Black Entertainment Weekly – March 19, 2012

On April 23, JENNIFER HUDSON’S estranged brother-in-law, William Balfour will stand trial in Chicago, where he will face accusations that he committed a triple homicide in October 2008.   He is accused of murdering the singer’s 57 year old mother, 29 year old brother and 7 year old nephew.  According to a new Illinois law, the trial may be televised now that filming and microphones are allowed in the courtroom.

BOBBI KRISTINA, her uncle Gary Houston and his wife Patricia will sit down with OPRAH this month on her show Oprah’s Next Chapter which airs on the OWN cable network.  She granted the interview with Oprah to discuss her legendary mom because she trusts Oprah and feels that she will be respectful.  The 18 year old (she turns 19 this month), is sole heir to WHITNEY HOUSTON’S fortune and feels she is ready to talk about her mother’s legacy and her many fond memories of her.  She will reportedly receive part of her inheritance when she turns 21, another portion when she turns 25, and the bulk of the estate when she turns 30.  The estate is expected to continue to grow immensely as fans continue to purchase her music and films.

Unfortunately,  FANTASIA BARRINO has not learned a lesson after being dragged into divorce court by Antwaun Cook’s wife (Paula Cook) who sued her for “alienation-of-affection” which forced her to have to testify about her affair with Antwaun in open court.  That ordeal is said to be the cause of her attempted suicide in August 2010.  Fantasia recently gave birth to a baby boy by Antwaun (who was named on the birth certificate as the boy’s father).  Antwaun still has NOT divorced his wife who has two kids by him.  RadarOnline.com reports that Antwaun is now trying to reconcile with his wife.

HALLE BERRY’S ex-boyfriend GABRIEL AUBRY has filed new legal documents in a Los Angeles court seeking a large sum of money from Halle for “child support.”  He is asking for $15,000 to $20,000 a month for expenses so that daughter “Nahla can live in the same comfortable surroundings she is accustomed to.”  The Oscar winner has been battling it out with Aubry since their split, which has been nasty with accusations of racial slurs, as well as physical and mental abuse.  Aubry has agreed to take anger management courses which was suggested by the DCFS.  A hearing has been set for April 9^th to address these new financial issues.  Berry is reportedly trying to move to France with her boyfriend Actor Olivier Martinez who she recently starred in the movie Dark Tides with, which opens in theatres on March 30^th.  The good news is that Berry has designed a new line of shoes  which are currently selling in Europe.

TRACEY EDMONDS who used to be married to BABYFACE and almost married EDDIE MURPHY, is “shocked” that DEION SANDERS’ wife Pilar is trying to drag her name into their current divorce proceedings.   Edmonds was named as one of  Deion’s “mistresses” which she emphatically denies.  Edmonds states that she didn’t even meet Deion until after he filed for divorce, when he and his partner reached out to her to produce a project they are working on.  The couple who have been married 11 years and have three kids together are embroiled in a bitter divorce.  DEION even apologized to Edmond’s publicly for Pilar’s “ignorance” and stated that “she didn’t deserve for her name to be thrown into this toilet of lies.”

QUEEN LATIFAH is following the footsteps of SIMON COWELL by launching a new reality TV show with stars including GLORIA ESTEFAN and JOHN RICH.  The rapper/actress is executive producer of the competition called The Star Next Door, in which celebrity mentors will travel to cities across the country seeking out local performers with talent.  The show will debut this summer,  more celebrity mentors will be revealed in the coming months.

The tabloids are coming after WILL SMITH again.  In a few weeks he is going to have to face the press regarding rumors that he is gay, when his new movie Men In Black, comes out.  The tabloids are claiming that his marriage to JADA PINKETT SMITH is in trouble because of his relationship with Actor DUANE MARTIN who has been married to TISHA MARTIN CAMPBELL for 15 years, they have two kids together.  Tisha is reportedly fed up with the “gay rumors” and recently vented on Twitter that “people should stop perpetuating those LIES.”

Actor/Comedian MIKE EPPS has been feuding with his oldest daughter Bria Epps.  The teen recently filed a police report against him, based on recorded phone conversations she had with him in which he threatened her.  The recorded conversations were leaked online and they reveal a troubled relationship.  Sources say she was upset with him because he failed to acknowledge her during an interview he had with WENDY WILLIAMS.  Epps told TMZ ”I love my daughter, but sometimes father and daughters have disagreements.  It’s hard being a dad, especially a dad of a teenager … I still love her though.  Love You Bria!”  Epps will be starring in the new Sparkle movie with JORDIN SPARKS and the late WHITNEY HOUSTON.

Former Football Star TIKI BARBER is still planning to marry his current fiance Traci Lynn Johnson who was the 22 year old intern at NBC that he left his wife for.  His wife of eleven years was eight months pregnant with twins at the time, they now have 4 kids together.  Barber’s scandalous affair with Johnson cost him his job on NBC’s Today Show where he reportedly earned more than $300,000 per year.  He retired after the Giants’ 2007 season and was scheduled to make a comback this year after informing the NFL that he plans to come out of retirement, which has not happened, because no team has shown any interest in him.

JANET JACKSON turned down an offer to be a judge on SIMON COWELL’S X-FACTOR, stating that her schedule is too busy and she would be unable to fulfill the time requirement needed by the show.

IDRIS ELBA and TARAJI P. HENSON are set to star in the new movie No Good Deed.  Elba will also serve as one of the executive producer’s of the thriller.  The story follows a former D.A. turned stay-at-home mom and her two small children, who are terrorized and kidnapped after she invites a handsome, but mysterious stranger into their home to wait for help after his car runs off the road.

KERRY WASHINGTON  has a new TV Show which debuts on ABC in April called Scandal.  It is the latest creation by SHONDA RHIMES the brilliant brainchild of Grey’s Anatomy.   It will be the first time in 30 years that a single African-American woman leads a primetime show on network TV.  Washington is also co-starring in EDDIE MURPHY’S latest film A Thousand Words.

MICHAEL EALY’S new TV Show, Common Law debuts this summer on the USA network.  Ealy is also one of the stars of the movie Think Like A Man which opens in theatres on April 20^th.

NICK CANNON has revealed that he is battling a form of lupus.  Cannon who recently had twins with wife MARIAH CAREY, has had a rough year dealing with health issues including kidney failure and blood clots in his lungs.

CBS Sports Anchor JAMES BROWN has been named Special Correspondent for CBS News, in addition to his current sports reporting for the network.  Audiences know JB as the face of the THE NFL TODAY and other sports broadcasts.  JB’s first book (a memoir),  hit bookstores across the country in September 2009.

JACKEE’ HARRY, best known as “Sandra” on the TV show 227, is starring in the new comedy  Brother White, along with BEBE WINANS for the Gospel Music Channel, the movie premiers on March 11 and will be aired repeatedly throughout the month.

Actress KESHIA KNIGHT PULLIAM (former star on The Cosby Show),  is being sued by her talent agency for a half million dollars.  The talent agency alleges that they got her the lucrative job as “Miranda” on House Of Payne, then she dumped them and refused to pay them their fee.

DWAYNE JOHNSON aka The Rock, has signed on to star as Hercules in the action movie adventure adaptation of the novel, which is scheduled to begin shooting in October in New Zealand.  Johnson is in the upcoming film G.I. Joe: Retaliation which opens this summer in June.   Also on the actor’s docket is Fast Six, the follow up to Furious Five from the Fast & Furious franchise.  Plus, shooting is scheduled to start later this month on Michael Bay’s crime drama Pain And Gain where Johnson will be starring with MARK WAHLBERG.

TRACEE ELLIS ROSS is the cover girl on the new issue of Uptown Magazine.  The 39 year old daughter of DIANA ROSS says she is ready for motherhood.