Some celebrities just tower over the rest. Standing at 5 feet and 11 inches or more, these 15 women command attention whenever they walk into a room.

WENN

Model turned mogul Kimora Lee Simmons put her stature to good use. Standing at an even six feet, Simmons got her start in modeling early on. By the time she was ten years old, Simmons was 5 feet, 10 inches tall. Her mother enrolled her into modeling classes at the age of 11 and soon after Simmons found herself in Paris. Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, Simmons was picked on because of her ethnicity and height. The 37-year-old mother of three credits modeling with giving her the confidence that she has now: “[Modeling] was a real turning point for me because everything that people considered weird about me before, well, suddenly Karl Lagerfeld said it was OK. He’s one of the biggest names in fashion, so all of a sudden it gave me a validity and introduced me to a whole other world.”

Although they broke up and moved on with other people, we just can’t seem to get over these high-profile celebrity relationships that we thought were a match made in heaven. Here are 15 celebrity couples that we wish could have stood the test of time.

WENN

Kanye and Alexis

Before there was Kanye West and Kim Kardashian or even Kanye and Amber Rose, there was Kanye and Alexis. The Chicago rapper/producer met Alexis Phifer back in 2002 and the cute couple dated on and off for four years before West finally popped the question. After an 18-month whirlwind engagement the two went their separate ways citing his hectic touring schedule as the cause. West dated then-unknown model Amber Rose before settling down with the reality show superstar who is now pregnant with their first child.

Source: WENN

Kimora Lee Simmons has survived two public splits and still walks around with her head held high. The über confident and undeniably fabulous mother of three recently had a chat with Daily Mail, where she discussed being a single mom, maintaining relationships with her exes and re-entering the dating pool. Peep some of what she had to say in her interview below.

On her break-up with ex Djimon Hounsou:

“Relationships do change throughout the course of your life and I always think in terms of relationships changing and evolving rather than starting and stopping.”

On maintaining healthy relationships with the fathers of her children:

“Kids never go away from your life and if you’ve been married, that person probably never goes away either. You never get rid of anyone and they never really get rid of you,” she said laughing.

“Gosh, it’s not always so easy, but I try to do everything from the viewpoint of what’s best for my kids. I have three kids and two great dads and it’s not always easy, but you have to try to be a little selfless and we manage just fine.”

On dating after her split with Djimon:

“I’m not with anyone at the moment – it’s just my kids and their two dads I guess.”

“I think they are sometimes [intimidated], but men are intimidated by a lot of things, you know, such as jobs and bit of determination. They have a lot of insecurities about who we are, what we have, what we look like, what we’ve accomplished and what we’re capable of because we’re fabulous and capable of doing so much and juggling so much every day.”

“People might be mad I’m saying this, but [men] do have a lot of hang-ups. But that shouldn’t deter you ladies from being great! You don’t have to dumb down – you just have to find a clever, good, secure man. I’ve found a couple – I’ve been lucky – but it’s probably hard for everybody to find that true love of a good man.”

While Kimora probably isn’t everyone’s favorite person in the world, you’ve got to respect the woman for how she handles her affairs. She speaks of both of the men who father her children with the utmost respect and seemingly managed to have two of the most amicable break-ups in Hollywood.

Fashion maven, Kimora Lee Simmons recently sat down with Chris Witherspoon of NBC’s The Grio to discuss her upcoming reality show “Kimora: House of Fab“, which is a spin-off from her original reality show “Kimora: Life In the Fab Lane”. The show will go behind the scenes of the JustFab offices, which is Kimora’s fashion retail site. When questioned by Chris as to whether or not she felt the fashion industry was too saturated with celebrities with fashion brands, Kimora gave a quite interesting response.

“There’s always room for more because times evolve and people change and we [Me and Russell]  did kind of create that. Before us there wasn’t any Beyoncé, there wasn’t Sean John or Justin Timberlake, there wasn’t Jessica Simpson. There wasn’t any of that. We really laid the blueprint for that,” Kimora told Chris Witherspoon.

She also expressed how much she loves that the success of her business is not tied to a hit album or a blockbuster film:

“One thing I love about myself is this business is that I don’t have to rely on the sales of an album, or my movie being a hit for my clothing to be a hit.”

Some are interpreting her comments as low-key shade, but I’m not really sure if her statements were really intended to be undercutting. Now, if you guys want shade, check out her response when asked how she, Djimon and Russell successfully co-parent while maintaining a drama-free blended family.

“I do things for the sake of my children. I know people say that like it’s a cliché, but when you see their life, it’s not for the sake of their children. They’re fighting or I don’t know what, it’s the holidays and someone hits someone else . No, we’re not doing all of that… My kids are very happy, and if you ask them, they don’t have one dad that loves them, they have two.”

Well, alright then.

Check out footage of Kimora’s interview on the next page. Did you peep the Halle shade that got slipped in there?

Photo courtesy of WENN

You probably see these people every day, especially if you work in a large office with various managers. Each leader has different characteristics.

Recently, Forbes looked at “The 9 Corporate Personality Types And How to Inspire Them to Innovate.” It inspired us to look at well-known African-American corporate executives. Do you agree with us?

D. Salters/WENN.com

 BAMBI: Sherri Shepherd

“Almost every new recruit starts out bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. They are fresh hard drives ready to be filled with data. You can get them to do almost anything. They walk into meetings armed with fresh slides, broad smiles, and a professionalism they’ve practiced in interviews, in school, and in the mirror,” writes Forbes.

Although she has been with The View for more than a minute, Sherri Shepherd is still comes to the table every morning with newbie enthusiasm. Shepherd recently launched her own wig line, as we reported.

Source: WENN

When I wrote about this rumor yesterday I was hoping it would turn out not to be true, but as forecasted, Djimon Hounsou has put out a statement on his relationship with Kimora and the final word is that they are a done deal. The actor’s rep told PEOPLE:

“Djimon Hounsou and Kimora Lee Simmons have officially separated after 5½ years. Though never married, they have one child together, Kenzo Lee Hounsou, who is 3½ years old.”

The actor didn’t give a reason for the split — because he doesn’t owe us all that —  but it makes me wonder whether those infidelity tales he disputed this summer were actually true.

Djimon, 48, and Kimora, who’s either 37 or 42 depending on the source (SMH), got together in 2007 while things were apparently on the rocks between her and Russell. Kimora didn’t file for divorce from her ex-husband until March of 2008 and their divorce was finalized the following January. In May of 2009, little Kenzo was born.

Disregarding the current messiness, I have to say I don’t expect news to get much juicier than it currently is when it comes to these two. From the outside looking in, Kimora and Russell have handled their breakup and co-parenting relationship quite well, with the father of Kimora’s two daughters even blending into Kimora’s new family with Djimon. I would expect she and the actor will be able to do the same raising their little boy apart. Best of luck!

Source: WENN

On almost a weekly basis we’ve been talking in the office about how we never see Kimora Lee Simmons and her husband Djimon Honsou out anymore. Lately you only see one or the other with their kids, which has only fueled rumors the two are headed for splitsville, and the Hollyscoop is claiming to have confirmation that divorce is right around the corner, but supposedly Kimora doesn’t know it.

“They’ve been done for months,” a source told Hollyscoop, “[Djimon's] planning on going public with the news this week.”

As of now, it’s unsure what the marital status of these two is. They were married in West Africa in summer of 2008 because Kimora’s divorce from Russell Simmons wasn’t finalized yet and they reportedly never got a marriage license in the U.S.

But an overseas marriage is still recognized as legit even if you don’t reside in the country where you actually got hitched.

The news from Hollyscoop’s anonymous source should obviously be taken with a grain of salt. Just this summer there were rumors these two were headed for divorce because Djmon had cheated on Kimora. The hubby of the Baby Fat creator took to his wife’s ex-husband’s website, Global Grind, to personally address the news, saying:

“It has come to my attention vicious lies and stories are being spread about myself and my family. I do not know, nor have I ever met this person. To that extent any and all claims are totally fabricated and for the press to be spreading these lies is irresponsible on their part. I am a man of integrity and would never betray my wife or my family.”

Sounds like we can expect another statement from Djimon this week, but whether he’ll be shutting down rumors or confirming them is a tossup. What do you think?

Source: lindaikeji.blogspot.com

The “should she or shouldn’t she take his last name” is a topic of constant debate. The majority of brides decide to take their husband’s last name or at least hyphenate. But when that marriage ends in divorce, then what? Is it weird when a woman keeps her married name after the couple calls it quits?

After a short-lived marriage, Usher Raymond and Tameka Raymond went through a highly publicized divorce and custody battle. The two were at each other’s throats in the courtroom and in social media. Though the couple’s marriage lasted less than two years (and they reportedly lived separately for an entire year in that time), Tameka still goes by “Tameka Raymond”. Some news outlets have begun referring to her as “Tameka Foster” despite no evidence that she has any intention on going back to her maiden name.

Is that weird though? Is it odd that she would keep a last name from a marriage that expired faster than a box of cereal?

I think so. Keeping that last name is a pretty clear indication of her desire to continue to reap any benefits that come from being married to Usher despite no longer being married to him. Of course, some will say, what about the kids? To which I say, what about the kids?  She has four kids by three different men, so the “same last name as my kids” thing doesn’t apply to her.

Of course Tameka is hardly the first divorced woman to raise eyebrows for keeping her ex-husband’s last name.

Last year, when NecoleBitchie.com asked Shaunie O’Neal why she kept “O’Neal” after the divorce, she said she kept it for the kids and because she “earned this name”. According to Webster: “earn” means to receive as return for effort and especially for work done or services rendered. So apparently, Shaunie that keeping “O’Neal” is worth something and she deserves whatever benefits come with that as a result of being married to him for seven years.

When Detroit Radio Station WJLB’s Morning Show asked Kimora Lee Simmons why she kept “Simmons” despite being remarried to Djimon Hounsou, she said:

“Oh my G-d! Cause then… I don’t know! Would my companies still be the same? Ive already been Kimora Lee Simmons for 10 years. I don’t know. Would you ask Ivana Trump that? When it comes to my brand, My brand is KLS (Kimora Lee Simmons). It would be hard to change it to KLH… I think professional the name remains the same, but in my personal life I am definitely a Hounsou… Russell doesn’t care. I worked as hard for that name as he did!”

Again, she feels she “earned” it and has no desire to drop it despite being remarried to another man.

There are countless other Hollywood exes who keep their famous husbands’ last name and some would agree they’ve “earned it” as well. Look no further than the show “Hollywood Exes” for example. Only Prince’s ex-wife Mayte Garcia is going by her maiden name and Sheree Fletcher has her new husband’s last name. Many had no idea that R. Kelly was even married but his ex-wife is indeed “Andrea Kelly”.

Regular women don’t always drop the former husband’s last name either — especially those who were married to their ex-husbands for a long time. It’s not always about wanting to remain associated with the ex, sometimes it’s about the fact that his last name is no longer just his, it’s also hers and it’s part of her identity. Also, some women keep their last name because it is the same last name as their child(ren). Still others have established themselves with a certain name and it can be an unnecessary hassle to change it.

When kids aren’t involved, or the person hasn’t established a career based on that name, sharing the ex-husband’s name can be strange — especially when the marriage wasn’t long in the first place. It’s even more bizarre when the ex-husband has married someone else. I have a friend on Facebook who unceremoniously left her husband after two years of marriage. Five years later she’s still got his last name and he’s re-married to another woman. Awkward.

We all have our own reasons for doing things though and just as it’s a personal choice when a woman decides to take her new husband’s name after marriage, it’s a personal choice when she decides to keep it or discard it after a divorce. When you marry, you vow to stay married til’ death and though people change and vows are broken, you can always opt to take that surname to the grave.

What do you think? Is it odd for a woman to keep her ex-husband’s last name? Would you (did you) keep your husband’s last name after a divorce?

Source: tvlistings.zap2it.com

Slowly but surely, reality television has dominated the airwaves, and we, viewers, have witnessed our fair share of relationships unfold and crumble under the sallow lights of television-fame. The constant exposure, desire to intrigue and need to create “authentic” moments often causes gigantic rifts between friendships and couples…even within iconic relationships. Jon & Kate, Britney Spears & Kevin Federline and Hulk & Linda Hogan have all fallen victim to the side effects of lime-light living, but they aren’t the only ones.

Diary Presents Brandy: Special Delivery: Brandy Norwood & Robert “Big Bert” Smith

usmagazine.com

The Grammy Award winning songstress, Brandy Norwood began her entertainment career as a 14-year old on the short-lived sitcom, “Thea” in 1993. Since, the actress/singer/dancer launched a successful singing career, which is where she has garnered the bulk of her success. While working on her third studio album, Full Moon, with Dark Child producer and composer Robert Smith, she became romantically involved with him, and eventually pregnant. In lieu of the pregnancy, the pop star and her “husband” decided to televise their love and home life on MTV’s Diary Presents Brandy: Special Delivery, where she documented the final months of pregnancy and birth of her daughter Sy’rai. Not long afterward, the two announced their separation, and later came clean about NEVER having been married in the first place. The nuptials were staged to help Brandy preserve her public image.

Source: Sister2Sistermagazine.com

On top of rumors that money troubles were breaking up Kimora Lee Simmons and Djimon Hounsou’s relationship, Kolo Boof—the Sudanese-Egyptian author and poet who claims she was Osama Bin Laden’s mistress—came out with allegations that she slept with Djimon to get back at Kimora and that’s the real reason the two are splitting.

Russell Simmons told us Kimora’s approach to silly rumors—ignore them and let them die—but when Kolo accused Djimon of being unfaithful, he had enough. In a statement on his wife’s ex-husband’s site, GlobalGrind.com, he shut down the rumors altogether, saying

“It has come to my attention vicious lies and stories are being spread about myself and my family. I do not know, nor have I ever met this person. To that extent any and all claims are totally fabricated and for the press to be spreading these lies is irresponsible on their part. I am a man of integrity and would never betray my wife or my family.”

The NY Daily News seems to be the only outlet giving Kola’s story unnecessary attention. In January and February she was going hard on Twitter, making comments about how she had sex with Djimon more than Kimora, and with an autobiography on the shelves it’s no wonder she’s looking for ways to be relevant. Luckily Djimon nipped that in the bud quickly, as he should have. It’s good to know not only are the couple’s finances intact, their relationship is too.

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