Queen Latifah

AP | March 31, 2009 at 09:12 AM

NEW YORK — A makeup artist and a fashion stylist claim in coordinated lawsuits that they got ugly treatment from Queen Latifah when she cheated them out of $1 million.

Celebrity cosmetology consultant Roxanna Floyd says she lost $700,000 when the rapper-actress failed to pay her for work she did between July 2005 and February 2008.

Beyonce : You Oughta Know I Am

Keri Hilson Performs "Turnin' Me On" feat. Lil Wayne

T.I. Dead and Gone SPOOF- Barack Obama

"TI" Goes to Prison

Rapper Clifford "T.I." Harris will be sentenced in federal court at 9:30 a.m. Friday. Don Samuel, Harris's defense attorney, says his client will be sentenced to 12 months and a day per an agreement with the court.

Ellen Surprises Jennifer Hudson with Engagement Gift

Pharrell

Damon Dash: to Divorce Court

It's another sad love song for rap mogul jay-zDamon Dash.

In addition to his past financial issues and lawsuits, the Roc-A-Fella Records and Rocawear co-founder has been smacked with divorce papers by his estranged wife, fashion designer Rachel Roy.

According to the New York Daily News, Roy has filed for divorce from her husband of four years in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Although Roy and Dash have yet to comment on the situation, the paper retrieved an electronic record of the case stating the divorce is for "non-monetary relief" and should be resolute by February.

Trick Daddy Discusses Living With Lupus on Radio Show

Miami rapper Trick Daddy, born Maurice Young, has just announced that he suffers from the chronic, autoimmune disease lupus.

Trick, who is best known for hits like 'Shut Up' and 'Let's Go,' revealed the upsetting news when he appeared on 'The Rickey Smiley Morning Show' last week to promote the release of his forthcoming autobiography, 'Magic City: Trials of a Native Son.'

"I went to the doctor like 12 years ago," Trick said. "She took all kinds of tests, because I was trying to get rid of what we call dry skin. She did biopsies and blood tests and swab tests. She told me I have lupus...I am allergic highly to the sun, that's my worst enemy. It's like an AK-47 with a double clip on it. I could jeopardize kidney and liver failure from the treatment and the medication."

Lupus causes the immune system to attack the body's own organs and tissues instead of bacteria or viruses. There is no known cause for the disease, which is most common among women, and affects African Americans more often than Caucasians. The symptoms worsen after exposure to sunlight and certain kinds of medication. The disease most recently took the life of celebrated producer James "J Dilla" Yancey.

Though Lupus is deadly, Trick has managed to stay positive, having managed his illness quietly for the past 12 years.

"Remember I came out with the bald head recently? A lot of people joke about it, but I came from so far in the struggle where it don't matter to me," Trick explained. "I learned how to turn my down sides into jokes and get around it. My Mama had eleven children from ten different men. If she was strong enough to live with that, I can live with this."

LeToya Luckett - "Not Anymore"

Halle Berry - Opening Up About Love, Hate & Hollywood Racism

Halle Berry made history as the first African American woman to take home the Academy Award for best actress in a motion picture, and for that reason alone, the former pageant queen's words hold a lot of weight.

In the March edition of Essence magazine, the new mother of 9-month-old daughter Nahla opened up to CNN correspondent Lola Ogunnaike about her current relationship "status," her past romances and her disappointment with Hollywood peers.

Though the Cleveland-born beauty won the coveted award for her performance in the gritty Lee Daniels-produced drama 'Monster's Ball,' she couldn't shake criticism about taking the role, in which she and Billy Bob Thornton had an all-out balls-to-the-walls sex scene.

Angela Bassett, who had been nominated for best actress 10 years prior for the critically acclaimed Tina Tuner biopic 'What's Love Got to Do With It,' famously told Newsweek magazine that she had been offered the lead role of Leticia Musgrove first but turned it down because she "wasn't going to be a prostitute on film."

Other Hollywood notables and industry-goers shared similar reactions to the rawness of the scene.

Berry revealed that she was hurt by the backlash. "I would have rather had them call me up at home and say, 'Halle, what the f--- was that,' as opposed to them airing it publicly," she told Essence. "That was such an important moment for me and to have people attempt to dampen it not only for me, but for all the people who found hope and joy in that moment."

"You find out who your real friends are," she added. "Take mental notes and keep it moving."

And that's not all she had to say about Hollywood.

Regarding racism in Tinseltown, Berry said she believes there are many more opportunities for black actors today and that "things have absolutely gotten better" since her early days on the TV sitcom 'Living Dolls' and being denied a role as a park ranger. "Young black artists have no idea how hard it used to be," she added.
Professionally, she knows hardships -- and also personally.
A hot Halle Berry topic of late is her relationship with 33-year-old model and restaurateur Gabriel Aubry, who is the father of her baby.

The twice-divorced Revlon cosmetics spokeswoman declared that she would not marry again. "I feel more married now than I did in any of my actual marriages," she said about her relationship with Aubry. "We live the truth of that and that's more important than a piece of paper."

She previously signed pieces of paper (aka marriage licenses) with baseball star David Justice and R&B crooner Eric Benet. The 'Strictly Business' star was also reportedly romantically linked to former R&B chart-topper Christopher Williams, soap opera star Shemar Moore and former box-office superstar Wesley Snipes.

Aubry is a stark contrast from her aforementioned mates; they're all black.

But she may not be looking back. "I tried black men. I tried," Berry joked. "I married two black men. You know I tried."

"I don't hold all black males responsible because of the two bad eggs I got," she clarified, possibly contemplating how many of her black male fans consider her a sex symbol. "I even dated black men after my last divorce, but this is just where I found love."

The March issue of Essence magazine is on newsstands now.

Chandra Wilson: 'Grey's Anatomy'

Wilson has portrayed Dr. Miranda Bailey on the ABC hit drama series since 2005. For her turn as the no-nonsense hospital honcho, the Houston native has garnered three Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She also won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, a second Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Drama Series Ensemble and three NAACP Image Awards.

'Chicago' will not be her first turn on The Great White Way; she starred in the production of Lynda Barry's 'The Good Times Are Killing Me,' both at the Second Stage and Minetta Lane Theatres, for which she won a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance. In 2004 she won raves for her role as Dotty Moffett in 'Caroline, or Change,' which was written by Tony Kushner, composed by Jeanine Tesori and directed by George C. Wolfe.

She also appeared in the Broadway productions of 'Avenue Q' and 'On the Town/'Wilson, who has been performing in musicals since the age of five, earned her BFA in Drama from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where she spent four years training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.

Police: Chris Brown Punched Rihanna, Threatened to Kill Her

A detective's notes from the scene of the alleged Rihanna assault reveal disturbing details about what happened between the singer and her boyfriend Chris Brown in the early hours of Feb. 8.

According to a search warrant in the case, Rihanna, 21, read a three-page text message from a woman on Brown's phone, which led to an argument. Brown – who was charged with two felonies Thursday – allegedly tried to force his girlfriend out of the Lamborghini, and hit her head against the passenger window.

Rihanna then "turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand," says the paperwork. "He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand."

According to the detective's notes taken by Det. De Shon Andrew, blood filled Rihanna's mouth. Brown, 19, allegedly told her, "I'm going to beat the s--- out of you when we get home. You wait and see!" Rihanna called her assistant and left a message saying, "I am on my way home. Make sure the cops are there when I get there." The police notes say that prompted Brown to reply: "You just did the stupidest thing ever. Now I'm really going to kill you."

The report also says that Brown bit Rihanna and put her in a headlock, and that she almost lost consciousness.

"Brown resumed punching [Rihanna] and she interlocked her fingers behind her head and brought her elbows forward to protect her face," according to the notes. "She then bent over at the waist, placing her elbows and face near her lap in attempt to protect her face and head from the barrage of punches being levied upon her by Brown."

Eventually, Rihanna began screaming for help and Brown got out of the car, according to the notes. A nearby resident heard the calls for help and called 911.

Almost three weeks after the incident, the couple reunited in Miami Beach last week.

American Idol Star Mandisa Drops 75 Lbs.

Suffering Simon Cowell's barbs about her weight during season 5's American Idol auditions – he cracked that the show would need a "bigger stage" to accommodate her – was a "worst fear come true" for the singer Mandisa, but that pain was nothing new.

The Grammy-nominated Christian singer's weight battle was borne of early trauma – she was sexually molested as a child and raped at 16. "A lot of girls turn to men to fill that void and some turn to drugs," Mandisa, 32, tells PEOPLE. "I turned to food as my drug of choice."

Her weight left her open to ridicule and health problems. Mandisa recalls her humiliation when she performed a routine with her high-school drill team and a classmate joked that she caused the whole gym to shake. "I still remember that like it was yesterday," she says, adding that she was even denied health insurance because of her weight.


Making a Change
After a visit to Mt. Rushmore last summer that left her so short of breath she had trouble making it to the viewpoint, she set herself a goal to lose 100 lbs. by the March 24 release date of her new album, Freedom, on March 24. "I thought I couldn't get up and sing about freedom when I had been chained for so long," she says.

Following a routine of cardio workouts five days a week, a diet heavy on salads, lean meats and fiber, and counseling to work on her childhood issues, she's dropped more than 75 lbs. "Being able to fit into clothes I couldn't before is great," she says. "To be able to walk into a room and not feel self-conscious, I don't ever remember feeling this way."

She plans to continue her new routine for life but remains realistic. "I want to be healthy, and I believe my body will get to whatever it's supposed to be," she says. "It could be a size 8 – but personally I like a girl with a little meat on her bones! I don't need to look like the models on the magazine covers in order to be beautiful."

American Idol 13

ET was on the red carpet to speak with the remaining "American Idol" contestants Thursday night, but in a surprise move this season the judges let an additional contestant through!

Before the show went off the air on Thursday night, "Idol" judge Simon Cowell made a surprise announcement: "We decided recently we're going to make this a Top 13."

"Making the top 13 is incredible," Michael Sarver tells ET. "Number one the top 13, it's history -- it's never been done before. I think the incredible thing about that is the one person who always slips through the cracks didn't slip through tonight."

"The pressure's definitely on," Adam Lambert says. "But I think once you reach this point of being in the top 13, you've arrived to a certain level. There's almost a sigh of relief as well as the impending pressure weighing on me."

Watch the video to hear how the successful singers feel to be part of the first ever Top 13, and whether they are already getting a taste of stardom by getting recognized on the street.

Contestants Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre and Jorge Nuñez made it to the Top 13 on Wednesday, joining Alexis Grace, Michael Sarver, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, Kris Allen, Jasmine Murray, Megan Corkrey, Matt Giraud, Anoop Desai, and Adam Lambert.

Michelle Obama - "OPRAH" Magazine

Oprah is sharing the cover of her O magazine for the first time in nine years - with President Barack Obama's wife -- First Lady Michelle Obama!

In the mag's new interview, Oprah talks about everything from White House decor to the celebrity of being the first family.

Michelle says the family's first Monday in the White House was "kind of weird." She explains, "You know, now we live here and Barack is getting up and going to work and it's just us. This is our home now."

She says her two young daughters Sasha and Malia aren't fazed by some of the more extreme trappings of First Family life: "Once someone on my staff e-mailed to tell me that the president was on his way. But you could already hear the helicopter, so it was like, well, no kidding."

"The girls don't move," Michelle recounts to Oprah. "I'm like, 'You want to see Daddy landing in the helicopter?' 'No, that's okay. We already saw it.'"

For more with Oprah and Michelle, pick up the upcoming issue of O magazine, on newsstands March 17.

Fire On The Mountain - asa

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