Celebrity Coverage
Kyanna Simone Enjoyed Filming ‘The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat’ So Much She Had ‘Separation Anxiety’ Afterward – Essence
Kyanna Simone. Photo: Savanna Ruedy
Kyanna Simone stars this month in a movie telling a story concerning the power of chosen family.
The comedy follows three women, Odette, Barbara Jean, and Clarice, who, following a series of misfortunes in old age, are forced to reflect on the seeds they sowed in adolescence. Set in two distinct time periods, the mid-Nineteen Sixties and the late Nineteen Nineties, the film was adapted from novel by Edward Kelsey Moore.
“It’s a feel-good movie, and it’s reminiscent of movies like ,” Simone tells ESSENCE. “I feel like it’s a good time for us to do it again.”
The characters support and challenge one another throughout their lives. Jokingly in comparison with a cult girl group by their beloved bar owner, they proceed to operate as “The Supremes” from childhood into maturity.
“I’m very fortunate to have a family, but God, it’s so good to be able to meet someone where they are, whether it’s middle school, high school, college, anywhere in life, and choose that person,” Simone said.
The bond between the characters might be familiar to many black women. “There’s something to be said about how strong friendships can be when you can choose those people,” Simone said.
“When it comes to black women in friendships, I mean, those platonic relationships are super, super important,” Simone continued. “Your sisters are going to be there for you throughout your life, your girlfriends, your sisters, your Supremes. They’re going to be there for you through your romantic relationships, as they come and go.”
The younger versions of the ladies are played by Simone, Tati Gabrielle and Abigail Achiri.
Their older counterparts are played by Sanaa Lathan, Uzo Aduba, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Simone plays the younger version of Ellis-Taylor’s character, Odette, in Tina Mabry’s Hulu film.
“My biggest goal was definitely to embody [Odette]and to speak her words and let her thoughts and energy be known to the audience and visible to the audience. And then right after that, it was really about doing justice to Aunjanue. I mean, those are big shoes to fill,” Simone said. “I just wanted to make sure I lifted my side so that it would be very smooth as we jump into the ’90s.”
Simone devoured the book to evoke Odette’s supposed fearlessness.
“I actually read it in two days,” she said. “I wanted to make sure Odette felt real.”
She worked with the director to solidify Odette’s teenage fantasy, where her character goes on the attack to guard herself and her black friends, moderately than a cheesy comedy a couple of sassy black girl. “Tina Mabry plays a big part in that, but I had to really focus on the fact that Odette wasn’t trying to show off,” Simone says. “I didn’t want it to come across as showing off or putting on a performance. I wanted it to come across as someone who knew she had to do whatever it took to protect her new friend.”
Simone researched on a regular basis black life during that point period to organize for the role. “A lot of times when you think about the ‘60s, your immediate thought process is civil rights, Martin Luther King, racial injustice. And I think Supremes really captures that and shows these sweet pockets of childhood inspiration.”
Simone hit it off with Gabrielle and Achiri while filming the film. The young actresses are at the same stage in life to their characters.
“We hit it off right away; we ended up on the same plane, Tavi and I,” she said. They connected with Achiri and reflected on their success to have the option to inform a robust black story together. “It’s rare and it’s beautiful,” she said.
“We all came out,” she said. “We sat down and realized that for all three of us, this was the first time we had really gotten to work with other women who were in the same situation as us.”
“The conversations were so detailed,” she said. “We shared such similar experiences that it was almost like a family reunion with family I hadn’t met yet.”
Simone rekindled a spark between herself and her castmates that she missed after the project ended.
“When we finished filming, the separation anxiety was enormous.”
Is now streaming on Hulu.
Celebrity Coverage
9 Times Sanaa Lathan Proved She’s the Queen of Pink – Essence
Robin L Marshall/Getty Images for BET+
Actress Sanaa Lathan’s beauty first made her presence known in television shows like and , before starring in the addictive romantic drama opposite Omar Epps.
Since then, she has starred in some of the biggest noir movies of our time, appreciated not just for her talent but in addition for her sweet smile, brown eyes and rouge-tinged cheekbones.
For example, at the 2002 premiere, Lathan established her stance on blush, which framed her metallic eyeshadow. She doubled down on the circular application at the premiere in her most pigmented look yet, before dusting her eyes with body glitter and blush at the 58th Annual Tony Awards the following 12 months.
In the 2010s, she toned down her pink tone by attending BWIH’s sixth Annual ESSENCE Awards Gala with matte, lipstick in a shade of pink (by pumping up the pigment at a 2016 Beso party.) Over time, she began using shades of brown to sculpt her cheeks (think: Premiere 2022) for a hotter, more sensual moment — one which continues to today.
Now, on what would have been her 53rd birthday, we’re bringing you all of our favourite moments from Sanaa Lathan’s life.
Celebrity Coverage
How Adidas is shaping a more inclusive future for sport with the expansion of its Community Lab – Essence
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 09: A Boys & Girls Clubs of America member attends the adidas and Boys & Girls Clubs of America partnership celebration ahead of the Super Bowl at Resorts World Las Vegas on February 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for adidas)
For many years, access to sports for many communities of color has been limited, and barriers often extend beyond the playing field.
This 12 months, adidas is taking one other step toward removing those obstacles. The sportswear giant recently announced the expansion of its Community Lab Programa visionary initiative to support Black and Latinx entrepreneurs working at the intersection of sports, equality and community development.
Founded with the intention of providing resources and opportunities to underrepresented social entrepreneurs, the adidas Community Lab has gained momentum since its inception. This 12 months, the program is growing not only in scale but in addition in impact, expanding to Toronto and Houston along with its original cities of Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York.
The mission of the program is clear: to support and empower Black and Latinx innovators who strive to make sports more accessible, equitable, and inclusive. At its core, the Community Lab offers more than simply funding; it creates an environment of mentorship, education, and networking that helps participants turn their visions into reality.
At the heart of this 12 months’s expansion is a latest partnership with Black ambitiona nonprofit organization founded by Grammy Award-winning artist Pharrell Williams. Black Ambition’s mission is to shut the wealth and opportunity gap by investing in high-growth startups led by Black and Latinx entrepreneurs. To date, the organization has mentored over 1,000 underrepresented founders and awarded over $10 million in funding to 101 dynamic entrepreneurs.
“Black Ambition was founded to create the space, individual opportunities, and relationships needed for underrepresented founders to thrive without obstacles,” said Jermeen Sherman, CEO of Black Ambition. The organization will bring its unique experience in mentoring and networking to the Community Lab, helping participants not only grow their businesses but in addition make a lasting impact of their communities.
This partnership, in addition to returning collaborators resembling Impact Hub and ie (Industry Education), will provide attendees with access to a comprehensive set of resources including: mentoring from industry leaders, expert training, workshops, executive chats with adidas, and networking opportunities with top executives and industry peers.
Additionally, each participant will receive $75,000 in grant funding to implement their progressive ideas. Over the course of eight months of intensive programming, these social entrepreneurs could have the tools to not only grow their businesses, but in addition transform the sports landscape of their communities.
The expansion of the adidas Community Lab is not only a corporate initiative, but a key step towards creating a more equitable world in sports and beyond. Ayesha Martin, Senior Director of adidas Purpose, expressed her excitement about the program’s expansion, stating, “We are excited to grow a larger group of social entrepreneurs who share our vision of removing barriers to access to sports for the communities we collectively serve.”
This is in line with broader trends in the industry. According to 2022 report from the Sports & Society program at the Aspen Institute, Black and Latinx youth are disproportionately underrepresented in organized sports, largely as a consequence of socioeconomic barriers resembling equipment costs, travel costs, and lack of access to secure spaces to play. Programs like the adidas Community Lab aim to shut these gaps by providing young athletes with opportunities that stretch far beyond the field.
By expanding its support to cities like Toronto and Houston, adidas is ensuring that more communities can profit from this transformational program. These cities are growing hubs of sports talent and entrepreneurial potential, making them ideal locations for the next wave of social impact leaders.
As adidas continues its mission to “create a sustainable ecosystem of change,” this 12 months’s group of social entrepreneurs will help redefine the intersection of sport, equity, and community. For aspiring changemakers, this is more than simply a possibility to grow a business—it’s a probability to shape the future.
Celebrity Coverage
Black love was everywhere on the red carpet at the 2024 Emmys
Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre Elba attend the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Peacock Theater on September 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
The 2024 Emmys took place in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 15. And while no Black stars swept the Emmys this 12 months (congrats to Leo’s LaMorne Morris for taking home the trophy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series), the event brought out a few of our brightest stars and their partners. There were Idris and Sabrina Elba, Niecy Nash and wife Jessica Betts, Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, and more. As we do for each major event, we’ve rounded up all the Black love moments from the 2024 Emmys. Scroll right down to see who showed up and showed out at TV’s biggest night.
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