MAXINE DANIELS FIRES BACK AGAINST R. KELLY: Daughter of George and Regina says singer is trying to defame her parents.
*Maxine Daniels, the 21-year-old woman at the center of R. Kelly's latest sex scandal, has taken her story to the Chicago Sun-Times in an attempt to defend herself and her parents against accusations leveled in a press release issued Monday by Kelly's camp.
EURweb was the first to report of a radio interview with Maxine's father, veteran Chicago music retailer George Daniels, regarding what he called an "inappropriate relationship" with his daughter."
Robert Kelly's rep released a statement the next day responding to the allegations, stating: "It's hard to take seriously the moral outrage expressed by George and Regina Daniels over R. Kelly's relationship with Mr.
Daniels' adult daughter, Maxine. The fact is that they had no problem with the relationship -- indeed, they encouraged it -- while Ms. Daniels was on Mr. Kelly's payroll."
It went on to say -- "It was Regina Daniels, then working as a publicist for Mr. Kelly, who persuaded him to attend her stepdaughter's 21st birthday party. And it was Regina Daniels who shortly thereafter gave her stepdaughter Mr. Kelly's private phone number, with the admonition: 'Don't tell your father.' It was only after Ms. Daniels resigned her position to avoid being fired for incompetence that her stepdaughter's relationship suddenly became an issue for her and her husband."
In response to the statement from Kelly's camp, Maxine Daniels went in person to the office of Sun-Times columnist Stella Foster and said the
following:
The statement that was issued by R. Kelly's camp to TMZ, which I interpreted as an attempt to defame Regina and George Daniels, my dad and stepmom, has made it necessary for me to respond to some of those accusations.
I take full responsibility for my actions. My stepmother and father didn't know about my relationship with the singer because I knew and he knew that they wouldn't approve ... so I tried to keep it a secret, but when my stepmother found out about our relationship, she resigned because she felt that Rob had 'crossed the line' by dating a girl that he has known since she was 7 years old.
My stepmom was not fired for incompetence. She was Rob's publicist for 14 years and always considered Rob not just a client ... but family. And Rob thought of my dad like a father.
I am 21, smart and will be graduating from college this year, but I admit that I was swept up by his charming and generous ways, which I truly regret and have learned from. My brief relationship with Kelly last year ended because my parents were starting to hear rumors that we were together, and I was beginning to feel like it wasn't a healthy situation, especially with the pain it was causing me and my family. I felt that it just wasn't right.
Also, in reference to my birthday party, which was held last spring, Regina did not push Rob to host the party. We both asked him ... and he readily agreed.
In regards to the cell phone number, Regina didn't give me Rob's number and she didn't ask me not to tell my dad. Rob personally slipped me his number at another event and that is how we started talking.
The Internet has been rampant with all sorts of rumors for months now and hopefully this will clear things up. I admit I made a mistake and I know I am not the first young adult to make a serious misjudgment.
Meanwhile, in a Sun-Times report on Monday, a member of Kelly's camp accused Regina Daniels of seeking "a healthy six-figure settlement from Kelly to go away quietly." Regina's response to that: "It sounds good, but it NEVER happened. I never contacted R. Kelly or attempted to contact R.
Kelly or anyone in his camp regarding any money or any financial settlement or severance."
'MADEA'...THE CARTOON: Yes, Tyler Perry is animating his famous gangsta grandma for a new TV series.
*Now that Madea has left her rather large mark on the stage and big screen, the next step for creator Tyler Perry is to bring the gun-toting grandma to life in her own cartoon series.
Perry has teamed up with animation company Exodus Film Group for the untitled series, which will be produced entirely up front before shopping to a network or releasing on DVD - or both.
"After receiving thousands of letters from parents telling me how much their kids love Madea and realizing that a lot of the plays were not kid friendly," said Perry, "I wanted to do something more appropriate, and this seems to be it. A 'Madea' animation looks like the best way."
The playwright-turned-filmmaker will create, write and executive produce an undetermined number of 22-minute standalone episodes and also provide the voice of Mabel "Madea" Simmons.
Perry has turned his Madea plays into such movie box office hits as "Madea's Family Reunion" and "Diary of a Mad Black Woman." The next Madea feature, "Meet the Browns," will be out next month from Lionsgate. He also has written for television with the current TBS series "Tyler Perry's House of Payne," which Perry also funded and produced before shopping to networks.
MARIO, JASON TAYLOR GO 'DANCING': New crop of 'Stars' announced for ABC reality show; cast comes together for 'Oprah' taping.
*Singer Mario and Miami Dolphins star Jason Taylor are among the dozen celebrities who will compete on the next season of "Dancing With the Stars," which returns to ABC on March 17.
Other celebs joining the ballroom dance competition are Elvis Presley's widow Priscilla Presley, ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi, hearing-impaired actress Marlee Matlin, illusionist Penn Jillette, actress Shannon Elizabeth, Broadway star Marissa Jaret Winokur, former tennis champ Monica Seles, actor Steve Guttenberg and tele-novella actor Cristian de la Fuente.
The season six cast was announced on Monday night's "Dance War: Bruno Vs. Carrie Ann" finale. On Tuesday, the new cast members gathered together for the first time on Oprah Winfrey's stage in Chicago to tape a special "Dancing with the Stars" episode of her talk show to air tomorrow (Feb. 21).
Joining the new cast on "Oprah" will be previous "Dancing" winners Kelly Monaco, Drew Lachey, Emmitt Smith and Helio Castroneves.
Also on Tuesday, "Good Morning America" announced the professional dance partners who will pair with each celebrity. View list below:
Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas
Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel
Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska
Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke
Mario and Karina Smirnoff
Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez
Penn Jillette and Kym Johnson
Adam Carolla and Julianne Hough
Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough
Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani
Monica Seles and Jonathan Roberts
Steve Guttenberg and Anna Trebunskaya
NICOLE MURPHY LOVES HER SOME STRAHAN: Eddie's ex-wife says New York Giant has everything she wants in a man.
*Nicole Murphy, the ex-wife of actor Eddie Murphy, recently spoke to People magazine about falling in love with her current squeeze, Michael Strahan of the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
"When I got divorced, I said never again," Murphy said at a Feb. 16 south Florida fundraiser for the John T. Petters Foundation, a charity that provides scholarships for students to travel abroad. "But some time has passed since Eddie and I split, and I know now what I want in a man: communication and shared interests. Michael and I talk about everything, and we both love to travel, explore and laugh."
Nicole, a former model, had five children with Eddie during their nearly 20-year marriage. Despite the tabloid reports of Murphy's recent women and baby trouble, Nicole says he's still a good guy.
"Eddie is a wonderful person and a good father," she continues. "But we obviously had problems in the marriage. I tell my friends that opposites may attract but that kind of early excitement doesn't last. Find someone who shares your passions and interests."
Nicole Murphy says she and Strahan have been dating for nearly 10 months and look forward to the future.
"We are going to Africa next month," she says. "We love to see new things and always have a great time together."
DIDDY SAYS HIS ACTING GAME HAS IMPROVED: Mogul set to show and prove in Monday premiere of 'Raisin in the Sun.'
*Entertainment mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs says there's a huge difference in his acting performance in Broadway's "A Raisin in the Sun" and his performance in the made-for-TV adaptation scheduled to air Monday (Feb.
25) at 8 p.m. on ABC.
"It was more about experience and an understanding of how to completely engulf yourself and become a character and really give yourself up to the to the role," Combs told the Associated Press.
The rapper received mixed reviews in the role of Walter Lee Younger when the Lorraine Hansberry play made its Broadway debut in 2004. Four years later, he brings the project to the small screen as an executive producer with Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the Oscar-winning producers of "Chicago."
Starring opposite his Broadway cast Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald and Sanaa Lathan, Combs said he sought the help of an acting coach to keep up with the veteran talent surrounding him.
"It was almost like what was going on in the house, that struggle to be heard," Combs told the AP. "I wanted to make sure my character was heard."
Director Kenny Leon said Combs was perfect for the role of Walter Lee
- a chauffeur who dreams of being wealthy - because "all the raw instincts were there."
"This guy grew up poor," Leon said. "His dad was killed when he was three. He lived in the house with all women. He's also one of the wealthiest individuals that I know, so he's seen the other side of the dream ... What better actor to really understand Walter Lee?"
Rashad, a Tony winner for her role as Walter Lee's mother in the Broadway revival, said Diddy's acting improved considerably between the Broadway run and the television movie.
"What I saw was a natural progression that comes with the doing of it, with the working of it. He is a very disciplined professional," says "The Cosby Show" star, who was the first black woman to win a Tony as a leading actress.
SPIKE LEE BACKS OBAMA: Filmmaker tells University of Dayton crowd to 'do the right thing.'
*Spike Lee told an audience at the University of Dayton to "do the right thing" and support Sen. Barack Obama's run for the White House.
"We are living in some very exciting times," Lee said Monday. "And the months leading up to the election in November will determine which way this country is going to go; forward or backward. It's up to you to do the right thing."
The filmmaker also spoke of his childhood in New York City, being a fairly average student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, and becoming a director.
"At first, I didn't know that people actually made movies," Lee said of his upbringing, according to the AP. "We would go to the movies on the weekend and stay until our parents dragged us out.
"I didn't decide to become a filmmaker until I went to college. But I did realize that the richness of the African-American experience that I saw on the corner every day was not on the screen."
As previously reported, Lee was in Columbus last week to accept the $50,000 Wexner Prize that recognizes innovation, quality and integrity among artists.
'DEBATERS' SCREENED AT BAFTA/LA EVENT: Film's young stars on hand to meet and greet packed crowd of families.
*"The Great Debaters" got the royal treatment in Los Angeles Sunday at a special screening hosted for families by The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles' Inner City Cinema.
The kid-filled gathering took place at Athens Park Gym at Helen Keller Park, which was once plagued by nearby rival gangs.
"Debaters" screenwriter Robert Eisele and the film's young stars Jurnee Smollett, Nate Parker and Denzel Whitaker were on hand at the screening to meet the families. The event was co-hosted by The Weinstein Company, C.U.R.E, Kalicoat Kids and P.C.I. in honor and memory of LAPD Officer Randal Simmons.
"This is bringing together two rival groups that are coming together to only do good for children," explained BAFTA/LA's Katy Haber. Since June 2005, BAFTA/LA has been holding monthly screenings at Helen Keller Park, in association with CURE, the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation/South County Community Services Agency, and Hollywood Outdoor Movies.
Parker, who posed for pictures and signed autographs alongside his "Debaters" co-stars, told the Associated Press: "God gave me this opportunity to be an actor, to be able to have this certain level of celebrity, and there is no greater use of that than to help kids."
TANK ARRESTED DURING NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND: Singer alleges police brutality in New Orleans.
*One minute, Tank is singing with Jordin Sparks in the Grammy swag suite. The next minute, he's tasered and handcuffed near the House of Blues in New Orleans.
According to various reports across the black blogosphere, the R&B crooner was arrested and charged with intoxication, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest at a roadblock near the venue, where Tank and a friend, Ira Dewitt, had attended an NBA All-Star game afterparty.
According to Dewitt, they were headed toward Tank's driver parked on Decatur St. when cops told them they were not allowed to walk in that direction. Dewitt said Tank asked the cops: "Why you gotta be that way?"
Next, Dewitt says, three or four officers separated them, threw Tank to the ground and shocked him with a taser.
Dewitt says Tank was taken to a hospital for treatment before being whisked off to jail. She posted his bail and he was released with a court date pending.
"He was bleeding. His back was bleeding and I had to clean him up,"
Dewitt said of his condition upon release from jail.
As previously reported, Tank and "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks ran into each other at the Grammy gifting suite earlier this month and gave folks an impromptu performance.
MAGAZINES LINE UP FOR J.LO BABY PHOTO: People magazine reportedly pays millions for exclusive shots.
*So what's the going rate for first dibs on pictures of J.Lo's twins?
MSNBC is reporting that People magazine is prepared to pay Jennifer Lopez and her husband Marc Anthony $6 million for exclusive pictures of the babies. If true, the total bests the $4 million Brangelina supposedly collected for the first official pictures of their biological child, Shiloh.
There are also rumors, according to MSNBC, that OK! magazine has already secured international rights to photos of the Lopez/Anthony offsprings, which would also be used in a launch for OK! Spain.
MORE MIJAC GRAMMY RUMORS: Singer allegedly demanded a special award and other accommodations in exchange for appearance.
*Cindy Adams of the NY Post claims to have more details about the drama between Michael Jackson and Grammy producers that resulted in a planned segment saluting the 25th anniversary of "Thriller" being cut from the Feb. 10 telecast.
According to Adams, Jackson demanded to be awarded a one-of-a-kind, one-time-only award, and insisted on selecting his own celebrity to present him with the honor.
Adams says he also demanded special security and accommodations. He was also rumored to have requested that his King of Pop moniker be used no less than 30 times during the broadcast.
Needless to say, Grammy producers decided that an appearance by the pop star was not worth all the trouble.
'OPRAH' TELL-ALL WRITTEN BY WOULD-BE EXTORTIONIST: Keifer Bonvillain says book details secrets her lawyers tried desperately to hide.
*The man who tried to extort Oprah Winfrey is releasing what he's calling "the most explosive book ever written about the talk show queen."
Titled "Ruthless," author Keifer Bonvillain says his book outlines the series of events following his decision to record his conversations with an office manager at Oprah's company Harpo. It eventually led to his arrest for extortion in an FBI sting amid accusations that he offered the audio tapes to Winfrey for a hefty price.
Bonvillain says in a press release that the book "is about the shocking truth and how far they went to cover it up."
According to Bonvillain, he contacted Harpo only to get a response to allegations against Winfrey made by the office manager, who exposed "shocking information about Oprah Winfrey's sexual preference," according to Bonvillain, as well as "insight into Oprah's endorsement of Barack Obama for President and what goes on behind the scenes at Harpo when high profile celebrities visit the show."
Bonvillain adds: "The office manager discussed the lies Oprah Winfrey told to boost ratings for her show and made disturbing allegations of egregious Civil Rights violations at Harpo."
The author also claims to have learned what is possibly "at the root of Winfrey's rift with hip-hop and the disturbing hidden messages Oprah Winfrey has been sending out in her film projects."
"Ruthless" is due in bookstores "soon," says Bonvillain, and is also available for purchase on his Web site www.ruthlessbiz.com for $16.99.
SHOOTING CANCELS LIL WAYNE-HOT BOYS REUNION: Gig in New Orleans scrapped after three people were shot outside N.O. venue.
*Three people were shot outside of a New Orleans venue that was to host a reunion concert featuring Lil Wayne, B.G., Juvenile and Mannie Fresh
- collectively known as the Hot Boys.
An unknown gunman opened fire at about 12:57 a.m. on Monday (Feb.
18), striking two 24-year-old women and a 26-year-old man who were standing on the sidewalk and began running when they heard gunshots.
According to police, the victims were rushed to a local hospital, where their injuries were said to be not life-threatening.
None of the rappers had arrived at the venue when the shooting occurred. As of press time, police had no suspects or motive.
The planned Hot Boys reunion, part of NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans, would have marked the first time in several years that the group had performed together. Mannie Fresh was scheduled to take the place of original member Turk, who is currently behind bars. But after the shooting, the venue closed doors and the event was canceled.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Michelle Obama in Newsweek; Dog Chapman returns; Michael Clarke Duncan in the 'Street'; Kimora Lee Simmons denies rumor.
*The latest issue of Newsweek has an extensive cover feature on Michelle Obama, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Under the title "Barack's Rock," the magazine describes Mrs. Obama as "the one who keeps him real, the one who makes sure running for leader of the free world doesn't go to his head." Read the entire article here:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/112849
*It appears as if A&E has decided to bring back Duane "Dog" Chapman and his reality show "Dog the Bounty Hunter." According to TMZ.com, the show will resume production ASAP in Hawaii, but a premiere date has yet to be set. A&E suspended Chapman's show last October in the wake of a leaked telephone conversation in which he used racist language in reference to his son's African American girlfriend.
*Michael Clarke Duncan and Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas have been cast in the Twentieth Century Fox film "Street Fighter," an actioner based on the popular Japanese video game franchise. Duncan will play Balrog in the story that centers on the martial artist character Chun-Li, played by Kristin Kreuk. Chris Klein, Rick Yune, Moon Bloodgood and Edmund Chen round out the cast. Shooting will take place in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Vancouver.
*Kimora Lee Simmons is denying reports that she refused to allow her ex-husband Russell Simmons' girlfriend Porschla Coleman to attend her Baby Phat fashion show in New York last week. According to TMZ.com, KLS laughed off the rumors while standing next to her boyfriend Djimon Hounsou, then asked, playfully, "Which girlfriend?"
BUSH BUDGET PLAN CUTS HBCU FUNDING: 2009 proposal would remove $85 million in money for black colleges.
*President Bush's 2009 education budget proposal would slash $85 million in funds earmarked for historically black colleges and universities, reports Amanda Lehmert of North Carolina-based news-record.com.
The budget proposal essentially cancels an increase for those schools provided by the 2007 College Cost Reduction Act in September. That was the first increase in funding the Department of Education's Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities program has received since 2005.
Higher education leaders said they will wait out the legislative process to see how the schools fare once the budget moves through the Democrat-controlled Congress. They wonder what the cut could mean for the grant program's future.
"The HBCU community, it's safe to say, they would be disappointed but not necessarily surprised," said Edith Bartley, director of government affairs at the United Negro College Fund.
The $238 million grant program provides funding to 96 federally recognized schools that have historically served black students. The money is allocated based on a school's amount of recent graduates, the number of low-income students and how many students go on to graduate programs. The federal funds may be used to for campus facilities, improve academics or enhance a school's endowment.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Excellent Cadavers
Gruesome DVD Documentary Replays Mafia's Greatest Hits
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*If you happen to be one of those people who considers Godfather 1 and 2 the best movies ever made, then you're likely also to deem Excellent Cadavers the best documentary ever made.
This very informative flick, set primarily around the Sicilian city of Palermo in the Seventies and Eighties, carefully chronicles the history of the Cosa Nostra, revealing it to have been a savage crime syndicate which had infected the Italian political infrastructure.
The film focuses on the ill-fated efforts of a couple of prosecutors, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, to end the mob's stranglehold by bringing hundreds of mobsters to justice.
At the time that Falcone and Borsellino began their highly-publicized trials, hits for hire were transpiring about once every three days. And the deadly attacks continued during the court proceedings, because many a defendant had an interest in eliminating judges, prosecutors and eyewitnesses.
Nonetheless, 344 crooks were eventually convicted of crimes, although this development did not sit well with mob bosses who were determined to get even with the two attorneys who had decimated their ranks. Sadly, despite a round-the-clock escort of armed bodyguards, the clearing of streets plus a police helicopter overhead wherever they traveled, and living 16 hours a day in a steel bunker reinforced with concrete capable of withstanding a missile attack, the Mafia finally figured out how to get to this pair of intrepid national heroes.
Besides the ill-fated front story, Excellent Cadavers also features actual crime scene photos shot by Letizia Battaglia, a journalist assigned to cover the killings by her newspaper. Though not a feelgood flick by any means, this bittersweet biopic does pay tribute to two a couple of dudes crazy enough not only to take on the mob, but to win for a while, even if they were finally taken out in 1992.
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Unrated
In English and Italian with subtitles
Running time: 92 minutes
Studi First Run Icarus
EUR DVD REVIEW: Zebraman
Japanese Superhero Adventure Arrives on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
Back in the Fifties, Japan was the source of a seemingly endless supply of badly-dubbed B-movies, mostly sci-fi adventures about mutant creatures doing a number on the city of Tokyo.
Cineastes nostalgic for that bygone genre, might like to check out Zebraman, a picture about an underdog-turned-superhero who saves the day when his homeland is attacked by creatures from outer space.
The point of departure is Yokohama in 2010 which is where we meet Shinichi Ichikawa (Sho Aikawa), a nerdy elementary school teacher and family man. His pupils make fun of him, his wife is cheating on him, his daughter sleeps around, and his son is a wimp.
So, it's no surprise that the miserable loser maintains his sanity by retreating into a parallel universe watching tapes over and over of an action TV series called Zebraman. Nights, he takes his fantasy a step further, by donning a costume of his favorite television character and venturing out to the streets to fight crime.
After a UFO crashes in the city, a bizarre sequence of events ensues: birds begin to die mysteriously, bearded seals swim upriver and a mammoth mutated crayfish is found. When the cause of these mysterious occurrences turns out to be an invasion of aliens bent on world domination, Shinichi gets his chance to save the planet.
While the Japanese military finds its self flummoxed by their evil adversaries, increasingly intrepid Shinichi has an idea how to deal with them as his alter ego, since the terrifying scenario is unfolding exactly the same as in the plot of one of the Zebraman episodes. Though featuring cheapo special effects, phony-looking fight scenes and cornball dialogue, this throwback is readily recommended for anyone who might enjoy a campy cross of Mothra and The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
Very good (3 stars)
Unrated
In Japanese with subtitles.
Running time: 115 minutes
Studi Tokyo Shock
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"If you believe it, you can make it happen. That’s all you need, is belief — and of course the willingness to follow through on whatever needs to be done on your part." — Barefoot Doctor: Author and practitioner of Taoism
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Feb. 20: Actor Sidney Poitier is 81. Jazz and soul singer Nancy Wilson is 71. Singer Rihanna is 20.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
This site is dedicated to Hip-Hop's love for mobile gadgets and reports on news and trends in digital technology as well as Entertainment (www.HiTechPimpin.com).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Feb. 20, 1968: State troopers used tear gas to stop demonstrations at Alcorn A&M College. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)