When she was 17, Janet Jackson famously did what people told her, but after a career spanning nearly five decades the iconic singer, songwriter, actress and dancer is firmly in control of every aspect of her career these days.
With that power comes confidence and the 55-year-old seemed more so than ever Tuesday in the first minute-long teaser trailer for “Janet,” the upcoming documentary celebrating the 40th anniversary of her self-titled debut album.
“Hey u guys. Excited to share the first teaser of my new documentary with u. 😘 #JanetDoc,“ Jackson wrote on the Instagram post sharing the clip, which begins with the artist being praised by fellow female music icons Missy Elliott, Paula Abdul and Mariah Carey.
It's the ending narration by Jackson herself, however, that sets the tone for the documentary:
“This is my story, told by me. Not through someone else’s eyes,” she says, “This is the truth. Take it or leave it. Love it or hate it, this is me.”
Five years in the making — the documentary "joins Janet as her family is going through another extremely difficult time, mourning the loss of her father Joseph, the pivotal figure in the Jackson dynasty," according to a press release from the Lifetime and A&E networks which is currently set to air in a two-day, four-hour event will early in 2022.
Actor Michael K. Williams, best known for his iconic portrayal of stickup artist Omar Little on the hit
Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/ Courtesy HBO
crime drama “The Wire,” is dead at the age of 54 according to the New York Post.
The paper reported that the talented thespian — who had just signed to star in a biopic about two-time world heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman as his trainer and mentor Doc Broadus — was found dead in his Brooklyn penthouse Monday afternoon.
Reportedly drug paraphernalia was found at the scene, suggesting he may have fatally OD’d, possibly from heroin or fentanyl according to the Post’s sources.
“It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy-nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams,” William’s rep Marianna Shafran said in a statement confirming the death. “They ask for your privacy while grieving this unsurmountable loss.”
Williams had previously struggled with drugs. In 2016 the actor told the host of NPR’s “Fresh Air” Terry Gross that playing intense characters sometimes takes a psychic toll on him:
When I wear these characters to the extent that I wear them to, that [energy’s] gotta go somewhere,” he says. “The dark energy of Omar Little, for example, “was a little too close to home.
A five-time Emmy nominee, the Brooklyn, New York, native was also well-known for his role as Chalky White in HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” and is a 2021 Emmy Award nominee as best supporting actor for his role in the network’s pandemic hit “Lovecraft Country.”
Lionel Richie has had a reputation as one of the smoothest men on the planet since the 1970s when he first strutted and sang on stage as a member of the legendary funk and soul band the Commodores. Once Richie spread his wings as a solo artist in the late 70s and 80s that reputation only grew. He released a string of hit love ballads and disco classics that had people across the world staying up “All Night Long” and “Dancing on the Ceiling,” on the way to him becoming one of the top-selling artists of all time with over 100 million records sold.
So, it’s no surprise that someone would want to capture a little of that old-school magic and mix it back in today’s hectic world. The only surprise, perhaps, is that the person leading the charge to bring Richie back to the people is Tyra Banks, and the collaboration involved is not a musical one for the supermodel and sometimes singer.
The SMiZE Cream founder, a lifelong Richie fan who also starred in one of his music videos, announced that her gourmet ice cream company’s newest flavor “All Night Love” was “inspired by Lionel's musical genius and vivacious personality!”
“His music and presence light up any room. And now, Lionel's delectable ice cream flavor will light up your palate!" Banks said, adding that the “decadent” ice cream flavor was devised by Richie and Banks at her home with help from Dr. Maya Warren
So, the question is what does Richie’s brand of Motown Magic taste like? That’s something nobody outside of SMiZE will be able to answer with certainty until September 8 when it becomes available at The SMiZE Cream shop in Santa Monica, California (nationwide shipping available at www.smizecream.com), but a press release from SMiZE paints a tasty picture:
The creamy and dreamy recipe starts with Vanilla Ice Cream, then a Midnight Cookie Crumble Swirls throughout it followed by a Salted Caramel Ribbon, and the most special part of it all - Milk Chocolate-Covered Fudge Hearts. Like all SMiZE Cream flavors, Lionel's also includes a yummy SMiZE SURPRiZE hidden inside made of Rich Caramel-scotch Cookie Dough, the brand's caramel version of butterscotch. And in a unique twist, the container for "All Night Love" features a QR code that links to fun videos featuring Tyra and Lionel or a new illustrated character created in Richie's likeness that comes alive with the technical magic of Augmented Reality.
Whether or not the ice cream lives up to that type of hype is yet to be determined, but for his part Richie is just happy to have some of his favorite hometown tastes featured in the flavor.
“It's been fun to work with the incredible Tyra Banks and to be able to share this special treat with everyone," he said.
