bring that week back
Who's beefin' with Madea? Get this and the rest of the week's top stories!
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The Devil Is a Lie - Forget what you heard! Whitney says she's done with Bobby, and they're not getting back together. The "Chicago Sun-Times" reported last week that the two were spotted in Georgia looking romantic. Whitney's publicist says it's "a complete fabrication."
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Evicted! - "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star NeNe Leakes and her husband, Greg, were booted from their 5,000-square-foot, five-bedroom home last month. According to the eviction notice, they owed $6,240 in past rent.
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Beef's Over - The beef between Tyler Perry and the union representing his writers appears to be over. Both sides reportedly reached an agreement on a contract. Perry says he's happy with the deal and looks forward to working with the writers.
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Say What, Joe?! - Judge Joe Brown has Obama issues. He told a Jamaican newspaper that while he hopes for the best for Obama, he's gonna wait to get excited about him. He also said that he doesn't consider Obama to be Black, but Mulatto. He considers Bill Clinton to be the first Black president.
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She's In - From once bitter rivals to allies. The transition for Obama and Clinton came full circle Monday when the president-elect named her as his choice for Secretary of State. In another interesting pick, Obama named President Bush's defense secretary, Robert Gates, to stay on at his post.
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Black Friday Death - Police are investigating the incident of Wal-Mart worker Jdimytai Damour after he was trampled to death by 2,000 post-Thanksgiving shoppers. Nassau County Police are reviewing surveillance videos of the stampede, but they acknowledge it may be difficult to bring criminal charges.
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He Did It?! - He's gone from being a “person of interest” to the main suspect. J. Hud's brother-in-law, William Balfour, was arrested and formally charged in the murders of her mother, brother and nephew this week. Chicago Police believe Balfour acted alone in the murders.
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No Comment - Authorities in Chicago say the Hudson family is "relieved and happy" that police feel they've broken the case. Jennifer Hudson's publicist declined to comment about her brother-in-law being charged in the murders of her family members. Since the shootings, she's stayed out of the spotlight and close to family.
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Honoring Sean - The Redskins paid tribute to one of their own at Sunday's game against the New York Giants. The team added Sean Taylor's name to its "Ring of Fame." His number 21 was also painted on the 50-yard line. Taylor died last year from a gunshot wound during a robbery at his home in south Florida.
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Ripping On Greg - Greg Oden has 99 problems – and Lil' Wayne is one of them. The Portland Trailblazer has been dogged by issues since being drafted No. 1 in 2007. And the latest of those issues is a public trashing by Lil' Wayne. In a recent blog he does for ESPN, Weezy dismissed Oden as "a bust," who has shown nothing since being drafted.
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Get Lost - The New York Knicks told Stephon Marbury to get lost this week. The team ordered him to stay away until it can find a way to ditch him and his $21 million contract. Marbury has lashed out at his soon-to-be former coach and teammates, telling "The New York Post" that his teammates abandoned him.
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Giant Boo-Boo - He led his team to a Super Bowl win by catching the touchdown pass. Now, Plaxico Burress might be catching some jail time. Last weekend, he shot himself in the leg with an unregistered and loaded handgun in a Manhattan nightclub. His penalty, aside from being suspended from the NFL for the year, might be several years in prison.
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Her Too! - The woman who had a relationship with ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has had her day in court. And like the man she was involved with, she’s headed to the big house – and not the mayor’s mansion. Christine Beatty pleaded guilty Monday in a text-messaging sex scandal with Kilpatrick. She will serve 120 days in jail.
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Madea's Sued - Madea’s not supposed to go to jail until Feb. ‘09, but her creator is duking it out in court with a mad Black woman. Donna West is suing Tyler Perry, claiming he stole her story which ended up being made into Perry's blockbuster movie, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman." West wants all the profits from the 2005 film.
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Got Cash? - M.J. really needs some cash – bad. A source tells Scottish newspaper "The Daily Record” that he's been meeting with several New York publishing companies about publishing his autobiography.
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Mr. President - Ebony has landed Barack Obama’s first print interview as president in a special collectors edition. The historic issue, which will include never-before-seen pics of Obama, will hit the stands on Dec. 9.
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Ghetto Tribute - OK. We know most Blacks folks are happy about Obama being elected as the nation's first African-American president. But this? It's cool to be patriotic, but this is out right ghetto!
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Collectable Coin - President Bush has signed legislation to mint a commemorative silver dollar marking the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. The U.S. Mint is slated to produce 350,000 of the $1 coins in 2014, which will be 50 years after the Civil Rights Act was signed.
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More Than Turkey - T.I. spent his Thanksgiving on a serving line at Turner Field in Atlanta. The rapper, who put more than food on the table for 2,200 hungry people, also helped raise nearly $100,000 for an Atlanta food bank within two hours on a local radio show.
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Feeding the Hungry - Another Atlanta-based rapper dug into his wallet on turkey day. Young Jeezy donated $5,000 for the Thanksgiving meal served at Turner Field in Atlanta.
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Still a Diva - Natalie Cole says her battle with hepatitis C and kidney failure won't keep her down. She tells "JET" magazine that she "can't be looking sick and looking bad.” She says, "Some things are not acceptable. You got to roll with it."
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Bey Is Bad - Don't ever doubt Beyoncé's ability to sell a record. Her latest, double-disc, "I Am...Sasha Fierce" sold 482,000 copies in its first week. This makes her third straight album to debut at No. 1.
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Brave Enough? - Are you brave enough to sing for the "Queen of Soul" on TV? Apparently, Aretha Franklin is said to be interested in a reality series similar to "American Idol." Instead of viewers voting for a winner, she and P. Diddy will make the decision.
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In Demand - They wanted him, and now, they've got 'em. The TV service "Music Choice" says Chris Brown was its most asked-for artist in a one-year period. During the year, fans ordered free plays of Brown's videos or interviews 43 million times. An executive at “Music Choice” says teenage girls helped put Brown at the top of the most-requested list.
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Top Downloads - Music by Weezy, Flo Rida and T-Pain was the most downloaded on iTunes this year, according to Apple. Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter III" was No. 4 on the list of top downloaded albums this year. Among singles, "Low" by Flo Rida, featuring T-Pain was the third-highest ranked download, with Rihanna placing two tunes in the Top 10.
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Grammy Nods - Lil' Wayne is set up to have a big night at the Grammys. He has eight nominations. Closest to Lil' Wayne for the most Grammy nods is Coldplay, with seven followed by Ne-Yo, Jay-Z and Kanye West with six. Newcomer Jazmine Sullivan picked up five.
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Honoring Susan - Oprah and her celeb friends all got together this week to celebrate Susan Taylor’s 37 years at "Essence." The gala also served as a fundraiser for the National CARES Mentoring Movement, which is dedicated to pairing vulnerable Black children with a caring mentor. The organization, founded by Taylor, currently operates in more than 50 U.S. states.
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Count On Bey - Beyoncé is taking her act to New Orleans – again. She's the first artist to firm up plans to take part in next year's "Essence Music Festival." It's the third time she will be appearing at the event. The "Essence" festival is set for July 3-5 – and will mark the 15th anniversary of the magazine.
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Sunday Best - BET’s Sunday Best Casting Contest ended Monday. Contestants Rein and Williemae were declared the contest winners. The two will travel to Atlanta to audition live in front of celebrity judges Mary Mary and BeBe Winans. The second season of the gospel talent competition premieres in March. Check out the winning auditions.