Page 36 - Florida Sentinel 8-7-20

Entertainment
Gabrielle Union Receives Renewed Apology From Terry Crews
J. Cole Admits He Never Read
Gabrielle Union has re- ceived another apology from Terry Crews after calling out her former America's Got Tal- ent costar again for his lack of support after she spoke out about her experience with racism and a toxic workplace on set.
Interest in the conversation was renewed after Union ap- peared on the Spotify podcast Jemele Hill Is Unbothered and the sports journalist asked her about Crews and his contro- versial comments amidst the Black Lives Matter movement. "People hit me [up] all day long and are like, 'What's hap- pening,'" Union says in re- sponse to Hill's question about what's going on with Terry Crews. "And the only thing I know for sure is that Terry Crews gets three checks from NBC. So, I don’t know if being worried about job stability — which, listen, we all know that if you speak up about racism and white su- premacy, you absolutely can be shown the door. We are both very clear on that. So, I don’t know if that’s the motivation.”
Plugs 'The Fall Off's' 1st 2 Singles
GABRIELLE UNION AND TERRY CREWS
J. Cole penned a highly emotional personal essay this week for Dereck Jeter’s publication The Players Trib- une called “The Audacity.” At one point, the revered MC ad- mitted he never read the con- tract when signing with JAY-Z’s label Roc Nation on February 24, 2009, a date he says he’ll always remember be- cause it’s the day before Dreamville Records president Ibrahim Hamad’s birthday.
“That day, we both took an elevator way up to the fancy of- fice of a high-end entertain- ment law firm housed in a New York City high-rise,” he recalled. “Far from what I would have imagined, the ac- tual moment of signing the contract was relatively unre- markable. Ib and I sat in a
She continued, "People were like, 'Well, you weren't the only Black person on America's Got Talent, and I was like, 'No, I was on there with Terry Crews.' Based on his recent actions, do you re- ally think Terry Crews was an ally, was helpful, was a sounding board? I think Terry Crews is showing us who he is and what he does during times of adversity, and it’s not soli- darity.”
Crews released an apology to Union on Saturday saying, "This will be my 3rd public apology to Gabrielle Union. If a 4th is needed, I will con-
tinue to apologize and push for reconciliation between the world, and more importantly, the culture I grew up in. I'm sorry, @itsgabrielleu."
An NBC investigation into Union's allegations found that those working on the tal- ent show did not behave insen- sitively toward the former judge, who was removed from the panel along with Julianne Hough last November.
The L.A.'s Finest star made clear that she didn't have unre- alistic expectations of Crews during her struggle, explaining he could have shown solidarity without blasting his employer.
J. COLE
small, quiet conference room across from an associate of my fancy new lawyer. The moun- tain of papers in front of him included multiple copies of a record deal that I never actu- ally read.
His Roc Nation Contract As He
Beyoncé’s 'Black Is King' Visual Album Alone Is Making People Sign Up For Disney Plus
Beyoncé’s Black Is King project is helping Disney Plus gain more subscribers. In an array of Twitter posts, the Bey- hive let it be known they’re only signing up for the stream- ing service because they want to see the multi-platinum sell- ing singer’s visual album.
Black Is King dropped ex- clusively on Disney Plus on Friday (July 31). The visual album is based on The Lion King: The Gift LP, which was released as a companion piece to the 2019 remake of The Lion King.
“The voyages of Black fam- ilies, throughout time, are honored in a tale about a
young king’s transcendent journey through betrayal, love and self-identity,” Disney said of the project in a press re- lease. “His ancestors help guide him toward his destiny, and with his father’s teachings and guidance from his child- hood love, he earns the virtues needed to reclaim his home and throne.”
Prior to the release of Black Is King, Disney Plus was offer- ing free trials for its service. This option is no longer avail- able, forcing new users to sign up for $6.99 per month or $12.99 per month for a bundle including Hulu and ESPN Plus.
BEYONCE’S BLACK IS KING
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