• Celebrity News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 28, 2023

Jaden Smith Confirms That Jada Pinkett Smith Introduced The Family To Psychedelics

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Jaden Smith is proud of his psychedelic use and even credits his mom, Jada Pinkett Smith, for introducing the drug to the Smith family.

The music artist/entrepreneur was at the Psychedelic Science conference in Denver on Friday, June 23, 2023, where he spoke openly about his use of psychedelics and how the plant medicine increased his level of empathy, USA Today reports. According to Jaden, magic mushrooms are what prompted his philanthropy efforts, and he thanks his mom for getting her family on board.

“I think it was my mom, actually, that was really the first one to make that step for the family,” he said.

“It was just her for a really, really long time and then eventually it just trickled and evolved and everybody found it in their own ways.”

The Karate Kid star said psychedelics even helped improve his relationships with his siblings, sister Willow Smith, 22, and older brother Trey Smith, 30.

“Siblings can argue so much and fight so much, and lord knows me and my siblings have done so much of that in the past,” he said.

“But the level of love and empathy that I can feel for them inside of the (psychedelic) experiences and outside of the experiences has been something that’s profound and beautiful.”

Jaden even noted times he argued with his siblings and made up after a shared psychedelic experience.

“It will actually help us to open up our minds to get out of the old ways of thinking that got us into lots of these arguments and open it up so that it just releases and makes room for you to work it out and massage it out until it’s completely gone,” he explained.

Studies from the National Institute of Health have found that psychedelics like psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, and mescaline have significantly increased explicit and implicit emotional empathy. Experts note the benefits of using psychedelic drugs in proper quantities and safe controlled settings.

However, they remind the public that these drugs are still illegal and shouldn’t be a sole resort to mental health treatment.

RELATED CONTENT: Will Smith Beams and Shows Pride When Daughter Willow Performs At Coachella

• News

by Iman Milner

June 28, 2023

Billionaire Robert Smith’s Private Equity Firm Wins Big After 4.6B Sale To IBM

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Billionaire investor Robert F. Smith‘s private equity firm Vista Equity Partners has sold software company  Apptio in a deal with IBM for a reported $4.6 billion, a 142 percent return on investment. .

According to Markets Insider, Vista acquired the Washington-based app in 2019 for $1.9 billion with full confidence that the returns would be significant in part because of their faith in Apptio CEO and co-founder Sunny Gupta’s vision.

“As investors, we were immediately drawn to what Sunny and his team were doing,” Vista Equity Partners said in a statement. “Not only were they innovating an entirely new category with tremendous growth potential, but Sunny was also an established visionary founder having co-founded iConclude, which pioneered the IT runbook automation market through its acquisition by Opsware.”

In a separate statement, IBM said it plans to use cash on hand to fund the deal which it expects will be finalized later this year.

Vista, which has an infinity for acquiring software companies, has made $18 billion since 2021 trusting the selling power of the brands they bet on.

“At a time when exit activity within private equity has fallen considerably, Vista has continued to maintain its momentum. Since November 30, 2021, the firm has completed or signed 18 monetization events across full and partial exits, recapitalizations, block sales, and a follow-on offering,” the company said in statement. “Across these events, we have generated $18.0 billion in total value, including monetizations of $14.3 billion (including co-investment) and $3.7 billion in unrealized value still to be captured.”

This is great news for Smith, who surpassed media maven Oprah Winfrey as one of the world’s richest Black Americans and is currently the world’s 150th wealthiest person with a personal fortune of $12 billion, according to Markets Insider.

And no one can forget the donation he made to Morehouse’s 2019 graduating class whose debts, totaling $34 million, he completely expunged.

The most decorated gymnast of all time, Simone Biles, may be returning to the mat.

Biles is scheduled to appear at the U.S. Classic in Illinois this August, the Associated Press reports, her first time at a competition since the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

The U.S. Classic, a mainstay on the USA Gymnastics annual calendar, typically serves as a warm-up to national championships.

Biles took an unexpected leave from the sport to focus on her mental health which sparked a trend to cater to the overall wellness of competing athletes. She sat on the sidelines cheering on her teammates, who walked away with a silver medal, while she suffered from a condition “the twisties”—a term used in gymnastics when an athlete loses their spatial awareness when airborne.

She did compete in the balance beam final and won the bronze medal. That win tied her with former gymnast Shannon Miller’s record for most Olympic medals won by an American female gymnast.

Biles is scheduled to make an appearance at the competition but there is no official word on if she is competing or not as she is only listed on the entry list. According to the USA Gymnastics website, “registration for U.S. Classic closed this week and is required to compete at the U.S. Classic, but it does not guarantee participation.”

There is still a chance to see Biles back on the floor as late petitions to compete could potentially be accepted at the discretion of the USA Gymnastics Athlete Selection Committee.

“Every athlete is at a different place in their season and career, and we will support each of them, wherever they are in their journey,” USA Gymnastics Chief Programs Officer Stefanie Korepin said.

Since her absence, Biles has remained busy. She married Jonathan Owens, a defensive back for the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, in April.

• Fashion & Beauty

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 28, 2023

Black Designer Accuses Pharrell And Louis Vuitton of Stealing Her Design; ‘They Took The Concept’

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An independent Black designer is calling out Pharrell Williams and Louis Vuitton for allegedly taking a concept she introduced online two years ago.

It all started after Pharrell debuted Louis Vuitton’s new SS24 collection at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The collection is the first under the music/fashion mogul’s direction as LV’s new menswear creative director.

After seeing the collection, fashion designer Kellie Ford took to TikTok to post a series of videos claiming one of her original designs was copied and incorporated into the new collection.

“Back in 2021, I had went viral for this Louis Vuitton shopping bag that I turned into a purse,” Ford said in her first of three video explanations.

@fly4ikellie♬ original sound – Kellie Ford

Ford says her original design, consisting of an LV shopping bag that was inserted into plastic and turned into a chic handbag, garnered around 10 million views after being reposted on “every blog.” Now speed up to 2023, and Ford is convinced her original design was copied by Pharrell and the LV team.

In a second video, Ford defended her stance and said she has no interest in suing Pharrell or LV. She’s more bothered by the “concept” she believes “they took.”

“It ain’t about suing, it ain’t about infringement. The thing is they took the concept…The concept is the same,” she said. “The concept is, the bag being a normal paper bag being worn at leisure. That’s what they did. They took the concept of the bag…. It’s the concept, not the actual bag itself.”

@fly4ikellie♬ original sound – Kellie Ford

Ford believes her original concept is what added “the sauce” LV allegedly “took” and added to their new menswear collection under Pharrell’s direction.

“Yes, it’s their bag. But it’s my sauce,” she quipped.

Many debated with Ford, with some claiming her design wasn’t copied and others encouraging her to reach out to LV for a potential partnership.

“Nah. They could literally sue you for making a profit off them without authorization,” one critic claimed.

“Reach out to them LV to ask for a partnership like Gucci and Dapper Dan,” a supporter wrote.

No word on if the designer has connected with Pharrell or LV.

RELATED CONTENT: Beyoncé Wore Only Black Designers For Renaissance Tour Juneteenth Performance

• Money

by Derek Major

June 28, 2023

Cash App Still Investigating ‘Glitch’ Causing Double Transactions In Accounts

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Cash App said in a statement it’s still investigating an issue that has caused some users to be double-charged for transactions.

“We recently discovered a technical issue that’s causing some customers to get charged double the amount of their transaction,” Cash App said in an update to its status page Tuesday. “We’re actively investigating and working to fix the issue as soon as possible, and we’ll share updates as soon as it’s resolved.”

Cash App is a peer-to-peer payment app started in 2013 that allows individuals to quickly send, receive, and invest money.

According to NBC WTHR, Cash App said it will notify users who were double- charged and provide refunds. Users across social media platforms complained Monday about the double transactions, which sent some accounts into the red. Additionally, USA Today reported Cash App’s in-app and phone support were also down on Monday as users sought help fixing the problem.

Cash App said the issue was “causing duplicate Cash Card transactions” and “making some customers see a negative account balance.”

The Cash Card is an optional Visa debit card connected to users’ Cash App balances rather than a bank account.

The “glitch” comes on the heels of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) warning customers against keeping money in money-sharing apps including Cash App and Venmo long-term because they lack the federal protections consumers have at traditional banks.

The warning was released after several high-profile bank failures, including Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Customers of those banks received refunds because account holders at federally insured financial institutions are guaranteed to get back up to $250,000 per account if the bank fails.

The CFPB added that billions of dollars are at risk of being stolen from customers due to payment apps encouraging customers to store money rather than just send or receive money. The industry group the Financial Technology Association, which represents both Cash App and Venmo, defended the safety of the app.

“Tens of millions of American consumers and small businesses rely on payment apps to better spend, manage, and send their money. These accounts are safe and transparent,” the group said in a statement, according to CNN. “FTA members provide clear and easy-to-understand terms in all their products and prioritize consumer protection every step of the way.”

Tennessee State University (TSU) is adding a new sport to its athletic program.

TSU will be the first HBCU with an ice hockey team, Sports Illustrated reports. The announcement will be made during a conference at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 28. TSU President Dr. Glenda Glover, Athletic Director Dr. Mikki Allen, and the National Hockey League’s Vice President of Hockey Development and Strategic Collaboration, Kevin Westgarth, will be present.

And, yes, the hockey program already has a Twitter account.

🎶 Hello out there, we’re on the air
It’s ‘Hockey Night’ tonight …

— Tennessee State Hockey (@TSUTigersHockey) June 28, 2023

The National Hockey League, National Hockey League Players Association, and the Nashville Predators are partnering with the school. The idea for a hockey program started in May 2021 after the organizations said they would conduct a feasibility study in order to determine whether a varsity men’s and women’s hockey teams could be established at Tennessee State.

In February 2023, Allen and Predators president and CEO Sean Henry announced a fundraising campaign to launch the hockey programs. All funding will go toward scholarships, an on-campus venue, equipment, travel and other related expenses. The amount of how much was essentially needed to support a team of this magnitude or when the program will start has not been announced yet.

TSU and the Nashville Predators already host several events, including Black History Nights and scholarship events including the “$1 million in 1 month” fundraising scholarship campaign for TSU students, according to HBCU Sports.

“The idea of establishing a collegiate hockey program at TSU is a tremendous opportunity as the nation’s first HBCU to take on this endeavor,” Glover said. “This allows us to expand the sport, increase diversity, and introduce a new fan base.”

Out of 109 HBCUs in the United States, none have offered organized hockey at any level.

Previously it was reported that Diddy filed a lawsuit against Diageo, the company distributing his DeLeón tequila and Ciroc vodka brands, accusing the conglomerate of racism. As a result, Diageo has left the entertainment mogul on his own, cutting ties with the hip-hop entrepreneur.

According to Variety, the spirits company responded to Diddy’s lawsuit, asked the court to dismiss it, and informed them that it would no longer be working with Sean “Diddy” Combs.

“We are saddened that Mr. Combs has chosen to recast a business dispute as anything other than that and chosen to damage a productive and valued partnership. Mr. Combs’ bad-faith actions have clearly breached his contracts and left us no choice but to move to dismiss his baseless complaint and end our business relationship. Mr. Combs has repeatedly undermined our partnerships and threatened to publicly defame Diageo if we did not meet his unreasonable financial demands,” Diageo said in a written statement.

“Diageo believes strongly in the CIRÔC and DeLeón brands and remains committed to their success, which is why we tried for years to salvage the broken relationship with Mr. Combs. We funded the purchase of DeLeón for the joint venture and proceeded to invest more than $100 million to grow the brand. Despite having made nearly a billion dollars over the course of our 15-year relationship, Mr. Combs contributed a total of $1,000 and refused to honor his commitments.”

In the initial lawsuit, filed in New York State court, Diddy accused Diageo of being dishonest about its diversity efforts. Combs stated that the company “kneecapped” the products he backed, typecasting them as “Black brands” that should only be marketed to “urban” (code: Black) consumers.

Combs also alleged the company has been neglectful toward his brand, claiming DeLeón has repeatedly been out of stock at retailers nationwide, including larger markets like California and New York.

An attorney for Diddy, John C. Hueston, released a statement about Diageo’s latest action.

“Diageo attempting to end its deals with Mr. Combs is like firing a whistleblower who calls out racism. It’s a cynical and transparent attempt to distract from multiple allegations of discrimination. Over the years, he has repeatedly raised concerns as senior executives uttered racially insensitive comments and made biased decisions based on that point of view. Diageo even acknowledged the problem by agreeing in his contract to treat DeLeon the same way it treated their other tequila brands. He brought the lawsuit to force them to live up to that contract, and instead, they responded by trying to get rid of him. This lawsuit and Mr. Combs are not going away.”

Diddy is reportedly seeking to be compensated billions in damages “in a proceeding not before this court,” according to the complaint. TMZ originally reported that Diddy had complained that Diageo wasn’t properly marketing and investing in DeLeón for several years. Instead, he alleged, they focused on other tequila brands like Don Julio and George Clooney’s Casamigos.

• News

by Sharelle Burt

June 28, 2023

Higher Heights: Georgia Man Undergoes Limb-Lengthening Surgery After Crush Rejects Him

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How far would you go to change yourself after being rejected by a crush? Dynzell Sigers of Atlanta went deep into his pockets for a painful procedure to make him taller, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The price tag? $80,000 in total, as he went through the risky surgery twice, costing $40,000 each time. The former Navy medic had the procedure done in December 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey and started to share his journey on social media, calling it a “knee BBL,” going viral several times.

Before the surgeries, Sigers was 5’5 and said he was always conscious about his height “before approaching women” and admitted that it was something he looked into for years. “I’ve looked for many different ways to get taller over the years, but there were never any realistic options,” the Navy veteran said. “I found out about limb lengthening and booked my appointment right away.”

@mrbrokenbonez From 5’5 to 6’0 using limb lengthening surgery @livelifetaller.com.tr @le_tremba #screammovie #gettingtaller #gettingtall #growingtall #growingtaller #limblengthening #limblengtheningsurgery #sixfoot ♬ Life Is Good (feat. Drake)

Now with over 19,000 followers on TikTok and standing six feet tall, Sigers said the procedure changed his life, .

The Cleveland Clinic said that for the procedure, surgeons cut the femurs in two different segments. They then attach a limb-lengthening device between the two segments, which sparks new bone growth that eventually fills in the gap. This can take about two months. Recovery can take nearly a year, and patients have to learn how to walk again. He said the pain was intense but bearable, according to WSB-TV, however, he is seeing a difference in how women approach him and vice versa.

“I’ve also been able to garner much more attention from women and I have no reservations about approaching them,” Sigers said. “I feel like a new man and as though I was able to get a second chance at life.”

Five-time Grammy-winning New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne will take home the highest honor at this year’s 2023 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards in September 2023. 

The ceremony will be hosted by BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI Vice President, Creative, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton, at LIV Nightclub in Miami Beach.

“As a legend and superstar of hip-hop, Lil Wayne is synonymous with the genre. He’s been part of the BMI family since 2002, and we’re proud to name him a BMI Icon in keeping with his reputation as one of the most influential artists of all time,” said Brewton. “We’re also excited to pay tribute to the 50th Anniversary of hip-hop with a celebration that reflects the genre’s legacy, which has infiltrated entertainment, fashion, sports, and much more.

“We’re thrilled to be back in Miami for this history-making milestone and to recognize BMI’s songwriters and producers who will usher R&B/hip-hop into the next 50 years. It’s going to be a night to remember.”

The BMI Icon Award is given to esteemed music makers who have been influential throughout their careers in the music industry. Lil Wayne will join the ranks of such iconic creators as Janet Jackson, Patti LaBelle, Nile Rodgers, Snoop Dogg, and the Jacksons.

This honor adds to the many accolades the Young Money CEO has garnered throughout his career.

Wayne Carter has won 26 BET Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, seven MTV Awards, and four Soul Train Awards. Through Broadcast Music, Inc.

Lil Wayne has received 52 BMI Awards and was named R&B/Hip Hop Songwriter of the Year in 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2013. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide, with 25 million albums and 90 million digital tracks sold in the United States alone.

If that’s not enough, the prolific rapper has a net worth, according to Ranker, of $150 million. And he’s done that by going freestyle, not writing down a single lyric since 2002.

• News

by Iman Milner

June 28, 2023

James Smith Becomes First Black Official To Head FBI Office In New York

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has named James Smith the first Black director of the New York office.

Smith has spent the last two decades with the bureau working counter-terrorism and national security investigations as well as helping to oversee cyber and surveillance programs. Most recently, the new FBI Assistant Director ran the fourth-largest bureau office in Houston after serving in the Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Antonio offices.

Smith joined the FBI in 2004. He spent many years as a supervisory special agent investigating MR-13 gang members and other organized criminal groups. In 2012, the Massachusetts native joined the International Violent Crimes Unit where he managed international hostage-takings, major crimes, and fugitive matters, according to the FBI.

During his tenure in Los Angeles, Smith was supervisor of the Violent Crimes Against Children Squad before taking his skills to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Squad where he led the charge on Mexican criminal enterprise investigations, the Compton Safe Streets Task Force, and other crime task forces.

In 2016, the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alumnus was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the San Antonio Field Office. There, he oversaw national security, intelligence, cyber, language services, surveillance, and aviation programs, according to the FBI. Smith also helped oversee an investigation into serial bombings in Austin which called for hundreds of officers searching for the suspect who killed two and injured five.

Smith didn’t intend to join the FBI. In fact, he barely missed the cutoff to be part of the bureau, according to KHOU 11.

“I was 36 when I entered and I turned 37 one month after I graduated from the academy,” he said. The cutoff age for the FBI is 37.

Smith’s unconventional route to the FBI may also be an influential factor on how he approaches the role he plays in addressing the country’s crime rates. He doesn’t point the finger at marginalized communities, the way local law enforcement often does.

“Criminal activity has evolved and changed over time,” he said. “They [criminals] adjust to various types of crimes. They learn from the mistakes they’ve made and now they are going forward with new tactics.”