Former ‘Extreme Weight Loss’ Contestant Brandi Mallory Dead At Age 40

by Iman Milner

November 17, 2023

Former ‘Extreme Weight Loss’ Contestant Brandi Mallory Dead At Age 40

The former reality TV star was found dead inside of her vehicle

Brandi Mallory, who competed on ABC’s popular series Extreme Weight Loss in 2014, has died at 40, People reports. The former reality TV star was found dead inside of her vehicle in Stone Mountain, Georgia. A cause of death has not been confirmed.

Mallory’s car was spotted in a strip mall parking lot by a store owner who noticed the woman inside and thought she was asleep. After seeing the vehicle hadn’t been moved all day, he notified the police. Surveillance footage captured Mallory arriving at the parking lot the previous night, purchasing dinner, and returning to her vehicle, TMZ reports. She was not seen leaving the parking lot or her car again.

Police have noted no sign of foul play.

Since her appearance on Extreme Weight Loss, Mallory continued documenting her healthy lifestyle via a fitness page under the name HorsePowerfmg, where she offered various workout experiences led by herself and others. The Clark Atlanta University alumnus was also a makeup professional and plus-size influencer. When appearing on the show in 2014, she shared that the motivation behind her decision to strive for a new lifestyle came after the death of her sorority sister at the age of 29.

“I was literally waking up every day like… this may be my last day waking up, like, I don’t know what’s going to happen for me,” Mallory said. “When it’s playing on your mind that I might need to do something about my weight, because I’m afraid I might die too, then you might need to pay attention to something like that.”

Mallory’s family and friends held a candlelight vigil in her honor on Nov. 12, and a memorial service will be held on Nov. 19.

Extreme Weight Loss season 5 contestant Kim Williams Maxile shared kind words about Mallory in a touching tribute posted to Instagram. “You truly made an impact on this world with your zest and your passion for body positivity,” she wrote. “I’m blessed to have gotten to experience you in this world.”

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

November 17, 2023

Former Gang Member From LA Now Runs A Multi-Million Dollar Organization With 125 Employees

In 2012, Yusef Wiley was released from a California Correctional facility, since then he has become a successful entrepreneur.

Originally Reported by Blacknews

Nationwide — In 2012, Yusef Wiley was released from a California Correctional facility after serving close to 22 years due to his past gang involvement in South Central LA. He hit the ground running being supported by family, friends, and the faith community located in the San Francisco Bay Area, he immediately began to make his passion for serving known by speaking at all types of venues.

Not long after that, requests began to pour in for Yusef to share his story at local government meetings, college campus events, and companies in Silicon Valley. After securing employment in the private school sector as an African-American Studies School Teacher.

In 2014, it was time to bring to life his dream and prayer to serve his community full-time as founder of the Timelist Group, Inc., which is now a successful multi-million dollar operation serving the very community he once helped to destroy as a gang member.

Yusef is now giving back to his community by providing a number of programs such as housing for reentry and unhoused individuals, and workforce programs which have allowed him to hire system-impacted people with a history of felony arrest. The Timelist Group now employs over 125 people from its predominately African-American community.

He has added to his business portfolio a Consultant Company, YW Consultants LLC, and a speaking platform called YW Speaks, LLC.

Yusef is a Founder & CEO, Personal Life Coach, Trainer, Facilitator, Cross Facilitator, Collaborator and Mentor.

To learn more about Yusef or to book him for a speaking engagement, visit YWSpeaks.com

Netflix Film Producer Takes Interest In Popular Black Book Series That Has Sold 12 Million Copies

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

November 17, 2023

Netflix Film Producer Takes Interest In Popular Black Book Series That Has Sold 12 Million Copies

Pierre Bagley is now set to adapt and produce a film series based on the Bluford books series.

Originally Reported by Blacknews

Nationwide — Pierre Bagley, an independent filmmaker who has directed the likes of Taraji P. Henson and whose films have aired on Netflix, Bounce TV, TNT, and more, is now set to adapt and produce a film series based on the popular Bluford books series written by a multiracial team of authors. To date, the books in that series have sold more than 12 million copies.

The Bluford books series has caught the industry off guard because of its massive and avid fan base. In 2001, an indie publisher disrupted the Young Adult market by rejecting the cynical, baseless notion that “Black kids don’t read” by publishing a 7-book YA series set in an urban American high school. All the main characters were Black and brown — unheard of at the time — and they were complex and multifaceted, their stories realistic and edgy but also uplifting. The Bluford Series was born.

Today, the series spans 23 titles and has sales of more than 12 million copies with readers in all 50 states and boasting a readership of more than 50 million. Bluford has achieved historic success in YA fiction (U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson is an avid fan). It has also fueled a vocal fanbase clamoring for a television/film series.

“For over two decades, the Bluford High Series has represented hope, resilience, compassion, and overcoming adversity, all hallmarks for creating captivating content, which is the sole focus of our creative team’s efforts,” says Pierre Bagley.

Mr. Bagley and Academy Award-winning producer David Dinerstein have joined efforts to bring Bluford to the screen and will be pitching the series to various streaming outlets (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc.) as well as broadcast and cable.

The producers took an unconventional route of appealing directly to Bluford’s massive audience and asking the simple question: Why?… Why can’t this bright, passionate audience of millions have a TV/film series based on the books they read growing up? Why can’t they watch these stories that resonate for them? They asked the question, and the response has been enormous.

IKEA Trolls Balenciaga’s $925 ‘Towel Skirt’ With $10 Dupe

by Jameelah Mullen

November 17, 2023

IKEA Trolls Balenciaga’s $925 ‘Towel Skirt’ With $10 Dupe

IKEA hilariously trolls the luxury brand Balenciaga .

The internet was ablaze when Balenciaga released its latest product, and Swedish retailer IKEA got in on the action.

The luxury brand recently debuted a beige, terry-cotton towel skirt with a price tag of $925. The towel-skirt buttons at the waistline and is embroidered with the Balenciaga logo in the front. According to the designer’s website, the knee-length unisex garment comes in small and medium sizes.

In response, IKEA took to their Instagram page to display their version of the exorbitantly priced towel-skirt. The retailer posted a photo of a male model wearing the VINARN bath towel which, according to its website, retails at $9.99 USD. The man appeared to be mimicking the Balenciaga model’s post while wearing a similar black hoodie and sunglasses while holding a blue Ikea shopping bag.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by IKEA UK (@ikeauk)

Social media commented on the retailer’s tongue-in-cheek “advertisement.”

“I actually cannot cope. This is ICONIC,” wrote one follower.

One commenter offered some words of advice for Balenciaga.

“Lol, @balenciaga Ikea could teach you a lot. Towel skirts don’t have to cost hundreds of dollars 😂”

This is not the first time the Swedish brand has made fun of Balenciaga’s pricey fashions. In 2017, the Italian brand released a blue tote that costing $2,145 that looked similar to IKEA’s reusable shopping bag, which costs 99 cents. The home goods retailer released a print ad entitled “How to identify an original Ikea Frakta bag.”

“How to identify an original Ikea Frakta bag:

1) Shake it. If it rustles, it’s the real deal.

2) Multifunctional. It can carry hockey gear, bricks, and even water.

3) Throw it in the dirt. A true Frakta is simply rinsed off with a garden hose when dirty.

4) Fold it. Are you able to fold it to the size of a small purse? If the answer is yes, congratulations.

5) Look inside. The original has an authentic Ikea tag.

6) Price tag. Only $0.99.”

When it comes to trolling, Ikea doesn’t discriminate. When rapper Kanye West expressed interest in working with the retailer in 2016, Ikea Australia responded via Facebook with an unserious collaboration “idea.”

by Jameelah Mullen

November 16, 2023

Tyrese Hit With $25K Lawsuit From Airbnb Owner

Singer and actor Tyrese Gibson is being sued after allegedly causing damage to a Los Angeles Airbnb rental.

Singer Tyrese Gibson is being sued after allegedly causing damage to a Los Angeles Airbnb rental.

Legal documents obtained by Radar Online reported that the Fast & Furious star is being sued by property owner Tiffanique Webb. In her lawsuit, Webb accused the Baby Boy star of making “excessive alterations” to the property, leaving the home with damages that exceeded the cost of the security deposit. The property owner claims she has suffered a “loss of capacity of earning” as she is unable to rent the property because of the damage.

This lawsuit adds to the actor’s list of legal woes. Gibson, who previously played the role of Roman Pearce in the Fast & Furious movie franchise, was also named in a recent lawsuit filed by filmmaker Bryan Barber.

According to legal documents obtained by The Blast, the plaintiff states that the actor made “inaccurate and defamatory statements” about him when he appeared on The Breakfast Club on Sept. 7.

While on the show, the R&B singer alleged that he paid Barber $35,000 to film an interview. Gibson claimed that Barber stole the footage and refused to return it. He also accused Barber of stealing footage from other celebrities. Barber has denied the claims and is suing the Grammy winner for $10 million.

In August, the crooner filed a $1 million lawsuit against Home Depot, accusing the home improvement giant of racial discrimination.

The actor was shopping at Home Depot with his two assistants, Eric Mora and Manuel Hernandez, on Feb. 11. After being recognized by fans, Gibson said he decided to wait in the car and allow his assistants to complete the purchase. Gibson said he told the cashier the men could use his credit card, but she refused to complete the transaction due to store policy. The transaction was completed after Gibson returned to the store and provided identification.

The actor took to his Instagram page to discuss the incident that prompted him to file the suit.

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A post shared by TYRESE (@tyrese)

Biden, Student loans, senate, senate republicans, Arab, muslim, questions, visit

by Sharelle Burt

November 16, 2023

President Joe Biden Set To Nominate First Muslim American Judge To Federal Appeals Court

White House official says President Biden is scheduled to announce his intention to nominate Adeel A. Mangi to a federal appeals court

A White House official said President Biden will announce his intention to nominate Adeel A. Mangi to a federal appeals court, potentially making Mangi the first Muslim American judge to serve, NBC News reported.

Mangi, an attorney and partner at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP in New York, has an impressive résumé, which includes serving on the board of directors of the Muslim Bar Association of New York, the Legal Aid Society of New York, and Muslims for Progressive Values. He also is an ally board member for the National LGBT Bar Association. Throughout his legal career, Mangi has worked on commercial contracts, false advertising, and consumer protection statutes in state and federal courts. In 2022 he secured a $2 billion verdict in a case that involved the robbery of trade secrets in the software space.

The White House put a spotlight on how Mangi handled court filings before state and federal appeals courts, even appearing before the Supreme Court as a spokesperson for a multifaith religious coalition. He has been involved with numerous legal disputes in cases of discrimination against Muslims, including one in 2016 when he filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a Islamic group that alleged anti-Muslim rhetoric over the denial of a proposal to build a mosque in New Jersey.

Out of the five nominations Biden is projected to announce, Mangi’s appointment would fulfill the president’s pledge to “ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country — both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds,” according to The Washington Post. Since 2021, Biden nominated as many minority women to be judges in his first four months as Donald Trump had confirmed in four years.

Another nominee Biden is considering is Superior Court Judge Cristal Brisco from St. Joseph County, Indiana. She would be the first Black woman and the first woman of color to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, if confirmed.

by Iman Milner

November 16, 2023

Detroit Black Business Alliance Speaks Out Against City Ordinance That May Affect Black Contractors

Various Black contractors in Detroit believe city leaders have already proven to not have their best interests at heart.

The Metro-Detroit Black Business Alliance held a press conference on Nov. 14, publicly opposing a city council ordinance it claims could negatively affect Black contractors, specifically those based in the city. The group’s president and CEO, Charity Dean, argued that the proposed plan would give suburban companies priority in landing big contracts, Fox 2 reports.

“What that ordinance stood to do is absolutely change the way in which the city does procurement the way it does it’s spending when it comes to contractors,” she said. Dean also claims that the council failed to honor an agreement that prohibits passing ordinances that may largely affect local Detroit residents without community involvement.

“The changes would give large suburban contractors priority over Detroit-based contractors,” she said. “In October of 2020 [the] city council unanimously passed the Community Outreach Ordinance that requires community engagement on major decisions that impact Detroiters. This new ordinance that’s before city council received no community engagement.”

City Council President Mary Sheffield disagreed.

“This is really an employee-driven ordinance really elevating the voice of everyday workers to ensure they are properly trained, paid right, and are not subjected to unsafe working conditions,” Sheffield said. “We’re saying we’re going to incentivize your bid with the city if you invest in your employees. Again, it’s not a mandatory requirement — it’s just saying we want the lowest and most responsible bidder.”

The two leaders agreed to have a sit-down to discuss how the ordinance could better serve Black-owned businesses in Detroit and keep them from being shut out of large projects. “Let’s come together,” Sheffield said. “Let’s get in a room and let’s get it done.”

Still, Black contractors worry that city leaders have already proven that they don’t have their best interests at heart.

“This ordinance has the potential to greatly affect my business as well as my fellow contractors — by giving equalization credits that would potentially put companies outside of Detroit ahead of us,” said Joe Bowman, owner of Humble Brothers Construction.

In a city that has spent the last decade offering massive tax incentives to billionaire developers, some say this has made areas unaffordable for many residents. Black Detroiters say they have good reason to fear this move by city officials, considering it the latest in a concerted effort to gentrify the former “Black Bottom.”

by Derek Major

November 16, 2023

Sean ‘Love’ Combs Accused Of Rape and Years of Abuse By Ex-Girlfriend R&B Singer Cassie

In her lawsuit, Cassie named additional defendants who she said assisted Combs in controlling her.

R&B singer Cassie, who was once signed to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy record label, has accused him of rape and repeated physical abuse in a lawsuit filed in federal court.

The New York Times reported that Cassie, full name Cassandra Ventura, filed the suit in Federal District Court in Manhattan and alleged that not long after meeting the hip-hop music mogul and Revolt owner in 2005, when she was 19, he began a pattern of control and abuse against her that included plying her with drugs, physically beating her, and forcing her to have sex with a group of male prostitutes while he filmed the encounters.

Additionally, the suit stated in 2018 Combs forced his way into her home and raped her.

“After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships,” Ventura said in a statement.

According to the suit, Combs not only controlled her career but paid for her car, apartment, and clothing. He also had access to her personal medical records, including an MRI scan she had that went directly to the music producer.

The suit also stated the Bad Boy founder provided Ventura with “copious amounts of drugs” including ecstasy, and urged her to take them. Allegedly he was often violent, beating her “multiple times each year.” Ventura never went to the police, fearing it would give Combs even more incentive to hurt her.

Combs’ attorney Ben Brafman denied the allegations in a statement to the Times.

“Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations. For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura’s persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail. Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’s reputation and seeking a payday.”

Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer for Ventura, told the outlet that Combs offered the R&B singer eight figures to prevent her from filing this lawsuit, but she rejected the offer.

The lawsuit is one of several sexual assault civil suits filed recently against some of the most notable men in the music industry, including Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler; music executive and LaFace Records co-founder, L.A. Reid; and Neil Portnow, who once headed the organization behind the Grammy Awards.

Ventura named additional defendants in the suit who she said helped Combs control the “Long Way 2 Go” singer by threatening to suppress her music.

Combs and Ventura separated in 2018, and eight months later she started a relationship with personal trainer Alex Fine. In June 2019 the couple announced they were expecting their first child. Two months after that, the couple announced their engagement. They welcomed their second child in 2021,

The suit seeks unspecified damages.

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CMPD Chief Addresses Video Of Black Woman Punched On The Ground By Police

by Stacy Jackson

November 16, 2023

CMPD Chief Addresses Video Of Black Woman Punched On The Ground By Police

Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP President Corine Mack said the video was triggering and reminded her of George Floyd's incident.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has addressed a viral video circulating on social media of a Black woman being beaten and held down by North Carolina police officers.

According to WCNC Charlotte, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings spoke to reporters on Nov. 15 to acknowledge concerns about the Instagram video, which shows a white CMD officer who appears to be repeatedly punching a woman lying on the ground as four other officers hold her down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWbWLuedY4M

Jennings, who described the video as “hard to watch,” said, “To everyone and to our community, I get it.”

He continued, “I understand the outrage; I understand the emotions that come when you look at a video that involves an officer who is punching a female who we’re trying to make the arrest and subdue. I understand that.”

CMPD released a statement on Nov. 14 that claimed one of their officers was allegedly assaulted by the female subject after police caught her and a male smoking marijuana. The woman was struck in the thigh several times as she resisted arrest. She took seven strikes to the knee by an officer and 10 closed fist strikes to her peroneal nerve. The male was arrested and found carrying a 9mm handgun.

Please see the following information and statement from CMPD: pic.twitter.com/DbaYufyjo3
— CMPD News (@CMPD) November 14, 2023

“I had the opportunity to view this video, and it is not easy to watch,” Jennings said in a statement, according to WCNC Charlotte. “I never want to see an officer, much less one of my own, involved in a situation like this.”

The incident, which occurred near South Tryon Street and West Arrowood Road after 2 p.m. on Nov. 13, involved Anthony Lee, 37, and Christina Pierre, 24, NBC News reported. Lee and Pierre were charged with simple possession of marijuana and resisting an officer. Lee was also charged with carrying a concealed firearm and Pierre with assault on a government official. According to Citrus County Chronicle, Bojangles Vice President of Communications Stacey McCray confirmed that the subjects were employees of Bojangles who had clocked out for the day and were away from the premises. Chief Jennings is working to release bodycam footage, which the officer claimed fell off during the skirmish.

Internal Affairs is leading an investigation.

by Stacy Jackson

November 16, 2023

Elderly Black Woman Pushed To Leave Alabama Home Potentially Worth $20M After Relatives Sell Property

The 84-year-old woman never attempted to purchase the property by the court's deadline because she thought she already owned it. Now, it is too late to try.

Corine Woodson, 84, who has lived at her property in Alabama for 60 years, is being forced out of her home by family members and investors as they sell the 40.7-acre farm.

Woodson’s family members sold 49% of the Auburn, Alabama property to Cleveland Brothers Incorporated. According to the Daily Mail, the land, located on Hamilton Road, has risen in value since its purchase more than 100 years ago by her husband’s family. The property, which was left to dozens, including 23 great-grandchildren of the original owner, may now be worth nearly $20 million.

As luxury developers build in the area and the Auburn University college town evolves, Woodson is being forced to move from her longtime residence since the land is divided by percentage ownership rather than into parcels. The scheme, called “tenants in common,” forces everyone to sell if one owner decides to sell.

The family has spent decades fighting over the property.

In 2018, AL.com reported that Doctor, the youngest son of Ben Woodson, who is the grandson of the patriarch Ben W. Woodson, tended to the property for the family. Ben W. purchased the property on January 2, 1911. After Ben and his wife, Alice, died without a will, Doctor allegedly tricked members of the family to sign over their 4.1 acres of ownership to him in the 1960s.

“Our position is that [the siblings] were under a ‘mistake of fact’ when they signed the deed,” said Yashiba Glenn Blanchard, attorney for Dorothy Burgess, another great-grandchild of Ben W. “He was like, ‘Sign over to me and I’ll hand you a deed to your potion after. That was the vessel used to get their trust. But he was tricking them and hoping to get a profit. He was hoping they would forget about [the deed] or die off and at that time he could dispose of the land how he wanted to.”

Cleveland Brothers purchased 4.1 acres in 2005 from two of Woodson’s in-laws, Mary and Catherine, the Daily Mail reported. The purchase for the two properties averaged $150,000. The company has continued to purchase percentages of the land from other relatives over time, which resulted in the 49% ownership.

“[Ben W.] bought in an ideal spot,” Ben told AL.com in 2018. “Mansions are going up all around it. When I was living there it was just woods. Now, you wouldn’t believe it.” Between 2002 and 2004, the property was valued at $1.2 million.

At the completion of a court-ordered appraisal, the Cleveland Brothers can purchase the Woodson land, KKTV 11 News reported.

“We were, I guess, naïve or not up to par on the law based on that timeframe, but it’s happening right before our eyes,” said Corine’s daughter, Melissa Woodson. “The sad thing is there is very little we can do about it.”

The court said it is too late for Corine Woodson to try to purchase the Alabama property. Bill Cleveland of Cleveland Brothers has agreed to allow her to stay in her Hamilton Road home for one year after the purchase is completed.