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

Published

9 months ago

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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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An attempt to save the image of Jeff Bezos’ future wife backfired after weeks of outrage and ridicule over her skimpy outfit

Published

3 weeks ago

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December 9, 2024

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Lauren Sánchez has apparently gained a popularity for her fashion hits and misses as social media users began following her every move.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ current fiancée stepped into the highlight long before she met the Amazon co-founder, after years spent as co-host of “Good Day LA,” a reporter for “Extra” and host of “So You Think You Can Dance,” and he even starred in a number of movies like “Ted 2.”

She faced criticism for posting a sultry selfie in November in a negligee-inspired gown by designer Laura Basca. In October, the 54-year-old again faced backlash when she showed off her latex Halloween costume as Catwoman.

Now, weeks after being deemed “cheap” and tasteless, the founder of Black Ops Aviation has turn out to be a subject of discussion.

Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez shows off a “winter white” look, weeks after critics slammed her busty latex outfit. (Photos: @laurenwsanchez/Instagram, Theimagedirect.com via Page Six)

On December 5, Sánchez and the business mogul attended The New York Times’ DealBook event in New York City. For the occasion, she wore a white Alexander McQueen suit and a white lace corset. The beaming bride-to-be sent two mirror selfies of her outfit, which she signed: “winter white.”

One follower particularly was stunned by the whole look he ejaculated that she was “very attractive and beautiful, gorgeous and stunning, charming and fantastic young lady, sexy, charming, charming and elegant” in the photos that Sánchez took.

Two other people swooned over the photos and wrote: “So chic and elegant!” and “You look great.” But as you would possibly expect from online viewers, not everyone was impressed.

When Page six published paparazzi photos from the trip, the critic commented: “It’s 30 degrees in New York and she gets out of the limo in a white Miami smock, her bra visible to everyone. No taste. Nothing. A cashmere turtleneck, flannel trousers and a wool jacket can be classy.

Someone else sharply asked: “Who can be the first to tell her that she looks tacky and not elegant and refined? Does she even know what sophistication means? A 3rd person noted: “She looks more like she’s wearing a bathrobe.”

Another person wrote in a comment from a licensed pilot: “White means…” possibly referring to rumors that Sánchez and Bezos are scheduled to exchange vows over Christmas. At least one person doubted the couple would have the opportunity to say “I do.” This person said: “This will be the longest engagement ever. They will NEVER get married and we all know why!!!!”

Sánchez told the “Today” show hosts that she was in the process of planning the big day last month. She didn’t comment on speculation about exchanging Christmas vows.

Renewed interest and scrutiny of Sánchez has increased as the pair have been spotted in various locations in recent months. The couple reportedly began dating in 2018. Their engagement was announced five years later, in May 2023. Their upcoming wedding can be a second journey for each of them.

Sánchez was previously married to celebrity agent Patric Whitesell, with whom she has two children. She can be the mother of a son, whom she shares with Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. Bezos was married to the mother of his three children, Mackenzie Scott, for 25 years once they divorced in 2019.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Apart from the song with singer-songwriter India Shawn – Andscape

Published

3 weeks ago

on

December 9, 2024

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India Shawn is a contemporary muse with a chilled nature, crafting love stories and heartfelt tales in smooth, charming songs. With over a decade of experience in the music industry as a singer-songwriter, Shawn has incredible strength. She was born in Los Angeles, and her musical roots reach throughout the country. Beginning her profession in her hometown, Shawn eventually found herself in Atlanta, where she immersed herself in the city’s deep-rooted R&B scene, further shaping her artistry.

“I transferred to ATL, I was in 10th grade, and that’s when my music journey really started,” Shawn told Andscape. “I met people who were trying to get by, so I ended up recording and learned what songwriting was really early on.”

Before releasing her debut EP in 2012, Shawn wrote songs and collaborated with artists similar to Chris Brown, El DeBarge, Keri Hilson and Monica. In 2013, she gained much more notoriety when Solange Knowles published her song “I’m Alive” on the Saint Heron compilationmarking her as an artist value watching.

Following the release of the single “There Must Be a God” from the Andscape soundtrack, she caught up with Shawn to learn more about the muse behind the vibes.

Singer India Shawn grew up singing in church with her family. “I feel like most of us R&B kids have that experience,” she said.

India Shawn

Name:
India Shawn

Hometown:

Los Angeles

Artistic soundscape

Airy, soft, telling a story, multidimensional, soft, mysterious, atmospheric

The oldest musical memory

Shawn’s soulful sound is deeply rooted in her upbringing, with influences drawn from her childhood memories and the musical culture of her church. “I sing with my sister all the time, and I also grew up singing behind my mom in church. She was the leader of praise and worship. So I feel like most of us R&B kids have that experience,” Shawn said. “I had these little solos in church, and I believe what made me consider in it was that after the service people got here as much as me with tears of their eyes and said, ‘You really moved me while you sang.’ “These early moments of connection with music and audiences laid the foundation for conveying depth and sensitivity through her music.

Influences

For Shawn, music, especially R&B, has all the time held a special place in her life. “Me and my sister are harmonizing in the living room, just picking some of our favorite songs, including for me Mariah Carey, Babyface, Boyz II Men and (and) Brandy,” she said of her early music memories.

Creative process

Shawn often draws inspiration from real-life experiences and relationships that influence her music. She weaves this into the authenticity and atmosphere of her songs, but she didn’t immediately recognize where her inspiration got here from. “It’s funny that it took me so long to make that connection, but I realized that I was telling my whole story and presenting my business through my music,” she said. “It took me two albums to realize, wait a minute, I’m giving people a lot to understand here… these aren’t just songs. This is truly the life I live.”

Challenges and development

As Shawn’s profession grows, so do his moments of appreciation and reflection. “I literally just thought about a very gradual progression of my career. It’s like step by step, but there are more breakthrough moments. My first tour, which was so beautiful, I just knew I could pack a room and people knew my lyrics and sang my songs to me. Those moments that make the waiting not in vain.”

Shawn has plenty of recommendation for up-and-coming singer-songwriters. Her biggest sacrifice? Collaboration is essential. “I think (cooperation) is really why I’m still here. So find your people… you’ll know when it feels right, you’ll have that freedom and fluidity, and you’ll be able to really create things and create without having to think too much.” He also shares the importance of patience. “Just be patient during the journey. This has been a theme throughout my profession. Let it develop. I feel like more things come from being in that flow and being present reasonably than forcing all of it.

Current project

“There should be a God”, the lead single from Andscape , now streaming on Hulu, also serves as a teaser for Shawn’s solo album. “(This song) is such a manifestation of God’s love,” she said. “I think when you find yourself in a place of waiting, you can feel very hopeless. So when you see glimpses of God’s love again, or the fact that you know there is a higher power, there is a source that is thinking about you, has you in mind, has a perfect plan for you, it’s just like the clouds parting. And this is the moment, I understand. I understand that I had to go through all this to get here. And that’s exactly what I felt in the studio that day.”

Sheila Matthews is a digital producer at Andscape and a proud HBCU graduate. She believes “Return of the Mack” must have won a Grammy, and her Twitter mentions are open to all debate.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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ICYMI: Tessa Thompson’s Mocha Lip, Danielle Brooks’ Updo and More – Essence

Published

3 weeks ago

on

December 9, 2024

By

Instagram

With just a number of weeks left until the tip of 2024, the celebrities are setting the tone for the brand new 12 months this week. And although mocha mousse is anticipated to be fashionable in 2025, neutral shades in darker tones have gotten more and more popular. Paired with an array of beauty eras – from elegant Twenties updos to 2000s-style round pink, the brand new Hollywood showcases its best 12 months-end beauty moments.

Tessa Thompson and Issa Rae are the newest to debut mocha lips holiday shade near the season, and Coco Jones’ lipstick was cranberry red. Doechii’s perforated suggestions and signature face-lift tape made it probably the most avant-garde look of the week, and within the sweetest moment, Chloe and Halle Bailey’s round pink cheeks made pink cheeks a winter styling staple.

From makeup to hairstyles, Sabrina Elba and Alva Claire opted for light, coffee colours, and Jourdan Dunn’s short hairstyle proved relevant at any time of the 12 months. Meanwhile, Lupita N’yongo, Danielle Brooks and Venus Williams’ braided buns showed just how classic this style may be.

In case you missed it, take a take a look at 17 of the very best celebrity beauty moments from the week below.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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