Well this is a pair we NEVER would have thought we’d see all buddy buddy. Not Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, but their characters of Miss Sophia from The Color Purple and Mabel “Madea” Simmons, of course. But it kind of makes sense. they’re both feisty “women,” they speak out about whatever is on their mind, and if a fool steps up, they can prepare to get BEAT DOWN.

Through his Twitter page, Perry tweeted this surprising photo/blast from the past with the caption, “Madea meets Sophia tomorrow. You don’t want to miss this.” Not 100 percent sure what these two have up their sleeves, but with Winfrey allowing Perry to bring new sitcoms to her OWN network this year, this could be anything from a guest appearance on one of them, to a promotional video, to just two rich people with time on their hands having some fun. Either way, it’s creepy and interesting all at the same time. So how would you caption this colorful photo of these two?

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It hasn’t been an easy transition for Oprah Winfrey. Since ending her uber-popular syndicated talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show to focus on her own network, OWN, and magazine, her ratings and popularity has waned a bit. But according to the new Forbes list of 2013’s Most Influential Celebrities, Ms. O is still the most influential celebrity in America.

To create their list, Forbes turned to E-Poll Market Research, which ranks more than 7,500 celebrities on 46 different personality attributes based on their polling data of Americans. The E-Poll Research found that 48 percent of the people surveyed rated Winfrey as influential. And things are seeming to turn around for the OWN network, with ratings that are creeping up thanks to big “get” interviews, such as Lance Armstrong who confessed to Winfrey about his drug use. The two-part show drew 28 million viewers around the world.

Steven Spielberg came in second on the list with an influential rating of 47 percent. Spielberg is just one of four directors in the top five. The others are Martin Scorsese (third), Ron Howard (fourth), and George Lucas (fifth), reports Forbes.

From TMZ

Making love to Oprah Winfrey is a life-changing experience … so says Terrence Howard, who claims the best part about doing a sex scene with the Big O in their upcoming movie was her “tig ol’ bitties.”

Seriously, Terrence said that in a recent interview with Movie Fanatic, in which he talks about his and Oprah’s love-making scene in “The Butler,” slated for release later this year.

Read more at TMZ.com.

Oprah walks the red carpet at the 6th Annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon, where she was honored. Andreas Branch/Patrick McMullan/Sipa USA (Sipa via AP Images)

Oprah Winfrey has been chosen as the commencement speaker for this year’s Harvard graduation, the prestigious university’s 362nd commencement ceremony.

Citing her many business endeavors and philanthropic efforts — her book club, talk show, and push to pass the “Oprah Bill” creating a national database of child abusers — the school’s Harvard Gazette says her work makes her a compelling guest.

“She has used her extraordinary influence and reach as a force for good in the world, with a constant focus on the importance of educational opportunity and the virtues of serving others,” Harvard President Drew Faust said.

Harvard’s graduation ceremony will be held on May 30. On that day, Oprah will also make an appearance at the school’s alumni association annual meeting.

Oprah is just one of the many esteemed guest speakers appearing at graduation ceremonies at colleges and universities around the country. It was announced a couple of weeks ago that President Obama will be making the commencement address at Morehouse in May.

Source: WENN

Oprah’s Master Class will be kicking off its third season Sunday, March 3rd with 14-time Grammy Award-winning singer, Alicia Keys. According to the show’s website, during the special Alicia will be discussing lessons that she has learned over the years about pursuing her passions, motherhood and marriage.

During a 30-second preview of the season premiere, the “Girl On Fire” singer can be heard describing the troubled Harlem neighborhood that she grew up in and her swift rise to fame.

“Literally, I was running from pimps and prostitutes, to boom- I was on the Oprah show.”

It also appears that she will touch on some of the shady dealings of the music industry and her negative experiences with them.

“You’re meeting people who are lying to you to get whatever they want out of you,” said the newly appointed global creative director of Blackberry during the clip.

She seems to be tackling some family demons during the upcoming episode as well.

“I realize that the only person that gets hurt from all of this anger is me,” she says of what appears to be familial drama.

The episode will premiere on the OWN network this Sunday at 10/9 c. While most appear to be completely over hearing about her relationship with Swizz Beatz, viewers may find the story of her childhood and rise to fame particularly interesting.

Watch the preview on the next page. Will you be checking out Alicia on Oprah’s Master Class this Sunday?

Source: Shutterstock

Relationships can be tough. Realizing who to take that next step and build a lasting marriage with can be even tougher. We women want our prince charming and we want him to need us as much as we need him. And in this era, needs aren’t based around the emotional or physical so much as the cha-ching! I was at a get-together with a few of my girlfriends the other night and each of them made a list of the 5 things the man they’d marry needs to have: A good job and money were the top 2 things on each list.

Now let me be the first to say a woman should look for a goal-orientated man with something to offer, but I have to be honest, only three out of the seven friends who asked for this had a decent job/career of their own. The others? Well let’s just say they’re still trying to find themselves. Me, on the other hand, I’ve been on the opposite end of the spectrum, involved in more than one situation where my contribution to a man was way more than his contribution to me.

So where can we find the balance ladies? How can we look for prince charming without putting too much significance on his pockets? Or be an independent woman without playing someone’s mama? When we don’t want to be gold diggers (although it is important to have a man who can provide) and we don’t want to be sugar mamas (although we want to provide for the one we love as well), where can we find the happy medium? The balance all lies in building together, not what you came into the relationship with but what you  both plan to achieve in the union. Here are a few inspiring couples who show us just where the healthy balance lies:

Source: WENN

From TMZ

Whitney Houston’s brother says HE’S to blame for introducing the singer to drugs like crack coke back in the ’80s … not Bobby Brown … and last night he came clean to Oprah.

Michael Houston sat down with his mother Cissy and spilled his guts to Her Royal O-ness on “Oprah’s Next Chapter” … admitting he was the first person who did drugs with Whitney.

Read more at TMZ.com.

Credit: Shutterstock

From Black Voices

Oprah has scored a host of big interviews. Along with her epic interviews with the Kardashian family and infamous bad girl Rihanna, she also managed to get a monumental admission out of embattled cyclist Lance Armstrong and even spoke to rapper LL Cool J about his childhood abuse.

Now the media mogul has lined up another exclusive interview for her show “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” with Whitney Houston’s mother Cissy Houston. Nearly a year after her daughter’s death, the superstar’s mother opens up about raising Whitney, her drug use and relationships.

Read more at BlackVoices.com.

Credit: WENN

From Hello Beautiful

Before Lance Armstrong admitted to using illegal enhancement drugs, his accomplishments seemed superhuman. Then again, something as relatively simple as riding a bike would seem amazing after being diagnosed with stage three testicular cancer. Armstrong, was given a 40 percent chance at living then went on to win the Tour De France five consecutive times. His story, the things dreams are made of, was just too inspiring to question. No one assumed he was taking steroids.

A 2012 investigation turned up results that proved our obliviousness wrong and devastated/ended the prized athlete’s career. The Illegal enhancements blood-booster EPO and steroids were found in his system. The USADA also revealed that Armstrong received blood transfusions dating back to 1996.

Armstrong vehemently denied the allegations…until he sat down with Oprah! “I will start my answer by saying this is too late. It’s too late for probably most people. And that’s my fault. I view this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times. It wasn’t as if I said no and I moved off it,” he confessed during the dialogue.

Read more at HelloBeautiful.com.

Oprah with Dave Letterman, who recently appeared on “Oprah’s Next Chapter.” AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Oprah’s OWN has announced that 2012 saw year-over-year ratings gains, with primetime ratings for women ages 25 to 54 up 32 percent and total day ratings up 44 percent for all viewers. Ms. Winfrey’s own series, Oprah’s Next Chapter, featuring interviews with celebrities will also continue, with upcoming episodes featuring Drew Barrymore, LL Cool J, and Whitney Houston’s mother Cissy Houston.

“All of these new programs reflect the best of the human spirit.  From the funny to the dramatic, we are always shooting for to-the-bone real,” said Sheri Salata, president of OWN, in a statement about the new programs. “Whether it’s Oprah’s in-depth conversations with celebrities and newsmakers, or our new scripted programming from Tyler Perry, the people and characters in these shows share experiences and life stories in relatable and authentic ways.”

Tyler Perry will join the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2013, as OWN and parent company Discovery Communications announced six new series that will debut on the network this year.

Perry’s one-hour drama The Haves and the Have-Nots will follow a wealthy family, and the family of their housekeeper, while his half-hour comedy Love Thy Neighbor will tell the stories of the friends and neighbors who spend time at Love’s Diner.

The other shows announced by the network are Blackboard Wars, which follows the transformation of New Orleans’ John McDonogh High School; Golden Sisters, a reality show following the trio of senior sisters who became famous after a video of them watching a celebrity sex tape went viral; Raising Whitley, the story of a comedienne who raises a baby with the help of her friends; and Dogfellas, the story of former street enforcer James “Head” Guiliani, who opened a dog grooming business in Brooklyn.

Are you watching?