It’s hard to imagine Taraji P. Henson as anyone but Empire‘s Cookie Lyon but there was once a time when she could’ve been handling things as Olivia Pope on Scandal.
“When I went in to read for Shonda Rhimes, in my mind I was like, ‘This is Kerry Washington. Why am I even in here?’…It was hers,” she told Power 105.1. “It was her job, and she’s great in it.” [E! Online]
SPOILER ALERT! Malik Yoba (aka Vernon Turner) is no longer with us. Well, he’s no longer on Empire. He was killed off in the shocking season finale fight that we didn’t see coming. Turns out, he didn’t see it coming either.
“We were shooting episode 11 and I was told in episode 12,” Yoba says of his character’s death. “To this day, I don’t know who in their infinite wisdom thought that was the best approach. I never really got a clear answer. But it wasn’t about work ethic. It was the plot line.” [TMZ]
Can you believe it’s been almost 20 years since Ice Cube’s cult classic Friday hit theaters? If you’re a fan of the buddy comedy, there’s good news on the horizon. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, Friday is being re-released in theaters. You’ll get a chance to see Smokey, Craig, and say bye to Felicia all over again for one night only Monday, April 20. [Buzzfeed]
Kenya Moore is trying to become a housewife for real but she can’t do it alone. Moore has recruited Patti Stranger to help her find The One, but the thought of actually finding love makes her nervous.
“I’m feeling very nervous about finding a mate. I’m not the diva that men think that I am,” she said. “I want a man, but I think that men are often intimidated by the package that they see—of that they perceive from me on TV—and think, ‘Oh, she’s too much to handle.’”
Find out if Kenya Moore finds what she’s looking for on The Millionaire Matchmaker Sunday at 9p. [Hello Beautiful]
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has called for an investigation into the brutal arrest of a Black university student. Martese Johnson, 20, was arrested on Wednesday and was brutally forced to the ground and bloodied by police officers. The entire incident was captured on video and witnessed by several other students. Johnson was charged with obstruction of justice without force and public swearing and intoxication. [The Grio]
