Source: WENN

“American Idol” just doesn’t know the meaning of the term bow out gracefully. After 11 decent seasons of the show, a catastrophic twelfth season, and ratings that are practically in the toilet compared to their initial rank, execs over at Fox just refuse to say enough is enough when it comes to the singing competition. Instead of canning the show altogether, like most of the judges from this past go ’round, rumor has it the plan is for AI to bring back former contestants as judges.

According to Vulture:

As Fox and the production companies behind the struggling (yet still high-rated) singing show ponder changes for the 2014 edition, two people with knowledge of the situation tell Vulture that serious consideration is being given to the idea of filling one, and very possibly all, of the slots on the show’s judging panel with former Idol contestants. These sources say Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson have already been approached about the idea, and that the names of Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken are also under discussion. (Alas, Justin Guarini does not seem to be on the short list.)

Vulture goes on to make it clear that they have not been able to confirm with the powers that be that season 13 will be an all-alumni panel, but if that’s what execs are thinking, it’s not a horrible idea. “American Idol,” hopefully, learned a valuable lesson this past season with Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj: star quality doesn’t always equal quality TV. And if they’ve paid any attention to the response Shakira and Usher’s stint on “X Factor,” garnered, they’d know you get a lot further with honey and camaraderie among judges with fans of reality singing competitions than two self-professed Bs stinging each other every episode.

According to an exclusive from Hip Hollywood, Jennifer Hudson’s camp says the singer is considering taking “Idol” up on it’s offer, but only if Kelly Clarkson joins her. So far there’s no word on what Miss Kelly thinks about all this.

We’ll definitely keep you up on the details of he new panel, but for now what do you think about the idea of J Hud and other AI contestants being judges? Would that make you watch?

Apega/WENN

While we were all breathing a sigh of relief at the idea that the wretched 12th season of American Idol was finally coming to a close (oh yeah, and celebrating the fact that Candice Glover won), Natalie Cole was somewhere fuming at her television. Why? Let us explain.

So during last night’s finale of American Idol, before winners were announced, finalist Candice Glover took to the stage to sing her rendition of “Inseparable,” a Natalie Cole hit. People are known for taking on that song, including singer Jasmine Trias, who recorded a cover of it way back from the third season of American Idol. But Glover decided to make this performance a duet, and instead of the show asking Natalie Cole to come sing her song with the Idol hopeful, they asked former contestant Jennifer Hudson to perform with her. Bad idea according to Cole…

While the women sounded great together (what were they wearing though??? Hella casual…), Cole was upset at the fact that they neglected to ring her phone, so she took to Facebook and Twitter to get some things off her chest:

Woop! Despite her anger over it all, her fans, or at least her followers that is, were mixed on their feelings over whether or not she was right to be upset, or if she was simply overreacting.

“I thought it was awesome and you should be proud they chose your song and did it so well”

“Wasn’t AI last night about the finalists singing with past American Idol contestants? So what’s the big deal. No one said “Inseparable” was originally recorded by Jennifer Hudson. Candice chose the AI past contestant she wanted to sing with and she chose JHudson. THEY DID THE SONG JUSTICE AND NAT KING COLE WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD.”

Cole didn’t comment on it further, and Jennifer Hudson didn’t respond to Cole’s statements either, so it seems that the legendary singer probably has moved on. And honestly, that might be the best thing to do. While the show definitely could have introduced the song as Cole’s at the least, we’re not really sure why she would assume that the minute a contestant wants do a duet of it, they would call her. People cover other people’s songs like this all the time, and these two ladies sounded great! But hey, to each their own.

What do you think about Cole’s response? Check out video of Candice and Jennifer singing “Inseparable” on the next page and let us know if you think they did the jam justice.

Source: WENN

The wait is over! Twenty-three-year-old St. Helena Island, South Carolina, native Candice Glover has been named the season 12 winner of “American Idol”

Last night, the champion gave it one last go, singing a duet with “Idol” runner-up Kree Harrison and sharing the stage with former AI contestant Jennifer Hudson on a soulful rendition of “Inseparable.” And when all was said and done, Candice was crowned queen and entitled to the $1 million dollar recording contract bestowed on all “American Idol” winners.

There were definitely no dry eyes left in the house when the winner sang one last song on the idol stage after becoming the first female winner of the show since Jordin Sparks in season 6. If you missed Candice’s win and last numbers check them out in the videos below.

Were you rooting for Candice?

American Idol Finale ~ Winner Announced by HumanSlinky

Queen Latifah made a big splash at the 2013 Oscars when she debuted her new slimmed down figure. And she’s not the only celebrity who’s shocked us with their sudden weight loss. How do they do it? We’ve got the answers here. Read on to find out the secrets behind the most dramatic celebrity weight loss stories to date.

Image Source: WENN.com

Vegetarianism

The good reverend Dr. Sharpton transformed himself from a heavy 214 lb. man to a slim 167 lbs by banishing meat from his diet in 2010. Sharpton told Vanity Fair “I was a chicken junkie. I used to eat chicken three times a day.” So he cut The Kernel out of his diet along with refined sugar, starch and all other meat. Now he’s taking his healthy eating habits to the community by encouraging African American churches to offer healthier options to their parishioners.

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

For many celebrities, a chunk of the bread and butter comes from side hustles as product spokespeople. And more companies are turning to a diverse group of celebs to serve as the face of their products. For example, we reported recently on new gigs for Olympic  gold medalist Gabby Douglas and astronaut Dr. Mae Jamison were just tapped as spokespeople for two separate major advertising campaigns. There have however been some notable campaigns using black spokespeople. We take a look at some of our favorite African-American celebrity spokespeople.

Oh the wonders a great stylist can work in one’s career. But don’t we all know what the lack of one can do for one’s style. Some of our favorite trendsetters didn’t necessarily start off the freshest, while ones who started off age appropriate and chic somehow ended up dressing like they picked their ensembles out in the dark. Check out a few celebrities whose style improved big time over the years, and a few who even with a bunch of money, downgraded, and still can’t seem to get it right.

Solange

WENN.com

It’s actually Solange’s style that has helped her create her own lane and identity outside of her very well-known big sister (that and her drastically different music). But she didn’t get to African-inspired prints, fab fros and chic pantsuits overnight. She had to wear a lot of satin, bountiful weaves and things that I’m sure she would probably cringe at now on the way up. Is that a feather purse above? Girl, no.

But luckily for her, her unique change in style has made her one of the best dressed people out there (it’s true, even Vogue said so) and is just one of many things that has helped her finally garner the respect she deserves.

WENN.com

WENN.com

Remember all that time Aretha Franklin was saying she would want Halle Berry to play her in a biopic about the Queen of Soul’s life? Well, I’m sure you also remember that Berry declined, citing the fact the she can’t sing a lick (“If I could carry a tune, I’d consider it. Someone should tell Aretha that I can’t do her justice.”). Plus, there were many critics of Franklin’s choice who felt that the starlet and the icon looked absolutely nothing alike. So Franklin has moved on, and the diva has been very open about the biopic some thought wasn’t going to happen. According to Shadow and Act, she has a director (Taylor Hackford who did Ray), some actresses in line to play Clara Ward and the Famous Ward Singers (who inspired Franklin), and she even wants Denzel Washington to play her dad.

In an interview with Glamour late last year, she discussed why out of everyone in the world, she wanted Washington–despite the obvious fact that he can act his butt off:

“He [Taylor] mentioned Denzel first, and I was thinking of Billy Dee [Williams]. That’s who I was thinking of. And he mentioned Denzel, and I said ‘Hmm…’ And when I thought about Malcolm X, and what he did with that, I said, ‘Yes! He could do it. He could handle it. If he put a little more weight on and glasses, he could handle it.’”

But the most interesting new info is that now, Franklin is trying to figure out if she wants Broadway favorite (and Tony winner) and former Private Practice star Audra McDonald to play her, or Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson to take the reigns as the Queen of Soul in her biopic. In that same Glamour interview, she opened about why she liked both ladies:

“I went to see Audra in Porgy and Bess, and I was very impressed with her dramatic ability. She was terrific.”

“And Jennifer had voice. Audra has voice. The question is whether or not Audra can cross over into soul. You know, she does Broadway magnificently. But can she get over into soul is the question.”

Another real question is whether or not McDonald would even want to play Franklin, considering that she would have huge shoes to fill. But in an interview with Broadway.com, she made it clear that if she were approached, it would be the opportunity of a lifetime. “It would be an honor to play her. Other than that we leave it to fate. Who knows.” Hudson hasn’t responded to the casting rumor, but we’re sure if asked, she wouldn’t turn it down either.

So it seems like this movie could be coming to the big screen sooner than we thought…

Question is, who should play Franklin? And what do you think about the possibility of Denzel acting as her father in the movie? Would he even say yes…?

Source(s): Singersroom, Lifetime

A couple of weeks ago we told you about a new Lifetime movie, titled Call Me Crazy: A Five Film, starring Jennifer Hudson, Octavia Spencer, Brittany Snow, Ashley Judd, Chelsea Handler, Melanie Griffith and many other notables. Executive produced by Jennifer Anniston, the film will tackle mental illness

As previously stated, Call Me Crazy will consist of five shorts that follow the lives of five different characters impacted by mental illness. Spencer will be playing a psychotherapist, while Hudson will be playing a female soldier who is struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The network released an extended trailer for the film recently, and if the movie is as good as the trailer paints it out to be, then we are in for quite a treat. It really seems like the movie will offer an informative depiction of what life is like for those struggling with mental illness, while squashing silly stigmas that many of us have unknowingly picked up over the years.

“What’s it like hearing the voices?” Jason Ritter’s character asks Brittany Snow’s character, a law student who has learned that she’s been living with Schizophrenia.

“It’s terrifying,” she responds.

In another scene Hudson sheds light on the conflict faced by those who suffer from PTSD in silence, as they attempt to protect the military’s reputation.

“PTSD is real,” one character expresses.

“And it makes the miliatary look bad,” Hudson’s character regretfully chimes in.

The trailer closes with an emotional Hudson saying, “I don’t want people looking at me like I’m crazy.”

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film premieres on Lifetime Saturday, April 20th at 8 pm.

Turn the page for a first look.

Source: Twitter

One can only imagine how difficult it is being the significant other of a celebrity as widely known as Jennifer Hudson, especially if that partner has a desire to establish a name for themselves in the spotlight. David Otunga, WWE personality and fiancé to songstress J.Hud recently opened up to the Chicago Tribune about that very subject, while promoting his new movie The Call. The Harvard Law graduate expressed that it is rather challenging living in his famous fiancé’s shadow and that he even had to fight for his own identity as a WWE wrestler because the organization wanted to build his character around Hudson’s celebrity status.

“It’s one of those things they kept bringing up no matter how many times I said, ‘Please don’t mention (Hudson). They kept doing it and it irritated me to the point that I changed my [WWE] character. That’s why I started a new character with a bow tie and coffee mug,’ the lawyer turned reality star said.

“I want to stand alone. I’m pretty successful in my own right. (Jennifer Hudson) still comes up, but what can I do?”

Otunga is also known for his role on VH1 reality show, I Love New York, which he starred in as one of the many men competing for the heart of Tiffany Pollard aka New York. He went on to say that people are really beginning to take notice of him and are seeking to learn more about him.

“People want to know more about me. They want to know who I am. It’s cool to finally have that attention. … That’s something I tried to do from the beginning — to be my own person. I wanted to do different things and try to establish myself. It’s great to get recognized for that.”

Well, I guess you have to respect his honesty.

What do you think of David publicly expressing his desire to step out of Jennifer’s shadow?

The next Lifetime movie will be an A-list actor, star-studded event, including a couple of our favorites, Academy Award winners Jennifer Hudson and Octavia Spencer. The film, Call Me Crazy: A Five Film tells five interwoven stories each dealing with a type of mental illness. In addition to Hudson and Spencer, the film will also star Melanie Griffith, Chelsea Handler and Ashley Judd and Jennifer Aniston will be behind the camera acting as one of the film’s executive producers. Here’s what she had to say about the project:

“When we started researching this topic, we were all surprised to learn that one in four adults lives with some sort of mental illness. With so many people dealing with this in their private lives, there is still so much stigma and shame. It’s time we bring it out of the closet and into the light of day.”

In the first of the five films, a law student is shocked to learn she is living with schizophrenia. Octavia Spencer will play a psychotherapist in this film. In the second, a teenage daughter is struggling to help her mother living with bipolar disorder. The third film, a comedy, lightens the mood as a family adjusts to  a daughter returning home from an inpatient treatment center. In the fourth, a comedian is suffering from depression. And in the last, a female solider, played by Jennifer Hudson, returns from war to a husband and son and has to adjust to life living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD.)

It sounds like a whole lot but Lifetime has never been known to shy away from the tough, touchy issues and mental illness is far too prevalent to be ignored.

The Lifetime movie will air on Saturday, April 20 at 8pm.

If you want more information on the film, including info about the all star cast, read the full press release here.

Will you check this movie out?