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UK singer-songwriter and alt-pop darling PinkPantheress once again has social media in a frenzy, this time over a series of jaw-dropping Instagram photos that have fans (and a few confused onlookers) either swooning or scrambling to figure out who she is.

A Caption Worth a Thousand Comments

The caption was short, cheeky, and pure PinkPantheress:

“i just caaaaant keep my bloody mouth shut #fancythat”

What followed was an avalanche of attention.

The post quickly amassed over 379,000 likes, more than 4,000 comments, and 5,000 shares, signaling that the Gen Z icon’s grip on pop culture is only getting tighter.

The Comments Section: A Love Letter (Mostly)

Fans did not hold back their adoration and their hot takes. Here’s just a taste of the noise surrounding the post:

• “She knows exactly what she’s doing.”






• “Consistent and natural beauty.”






• “Bombshell baddie.”






• “PinkPantheress looks beautiful WHAT.”






• “Love this woman something wicked.”






• “If you think about it, she’s the Gen Z Beyoncé.”






• “PinkPantheress looks beautiful stateside too.”






• “Still have no idea who she is.”






• “She always looks beautiful.”






• “Yes looks stunning.”

The consensus? She’s serving looks with the same ease she serves chart-worthy hooks.

From Underground Favorite to Global Star

Known for her lo-fi, sample-heavy sound and a mystique that’s rare in today’s oversharing pop landscape, PinkPantheress has been steadily climbing from Tumblr-era curiosity to legitimate global force. With hits like “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” and collaborations with the likes of Ice Spice, Central Cee, and Kaytranada, she’s evolved from internet enigma to fashion-forward, stage-commanding superstar.

Stateside Praise and Global Recognition

The photos, believed to have been taken during a recent trip to the U.S., sparked a wave of comments pointing out her international glow-up. One fan remarked, “PinkPantheress looks beautiful stateside too,” while another elevated her even further with the comparison, “If you think about it, she’s the Gen Z Beyoncé.”

While that bold statement sparked some debate, it speaks to her impact on younger audiences and how deeply her aesthetic, sound, and presence resonate in today’s fragmented but deeply passionate fan culture.

Not Everyone’s on the Same Page

Of course, the internet wouldn’t be the internet without some confusion in the mix. One user summed it up perfectly:

“Still have no idea who she is.”

To which many fans would likely reply: Keep up.

Related

July 20, 2025

Key takeaways:

1. Eddie Murphy handed Rock a bit part in “Beverly Hills Cop II” that lasted 15 seconds, but for Rock, it cracked open a door that all the schoolyard doors slammed shut.
2. On SNL, Chris Rock delivered the acerbic, slyly subversive sort of humor that hangs in the air well after the credits roll, sometimes jagged, never perfunctory.
3. Chris Rock’s subject matter often includes bits about race relations and daily indignities.
4. Responding to the “Slap Heard Around the World,” Chris mocked the sheer theater of it all. He turned real-time mortification into yet another crowd-pleaser and made it clear that the whole saga vexed him but wouldn’t define him.
5. Recent Chris Rock shows ooze the thorny expertise of a comic who lived too much and thought too hard: jabs at aging, needle-pricks about loneliness, unvarnished tales of fame’s slow rot and American doublethink — he wrings personal discomfort into a live wire.

Christopher Julius Rock, popularly known as “Chris Rock,” did not so much inch his way up the comedy ladder as chop the rungs off, then solder them back together on his own slightly crooked terms. Crammed into the sweat-breathing, gum-stained corners of 1980s New York clubs, Rock worked rooms packed with loudmouths and career hecklers while keeping one wary eye on rent and another on the subway schedule.

Decades on, he stands on stages both physical and digital — Netflix streams, sold-out theaters, the odd Oscars stage gone haywire — leveraging the raw material of his dismay for laughs capable of unsettling even those most content to look the other way. Anybody in arm’s reach gets the needle: the anxious parent, the kneejerk racist, the exasperated husband, the Black kid dodging trouble at the bodega — nothing sacred, nothing safe, bad news for the soft-skinned.

Chris Rock on screen: A multifaceted film and television career

All told, Rock’s acclaimed stage style tempers flippancy with bite — unafraid, unbowed and, in an absurd twist, oddly comforting for anyone stuck at the blunt end of American absurdity. What gives Rock such peculiar sway even among people allergic to stand-up, sitcoms or the sentimental parade of Hollywood nostalgia is this: he serves up satire like a battered cast iron pan.

Early roles and breakthrough performances

The inflection point for Rock was 1991 and Mario Van Peebles’ “New Jack City.” Rock, rail-thin and jittery, played Pookie, a crack addict whose nervous energy felt less like performance and more like a cry for help from the backroom of the American psyche. Comic timing didn’t save Pookie or give the audience room to chuckle. Pity or revulsion, take your pick, Rock invited both. Nothing in his act prepares you for that level of highwire, face-in-the-dirt misery.

Box office success and genre versatility

By the late 1990s, Rock toggled between box office bait and roles requiring keener volition. Think “The Longest Yard:” Adam Sandler chewing scenery, Rock keeping the joke-torpedo armed and his dignity intact as Caretaker, a wisecracking sidekick who never settles for punchline purgatory.

The real payday for sheer reach was Marty the zebra in “Madagascar.” Suddenly, his voice bounces off living room walls in suburban McMansions, coloring outside every prescribed line with torrents of wild, hyped-up mischief. Here, Rock introduced his cadence and go-for-broke clowning to millions of kids, many likely unaware he could terrify audiences with a single, gimlet-eyed stare a decade prior.

Dramatic turns in ‘Fargo’ and ‘Spiral’

All at once, Chris Rock’s onscreen orbit shifted. No more playing it safe as the quick-witted sidekick or the frazzled everyman with a punchline at the ready. When he anchored the fourth season of “Fargo” as Loy Cannon, folks expecting another wisecrack got a jawful of silence instead. Rock’s eyes, guarded and wry, did most of the bartering. For critics and skeptics alike, Rock’s performance drew double-takes and phone calls home, proof, as if carved in granite, that his acting wasn’t a mere add-on to his comic self.

Then came “Spiral,” the sort of strobe-lit horror sequel snobs would never pin Rock to. Yet there he stood, trading scare-for-scare with Samuel L. Jackson, hunched over grisly crime scenes and grinding through thriller cop banter. Whether Rock chose Spiral to rattle expectations or just for the grisly fun of it, he wore the action-lead mask with a smirk — a risky pivot, no matter the script.

On TV, he joined the ranks of African-American television producers with “The Chris Rock Show.” The show didn’t just natter at late-night’s status quo, it lit a fire under it. Sly sketches, blistering interviews and more than one guest left out of sorts. Rock’s version of talk shop culture was all thrum and unpredictability. Chris Rock movies and TV shows consistently say one thing — he treats every character as if they might blow up or fall to pieces at any moment.

‘Everybody Hates Chris:’ A seminal autobiographical sitcom

Nothing in Rock’s long list of achievements stings with as much personal bite or rings with more rueful laughter than “Everybody Hates Chris.” The show — equal parts time capsule, comedy club confessional and pointed social autopsy — kicked off in 2005, throwing open the rusty gates of Brownsville, Brooklyn, as seen through Rock’s bespectacled tween gaze and grown-man hindsight. These weren’t episodes about family life that TGIF executives polished. They grappled bluntly with threadbare paychecks, fridge-rattle hunger and the kind of tightrope walk required to keep your dignity while hauling bags of laundry up four flights to a barely-lit apartment.

To watch “Everybody Hates Chris” is to clock the discrepancy between sitcom schmaltz and the truths that rarely made it to prime time — worn-out teachers, overpoliced streets and the suffocating demand to be twice as good for half as much credit. The show never fell in line with the old trick of sanding off rough edges for white audiences. The storytelling burned away the veneer of sitcom safety.

What you got instead was a parade of missed buses, fridge raids, cringey school dances and a steady thrum of parental exasperation, all with the frankness of someone keen on laughing before the world tells him not to. The show got a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Television Series—Comedy or Musical.

Chris Rock’s subject matter includes bits about race relations and daily indignities and doesn’t come sugar-dusted. It is often a gut punch draped in satin, keenly aware that the line between laughter and discomfort might grow faint if the lights stay up a little too long. His stand-up routine isn’t a bashful series of punchlines. It’s a parade through the gristmill of American manners with him cast as both ringleader and surgical observer.

Rock sweeps the room with a kind of moral x-ray, never content to tickle but craving that squirm — a kid flicking the scab off polite society to see if anyone has the nerve to look. Through all the late-night sets and public dust-ups, one thing never wavered: he wanted the audience to think, to reckon and maybe to leave a little less sure of themselves than when they arrived.

The comedy club hustle

Rock’s live education played out night after night on grimy New York stages, the kind that leaves a smell clinging to your jeans, the clack of beer bottles echoing in the dark. He worked in places like the “Comic Strip Live” and “Catch a Rising Star,” cramped, jittery rooms, with auditorium-sized nerves and material that, at first, probably only made sense to him. If you ever needed proof that some comics bide their time like wary alley cats, Rock in the 1980s is your case in point, all sharp elbows and eyes peeled for hecklers.

Eddie Murphy, meanwhile, swept through the place under his tidal wave of charisma. He took one look at the anxious, eager Rock and pegged him for something. Later, Murphy would hand Rock a bit part in “Beverly Hills Cop II.” It lasted all of 15 seconds, but for Rock, it cracked open a door that all the schoolyard doors slammed shut.

‘Saturday Night Live’ changed everything

Everything swerved sideways with “Saturday Night Live.” The three-year blur from 1990 to 1993 — bright lights, a parade of catchphrases, Owen Meany-sized pressure — handed Rock the cosmic megaphone every comic gropes for, yet underneath, he stewed in high dudgeon. Audiences across the country pinged to attention. Chris Rock delivered the acerbic, slyly subversive sort of humor that hangs in the air well after the credits roll, sometimes jagged, never perfunctory.

While the network wanted to stick to the formula that worked in the past — straight men delivering straight lines — Rock’s bits skewered the powers that be, poking at America’s weird Puritan stuff with the casual irreverence of someone who’d seen the darkness up close and decided to laugh anyway.

HBO specials that made history

When HBO gave him the stage, Rock treated it less like a one-man stand-up comedy show than an arena brawl, knocking out the fourth wall and blazing in with his peculiar mix of razor wit, street-corner philosophy and “did-he-really-say-that” bravado. These specials became more than comedy marathons. They seeped into conversations around kitchen tables and city council meetings, throttled the culture and gave voice to the things nobody else dared say.

• ‘Bring the Pain’ (1996): On “Bring the Pain,” circa 1996, Rock stood center stage with the lights glaring like an inquisition, shooting from the hip about Black identity, race and the everyday mess of American life. No one escaped his line of fire: not the liberals with their white guilt, not the flavor-of-the-week politicians nor Black folks themselves.
• ‘Bigger & Blacker’ (1999): Staged at the Apollo Theater, “Bigger & Blacker” flouted conventions with routines that burrowed under talk-show banter — school shootings, the media’s crocodile tears and political hypocrisy all baked into a relentless, riotous hour. He collected the 2000 Grammy for Best Spoken Comedy Album, but critics missed the mark if they thought Rock was angling for mere hardware. He came for the audience’s throat and, at some level, begged them to snap back.
• ‘Never Scared’ (2004): This television special caught Rock in full swing — looser, sharper and aware, the crowd came with bated breath, waiting for him to turn family banter, political hullabaloo and bedroom squabbles into gut punches. The set dripped with that uneasy blend of candor and exasperation you recognize from an overcaffeinated uncle at Thanksgiving — every punchline landing with the weight of lived experience. He didn’t merely volley jokes about relationships, race and ragged American dreams. He stretched them until the laughter felt uncomfortably close to home.

Navigating controversy: The Oscars slap and its reverberations

Fast-forward to that fevered night in March 2022, the Oscars, usually a syrupy procession of patter and polite applause, derailed into full-blown spectacle. Rock, unflappable as ever, lobbed a “G.I. Jane” quip toward Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. A few beats later, Will Smith strode up with the energy of an aggrieved parent at a PTA meeting and slapped him so cleanly across the face the sound echoed from Dolby Theatre to TikTok memes.

In the days after, the Chris Rock Will Smith “Slap Heard Around the World” courted press coverage like moths to a porch light. The Academy, suddenly frantic for gravitas, shuffled through disciplinary protocols, dropped stern statements and swung down the banhammer: Smith out for ten years, his seat at the annual self-congratulation pageant gathering dust. Smith himself offered up a resignation, one of those high-dudgeon gestures that land with a thud.

Chris Rock’s response to the 2022 Oscar’s controversy landed packaged in the 2023 Chris Rock Netflix special “Selective Outrage.” In this Netflix romp, Rock dissected the slap with a surgeon’s precision and the steely aplomb of a man who refuses to hoist the victim banner. If he seemed intent on torching the elephant in every room, he also managed something better, inviting the crowd to gawk at his humiliation while holding up a warbly funhouse mirror to our penchant for public shaming.

He mocked the sheer theater of that Chris Rock Oscars slapping event, drew bright lines around his response and turned real-time mortification into yet another crowd-pleaser. He made it clear that the whole saga vexed him, but wouldn’t define him. Emmy voters noticed. Nominations tumbled in for live production and writing, proof positive that bitter lemons sometimes end up as award-season lemonade.

Plenty wring their hands over whether comedians cross a line, yet Rock’s lived a long, streetwise evolution tucked inside the mess of America’s raucous argument about speech, tact and whoever’s on the cultural chopping block this week. He never pretended that keeping pace with shifting mores comes easily. After all, he’s a man who built routines heckling uptight crowds in places where being Black and funny drew suspicion long before likes and retweets.

When the phrase “cancel culture” started crowding headlines and everyone seemed intent on catching offense like the sniffles, Rock offered something rare, a seasoned grip on the tightrope between speaking freely and meaning something. He’s said time and again that the whole point of comedy is to squirm in your seat — discomfort is where public conversation picks up, not where it dies.

Trailblazer status: A legacy carved in laughter

Rock never waited for permission, nor did he tiptoe through tulips for the press. Here’s a summary of Chris Rock’s life story. He broke rules that deserved breaking, cracked jokes that rattled the glass and set a tone that made space for comics in his wake — Black, Brown or those yet to clap eyes on their own stories reflected in the crowd. Breaking through Hollywood’s calcified pecking order, especially as a Black comic, never called for talent alone. Sheer wit stands no chance against a wall of studio gatekeepers, coded double-speak and that urgent need to keep your people from whispering you lost the plot.

What gives Rock’s story a dash of gravitas, besides the studio lot intrigue and onstage fireworks, is Rock’s role as fixer and door-opener, not content to keep the spoils. Younger comics treat him like a shortwave radio tuned directly to their subterranean anxieties — a beacon when their message gets clicks but rings hollow, when “edgy” slides into a lazy stereotype.

If Chappelle circles the block and Seinfeld polishes the brass, Rock throws a rock through the window and teaches you how to sweep up the glass. His Emmy and Grammy haul still plays second fiddle to his real badge of honor: the list of comics who say to themselves, “Chris already burned that bridge, but maybe I can cross it barefoot.”

Looking ahead: Continuing impact and future contributions

The ironists among us might appreciate that Chris Rock’s next big move takes him deep into America’s shadowy past. He’s gearing up to direct a Martin Luther King Jr. biopic. A combination of history’s gravity and the not-so-minor involvement of Steven Spielberg as the producer lured him. The project draws from Jonathan Eig’s “King: A Life,” a tome weighed down with hope and heartbreak.

Last year, Rock announced a plan to direct an English-language spin on Thomas Vinterberg’s “Another Round.” No word yet on whether Mads Mikkelsen will swap Aquavit for bourbon or deliver a tipsy soliloquy about standardized testing.

Chris Rock ranks fifth in both RollingStone’s 50 best stand-up comics of all time and Comedy Central’s 100 greatest stand-ups and would top any list of the best African-American stand-up comedians. He made his mark long before there were many African-American television writers with notable works to their names. The 2023 “Selective Outrage” is Chris Rock’s most recent stand-up special, but he has several upcoming projects in his time-defying career in comedy few other comics can match in an industry that is not always kind to Black comedians.

Nearly four decades into a career strewn with ruckus, Rock seems determined to keep the audience off balance, sprinting from the bright lights of live comedy to the hush of the director’s chair and rarely pausing long enough for the applause (or the backlash) to catch up. 

1

Former Love Island USA contestant Cierra Ortega is officially washing her hands of island romance, and she’s doing it from the sun-drenched cliffs of Mykonos.

The 25-year-old took to Instagram on July 20th to reflect on her turbulent journey, two weeks after she was abruptly removed from the Peacock reality series following the resurfacing of a past racial slur. Her exit from the villa not only ended her chances at the $100,000 prize, but also left her partner, Nic Vansteenberghe, free to recouple with fellow contestant Olandria Carthen, with whom he eventually placed second in the finale.

But Cierra isn’t looking back. She’s looking out over the Aegean Sea, cocktail in hand, and reclaiming her narrative.

“‘You look happier,’” Ortega captioned a video of herself on vacation in Greece. “Thanks, I booked a flight to Mykonos after surviving the villain edit on reality TV and I didn’t end up with the guy who never actually liked me and wanted my friend the entire time.”

As if her caption didn’t make the message clear, the video was layered with a viral audio that declared:

“I didn’t even actually get to break up with him and he’s already with the next girl.”

The post was unapologetic, sun-soaked, and a direct response to the emotional carnage left behind after her televised departure.

“This Deserved Punishment”

Cierra’s removal aired during the July 6th episode of Love Island USA, when producers intervened off-camera and informed her she would no longer be allowed to continue in the villa due to a past use of a racial slur that had surfaced online.

Within days of leaving Fiji, she addressed the controversy directly in a July 9th Instagram video. While she accepted the consequences of her actions, she pleaded with viewers to stop targeting her family.

“What’s been extremely, extremely difficult is the way people are approaching my family,” she said tearfully. “They have had ICE called on them. My family doesn’t feel safe in their own home. I’m receiving death threats, there’s no need to fight hate with hate. I don’t think that that’s justice.”

She added that while the backlash was brutal, she understands why it happened:

“This is something that deserved punishment, and the punishment has absolutely been received, for sure. I think the backlash has obviously been very hard to deal with, but I understand that people are kind of confused on why I would have even said it.”

Ortega didn’t elaborate on the original incident, but emphasized that she was taking full “accountability” for her past behavior. Her statements drew mixed reactions online. Some viewers sympathized with her vulnerability, while others accused her of attempting to downplay the harm caused.

Nic Speaks Out: “She Just Left”

In the aftermath of Cierra’s exit, her then-partner Nic Vansteenberghe quickly pivoted emotionally and romantically. Days later, he recoupled with Olandria Carthen, forming one of the season’s most strategic final pairings. The two ultimately placed second in the finale.

Speaking on the Chicks in the Office podcast on July 15th, Nic finally offered his perspective on Cierra’s sudden departure, suggesting he wasn’t even sure why she was gone at first.

“It was a completely normal day,” the 24-year-old explained. “She just left. It was some sort of personal reason or something along those lines.”

With little context from production, Nic made a calculated decision to stay.

“I had to talk with myself and behind-the-scenes kind of stuff, and I also told myself, ‘If whatever is happening in the outside world is something I don’t align with, then that could be perceived as me supporting that,’” he said.

“So I did give myself the chance to stay in the villa.”

Nic later admitted that once he fully understood the situation post-show, he felt justified in moving forward without her.

“Coming out now, seeing what it is and whether or not those values believe in what I value,” he concluded, “now I can kind of have a better perception on it.”

Olandria, Opportunism, and The Optics

Nic’s swift coupling with Olandria didn’t go unnoticed by fans, many of whom speculated that he had eyes for her long before Cierra exited the villa. Ortega herself alluded to this in her Mykonos post, accusing Nic of “never actually liking” her and being interested in her “friend the entire time.”

Although Olandria has yet to publicly comment on the love triangle, her chemistry with Nic was undeniable in the season’s final episodes. Whether their connection was authentic or strategic, it helped vault them to the finals.

A Reality Show Reckoning

Cierra Ortega’s departure marks one of the most dramatic mid-season exits in Love Island USA history, raising questions about contestant vetting, accountability, and redemption arcs in reality television.

Her situation sparked heated debates on social media about cancel culture, forgiveness, and the ethics of public punishment. While some believe Ortega has shown genuine remorse, others argue that harm caused by slurs is not easily erased by a vacation and a viral audio.

Meanwhile, Nic and Olandria are navigating their newfound fame after the show, giving interviews and teasing what’s next for their relationship.

As for Cierra? She’s doing what many women do after a heartbreak and a public reckoning: booking a solo vacation, putting her ex on blast, and getting a tan.

Stay tuned. This love story may be over, but the post-show drama is just getting started.

Related

Noir Nation, the legal storm surrounding NFL Hall of Famer and media personality Shannon Sharpe has reached a surprising end!

According to ESPN, the $50 million sexual assault lawsuit filed against Shannon earlier this year has been officially settled. The case has been dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be reopened.

While the official terms remain confidential, the accuser’s legal team confirmed that a settlement was reached amicably and both parties are moving on.

🗣️ WHAT THE LAWSUIT CLAIMED

The woman, listed as Jane Doe, accused Sharpe of rape, repeated sexual abuse, and the non-consensual sharing of explicit content during what she described as a toxic and violent relationship.

Sharpe, through his legal team, denied all allegations, maintaining that the relationship was consensual and that Doe’s claims were an attempt to damage his reputation and secure a payday.

📺 SHANNON’S PUBLIC STANCE

During the height of the controversy in April, Sharpe briefly stepped away from his ESPN “First Take” duties, stating he needed time to address the matter privately and be with his family. Since then, he has been tight-lipped, and ESPN has not issued an official comment following the settlement.

Insiders say he is expected to return to his media duties before NFL preseason begins.

Noir Nation, opinions are SPLIT across the internet. Some say the settlement suggests accountability, while others argue it was a strategic move to avoid public trial and media chaos.

Many are now asking: Can Shannon Sharpe reclaim his public trust? Or is this settlement a permanent stain on his image?

Wait, Shannon Sharpe settled his case with that OF girl????

— the baldhead scalawag 🩶 (@bldhdscalawag) July 20, 2025

Shannon Sharpe has made a total ass of himself. What an embarrassment. Retired a OF trick. Welp he loves the colonizer. I have no respect for him anymore.

— KMAC (@rjmac3105_kmac) July 20, 2025

Joe Budden podcast, reacts to Shannon Sharpe lawsuit situation now being over with . Joe says he feels bad that this occurred when Sharpe was at the peak of his success, with everything aligning for a potential $100 million deal, and now this has pushed him into rebuild mode. pic.twitter.com/Rzr3LcYtnW

— joebuddenclips/fanpage (@Chatnigga101) July 20, 2025

✊🏾 THE BIGGER PICTURE

Regardless of which side you’re on, this case speaks volumes about power, privacy, and public perception. Sharpe’s legacy as a 3-time Super Bowl champ and beloved media voice is now linked to this high-profile settlement—and the world is watching his next move.

Stay tapped in, Noir Nation. This story may be closed in court, but the conversation is far from over.

Related

Emmy award-winning talk show host Sherri Shepherd rented a gorgeous five-story townhome which is now for sale at $3.2 million according to Zillow. It was last on the market in 2021 at another $800,000 more.

Celebrity homes are typically worth millions of dollars but let’s be honest, in the location between 141st and 144th streets right in Harlem, any townhome is going to be outside of the middle class tax bracket.

Not to mention, Shepherd’s former home is just plain charming. Named after Alexander Hamilton, per The New York Post, Hamilton Terrace used to be the founding father’s country home. Though built in 1899, the place has a significant number of modern upgrades from the sleek countertops, granite walls and white oak floors. In total, the place holds four bedrooms, two powder rooms, three bedrooms and an adorable terrace.

Take a peak inside Shepherd’s charming Harlem home:

Street View

If you live in New York, this view stepping out of your home is ideal.

Sidewalk View

Uptown’s architecture alone tells you how much these homes are.

Charming Window

The details of the window pan are reminiscent of 1800s style.

Street-Facing Windows

You’d be surprised how much natural light flows through these. Look at those charming details.

Living Area

The white marble walls bring so much brightness to the inside.

Second Living Area

Why have one living space when you can have two?

Kitchen and Dining

The natural light from the windows illuminates the space.

Dining Area

Not too small but not too big of a space to entertain dinner guests.

Living Space to Outside Terrace

The perfect option to sit inside and watch the rain or chill outside and watch the sunset.

Entry to Outside Terrace

Talk about privacy! What a cute space for entertaining guests.

Modern Details

Accent walls are becoming the trend and I have to agree with it.

Master Bedroom

Three window panels? Perfect view and perfect lighting.

Master Bathroom

Normalize putting soaking tubs in master bathrooms instead of just shower stalls.

Bathroom Details

Do you see that shower? Vanity backlit mirrors? The modern upgrades in here are elite.

Lounge Area

I lost count of how many lounge areas are in here.

Kitchen

Sleek white cabinets are peak modern style.

Fireplace

The electric fireplace is the ideal pairing with your flat screen.

Terrace Views

Look over uptown with your friends from this charming terrace.

Guest Bedroom

Even the smaller bedrooms have a considerable amount of space and great window views.

Terrace

Enough space for your pool chairs, grill station and everything else.

Rear of Terrace

That’s enough space to host a party at your own place.

With the passage of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, many college freshmen are wondering what this means in terms of paying for their education.

This includes Tamia Akers, an incoming student at Howard University.

Akers, who is originally from Ohio, spent many years overcoming personal hurdles due to being in the foster care system until she was adopted at age 13. She then faced more challenges as the only Black student at her middle and high school.

“I felt like I was never heard or seen, or I wasn’t as smart as the other kids or I always had to prove myself in some different type of way,” said Akers to WUSA9.

As a senior, Akers decided that she wanted to apply to Howard University so she could be around young Black students pursuing a college education like herself. When she found out the university had accepted her with a $20,000 scholarship, Akers’ desire to be on the campus only grew.

“I’m up all night, and I cannot sleep because I’m like waiting,” Akers told the news outlet. “I’m like I promise that if I get in, I’m going. If you give me a chance, I’m going.”

Unfortunately, President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is expected to have multiple negative impacts on how she plans to get her education.

The One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law earlier this year by President Donald Trump, is a sweeping piece of legislation that drastically reshapes the American social safety net, with big changes to the landscape of federal education aid. While the administration touts it as a cost-saving measure, critics argue that it guts crucial financial protections for students, particularly those from low-income and historically marginalized communities.

For example, the new law puts a limit on how much parents can take out. The Parent PLUS Loans will be capped at $20,000 a year, and most repayment plans, including the Biden-era SAVE plan, will be phased out.

These changes are expected to hit Black students especially hard. Research consistently shows that Black borrowers take on more student debt than their white peers and are more likely to struggle with repayment. According to the Education Data Initiative, 86% of Black students take out federal loans to attend college, compared to just 59% of white students.

Four years after graduation, Black borrowers owe an average of 188% more than they borrowed, due in large part to compounding interest and lower post-grad income. The rollback of protections under Trump’s bill could deepen these disparities, making it harder for students like Akers to not only attend college but to thrive after graduation.

But Akers is now planning to face this challenge like any others in her life, with determination.

“I think I’m going to get up and run at it because I was begging for this chance. If you give me the money, I’ll apply. If you let me in, I’ll go,” Akers said. “If I gave up every time an obstacle was thrown at me, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

Watch the full story about Akers’ experience on WUSA‘s YouTube channel.

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Gabriella Zuniga, the woman who accused Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe of rape, has officially quit OnlyFans just one day after she settled and dropped her $50 million suit.

Zuniga, 21, officially retired Saturday, July 19, from the adult site, penning a farewell message to her Instagram followers and mentioning fresh starts. The news was less than 24 hours on the heels of her attorney, Houston power attorney Tony Buzbee, announcing the civil lawsuit against Sharpe had been “resolved” following what he described as “lengthy and respectful negotiations.”

“The Matter Is Closed”

Friday, Buzbee confirmed in a formal statement that the lawsuit, originally filed in April 2025 under the alias “Jane Doe,” was being dismissed with prejudice since it can no longer be refilled. In an unusual moment of compromise, both parties agreed that Sharpe and Zuniga had shared a long-term, consensual but “tumultuous” relationship.

“On April 20, 2025, The Buzbee Law Firm filed a complaint in Nevada making several allegations against Shannon Sharpe on behalf of our client,” Buzbee tweeted. “After protracted and respectful negotiations, I’m pleased to announce that we have reached a mutually agreed upon resolution. All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed.”

Neither party’s terms of the settlement were disclosed, nor has either party admitted wrongdoing.

A Public Relationship That Turned Toxic

Zuniga’s lawsuit, which was secretly filed for weeks before it became public, accused Sharpe of sexual assault, battery, and infliction of emotional distress. According to court filings, they began dating in early 2023 when Zuniga was 19 and then spiralled into dark allegations of coerced sex acts, inappropriate videotaping, and public humiliation. She alleged that Sharpe sexually assaulted her in October 2024 and January 2025.

Sharpe Denies All Accusations

Sharpe, aged 56, has categorically denied all accusations. His attorneys, led by attorney Lanny Davis, lashed back early on, branding the case as a “blatant and cynical attempt to shake down Mr. Sharpe for millions of dollars.”

“The lawsuit, filed by Gabriella Zuniga and orchestrated by her attorney Tony Buzbee, is filled with lies, distortions, and misrepresentations. It will not succeed,” Davis said in a statement at the time.

Sharpe’s team stated they had video and text-message proof that showed the sexual relationship was all consensual. They also accused Zuniga of editing video footage out of context to make it appear non-consensual, although no criminal charges were ever filed in connection with the accusations.

Even as he maintained his protests of innocence, the public embarrassment had real-world consequences. Within weeks of filing the lawsuit, Sharpe stepped down from his ESPN assignments, where he was a well-known contributor to several sports broadcast commentary shows.

Zuniga Closes One Chapter, Teases Another

Zuniga brought this very public chapter to a close with a moving Instagram posting to fans on July 19, announcing she was stepping down from OnlyFans:

“Today, I have decided to retire from OF. Thank you for the incredible support you’ve shown me over the past few years. This community has given me a life I could have never imagined,” she wrote.

“I’ll still be active on social media and have several new projects in the works that I can’t wait to share. I’m truly excited for this next chapter. I love you all forever and ever.”

Her departure from the site, in which she had been earning six figures of monthly income, represents a dramatic departure from her public image and career trajectory just as the media spotlight is beginning to recede.

Related

NoirNation, former Love Island USA Season 7 contestant Cierra Ortega just made her return to the ’gram—and let’s just say, sis came with the vibes and the subliminals.

After weeks of silence following her elimination from the villa, Cierra posted a glam get-ready-with-me video, complete with flawless beats and a luxury travel aesthetic. But it was the caption that had fans raising eyebrows and reading between every line.

“You look happier!”

“Thanks, I booked a flight to Mykonos after surviving the villain edit on reality TV and I didn’t end up with the guy who never actually liked me and wanted my friend the entire time,” she wrote.

And just in case that wasn’t enough, her caption added another poetic jab:

“Passport stamps are like forehead kisses.” 🥶✌🏾

😳 IS IT GIVING SHOTS FIRED?

While Cierra didn’t name names, fans in the comments wasted zero time putting two and two together—pointing fingers at her former villa flame Nic, who many now believe was never truly locked in on her as he is now locked in with Olandria.

The reality TV breakup seems to be hitting differently now that Cierra’s revealing what really went down behind the scenes. “Villain edit” accusations have become a common cry from Islanders, but when Cierra says she survived it and didn’t end up heartbroken, it’s giving: healed, booked, and unbothered.

🌍 NEW CITY, NEW ENERGY

Mykonos appears to be just one stop on Cierra’s post-villa soft launch into peace and luxury. Fans are already calling it her “main character redemption arc” and begging for a YouTube vlog or tea-filled IG Live.

Noir Nation, what do y’all think—is this just post-show clarity or indirect shade at Islanders? 💅🏾 Let’s discuss.

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Years after being released from prison, Bill Cosby is still facing legal battles. The disgraced comedian and actor has been having money troubles, and now, he’s been forced to sell off one of his two New York City townhouses.

The 87-year-old quietly listed his six-bedroom property on the market on April 16, according to Realtor.com. This was just four months after he was sued for allegedly defaulted on multiple loans. As The Root previously reported, Cosby defaulted on the mortgage for his crib on the Upper East Side after not making payments since June 2024.

According to recent news reports, Cosby reduced the price of his Manhattan home by approximately $250,000. The residence, which he had listed for sale in April, is now on the market for $6.75 million.

In the court filing, First Foundation Bank claims Cosby, 87, and his wife, Camille, 80, owe $17.5 million on their loan. The foreclosure complaint isn’t against Cosby personally but “a limited liability company” set up by the married couple, according to the Daily Mail.

Now, it seems Cosby is trying to get at least one townhome off his hands. He was asking for $6.99 million, up from the $1.2 million Cosby and his wife paid for the home in 1980. Take a look at the details of the stunning house and how things have changed or stayed the same over the past decades.

Outside Views

Located in the heart of Lenox Hill’s iconic Treadwell Farm Historic District, this home is straight out of a New York City movie. The home is a mixture of “historic charm” and modern amenities that make this the perfect forever home.

Living Room

It’s hard to find a living room in NYC with ample sunlight, a fire place, and plenty of space for seating, but this one has it all!

Family Room

In the listing, the property is described as an “architectural gem.”

Bedroom No. 1

The four-story townhouse has six bedrooms and six bathrooms.

Master Bedroom

You can tell sunlight was important not only to Cosby, but also to the architects who designed the space. In the master bedroom, floor-to-ceiling windows allow for a modern and homey environment.

Master Bathroom

According to Realtor.com, the home has not been occupied for some time. Many of these photos have been virtually staged to give viewers a feel for the space’s potential.

Bedroom No.3

The exposed brick in this single bedroom gives the space more character. It also helps contrast with the mostly white walls in the unit.

Throwback Kitchen

If you’re looking at this space and thinking “this looks very retro,” then you’d be right. Cosby purchased the home in 1980, and boy have things changed since then. Clearly, one thing that hasn’t changed is this kitchen!

Kitchen Appliances

Despite the dated interior of the kitchen space, these stainless steel appliances are modern and up to date.

More of the Kitchen

The home was crafted using red oak, mosaic hardwood flooring and marble tiles, according to its listing.

Dining Area

“Unlike apartment life, townhouses offer the freedom of full independence: no shared walls, no co-op boards or common lobbies, no neighbors above or below,” the listing reads. “Just your own private home, enhanced by exclusive outdoor spaces perfect for entertaining or simply unwinding.”

Patio and Sunroom

Speaking of privacy, with the house, you also get your own private backyard. And with spring here and summer just around the corner, this could be the perfect space for a barbecue or gathering for friends and family.

Backyard

With privacy a priority with this home, it’s important to note there are no shared walls, no above or below neighbors and no common lobbies as seen in traditional apartment style buildings.

Spiral Staircase and Elevator

In addition to this spiral staircase, the home also features different amenities, like an in-house elevator that was, according to the listing, “only the 10th residential elevator to be installed in New York City.”