconic vocalists Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight will be the ‘competitors’ in the latest Verzuz event on Sunday

Soul queens Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight have been announced as the next ‘contenders’ in the Verzuz battle.

Verzuz broke Twitter by sharing the news on social media on Tuesday. The main event is scheduled for this Sunday at 5 p.m. PST, 8 p.m. EST.

Read More: Brandy, Monica take over 30 out of 40 spots on Apple Music chart after Verzuz battle

(L-R) Gladys Knight, Fantasia Barrino and Patti Labelle perform onstage during the 68th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 8, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

“The Master Class we’ve ALL been waiting for! @MsGladysKnight  vs. @MsPattiPatti,” the tweet began.

“🔥 This Sunday at 5PM PT/8PM ET. Y’all gotta get dressed up in ya Sunday’s best for this classic affair. Watch it on our IG or in HD on @AppleMusic. Drinks by @Ciroc,” the account tweeted.

The Master Class we’ve ALL been waiting for! @MsGladysKnight vs. @MsPattiPatti 🔥 This Sunday at 5PM PT/8PM ET.

Y’all gotta get dressed up in ya Sunday’s best for this classic affair.

Watch it on our IG or in HD on @AppleMusic.
Drinks by @Ciroc. pic.twitter.com/tgCAOdBFgc

— Verzuz (@verzuzonline) September 8, 2020

The Empress of Soul, Knight is a seven-time Grammy winner who has belted out such classics as “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “Love Overboard” and “Superwoman.” LaBelle, the Godmother of Soul and two-time Grammy winner is a heavy hitter with anthems such as “If Only You Knew,” “New Attitude” and “You Are My Friend.”

It didn’t take long for reactions to start pouring in over the two icons who have multiple hits and awards between them.

Read More: Brandy, Monica Verzuz battle draws over 1.2 million viewers

You crazy for this one @verzuzonline. #Verzuz pic.twitter.com/5UbeN2ScIS

— Dee Phunk (@DeePhunk) September 8, 2020

me pulling up to the Patti LaBelle vs Gladys Knight battle. #Verzuz pic.twitter.com/SaojoCgqG4

— 𝖗𝖔𝖓 (@ronthacreator) September 8, 2020

During Monica and Brandy’s record-breaking Verzuz battle, Knight hinted that she was ready and willing to put her catalog up against other superstars, retweeting fans who wanted to see her in friendly competition with Chaka Khan and LaBelle.

@verzuzonline we need a @ChakaKhan vs @MsGladysKnight 👏

— IAmBalKelly (@IAmBalKelly) September 2, 2020

Verzuz, the brainchild of über-producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, has become an unexpected go-to entertainment source during the pandemic. The hitmakers told The Associated Press in April that they simply wanted to give back to fans who were stuck in the house due to the coronavirus.

“We don’t really like to use the word ‘battle’ — although it’s natural to say battle when two people are playing songs with each other. But this is more of a celebration, an educational celebration,” Swizz Beatz told AP. “Me and Tim’s mission is to bring happiness, to help everybody get past this hard moment because we’re all being affected.”

Timbaland shared the effort involved in making these must-see cultural events happen.

“Me and Swizz sit down and we really kind of curate the matches well. We try to do the unpredictable, not what people predict. And that comes with a lot of work on me and Swizz’s part,” said Timbaland. “We have to make a lot of phone calls to get these celebrations lined up. It’s a process.”

Previous battles include Brandy vs. Monica, the most recent one, Erykah Badu vs. Jill Scott, DMX vs. Snoop, Beenie Man vs. Bounty Killer, and Babyface vs. Teddy Riley.

Here’s just one example of when the two living legends sang with another one – Dionne Warwick.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

The post Legends Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight announced for the next Verzuz appeared first on TheGrio.

from TheGrio https://ift.tt/35lZ4iK

DOJ asks to defend Trump in rape accuser’s defamation lawsuit

The federal government, rather than Trump himself, might have to pay damages if any are awarded to his accuser E. Jean Carroll

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to take over President Donald Trump‘s defense in a defamation lawsuit from a writer who accused him of rape, and federal lawyers asked a court Tuesday to allow a move that could put the American people on the hook for any money she might be awarded.

After New York state courts turned down Trump’s request to delay E. Jean Carroll‘s suit, Justice Department lawyers filed court papers Tuesday aiming to shift the case into federal court and to substitute the U.S. for Trump as the defendant. That means the federal government, rather than Trump himself, might have to pay damages if any are awarded.

The filing complicates, at least for the moment, Carroll’s efforts to get a DNA sample from the president as potential evidence and to have him answer questions under oath.

Read More: Why Trump really banned diversity training as ‘anti-American’

President Donald Trump, left, and his accuser E. Jean Carroll. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Glamour)

Justice Department lawyers argue that Trump was “acting within the scope of his office” when he denied Carroll’s allegations, made last year, that he raped her in a New York luxury department store in the mid-1990s. She says his comments — including that she was “totally lying” to sell a memoir — besmirched her character and harmed her career.

“Numerous courts have recognized that elected officials act within the scope of their office or employment when speaking with the press, including with respect to personal matters,” the DoJ attorneys wrote.

Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, called their argument “shocking.”

“It offends me as a lawyer and offends me even more as a citizen,” she said in a statement.

Read More: Trump pushes misleading claim China is interfering in election for Biden

Carroll, meanwhile, said the developments illustrated “that Trump will do everything possible, including using the full powers of the federal government,” to try to stop the case.

It will be up to a federal judge to decide whether to keep the case in federal court and to allow the U.S. to become the defendant.

Carroll is trying to get a DNA sample from Trump to see whether it matches as-yet-unidentified male genetic material found on a dress that she says she was wearing during the alleged attack and didn’t don again until a photo shoot last year.

Her suit seeks damages and a retraction of Trump’s statements.

The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

The post DOJ asks to defend Trump in rape accuser’s defamation lawsuit appeared first on TheGrio.

from TheGrio https://ift.tt/3bDWaqN

Colin Kaepernick Returns to Madden for the 1st Time in 4 Years

While a return to the NFL is unlikely, Colin Kaepernick has made his return to the next best thing: Madden.

Read more...

from The Root https://ift.tt/3bFtPjP