Man Who Gave Steve Harvey An Eerie Response On ‘Family Feud’ Charged with Murdering Wife
A man who made an awkward—now seemingly eerie—joke about marriage on Family Feud has been charged with murdering his wife three years after appearing on the game show.
On Monday, Timothy W. Bliefnick, 39, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and home invasion in the death of his wife, Rebecca Bliefnick, KHQAreports. His arrest came a few weeks after Rebecca’s body was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside her Quincy, Illinois, home.
Bliefnick, 39, and Rebecca, 41, had been married since 2009 but were in the process of divorcing at the time of her death. The pair had been separated for some years before the fatal shooting.
Her family became suspicious of her whereabouts after Rebecca failed to pick her children up from school on Feb. 23, Peoplereports.
“It was not a random act of violence,” Josh Jones, lead trial attorney for the Adams County State’s Attorney, said. “However, it is equally as important to recognize the event for what it is — an act of domestic violence.”
Bliefnick appeared as a contestant on Family Feud in 2020, where he shocked host Steve Harvey by making a cryptic joke about marriage in response to the question, “What’s the biggest mistake you made at your wedding?”
“Honey, I love you, but,” Bliefnick said before shockingly answering, “Said ‘I do.'”
The audience gasped at his response, to which Bliefnick replied, “Not my mistake! I love my wife.” Before jokingly asking Steve, “I’m going to get in trouble for that, aren’t I?”
But now, considering his current murder charges, Bliefnick’s Family Feud response might’ve been the first public sign of the turmoil taking place behind the scenes.
Bliefnick’s lawyer, Casey Schnack, says her client will plead not guilty to the charges.
“The state’s attorney’s office appears to be coming out with a narrative that this was an act of domestic violence. And the fact of the matter is, there was no domestic violence that we are aware of,” she said.
“Tim does not have a criminal history. He’s never been arrested for battery, domestic battery, anything violent, anything ever.”
Meanwhile, family and friends are mourning the loss of Rebecca, a beloved nurse who leaves behind three boys.
Halle Berry Shares Rare All Grown Up Photo of Daughter To Celebrate Her 15th Birthday, “I Love You Sweet Angel’
Halle Berry rarely shares photos of her children. But she surprised fans with images of her daughter Nahla Ariela Aubry in celebration of her eldest’s 15th birthday.
On Thursday, Berry took to Instagram to share three subtle photos chronicling her daughter’s 15 years of life.
“One of the greatest gifts the universe has given me is my daughter, Nahla,” she captioned the post. “She is the sun that never fades and the moon that never wanes!
“Please join me in wishing her a happy 15th Birthday today! I love you sweet angel 👼🏽”
The post included three photos, one showing a framed picture of Berry holding a young Nahla smiling in her mother’s arms. The second photo showed Nahla lying peacefully in a hammock while looking out at the water.
The last showed a teenage Nahla sitting crossed-legged and covering her face with a hat. None of the photos showed a direct close-up of Berry’s daughter, as the Academy Award-winning actress has always refrained from putting her children in the public eye.
The Catwoman star shares Nahla with her ex Gabriel Aubry and her 9-year-old son, Maceo Robert Martinez, with ex Olivier Martinez. Last year, Berry opened up about how her children have been adjusting to her current relationship with musician Van Hunt.
“I really believe I’ve found my person. My son Maceo on his own, did this little commitment ceremony for us in the back seat of the car,” Berry shared with AARP The Magazine.
“I think he finally sees me happy, and it’s infectious. It was his way of saying, ‘This is good. This makes me happy.’ ”
It was a significant moment for Berry and Van Hunt’s blended family.
“It was a very real moment for all of us,” Berry explained. “I teared up, Van was fighting back tears.”
“Even Maceo knew he’d said something poignant. I have two children. Van has a son. As a mom living [in] this modern, blended family, all I care about is that my kids are OK with my decisions.”
Jail Time Played Significant Factor in Sherri Shepherd’s Success
Being locked up in jail taught this star an important life lesson.
Daytime talk show host Sherri Shepherd credits her jail time as a significant factor in her career. According to Page Six, Shepherd served an eight-day jail sentence for a $10,000 debt she incurred in unpaid moving violations.
“Yeah, I went to jail for not paying my tickets. At the time I did not think being in jail was a good moment, but looking back I learned to pay all my bills,” Shepherd said. “Jail, that was a classroom…it was a life lesson, and now I pay my bills on time.”
She served her jail time in the early 1990s, the start of her career in show business.
“One of the girls in jail said, ‘Leave Sherri alone because she’s gonna be somebody and we are going to be here for the rest of our lives,’ literally that’s what she used to say,” Shepherd told Page Six.
“Her name was Shelby and she came to both my weddings when I got out. But sometimes people see things in you that you don’t see yourself, and when she said those words, ‘Sherri is gonna be somebody,’ I never thought that for myself. So I just knew that something was going to happen.”
The young lady in jail with Shepherd at the time was right: Shepherd is know a world-renowned television personality as well as a comedian, actress, broadcaster, and author. Her new talk show, Sherri, premiered last September after Shepherd stepped in for ailing talk show queen Wendy Williams.
Shepherd is also still very proud of the years she spent as a co-host on ABC’s daytime talk show, The View.
“That’s a sisterhood that just, the bonds never break,” Shepherd told Entertainment Tonight in January. Shepherd joined the daily chat roundtable in 2006.
He Put a Ring on It: Tamar Braxton Engaged to ‘Queens Court’ Contestant
R&B singer Tamar Braxton is getting ready to walk down the aisle, thanks to the magic of television.
Peoplereports that Braxton found her king on the finale of the Peacock reality show, Queens Court, when she got engaged to a finalist from the show, Jeremy “JR” Robinson.
The show finished filming six months ago, and it has stuck. An update to the episode informed viewers that they are planning their wedding.
In QueensCourt, three women sift women through 21 men in the hopes of engaging in a successful romantic relationship. The three women are Braxton, R&B singer Nivea and Basketball Wives alum, Evelyn Lozada.
In the final episode of the show, Braxton told Robinson, “I knew I was different than my siblings. I prayed for somebody to understand me and not look at me and my flaws and just accept me for who I am. And then I met you. And then I saw every single that I ever prayed for as a child…I thought that I just needed love. I didn’t. I needed a friend. And you’ve been that for me.”
“I’m not only willing, I’m ready,” he replied. “So much so that I don’t want to be your friend. I don’t want to be your friend. I want to be your husband.”
And the dramatic moment came when Robinson dropped to his knee.
“Tamar, I’m here forever because I don’t see my life without you. I love you, Tamar. Tamar, will you marry me?”
Before she gave her answer, she asked him if he was sure. He replied, “Absolutely sure.”
She then said yes and added, “Now you got to tell my son and my baby daddies.”
Braxton is going to have to return the favor—a lot. According to People, Robinson has five kids with four different women.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Asked to ‘Vacate Their Residence’ at Frogmore Cottage
The Royal Family has evicted estranged family members Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, according to a report by The Sun.
The home, Frogmore Cottage, was given to Prince Harry and Markle as a gift from the now-deceased Queen Elizabeth II. The couple now resides in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Reportedly, the home, located on the grounds of Windsor Castle, has been offered to the Duke of York, Prince Andrew,King Charles‘ brother and uncle to Prince Harry. According to The Sun, Prince Andrew received the keys to the abode last week. People reported that news of the eviction was confirmed by a spokesperson for the couple’s Archewell Foundation.
After the pair got married, they moved from Nottingham Cottage, which is located on the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, to Frogmore Cottage before Prince Archie was born in 2019.
After moving in, the couple had extensive work done on the house. The cost of the renovations was originally paid by the Sovereign Grant, a fund set aside for the royals that the UK taxpayers funded. The renovations amounted to approximately $3 million, but Prince Harry reimbursed the funds to the Sovereign Grant.
The couple still had a reason to celebrate. Two weeks ago, according to People, Princess Lilibet was christened “I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor,” said a spokesperson for the couple.
The ceremony took place at their home in Montecito, California. Their daughter is now 21 months old.
Princess Lilibet’s godfather, Tyler Perry, not only came bearing gifts, but also brought along a 10-member gospel choir. The musical guests performed two selections: “Oh Happy Day” and “This Little Light of Mine.” The latter song was played at the wedding of Prince Harry and Markle.
Ride That Killed 14-Year-Old Tyre Sampson Dismantled Per Settlement With Mother
The mother of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson refused to relive the nightmare at Orlando’s ICON Park so she did something about it.
FOX News reportsNekia Dodd reached an undisclosed settlement with the amusement park and the owner of the Orlando FreeFall ride, the ride where Sampson fell to his death. They’ve also agreed to have the ride dismantled. Dodd’s attorney made the announcement Wednesday.
Dodd’s son made headlines when video footage showed him falling nearly 400 feet from his seat seconds after the ride began. Dodd worked tirelessly to have the ride dismantled, which has been closed since the horrific incident last March.
“My son took his last breath on this ride, so it’s heartbreaking, it’s devastating, it’s a feeling I hope no other parent will ever have to go through after this ride comes down,” Dodd said.
“When he passed, I wasn’t there for him.”
The ride was described as “the world’s tallest freestanding drop tower.”
An investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services found the seats on the ride tilted forward 30 degrees before the gondola was released in a free fall that would reach 4Gs. The ride then broke at approximately 100 feet above the ground.
The seat Sampson sat in had a proximity sensor that “was manually loosened, adjusted, and tightened in order to allow a restraint opening of near 7 inches.
According to CNN, the ride’s weight limit was at 287 pounds, with Tyre weighing at 383 pounds. However, a lawsuit filed by his family claims there wasn’t a weight limit sign or scales at site.
“We are pleased that a settlement has been reached,” Trevor Arnold, the attorney for the ride’s owner, said. “We also continue to support Sen. Geraldine Thompson in her efforts to make the ‘Tyre Sampson bill’ state law.”
The bill would require amusement rides to have permanent additional safety requirements before rides open, on top of providing additional training to operators and added oversight from the state.
Queen Latifah’s ‘Queen Collective’ Is Opening Doors for Black Women Filmmakers
This is why she’s the “Queen.”
Queen Latifah is opening up more opportunities for women filmmakers of color to tell their stories through the Queen Collective, a program developed in partnership with Procter & Gamble, Flavor Unit Entertainment, and Tribeca Studios.
According to Forbes, the program offers women filmmakers of color the opportunity to develop and showcase their short films in an effort to amplify gender, racial equality, and representation in the industry.
“We created this partnership, the Queen Collective, to give women of color an opportunity to create, produce, direct, and have financing for their short film and distribution. We’ll take care of everything from beginning to end and allow them to create their vision,” Latifah said.
Launched in 2019, the Queen Collective provides mentorship, production support, distribution opportunities, and essential financial resources to the innovative filmmakers, some to include the program’s most recent featured directors: Imani Dennison, Luchina Fisher, Contessa Gayles, Idil Ibrahim, Vashni Korin, and Jenn Shaw.
“We’ve seen our directors [would] hire over 50% people of color, over 50% women in their crews, and it created that experience that people needed, it started to build that pipeline that we need. If you want to hire someone, you want to hire the best person; the best person needs to be trained [and have] experience, so if we’re not even getting the experience, how will we be the best?” she said.
Varietyreported that the Queen Collective has helped around 100 people find employment in the industry, noting that 75% were people of color.
“I’m not just impressed with the directors, but with the crews they hired because I know all those folks can go on and get jobs in those positions,” Latifah added.
The Queen Collective short films are now available on demand and can be accessed through BET platforms including BET, BET HER, BET SOUL, BET JAMS, and PLUTO TV. Viewers can also find them on the P&G website.
Recovering Perfectionists Discuss Importance of Striving for Progress, Not Perfection During Women of Power Summit
After an energizing Saturday morning breakfast, women scrambled into bright-and-early sessions where some came to discuss a personal flaw we’ve all fallen guilty of head-on—perfectionism.
Hosted by Lilly, BLACK ENTERPRISE’s Women of Power session, “Progress, Not Perfection,” brought together a panel of recovering perfectionists from challenging women to let go of the idea that we must be perfect and instead take risks and embrace failure.
“I never took a break to rest.”
“…I was telling myself to rest is a waste.”
“The key thing that I needed to do was make sure I prioritized.”
Those words sounded like the professionals needed to come to the rescue quickly. But wait, those were the words of the professionals, the women in major positions at their companies, and the attendees’ ears were perked up to receive their advice.
Fortunately, those beginning words were not the end of their stories.
Holding back tears, Dr. YasmeneMumby, founder & principal at The Ringgold, shared an emotional story about how striving for perfection took a toll on her health, so much so, her body refused to continue physically.
Progress Not Perfection panel Women of Power Summit in Vegas (Images Black Enterprise)
“A good portion of my early career, I had the assumption, deep assumption, that to rest was a waste of time,” Mumby shared, emphasizing the sacrifice her ancestors made for her to be where she is.
“I was telling myself, to rest is a waste. That’s not true. I also thought I had to earn my way to take a break. That’s not true either,” she said.
Working seven days a week, co-chairing a citywide coalition, all while attending night classes for law school, Mumby’s workload came to a point where, at 27 years old, she ended up losing eyesight in her left eye. A blood clot in the vein between her eye and brain that caused her to go blind in her eye for a year presented doctors with a case they had never seen before in someone her age. At the same time, Mumby shared she was growing a fibroid tumor ten times the size of her uterus. When she thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did. She laughed to release some tension before revealing she found a lump in her breast during her recovery.
“People who understood me understood the sacrifices that I could no longer make to show up perfected for other people,” Mumby said. “I had to choose life.”
Mumby supports Black women choosing themselves over the trauma and pain that shows up in the body from life’s stressors.
“I never took a break to rest,” were the words of Dr. LaurenYoung, chief diversity and inclusion officer at Travelers, who has never received anything lower than an A in her studies as she got candid about how detrimental perfectionism was to her health.
Progress Not Perfection panel Women of Power Summit in Vegas (Images Black Enterprise)
Never not smiling, Young masked the pressure of representing her family and culture, making sure she always looked and spoke a certain way and ensuring she never had an “off day.”
Staying busy is what fed her, and resting wasn’t an option in order to care for her loved ones and handle her professional responsibilities.
“I’m taking on all of this stuff that no one has asked me to do because I’m told this is the expectation of a Black woman,” Young shared, adding that she started experiencing a head rush every time she stood up in meetings, something that progressed and got so bad she couldn’t stand up to walk without holding a wall.
“I said…I’m going to do something for myself. I’m going to start my own business and dictate how I’m going to spend my time and energy,” she said after doctors advised she should take a break.
Taking severance and quitting her MBA program, Young said the dizziness disappeared immediately after she lightened her load.
Kelly Copes-Anderson, global head of Diversity Equity & Inclusion at Lilly, admitted to being a recovering perfectionist.
“I’m claiming it because it starts with you being clear about where you want to be and unwinding those messages that you had in your mind,” she said, adding that the key for her was prioritizing.
“Women, in general, tend to be more perfectionists than others, but Black women, have it even more so than women in general. And we have this because of the systems of bias and racism that we face. That’s a reality,” she added, acknowledging head nods of agreement from the women across the room.
Copes-Anderson explained how perfectionism is really a protective mechanism to help avoid being judged and criticized.
“I have two affirmations every morning. I am enough, and I’m meant to be here,” Copes-Anderson said.
Former NBA Player Matt Barnes Ordered to Pay Ex-Wife Gloria Govan More Than $133K for Back Child Support
It looks like former NBA player, Matt Barnes, wants All The Smoke. According to TMZ, the podcaster is substantially behind on child support payments to ex-wife, Gloria Govan.The media outlet obtained legal paperwork stating that Barnes owed the mother of his children $133,976.54 in past-due child support payments. A judge recently ordered him to pay the arrears to his former wife. The former couple have two children together, teenage twins, Carter and Isaiah.The former Los Angeles Laker and the Basketball Wives alum were married from 2013-2016. In 2018, after paying $20,000 per month in child support, he was ordered to only shell out $7,500 monthly.Govan REALLY needs that money so she can satisfy a judgment recently issued to her. Coincidentally, the lawyers who helped her in her divorce case against Barnes have sued Govan. They allege that she owes them a whopping $197,774.62. Radar Online reported that her divorce attorneys took her to court for refusing to pay for their services. Court documents reveal a Los Angeles Superior Court judge awarded a default judgment against Govan after she ignored the lawsuit filed by the law firm Brot, Gross & Fishbein.
In the legal papers initially filed by her former attorneys, they demanded Govan be ordered to pay $250,000. That amount would cover the debt she owed them plus additional legal fees. After they hired a process server to find Govan, they tracked her to an address in Las Vegas. The law firm stated that she failed to respond to the case.
Earlier this year, Barnes was hit with a lawsuit from his fiancee Anansa Sims‘ former husband, David Patterson Jr. The lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleged that Barnes committed battery, assault, and emotional distress during an incident that transpired at a San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys football game, according to TMZ.
Cheer Mom Saves Daughter After She Goes Into Cardiac Arrest At Competition
This cheer mom was sitting on ready.
Andrea Joe, mother of high school cheerleader, Keianna Joe, helped save her daughter when she became unresponsive during a warmup for a cheerleading competition at a North Carolina high school on March 5.
According to Good Morning America, the mother immediately jumped in with her knowledge of CPR.
“I immediately ran to her side and I felt for a pulse and I didn’t feel a pulse,” Andrea said. “I am CPR-certified…I’ve been trained on an AED device and I knew kind of at that moment that she needs this…and I know how to do it.”
Teammates of the high school senior noticed something was wrong as they were letting her down from the air during a stunt.
“I gripped onto my base and I didn’t let her go and that’s when they knew something was wrong and they slowly let me down to the ground,” Keianna said, thankful that her teammates knew not to panic and to get her down safely.
A good samaritan handed Andrea an automated external defibrillator, or AED, that was stored in the high school’s gym. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the portable medical device uses technology to analyze the heart rhythm before delivering an electrical shock appropriate for restoring the heart to its normal rate.
“I grabbed the pads and I just kind of ripped her uniform up over her head and threw the pads on her and hit the button,” Joe said. “It said, ‘shock advised,’ and that was alarming because you train on these devices all the time and every time you train on them, they never deliver a shock because it’s not a live patient.”
Keianna is currently home and recovering after being transferred to Duke University Hospital, where doctors noted she had gone into cardiac arrest. The cheerleader remained in the hospital for weeks in critical condition, where she underwent surgery on Monday to insert an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.
“Her mom delivering high-quality CPR to her for the few minutes it took to get the AED there basically allowed her to escape with no brain damage,” said Dr. Zebulon Zachary Spector, the pediatric cardiologist who performed Keianna’s surgery. “And she’s probably alive because there was an AED on-site and her mom knew how to use it.”
