BRADY, BLEU TO ANNOUNCE IMAGE AWARD NOMS December 23, 2008

 

Wayne Brady, Corbin Bleu, Audra McDonald and others will appear at a press conference next month to announce the nominees, honorees and other details for the 40th NAACP Image Awards.       

      Winners will be revealed on Feb. 12 during a live telecast on Fox, The ceremony coincides with the NAACP’s 100th anniversary.

 

       As reported earlier, Halle Berry and Tyler Perry will co-host the awards show.  Previously announced honorees include former Vice President Al Gore and Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai, who will be presented with the NAACP Chairman’s Award.

 

       Tickets for the show – ranging from $50 to $500 – will be available through Ticketmaster beginning in early January.

BERRY, PERRY TO HOST NAACP IMAGE AWARDS December 17, 2008

 

Oscar winner Halle Berry and actor-screenwriter Tyler Perry will host the 40th NAACP Image Awards, which will broadcast live from Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium, Thursday, Feb. 12 (8 p.m. to 10 p.m.) on FOX.

 

       Nominations for the annual awards show that recognizes the artistic achievements of people of color and honors projects and individuals that promote diversity in the arts will be announced Wednesday, Jan. 7 in Los Angeles. Performers and presenters will be announced shortly.      

       Previously announced honorees include former Vice President Al Gore and Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai, who will both receive the Chairman’s Award.      

       The event, which coincides with the NAACP’s 100th anniversary, is executive-produced by Vicangelo Bulluck and will kick off the organization’s year-long centennial celebration.

 

       “We are extremely honored to have former Image Awards winners Ms. Halle Berry and Mr. Tyler Perry host this historic event,” said Image Awards Chairperson Clayola Brown. “Halle and Tyler have broken many barriers in the entertainment industry. In this historic centennial year, their successes remind us of the immense progress that has been made in the last 100 years and gives us continued hope for the progress that our nation will achieve in the future.”

BEYONCE, BRODY DISCUSS ‘CADILLAC’ KISS December 4, 2008

 

Darnell Martin, the writer/director of “Cadillac Records,” admitted at Monday’s premiere that she took some “dramatic license” in creating a make-out scene between Etta James and the head of her label, Leonard Chess.      

       But, Adrien Brody, who plays Mr. Chess, said he had no problem with the historical inaccuracy of kissing James, who is played in the film by Beyonce Knowles.

 

       “Let’s just say it wasn’t a deal breaker,” the grinning actor told the New York Daily News. “When I met Etta [the real one], she told me, ‘Leonard and I did not do those things!’ So, yes, it was somewhat embellished. But what’s wonderful is the truth Beyonce brings to that moment. That justified it.”      

       Beyonce, who came to the premiere with husband Jay-Z, said she didn’t find the intimacy repellent.      

       “It wasn’t so bad,” she said. “I remember when he kissed Halle Berry. He’s not shy! Not at all.”      

       Meanwhile, Cedric the Entertainer, who plays bluesman Willie Dixon, said he was upset that “they wrote me out of a scene with Beyonce.”      

       Following the premiere, cast members Mos Def, Gabrielle Union and Emmanuelle Chriqui hit the after-party at Marquee with guests Leonardo DiCaprio, Diddy, Ne-Yo, John Legend, Kevin Connolly, Akon and Russell Simmons.

Watch the trailer for “Cadillac Records”:

BERRY AMONG HONOREES FOR ESSENCE LUNCHEON November 19, 2008

 

Halle Berry, Diahann Carroll, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Taraji P. Henson were announced as honorees for the second annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon, to be held Feb. 19 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

 

       The star-studded event commemorates the magazine’s annual Hollywood issue by saluting four of Hollywood’s finest who have helped to change and inspire positive images of black women in television and film–both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes.       

       Berry will receive the Power Award, Prince-Bythewood the Visionary Award, Carroll the Legend Award and Henson the Lexus Star to Watch Award.      

       “By presenting the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon, we continue our legacy of supporting and celebrating the accomplishments of actresses such as Halle, Diahann and Taraji and filmmakers such as Gina, who all embody excellence in Hollywood both in front of and behind the camera,” said Essence editor-in-chief Angela Burt-Murray.

 

       The 2008 inaugural event, which honored Jada Pinkett-Smith (Power Award), Ruby Dee (Legend Award), Suzanne de Passe (Visionary Award) and Jurnee Smollett (Lexus Star to Watch Award), hosted A-List stars including Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Kerry Washington, Star Jones and more.

HALLE BERRY BUYS HOME IN CANADA October 24, 2008

 

      The couple and their 7-month-old daughter, Nahla Ariela, will reportedly reside in the town of Saint-Hippolyte in the Laurentians region, 40 miles north of Montreal. The house sits on 62 acres of land and overlooks a private lake, the magazine reported.

 

 

       The area that surrounds the property has been described as one of the most beautiful in the Laurentians, with more than 62 lakes, as well as mountains and cross-country ski trails.       

       There’s also the added bonus of Aubry’s parents being nearby, as they still live in the Montreal suburb of Laval, where the 32-year-old model grew up.

Halle & Gabriel

HALLE BERRY FRAGRANCE IN THE WORKS October 15, 2008

Halle Berry will release her signature perfume via Coty this spring, called “Halle by Halle Berry,” following some 24 months of experimentation to develop the perfect scent.

 

      “We call ‘Halle’ my second baby because that’s really all I’ve been working on for the past two years,” the Oscar winner and mom of 7-month-old Nahla tells People.com. “I was mixing two fragrances, a fig and a mimosa, and putting them in a bottle and carrying them around. That was my flavor of the moment.”       

       Berry added that her boyfriend, model Gabriel Aubry, has given his stamp of approval to the winning concoction.

 

      “I want women to feel that their partners, that special person, thinks they smell beautiful, thinks that it’s simple enough that they can ingest it all day, every day,” she said. “That’s what Gabriel said. He said it smells like that – he better be right!”

 

       The market may be overflowing these days with celebrity scents, but Berry tells Access Hollywood that it doesn’t concern her in the least.      

       “In this industry, I have learned early on not to feel a sense of competition,” she said. “I run my race looking forward with blinders on. You can never compare yourself to somebody else. Somebody else’s success is theirs.”

Halle Berry Is The Sexiest Woman Alive October 7, 2008

Esquire magazine has named actress Halle Berry the sexiest woman alive in their November issue.

“I don’t know exactly what it means, but being 42 and having just had a baby, I think I’ll take it,” says Berry, who gave birth to her daughter, Nahla in March.

“Sexiness is a state of mind — a comfortable state of being,” she says. “It’s about loving yourself in your most unlovable moments.”

Looking at this photo, I don’t think Halle has many unlovable moments.

42 is the new 22, because she looks stunning at her age.

I don’t think you will find too many folks who disagree with Halle’s new title.

ERIC BENET SPEAKS OF ‘LOVE AND LIFE’ September 22, 2008

Singer/songwriter Eric Benet’s life has been filled with heartache and controversy for quite sometime.  From the unfortunate demise of the mother of his teenage daughter India, to the public spectacle that ensued with his marriage and divorce to actress Halle Berry.

      Recently EUR’s Lee Bailey had the chance to speak with Benet regarding his recent CD release “Love and Life.”  Benet says he’s pleased with the album and his current standing as well. 

      “I’m in a good place man, I’m in a good place,” said Benet. “The title is appropriate because I’m enjoying both of those things immensely right now.  It’s part maturity, part wisdom, part enjoying dancing and singing and loving the fruits of life.  That’s really where I’m at and it feels good.”

      Some believe that simply being a celebrity makes one’s existence charmed for the rest of his or her days, but Benet says he had to dig deep for this one. Of course the obvious question is whether or not Halle Berry provided any inspirational material for the release.

      “I think everything that happens in my life I drew from,” Benet continued.  “People like to always concentrate on what’s been made public. But my well of experiences is deep. I pull from everything that I write.  The whole Halle thing, that was a painful time and there were a lot of mistakes made on my part.   The good thing about making mistakes is, if you leave yourself open, you’re able to learn and grow from the process.   From that growth comes the wisdom that I was talking about before. My happy days are more frequent now and I’m able to maneuver through life better.  I’m happy because of my life lessons.” 

Eric & Halle

      Because of the artist’s prior marital situation, listeners may imagine the album’s lead single “You’re the Only One” is inspired by his world famous ex-wife, but Benet, again, stands vehemently against such an assumption.

      “Unfortunately people concentrate on what they know and unfortunately the representation that I have in the press is that experience,” Benet told our Lee Bailey of the lead single’s inspiration. 

      “Like I said before, my well of experiences is deep.  That song is not about Halle.  It started as a conversation between my partner Dimonte, my partner George Rass and myself. We were having a conversation about songs and about how, back in the day, songs were crafted with real arrangements and how the level of making music was on a whole nutha stratosphere compared to the way things are now.  Talking about groups like the O’Jays, The Stylistics, Blue Magic and that kind of stuff.  That conversation just turned into a good jam.”

      And that good jam and the album itself isn’t doing bad either.  It’s currently at number 11 on the Billboard 200 after being released on September 9.  But Benet isn’t limiting himself to CDs.  These days online video is all the rage.  Recently one surfaced in which he and his daughter India are performing a duet.  We asked the Warner Bros. Records artist how that came about.  

      “Well, that’s just a little snap shot of our life.  We’re always singing around the house.  We have an amazing relationship and an amazing bond between the two of us.  Just one day I was sitting at the computer and thought ‘How bout if I just make a little video clip of kinda the way we do.  And that’s it. She was doing her homework in the room and I kind of hollered, ‘Hey, lets do “You’re the only one!” We ran through it once and just hit it.”

Eric & daughter India

      For the commoner on the street, the term ’single parent’ will bring up visions of struggle, but Mr. Benet is no commoner.  However, he did say his success does create challenges that are unique to him and his beloved daughter.

      “The blessings and the rewards far outweigh the challenges. I’d say the biggest challenge is the time we spend apart from each other. ‘You’re The Only One’ has been number one for the past 2 weeks.  And when you have a hit like that that’s a lot of time spent away from home.”

      The next single that’s slated to be released is “The Hunger.” Benet says it’s inspired by a real life person. A person who he admittedly could not get enough of. 

      “The new single is ‘The Hunger’ is all about making the physical connection after you’ve been physically attracted to someone and how you get past all the fantasies and visions that you’ve had in your head that lead up to the physical encounter. When the actual experience surpasses the fantasies that’s what makes it so good.  It’s like a carnal, insatiable, physical desire.  Breakin’ furniture type of situation. I will never tell, but she does exist.”

      We wonder whether or not this person has won any Academy Awards? Perhaps we’ll never know. 

      After a little more than a week “Life and Love” is number 11 on the Billboard charts and is certain to keep climbing.  It’s the type of quality we’ve come to expect from Eric Benet. 

      For more information on the goings on of the soulful crooner, log on to www.ericbenet.net or hit him up on Myspace at www.myspace.com/ericbenet or www.myspace.com/ebenetloveandlife.

Obama Picky About His Celeb Supporters September 17, 2008

Barack Obama must love seeing his mug on T-shirts stretched across the chests of beauties like Halle Berry and Beyonce. But just because you’re a big-time celebrity doesn’t mean the presidential hopeful wants you stumping for him. Who did his camp tell thanks, but no thanks?

 

Bill Zwecker of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Obama turned down Lindsay Lohan, who I normally wouldn’t write about on this blog were it not for this news.

Apparently, LiLo was interested in becoming very involved in the Democratic ticket’s bid for the White House — even offering to host a series of events appealing to younger voters.

However, a top source in the Barack Obama team tells me the actress ”is not exactly the kind of high-profile star who would be a positive for us.”

Given Lohan’s past problems, plus ongoing brushes with controversy, I’ve learned the campaign quietly told the actress ”thanks, but no thanks,” but in far more diplomatic terms.

Lohan has been invited to attend several of the big Hollywood bashes this week — and also pay big bucks for the privilege of rubbing shoulders with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and other high-profile Hollywood boosters of the Obama campaign.

Hollywood turned out in droves and raised $9 million for the senator at two Beverly Hills fundraisers last night. Chris Rock was one of the stars at the $28,500-per-plate dinner at the landmark Greystone Mansion. But don’t look for any footage of Barack mingling with celebrities. Television cameras were banned from the events since opponent John McCain never misses an opportunity to play up Barack’s celebrity status. Hater!

BERRY, HOUNSOU AT CALVIN KLEIN BASH: Sunday event marked label’s 40th anniversary September 9, 2008

Halle Berry, Djimon Hounsou and his girlfriend Kimora Lee Simmons were among the celebs attending Sunday’s 40th anniversary celebration for the designer label Calvin Klein.

 

      The event was held at the High Line, a former elevated rail line in New York that’s been converted into a park on the city’s west side, reports the Associated Press. Berry attended with her boyfriend Gabriel Aubrey.

 

      Other famous faces at the event included Rosario Dawson, Naomi Watts, Martha Stewart, Cynthia Nixon, Brooke Shields and Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour.

 

       This is a New York moment right now,” said Dawson, who wore a black-and-white patterned gown. “This is absolutely incredible.”