Click Here

       *Taraji P. Henson, Cedric the Entertainer and Mike Epps will join Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor in the cast of Kasi Lemmons' “Talk to Me” for Focus Features. As previously reported, the film follows the real-life story of Ralph Waldo "Petey" Green (Cheadle), an outspoken ex-con who became an iconic radio personality in the 1960s, in Washington, D.C. When his shows became too controversial, his producer Dewey Hughes (Ejiofor), would run interference with management.  Petey's unprecedented "tell it like it is" style invigorated the black community during a turbulent period in American history. Henson, born and raised in the D.C. area, will play Petey’s supportive girlfriend Vernell. Ced will star as veteran radio personality Nighthawk, who has a more traditional style than Petey’s. Epps will play Milo, Dewey's prison-inmate brother.     

       *Oprah Winfrey lost her No. 1 spot on Forbes magazine’s annual list of the world's 100 most powerful stars. Tom Cruise takes over the "Celebrity 100 Power List" this year, while the talk show host slips to No. 3. Winfrey’s slide occurred despite the expansion of her multimedia empire into theater and a Tony-nomination for her staging of “The Color Purple.” Also making the top ten were Tiger Woods (No. 5) and rapper 50 Cent (No. 8). In related news, Winfrey’s estimated annual earnings of $225 million ranked fourth behind director Steven Spielberg at No. 1 ($332 million), Howard Stern at No. 2 ($302 million) and filmmaker George Lucas at No. 3 ($235 million).

       *As previously reported, Mona Scott is teaming with Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Films to produce a biopic about the life of Missy Elliott for Universal. Scott, Missy’s longtime manager, told AllHipHop.com about the importance of the project. “As a film producer, this is a labor of love for me as Missy's story is an amazing one that will give her fans a side of her life that they have yet to see," she said. "Partnering with Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal (Tribeca Films) gives me an opportunity to make this movie on a scale that will appeal to a broader audience. Their track record of success affords me the leverage at Universal to maintain the creative integrity of Missy's vision for this film.”

      *RLJ, the lodging investment fund controlled by BET founder Robert Johnson, has closed on 63 hotels for $1 billion, part of a $1.7 billion transaction that involves the purchase of 100 hotels, reports the Washington Business Journal. RLJ Lodging Fund II, an affiliate of Bethesda-based RLJ Development, is purchasing the hotels from Merrillville, Ind.-based White Lodging Services and its affiliates. The locations of the hotels have yet to be announced. RLJ expects to close on additional 24 hotels in mid-July.