I covered Taraji P. Henson’s Uptown cover and interview last week – go here to read. The photoshoot was amazing and I thought Taraji’s interview was interesting too. But one part caused some controversy, for various reasons. Taraji was talking about her son, Marcel, who is college-aged. Taraji said she was making him transfer to Howard University, a historically black college/university (HBCU) in the heart of Washington, DC (which is also where Taraji grew up).

“My child has been racially profiled. He was in Glendale, California and did exactly everything the cops told him to do, including letting them illegally search his car. It was bogus because they didn’t give him the ticket for what he was pulled over for. Then he’s at University of Southern California, the school that I was going to transfer him to, when police stopped him for having his hands in his pockets. So guess where he’s going? Howard University. I’m not paying $50K so I can’t sleep at night wondering is this the night my son is getting racially profiled on campus.”

[Via Uptown]

Some people were offended that HBCUs still exist (really?) and some other people called the whole “racially profiled by the cops” thing into question. USC’s Department of Public Safety even made a statement about Taraji’s comments, with the chief of campus police asking for more information about what went down. The Los Angeles Times got into it too, and they ended up getting their hands on the dash-cam video of Marcel’s stop by the police – you can see the video here. It actually seems like the police officer went out of his way to cite Marcel with a lesser charge rather than a moving violation.

So, as it turns out, Taraji’s son was not really racially profiled. He was pulled over for a routine violation and the cop was sort of nice to him. Surprisingly, Taraji is now publicly admitting that she was wrong and she overreacted. She posted her apology to her Instagram, writing:

“I would like to publicly apologize to the officer and the Glendale Police Department. A mother’s job is not easy and neither is a police officer’s. Sometimes as humans WE overreact without gathering all of the facts. As a mother in this case I overreacted and for that I apologize. Thank you to that officer for being kind to my son.”

[From Instagram]

You know what I think happened? I think Marcel came home and told his mom what happened, only he spun the story to make it sound like he had done nothing wrong and he got busted for no reason other than his skin color. And Taraji believed her son. Then when the video came out, Taraji watched it and realized that Marcel had spun the story/lied outright. So she ended up taking the heat and apologizing. So… yeah, I’m still #TeamTaraji. I even like her more for owning up to her mistake and apologizing. Ooooh, I bet Marcel is in TROUBLE.

#TurningANegativeIntoAPositive #LoveTarajiPHenson ??????

A photo posted by taraji p henson (@tarajiphenson) on Mar 27, 2015 at 2:59pm PDT

Photos courtesy of Instagram, WENN.

Dear Gossips,

We were thinking the same thing watching George Ezra perform on Saturday Night Live, right?

Why hasn’t Taylor Swift friend-collected him yet? And how long before she does? It’s inevitable, non? Although certainly not a priority on a night like last night, when she was friend…      

Last year, Raven-Symone caused a bit of a kerfuffle when she sat down for an interview with Oprah and they ended up talking about race. Raven declared: “I’m not an African American; I’m an American…And that’s a colorless person. I don’t label myself.” Which, I mean, more power to her. Race is a social construct more than anything else. Still, Raven got a lot of comments and she ended up clarifying her remarks, saying: “I never said I wasn’t black … I want to make that very clear. I said, I am not African-American.”

In the midst of that Oprah interview, Raven mentioned that she didn’t really know much about her ancestry beyond the fact that her family mostly comes from Louisiana. In the past few months, it looks like ancestry.com got in touch with her and she agreed to do an entire DNA work-up. She mentioned this during an interview with Alicia Quarles for E! and #VIBELeague. Alicia asked Raven about her comments about not being African-American, and Raven ended up saying… (SMH)… “Thank you to ancestry.com for sending me my DNA test. I am from every continent in Africa except for one and I’m also from every continent in Europe except for one.”

As you can imagine, Twitter had a field day. Some of the tweets are really funny, some of them are a bit mean and some of them are just a pile-on. I totally make those kinds of mis-statements all the time, but I’d like to think I catch myself after a second. Like, she could have just said, “Wait, what did I just say? I meant country, not continent! Brain-fart, my bad.” The fact that she said it so proudly and without reservation… LOL. And she still hasn’t said anything about it on Twitter either.

http://t.co/BdFGD9PnrN looking at Raven Symone like pic.twitter.com/kqSc7iSWWk

— Action Swanson (@LeeTRBL) March 27, 2015

“@DarkSaint_: I’m from every continent in Africa except for one – Raven Symone. Fantastic fool. pic.twitter.com/VYf2MnKiXD”????????????????????

— Amaluuu (@Aisha_Amal_Bage) March 27, 2015

Photos courtesy of WENN.

It amazes me that people still deny Idris Elba’s intergalactic thunder. Idris Elba is made of thunder. But Sir Roger Moore just can’t see it. Specifically, Moore can’t see Idris Elba playing James Bond. Moore played 007 from 1973 through 1985, when he was replaced by Timothy Dalton, then Dalton was replaced by Pierce Brosnan, than Pierce was replaced by Daniel Craig. Many believe Idris will be asked to take over the franchise once Craig’s contract is up, although I do have my doubts. Daniel is probably going to do one more Bond film beyond Spectre (which will be out later this year), which means he’ll be Bond for probably another three years (at least). Can Idris wait that long? I don’t even know. But the point of this story is that Roger Moore doesn’t believe Idris should even be asked to play Bond because Idris isn’t “English-English”. What?

Might Sir Roger Moore be even more politically incorrect than his old alter ego James Bond? Interviewed in the new Paris Match magazine he is asked about the widely mooted idea of black British actor Idris Elba becoming the next 007.

‘A few years ago, I said that [black actor] Cuba Gooding Jnr would make an excellent Bond, but it was a joke!’ replies Sir Roger, 87, who starred in seven Bond movies between 1973 and 1985.

‘Although James may have been played by a Scot, a Welshman and an Irishman, I think he should be “English-English”,’ he continues. ‘Nevertheless, it’s an interesting idea, but unrealistic.’

The Scot who played Bond was Sean Connery, the Welshman was Timothy Dalton and the Irishman was Pierce Brosnan. But just what is it that prevents Elba from being ‘English-English’, Roger? He was born in Hackney, raised in East Ham, schooled in Canning Town, started work in Dagenham and he supports Arsenal. How much more of an Englishman could he be? Even the fictional hero of Ian Fleming’s novels was of mixed parentage. He was born in Zurich in the early Twenties to Andrew Bond of Glencoe and Monique Delacroix, from the Canton de Vaud in Switzerland.

[From The Daily Mail]

See, all this time, I thought it was only in America, where racists try to de-legitimize a person’s citizenship because of their skin color. Turns out, it happens in Britain too. We all know what Roger Moore means when he says “English-English,” right? That’s some old-dude code for “Idris Elba is black, thus he’s not as English as all the white people and he shouldn’t even be considered for James Bond.” Who really cares, old dudes? I mean, Roger Moore is trying to make the same stupid point that Rush Limbaugh attempted!! STAHP.

For what it’s worth, Roger Moore’s Twitter account (does he really operate it?) tweeted this:

An interview I gave to Paris Match implies I said something racist about Idris Elba. That is simply untrue. #Lost in translation.

— Sir Roger Moore (@sirrogermoore) March 28, 2015

Well… I don’t know, dude. It sounds like Moore actually did question Idris Elba’s credentials as an Englishman, but no, he didn’t say anything specifically about race. It was “implied”.

Here are some lovely photos of Idris Elba’s authentic English thunder filming Luther on Friday.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

OMG. Angelina Jolie attended Saturday night’s Kids’ Choice Awards with two dates: her daughters Zahara and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt. And OMG. Look at their faces!! Angelina is officially the coolest mom in the world in this very moment. Shiloh and Zahara are just gorgeous, aren’t they? Shiloh looks so much like Brad and Zahara is just so stunning. There are tons of photos of Angelina and the kids, and although they didn’t walk the carpet, she let her girls hang out with all of the cool celebrities inside. You can see more photos here (OMG, the girls met NICK JONAS). This was Angelina first public appearance since she announced the removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes last week.

Jolie was there for a reason – she was up for two awards, Favorite Villain and Favorite Actress. She won Favorite Villain for Maleficent (and lost actress to Emma Stone). You can see the winners list here. When she picked up the Villain award, Jolie talked about being different and how it’s great to not fit in with the crowd:

Angelina Jolie has given an insight into her misfit youth with an empowering speech in her first public appearance since revealing she had ovaries removed. The actress has been hailed as an icon for candidly addressing her health woes. And on Saturday night, she opened up about feeling like an outcast to the young audience, and her daughter Shiloh and Zahara, at the Kids’ Choice Awards.

‘When I was a kid I was told – like Maleficent – that I was different,’ she told the audience as she accepted the Best Villain award for her role in Maleficent. ‘But then I realized something: different is good. So maybe you don’t fit in. Be yourself. And when someone tells you that you are different just smile and hold your head up, and be proud. And as your villain,’ the actress added with a wink, ‘I would say, “Cause a little trouble. It is good for you!”‘

[From The Daily Mail]

I’m sure some parents are going to be like “NOOOoo, don’t tell my kids to cause trouble!” But I think her message is fine – it’s fine to be different, it’s cool to stand out and be different, and sometimes people will say you’re “causing trouble” when you’re just being you.

View image | gettyimages.com

View image | gettyimages.com

View image | gettyimages.com

Photos courtesy of Getty, Nickelodeon.

Iggy Azalea‘s very popular with the kiddies today, thanks to her radio-friendly duets with pop artists. So it wasn’t surprising to see her nominated twice at Nickelodeon’s Kid’s Choice Awards. Iggy received nods in the Favorite New Artist and Favorite Song categories but won neither title. She performed “Trouble” with Jennifer Hudson in a prison-inspired yellow jumpsuit, which was silly. Iggy did well on the red carpet though. She wore a sweeping ball skirt by Temperly London. The metallic floral print is bold and fun, and the shape is event-appropriate. The sporty white crop top makes the outfit seem breezy and casual. Iggy avoided her bad Grammys hair in favor of a flattering high ponytail. This is probably the best we’ve ever seen her look at an event. Ig even had an admirer pose with her on the red carpet. Prepare yourselves.

Chris Rock and Iggy have met at least once before this event. He once told Ryan Seacrest how he introduced Iggy (but not “her a**“) at NYC’s Jingle Ball event last year. Rock attended the show with his mom, Rose, and his two daughters, Zahra and Lola.

Suri Cruise had the time of her life in the audience, but she and Katie Holmes didn’t walk the red carpet. This is the first time we’ve seen Suri in over a year — probably because they moved to LA where it’s a little easier to avoid the paps than in NYC. (FYI: Gawker has a investigative report on how Katie avoided some paps during her NYC trips to Whole Foods.)

View image | gettyimages.com

View image | gettyimages.com

Zendaya wore a DKNY pencil dress. She pulled off the bright yellow color and horizontal stripes well. I’m not crazy about her bobbed wig, but it goes with the funkiness of her outfit. She is a little over-accessorized. The pink clutch is too much.

Sarah Hyland chose a fancy white t-shirt and white lace skirt. She looked low-key and casual, just right for the event. Sarah’s clutch is Kate Spade New York.

Willow Shields wore an awesome, polka-dotted jumpsuit with sharp tailoring and a half-bared belly. Primrose Everdeen is growing up before our very eyes. Willow posed with her DWTS partner, Mark Ballas, who is always adorable.

Meghan Trainor‘s dress with a white leopard print is okay but much better than her usual too-precious looks. I wish she’d stop doing her “wowza!” expressions on the red carpet.

Ariel Winter wore a little floral dress that was cute but wasn’t styled very well.

Photos courtesy of WENN

Here are some photos from Saturday’s Kids’ Choice Awards. You can see the winners list here. It seemed like a fun event, and many of the older celebrities brought their kids and lots of kids got to meet their favorite celebrities. And all was well with the world. Kaley Cuoco was there, of course, because she’s not really a full-on movie star yet. She’s still got to do these gigs, like the People’s Choice Awards and such. Kaley didn’t even bring her husband out! That’s how little she cared. Kaley wore a Lela Rose two-piece ensemble which… it’s not terrible. It’s actually pretty cute for a kid-friendly event. Not too fancy, not too revealing, with giant polka dots. Cute. I also like that she’s growing out that disastrous haircut too.

There might be another reason why Kaley wanted to show off her toned midriff as well – over the past few weeks, there have been rumors that Kaley is expecting. She keeps denying those rumors, but they persist. For what it’s worth, I don’t think she is knocked up. Life & Style claimed last week that Kaley “really wants a baby right now” but Ryan Sweeting “isn’t ready” and they’ve been fighting about it a lot. Gossip Cop got a denial – go here to read. When and how a couple decides to have a baby is the kind of thing the couple should discuss before their whirlwind engagement and marriage, don’t you think? And I’m not entirely convinced that Kaley is focused on anything other than her career right now – she probably doesn’t want a baby at this moment.

More photos… here’s the lovely Mo’ne Davis, making her first public appearance since that jackass called her a “slut”. Salon had a really great write-up about why that incident was so disturbing. Just let me know if you want more Mo’ne coverage, because I love this young woman. She’s an inspiration and I would love to write about her.

And here’s Jennifer Hudson. She looks great, except for the mushroom-cap hair. Girl, NO!

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Robyn Lawley has had a huge year, personally and professionally. She appeared as the first plus-sized model in SI Swim (you can see her slideshow here). She also became a first-time mother in February. Robyn previously fended off criticism after admitting she had a tough time deciding whether to keep the baby. But once she made her decision, Robyn fell in love with motherhood. She and boyfriend Everest Schmidt chose a cute name, Ripley, for their baby girl. I was thrilled to note a celebrity baby name that wasn’t overused (Ava or Jackson) or completely weird (most other examples), so it never dawned on me until now that Ripley can easily work for a girl or boy.

Robyn has a new interview with Australia’s Brands Exclusive magazine. She confirms that she chose Ripley for its androgynous status (and because she loves Ridley Scott’s Aliens). Robyn also revealed how she plans to raise Ripley in a completely gender-neutral environment: “I want gender-neutral toys and clothes. In all honesty, I think we separate the genders too greatly by the toys and hobbies.” So … she won’t be dressing Ripley in pink ballerina outfits. Robyn will avoid a clichéd princessy bedroom theme for Ripley. Hopefully, the baby won’t be stuck with a taupe-colored wardrobe.

I don’t want to stereotype first-time mothers (because I was and still am one), but this feels like a new mommy thing. During pregnancy, we all gobble up the baby-prep books and develop grand ideas about how we’ll raise our children. Then the kid arrives with personality largely intact and blows our theories into smithereens. My daughter gravitated towards pink and lavender dresses until about 4th grade. Then her sartorial taste shifted abruptly (all jeans, all the time). Her formerly pink decor is now all-blue, by choice. So I think Robyn is overthinking things, and Ripley will make her own choices when she grows a bit older. We make parenting hard for ourselves, right? Kids will be kids.

????????????????

A photo posted by Robyn Lawley (@robynlawley1) on Mar 25, 2015 at 3:56pm PDT

“If I can’t have you I don’t want nobody baby, ” ??????#beegeesbaby

A photo posted by Robyn Lawley (@robynlawley1) on Mar 10, 2015 at 3:40pm PDT

Book signing! Want to wish everyone happy holidays!! Good luck if your cooking, remember the key to successful big feasts is to plan ahead, you can do majority the night before so you’re less stressed on the day. If you need some ideas make sure you pick up a copy of #robynlawleyeats and tag your creations, I love the gingerbread recipe and Turkey Roast, also the pork rack could be a great number to do. Wish I could cook, still renovating , missing my kitchen hardcore !!

A photo posted by Robyn Lawley (@robynlawley1) on Dec 20, 2014 at 11:28am PST

Photos courtesy of Sports Illustrated: Swim, Robyn Lawley on Instagram & WENN

Anna Kendrick covers the new issue of Glamour UK. It’s a terrible photoshoot. I think they were trying to make her look a little tousled and glam and she just looks… inappropriate. Some girls just can’t pull off that kind of styling. Anna references as much in her interview, discussing how she still “looks like a teenager.” Which is true, and not some kind of Ryan Phillippe-esque humble-brag about aging. I would imagine that Anna – who is almost 30 – wants to transition into more adult roles, but she’s stuck playing so many college-aged characters because she seriously looks 19. You can read the Glamour UK piece here, and here are some highlights:

Smiling on command for photographers: “Every year that goes by, I think that my on-camera smile is going to get easier. It’s got worse and worse, to the point where I’m giving that Britney Spears terrified smile, where the lips are upturned, but there’s nothing but fear in the eyes…I’m also the queen of ruining group photos. All my friends will be smiling and looking really pretty, and I’ll be there pretending to pick my nose—or actually picking my nose. It’s a fine line.”

She’s not into the getting pap’d: “Part of it is because I’m dressed really boring in sweatpants and sneakers, so those pictures just don’t sell. You need to be really styled—in the perfect leather jacket and little booties, and have your red lipstick and your coffee—and I haven’t managed that yet. If I’ve got jeans on, it’s a good day.”

She’s going to turn 30 this summer: “I feel like 29 is just total garbage. I’d rather just be 30 for two years. When I say I’m 29, I think I sound like I’m trying to make sure everybody knows I’m not 30. I look like a teenager. I really like ’50s-style dresses, but they make you look childish, and I don’t want to look like one of those people trying to look like a little schoolgirl. I’m trying to give a message to the world that I am a grown up.”

Advice from George Clooney: “I remember Clooney talking about Rosemary Clooney and saying that she was really popular and then suddenly she just wasn’t that hot any more…Nothing changed, she didn’t forget how to sing, but suddenly people just cooled off on her. I’m always sort of prepared for that, so I’m not patting myself on the back for any of the social media stuff. I know that at some point people might just turn around and be like, ‘I hate you.’”

[From Glamour UK]

The thing about social media is that different kinds of people are “good” at it. Like, Anna Kendrick is never going to be the lady to rule the red carpet with her amazing style (she just said as much). She’s never going to be the Kardashian-esque famewhore who will do anything for attention. But Anna can develop and stoke her fanbase through social media, and they feel personally invested in her career and life in a different way. She’s sort of a musical-theater nerd and delightfully dorky, which works for her. And hey, her career is going like gangbusters too. I feel like she’s probably The Next Amy Adams, you know?

Photos courtesy of Glamour.

This is so great!

Gwen Stefani and her parents took her three boys: Kingston, Zuma and Apollo to the mall to sit on the lap of the Easter bunny and get their pictures taken. It looked like everyone, including Gwen, was having an absolutely amazing time. After getting their pictures taken with the Easter bunny, they decided to walk around the mall a little bit more and snag some lunch. Check out the slideshow below for all of the amazing pictures.

View Slideshow »»

View All Photos »»