#SuperModelSaturday ft #EboneeDavis ! @lrpeoples @ricardo_rivera @lacyredway @samanthalmua @nymag -#BlackGirlMagic #BehindTheRackTV #instastyle #instafashion #style #runway #fashionweek #fashionshow #glam #fashionglam #luxuryfashion #highfashion #fashiongram #fashiondesigner #fashionphotography #beauty #model #thecut #tbt #fbf

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Josephine Baker

Royalty inside my DNA.

A post shared by Ebonee Davis (@eboneedavis) on May 31, 2017 at 10:01am PDT

Iman

What Happened, Miss Simone?

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Nina Simone

Ebonee meets Mahogany. ✨ I appreciate all your love so much! Recreating these iconic images was such a dream; this is one of my favorite shoots to date! Thank you @lrpeoples and the rest of our amazing team @ricardo_rivera @lacyredway and @samanthalmua! ***** "The extrajudicial killing of black men and women prompted me to be more vocal about racism in the fashion industry because both police brutality and exclusion stems from the same system of oppression. Inclusion may be having a moment right now, but what happens when being inclusive isn’t on trend anymore? For change to endure, inclusion has to go beyond cool, beyond just hiring models of color; it has to be more than reactionary response to what’s happening in our society and politics, and making room for people of color on all levels.” To read the rest of my interview, check out @nymag #BlackGirlMagic

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Diana Ross

What's love got to do with it? @lacyredway went off! Do you see this hair?!

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Tina Turner

Ebonee Davis photographed by Ricardo Rivera for New York magazine . . . #publicrelations #pr #industrymenu #styling #editorial #newyorkmag #eboneedavis #fashion #blackgirlmagic tedtalks #photography #fashionphotography

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Pat Cleveland

Savior of my tribe. @samanthalmua you killed this look! #MarshaHunt

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Marsha Hunt

Thank you for creating this story @lrpeoples, you are brilliant. #BlackGirlMagic

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Donyale Luna

#ANTM #Cycle18's @eboneedavis spotting her @Pantene ad while out and about #EboneeDavis #ANTMAlumni #Pantene

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Pantene

Curlfest is an example of what happens when Black women realize the power in creating our own spaces where we can celebrate one another, rather than begging others to create space for us. THIS is what we need. It was a reminder that freedom in created, not given. Never in my life have I seen so many unapologetic Black women in one place. Truly one of the most beautiful experiences I've ever had. Speaking of coming together and supporting one another, Ms. @brandicedaniel connected me to @fenoel, a Black designer out of Brooklyn, who dressed me in this amazing jumpsuit! Let's keep creating spaces where we can come together to celebrate US and all of our magic! #ForUsByUs #Curlfest ✨

A post shared by Ebonee Davis (@eboneedavis) on Jul 18, 2017 at 10:03am PDT

CurlFest

The post Get Into All Of Ebonee Davis’ Looks appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image via Getty

Two years ago, we learned that Mara Brock and Salim Akil had ended their relationship with BET and were going to begin working with Warner Brothers.

And while that is still the case, they’ve also teamed up with Oprah and the good people at OWN to create a new series called “Love Is___”

According to a press release from OWN, the new show is an original one-hour humorous drama that draws inspiration from the real-life relationship between the Akils.

The couple will serve as executive producers for the show with Mara as the showrunner. It will be produced in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television and will premiere in 2018.

Here’s what Oprah had to say about the new venture.

“I’ve dreamed of working with the Akils,” said Oprah Winfrey. “I’ve been a huge fan of their work since first viewing ‘Girlfriends.’ They know just how to hit the cultural nerve to make you think and laugh at the same time.”

Naturally, Mara is grateful for the opportunity.

“To have a partner that brings the attention to detail and sheer excellence that Oprah has built an empire on is an absolute dream come true for Salim and me. That, and it’s Oprah! ‘Love Is ___’ is not only a passion project, but is a personal one for us as well. We’re grateful to have her wholehearted support and magic touch behind this story.”

The post Mara Brock And Salim Akil To Develop New Series For OWN appeared first on MadameNoire.

Singer Sevyn Streeter, who after two EPs, finally released her first album Girl Disrupted earlier this month, is finally in a happy place. The 31-year-old, however, wasn’t there recently when she revealed that she’d gone through a battle with depression and had thoughts of wanting to take her life. In a new interview with The Breakfast Club, Streeter opened up further about it, saying that she tried therapy (“I wasn’t crazy about it”), and she tried prayer (“My mom is a minister, my aunt is my pastor”), but identifying her triggers and putting her emotions down on paper helped her the most.

“Today I feel great. I’m in a really good space because I figured out what my triggers were,” she said. “I handled all of them accordingly and dealt with them and faced them and I have a really great family. They were praying for me even when I didn’t want to pray for myself. And I write. Writing is super duper therapeutic for me. Extremely therapeutic for me.”

It took some time, but the singer and songwriter is feeling much or at peace and has learned to take things day by day.

“Honestly, I just feel like for the first time in a really long time, I am in the best place that I’ve been.”

In case you missed it, Streeter revealed to Vibe Vixen her depression and the many things piling on her at once that triggered it.

“Turning 30 was a big trigger for me,” she said. “This is not like when you graduate high school and you get your diploma. You go to college for four years, or whatever period of time, and you get your degree. You did it, and you get to move on. I’ve literally been doing the same exact thing everyday with the same amount of intensity and focus, since I was 15 years old. To look up and be 30 years old, and to feel like this hasn’t happened yet, but you can’t quit because you’re just going to be throwing away all the years that you put into it [music]. That in itself can take a toll. I don’t care what you do in life, you want to be successful, you want to feel like you accomplished certain things. A lot of my depression was triggered by the fact that I’ve given my life to this music, and it’s in a good place, but it’s not exactly where I want it to be. I sacrificed a lot of my childhood for music, I sacrificed a lot of my love life for music.”

“I looked up and I’m like ‘I’m 30, what do I have to show for all of the things that I’ve sacrificed?'” Streeter continued. “My faith level was at an amazing height all my life. I had never been in a place where I was questioning God so much. I knew well enough to know that he would bring me out of it, but when you’re in the middle of it, it’s hard to see [clearly] sometimes.”

The post Sevyn Streeter On What Pulled Her Out Of Depression When Prayer And Therapy Alone Wouldn’t Suffice appeared first on MadameNoire.

Tina, Beyoncé and Solange Knowles

Nicole, Bria and Shayne Murphy

Nikki Taylor and Teyana Taylor

Marjorie and Lori Harvey

Ellen and Lana Ector

Evelyn Lozada and Shanieceh Hairston

Valerie and Naomi Campbell

yeah but that's racism , simply put .... not accepting the fact she is black .@meghanmarkle and Mom pic.twitter.com/zdVRaYwZzn

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Doria Raglan and Meghan Markle

Vanessa Williams and Jillian Hervey

The post Good Genes In Those Jeans: Fit Mother-Daughter Duos (And Trios) appeared first on MadameNoire.

Have a baby to nurse, a son to raise and a husband to attend to? If so, hair is probably the last thing you’re thinking about. In the case of singer Ciara, she wanted to make it at least one of the last things on her list of concerns after having her daughter, Sienna.

But her choice of hair has brought the beauty a lot more joy than she probably planned for. When you look and feel good and you’ve got some hair flowing down your back, you know what that means. It’s a photo shoot!

The 31-year-old showed off her fabulous faux locs for the ‘gram yesterday and left all of us thinking that they are the perfect look for her:

Late last month, the singer let everyone know she was going back to her post-baby faux locs, which were the same style she looked beautiful in after giving birth to her son, Future.

We’ve actually seen the singer out and about with the locs, as well as the back of her head in them while working out. However, this is the first time the new mom has really showed off what she’s looking like after Sienna’s birth (including her face), and clearly, she’s feeling herself.

We know that these faux locs are for the moment and to keep her hair from being a bother during this important time, but I think we can all agree that the look suits her nicely. #teammakeitpermanentCiCi

The post Ciara Is Feeling Herself And Her Post-Baby Faux Locs During Home Photo Shoot appeared first on MadameNoire.

Within the first five minutes of the premiere of the second half of Season 4 of Being Mary Jane, in between the weak sex with Lee, the flubs at work and a poor attempt to salvage her relationship after admitting she has feelings for yet another a–hole instead of a good guy, it’s clear that even Mary Jane Paul is over her bullsh-t.

You can see it her eyes that she’s bored. She’s bored with trying to keep up the rigmarole of acting like she really wants to be with a guy who treats her well and is willing to give her the things she wants: love, a child, some stability. She’s bored with having to focus on her own issues as opposed to what is going on with her family in Atlanta and the lives of everyone else. She’s bored with being on top and finally getting to sit at the anchor desk for a daytime program, a goal she finally reached by cutthroat means at the end of the first half of Season 4. She’s bored with life when it’s going well, so Mary Jane self-sabotages, and honestly, at this point in the game, it’s exhausting to watch.

In the premiere episode, after things fall apart with Lee (ending with him saying some truly mean things), Mary Jane jumps headfirst into trying to cultivate a relationship with sneaky producer Justin. If you’ll recall, they banged one out on the Great Day USA anchor desk, and she’s been sprung and confused ever since. She’s so damn giddy at the thought of them finally having the chance to be something you would have sworn she didn’t just walk all over the heart of someone else a few scenes earlier. Of course, though, Justin tells her in “Congratulations, you played yourself” fashion that he still has a girlfriend, even if she gave up her boyfriend for him. He doesn’t want to “blow up my world on a whim.” Instead of using this fail as a wakeup call, she does the usual Mary Jane thing: She gets cutthroat.

She tries to rattle things up at work when the news comes out that her former nemesis, Ronda, will be interviewed on the show MJ snagged from her. She hopes to throw Justin underneath the bus when Ronda tells her story and also hopes to increase her appeal with viewers. To help to make that happen, she tries to make a connection with a film director thrown her way for gossip and to generate buzz. Like all of the rest, the Lees, the Seans (remember Wayne Brady’s short-lived character?) and so on and so forth, the director, Ray Fulweather, is a good guy who is a good distraction for Mary Jane — for exactly three minutes. In her attempt to make Justin jealous, Mary Jane pretends she’s really interested in getting to know Ray and offers to cook for him at her place.

So how does she end up with the cat with the questionable character yet again?

By the end of the episode, Justin shows up at MJ’s place while she’s prepping dinner for Ray and he lays it on thick, like the Andres and Davids of her past, telling her that he broke up with his girlfriend. He doesn’t say outright that he wants to be with her, but he makes it clear that “I can’t stand the thought of you with someone else.” He charms her right out of her panties and once again, Mary Jane is back at square one.

Sure, other things happened during the episode (including a sign of drama to come for Paul Sr. and Helen Patterson, career problems for Kara and the return of that bish Ronda), but we all know who this whole shabang is really about.

While her dance with David is somewhat entertaining, for anyone who’s been watching this show since the beginning, it’s also kind of disappointing — and boring. You can see this move coming, and after having an affair, getting into a car accident and losing her best friend (literally, Lisa is dead, y’all) over a man, you would hope that Mary Jane would be further along when it comes to matters of the heart. That doesn’t mean she’s supposed to be married with kids and “have it all together,” but it just means that she shouldn’t be stuck in the same place four seasons in, just doing the same sh-t in a different location.

And to be completely honest, even Gabrielle Union looks bored with her once fiery character (Maybe this episode was shot around the time she sued BET over her contract and so she just wasn’t here for the sh-ts?). In the first few minutes of the episode, Union literally looks like she’s going through the motions. By the breakup scene with Lee, she’s not sure if she wants MJ to be sad, angry or happy that Lee (who was honestly missing something all along…) is finally going to get gone. She bored with trying to deal with this character who, as Lee points out, is “still that broken girl I met on the first night.” Truly, she’s still the broken girl we met in Season 1, even after seemingly getting closer to obtaining everything she’s wanted. While she had the chance to progress professionally and romantically (and to even start that family she was stealing sperm for back in the day), Mary Jane, four seasons in, seems to be regressing emotionally. A character who once was getting deeper and even political at the right time seems to be reverting to her old ways, and even she seems over this revolving door of a TV life.

The post Is Mary Jane Over Being Mary Jane? appeared first on MadameNoire.

Credit: Getty

Kofi Siriboe was a problem during Essence Fest. An object-of-every-woman-with-at-least-some-degree-of-eyesight problem. It was a struggle to track him down and grab just five minutes of his time, and even when I did I found myself distracted during our brief interview between all of his handlers, the line of women waiting just to touch the hem of his garment — and grab a pic with him — and, of course, that smile.

“Last year we were walking around like normal,” he told me. “This year it’s been wild, in the best way possible. There’s so many more fans showing so much more love. We were introducing the show last year, now we have people connected. They love it; they love our characters. It’s all love.”

The show, of course, is Queen Sugar. But after this weekend, it’s hard to say whether women will be screaming out Ralph Angel when they see him on the street or Malik, the character he plays in the upcoming Girls Trip. Either way, I have a feeling that as his star rises, Siriboe’s day-to-day life is going to look a lot more like Essence Fest 2017 than he realizes. For now, though, he still manages to retain some privacy.

“I find my space,” he said, “I know how to move and maneuver. It’s kind of fun to me. It’s a process. Sometimes you just want to chill. Sometimes I want to take as many pictures as possible. I ride my bike, I find my parks. I try to keep it low-key.”

Low-key and carefree, I’d argue. One glance at the 23-year-old’s eclectic style and it’s clear he’s not interested in cookie cutter fashion. The sensitivity with which he discusses his character Ralph Angel and his representation of Black masculinity also prove Siriboe isn’t interested in just being Hollywood’s next international chocolate superstar. But as we’ve seen time and time again, the price of increased fame is often the loss of a sense of self, and the uniqueness which initially makes us fall in love with entertainers falls to the wayside in order to fit into the industry’s narrow view of success. Asked whether he’s already feeling pressure to conform, he confessed,”It’s a balance.”

“In a lot of ways it’s easier to be free because I have more space, I have more resources. But then there’s a lot more attention so then there’s a responsibility and kind of a weight working with people like Oprah and Ava who are overachievers and have such high esteem. I’m still 23. I’m still learning myself and I still make bad decisions sometimes. But I just put that work into myself. I keep myself grounded and rooted and feed myself the good stuff and I don’t have to worry as much about that weight. It’s easier to carry and it actually disappears after a while because you attract what you want.”

An extension of the weight the actor feels working with such accomplished Black women is his love for Black women in general. Just google his name and you’ll no doubt come across a number of articles heralding Siriboe for the many times he’s professed his love of us. And while he may be an actor, he made it clear to me his love of Black women isn’t for show.

“I don’t want people to think that it’s for them to talk about. My love of Black women comes with a responsibility — how am I actually going to transition that into work and rehabilitation for Black women? It’s not just a good topic,” he added. “It’s not a cool headline. I actually have some real things I’m putting into place that represent that conversation that I think is necessary.”

Some of those things include nights out, special dinners, like the one he had for 250 of New Orleans’ homeless this past Easter, and conversations not only for the general public but for people in relationships with Black women and his fans.

“I need them to understand it because the more they get it, the more we’ll be able to bring it to the world, kind of like what Chance is doing for kids. There’s a piece of that in there but it doesn’t have to look one way. It could just be a night where Black men are celebrating Black women and their accomplishments just because they deserve it. We don’t know half of the women in these communities, people like yourself, doing great things. So how do we celebrate you guys and use that celebration to educate people because it’s not just for fun.”

Another element of Siriboe that isn’t just for show is the emotion he brings to the role of Ralph Angel. Asked what it takes to portray such a quietly expressive role, he told me, “That’s my normal.”

“I’m very in tune; I’m always thinking; I’m always processing, trying to construct a new way to approach this or that. That’s me all the time. When I get to set, I just fall into it. It’s more, about, sometimes, livening myself up, getting outside of that mood. I’m always over-analyzing. I’m an over-thinker; I’m very sensitive; I’m very emotional; I take everything to heart. That’s why people ask me, ‘what have you seen in your life?’ and it’s more just the weight of it all — being human and feeling so deeply.”

The post How Kofi Siriboe Plans To Live Up To The Responsibility He Says Comes With His Love Of Black Women appeared first on MadameNoire.

If you watch Power, then you know that La La Anthony’s character of LaKeisha on the series has developed and is now involved in a romance with Joseph Sikora’s character of Tommy. TV romance = TV sex scenes, and the Starz series is known for its very steamy and realistic scenes as well as nudity. Anthony, known more to many as a TV personality (and Carmelo Anthony’s estranged wife) and mom than an actress, is not exempt from stripping down from them.

Her nude scenes have garnered an interesting reaction from people, and to be frank, the 38-year-old wants those who are shocked by them to get over it already. At least, that’s what she told the folks at The Breakfast Club.

“Here’s the situation, and I’m glad we’re talking about this because I want to address this once and for all,” she said. “First of all, the problem is, people don’t know how to separate La La from LaKeisha. That’s my character on Power. My character on Power is currently in a relationship with Tommy. When you’re in a relationship with someone, you have sex with them and you take your top off. You don’t have sex fully clothed. So that’s what’s happening in their relationship. But the problem is, people just see it as, ‘Oh my God, La La’s on TV doing this and that, I can’t believe she’s doing this!’ No, LaKeisha is doing that. And if I’m a true actor and I’m real about my craft, which I take seriously, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Anthony said she’s not going to start making demands about what she will and won’t do as an actress now that she’s being given more opportunities on screen.

“I’m not going to go to the creator of the show, Courtney, and say, ‘Oh, because people are going to call in and say I’m a bad person because I showed my boobs and every woman has boobs, I’m not going to do this’ and I’m going to risk my job as an actor. I’m not going to do that,” Anthony added. “I will say this, to be on Power, we got sat down from the first episode of Season 1 to sign a nudity clause. You know at some point on Power there may be — 50 showed his stuff! At some point it’s going to come to everybody! I’m no different. I’m an actor. I work really hard at what I do. I just really love the people that support and really wish the people that didn’t know it’s not La La, it’s LaKeisha. So when I read that I’m a bad mom because I did a scene on Power, it’s the most hilarious thing to me. First of all, Kiyan doesn’t even watch Power, let’s start there. He’s not even allowed to watch the show. But people need to learn how to separate it. For the most part, I will say the response has been amazing and most people do know how to separate it. But when it becomes like, ‘Oh, I can’t believe she did this! What does ‘Melo think?’ This is acting! This is not my real life. You’ve got to stop.”

Check out her full interview below (a lot of the tea is actually spilled in the very beginning of it), including how she prepared Carmelo for her sex scenes, what her family thinks about them, and what her relationship status (in real life) is at this point.

The post La La Says “You’ve Got To Stop” Making A Big Deal About Her Sex Scenes On Power appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image via Bigstock

While I can’t find the link right now, I know I’ve written somewhere on MadameNoire about the safety precautions women take when going out on dates with men they don’t know all that well. I’m sure I’ve shared the story of having my college friends attend the same movie with me and my date, a couple rows back, to ensure that everything went smoothly.

In the past, when my sister went on dates with dudes she met from Tinder, she put her location on, so my entire immediate family, knew where she was at all times. Throughout the date, there were frequent check-ins, forwarded pictures of the man’s image and any other pertinent information.
Some people might think all of this is too much, too extra, too paranoid but the truth is, there are far too many examples that prove that men aren’t safe. And a woman takes a huge risk any time she agrees to go otu with a man, whether she thinks she knows him well or not. This is not something I expect ment to readily understand. But I do expect them to respect it.

One man on social media proved he could not.

Unreal… pic.twitter.com/uIlkTxCsN7

— Read A. Aura (@steenfox) July 18, 2017

Like I said, men don’t get it. While I’m sure they might have stumbled across a story or two of a man who injured or killed a woman who rejected him, or a man who cursed a woman out on the street, they don’t empathize with the victims of those stories. Most of them don’t know what it feels like for their lives to be in danger every time they step out the door, just by virtue of their gender. Still, for the life of me, I can’t understand why someone taking a precaution to ensure their personal safety would offend you, if you know your intentions are pure. If you’re genuinely interested in someone’s personhood and their comfort in your presence, why does them snapping a picture of your license offend you?

But there were plenty of men who had all types of reasons why this didn’t sit well with them.

Yo lol i get the whole female security thing but I would’ve did that too & blocked her https://t.co/y8a1bKlT4u

— east hussle (@ROBXEASTCOAST) July 19, 2017

If this really how y’all feel…why even agree to go on dates with people.

— Ex Savage (@FuckYouBanks) July 18, 2017

But at the same time he dont know her either she can have some set up and get all his information after the date. Gotta look at it both ways https://t.co/UWiatxXcft

— Duce’Kamikaze (@Faithful_Dreamz) July 19, 2017

This reminds me of white people locking their cars doors or clutching their purse extra tight when black people walk by lol

— BIG BALLER BRAND (@_Nineteen96) July 19, 2017

Except the White people haven’t agreed to put their lives in your hands by getting in the car with you…but, nice try though.

And my personal favorite:

Women: I don’t feel safe!
Men: pic.twitter.com/yniAzOnrKE

— Read A. Aura (@steenfox) July 19, 2017

Now, in addition to finding a man who just might be worth your time, doing what you need to do to prepare for the date, hoping and praying that you enjoy yourself, you also have to be able to read…his… aura. And don’t take all day to do it either, y’all have a reservation.

It’s just astounding, really. Women can not win. When a woman is violated in some way, men and women alike, will be quick to take the focus off of the assault itself in an attempt to discuss all the ways she could and should have protected herself. But when women actually do the work of looking out for themselves, it’s too much.

Once again, a man’s feelings trump a woman’s. She can feel unsafe but God forbid he be questioned or hell, potentially held accountable should things go left. Because she doesn’t want to offend him, she’s supposed to leave her safety up to a stranger’s good will and hope to God that he looks out for her interests better than she would her own. Man, please. It’s just not smart. Expecting a stranger to care more about you than you care about yourself, literally defies logic.

And judging by the reaction of the man in this particular story, taking the picture of that license saved her from foolishness that was no doubt on the way, in whatever form it materialized.

For the 50-11th time, this story wouldn’t be so hard for men to swallow if they started listening to women. I mean, really listening, and began just attempting to empathize with our concerns. Maybe, and most importantly, if they started to acknowledge that the way so many of them behave is a threat to women’s safety, they could understand this woman’s very rational fear. And since most of them feel much more comfortable scolding a woman than calling their fellow man out on his bullsh*t, I think having a picture of your license plate snapped, is a fair compromise.

The post Y’all There’s Nothing Wrong With Taking A Pic Of A Man’s License Plate Before Going On A Date appeared first on MadameNoire.

I’m a firm believer in trying new vegetables whenever I can. This past winter I was on a bit of a brussels sprouts kick and thoroughly enjoyed myself. One of my favorite grocery stores is Trader Joes, but I usually have to go out of the way to get there. In the interim, I’m stuck with my consistently understocked friendly chain grocery store which, for some reason, seems to be able to stock the finest chia seeds and assorted soups, but no fresh dill or rosemary #gentrificationbelike.

On one of my visits, I randomly spotted a spaghetti squash hanging out in a basket. It was solo, and one of those situations where I literally thought I’d seen a unicorn. After I was able to gather myself from some old lady staring at me post squeal, I grabbed this gourd and held onto it like Gollum from “The Lord of The Rings” series. I was so excited to go home and cook this!

Did you know that spaghetti squash is significantly lower in calories than regular pasta (coming in at about 20-30 calories per cup), high in beta carotene which helps your eyesight, and loaded with potassium? #superfood. Here’s my take on traditional spaghetti and meatballs with half the calories and all the comfort.

Ingredients

1 whole spaghetti squash
Half cup of Parmesan cheese
1 lbs ground Turkey
2 Cups chopped spinach
Half cup of crumbled Feta cheese

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Celsius. With a fork, poke holes along the length of the squash on either side and pop into the microwave for about 3-4 minutes. This helps soften the outer layer a little bit so that you are able to cut into it.

Take it out and rest for one minute to cool. Cut across lengthwise to expose the cavity.

With a fork or spoon, scrape out the cavity with the stringy center and seeds. The seeds can double as snacks later if you toss them in olive oil, salt them lightly and roast for about 20 minutes.

Now that the cavity is bare, drizzle over some olive oil, a little bit of salt and some cracked black pepper. Place cavity side down on a baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes, or until a fork pierced through goes in easily.

Prepare your meatballs by simply combining the ground turkey, with the spinach , Feta and seasoning of your choice. To keep this healthy, I lightly seasoned with some salt and salt-free ‘Mrs. Dash” seasoning and smoked paprika. Feel free to season your meats as you wish. Don’t over work your meat, this will make for a tough chewy meatball. You’ll notice that I did not add any breadcrumbs or eggs to this recipe. These are typical “binding” ingredients in meatballs, and I personally find them unnecessary for holding things together.

Once all the ingredients are combined, create even sized meatballs with the help of a spoon or ice cream scoop.

If you make meatballs often you’ll want to have a scoop separate from your ice ream scoop so you don’t run the risk of cross contamination down the line.

In a heated skillet, sear your meatballs for about 2-3 minutes on each side. If your skillet is oven proof, place it in the oven to finish off for about 10 minutes. Otherwise, transfer your seared meatballs to a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Turn off your oven and take out your spaghetti squash and meatballs. Let the squash cool down or for a few minutes until it’s safe to handle. With a fork, run the prongs inside of the cavity to form the “spaghetti” strings and combine with your Parmesan while still warm.

Plate with your meatballs on top and a little drizzle of olive oil if you’d like.

There you have it! healthy meatballs and spaghetti, with half the calories and none of the guilt.

The post Squash The Calories: Spaghetti And Meatballs Revamped appeared first on MadameNoire.

Any tips on how to turn over at night? I'm having trouble from going from my left ....to my right.... to my left side.

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) July 19, 2017

This.

— Alexis Ohanian (@alexisohanian) July 19, 2017

Silk or satin sheets. The more slippery the better!

— Sarah Ockwell-Smith (@TheBabyExpert) July 19, 2017

Roll on your back, Mama...then roll right/then back/ then left. You have to sing the lyrics to the Tootsie Roll! I don't make the rules.

— Tangela Ekhoff (@tangelaekhoff) July 19, 2017

Just throw a backhand and your body will follow. Strange to give a woman advice on how to move when she moves better than any other human.

— @JaVanka Must Go (@biespitz) July 19, 2017

Call Beyonce

— Tenz (@kodotenzo) July 19, 2017

Bring both knees together first, then move them over as one.

— AHerschbergWilliams (@daily_tagline) July 19, 2017

You got to wobble girl & get a body pillow. pic.twitter.com/LChEgUPtq9

— #GirlsTripMovie (@xoloveshika) July 19, 2017

Put your biggest pregnancy craving on your other side! #FoodAlwaysMotivatesUS #YouGotThisMama ❤️ pic.twitter.com/GAE6kobXhK

— Vanessa + Melissa (@vanessaNmelissa) July 19, 2017

we are all pretty much in awe of you - so whatever you figure out - please let us know

— John Lurie (@lurie_john) July 19, 2017

The post Serena’s Baby Bump Wouldn’t Allow Her To Turn Over In Bed, So She Asked Twitter For Help appeared first on MadameNoire.

With a mother who is a singer, a father who is a pretty popular rapper and a stepfather who is a NFL quarterback, the sky is the limit in terms of a future occupation for little Future Wilburn. He might be a football player. He could be a rapper. He could possibly even end up singing. But today, as in, while the little guy is an adorable 3-year-old boy, his occupation is model.

Ciara shared a photo on Wednesday of her firstborn smiling in an ad for the Gap. It’s his first commercial campaign, and his mother couldn’t be more proud.

“Waking up in Beijing to see my little nugget on the front page of Gap.com! Holding back these happy tears!” she wrote. “I’m so proud. Future Zahir has booked his first commercial campaign with #GapKids! I’m honestly speechless….Dreams Do Come True!”

She’s not alone though. Big Future took to Twitter to congratulate his son on his modeling moment.

“baby future did a great job for gapkids,” he Tweeted. “Super smart Super fly,u deserve it king! Love u”

But baby Future didn’t get his modeling talents from out of nowhere. In case you forgot, Ciara may be a singer, but she actually has a modeling contract. The beauty signed to IMG Models last year and has represented for brands like Topshop and Coach. And before every celebrity was wearing Riccardo Tisci’s work while he was creative director for Givenchy, she was his muse.

We’re loving the little one’s first foray into fashion campaigns, and we’re sure it won’t be his last.

The post Baby Future Just Made His Modeling Debut In A Campaign For The Gap appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image via WENN

This week has not been a stellar one when it comes to the shenanigans of Black, male celebrities.

First there was the news of R Kelly’s cult, Mike Vick came out and spoke against a fellow Black man’s hair style, and today things aren’t looking so hot for Kevin Hart.

The comedian found himself in what looks to be a very compromising situation with a couple of young women in his car earlier this month.

Hart was talking to women in his car, at 5 a.m. in front of a Miami hotel.

The 20-minute encounter was captured on video was released exclusively on Radar Online. 

You can watch the gist of it here.

We reported earlier about footage of #KevinHart cheating. Well here it is!!!

A post shared by MediaTakeoutPage (@mediatakeoutpage) on Jul 19, 2017 at 11:14am PDT

In his defense, the video doesn’t show him doing anything. There’s no kissing, we can’t see his hands. All we know is that he’s doing a lot of talking in the early morning hours with a woman who is not his wife. And the girl did get out of the car and follow him into the hotel.

According to Radar, the two had spent the night partying together at LIV for a birthday bash for the star who turned 38 on July 6.

Despite all of this, a rep for Hart denied any wrongdoing.

It’s suspect to say the least. Not to mention, a position a married man with a pregnant wife should try to avoid.

The post Kevin Hart Caught In An Compromising Position With Another Woman appeared first on MadameNoire.

Porsha Williams

Gabrielle Union

Hey Kimberly. Loving my natural self. Letting my hair down pic.twitter.com/0MiBLhGrDX

— K. Michelle (@kmichelle) March 28, 2017

K. Michelle

Sanaa Lathan

Laverne Cox

Taraji P. Henson

Janelle Monae

Tina Knowles

Tia Mowry

The post Rasheeda Frost Shows What She Looks Like Sans Wigs, Weaves And Makeup appeared first on MadameNoire.

Credit: WENN.com

If you’re a Black man in entertainment, this is not your week. On the heels of the stunning revelation about R. Kelly’s cult, and the video of Kevin Hart being caught in a somewhat compromising position, a story has now surfaced that Usher has herpes.

The reason we know the singer’s otherwise confidential medical condition is because of a lawsuit RadarOnline unearthed, showing Usher reportedly paid off a stylist he infected with herpes. Allegedly, Usher was infected with the virus in 2009 or 2010 and “had rigorous unprotected sex without disclosing he was stricken with the rabid virus,” RadarOnline reported.

The site went on to say “a ‘greenish discharge’ once oozed from the performer’s penis, but otherwise he had no signs of the infection and was labeled an ‘asymptomatic carrier” by doctors’ After initially admitting concern to his partner, Usher — who’s worth a cool $180 million — later convinced her that an STD examination result was negative, and they continued to engage in unprotected sex.”

The victim reportedly believed Usher and continued her relationship with him until three weeks following a hookup, she “woke up ‘feeling very sick’ with a ‘fever of 100 degrees, chills, headache, and aches and pains.’ She “also developed lesions and blisters in her vagina,” and was so terrified she sought treatment at urgent care, where a doctor promptly diagnosed her with herpes.”

Usher reportedly posted a check for $2,754.40 covering her medical bills but “In a series of telephone conversations and online chat sessions, [Usher] has apologized for infecting [her] and told her he would take care of things.”

Taking care of things reportedly led to a $1.1. million settlement he paid to the stylist on Dec. 28, 2012. In 2015, Usher, walked down the aisle with Grace Miguel, a fact that leads to even more questions about the singer’s proclivities. So far, he’s yet to respond on the allegations.

The post Lawsuit Alleges Usher Paid Woman $1.1 Million Settlement After Infecting Her With Herpes appeared first on MadameNoire.

Facebook is the ultimate rabbit hole of memories. All it takes is one of those ridiculous animations to pop up on my feed and suddenly I’m transported back 10 years to the questionable fashion choices and even more questionable man selections of my college days. And while this stroll down memory lane definitely comes with its cringe-worthy moments, it also comes with some sadness. As I look through the photos, I come across the incredible friends I had in that moment, the ladies I thought would surely be in my bridal party and would take turns watching my babies (if that day comes). But somewhere between then and now, those friendships I thought would last a lifetime have quickly shriveled up into a shell of what they once were. Where there were once feelings of love and sisterhood, there now is animosity, frustration and, worst of all, indifference.

Look, there is nothing surprising about people drifting apart. Being in different states, out of each other’s daily orbit obviously has a way of causing people to fall out of touch with one another. But I don’t necessarily think that was what happened between some of my friends and I. I’d be more inclined to think that their choices on the love front had something to do with it. That’s not to say that our friendships took a hit because I didn’t like the men that they were with. Oftentimes I didn’t even get to know them well enough to make that judgment call. What I didn’t like was how they were around these guys I barely knew.

Case in point: One of my best friends in college, someone I had been close to since Day 1 became increasingly penis-obsessed while we were in school. Hormones out of control, she was all about tackling the hottest, most desirable man to cross our paths. Regardless of whether someone else in our friend circle had a crush on him or if he had a girlfriend, this friend didn’t skip a beat on her quest to bed him. This selfishness became a cancer that infected our friendship. There were certainly other factors that contributed to the demise of our friendship, but every time I thought we had gotten past another roadblock, somehow a dude would find his way into the mix. We have barely spoken in more than nine years.

I have seen other friendships dissipate in similar fashion, but for other reasons. From friends whose quest to become a WAG made them blind to those around them to women who just saw dollar signs when they should have been looking for love, there have been many friendships sacrificed at the altar of relationships. The idea of chicks before dicks seemed to be an archaic notion to these women who went from being independent, strong-willed ladies who didn’t give a damn about what men think to silly girls whose every decision boiled down to what would get her the guy.

Another great example was a close friend who thought that college was essentially a four-year quest to find a husband. Sure there were classes and preparing for a professional future, but that really just took away from time that she could be on the prowl to find the man that would ultimately take care of her. Needless to say the losers came and they went and she graduated without a husband, without much professional direction and without the same strong friendships she once had.

I’ll be the first to admit that it was remarkably satisfying to see these little trysts and love affairs crash and burn. I certainly wasn’t rooting against my friends or their new loves in that moment, but I d be lying if I said there wasn’t a smirk on my face after my friends had acted a fool to attract a boy, only for him to fall horribly short of her expectations. And that gets to the root of my issue with all this mess: Ultimately what frustrated me most about the dissolution of these friendships was how women who were smart, strong and independent turned to complete mush all for a guy. They disappointed me not just as friends, but as fellow women. While we’re out here trying to get men to respect us and treat us as their equals, these chicks are undermining that to epic proportions.

It goes without saying that we all do crazy things for love (or supposed love). Some of us will even go so far as to change the way we act to grab the attention of some fool who probably doesn’t deserve all that effort. And while we think our actions happen in a vacuum, they most definitely don’t. I long for the days where I still had the tight-knit group of ride or die ladies that I loved so much, but am also grateful for their misguided quests for love. Without those failings I wouldn’t have been given a glimpse into how these women really were. As someone who prides herself by the company she keeps and values the strength and independence of her female brethren, if these ladies thought that a man was worth losing friendships for, then good riddance and girl bye.

The post How My Friends’ Love Lives Ended Our Friendships appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image via WENN

In promotion for her new film Girl’s Trip, Jada Pinkett Smith sat down with “Sway in The Morning” to discuss a few things. As you know, we’ve been talking for weeks about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s feelings about the way her relationship with Pac was portrayed in the movie. During the interview with Sway, she spoke about realizing that it’s not her job to protect his legacy and how she’s had to surrender.

In doing so, she revealed, for the first time, that the circumstances of

their meeting was extremely unique. That she was a drug dealer at the time, so it was about survival for them. The conversation started with Jada speaking about she and Will’s commitment to giving back to the next generation of young people coming up.

On giving back

We know what it was like to be young in this game. I know for me, Pac and I were coming up at the same time and how desperately we needed that and how we didn’t have that. So any time I get reached out for, I’m like ‘Yo, I’m here. What do you need?’ People don’t understand how difficult it is to do this because most of us are coming from nothing and we’re first generation and there’s nobody around us who understands what’s happening or can help us do this. So it’s imperative that Will and I are accessible to young people who want our help.

Did Will ever meet Pac?

He did. I met Pac. I wasn’t there. It was an NBA All Star weekend. This was during Will and I. But he understands that relationship, he gets it. And he has relationships in his life that are like that too, they’re just still here.

Give me clarity on your relationship.

It’s kind of hard because I haven’t really told the whole story. One of the things that’s very interesting that I’ve never really said before is that when I first met Pac, I was drug dealer. Yes. I won’t get into the details of it because I’m going to write a book about it. But just to give, like…that’s how we started. Then, as I was coming out, something very bad happened to me. As I was coming out of the life, he was going more into the life. And I’ve been having kind of an existential crisis around Pac because I was coming out, he was going in and there was a point in which we met and then we kinda were going our separate ways. And I just felt like, ‘Ok God one day you’re going to do for Pac what you did for me.’ Which is you saved me. And that just never happened for him. So that is something that I’m constantly having to confront.

And I think that that missing component that neither one of us have ever discussed because Pac and I’s relationship was about survival. That’s how it started. And I know that most people want to always connect it in this romance thing and that’s just because they don’t have the story. But it was based in survival, how we held each other down. And when you have somebody who has your back when you feel like you’re nothing, that’s everything. There’s a lot of components to our story that we’ve never shared for very specific reason and I just decided that one little piece was important to share finally because it gives more insight to who we were. That it wasn’t just about ‘You had this cute girl and this cool guy, they must have been in this…’ Nah. It wasn’t that at all. It was about survival and it had always been about survival for us and holding each other down in ways that only he and I could hold each other down.

You know me and God…I’ve just having to just surrender. Even with the movie and how upset I’ve been…A couple days ago, I had to just lay that down too. And realize that this is God’s work. It’s not for me to try to protect his legacy. Whatever Pac’s fate has been around his life, around his story, around his legacy, God’s got it. And I just got to really lay down my feelings and trust that God’s got this.

You can watch the full interview below.

The post “I Was A Drug Dealer When I Met Pac” Jada Pinkett Smith Surrenders True Nature Of Relationship With Tupac appeared first on MadameNoire.

Your friends will suggest support groups

The pity can be unbearable

The self-pity can be unbearable

Men treat you like you’re fragile

People get angry for you (at the ex)

People often go silent when you walk in

You wonder if you can ever date again

You have moments of clarity

Some people blame you

Some men assume you’ll be paranoid

Sometimes, you are paranoid

Dates will tell you your ex was an idiot

Some men want to save you

Your friends keep planning things

Your friends don’t talk about their marriages

The post What It’s Like To Be A Divorcee Who Was Cheated On appeared first on MadameNoire.

Ever since the word got out that Robin Thicke and Paula Patton called it quits in 2014, things have been tumultuous for the former couple. Both of their careers have stumbled a bit, Thicke lost his famous father, Alan, and the pair found themselves caught up in a heated custody battle for son Julian, 7, where all sorts of allegations were made. It was an ugly time.

But things are looking up for Patton. She’s the star of a new drama on ABC called Somewhere Between. It’s about a mother who learns that her child will be murdered in the near future and does everything in her power to keep that from happening. She’s also finding some solace from all of the drama of the last few years by getting back into running. It hasn’t been an easy endeavor (it requires a lot of motivation), but the runner’s high soothes the 41-year-old.

“It’s kind of a love-hate with running,” she said in an interview with PEOPLE. “It’s always like, ‘Oh God, can I do it?’ And once I begin, it helps me settle myself and give clarity.”

Patton also has returned to doing yoga. In the past she also said she was a big fan of kickboxing, Pilates and weight training, which has all helped her maintain her toned and strong physique. And in preparation for the action films she’s done over the last few years, Patton has done some intense training, including sword and knife work for the 2016 film Warcraft.

But even when physical fitness doesn’t keep her feet firmly planted on cloud nine, Patton is determined not to let her personal troubles get the best of her.

“At the end of the day, it’s best to move forward,” Patton said. “I’m in that part of my life right now where there’s huge changes. You have to find your way, and I think I’m on that discovery.”

The post Paula Patton Says Running Has Helped Her Get Through Divorce And Custody Battle appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image via WENN

I know y’all saw the news yesterday. Kevin Hart was seen in a video with a young woman in his car, at 5 a.m. in the morning. And while the internet was certain something had gone down. And I’m certainly still giving the whole situation a side eye. But Kevin, his team and even his wife seem completely unfazed.

A source connected to the young woman, apparently her name is Monique, said that “She was in the back seat and he was in the front & it looks bad but nothing happened.”

Alright.

Then, Eniko, Kevin’s pregnant wife, shared an update on her pregnancy journey.

Well H E L L O #WCW Much hasn’t really changed. I’m still in the gym 3-5 days a week and I feel GREAT! The BBB’s got a little bigger…Boobs,Butt,& Belly of course but I’ll take it! Thanks little guy! xo. #Happy6months

A post shared by eníĸo • нarт (@enikonhart) on Jul 19, 2017 at 3:15pm PDT

And then Kevin came through with his take on the whole thing, with a tad bit of humor.

#LiveLoveLaugh …..SMDH

A post shared by Kevin Hart (@kevinhart4real) on Jul 19, 2017 at 5:28pm PDT

Interesting.

The post “SMDH” Kevin Hart “Responds” To Cheating Rumors appeared first on MadameNoire.