Ashley Everett, Beyoncé’s former dance captain and most familiar face you will ever meet at her shows, finally addressed her non-appearance in the Cowboy Carter Tour while still making her return in one of the year’s biggest shows: the Christmas Day Beyoncé Bowl Halftime Show.
In a recent interview conducted by host Aubree Danielle, Everett described the way in which Beyoncé’s people contacted her personally in order to return for the one-time NFL halftime show. “So they hit me up and they were like, um the team. Like she’s doing a Christmas performance and she wants her girl there! She just said that she wants Ashley,” Everett explained. “And I was like oh it’s so sweet thanks guys you know? Obviously it’s not that I don’t work with her and will never work with her again. I’m just not touring or doing long-term things that take me away from what I’ve built for myself. So for this short one-off gig, I was totally down. Let’s do it.”
Her statements confirm clearly that while she is no longer living the tour life, the connection Everett has with Beyoncé is real.
A Homecoming Christmas: Beyoncé Bowl
The Dec. 25th Halftime Show, soon enough lovingly nicknamed the “Beyoncé Bowl” by all, was more than a concert at an arena. It was a Christmas homecoming for Everett. “I couldn’t have imagined a better way to close out this year! Spending Christmas with my second family, @beyonce, felt just like home,” she later posted on Instagram. Everett has been a steady presence in Beyoncé’s life for nearly twenty years, from Single Ladies to Super Bowls, and that she is here tonight at this holiday concert is a full-circle celebration.
Sharing the Stage with Blue Ivy
The most emotional part of the evening was seeing Everett stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Beyonce’s 13-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. It was a very intimate moment for Everett, who had seen Blue develop from her first days onward through her current ascending stage presence.
“Performing my third halftime show with Beyoncé, this time alongside Blue, was such a full-circle moment,” she shared. “I was there when she was first introduced to the world, and now, to witness her shine on this stage? Proud aunty moment activated!”
Noir Nation, Offset is opening up about his past, admitting to mistakes made from poor decisions — leaving fans speculating that he’s referring to his estranged marriage with Cardi B!
In a recent Apple Music interview with Ebro Darden Offset got real in saying, “I f*cked up.”
He added, “I gotta acknowledge that and then get back on the journey.” Although Offset didn’t specify which situation he was reflecting on, fans believe he was acknowledging that his decisions directly impacted his marriage.
Owning His Actions 🛑
Offset continued to unpack his past behavior, explaining that he initially tried to act “tough” and indifferent.
“I’ve accepted the actions I’ve done to cause certain situations to happen — I had to. But at first I didn’t. I was trying to act tough and like I didn’t give a f*ck at first,” he said. His honesty highlighted a personal journey of growth, admitting that the way he handled things before was wrong.
Although Offset didn’t specify which situation he was reflecting on, fans believe he was acknowledging that his decisions directly impacted his marriage.
Looking Ahead With Clarity ✨
Despite the missteps, Offset emphasized he’s now focused on self-reflection and moving forward. “I realized I was wrong and had to get out of the way. I’m happy with everything and I want the best,” he shared. Fans are now watching closely, wondering what this revelation could mean for his public image, his career, and any potential reconciliation discussions with Cardi B.
Noir Nation, whether it’s music, love, or life lessons, Offset is proving that even the biggest stars face moments of accountability — and sometimes admitting you messed up is the first step toward growth.
At the center of Spike Lee’s newest film “Highest 2 Lowest” is a friendship between two Black men that crosses multiple dividing lines.
Denzel Washington (“David King”) is a rich music label CEO whose working-class, Muslim, formerly incarcerated chauffeur, Jeffrey Wright (“Paul Christopher”), is more than an employee. Both men are fathers to sons who are best friends that end up at the center of a life-or-death ransom plot.
While the film is a reinterpretation of the 1963 film “High and Low” by Akira Kurosawa, the modern-day version, set in New York City, positions it to reveal class tensions at the heart of debates across America, both within and outside of the Black community.
Can wealthy Black people truly understand the plight of Black Americans who aren’t in the 1 percent? Are they willing to sacrifice for the benefit of the community, or do they succeed and close the door behind them?
Do elite Black spaces gatekeep to keep Black people deemed “unworthy” from access, resources, and community?
The online discourse has reached such a fever pitch that even conversations around Martha’s Vineyard have sent users into a frenzy, with extreme comments on both ends of the spectrum about who can, shouldn’t, and doesn’t want to visit.
In an interview with TheGrio, “Highest 2 Lowest” co-star Jeffrey Wright says not only are these class conversations not new, they are also reflections of the nation’s larger struggles to figure out how Americans relate to one another.
“That is a larger conversation that’s certainly true within the Black community, but it’s a larger one that we’re having in our country right now. It’s one that we’ve been having for a while about income disparity, about these class issues that are conflated with cultural issues,” Wright tells TheGrio.
Wright says that Akira Kurosawa’s first version of “Highest 2 Lowest” sets the stage to talk about class.
“What I thought was wonderful about Kurosawa’s film, was that there was a portrait of a certain type of class dynamic that was specific to Japanese culture in the 60s. That very kind of caste based, very kind of submissive deferential relationship my character is based on, has with the executive character in that film. We tried to translate that in a way that was authentic to contemporary New York in this setting. And I was really very pleased that we were able to find this kind of nuanced relationship that was justified, again, by the relationship that they had growing up,” Wright explains.
For those of us who’ve had a family member or friend who “made it” or have “made it” ourselves, we may recognize both the bond and the distance that may emerge between two people in different class positions when circumstances get tricky.
“Highest 2 Lowest” viewers will see it play out in everything from interactions with police to the choices available to each man when he’s in a bind.
“It seemed to me authentic, that this was a relationship that was real, that was one that we could touch, that existed out in the city somewhere,” Wright tells TheGrio, regarding his and Denzel’s characters. “So, the questions about conversations [re: class in the Black community], I’m not sure, but what I know is that the way in which we try to work is to do things that do feel legitimate. And I think we were able to create that with these two men.”
But it’s not just the class differences between Washington and Wright’s characters that play out on screen, which are worth unpacking.
It’s Denzel Washington’s character’s struggles as a rich Black business owner who still must walk a tightrope and navigate financial limitations in the face of staggering corporate interests.
A 2021 report found that Black households head only 5.3% of the households in the top 5% income group in the U.S. Even as Black wealth has increased, so has the racial wealth gap.
Meaning that even those who have “made it” still find themselves up against a different set of odds in America. It can make their moral choices that much more important.
“All money ain’t good money, you know; what level are you willing to sink? You know, for profit, for…for influence. For power,” Washington told TheGrio.
Yet for all the divides, ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ positions the audience to ask how far we would go for people who are different than us — who we may not necessarily find ourselves in the same spaces with, but who we may still share a common interest with.
Denzel Washington and Jeffrey Wright will certainly leave moviegoers debating their choices all the way home. Perhaps it can open up space for more nuanced and balanced debates around how, in real life, we can overcome perceived divides to come out on top — higher than lower — at the end of the day.
Natasha S. Alford (Photo by Beowulf Sheehan)
Natasha S. Alford is the Senior Vice President of TheGrio. A recognized journalist, filmmaker, and TV analyst, Alford is also the author of the award-winning book, “American Negra.” (HarperCollins, 2024) Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @natashasalford.
The Streamer Games were supposed to be a spectacle of laughs, stunts, and viral moments. But no one expected the chaos that erupted when streamer Cinna planted not one, not two, but three kisses on fellow creator QTCinderella, all in front of her boyfriend, Ludwig Ahgren.
The Setup: A Bet, A Snake, and a Hundred Dollars
The drama kicked off with Cinna boldly asking, “Can I redeem my kiss right now?” before leaning in and locking lips with QT as Ludwig looked on in disbelief. The exchange quickly spiraled into a spectacle:
Ludwig: “Nice. Wait, is that real?”
Cinna: “Thank you. Lud, you owe me a hundred bucks!”
Ludwig: “What?!”
Cinna: “Lud, you owe me a hundred bucks.”
Ludwig: “Did you just kiss her? Go after it. Did you just kiss Cinna?”
Cinna: “Do we do it again? What do you mean what’s fucking wrong though?”
Ludwig: “It was part of the trade. I make out with a snake? This is pathetic.”
Cinna: “What?! I got three free ones! Yay!”
Apparently, this bizarre kissing-for-cash stunt was tied to a “trade” involving Emiru and Ludwig making out with a snake, yes, a literal snake, while Cinna claimed her “reward” was a kiss from QT.
The Kiss Heard Around Twitch
As clips of the moment spread online, social media had a lot to say. Some viewers thought the display was playful streamer antics, but many saw it as a humiliating moment for Ludwig and a boundary-crossing stunt that didn’t sit right.
One viewer wrote, “idc how pretty or popular they are this shit is deadass dirty as fuck.” Another added, “See now if he plays his cards right, he might can make some type of agreement… type shit.”
Others were far harsher: “This is blatant cheating and he needs to break up with her.” Another jab compared Cinna to SSSniperWolf, calling her, “a weirdo… might just be SSSniperWolf 2.0.”
Some fans even mocked Ludwig for not reacting with enough force, with one comment reading, “Idk who this is but he not perfecting his craft. Lock in next game. You left too much on the field.”
There are more than a handful of Washington’s films that have solidified his place in the cultural canon, but didn’t get the Oscar recognition it deserved. Let’s take a look!
Noir Nation; Sean Kingston’s has officially learned his fate—-receiving a three and a half years sentencing in federal prison for a massive $1 million fraud scheme!
The Luxury Hustle 🚨
According to prosecutors, Sean alongside his mother, Janice Turner, spent nearly a year pulling off high-end scams—using his celebrity name to finesse sellers into handing over luxury goods.
From bulletproof Escalade, pricey jewelry, a luxury bed worth $86K, a 19-foot LED screen. Prosecutors state the duo would negotiate hefty deals with sellers with promises to pay thousands of dollars but would instead issue fake invoices.
By the time businesses realized the transactions were one sided deals, Sean and Janice were long gone with no further form of contact.
Janice who was handed a five year prison sentence has been identified as the brains behind the operation as lawyers argue she was responsible for creating fake paid invoices.
The Raid & The Sentence ⚖️
Authorities began to crack down In May 2024 when a SWAT team raided Sean’s rented mansion located in South Florida. A few days later, he was also arrested mid-performance at a California Army base.
Prior to his sentencing, Sean apologized and admitted his wrongdoings, however the judge wasn’t buying it.
“I apologize, I apologize, I’ve learned from my actions,” Kingston said. “All I’m asking for is to accept my apology to the court.”
The singer was immediately taken into custody and sentenced to 42 months behind bars plus three years supervised release,” reports NBC 4 News.
The Bigger Picture 💔
Prosecutors called Sean thief and a conman.
“He’s a 35-year-old man and led a celebrity lifestyle…And can no longer afford that today,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton said. “He is a thief through and through.”
His defense team claimed he was simply a star who never learned how to manage money after fame hit him as a teenager.
“No one showed him how to invest his money,” Zeljka Bozanic said. “Money went in and money went out on superficial things.”
“Sean, still to this day, does not know how much money is in his bank account, and does like to buy nice stuff, and thinks ‘people will pay that, it will come out of my account,’ and it never did, some of them did not get paid, and some of them are still owed, while most of them were paid,”
From “Beautiful Girls” To Federal Bars 😳
Regardless, the music has stopped—at least for now.
From hit records to handcuffs, Kingston’s story proves that living a lie always comes with a price.
Ever wondered what it would be like to have Barack and Michelle Obama on speed dial for dating advice? Just ask Tracee Ellis Ross.
During a recent appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Tracee Ellis Ross revealed she reaches out to the former president and first lady for dating advice and shard about a time Barack may have “failed” in that department. While chatting with “Jimmy Kimmel” guest host Nicole Byer, the 52-year-old actress said the letdown came after a breakup.
“Well, I broke up with someone, and I remember running into the former president. And he was like, ‘I could have told you that,’” the “Solo Traveling” star recalled. “And I was like, ‘Well, you failed as a friend. Like, it was your job to say that before.’”
Despite the misstep, the “Black-ish” alum said she does call the Obamas “about dating advice.” However, despite appearing on Michelle’s podcast “IMO” and discussing her dating life, she’s yet to have the former first lady attempt to set her up.
“And I like to get set up. I have posed the question to many a friend,” she continued. “I’ve never asked Michelle to set me up, which I think perhaps is dumb, and I need to get on that.”
While interested in the idea proposed by Bryer of enlisting Michelle to play matchmaker, Ross wondered if she might have “missed” her chance. Although based on a recent terrible date she endured, she may want to reconsider.
“I’m not going to tell the whole story, but in a nutshell, [we] sat down, the drinks came, and he took out his phone, put it and leaned it on the glass and watched a basketball game,” she recalled of the bad date.
Ross said she tried to handle the snub in stride and attempted to connect with him over his apparent interest in the game.
“I leaned back and took a deep breath. And I was like, ‘All right. Okay. I’m going to participate and lean in.’ So I was like, ‘So who’s playing?’ And he put his hand up. As in like, ‘Don’t let me miss anything.’”
From there, Ross said she texted her friends about what was happening before she decided, after one drink, “I need to leave.”
“My favorite is that he’s continued texting,” she teased.
Ross, whose brand-new travel show “Solo Traveling” was just renewed for a second season, was there to promote the series, which features her taking glamorous, luxurious vacations by herself.
“It’s called solo travel because anyone can solo travel, even if you’re in a marriage,” she explained. “Solo travel is an experience in and of itself.”
Noir Nation, it’s official—two of the funniest ladies to ever scream on screen are making their return!
Marlon Wayans took to Instagram this week with a little confirmation for fans that Regina Hall and Anna Faris will reunite as Brenda and Cindy in the long-awaited Scary Movie 6.
Throughout the years—Fans have been begging for this reunion, and now the iconic duo is set to revive the franchise’s hilarious chaos.
The Wayans Brothers Return To The Driver’s Seat 🎥
This revival isn’t just about casting—it’s about bringing the Scary Movie series back to its roots.
Marlon, Shawn, and Keenen Ivory Wayans who originally developed the franchise back in 2000 and again in 2001—-are back in action, reports Deadline.
Together they will co-write and produce alongside longtime collaborator Rick Alvarez. Director Michael Tiddes will helm the project, but make no mistake: the Wayans flavor that made the first two films cult classics is officially back on the menu.
A 2026 Release Date Already Locked In 📅
Filming is set to begin in October 2025, with the film scheduled to hit theaters on June 12, 2026. This time, the parody lens is expected to shift from the early 2000s Horror films to modern spooky flicks like.
Why This Matters 👏🏾
Both Regina and Anna had previously hinted that they’d only return if the other did—and now, they’re back together, exactly how fans wanted it..
So grab your popcorn, Noir Nation—the queens of parody are back, and Scary Movie 6 is about to be a cultural reset.
