Celebrity, Celebrity Deaths, Dearly Departed

Actor Michael Clarke Duncan Dead at 54

The ReadyWriter

I remember him best from his bodyguard role in “The Players Club.” Duncan had been in a Los Angeles hospital since July 13 following a heart attack and died this morning after two months of treatment.

At 6-feet, 5-inches tall and approximately 300 pounds, Duncan is said to have become a vegetarian, and appeared in a video for animal rights organization PETA earlier this year.

Duncan was also nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his role as gentle giant prisoner John Coffey in “The Green Mile,” also starring Tom Hanks. Duncan won the role, in part, due to a recommendation by Bruce Willis, who he worked with on 1998’s “Armageddon.” Duncan went on to appear with Willis in three more films — “Breakfast of Champions,” “The Whole Nine Yards” and “Sin City.”

Before he broke into acting, Duncan worked as a bodyguard for stars including Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx, LL Cool J, and The Notorious B.I.G.  whose 1997 death prompted him to quit that line of work.

May he Rest in peace…

Celebrity news, Fan mail, Oprah Winfrey, Television/Radio

Jennifer Hudson on Oprah’s Next Chapter

The ReadyWriter

A reader emailed me to express her disgust at singer Jennifer Hudson for allowing her sister to appear on Oprah’s Next Chapter looking like she’s going to a backyard barbecue. The segment of Oprah’s Next Chapter was taped at Jennifer’s home, and will air on Sept. 9.

The reader criticized everything about Julia Hudson — from her quick weave and morbid obesity to her casual attire. I know everyone grieves differently but not all things are appropriate.

Blog Queen:

Please post a picture from the interview Jennifer Hudson filmed with Oprah Winfrey. You should see this picture Jennifer’s sister Julia look a haut @ mess!!! I’m not so much against her being heavy-set but she look like she just don’t care. I always wondered why J Hud didn’t introduce her sister to weight watchers but did it with her cousins. Does Julia just not care? Or is she just fat and lazy? Please post the picture I would like my fellow CEO readers to weigh in on this.

Competition, Sports, What she said

Gabby Douglas tells Oprah: I was bullied & called a slave during early gymnastics training in VA…

The ReadyWriter

The Olympic gold medalist who took home the gold for her individual performance and for her work as part of the American team, tells the talk show host that things got so bad, she threatened to quit. That’s because the devil knew what was in store for her. 

“I felt I was being bullied and isolated from the group and they treated me not how they would treat their other teammates,” Douglas told Winfrey during the interview. “I definitely felt isolated. I felt like, why am I deserving this? “Is it because I’m black? Like, those thoughts would go through my mind.”

Mm, wonder how those heifers are treating her now?

Douglas, who scored two gold medals at this summer’s London Olympics, added that some of her teammates at her native Virginia Beach, Va., gym would sometimes use racial slurs against her.

“One of my teammates was like, ‘Could you scrape the bar?” she recalled. “And they were like, ‘Why doesn’t Gabby do it, she’s our slave?”

Earlier this summer, Douglas’ hairstyle became a point of discussion among Olympic fans, a fact that mystified the athlete.

“Where’s this coming from? Are you kidding me? What’s this about my hair,” she told the Daily News. “I gel it up, put some clips in it and put it in a bun. People shouldn’t be worried about that.”

To overcome cruelty, prejudice and adversity from people outside your race is one thing but to be criticized and ridiculed by your own people about something so petty as her hair, is just ridiculous!

Gabby sat down with Oprah last night on OWN. To read more of that interview click here!

Books, Celebrity, Celebrity news, Sports, What he said

Dwayne Wade will release his new book: “Father First”

The ReadyWriter

Two time NBA champ and Miami Heat star, Dwayne Wade shares his personal triumph and tribulations in his upcoming  memoir, A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball.

The father of two sons, Zaire & Zion, Wades book will be released on September 4, 2012 but it’s available for pre-order now at Amazon.  

Although this book gives us insight into the mentors, coaches, and teammates who helped play a vital role in Dwayne Wade’s development as a star athlete, it also serves as a call-to-action to all parents to step up and be a part of their children’s lives.

Unbelieveable!!! I know some brothers who could use this book.

Celebrity news, Crime, Law and order, News

LL Cool J takes down burglar with his bare hands

The ReadyWriter

LL Cool J may be 44 years old, but he can still go toe-to-toe with any man. The “Mama Said Knock You Out” rapper prides himself on keeping his sexy bod in top shape. So when a hapless burglar picked the wrong house to rob, LL wasted no time taking the crook down to the floor, according to TMZ.

From TMZ:

According to law enforcement sources … the suspect entered LL’s Los Angeles area house around 2AM, but unfortunately for him the actor/rapper/badass was home.

We’re told LL heard some commotion downstairs, went to check it out … and found the intruder.

Sources say the intruder had tripped LL’s alarm system, but the “NCIS Los Angeles” star — who is a physical beast — decided to go hand-to-hand combat on the dude … and managed to detain him until LAPD arrived a few minutes later to make the arrest.

We’re told LL is okay, but the suspect — who will be booked for burglary — suffered a few bruises.