Bring That Week Back: Week of April 5, 2009
Did Beyonce's little sister get the boot? Will "The Game" go into overtime? Check out this week's biggest stories in pictures!
1 / 29
Torture-Murder - The torture-murder of a White Marine sergeant and his Black wife was the handiwork of four other Marines, who were angry over the mixed-race relationship. Prosecutors allege that Pvt. Emrys John, Lance Cpl. Tyrone Miller, Pvt. Kesuan Sykes and Pvt. Kevin Cox – burst into the couple's home with shotguns, then tied up and tortured the couple.
2 / 29
Gay Men Shot to Death - Six gay men were shot dead in two separate incidents in the past 10 days, an official with Iraq’s Interior ministry said. In the most recent attack, two men were killed Thursday in the Baghdad Shiite slum of Sadr City after they were disowned by relatives, the official said. According to the Associated Press, since no one has yet claimed their bodies, Iraqi police believe the murderers were members of the victims’ families who were shamed by their homosexuality.
3 / 29
'Pop' Dies - David “Pop” Winans Sr., the patriarch of the world-renowned gospel family that includes 10 children, died Thursday in Nashville. He was 76. Winans passed away quietly with wife Delores Winans at his bedside, a family spokesperson told BET.com.
4 / 29
O.J.'s Sister Dies - O.J. Simpson's sister, Carmelita Durio, died Monday at a hospital in Sacramento, Calif. A family friend says he didn't know the cause of death, but said her kidneys had failed in recent days. Durio collapsed in the Las Vegas courtroom where her brother was convicted of robbery and kidnapping last year. It's unknown if Simpson will be allowed to attend her funeral. He is serving a sentence of nine to 33 years in prison.
5 / 29
Assassination Plot Thwarted - A Syrian national, who allegedly planned to stab President Barack Obama, was arrested in Istanbul on Friday. The man reportedly attempted to gain press credentials for Obama’s visit to Turkey by claiming he worked for the Al Jazeera news. The Ankara correspondent for Al Jazeera said that they had never heard of the man.
ADVERTISEMENT
6 / 29
Stalker Nabbed - A man who forced his way into Jamie Foxx’s hotel room last week was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of stalking and other charges. On March 22, Steven Taliver, 49, barged into Foxx's Philadelphia hotel suite after posing as one of Beyonce’s producers, according to TMZ. After realizing he didn’t know the man, Foxx reportedly managed to keep him from fully entering the room and slammed the door.
7 / 29
Not Guilty Plea - Not guilty. That's the plea Chris Brown entered Monday on charges of beating and threatening his girlfriend, Rihanna. Brown is charged with assault and with threatening to kill Rihanna during an altercation the night before the Grammys in February. If convicted, he could be sentenced to probation or to as many as five years in prison.
8 / 29
RiRi's Pop is P.O.’d - After hearing the news that Chris Brown pleaded not guilty, RiRi's pop told Us Weekly that Brown needs to take responsibility for his actions and "stop being in denial" about allegedly beating Rihanna. Ronald Fenty said when you do the crime you do the time. "I don’t want to see him locked up for a long time — I just want him to acknowledge and get some help.”
9 / 29
What’s RiRi Saying? - So, have Rihanna and Chris Brown made up - and will she testify if the case goes to trial? RiRi's attorney, Donald Etra, says if the matter goes to trial, his client would indeed testify. As for Brown's guilt or innocence, Etra says Rihanna intends to leave that to the courts. And when asked if Rihanna and Brown have reconciled, Etra says it's "not my role" as Rihanna's attorney to discuss her personal life.
10 / 29
He Had to Go - The New York Giants have resolved their "issues" with Plaxico Burress - by cutting him loose. The team released the 2008 Super Bowl hero on Friday – a little more than four months after the talented but troubled wide receiver accidentally shot himself in the thigh in a New York City nightclub. Burress' attorney says he believes the Giants made a mistake in cutting his client.
ADVERTISEMENT
11 / 29
Construction Worker? - Everyone expected Michael Vick to return to the football field after his incarceration, but he has other plans. Vick’s lawyer announced in bankruptcy court this week that the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback has a construction job lined up after his prison release and Vick will work a regular 40-hour work week. Further details about wages or the duration of his new career were unavailable.
12 / 29
Say What?! - The Obamabilia craze is reaching new lows. Chicago-based Devil’s Due Publishing will publish “Barack the Barbarian: Quest for the Treasure of Stimuli” in June. In the cartoon, he takes on his nemesis, former Republican vice presidential candidate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who sports a cape made from wolf skin and her trademark glasses - and very little else.
13 / 29
‘Chia Obama’ Booted - Meanwhile, some local Walgreens stores are pulling a supposed likeness of the president off their shelves. The “Chia Obama” will no longer be sold there. The “Chia Obama” is a version of the “Chia Pet” line, which features a ceramic figure upon which fresh greens are planted and allowed to grow, filling out the likeness of the subject. Some say the product is downright racist, while others say at the very least it’s in very bad taste.
14 / 29
Gay Marriage in D.C.? - Domestic partnerships are legal in Washington, D.C., but on Tuesday, the D.C. Council voted to recognize weddings of gay couples married in U.S. states. Lawmakers say Tuesday's unanimous vote moves the city a step closer to eventually allowing same-sex marriages to be performed in the nation's capital. The council will hold a final vote on the measure next month.
15 / 29
He Wants It Legal - Guitar legend Carlos Santana is urging the president to at least give some serious thought to legalizing pot. During his online town hall meeting last month, Obama brushed off a question about legalizing weed and using the money from taxing it to ease the effects of the recession. Santana says the money from pot taxes could be invested in education.
ADVERTISEMENT
16 / 29
Morale Boost - President Obama made a much needed surprise visit to all of the brave men and women fighting in Iraq. He addressed hundreds of U.S. troops stationed at Camp Victory, the largest U.S. military facility in the country. The unannounced visit to Baghdad capped an eight-day international trip in which Obama traveled to Britain, France, Germany, the Czech Republic and Turkey.
17 / 29
Obama Lived Here - Usually the childhood home of presidents become national landmarks. The place being considered for Obama is a high-rise rental. Lawmakers in Hawaii are pushing to put a 12-story building constructed in the 1960s on the National Register of Historic Places. It would be the first childhood home of a U.S. president that is a high-rise rental. Obama was born in Honolulu and lived in a 10th-floor apartment in the building from 1971 to 1979.
18 / 29
'ESSENCE' of Obama - This Mother’s Day, Essence magazine will feature the Mobama issue. Adorning the cover of the May edition will be first lady Michelle Obama and first grandmother Marian Robinson, who will provide the public with a bona fide look at what Mother’s Day is all about. The mother-daughter duo spoke about life in the presidential mansion and why glowing role models are so important.
19 / 29
Lady O's Debut - Michelle Obama is always very well put together when she steps out. And now, she'll never have to worry about a hair out of place at a new attraction featuring her likeness. A wax replica of the first lady now stands next to one of the president at Madame Tussauds museum in Washington, D.C. She's dressed in a pearl necklace; red, sleeveless dress and black heels. The figure was created by artists in London.
20 / 29
First-Class Honor - Richard Wright, a writer and former postal employee, was honored with a first-class postage stamp on Thursday. Wright is best known for 1940s era novels "Native Son" and "Black Boy." He is the 25th American author honored with a stamp. The first, in 1979, was John Steinbeck.
ADVERTISEMENT
21 / 29
$50,000 Donation - Say what you want about Denzel Washington, but the man definitely has a soft spot for the Boys & Girls Club. He was filming a movie in Roswell, New Mexico last week when he heard through media reports that one of the clubs was having financial trouble and might have to close. Washington, who has credited the club with being there for him when he was growing up, dropped off a $50,000 check and urged residents to match his donation.
22 / 29
Disappointed - Michael Jordan, who was elected to the basketball Hall of Fame this week, says the honor is bittersweet for him - because he would still like to play. He says being in the Hall of Fame means "at that time your basketball career is completely over." Jordan hoped this day would come another 20 years down the road or when he is, as he put it, "dead and gone."
23 / 29
Dropped? - Despite her countless high-profile appearances, Bey's lil' sister's album didn't sell well and she's reportedly lost her deal with Geffen Records for a second album. The record company is reportedly no longer interested in working with Solange due to poor sales of her debut, which has sold nearly 139,000 copies since its release last August!
24 / 29
ANTM Auditions - Former supermodel Tyra Banks is holding auditions again in New York for ANTM. And Banks said you can best believe that a stiletto stampede won't go down this time. A panic-induced riot sent six girls to the hospital last month. The talk-show diva has picked April 11 for the tryout. The open call is restricted to would-be models 5-feet-7 or shorter and ages 18 to 27.
25 / 29
Cleared - Diddy and his Ciroc vodka were under fire for a casting call that has been deemed "racist." A recent casting call for a future Ciroc promotion stated the brand was looking for women who were “White, Hispanic or light skinned African American.” Both Combs and Ciroc have issued statements condemning the casting call and saying that it was written and distributed without their knowledge.
ADVERTISEMENT
26 / 29
She's Suing - Whitney Houston is countersuing her stepmother for $1.6 million. She claims Barbara Houston owes her the money for failing to make payments on the Fort Lee, N.J., condo where she has lived since 1987. Barbara Houston initiated the legal tussle last year when she claimed Whitney improperly kept proceeds from her dad's $1 million insurance policy after he died in 2003.
27 / 29
'Game' Overtime? - Word is, the CW show “The Game” may possibly become an hour-long dramedy next season. With the CW expected to complete its exit from the half-hour comedy genre at the end of this season, Mara Brock Akil, the creator/executive producer of “The Game” – one of the network’s two remaining comedies – is mulling over the idea of turning it into an hour-long series. She is expected to pitch the idea to the CW brass this week.
28 / 29
Inducted - Run DMC was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Eminem. The Detroit rapper took to the stage draped in a black leather jacket with matching pants, a black t-shirt and a black fedora slightly cocked on his head. Eminem gave a heartfelt speech and Run DMC took to the stage for the historic moment.