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DNC Producers Accused of Misleading Media Over Reports of Beyoncé’s Alleged Performance to Support Kamala Harris

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Producers of the star-studded Democratic National Convention say Internet frenzy is to blame for the hysteria that spiraled out of control following reports of Beyoncé’s expected performance.

Celebrities like Kerry Washington, rapper Common, comedian DL Hughley and more descended on Chicago to show their support for Vice President Kamala Harris and her lightning-fast campaign in the course of the four-day political spectacle.

Day after day, observers from near and much were impressed by big personalities who used their popularity to attract voters’ attention ahead of the November election.

DNC producers blamed for false reports that Beyoncé appeared on the convention earlier this month to support Vice President Kamala Harris. (Photos: Gage Skidmore/Flickr; @beyonce/Instagram)

Among the celebrities believed to be backing Harris’ takeover of the Oval Office is Beyoncé. When the previous California district attorney launched her campaign in July following President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the race, she did so with the singer’s fierce anthem “Freedom.”

At a time when Republican opponent Donald Trump received quite a few stop and desist letters demanding that he stop performing songs by the singer and others, Beyoncé was widely believed to have endorsed Harris without ever publicly saying a word of support or sharing a post that may confirm those suspicions.

So when rumors began circulating a few special guest who would perform on the ultimate day of the convention, fans assumed it might be the 32-time Grammy Award winner.

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon confidently shared an Instagram post ahead of the Aug. 22 broadcast, saying, “I’m sure you’ve read all the headlines, all the stuff on social media about who’s going to be at the DNC. ‘Is it going to be Beyoncé? Is it going to be Taylor Swift?’ This is what I’m hearing from sources: If it was going to be anyone, it would be Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and George W. Bush. Those would be the biggest players and it could happen. I’m just saying.”

White House political director Emma Ruiz tweeted a bumblebee emoji, sending speculation into overdrive. Shortly after apologizing for the post, she tweeted a tweet explaining that her 6-year-old was to blame for the false hope. However, it was TMZ that reportedly reported a source claiming that Beyoncé was scheduled to appear on the conference, after criticizing that the singer would seem on stage in some unspecified time in the future that evening.

Lemon wasn’t far behind, as he said in a video, “Beyoncé is confirmed to perform at the DNC. Didn’t I tell you?” But one way or the other everyone got it improper, and viewers were furious when the night ended with Harris officially accepting her party’s nomination for president.

Producer Ricky Kirshnert said Hollywood Reporter in a brand new interview: “We never released anything about Beyoncé. We denied it every time the media asked us about it.” He said that even other members of his team believed the superstar could be in attendance.

“I kept getting text messages from news organizations saying, ‘When is Beyoncé going to come out?’ But come on, we have the biggest star, the Democratic presidential candidate. Why would we want to outshine her?” Kirshnert said.

Co-producer Glenn Weiss said the fake news was the result of “the Internet taking on a life of its own, and people taking something as fact — literally to the point where people in my booth were like, ‘Is she coming? You can tell me.’ And I was like, ‘I have no idea she’s coming.’ And they were like, ‘I have no idea? So there’s something you need to know!’ It was pretty crazy. But she didn’t come. Even TMZ had to apologize in the end.”

Admitting to disinformation, TMZ she said, “To quote the great Beyoncé: We have to lay down the cards, lay down the cards, lay down the cards… in this case, we made a mistake.” The singer’s longtime spokeswoman, Yvette Noel-Schure, also refuted the claims. In a press release, she said, “She was never supposed to be in Chicago.”

Now that fans of the Renaissance legend have learned the reason for the confusion, they’ve expressed a number of reactions and theories.

“So THEY started gossiping about the ratings, I’m so happy Beyoncè didn’t come. This is beyond messy, my little one should mind her own business and stay out of politics” he said one person on Instagram.

A second person said: “This is why Beyonce is silent in many situations because she knows her presence will overshadow everything else that is going on.”

Finally, a 3rd Beyoncé supporter commented, “I’m a Beyhive but the main reason I felt like she should do this is because she did it for the YT woman.” The “YT woman” in query is Hillary Clinton, who ran against Trump within the 2016 presidential election. The Destiny’s Child star and her husband, Jay-Z, headlined the rally in Cleveland.

The couple also played vital roles during Barack Obama’s two presidential campaigns in 2008 and his re-election in 2012.

Beyoncé was also chosen to sing Etta James’ rendition of the classic Glenn Miller ballad “At Last” when he and Michelle first danced in 2009, and again in 2013 when she performed the national anthem at his second inauguration.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Footage from Netflix’s Simone Biles documentary reveals mistakes made at the Paris Olympics

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Thanks to Netflix’s Simone Biles documentary, Jordan Chiles may win her Olympic medal appeal, though. Court documents released Monday reportedly show that video footage utilized in Chiles’ ongoing bronze medal appeal comes from Katie Walsh and Religion Sports, the director and production company behind the docuseries “Simone Biles: Rising.”

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Chiles was awarded the bronze medal when her coach, Cecile Landi, filed an appeal in court. However, shortly thereafter, the Team USA gymnast “suffered a major blow” when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned her coach’s initial appeal, saying it got here 4 seconds after the one-minute closing date for submitting scoring inquiries. In affirming the court’s ruling, the International Olympic Committee re-awarded the bronze medal to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu.

“I am speechless,” Chiles said in response to the ruling. “This decision seems unfair and is a major blow not only to me but to everyone who has supported my journey. To add to this heartbreaking pain, the unjustified racial attacks on social media are wrong and incredibly hurtful. I put my heart and soul into this sport and I am proud to represent my culture and my country.”

“We won’t let this go so easily and we will continue to look for video footage and other things,” Landi said at the time, USA Today reports.

As Chiles and US Gymnastics begin the means of appealing the court’s decision, the footage could prove to be a lifesaver. It reportedly shows Landi filing her appeal in the courtroom inside 60 seconds. According to USA Today, Landi will be heard saying “Inquiry for Jordan” exactly 49 seconds after the results were announced on the tape. She reportedly repeated the same phrase before the 60 seconds had elapsed.

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Despite accepting the investigation at this time, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation’s appeal rested largely on the claim that Team USA’s motion was filed too late. Now, US Gymnastics first flagged the video in August and submitted the evidence to CAS the day after the ruling. However, the court denied the motion, saying no evidence was added after their decision.

“This shows it was done!!” the Olympian’s mother, Gina Chiles, wrote on Facebook on August 11, in keeping with USA today“I keep listening to this. They didn’t even try to find the facts!!! That’s clear. That shows it was sent in time.”

So on September 16, Chiles’ team filed a proper appeal to the Swiss Federal Court of Justice against the CAS ruling, including the footage and noting that CAS didn’t accept it. The recent court documents also highlighted other errors that occurred during the legal proceedings, similar to the failure of US Gymnastics’ parties to share information and sending emails to incorrect addresses.

Footage from the docuseries also revealed that Olympic judges did not heed an investigation that would have led to Biles winning one other gold medal at a world competition. While the footage shows that Coach Landi’s investigation into Biles’ scoring went unheeded, the 11-time Olympic medalist is unconcerned about the mistake.

“Honestly, it’s not a big deal to me, Rebecca had a better floor anyway 🫶🏾 it’s annoying that it wasn’t processed, but I’m not mad at the results,” Biles wrote on X. “BUT JUSTICE FOR JORDAN, do you hear me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Influencer Calls Out Shaquille O’Neal After He Denies He’s the Mystery Man in Her Controversial Photos

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shaq

It’s no secret that fans think Shaquille O’Neal, 52, has a thing for influencers. However, the NBA legend is letting the world know he is not dating the Philadelphia content creator, despite growing speculation they connected after viral photo.

On Monday, September 16, a photograph of Maria Ozuna Teachey appeared on social media. In the mirror selfie, a tall man might be seen standing behind her, grabbing her breasts.

shaq has an influential guy
Shaquille O’Neal has been criticized online after an influencer shared a photograph of them in a bedroom that went viral. (Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Pepsi Stronger Together)

Teachey signed the photo on his Facebook page“Without apology, we… Can you guess who this is? #loveyou.” She deleted the post from Instagram.

Social media users assumed Shaq was the mystery person in Teachey’s viral photo. However, he denied being in a relationship with the self-identified video creator.

The photo was posted on WorldStarHipHop’s Instagram page, where Shaq he wrote“No, not the baby.”

Influencer Maria Ozuna Teachey shared a brand new photo that has fans convinced she dated Shaquille O’Neal. (Photos: _1.filly/Instagram; Maria Ozuna Teachey/Facebook.)

After Shaq’s denial, Teachey returned writing“Come on, kid. That was a long time ago. Why did he lie to you? Have fun.” She used the hashtags: “#playwithsomebodyelse #Filly #goatworthy #dontaskagain. I’m done.”

She then showed a video of the article that To read“Diesel” in capital letters on the letterhead. It read: “Shaquille, welcome back to Harrah’s Atlantic City & The Pool. We look forward to an amazing show.”

The Hall of Fame inductee went viral after sharing a video of himself posing with various women, very like the man in Teachey’s photo.

“Is she my girlfriend too? Trust me, I’ll tell you who my woman is. By the way, my woman’s name is Shaqirah” O’Neal with subtitles Instagram post shared on September seventeenth.

In one other post, the four-time NBA champion addressed the rumors by referencing Denzel Washington’s famous “King Kong” scene from Training Day. signature, Shaq said“I’ll let you know when I fall in love.”

O’Neal then posted a video of himself performing a clothed striptease for media personality Alexa Leighton, writing, “My real girlfriend knows I’m a big black exotic dancer.”

In the clip Leighton says“Hi, I’m Shaq’s girl. And when I play this song, I can get anything I want,” before Chris Brown’s “Under The Influence” began playing on her phone.

Maria Ozuna Teachey, for her part, has seemingly downplayed the Shaquille O’Neal rumors. On Sept. 17, she posted a video message to her 200,000 Instagram followers.

“It’s a new day. Let’s get to work. Don’t believe everything you see. Get back to work,” Teachey said in the clip. Many of the comments under her video focused on the Shaq rumors.

One person I asked“Anyone else come here for the Shaq comments?” Another added, “Damn it, Shaq broke your heart. Don’t believe everything you see. I think you did it hot.”

O’Neal’s fans also had plenty to say about the discussion surrounding Teachey. For example, an Instagram user commented, “Nope uncle, that was definitely a bedroom pic.”

Another person exclaimed: “One thing about Shaq, he doesn’t let anyone pressure him!”

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer’s stripper routine also drew loads of response. One of his fans joked, “You move like you need WD-40.”

Shaq’s connections to influencers are nothing latest. Last June, he was spotted having dinner with fitness influencer Brittany Renner.

Shortly after, rumors began to fly when he messaged Christian influencer Ariana Cossie, aka The Home Depot Girl, who gained popularity for a post in which she said she was “too pretty” for the workplace.

Many online users thought she was being judgmental, with some even shamelessly suggesting she was running an OnlyFans. She did receive some support after the backlash. Cossie shared a screenshot of her exchange with Shaq, in which he told her to “don’t let these people bother you.” Cossie said, “Thanks Shaq!” and he replied, “Don’t read the comments, that kind of stuff will drive you crazy. Have a great day, tell all your boyfriends I said hi lol.”

Two months ago, he was spotted partying in Nashville with web sensation Hailey “Hawk Tauh” Welch, a Tennessee native who went viral for an on-the-street interview in which she explained what drives men wild in the bedroom.

The former Los Angeles Lakers player married Shaunie Nelson in December 2002. They finalized their divorce in 2011 after multiple incidents of infidelity from Shaq. Although Shaunie cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split, she married Houston pastor Keion Henderson in May 2022.

After splitting from Shaunie after eight years of marriage, Shaq began dating reality star Nicole “Hoopz” Alexander. They dated for 3 years and even got engaged before splitting in 2013. He also dated model and Blu Hazl founder Laticia Rolle.

The “Inside the NBA” analyst can be rumored to have had affairs with “Confessions of a Video Vixen” creator Karrine “Superhead” Steffans, “Basketball Wives” alum Laura Govan and “Empire” actress Annie Ilonzeh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mMFIOGsIdA


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Reality Star Phaedra Parks Reveals How She’s Going to Win ‘Dancing with the Stars’

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Phaedra Parks hopes to reclaim her “Housewives” moniker on Season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars.”

After making a stunning dance debut to Whitney Houston’s “I’m Every Woman” on the season premiere, the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star admitted that her approach to the competition didn’t take into consideration the input of her Bravo castmates who were on the show.

“I didn’t ask them. Because I want to go into it fresh,” Parks told People magazine. “We talked and they told me what they thought, but I didn’t really want their advice because I have to win. They haven’t won yet.”

As theGrio previously reported, Parks is one in all a handful of Black stars competing for the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy on “Dancing with the Stars.” Paired with skilled dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Parks describes her experience on the show as “a ton of fun,” despite the “intense” training.

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“I’ve heard it’s incredibly fun, but it’s also hard work,” she added. “But I’m a super focused person, so I’m not afraid of hard work, but definitely no less than four hours a day.”

Parks isn’t the first “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star to join the ballroom dancing competition. In 2021, former “RHOA” forged member Kenya Moore finished tenth on “DWTS” Season 30. Similarly, Kim Zolciak-Biermann, who competed on Season 21, and Nene Leakes, who competed on Season 18, finished eleventh and seventh, respectively.

Beyond her hopes of winning, Parks says her decision to join the show was largely inspired by her children. As a mother to sons Ayden, 14, and Dylan, 11, the Bravo veteran strives not only to be a positive role model but in addition to earn cool points with her boys.

“I’m just giving it my all,” she said, noting that her sons will eventually join the live audience for the show. “They miss me a lot because I’m a very active mom, but I want to show them that I can actually dance and be super cool.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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