See why we’re adding a dash of vanilla to our brew:
• It looks like Mike Epps has caught the acting bug. After starring in Sparkle, the comedian will play Richard Pryor in the upcoming biopic about Nina Simone called Nina. He will star opposite Zoe Saldana, who’s set to play the legendary artist. Pryor and Simone had a close relationship at the start of their careers in the ’60s. Simone shared in her autobiography that Pryor suffered stage fright and that she would often have to rock him to calm his nerves. Shooting for Nina is set to begin this week. [Hollywood Reporter]
• Jennifer Hudson isn’t buying the feud between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. She tells TMZ, “I don’t believe it. I think it’s just for ratings for the show.” She’s not the only Pop star tagging the feud as fake. CeeLo Green is doing the same. “This is Hollywood, California. Hardly anything is legit,” he said. [Grio] [TMZ]
• Tyra Banks is developing a brand new series for television. According to Deadline, Banks will co-write and produce Fivehead—a show based on Banks’ high school years and eventual success as a model. “In high school, if you have glasses, you’re a ‘four eyes,’ if you have braces, you’re a ‘metal mouth’ but if you have my forehead? You’re a fivehead,” she said. [Deadline]
• Michelle Obama says she’s extremely proud of her husband. She tells Extra, “I think my husband has done a phenomenal job, not just in debate, but in the last three and a half years as president… He’s not just a candidate, he’s still the leader of the free world and knowing what is coming on and off his plate over the course of the day would astound you.” [Extra]