I didn’t mean for that title to come off harsh; it’s just that, sometimes, when delivering bad news it’s best to be blunt. And that’s exactly what Idris Elba was when he spoke to Essence magazine as the cover subject for their August issue.

The focus of the feature was on the actor’s transition from on-screen talent to behind-the-scenes shotcaller. Although he’ll be starring in several projects this year, what Elba’s most excited about is his upcoming directorial debut, Yardie.

“Yardie is quite a semi-famous bit of English literature about a small-time pastor who comes from Jamaica and ends up embroiled in [avenging his brother’s death],” he told the mag. “It’s set in the late seventies, early eighties, a hotbed of Jamaican culture in London, but then crack cocaine arrives.”

Production for Yardie, which is being shot on location in London and Jamaica, began in mid-May and should be coming to a close any day now, which gives Elba a little break before filming for the fifth season of Luther begins in early 2018. But before we know it, Elba will be making his rounds to promote the films he’s starring in in the later half of 2017, including The Dark Tower, which hits theaters next month; The Mountain Between Us which is slated for October; and Thor: Ragnarok and Molly’s Game, both of which are scheduled to be released in November.

As you can see, the man is busy — too busy fulfilling his life’s calling to engage in an act that he doesn’t believe is: marriage. When asked about finding love amid his responsibilities as an actor, director, and father of two, he stated:

“Am I ever gonna get remarried? I don’t think so. Yeah, I don’t think so. Marriage is an institution of sorts. And I’ve done it. It’s not for everybody. It’s not my life’s calling.”

Elba was first married to Hanne Norgaard, the mother of his daughter, Isan, but they split soon after her birth. In 2006, he married real estate attorney Sonya Nicole Hamlin who claims the British star left her just weeks after tying the knot because being married wasn’t a good look.

“People were telling him he was going to ruin his career,” she told The Daily Mail. “He was being told it was an important part of his image to be a single sex symbol in Hollywood and being married would damage that.”

In 2014, Elba welcomed a son with girlfriend Naiyana Garth whom he’d been dating since 2013. The status of their relationship is currently unknown, but one thing we can say for sure, it seems, is there are no plans to walk down the aisle.

Head to Essence.com for more.

The post Just So You Know, Idris Elba Will Never Marry You Or Anyone Else appeared first on MadameNoire.

Since releasing his introspective new album 4:44 earlier this month, there has been a lot of chatter about the topics behind Jay Z’s different songs, from racism and hip-hop culture, to turning to financial literacy to uplift the community and, of course, love. The latter topic was spoken about in depth by not just Jay Z, but a myriad of other famous men in “Footnotes for 4:44,” a clip that accompanies the short film for the album’s title track and explains the story behind it. We know “4:44” is an apology letter of sorts to Beyoncé for not just past infidelity but also Jay Z’s missteps with love in general over the many years they’ve been together. But in “Footnotes,” the celebrity men get real about their relationships, past, present and future, and how their upbringing impacted how they view and show love. The men in question include Will Smith, Chris Rock, Michael B. Jordan, Kendrick Lamar, Chris Paul, Anthony Anderson, Mahershala Ali, Meek Mill, Aziz Ansari and many more. One person’s reflections in particular in the video have people talking and that’s actor Jesse Williams.

For the first time he opens about his divorce from Aryn Drake-Lee in the 11-minute clip, addressing rumors that his marriage ended because he chose to step out with actress Minka Kelly, whom he collaborated with on a video game/movie project recently and also worked with on Lee Daniels’ The Butler.

“I was in a relationship for 13 years,” he said in the video. “Thirteen real years. Not five years, not seven years — 13 years. And all of a sudden motherf–kers are writing like think pieces that I somehow threw a 13-year relationship — like, the most painful experience I’ve had in my life with a person I loved with all of my heart — that I threw a person and my family in the trash because a girl I worked with was cute.”

Mind you, his statements don’t say outright that such rumors are or are not true, but they do make it clear that there is a lot more to the dismantling of a more than decade’s long relationship than people will ever understand.

But in an interesting twist of events, Williams was spotted out with Kelly on Monday:

Telling from the hats and the hood on his head, they were hoping to go incognito. So much for that.

But if you want to see the interviews and the full “Footnotes for 4:44” clip, you have to go to Tidal. It’s definitely worth a viewing.

The post Jesse Williams Responds To Rumors “I Threw A Person And My Family In The Trash” Over Minka Kelly appeared first on MadameNoire.

An edited video from T.D. Jakes’ 2017 MegaFest went viral last week. In it, Pastor John Gray of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, is seen sharing his thoughts during the panel titled “Girl Talk” regarding a wife needing validation from her husband.

In the video, Pastor Gray gives a detailed example of a husband unexpectedly gifting his wife money to get her nails and hair done and also giving her an empty box, telling her to wear what’s inside (playfully asking her to get naked), all while Luther Vandross plays in the background.

“Every woman in here at some point wants a man to come home and say, ‘Babe, here’s a thousand dollars. Go get your nails done, get your hair done, get a pedicure, get a manicure,'” Pastor Gray said. “‘Here’s a box, open this, wear this when I get home.’ Nothing is in it. She’s like, ‘There’s nothing here.’ Exactly. ‘Have that on when I get home. The bills are paid. The kids are covered. I prayed over you. Now handle what you need to handle so we can have a nice night. Put on Luther Vandross and let’s do what we need to do!’ Because that’s what a woman wants and she should want it because God made it that way.”

Apparently, some people disagreed with the Pastor’s comments to the point that he felt unfairly judged and took to social media to clarify.

Per his Instagram post, Pastor Gray provided a brief explanation of his response on the panel and mentioned that the video was only a snippet of a longer conversation.

“My response was that wives MAY want to work, but there are times when some don’t want to HAVE to work. A [sic] a husband it is my honor to give my wife the best that I have. And most husbands would say the same,” he said. “But the point I made was clear-if you have a wife, spoil her, honor her and reverence her. And whether that’s with expressions of gifts or consistent commitment, God will bless your union. Money isn’t the deciding factor in honoring ones [sic] wife. Some women desire time spent, or dinner cooked. Other women do like gifts and that’s fine too.”

Due to Pastor Gray’s mention of God blessing a marriage, I decided to turn to the Bible to understand what exactly is said regarding how a husband should treat his wife. In case you also needed a refresher, in Ephesians 5:25-27, it says, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”

Although the example that Pastor Gray shared may have seemed one-sided and a tad sexist to some, it’s just a small piece of a much larger picture. In the same book of the Bible, there’s mention of how a wife should treat her husband, as well. In Ephesians 5:33 it says, “However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

My interpretation of that verse was that both a man and a woman should understand the needs and wants of their partner and do what’s necessary to see them through. And outside of the Bible, research has shown that knowing your partner, including the way they express and want to show love, has led to lasting marriages.

A study completed by Cornell researcher Karl Pillemer surveyed 400 people ages 65 and older who were in a romantic relationship for 30 years or more. The data, included in Pillemer’s book, 30 Lessons for Loving: Advice from the Wisest Americans on Love, Relationships, and Marriage, shows that thorough knowledge of a person’s spouse plays a key role in a successful marriage.

“They [respondents] strongly advise younger people to wait to marry until they have gotten to know their partner well and have a number of shared experiences,” Pillemer wrote.

But getting to know your partner is more than knowing their favorite movie or ice cream flavor. Instead, it’s truly understanding what makes them happy. One of the best ways to get to know your partner further, especially if you’re already married, is to know their love language. Would I be ecstatic if I came home to a lavish gift from my husband? Absolutely! That’s because one of my love languages is “receiving gifts.” But that’s not the case for every woman, as Pastor Gray said. If your spouse’s love language is “words of affirmation,” write notes telling them how beautiful or intelligent or appreciated they are. If it’s “acts of service,” complete a chore that you wouldn’t normally do. Spend an extra few hours a week watching a movie if they desire “quality time” and randomly embrace them when they least expect it if your spouse’s love language is “physical touch.”

A marriage requires not only love and commitment but also work in making sure that both you and your spouse’s needs are fulfilled. This work shouldn’t be a one-time thing but something put into practice continuously as it’s the gateway to a long-lasting and happy union. Even if he didn’t say it in the most polished way, I believe that’s the message Pastor Gray was trying to get across. Take care of the person you love in the ways they need and they will take care of you. Ain’t that the truth?

The post Forget Knowing Their Favorite Color — Do You Know Your Partner’s Love Language? appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image via WENN

We called it a couple of weeks ago. After Brandy deleted every piece of evidence tying her to fellow artist Sir the Baptist, we stared to wonder if they two had gone their separate ways.

And while we were about 90 percent sure, recent Instagram messages from both Sir the Baptist and Brandy have confirmed what we, sadly, knew to be true.

First, during an Instagram live video, one of the viewers asked Sir about the R&B singer. And he wasn’t exactly happy about it.

Oh @sirthebaptist so you don’t know #WhereBrandyIs??!! #HowConvenient!!!!! #CheckYourAlbum and #CheckYourIG! #SirTheBaptist #SirTheFRAUD You don’t want to mess with this galaxy!!!✨✨✨✨✨✨#TheStarsAreAligned ✨✨✨✨✨✨ ✊🏽👊🏽#BRAVE @4everbrandy 👊🏽✊🏽

A post shared by 🌟TEAM BRANDY🌟 (@4everteambrandy) on Jul 11, 2017 at 9:22am PDT

“I don’t know where Brandy at fam. She’s at home somewhere. Like we good. You don’t have to ask about Brandy every time.”

And in a post and delete moment, Brandy responded to him speaking her name.

From the desk of #brandy (swipe for more)

A post shared by Baller Alert (@balleralert) on Jul 11, 2017 at 5:40am PDT

“I love this picture!!! Supporting my #squad!!! Message: make sure your live stories match your main page that doesn’t go away in hours…cuz if not, you look like a lame. “I don’t know where Brandy is”…you don’t??? Check your page… delete and gon somewhere and stop playing yourself #YoungRedFlag #SinnerXSinner”

For those who missed it, SinnerXSinner is a play on Sir the Baptist’s album SaintSinner. An album which Brandy frequently promoted on her Instagram page.

Clever.

The Shade Room has a theory about the reason for their parting. And it’s probably what you would expect. He was cheating, allegedly with two different women. According to reports, Brandy was confronted by one of the women, Sir’s baby mama, as the two were celebrating his birthday dinner at Essence Fest. Rumor has it that they’d still been seeing one another and Brandy didn’t know.

But I’m not entirely convinced. While something did happen, Brandy had deleted her pictures of Sir from her Instagram feed before Essence Fest ever took place.

Whatever…what’s done is done.

The post Dunzo: Both Brandy And Sir The Baptist Confirm They’ve Split appeared first on MadameNoire.

The post Girl Or Boy? The Most Creative Baby Gender Reveals On The Internet appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image via WENN

Jay-Z, Tidal n’nem announced that there would be a 4:44 tour. Although there were reports that claimed the tickets went up to $10k, the actual  prices ranged from the low $50 to the mid $400 range for those who have Tidal and can actually see them. It’s not astronomical as far as big name entertainment is concerned. But still the median $200 for one night is nothing to sneeze at. And it wasn’t long before people starting suggesting that the price of Jay-Z’s tickets were antithetical to the message of his album, particularly the song “The Story of O.J.” where the rapper speaks about the importance of spending wisely and Black wealth.

He says: “You wanna know what’s more important than throwin’ away money at a strip club? Credit.”

So when people learned of the tickets prices, memes and Facebook statuses like this one were created.

via SIZZLE

Listen, I get it. For some people $200 is no big deal. And even for those who still might struggle to make the night happen, they chalk it up to spending money on experiences. Which some people are advising you should spend your money on these days, as opposed to material things that will eventually depreciate or fall apart entirely. The experience of seeing one of your favorite artists in concert can live in your mind for a minute and the way you felt while watching, perhaps a lifetime.

But to each his or her own. You know what your bank account is doing. And while we may pretend not to, most of us know what we should and shouldn’t be spending. People saying they’re not going to the Jay-Z concert because they need to stack their coins is not the reason for this article.

It was a couple of comments that rubbed me the wrong way.

“…because he haven’t paid any bills or supported anybody in my family.”

“I’m just gone keep it 100. Jay got his money. I’m still working on mine! I’ll cash him ousside!”

I call out these particular comments because this is not the first time I’ve seen or heard Black people use this rationale. Interestingly enough, I notice that’s it’s often and only used when it comes to supporting other Black entertainers, businesses and individuals.

Very few people say, “Nike is not paying my bills so I won’t be buying their shoes.”

“Steve Jobs has taken enough of my money, I don’t need the new iPhone.”

“Mercedes, Cadillac, Lexus, Bentley (insert your favorite car company here) don’t even know I exist, why should I support them?”

For those who don’t drop that much money, we don’t say, “Forever 21 ain’t done nothing for me so I won’t be falling for that sale.”

No, when we want something we get it. Because after all, no one pays our bills but ourselves. It’s just the Black folks, the people who come from where we come from but made it anyway, the people we see as our direct competition who don’t deserve our support.

What we can argue about Jay-Z though is that he’s actually invested in our interests. His album was proof of that. He’s trying to speak to Black people specifically about wealth building. More importantly, he’s taken on addressing the enormous and necessary work of Black men healing themselves so they can be better partners to be Black women. The world needs that in the worst way. Before that he’s partnered with the Weinstein company to produce a film about the life of Kalief Browder, the boy-turned man who was unjustly incarcerated on Riker’s Island. Before that he and his wife quietly bailed out the people who participated in one of the many Black Lives Matter protests.

And he donated the proceeds from his Tidal concert to the same organization.

Honestly y’all, Jay-Z aint paying our bills but he is using his talent, his time and his money, some of the very money we give him, to empower and uplift the Black community, specifically.

How many of us can say the same about our favorite entertainers more less some of the multi-million and billion dollar corporations we choose to support over and over and over again without so much as a question about whether or not they care about us.

The post To The People Who Won’t Attend A Jay-Z Concert Because He Doesn’t Pay Their Bills appeared first on MadameNoire.

If Gabby Douglas’s detractors have taught us anything, it’s that you can only be America’s sweetheart for so long before folks decide it’s time to start tearing you down. But when it comes to Simone Biles, she’s not taking criticism of her lying down.

The 20-year-old, who since winning five medals at the Olympics in Rio has stayed pretty busy, decided to take a little time off to travel. The beauty jetted of to Hawaii to spend some time not only with family, but also on the beach. She shared a photo of herself with “resting beach face” as she called it, along with a few other pictures of herself having fun on Instagram:

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for someone to say something. A woman tried to accuse her of doing too much partying post-Olympics and claimed that she wasn’t being a good role model. But Biles, who is just as good at coming up with clapbacks as she is at doing backflips, was ready for a hater:

People are going to learn eventually that Simone Biles is not one to played with. This isn’t the first time she’s gotten someone all the way together by reminding them of the hard work she’s done to win her gold medals. If you’ll recall, earlier this year while competing on Dancing With the Stars, host Tom Bergeron asked the bubbly athlete why she wasn’t smiling, per the usual, while hearing some less than positive critiques from judges. Her response of “Smiling doesn’t win you gold medals” was one for the books.

As for that troll who tried to criticize her for going on a vacation, not only did Biles have some words for her, but she also made sure to hit that block button.

Comments like this have me shook. I really wanted to blur her name out so she doesn’t get attention. but it is what it is… ✌🏾 #BLOCK pic.twitter.com/T4UA2DuLg2

— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) July 9, 2017

The post Simone Biles Told A Hater To “Take A Couple Seats” After Being Called A Bad Role Model appeared first on MadameNoire.

Ok, so I would be lying if I said that I’ve always believed that Jaden Smith is a ringer for his mother as opposed to his father. While I’ve seen both parents in the 19-year-old (I think Jada is in his eyes), Will has some strong genes. If he tried to deny Willow, there would be uproar.

But in a post on Twitter today, Jada Pinkett Smith shared a picture of Jaden sharing an uncanny resemblance to the Girls’ Trip star, and even she was surprised by it:

The moment you realize your son doesn’t only look like his father @officialjaden pic.twitter.com/yd4cZNoOK0

— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) July 11, 2017

He may have had to squint hard to make it happen, but we see it. And yes, that’s Jada during her Lena James stage on A Different World (she had the best hair on that show by the way).

In case you missed it, Jaden did just turn 19 on July 8, and to celebrate, both mom and dad shared some super cute throwback pictures:

Jaden, you’ve always had style;) Happy 19th my treasure. I love you❤️✨ @officialjaden pic.twitter.com/yjVgZGP7cj

— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) July 8, 2017

We don’t know what Will and Jada got a boy (make that man) who already has everything, but if it’s anything as interesting as the gold grills Jaden gifted his mom for her 45th birthday last year, he’ll be more than happy:

When your son buys you grillz for your 45th birthday:) pic.twitter.com/Crysr6T3nf

— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) September 20, 2016

The post Jada Shares Throwback Pic Of Herself Next To Jaden, Proves He “Doesn’t Only Look Like His Father” appeared first on MadameNoire.

You see it above ground and in the open but we have been building underneath and in silence. // The tallest structures are built on the deepest foundations! // @michellewilliams #letskeepbuilding 💪🏽😍#joytheworldcanttakeaway

A post shared by C H A D J O H N S O N (@chadjohnson77) on Jul 11, 2017 at 5:07pm PDT

After those images that popped up on their Instagram accounts, there was really no doubt in my mind from the picture that Michelle and Chad Johnson were in a relationship.

But you never know with these celebrities. One minute they’re flirting and the next they’re denying they were ever associated with the person.

Still, Michelle is generally more authentic than most.

And when people saw her with a man, they automatically assumed that she was engaged.

But they’re not all the way there yet.

On a recent post for his Instagram story, Chad Johnson wrote, “I’m not engaged…but we are on an Amazin’ ride!!”

Then he also posted a couple more pictures, one of which talked about the two laying low in the beginning.

“You see it above ground and in the open but we have been building underneath and in silence. // The tallest structures are built on the deepest foundations! // @michellewilliams #letskeepbuilding #joytheworldcanttakeaway”

…..

A post shared by C H A D J O H N S O N (@chadjohnson77) on Jul 10, 2017 at 11:45pm PDT

Well, aren’t they cute.

And not for nothing, I have to admit that it’s certainly nice to see a man speak more openly about his love and affection for a woman than her be the only one doing the talking. Good luck to them.

The post Chad and Michelle Williams Have Been Building In Silence appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image via WENN

We all watched the end of the relationship between Ne-Yo and Monyetta Shaw. As women, naturally we sided with and felt her pain. I mean, it’s hard to forget that she had her Fallopian tubes singed because both she and Ne-Yo agreed they didn’t want anymore children.

And as a result, they didn’t have any more children together. But Ne-Yo went on to have another son with his wife Crystal Renay.

To us looking on the outside, it seemed like Monyetta got the short end of the stick because what she believed was going to happen with her relationship, ending up happening with someone else.

But what’s done is done.

Still, the two have children together so Ne-Yo and Monyetta will always be in each other’s lives. And in a recent interview with Hot 97’s “Ebro in the Morning,” Ne-Yo spoke about how the two have managed to evolve in their relationship with one another.

“We have learned how to co-parent. Me and Mo we went through our period where we didn’t want to see each other’s face or hear each other’s names.

Ebro: So Christmas, everybody’s in the same room?

Ne-Yo: We’re getting there.

It takes time, it takes patience, it takes maturity, all the things that stand in the way in an initial breakup. It’s ‘I can’t stand you. Anything I can do to hurt you, Ima do.’ That’s what it starts out as. And then as time goes– you know, time heals all wounds. You’ve heard that before. And it’s true. I don’t know if we’re in a place where we can do Christmas in the same house at the same time because you know how it goes. You break up with somebody, vent to family, vent to friends. And then you get cool with the person but you don’t tell your family and friends that y’all cool. Auntie Cookie still looking at her like “Umph…heeey.”

Mo is actually about to write a book on co-parenting, just going over some of the things that we went through, getting to the place where we are now.

Initially…normally, the most important thing, being the kids, kind of gets overlooked behind spite and all of that anger. So she’s writing a book just basically trying to help other people who are going through it, get to the place where we are now.

Not only are we cordial, not only are dealing with each other for the kids’ sake, we’ve actually gotten to the place where we can be friends.”

That’s good to hear. Hopefully, they’ll get to that one house, one Christmas place.

Later in the interview, he speaks about being taking time to be single after Monyetta, more about his decision to forgo the hats and how he knew his wife was the one.

The post Ne-Yo Speaks On The Friendship He’s Built With Monyetta appeared first on MadameNoire.

Ever since giving birth to baby Sienna in April, singer Ciara has been keeping a low profile. While her husband is set to host the Teen Choice Awards next month, has been training for NFL camp with the Eagles and been seen out and about, the 31-year-old singer has been focused on her family and her weight-loss goals.

But she took a break from that for a hot second and was spotted for the first time out and about. Photogs caught her in West Hollywood this week and she looked great. The star wore a loose gray dress, super high-top Air Force 1s on her feet and put sunnies on with her faux loc braids half up and half down:

The beauty and her husband celebrated their first year of marriage on July 6. The couple took their family with them for a romantic getaway in Mexico. It involved a banner in the sky and rose petals on a bed in the initials of the love birds:

Their trip to Mexico to enjoy sun and sand was in stark contrast to their wedding in London at Peckforton Castle last year. In an interview with E! News after their vacation, Wilson spilled the beans on how the past year has been for him, how it’s been adjusting to having a newborn at home and the couple’s anniversary trip. Per the usual, he seemed on cloud nine when talking about his lady, baby Future and Sienna, who he said are all doing “great.”

“C had this banner going up in the sky, which I was surprised by,” he said. “I was sitting in the kitchen and she had this cool banner going by and I said, ‘What is that?’ And so that was really sweet of her. We had a lot of fun. A lot of romantic times. That’s always good.”

As for how their lives have changed now that Sienna (who the proud parents haven’t shared images of yet) is in the picture, Wilson said, “It’s been a blessing.”

“It’s been super easy and been amazing,” he said. “Ciara is the best mom in the world. It doesn’t get any better than her so it’s been exciting.”

The post Ciara Steps Out In Public For The First Time Since Giving Birth appeared first on MadameNoire.

We’ve all been there. That first week or two of the month, or as I call it, the Odyssey, ’til Friday can be a struggle once rent and bills are paid. I’m well past the years where being fueled by Ramen to get by was considered cool. But, I’m also old enough to know charging dinner on credit cards isn’t the move. So, I will not be eating out for the next couple of days because #thepriceofdinneristoodamnhigh

Armed with a few dollars, I grabbed a couple ingredients and was able to come up with my version of comfort on a weekday with some Polenta and Shrimp. Here’s my take on Shrimp and Grits, but with Stone-ground Polenta and Rainbow Chard.

Ingredients
1 Cup Stone-ground polenta
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 head of Rainbow chard
1 small shallot
1 handful of Dill
1 handful of chives
1 serving portion of uncooked shrimp.

Instructions
I like to do things in tandem because it makes the cooking process go by a lot faster. This meal only took me about 30 minutes to make, and with some strategic planning, you’ll be able to have dinner in 30 as well. The key to this recipe is quick prep, or as they say in the culinary world, “Mise en place.”

Fire up your stove, and in a deep pot bring 4 cups of water to a boil.

As your water is boiling, start by washing your chard thoroughly under running water. Make sure to get the stems as well, as we will be using them in our recipe. Gently strip the leaves from the stem and separate both parts.

Take the stems and, lining them up, proceed to chop them into small- medium size pieces. This part will feel a bit like chopping celery.

Mince your shallots and set aside. At this point, you can roughly chop up your chives and dill and set aside as well. Quickly clean your shrimp by turning it on its back( so it’s facing you) and with a pairing knife slide down the back to release the dark vein you see running through. If you’re short on time, or not as deft with a knife, pre-cleaned shrimp will do.

Your water should be at a rolling boil now. Cook the polenta as per package instructions. Typically, this means pouring a slow steady stream of polenta into the boiling water with one hand and, with a whisk in the other, stirring quickly so as to prevent any lumps. Stir constantly for a little bit, then lower the flame and cover. Stir every few minutes so your polenta doesn’t develop lumps. It can be a bit of an arduous process, but it’s a labor of love.

While your polenta cooks, sauté the chopped shallots in some olive oil until just translucent.

Add in your chopped chard stalks and sauté until soft with a bit of crunch.

Season with salt or any of your favorite seasonings for greens. Toss your roughly chopped chard into the pan (I tend to rip my greens by hand for a more organic approach) and sauté until wilted. Set aside.

In the same pan (sans greens) sauté the seasoned shrimp, about 3-4 minutes on either side. Feel free to steam or boil your shrimp for a low-fat approach it; skip altogether for a meatless alternative.

At this point, your polenta should be ready. Stir in the grated parmesan until well combined. Toss in your chopped dill and chives and combine.

Plate your polenta, top with a portion of greens and shrimp and you’re done. A great weeknight meal to tide you over ’til payday!

The post Frugal Shrimp Polenta To Get You Through ‘Til Payday appeared first on MadameNoire.

Credit: Getty

Wardrobe malfunctions are the absolute worst. There’s nothing like putting on your favorite dress and noticing it’s covered in lint balls just as you’re ready to walk out the door, or popping a button in the middle of the day that you should’ve sewn on tighter last night. We’ve all been there, but the good news is we don’t have to be there and be embarrassed, thanks to these style hacks from Zerina Akers.

Akers is known for styling some of our favorite A-list beauties like Ava DuVernay, Beyoncé, Yara Shahidi, Chloe x Halle and more. And she even did a quick style transformation on me a few months back courtesy of Dove. This time though, the stylist isn’t teaching us how to dress, she’s showing us what to do should you run into a problem when you already are. From loose buttons to slippery shoes, here are six of Akers’ wardrobe malfunction quick fixes.

1. Keep a button in place with clear nail polish. If a button is loose and you don’t have time to re-sew it into place, take some clear nail polish and dab it on the knot, then hold the button in place for a minute. It acts as glue and will make it more secure until you can get a proper fix!
2. Use a spritz of hairspray to prevent growing stocking runs. Prevent a run in your stockings from growing bigger with hairspray. Simply spray the area where the run started and it will hold the fabric together.
3. Avoid deodorant white marks by using Dove Invisible Dry Spray Antiperspirant. It goes on dry and invisible, leaving no white marks on 100 different colors.
4. File your soles for a non-slip grip. If you have a pair of shoes with slick bottoms, buff the sole with an emery board to prevent you from slipping and to add traction.
5. Lose the fuzz with a pass of a razor. When garments start to pill from the wash, you can remove the fuzz with a razor. Simply run the razor lightly over the area and then carefully remove the pieces that collect. Repeat until all the pills are gone!
6. Unstick that zipper with Vaseline. When a zipper just won’t budge, you can rub a bit of Vaseline along where it is stuck. The Vaseline will help the zipper slide and wiggle free!

The post 6 Wardrobe Malfunction Quick Fixes appeared first on MadameNoire.

After being away from our TVs for the last few months, you’ll be glad to know that Tamron Hall is returning to your screens soon enough with her own daytime talk show.

It was announced on Wednesday by Weinstein Television that they’re planning a talk show hosted by Hall, who most know as a former anchor for Today and MNSBC. She left both posts in February after it was announced that Megyn Kelly, formerly of Fox News, would be coming to Today and take over the 9 a.m. time slot Hall shared with beloved weatherman Al Roker. It created quite the controversy, and was seen by many, including the National Association of Black Journalists, as whitewashing. Hall was with the network for 10 years.

The 46-year-old’s new show, which has no title as of yet, will be a blend of current events and human interest stories with a side of interviews with celebrities and figures in the news. She is not only set to host, but is also co-creator of the series and will also hold the title of executive producer. And on top of that, she’s also been put in a position to work with The Weinstein Company to help create even more non-scripted programming for the future.

The Weinstein Company, known for being a celebrated film studio led by Bob and Harvey Weinstein (formerly of Miramax), issued a statement sharing their excitement over the chance to create something big with the popular TV personality and journalist.

“I’ve been working towards developing a talk show for a long time, but needed to make sure I did it the right way and with the right person to take the lead,” said co-chairman Harvey Weinstein. “Tamron is far and away that person. She’s an exceptionally talented journalist whose interviews masterfully walk the line between entertainment and hard hitting. We couldn’t be more thrilled to begin this new venture with her.”

Hall celebrated the great news on social media, saying she was grateful for the opportunity:

While she hosted events and public conversations with different well-known figures and continued to host the Discovery ID program Deadline: Crime, many wondered what her next move would be. But as Hall said in March at the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council’s Summit Salute, she wasn’t worried because jobs, including the lucrative one she had at Today, don’t define her.

“Some would call and say, ‘Oh my God, are you OK?’ And I was like, ‘What happened? Who died?’ and then there were other people who said, ‘What’s next?'” Hall said. “I don’t want a friend who calls me saying, ‘Oh my God.’ It’s a job. It doesn’t define me. It doesn’t determine what I do … how I treat people. I’m going to always look you in your face and say, ‘Thank you’ and ‘Please’ — and if you make me mad, a good cuss word — but in the end, a title can’t define you. When your card no longer says anything beneath it, but your name, are you still you? Can you still savor the victory — the moment that you were able to take that dream?”

The post Don’t Call It A Comeback: Tamron Hall Is Getting Her Very Own Daytime Talk Show appeared first on MadameNoire.

The post Let’s All Take A Minute To Admire This Ebony Queen Sugar Cover appeared first on MadameNoire.

Here's the first look at the #RavensHome theme song! pic.twitter.com/mHwsCQ7JzV

— Raven's Home (@RavensHome) July 11, 2017

"Yup, that's us" I'm ready Sis. #RavensHome pic.twitter.com/cpdtXU4HDK

— Josh Maraj. (@GetChoLife1) July 12, 2017

Wow. This is so cute. #RavensHome pic.twitter.com/uhisFhcb2G

— Rodney (@Rodiculous) July 11, 2017

When I realize #ravenshome airs in less than 2 weeks#excitementdance@RavensHome @ravensymone @anneliesevdp pic.twitter.com/Ot9f9Hr6JV

— Damini Yeole (@DaminiYeole) July 9, 2017

We still mad at Raven? Cause I might have put our differences aside and tune in to this. #Raven #Ravenshome pic.twitter.com/xPZqtlMhkS

— kiirabelle (@_poiizon_) July 12, 2017

https://t.co/2xGihytaEK Oh I beg please be good. I don't know how it'll be without Eddie and Cory. #ravenshome

— Abir Ahmad (@AbirAhmad113) July 12, 2017

the Raven's Home theme song is kind of messy but the "yup, that's us" at the end has me in shambles pic.twitter.com/tQxII462Uh

— søcks (@christiansuxx) July 11, 2017

Friday July 21st Raven's home is playing on Disney channel and I'm so excited

— Skye Rodriguez (@pey_yonce) July 12, 2017

My brother just asked me did I USED to watch "Raven's Home."♀️Raven's Home doesn't exist to people my age...it's That's So Raven.

— Kno. (@KnvRhine) July 12, 2017

"Raven's Home" looks so good I'm living for both Chelsey and Raven living together

— BarbieDoll™ (@Malibu__Barbie) June 30, 2017

15. RAVEN SYMONÉ IS SO FUCKING TALENTED LIKE I CAN NOT WAIT FOR RAVEN'S HOME IM GONNA FEEL LIKE A KID ALL OVER AGAIN AHHHHH pic.twitter.com/RqG8MUPS7c

— kinky mom (@happyernst) July 9, 2017

raven symone: "yup, thats us." my dramatic ass: pic.twitter.com/JY7Qi77clt

— RJ (@RJ510_) July 12, 2017

The post People Are Really Here For The “That’s So Raven” Spinoff “Raven’s Home” appeared first on MadameNoire.

Being more than halfway through her pregnancy, it makes sense that a lot of the questions Serena Williams has been answering in interviews have been about her pregnancy, her plans for motherhood and what the future holds for the tennis ace and fiancé Alexis Ohanian . But in a new interview for LeBron James’ Uninterrupted website, Williams talked about something else — money.

Sitting down with James’ business manager and friend Maverick Carter, she discussed having to become financially responsible as a teenager and how despite making quite a bit through tournaments and endorsements, Williams didn’t get into tennis to propel herself forward financially. She was so unphased about the idea of making big money that she would often forget to pick up her prize money.

“I’ve actually never played for money,” she said. “I just thought you would go out there and hold a trophy. Not once did I think about a check. In fact, when I first turned pro, you had to go pick up your check. I never, never picked it up so at the end of the year, the tournament directors would literally hand me the check ’cause I would never go get it. I just played for the love of the sport.”

But once she really started winning, money became something Williams found that she had to take seriously, especially since her parents weren’t monitoring her spending habits.

“Early on I learned a lot about money,” she said. “My dad was always so hands-on with me. It was interesting. He said, ‘I’ll never take any money from you, a fee or anything. But I’m also not going to direct you into what you spend and what you don’t spend. It’s going to be your decision.’ Since I was a teenager, I’ve made every financial decision in my life. I’ve had to learn how to make good ones and how to make bad ones, which I think helps you make better ones.”

As for life before the money, one might assume that the Williams family, seven people trying to make it in a two-bedroom home in Compton, struggled when Serena and Venus were growing up. But according to Serena, she never wanted for anything.

“I never, ever felt broke,” she said. “Looking back [laughs], I’m like, wow. We lived in a two-bedroom house, seven people. I don’t know how my parents were able to make me feel that way, but they did. And that was really something really special. So I never felt when I came into money that ‘I need to go buy this!’ because I never wanted anything.”

That’s probably why when she got her first million dollar check, she chose to deposit it instead of buying anything big. Granted, her methods of depositing the check were probably not the best.

“I never touched it. I just put it in the bank,” she said. “And I remember, I went through the drive-through to deposit my check and then they were like, ‘I think you need to come in for this.’ So I ended up going inside. I was just like [laughs], ‘Just put it in my account!’ I should have taken a picture with it.”

And while she may not have started playing tennis for the money, Serena Williams is very vocal and has been for years about the pay disparity between male and female players. As a soon-to-be mother who could very well have a daughter who wants to play tennis just like her, Williams told Carter that she would hope things would finally be equal for her when the time comes. If not, she already knows that her daughter would be outspoken about it, too.

“If my daughter were able to play in the sport and she was able to have equal prize money or equal pay or equal rights, I feel like that would be a success,” Williams said. “And if not, I would really want her to speak up for it. Any daughter of mine will have a voice.”

The post Serena Williams Tried To Deposit Her First Million Dollar Check Through A Bank Drive-Through appeared first on MadameNoire.

Taraji P. Henson has always been a laid back, around-the-way type of girl, hence the name of her memoir. And while she can fit in with all sorts of A-list circles and stars these days, if you come for the Empire star and Golden Globe winner, she’s going D.C. on you. What I mean by that is, she’s going to come right back with a quick-witted response.

A young man learned that the hard way this week.

It all started when the 46-year-old star posted a picture of herself in full glam mode to tell her followers that she was back on set filming Season 4 of her hit Fox show:

As you can see in the image, Taraji looked and felt confident when sharing the image of herself in a gown with a plunging neckline. Nobody could tell her any different. Literally.

So when a guy said “saggy” in reference to the actress’ natural breasts, she had a clever clapback ready for him:

Henson has said in the past that everything you see on her body is hers, and despite what anyone may have to say, she’s not shy about showing off her body in low-cut gowns and in photo shoot spreads. Same goes for her backside. In fact, when rumors spread (with help from Wendy Williams) that the star had some work done on her behind, which she showed off in Season 1 of Empire in legendary fashion, Henson was quick to shut those stories down.

“HA! Thank you for the love @wendyshow! And tell your producer guy that those #CookieCakes are ALL ME baby!!!” she said. “EVERYBODY AIN’T GETTING A– SHOTS!!! I don’t need them! Also let him/her know TV adds a lil weight so RELAX!”

Say it again for the people in the back! #Teamaunaturale

The post Someone Tried To Body Shame Taraji P. Henson And Sis Wasn’t Here For It appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image courtesy of Matthew Cherry 

When it comes to representation, particularly in animation, we still have a long way to go when it comes to characters of color. And since Hollywood is not exactly bending over backward to make room for us, it’s never a bad idea to start and do your own thing. But the downside of working outside of the system is not having access to the system’s money.

Still, director Matthew Cherry is moving forward with an idea about a Black father doing his daughter’s hair for the first time. The short film is called “Hair Love” and it seeks to inspire Black children to take pride in their natural hair and show Black fathers who are present in their children’s lives.

You can watch Cherry explain more about it in the video below.

What I dig most about the project aside from the necessity of the story, is the fact that Black people are at the helm. Matthew Cherry will be tackling his first animated project and Vashti Harrison is responsible for the initial character designs and Peter Ramsey, who helped to executive produce Guardians of the Galaxy, is producing for this project as well.

They’re attempting to raise $75,000 (but really need $100k). The more money they raise the more quality they’ll be able to bring to the project.

If you’d like to contribute to the project, you can do so by visiting their Kickstarter page, here.

The post We Need To Make This Adorable “Hair Love” Project Happen appeared first on MadameNoire.

It was nearly a month ago that the Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me was released. It was also nearly a month ago that Jada Pinkett Smith spoke about her disappointment with the film and the way it portrayed her relationship with the rap legend. She applauded the work of Demetrius Shipp Jr. and Kat Graham, who played Pac and Pinkett, but also made sure to point out the inaccuracies of the film, saying on Twitter, “The reimagining of my relationship to Pac has been deeply hurtful.”

Graham would go on to say that she was confused by Pinkett Smith’s criticism of the film because she had been contacted to help with it.

“When I first got the role, I reached out to (her) a year and a half ago,” Graham said. “The point of reaching out to her, as well as the other producers on the film, was to ensure the integrity of the story and the character. I even spoke to her last week and she had nothing but support.”

For the record though, Graham said to Vanity Fair that she didn’t speak to Pinkett Smith until after completing the film. Despite the comments, Graham still had nothing but positive things to say about the woman she played in All Eyez on Me.

“I have a lot of love for her,” she said. “I hope people just see the movie and make the choice for themselves.”

Now that a little time has passed, one might assume that Pinkett Smith’s feelings have changed, but that’s far from the case. In an interview with V-103’s Ryan Cameron Morning Show to promote Girls Trip, when asked about where she was coming when she called out the project, Pinkett Smith made it clear that she’s still not pleased with the story filmmakers tried to tell about her relationship with Tupac. In fact, she teared up when speaking about her old friend:

One thing I want to say about me making that statement was, it wasn’t to have people not go see it. It was just I wanted people to know what you’re seeing in regards to my relationship with Tupac is not true. And that was important to me because…my relationship really is special. And it was very complicated. And I just felt like it was a huge disservice and that really through my relationship with Pac would have shown people what he truly was. Because it was one thing to see Pac’s persona publicly, and who he was personally. And you know, what made it even more painful was those guys know me.  Those Code Black dudes know me. We’ve done business together. We did Free Angela together, so I know that they knew how to reach for me. And that’s not to say that I would have participated in it either, but it was just, across the board, I thought it was just handled in a very disrespectful way. And I felt like it was exploitative of me and Pac, how they used our relationship to sell a movie. And I just felt like it was tomb raiding in regards to Pac. And if you’re really saying you’re honoring a man’s legacy, then honor his legacy. And if you don’t have the story, fall back until you do. And I feel like we as Black people, we have got to protect those individuals that we say are important to us, to our history and to our culture. We can’t expect other people to do that if we’re not willing to do that ourselves. Pac is precious to us. It was just really hard and it was really hard to just be with it in the way that I had to, but it’s all good. But I do believe that when we’re doing biopics about people that are a part of our community and who are special to us, we have to treasure and we really have to tell those stories in a special way. And it can’t be about money. It can’t be about money…I just really feel like these cats — nobody’s stupid. We all here know how this game is played. Ain’t nobody dumb.  So you can pull the wool over anybody’s eyes you want, but here’s what’s real: If they can wake up in the morning and look at themselves in the mirror, because we all know what sits in our hearts, and here’s who you can’t hide from — the higher power. So if you really feel like you did right by Pac, then congratulations. But if you didn’t, really sit with that. Cause I hope next time if you get an opportunity to make another movie about a legend, you’ll do a different thing.

It’s probably easy to hear what she has to say and believe that she’s taking it all a little too personally. Artistic license does give filmmakers the opportunity to dramatize things or fill in certain blanks to keep audiences entertained. However, no one knows our lives and our stories the way we do, and if you felt someone was selling a false story about you and someone you loved to make money, you would likely be passionate, and pissed, too.

Check out her comments below, which begin around the 17:30 mark:

The post “It Was Exploitative Of Me And Pac”: Jada Pinkett Smith Still Feels Tupac Biopic Was “Very Disrespectful” appeared first on MadameNoire.