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Bianca Belair on mental health, diversity and the road to WrestleMania

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Courtesy of WWE

Bianca Belair knows what it takes to perform at her best. As the longest reigning WWE Women’s Champion of the modern era, she continues to push the boundaries of conventional body shapes, which in turn has made her certainly one of the most decorated athletes in all sports.

Last month, Belair was featured on the Deluxe Edition box art, making her the first woman of color to ever be featured on the cover of a game. She also stars in a reality show centered round her and her husband Montez Ford as they navigate their lives, loves, and careers as skilled wrestlers. With all of her accomplishments and extra efforts on her plate, it is important for the Knoxville, Tennessee native to remain focused and unwaveringly committed to her training and practice, especially with the mega-event of WrestleMania on the horizon.

Bianca Belair on mental health, diversity and the road to WrestleMania
Courtesy of WWE

“My husband and I exercise all the time,” says Belair. “We’re always in shape, but we’re really starting to push ourselves even harder on the roads WrestleMania. So I used to be on a eating regimen, I used to be training very hard, I used to be going to the ring, I used to be training in the ring. You really just want to put your best foot forward at the table because there shall be over 70,000, 80,000 people in the stadium and tens of millions of individuals shall be watching on TV screens.

Through rigorous training, prioritizing mental health, and using products like C4 Ultimate Energy – which is now the official energy drink of WWE, Belair achieved heights that only just a few could have imagined.

ESSENCE: I wanted to know; How has implementing C4 Ultimate Energy into your training program helped you change into a greater athlete?

Bianca Belair: C4 may be very necessary to me. I actually used C4 even before I joined WWE. I encountered this once I was doing CrossFit. So everyone knows that being in WWE, we do not have an off-season. We are consistently on the road, not only playing matches and shows, but in addition performing. I even have a schedule that’s unlike every other, even when I’m not the champion, I even have a championship schedule, so I still need energy. And C4 is my favorite energy drink and it’s really cool to be a component of this collaboration now that C4 has change into the official energy drink of WWE. But I implement all of it the time, even with their Smart Energy, where I take advantage of it by sewing my very own gear.

I do not sleep until 3 a.m., so I sew using Smart Energy. I take advantage of it when I’m on my way from city to city. I take advantage of Ultimate lots when I’m figuring out because we’re flying, we’re landing, we’re searching for a gym, and you are flying at 6 a.m. so I would like to energize myself for training. I even have a show later that night, so C4 is healthy for me. It’s zero carbohydrates, zero sugar, no artificial flavors. Helps me get through training. This is really my favorite energy drink.

You talked about your schedule and what you do and your training plan and stuff like that. How do you stay motivated in such an unforgiving occupation?

I feel prefer it just has to be a component of you and you’ve gotten to love what you do. If you do not love what you do, you only keep doing things. But I actually have a passion for wrestling and a passion for WWE. It helps that my husband also works on this business, so we are able to share these amazing moments together. I feel like I can take my family on this journey. They come to WrestleMania, they arrive to every show, so I can see the excitement in them. But it also creates a legacy. I’ve done a lot and created a lot history, I even have the legacy of being undefeated at WrestleMania and I can pass that legacy down from generation to generation. It’s an inspiration. Representation may be very necessary to me. I do know I’m where I’m due to my role models.

So I try to do the same for other people and invite them on stage. And I’m enthusiastic about WrestleMania season because I at all times try to use it as a possibility to bring myself to the stage and my culture to the stage in a roundabout way. Last 12 months it was necessary to me to bring Divas of Compton, a dance group made up of Black girls ages 7-12. They occur to be a dance group and I need them to see themselves in me and see themselves on that stage. So I can do things like that. I give purpose to what I do. This is the goal that drives me.

I wanted to work on WrestleMania a bit of bit. I’m sure you train the same way all 12 months round, but WrestleMania is just different. It’s just such an enormous event. What is Bianca Belair doing to prepare for the big event that’s WrestleMania?

WrestleMania is like our Super Bowl. This is the biggest time for preparation. Everyone’s goal is to get to WrestleMania. Everyone wants to perform at WrestleMania. This is where you will see the best stories, the best views, the best fights, the best equipment, the best entrances and the best all the things. So you would like to show up in your best shape. So I’m at all times someone who… I at all times like to be prepared. I at all times say I’m ready, so I do not have to prepare because, like I said, we do not have an off-season. You have to be ready all 12 months round and ready for any occasion. But when WrestleMania season rolls around, you only raise the bar.

What is your favorite WrestleMania moment and why?

Well, my favorite WrestleMania moment that I used to be a component of, after all, my WrestleMania essential event, went down in history. I used to be certainly one of the first black women to essential event WrestleMania. I won the title on this match. I also won the ESPYs on this match. It modified the entire trajectory of my profession. This moment was so beautiful. Even should you watch the first minute of this match, I’m in tears standing in the ring where I’m supposed to be fighting. I’m in tears. So that moment was beautiful. My favorite WrestleMania moment aside from myself would probably be KofiMania. I remember watching him win and us jumping up and down and screaming and clapping and laughing and feeling like that was the moment we were a component of it. And also when it was the first-ever women’s WrestleMania match with Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey, because that was history being made.

You are an athlete in excellent physical condition, but I need to talk to you about what you do to maintain your mental health at the right level?

Mental health is all the things. I feel everyone focuses a lot on the physicality. You go to the gym, you train, you’re employed hard, and you’re feeling pain. You be ok with yourself. But mental health is equally necessary. For me, my mental health means getting loads of rest because I’m consistently on the go. I’m still very focused, I’m consistently grinding, I’m consistently performing; whenever you go on the market and smile and meet the fans and put smiles on the fans’ faces, sometimes you tend to ignore yourself and change into mentally exhausted or give an excessive amount of of yourself to the world. When you get to your house life, where you’ve gotten family members, the ones who really matter and who shall be there even when all is claimed and done, you’ve gotten nothing for them. You don’t have anything for yourself. That’s why I’m just mentally exhausted because I’m physically exhausted.

So I even have to remember to rest. I even have to remember to do things that make me glad. I feel mental health and self-care sometimes get a misperception where people think it’s an extravagant thing where you’ve gotten to go to a spa, buy cucumbers, put them on your eyes and get a massage. Sometimes I just need to sit and loosen up, lie in bed and take pleasure in some guilty pleasure, eat in bed and watch all my shows. But also finding a hobby that does not really have any purpose aside from pleasure. Sometimes people turn their hobby into… I would like to earn cash from this hobby. I really like sewing, but I sew lots for wrestling gear. So I’ll sew something random – a dress, a shirt, I really like reading. That’s once I first got into WWE, I used to be there for a 12 months and a half, and I noticed I hadn’t picked up a book. I really like reading because these books take me on journeys and calm my mind. It’s really nearly relaxing and finding things that make you glad.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Katt Williams Life

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Katt Williams at all times knew what he desired to do and be. He told his parents when he was just 9 years old that he desired to be a comedian.

Born Micah Williams in Cincinnati, Ohio, Williams was raised in Dayton and spent a yr in Haiti on a mission together with his family. He grew up in a strictly religious home and infrequently felt that the constraints of faith prevented him from being himself. He broke away from his parents at age 13 and moved to Florida. He soon got a job as a door-to-door salesman.

Katt Williams attends the Netflix Emmy 2018 After-Party at NeueHouse Hollywood on September 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)

Katt began his comedy profession while still in Ohio, improvising as an adolescent. He honed his routines and toured the country as a real American hustler. By 1999, Williams was an everyday at The Improv, The Comedy Club and Hollywood Park Casino.

While he has his own style, Williams was undoubtedly influenced by a number of the legendary black comedians of his time. Most notably, he drew inspiration from Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, and Richard Pryor.

Katt Williams’ profession on stage and screen

Katt Williams has a novel way of weaving almost any topic with each humor and intelligent remark. He can spin about politics, race, or the state of play between men and ladies, and he’s sure to say something each funny and heartfelt. His sort of comedy works since it’s funny enough to get fun, but believable enough to maintain you taken with his sharp commentary. In interviews, he’s way more reserved than his energetic stage presence.

Melba Moore Honored with Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 10: (L-R) Freda Payne, Melba Moore, Katt Williams and Luenell attend the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony honoring Melba Moore on August 10, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)

Although stand-up is Williams’ bread and butter, he’s had a couple of different talents over time. He switched careers within the early 2000s and started working in television and film. His first role was in “NYPD Blue,” but his real breakthrough got here as Money Mike, a proud clothing store owner, within the 2002 comedy “Friday After Next.” You may also remember him from “My Wife and Kids,” “Norbit” and Nick Cannon’s “Wild ’n Out.”

How Katt Williams Unleashes Laughter

In a way, you might say that Katt Williams himself is the show. His distinctive, nasal voice and flat perm add one other layer of frivolity to Williams’ stage persona. His flamboyant and sometimes bawdy stage demeanor also brings a component of physicality to his humor.

For Katt Williams, delivery is as necessary because the joke, if no more. He often does impressions to inform a story and uses a frantic pace of speech that keeps the audience on the sting of their seat until the punch line, which he normally repeats multiple times for optimum effect.

Katt Williams Netflix thegrio.com
Katt Williams (Photo: Netflix)

And it is not just William’s lyrics that can make you laugh out loud, but his physical comedy as well. This guy will sit on stage in front of 1000’s of individuals simply to get fun. He’s also been known to make use of stools and water bottles as props during his performance so as to add to the humor.

Watching a few of Williams’s older work, it is simple to know how he rose to fame in comedy. “The Pimp Chronicles Part 1” is probably one of the comedian’s most iconic specials. Fans can probably picture him in an emerald green suit and a side-swept perm right now. He whipped audiences into a frenzy as he raged about the life-changing power of marijuana, implored people not to put leashes on their kids, and reminded us all why we need to have white friends. In “Live: Let Playa play”, the short king joked about his size and wondered aloud why he never grew to be “big and strong” despite drinking milk and vegetables.

Katt Williams Today

His most up-to-date works have been released as specials on Netflix.World War III“in 2022, he was rambling on concerning the opioid crisis and his skepticism concerning the chicken wing shortage, and as you already knew, he was just pretending to be a chicken in that bit.

The next special, “Woke Foke,” aired in May 2024, right after his infamous interview with Shannon Sharpe. Katt clearly has a number of life left in him, but fans noticed a special tone on this special. Touré of TheGrio wondered in an article about Katt’s latest special if he relied an excessive amount of on his charm and didn’t skimp on the jokes themselves. “He doesn’t put in the work to write great jokes, which I know he can do. That’s what I expect from him,” Touré wrote. Despite that, Williams still gets his $10 million bag from these specials.

NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe and comedian Katt Williams sit on either side of a wooden table
Shannon Sharpe, left, and Katt Williams in “Club Shay Shay” (YouTube screenshot)

Katt’s longevity within the comedy world is impressive. He has managed to remain relevant and continues to perform across the country. At full throttle, Katt Williams normally tours 100 nights a yr. Pre-sale tickets for William’s 2025 Heaven on Earth tour at the moment are available.

There’s no denying that Williams has kept his name within the highlight with controversial statements about other comedians. It gave the impression of nobody was secure during his time on “Shay Shay Club“as he took his anger out on a lot of his family members, including Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey and Kevin Hart.

At one point, Williams disparaged Harvey’s comedic talent, saying, “There are 30,000 new scripts that come out of Hollywood every year. None of them required a redneck black guy who can’t talk well… and looks like Mr. Potato Head. There’s none. You have to have range.” Dave Chappelle got here after Williams earlier this yr after Chappelle felt he had unfairly targeted other black comedians in an interview. Some industry veterans, resembling Marlon Wayans, have come out and said they consider that feuds between comedians are detrimental to the sport.

One thing to notice about Katt Williams is that she might be controversial, but there’s at all times room for comedy.

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Beyoncé’s Mom Tina Knowles Responds to Dolly Parton After CMA Skip Was Called ‘Fake’

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Tina Knowles is denying speculation that she responded to legendary country artist Dolly Parton in defense of her daughter.

Just two days after Parton attempted to deny rumors that the Country Music Awards had stripped Beyoncé of her nominations for Cowboy Carter , an Instagram comment that appeared to come from Knowles’ verified account went viral in response to Parton’s post.

But not so fast! Mama Tina now claims: “It’s a fake, not from me!”

Beyonce's mom responds to Dolly Parton
Tina Knowles is criticizing a post by which she claims to have responded to Dolly Parton for omitting Beyonce on “Cowboy Carter.” (Photo: @mstinaknowles; @beyonce/Instagram; @Dollyparton/Instagram.)

The “fake” comment was concerning the “Here You Come Again” singer and was originally shared by The Neighborhood Talk, who later deleted their post.

The comment read: “Oh Ms. Dolly, we love you, but Bey has spent her ENTIRE life working hard since she was 9! She has country roots too. She has mastered her craft and broken records in EVERY genre. So to say she hasn’t ‘spent her life’ in country music is to diminish all the work she has put in.”

It continued: “Bey doesn’t have to stick to one lane to earn respect – her talent and work ethic speak for themselves! She puts in the work, and no one else is asked to ‘spend their life’ in one place to be appreciated! #been country.”

Before the post was deemed fake, it sparked some debate on the topic. Some people supported what they saw as Knowles’ retort, including one one who said, “This just goes to show that white women will always be white women. No matter who they are.”

Another person compared the CMAs’ treatment of the “Irreplaceable” singer to the way in which they treat white hip-hop artist Post Malone, who also appeared in “Cowboy Carter” and who coincidentally receive 4 nominations after releasing his first country album this yr.

“If Post Malone could make the jump from hip-hop to country, then Beyoncé should be able to do the exact same thing! It’s not even about whether you think her album is good or not, it’s unfair to be written off because you’re Beyoncé.”

Tina Knowles says Dolly Parton’s retort is allegedly false. @theneighborhoodtalk/Instagram

Others respectfully sided with Parton. One person said, “Mom… Ms. Dolly is right. It was a special album. And an album that doesn’t deserve an award just because it’s Beyonce.”

Another wrote: “Dolly Parton was polite and tried to be honest about how it went down. I don’t think she meant any harm or had much love for Beyonce from a public perspective. I think Ms. Tina could have handled it differently, but I understand she’s a mama bear too. It’s just a trophy at the end of the day.”

Beyoncé released her first country album, “Cowboy Carter,” in March, years after having an experience on the 2016 CMAs where she “didn’t feel welcome.” The Houston-born artist performed her first country song, “Daddy Lessons,” alongside The Chicks, formerly referred to as The Dixie Chicks. Despite receiving much praise for her performance, she was also met with boos from the audience and racist tweets from onlookers.

So when the awards show didn’t include her in any of the categories nominated this yr, the Beyhive immediately called it a foul. But Parton doesn’t imagine the omission was “intentional.”

In response to Parton’s allegations he said Variety September 17: “Well, you never know. There are so many great country artists that I think probably in the country music community, they probably thought, well, we can’t leave out some of these guys who dedicate their whole lives to this.”

She later added, “So I don’t think it was a matter of cutting myself off, of intentionally doing it. I think it was just more of what the country charts were doing and country artists who were doing it all the time, rather than just a special album.”

Overall, Parton showed great love for Beyoncé and gave her permission for the project. She even appears twice on the album, and a song is called after her.

“But it was a great album,” she said. She could be very, very pleased with it, and I believe everyone in country music welcomed it with open arms and thought it was good.”


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Fans warn Shedeur Sanders to beware of Kardashian curse after Colorado star spotted with Kendall Jenner

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Deion and Shedeur Sanders call out constant disrespect from their doubters.

Shedeur Sanders has been generating quite a bit of buzz recently and is claimed to be a highly anticipated prospect in next 12 months’s NFL Draft.

But being the Colorado Buffaloes quarterback and son of former NFL player and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders also brings with it a potentially unwanted highlight. Shedeur’s clip goes viral after the 22-year-old was spotted embracing Kendall Jenner.

Deion Sanders' son Shedeur defends his father's coaching skills after criticism from former athletes.
Deion Sanders’ son Shedeur speaks out in defense of his father’s coaching skills after being criticized by former athletes. (Photo: @deionsanders/Instagram)

The content creator posted the clip and wrote, “Shedeur Sanders met up with Kendall Jenner, who was recently in Boulder.” Jenner was in Boulder — the house of the University of Colorado — because she was traveling to different cities to promote her brand of liqueur 818 Tequila.

Since the video only shows Jenner’s upper body and Shedeur’s back, who happened to be wearing a hoodie, it’s unclear if she was serving drinks during their meeting, but it surely appeared he was waiting in line to greet her. After a couple of people in front of him moved out of the way in which, he went over to hug Jenner and said, “How are you?” before the video ended.

Many fans warned Shedeur against getting close to Jenner.

One person said, “Nothing good happens when a BLACK athlete dates a Kardashian/Jenner,” and one other said, “Oh no. I’m scolding, I’m scolding!”

A 3rd person wrote: “Stay away from our quarterback. Kardashian/Jenner can’t remember the last athlete who had a successful relationship with one of these girls.”

Of all five Kardashian-Jenner girls, Khloé and Kendall have mostly dated NBA players. Khloé, who’s best known for her marriage and divorce from NBA player Lamar Odom, dated Minnesota Timberwolves player Rashad McCants from 2008 to 2009. He was then traded to the Sacramento Kings, where he played just one season and was never drafted by one other team.

Speaking to Charlotte’s Observer in 2017, McCants said his relationship with Khloé made people query his commitment to the NBA. “Without that in-game situation, I’m a $60-70 million player,” McCants said. “Easily.”

Later in 2009, after only one month of dating, Khloe married Los Angeles Lakers star Odom. The two documented their wedding on the truth show Khloe and Lamar, but their relationship began to crumble, and Odom’s secret struggles with substance abuse began to come to light in 2013. Later that 12 months, Odom was arrested for driving under the influence. From 2011 to 2014, he played for the Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, after which the LA Clippers before becoming a free agent. He then went to the EuroLeague, where he played in two games before injuring his back.

Then in April 2014 he signed with the Knicks before the team waived it in July of the identical 12 months.

Then there’s Khloé’s infamous relationship with Cleveland Cavaliers player Tristan Thompson. The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star had two children with Thompson, but their relationship was severely strained by Thompson’s repeated infidelities. Nevertheless, Thompson’s 13-year NBA profession didn’t end there, and he’s currently on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster.

As for her younger sister Kendall, she briefly dated Brooklyn Nets player Ben Simmons from 2018 to 2019. Simmons was named Rookie of the Year in 2018 and an All-Star in 2019. However, the next seasons became difficult for Simmons after his Philadelphia 76ers team lost to the Atlanta Hawks within the Eastern Conference semifinals in an especially close seven-game series in 2021. He apparently felt that blamed for the Game 7 loss, Simmons never played for the 76ers again before being traded to Brooklyn. He ultimately missed the whole 2021-22 season, even after arriving in Brooklyn mid-season. Since then, battling knee and back injuries — which resulted in each knee and back surgeries — Simmons has played in only 57 games over the past three seasons.

Following this relationship, Kendall dated Phoenix Suns player Devin Booker for 2 years from 2020 to 2022.

It is currently unclear what her relationship status is, but it surely looks like she is likely to be rekindling her relationship with Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny in 2023. They were spotted together in Paris, holding hands in June of this 12 months.

Shedeur’s relationship status is uncertain, because it appears he and actress Storm Reid have quietly split after making their red carpet debut last 12 months.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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