After the U.S. Senate passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” President Donald Trump‘s sweeping legislative agenda that includes $3.8 trillion in tax cuts and border security funding, Democrats and advocates are continuing to sound the alarm about what they warn will result in devastating consequences for millions of Americans—particularly Black Americans—and their health care and other critical services.

The Senate’s version of the bill, if passed by the House of Representatives, would cut $930 billion in Medicaid and hundreds of billions more in food assistance, or SNAP, among other cuts, that critics say will have long-lasting and even deadly outcomes for Black and other vulnerable communities.

“With the passing of this destructive and rotten bill, Trump and GOP lawmakers have launched a direct attack on Black communities and the basic rights we fight for every day,” said Kristin Powell, executive director of Black to the Future Action Fund. “This is not just evil and corrupt policy – it’s a deliberate dismantling of progress. But we have a choice: we can grieve, or we can fight back.”

While some provisions within the “Big Beautiful Bill” may appeal to Americans, like no tax on tips and overtime pay, experts say the benefits of such tax savings won’t outweigh the economic pain and health risks of expected rising health care costs and closed hospitals as a result of the legislation—and the millions who will go uninsured as a result.

“Thanks to Senate Republicans, 17 million people will lose their health insurance,” said former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost the 2024 presidential election to Trump last November. Harris, who also noted that energy bills will skyrocket by $400 a year as a result of climate spending cuts, said the Republican bill will hurt “working people across our nation,” all in an effort to “pay for $1 trillion in tax cuts for billionaires.”

“If you would have told me that the Senate was going to work on a bill to be worse than what the House did, I would have told you you were a liar. I can’t really say what the worst parts of it are,” said U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas.

The congresswoman warned, “People will go without health care, which means that people will die. People will go without food.”

Crockett told theGrio, “You’ve got states whose budgets are going to be rocked. I mean, the ripple effects are going to be disastrous. It’s going to be felt far and wide.”

Critics are most concerned about the impact of the bill’s nearly $1 trillion cut in Medicaid. Though the Trump White House and Republicans claim the cuts will exclusively focus on “waste, fraud, and abuse,” those opposing the bill argue that to meet the level of cuts outlined in the bill, millions of eligible Americans who need it will ultimately lose their coverage.

“There are a lot of racial disparities in our health care outcomes that are beyond whether or not people have insurance, but it is a fundamental part of being able to have better health outcomes,” explained Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, who served as President Joe Biden’s administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services—and the first African-American nominated to the position.

After the bill’s passage in the Senate on Tuesday, President Trump said it would “strengthen” Medicaid; however, Brooks-LaSure told theGrio that the additional work requirements for Medicaid in an effort to rid out fraud and waste are ultimately “creating a series of barriers for everybody to take care of a small number of people who are not behaving the way they should.”

Cuts to Medicaid are expected to also balloon health care premiums for those insured under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, by as much as $900 on average per person. For those privately insured by their employer, premiums would increase by an estimated $300, depending on their income level.

In fact, the former Biden official said her administration noticed the “vast majority” of fraud and abuse is in providers’ “billing programs improperly”—not Medicaid recipients.

The Biden administration tightened rules for agents and brokers to address the issue; however, Brooks-LaSure noted the Trump administration “rolled back some of the staff and the efforts that we took to ensure more accountability.”

In an effort to make a moral appeal against the budget and tax bill, U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., said during a Monday floor speech, “A budget is not just a fiscal document, a budget is a moral document. Show me your budget and I’ll show you who you think matters and who doesn’t.”

Warncok continued, “If this awful budget were an EKG, it would suggest that our nation has a heart problem and is in need of moral surgery.”

The pastor and senator said the tax cuts in the “Big Beautiful Bill” are like Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which experts concluded primarily benefited the wealthiest Americans and corporations compared to the middle and working class. He added, “Like most horror movies, the sequel tends to be worse.”

As the “One Big Beautiful Bill” makes its way through the House, advocates are urging the public to continue voicing their opposition.

“This is not the end. We’ve been here before, and just like our ancestors, we will keep rising – stronger, louder, and more united than ever,” said Powell of Black to the Future Fund.

“We must continue to come together in our communities to build Black political power and develop bold, long-term strategies to win,” she added.

As the bill makes its way back to the House, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “the one big ugly bill” is a “disgusting piece of legislation.” The congressman vowed that Democrats would “do everything we can to stop it.”

While it’s been nearly 15 years since Tina and Mathew Knowles ended their marriage, we now have a good clue as to what exactly caused its dissolution. And it’s all thanks to tea present in Tina’s new memoir, “Matriarch.”

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Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

As we previously told you, the book–released back in April–detailed the innermost thoughts and incidents in the former couple’s 31 years of marriage. But there were details that the public had never heard of before, like the fact that a near drowning incident led her to eventually meeting Mathew thanks to a mutual friend. But the book also detailed how even when the two first wed, there was already infidelity in the picture within the first year.

“The suspicions I had would get washed away by the fact that our love was stronger than a misstep…It was us against the world, taking on what life brought us,” Tina wrote. Later adding that the birth of their second child Solange still wasn’t enough to justify some of the maltreatment and cheating she was enduring–though she desperately wanted it to be.

“I had gotten used to these extremes incredibly joyous half the time as we shared life’s adventure, then being disgusted and heartsick over how brazen his cheating could get,” she said.

She went on to further add that things came to an end when he fathered another child outside of their marriage back in 2009.

“I screamed, ‘Get out! Get out!’ like he was some demon. ‘I hate you!’ … my world had exploded,” she said. “I was deeply sad, not about him but about the marriage,” she wrote. “I felt like I failed. I failed us, my kids — ­myself.”

Additionally, in a previous interview with Gayle King, Tina reflected on why she was able to stay in that relationship so long, explaining that not all of their time together was bad.

“Maybe 15 of them were bad, but we would have these long stretches where we would do really great,” she said on CBS Mornings at the time.

Later on in the book, Tina expressed that the two tried to reconcile back in 2010 after Mathew said he’d gotten help in therapy for his cheating. But after some time, she realized she needed to let him go as their bond was strong, but ultimately not good for her.

 “I clearly knew my relationship with Mathew was unhealthy, and it was the fear of going it alone that kept me stuck,” she said. They would soon sever marital ties completely and go on to new relationships.

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In true Kardashian form, Khloé is once again redefining what “real talk” is by laying out each step of her cosmetic routine, a move that’s refreshing but rather iconic. Khloé Kardashian responded to an Instagram Reel posted by cosmetic surgeon Dr. Jonny Betteridge, now notorious for dissecting celebrity cosmetic surgeries. The Instagram post had a side-by-side comparison of Khloé in 2009 and 2024, with Betteridge hypothesizing what changes she could have made over this period. With the majority of celebrities dismissing this post, Khloé chose to give us a step-by-step account of what procedures she went through.

What Cosmetic Procedures Did Khloé Do?

“I take this as a great compliment,” Kardashian wrote with her signature confidence and humor. “First off, I think these photos are about 15 years apart, but here’s a list of things that I have done.”

And boom, she delivered.

Khloé revealed that she had a nose job by none other than Dr. Raj Kanodia, the Beverly Hills rhinoplasty king who also famously worked on you know who (a particular pop star or two). That nose? Sculpted, refined, but never overdone.

Next up? Laser hair removal on her hairline. This move alone sent beauty TikTok spiraling because, yes, high hairlines are out and clean baby hairs are in. But she didn’t stop there.

Khloé also spilled about getting soft wave laser treatments for skin tightening. Think: firm, lifted, but still soft girl era. She’s also had collagen “baby threads” inserted under her chin and neck, which are micro-suspension threads that stimulate collagen over time. In other words, a mini lift without the knives.

Botox, Sculptra & a Very Public Battle with Skin Cancer

Khloé admitted to having Botox (duh, who hasn’t?) and has tried Sculptra in the cheek from which her facial tumor was removed. In 2023, she publicly discussed her battle with melanoma, which also left her with a surgery that left a dent in her cheek. Rather than cover it up, she’s used filler to add volume back, showing cosmetic procedures can be aesthetic and restorative.

And then there was the actual spill: “I hear [filler] never goes away, so I’m sure it’s still there but dormant.” Transparent and self-aware? Intravenously, please.

Oh, and Salmon Sperm Facials Are Still a Thing Thanks to Kim and Khloé

Khloé also promised that she’s a fan of salmon sperm facials, the same one her sister Kim Kardashian did her part to popularize. Made from the DNA of salmon (no, seriously), the treatment is all about moisture and elasticity. It’s strange and out of left field, but I suppose it does the job.

She also follows a vitamin regimen and uses a rigorous skin-care regimen, which she says keeps her skin healthy amid the chaos of the lasers, lights, and glam squad excess.

Body by Khloé: “Slow and Steady” Weight Loss and an Open Mind About the Future

Khloé also credits her dramatic transformation to an 80-pound weight loss over the years, stressing a “slow and steady” approach. This part is essential. So often in celebrity culture, we’re fed fairytales of bouncing back overnight or hiding behind Ozempic rumors. Khloé is saying: This took time, effort, and a lot of dedication.

And when it comes to the future? Don’t expect her to stop experimenting anytime soon.

“In 2025, there are many other things we can do before surgery,” she wrote. “But when it’s time, and if I choose to, I know some great doctors.” Cue the wink and heart emoji.

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Maryland Governor Wes Moore sounded off after the U.S. Senate voted to pass President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which Democrats and civil rights advocates say is far from beautiful.

“I cannot explain enough how completely heartless this bill is and how deeply devastating it will be to the people of the state of Maryland,” said America’s only Black governor in a video message after being briefed on the tax and budget legislation that now goes back to the U.S. House of Representatives for a final vote before Trump’s siganture.

Moore, who has made closing the racial wealth gap in his state a major priority, explained, “If you are a multi-millionaire, congratulations, because this bill is for you.”

The bill permanently extends Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to the tune of $3.8 trillion in federal tax cuts, which experts say will overwhelmingly benefit the nation’s wealthy and corporations and drive up the nation’s debt.

He lamented, “But if you are everyone else, if you’re all of our working families, one of our seniors, our public servants, you are getting hosed!”

If passed in its current form, the so-called Big Beautiful Bill will cut $930 billion in Medicaid–the largest cut to the social safety net program since its creation in 1965. Gov. Moore said as a result, “Close to 200,000 Marylanders could lose their health coverage overnight.”

He continued, “And rural hospitals in the state of Maryland, rural hospitals could lose a quarter of a billion dollars in funding in the stroke of a pen; to our working families who are just trying to take care of each other, to our seniors who deserve to age in dignity, to people with disabilities.”

The BBB also makes historic cuts to food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, totaling $230 billion.

“They are trying to take your food assistance away that helps you to pay for your groceries and helps you to provide for your families,” Moore told his constituents.

Referencing Trump’s controversial decision to send the National Guard and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles to respond to mass protests of his immigration policies, Moore described a stark reality if the president’s agenda is passed into law.

“The Trump administration has already tried to sever the relationship between the federal government and our states, but this bill, it severs the relationship between the federal government and its people. You,” said Moore.

The governor added, “Here’s one thing that I know about this state, though, we are tough, we are resilient we stay together. And Marylanders. We leave no one behind.”

In Tupac Shakur’s final moments, Suge Knight claims his mother made controversial choices as time slipped away.

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Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

In an interview with People, the former Death Row Records CEO discussed the 1996 murder of Shakur. Knight was driving the car with the legendary rapper in the passenger seat when they were shot at 13 times while stopped at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip.

Shakur was hit four times in the chest, arm, and thigh. Once he arrived at the hospital, doctors determined he would need two emergency surgeries to survive, including the removal of his right lung to stop internal bleeding.

Knight claimed as Shakur faded in and out of consciousness, he urged to be killed, fearing he would be sent back to prison if he survived. The rapper believed the infamous casino altercation, caught on camera just hours before the shooting would be used as justification to revoke his freedom.

“I’ll die before I go back,” he allegedly told those around him. “Kill me. Shoot me,” he pleaded. Knight says he refused. “No, Pac. We can’t do it.”

Shakur then made the same request to his mother, and according to Knight, Afeni didn’t refuse her son’s wishes like the rest of them had. Knight claims she allegedly gave Shakur pills in an attempt to honor his final request.

“The doctors came in and brought him back,” Knight recalls. “And his mom [allegedly] said, ‘Don’t ever do that again. If he’s having complications, don’t touch him. Don’t bring him back. Let him go.”

After doctors placed Shakur in a medically induced coma and connected him to a respirator, Knight claimed the damage was already beyond repair. On Sep. 13 at 4:03 p.m., Shakur was pronounced dead.

Following Shakur’s death, his mother Afeni insisted that her son be cremated promptly. “She came up to me and said, ‘Get it done. Now,’” Knight alleged.

Knight claimed he hesitated because of a conversation with Tupac just weeks earlier, in which the rapper described his own funeral.

“He told me, ‘When I go, I want every rapper at my funeral to grab the mic. I want them to kiss me head to toe. Just like in ‘Life Goes On.’” Knight paused. “He didn’t want to be cremated.”

However, his mother refused to take no for an answer. Knight alleges he ultimately “paid someone a million dollars cash to take care of it.”

Later that night, Knight alleges Tupac’s closest friends passed around a bag containing his cremated ashes. He said some of the ashes were even rolled up into a blunt and smoked.

“I was so happy to say I was on probation — I couldn’t smoke,” Knight stated. “I told his mother, ‘Moms, I’d love to, but if I hit that, I’ll get in trouble.’” He laughed. “I was probably the only one who didn’t hit him.”

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Jay-Z might have once bragged about having “99 Problems,” but Houston powerhouse attorney Tony Buzbee just proved he’s the “one” problem that even hip-hop’s most powerful mogul can’t outrun, at least not for now. In a dramatic legal twist, a California judge has officially dismissed the extortion and defamation lawsuit that Shawn Carter (Jay-Z’s government name) filed against Buzbee. But don’t let the gavel fool you. This legal slugfest is far from over.

The Origins: Jay-Z Dragged Into Sex Abuse Case, Then Fights Back

The saga began with a lawsuit filed by an anonymous Alabama woman known as Jane Doe, who alleged she was sexually assaulted at age 13. Buzbee, representing the woman alongside co-counsel David Fortney, named Jay-Z in the high-profile complaint, placing the billionaire rapper next to other accused industry titans, including Sean “Diddy” Combs.

But Jay-Z’s legal team wasted no time dismantling the claim. Within weeks, receipts were brought to court that cleared Hov entirely. Jane Doe quickly dropped all accusations against Jay-Z, though her claims against Diddy remained intact.

Still, Jay-Z wasn’t about to let his name be smeared without a counterstrike. He filed a separate lawsuit against Buzbee and Fortney, slamming the attorneys as “soullessly motivated by greed” and accusing them of “abject disregard of the truth and the most fundamental precepts of human decency.”

That case landed on the desk of Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark Epstein. And after reviewing the matter at length, Epstein dismissed the lawsuit entirely.

The Judge’s Ruling: “Shady” Isn’t Always Illegal

Judge Epstein didn’t make his decision lightly. In a 65-page ruling, he acknowledged the moral murkiness at play but argued that legally, Buzbee’s conduct didn’t meet the threshold of criminal extortion.

“While it is true that the alleged conduct here constitutes criminal activity, defendants fall well short of threatening to go to the police unless Carter pays up,” Epstein wrote, as quoted by Rolling Stone. He added that the accusations against Buzbee appeared more like aggressive civil negotiations than a calculated shakedown.

In short, Epstein ruled that while things may have looked slimy, they didn’t break the law. And with that, Jay-Z’s case was shut down, at least temporarily.

Jay-Z’s Legal Team Responds: “We Are Surprised And Disappointed”

If Judge Epstein thought the matter would end with his ruling, Jay-Z’s lead attorney, Alex Spiro, quickly proved otherwise. The celebrity litigator issued a fiery statement condemning the decision as a miscarriage of justice rooted in a technical error.

“We are surprised and disappointed by this ruling which turns on the misapplication of California law on the admissibility of the investigators’ statements,” Spiro told Rolling Stone.

He also pointed to the judge’s own admission that excluding certain evidence likely changed the outcome of the case. Specifically, Judge Epstein had noted that if key statements from Jay-Z’s investigators had been allowed, the evidence would have demonstrated “not only that Carter had nothing to do with any sexual assault on Doe, but that Buzbee knew it,” potentially flipping the verdict.

Spiro’s final word? “We plan to appeal this case immediately.”

Tony Buzbee Declares Victory And Wants Jay-Z To Pay Up

Meanwhile, Buzbee wasted no time declaring the ruling a win for his team. The often-controversial attorney took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to broadcast his victory and tease his next move.

“Yet another huge win!!” Buzbee posted. “John Doe’s case against me and The Buzbee Law Firm alleging extortion and defamation was thrown out by the court. As I said when it was filed, the case was completely meritless.”

He added, with a note of vengeance, “We will now seek attorneys’ fees against John Doe for bringing the legally flawed case.”

It’s worth noting: “John Doe” was the pseudonym Jay-Z used in the civil filing to protect his privacy amid the high-profile sexual misconduct claims.

The Legal War Is Just Beginning

This isn’t just a celebrity lawsuit. It’s a broader commentary on how fame, legal power, and reputational damage intersect in America’s justice system. Jay-Z’s team argues that false accusations can destroy a career in seconds and that those who knowingly push bogus claims should face real consequences.

Buzbee, on the other hand, has framed the entire lawsuit as a bullying tactic from a powerful billionaire trying to intimidate attorneys and silence accusers through public spectacle and litigation.

With an appeal imminent and both camps publicly escalating their rhetoric, the courtroom drama is far from over. Jay-Z may have lost this battle, but the war for his name and his legacy is still raging.

Stay tuned.

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Nelly doesn’t do dirty diapers. 

During a recent episode of their new reality TV show “Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together,” the 50-year-old rapper revealed just how much and when he intends to pitch in when it comes to the couple’s 11-month-old son, Baby KK. 

As the pair was dining out at a restaurant, Ashanti expressed her concerns about Nelly’s upcoming tour, noting that it would be “hard” for her as a new mom with her partner gone. 

“Well, listen, it’s all you. I ain’t going to even lie,” Nelly explained regarding their baby’s care. “You know, I ain’t got nothing for him.” 

“Absolutely not, I know,” the 44-year-old R&B singer replied. 

In another scene, flashing back to a conversation Nelly is having with his boys, he elaborates on his parenting style and how he and Ashanti have an arrangement. 

“Until he can say, ‘I’m hungry,’ until he can say, ‘I need to use the bathroom,’ it’s gonna be a lot in your lap,” Nelly said. “But as soon as he start walking, I told her I said, ‘Enjoy.’ Cause as soon as he get to walking and talking, he with the crew.” 

Nelly and Ashanti, who tied the knot after rekindling their romance sometime in December 2023, welcomed their first child together, KK, on July 18, 2024. Their show takes viewers along for the ride as they balance their new marriage with parenthood and demanding high-profile careers.   

When the scene returns to Nelly and Ashanti in the restaurant, his depth, or lack thereof, in the field of newborns is further revealed as he asks if it’s true that mothers have to get up in the middle of the night with their newborns. 

“Do y’all really be up at night? I heard about it,” Nelly asked.

“You know what? It’s absolutely ridiculous that you’ll still be dead sleep and he’ll be mad loud,” Ashanti declares. 

When Ashanti continues to protest her husband’s inability to hear their son’s cries in the middle of the night, he reminded her of their agreement.

“I’ma take you back to this conversation we had before you kicked me under the table,” Nelly said. “I said, ‘Baby, I’ll give you the world. I just ain’t changing no diaper.’ ” 

As more viewers continue to discover the series and learn more about the couple’s dynamic, particularly his thoughts on changing diapers, a discourse has sparked online. Many have had issues with his refusal to pitch in during the early stages of raising KK, as well as his touring and performing during Trump’s inauguration events against Ashanti’s wishes. 

“Ashanti better than me cause I would’ve put that baby right up to Nelly ear while he was sleeping,” a user commented on X. 

Someone else on the same platform added, “Nelly is not marriage material. He doesn’t operate & make decisions like he’s one half of a unit. Ashanti had to just “deal” with decisions he makes even if it impacts her business wise (performing for Trump’s inauguration).”

Over on Threads, a user wrote about several facets of the famous couple’s relationship: “I’m convinced that we like the idea of marriage/love and not the work and preparation that comes with it. I’ve watched a couple of episodes of Nelly & Ashanti’s show and really wish nothing but the best, but I’m genuinely concerned.”

While many have criticized Nelly for his stance and the position Ashanti has seemingly been put in, there are some more nuanced perspectives on the matter. 

“I’m probably the only one not outraged Nelly doesn’t change diapers or wake up with the baby,” a user wrote on Threads. “He’s 50 years old with grown kids. He said he’ll hire a nanny. Sometimes we gotta mind our tax bracket. What I will say is I’m not a fan of his personality, but again Ashanti likes it so whatever makes her happy.”

And there are the ones who have already declared they are muting the topic “Nelly & Ashanti” and fed up with the back and forth. 

“Ashanti and Nelly don’t even know what they just did to black twitter, there won’t be rest for WEEKS,” a user wrote on X. 

Though Tyler Perry’s latest film “Straw” has left the top 10 on Netflix, it’s still being talked about all over social media. Specifically, a very interesting theory about the major plot twist of the film is now being widely dissected and we’ve just got to discuss it. Warning, spoilers below!

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Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

If you don’t know, the film stars Taraji P. Henson as Janiyah, a single mother whose world unravels in chaos in one day as she struggles to care for her ill, eight-year-old daughter, Aria. From losing her apartment, getting fired from her job and struggling to cash her last paycheck for her daughter, Janiyah is pushed to the brink and forced to essentially “rob” the bank all in the name of her daughter’s wellbeing.

Well, despite the already high tensions, the film gets flipped on its head towards the end when it’s revealed that Janiyah’s young daughter has actually died from a seizure the night before. However, after watching the movie over again, many Black folks on TikTok now believe that Janiyah’s daughter may have been all along–meaning from birth–and that she never existed in the first place.

To prove that theory, in a now viral video, viewers are pointing to a scene where Janiyah is walking out of the hospital holding a blanket that’s wrapped around her child. Given the position she’s carrying it in, viewers surmised that it was Aria as a baby–not as an eight-year-old. They also point to the fact that the principal at Aria’s school was confused at seeing Janiyah “drop her off,” especially given the fact that the child is deceased.

In another video, it pointed to the scene where Janiyah asks her neighbor to turn down the music so her daughter could sleep, but the neighbor is cold and confused at the ask. Given all these scenes, many are starting to believe Aria was dead from the very beginning and that she was a figment of Janiyah’s imagination the entire time as a form of coping with the grief.

And while that theory seems plausible for some, for others–it still doesn’t add up.

“I hate when yall come up with yall own narratives after a movie or someone tells yall wtf is going on already! She DIDNT IMAGINE HER CHILDS ENTIRE LIFE. The child died the day before at the hospital at 8 years old as they stated DASSIT,” wrote one user in the comments on TikTok.

“THIS IS INCORRECT!!! The daughter was real and had seizures. The mother let her bathe alone, and she fell, had a seizure, and died. Her mom rushed her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, and she only left with the blanket,” one other user said. “But in her mind, she couldn’t accept that. So the next morning, she woke up and imagined everything — taking her to school, paying $40, going to work. The movie opens with a dream of her holding her child, but ends with the truth: the blanket was empty. That was the day her mind broke.”

Added another: “Nope…the child died the previous night…Even the bank manager said it that she’s seen her with her kid.”

8

Jennifer Aniston, yes, that Jennifer Aniston, has officially signed on to star in I’m Glad My Mom Died, a ten-episode dramedy that promises to tear your heart out, make you gasp, and then laugh inappropriately before sobbing again. Based on Jennette McCurdy’s searing 2022 memoir of the same name, this isn’t just another Apple TV+ prestige play. It’s a scorched earth reclamation of childhood, fame, and the twisted power dynamics behind the gloss of teen stardom.

And make no mistake: Aniston’s casting is bold, brilliant, and likely to be one of the most talked-about TV performances of the decade.

From Nickelodeon Trauma to Prestige TV

Jennette McCurdy, former Nickelodeon darling best known as Sam Puckett on iCarly and Sam & Cat, released I’m Glad My Mom Died in 2022. It wasn’t just a best seller; it was a cultural thunderclap. The book spent more than 80 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, selling out instantly across major retailers and prompting a larger reckoning about abuse and exploitation in the world of kids’ television. McCurdy’s raw, irreverent voice made her story both devastating and laugh-out-loud funny, an emotional cocktail that instantly screamed for screen adaptation, but only if done right.

Fast forward to today, and Apple TV+ has greenlit the limited series with McCurdy herself attached as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Let me say that louder: she’s running the show. And that’s exactly the power move this memoir deserves.

Joining her behind the scenes are Ari Katcher (Ramy, The Jerrod Carmichael Show), who will co-showrun, and a heavyweight list of executive producers including Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters), Jerrod Carmichael, and the one and only Jennifer Aniston.

Jennifer Aniston as Debra McCurdy: The Role of Her Career?

Aniston is set to play the most polarizing figure in the memoir, McCurdy’s narcissistic, domineering mother, Debra. If you read the book (and if you haven’t, what are you doing?), you know this is not your typical overbearing TV mom. Debra McCurdy was the kind of person who micromanaged her daughter’s calories, showered her well into adolescence, and pushed her relentlessly into the Hollywood machine for her own identity validation. It’s dark, it’s complicated, it’s real, and it’s Aniston’s first true villain.

For Aniston, this is only her second major TV role since Friends ended in 2004, the first being her powerhouse turn as Alex Levy in The Morning Show, which returns for Season 4 on September 17. That she’s choosing I’m Glad My Mom Died as her next move says everything. She’s not here to play it safe.

And frankly? This role could be Emmy bait. The kind that catapults her into a whole new echelon of dramatic credibility, think Jessica Lange in American Horror Story or Laura Linney in Ozark.

The Tone? Think “BoJack Horseman” Meets “The Act” Meets “Fleabag”

Apple TV+ is billing the show as both “heartbreaking and hilarious,” a tragicomic tightrope walk that mirrors McCurdy’s own voice. It’s not going to be trauma porn; it’s going to be deeply personal, darkly funny, and unflinchingly honest. And while we don’t yet know who’s playing McCurdy (the show’s lead is listed as 18 years old, notably older than McCurdy was when iCarly launched), the casting announcement will no doubt be the next big internet moment.

If Apple gets this right, they’re not just making a show; they’re making art. The kind that exposes the underbelly of fame and asks viewers to reckon with it while laughing through their discomfort.

Beyond the Book: What Will the Series Show?

McCurdy’s memoir famously includes references to a shadowy figure known only as “The Creator,” widely believed to be disgraced Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider. While the show isn’t confirmed to directly portray Schneider, the series arrives on the heels of the explosive docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which aired earlier this year on Max and Discovery+. That series exposed harrowing behind-the-scenes abuse at Nickelodeon and brought renewed attention to McCurdy’s story.

While the adaptation of I’m Glad My Mom Died will focus primarily on the toxic mother-daughter relationship, it’s hard to imagine the series ignoring the larger machinery that enabled such trauma. With McCurdy as showrunner, expect the tone to be both deeply personal and culturally confrontational, a survivor’s POV, not a network-sanctioned rebrand.

A Survivor-Turned-Storyteller, Finally Holding the Pen

Jennette McCurdy is not returning to acting. She has retired from on-camera roles and turned her trauma into something wildly more powerful, authorship with vengeance. This isn’t a comeback; it’s a reclamation. She’s the architect of her own story now, and she’s making sure the narrative isn’t softened, sanitized, or diluted for comfort.

As the entertainment industry reckons with its treatment of young stars and the mothers (and execs) who pushed them, I’m Glad My Mom Died stands poised to become the defining dramedy of this moment. Messy, emotional, funny, horrifying, and finally, in the right hands.

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As Black-owned financial institutions have begun to crop up around the country over the years, the Western United States has continued to be left bone dry—that is, until Redemption Bank launched.

With Bernice King, the youngest child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as the vice president of corporate strategy, and roughly $65 million in assets, Redemption Bank just became the first Black-led investment group-owned bank in the Western United States, AP News reported.  

Redemption Holdings Co. officially launched on June 10, following the successful acquisition of Utah-based Holladay Bank & Trust. While the bank has plans to service individuals throughout the country, it will remain based in Salt Lake City. King will also serve on the company’s advisory board.

“I know deeply what it means for a nation to respond in times of crisis and how communities come together to realize that what’s needed, sometimes, has never been done,” King said in a release, according to the Desert News. “Redemption will help deliver on my father’s dream of economic equality, and we are honored to be ushering in needed change at such a pivotal time.”

Led by former White House Policy Advisor and Small Business Administration Regional Administrator, Ashley Bell, Redemption Bank intends to focus mainly on commercial lending and establishing a dedicated small business loan team. Bell told the Associated Press that the company is gearing up to release a fully digital platform by the end of this summer to better service small businesses around the country.

The acquisition of Holladay Bank that made way for Redemption Bank was made possible through an array of early investors including Ally Financial Inc., Central Bancorporation, Rick Durham and Christena Huntsman Durham, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, the Robert H. & Katharine B. Garff Foundation, the Huntsman Family Foundation, Peter and Brynn Huntsman, the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, Patel Family Investments, the Sorenson Impact Foundation and the James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation.

Utah Jazz point guard Collin Sexton also joined as an investor, backed by TribeAngels and Coinlete

Redemption Bank, marking the 24th Black-owned financial institution in the country, has already achieved milestones in less than one month of formation. It is the first located in the Rockies and also the first to be located outside of an area of economic vulnerability, and the only one located in the area that stretches from Houston to Los Angeles, a “Black-banking desert.”

Even though Utah has a Black population of less than 3%, per the Desert News, Bell said he found the environment “exceptional.”

“We found an exceptional business environment in Utah, specifically in Holladay, along with a bank that has a clean balance sheet and a state with the highest average return on assets for banks in the country,” he said. “We are committed to competing in Utah to earn the business of customers from all backgrounds.”