In an interview with Essence.com yesterday, producer Tracey Edmonds opened up about her new YouTube channel, Alright TV (for those really “hungry to be uplifted and inspired”), what films and shows she has in the works, and even talked about programs she’s working on with her boyfriend, Deion Sanders (*shudders*). But the most interesting reveal in the interview was not only her plans to bring us another Jumping The Broom (yay…?), but her also filling us in on that darn Basketball Wives movie she is working on with Shaunie O’Neal, which she says will be positive and uplifting. Good luck with that. Here are some of the highlights from the interview:

On working with her boo, Deion Sanders:

“He’s been wonderful. He’s one of the most positive people I know. On the network, Deion hosts Sports Dad where he comes to the rescue of sports-obsessed dads who are pushing their kids too hard. He’s also doing an inspirational blog. I met Deion through business and had a chance to see the wonderful man he is.”

On working with Issa Rae:

I love Issa Rae! We are doing a choir series with her to take a fun look at everything that happens in a church choir including relationships and choir competitions.

On creating opportunities for positive projects with Alright TV, that Basketball Wives movie in the works, and a Jumping The Broom 2…:

In all honesty, when I first started there were more opportunities for projects of color. There were at least seven distributors doing African-American films. Nowadays, it’s maybe two or three. That leaves fewer slots to get a film through and fewer opportunities to direct or produce. We are seeing the same with television. The good news is things are beginning to segue way online, which is global. A channel like Alright is reaching the entire world on YouTube and a wonderful opportunity to get positive images out to the world. There is a Jumping the Broom sequel in the works and I am also producing a Basketball Wives movie with Shaunie O’Neal. It’s not based on the show and is an uplifting story with a lot of twists.

Still not excited about the prospect of a Basketball Wives movie, nor a Jumping The Broom 2. But I’m all for black folks creating new things and having the ability to do so. Do your thing Tracey!

But speaking of Basketball Wives, there are swirling reports that Basketball Wives LA is getting the axe after the second season’s bad ratings. But if you’re still watching that mess, the Miami version will allegedly be back in August.

Check out Tracey’s full interview at Essence.com.

Source:(s) WENN, KenyaBell.com

Shaunie O’Neal and VH1 representatives promised that “Basketball Wives” would be turning over a new leaf for season five of the show. They claimed that they would be cutting back on “excessive physical confrontations” and so on during last season’s reunion show, after disgusted fans threatened to boycott. Even the show’s resident fist throwers, Evelyn Lozada and Tami Roman promised to do better. Unfortunately, it seems that all of the cast members didn’t receive this memo. According to TMZ, Suzie Ketcham and Kenya Bell got into a plate-hurling, fist-throwing fight at an L.A. restaurant during filming of the show last week.

It hasn’t been revealed exactly what led up to the fight, but it’s being reported that things got completely of hand when Suzie and Kenya found themselves in a heated word exchange. According to sources, although Kenya was supposedly removed from the cast last year when VH1 was handing out pink slips, she was temporarily brought  back into the mix so that her issues with Suzie could be settled.

At first, the altercation was limited to simple bickering, then Suzie took things a step further and threw a plate of meatballs on Kenya. Of course, Kenya reacted to the assault. Sources say that Kenya immediately went after Suzie and punches were thrown. VH1 producers had to intervene, prying Suzie and Kenya apart. If you’re wondering whether or not other cast members were present during the showdown, the answer is yes. Ironically, when the fight appeared to be escalating, sources say that Evelyn and Tami got up and walked away, claiming they wanted no parts of the drama.

Although I can’t say for sure, something tells me Tami and Ev may have had some sort of hand instigating the confrontation. I suppose we will have to wait and see, as sources also say that the fight will be shown during the upcoming season of the show. The “Basketball Wives” franchise honestly seems like it’s on its last leg. I hope the ladies have some other gigs lined up.

What are your thoughts on this? Will you be tuning in for season 5 or are you completely done with the show?

Source: WENN, Michael Wright

Many were unsure of what the storyline for the upcoming season of “Basketball Wives” would actually consist of, considering that the majority of last season’s cast received the axe, leaving Tami Roman, Evelyn Lozada, Shaunie O’Neal, Susie Ketcham and Kenya Bell as the remaining cast members. Especially since there has been no official word on who the newly added cast members will be. A few months ago, Tami revealed to CocoaFab that the upcoming season would be less dramafied and more family oriented; however, in a recent interview, the mom-of-two expressed that viewers may be shocked to see that she was somewhat at odds with fellow “circle member”, Shaunie.

“I have always been a person that is going to speak my mind and say exactly how I feel. For the first time, I actually have a little to say to Ms. Shaunie O’neal. So, that’s going to be quite interesting for the people to see,” she expressed to Tania On The Scene.

She didn’t imply exactly what the nature of her beef was. I suppose we’re expected to tune in and find out. But, considering that Shaunie and Tami appeared to be as thick as thieves since Tami joined the cast during season two, it would be interesting to see what could possibly have Tami so up in arms. Clearly, she felt slighted by Shaunie in some way.

I can’t really see Tami and Shaunie having issues with one another that are so intense they can’t be resolved. But then again, Evelyn and Jen flipped on one another, so anything is possible. Has “the circle” gotten so small that the core members can’t even get along with one another?

Check out a video clip of Tami’s interview on the following page. What do you make of Tami’s implication that there is tension between her and Shaunie? 

Source: WENN

Despite Royce not being included in the upcoming season of Basketball Wives, she hasn’t allowed this “minor” detail to hinder her ability to fire shots at her former cast mates. In her latest Twitter rant, the former Basketball Wives star calls out Evelyn Lozada for talking trash about her and attempts to thrash Shaunie O’neal, by co-signing on Gloria and Laura Govan’s claims that Shaunie is doing some serious fronting and that she is in fact not the original creator of the Basketball Wives franchise.

While we’re not exactly sure what Royce is claiming Evelyn said about her, whatever it is, she seems to be fighting mad about it.

“Still tryna figure out y @EvelynLozada keeps my name n her mouth if I’m so irrelevant?” she tweeted.

“U stopped filming w/me bcuz I punk’d ur a**,” she continued, alluding to the rumor that she was cut from the show’s cast because Shaunie and Evelyn refused to film with her.

“I’m also not 1 2stay quiet 4 too long whn u keep talkin ish! Period!” she wrote seeming to have reached some sort of breaking point.

Royce didn’t stop there though. I guess she figured while she was handing out licks, she may as well as get at everyone. Next on her list was Shaunie O’neal. She pulled no punches as she hopped on the bandwagon  where folks are claiming that Shaunie is merely a puppet and not the original creator of the Basketball Wives franchise.

“Had 2 say it. Also Tom Huffman is the idea behind Basketball Wives. NOT Shaunie O’neal. She turned it dwn 4 Love Shaq that nvr aired.”

While the Govan sisters made claim that Shanuie wasn’t responsible for Basketball Wives: LA, everyone pretty much assumed that Shaunie was behind the franchise as a whole, but now Royce seems to be ringing the alarm on that as well. It’s hard to tell whether or not Royce’s claims are accurate or if she’s just a disgruntled ex-employee, but I can’t see Royce confirming anything that comes out of Gloria’s mouth unless it were true, considering that the two became sworn enemies during season one of the show.

What do you think of Royce’s angry Twitter rant?

Jazmine Denise is a news writer for madamenoire.com. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise

While you were playing Dominoes (aka, Bones) with your family or trying to keep folks from getting too crunk off of alcohol in your home, Shaunie O’Neal was with her own family, and found the time to post a picture of her family holiday photo on Instagram. In her long red gown and fab hair, she stood amongst her five children (she does NOT look like someone who popped out five babies by the way) on the stairs of their home as they all tried to give fierce to the camera in their nicest holiday attire. The children of Shaunie and Shaquille O’Neal are definitely used to being in front of the camera, as they’ve done numerous magazine spreads with mom, and even appeared on “Basketball Wives,” so this shoot was clearly a piece of cake.

The young man in the hat at the bottom of the stairs is Shareef, then going up the stairs is Myles (Shaunie’s son from a previous relationship), Amirah, Shaquir and Me’arah. I think I was expecting her and the kids to have your average, ordinary, smiley holiday photo, but this particular image gives off a Kardashian-esque vibe to me. However, the kids are too fresh and cool for school, and mom is giving us the diva look and she had better work it! What do you think of the picture?

Source: WENN

I mentioned in my roundup of knowledge shared during part one of the Basketball Wives LA reunion last night that Gloria Govan got a little full of herself and starting yapping away about how there would be no show if she and Laura didn’t come to LA and agree to be a part of the series. Knowing that Shaunie O’Neal is the, term used loosely, brains behind the entire Wives franchise, I’m sure a lot of people were looking at Gloria like, girl, stop playing yourself. And it appears two of those such people were Shanie and her sidekick Evelyn Lozada, or is the other way around?

While getting into last night’s drama, the two made sure to correct Gloria’s fallacy, with Evelyn stating:

Shaunie then jumped in with a retweet and:

We already know the Govan sisters are no friends of Evelyn and Shaunie’s so this isn’t a complete surprise, but the truth is no one is really winning taking credit for this show. If Shaunie’s the reason for the spinoff, why are you employing your man’s sidepiece (Laura)? And if Gloria is the one who should be taking credit, how is it you get the least camera time and have been reportedly fired? It just doesn’t look good either way. My main reaction to this response, though, has already been captured by one tweeter who told Evelyn:

I see @IyanlaVanzant needs to go in on @EvelynLozada again! She still hasn’t learned

Word. She might wanna mind her own Basketball Wives business.

Is Gloria talking out the side of her neck claiming to be the reason for the LA spinoff or is she kind of right?

Source: WENN

Gloria Govan still isn’t over Shaunie O’Neal’s Twitter trash talking about cutting the cast of Basketball Wives LA. During a recent interview with Just Jonesy, the former Miami basketball wife and supposed star of the LA spinoff pretty much pulled Shaunie’s producer card, suggesting she’s all talk and no action when it comes to cutting people from the cast because she basically has no control over her show at all — as expected.

Here’s what she said:

 Shaunie “created” the show, so she’s just kind of been thrown on as executive producer for anything basketball wives, football wives…that’s her thing.

It’s kind of funny that she’s says that because I’m like, really, if you were an active producer on the show would you really have my sister of all people on the show? If I didn’t like you I’m not going to put you on my show.

Confused? The story behind that is Laura was basically sleeping with Shaq while Shaq was married to Shaunie. So yeah, who would willingly give their ex-husbands sidepiece a paycheck?  Nobody I Know. Perhaps Shaunie should stop throwing out that producer card like it’s a badge of honor, or power rather, because it does make her look like a misguided pimp. Or hot ghetto mess as she said during her heart-to-heart with her pastor during the last episode of season 4.

Gloria did let on that she knows for sure there will be changes to the cast however, even if they aren’t Shaunie’s doing. The newlywed who married longtime boyfriend Matt Barnes over the summer claimed she wouldn’t be back for the next season — if there is a next season — telling Just Jonesy:

I feel like I’m kind of moving on, not to bigger things but just different stuff.

Good luck with that… see ya next season.

Check out the video from Gloria’s interview on the next page. What do you think about what she said about Shaunie? Do you think she really won’t be back?

WENN

If this year has taught us anything, it’s this my friends: Box braids/Poetic Justice braids/ Patra braids are back! Woohoo! For those of us out in these streets looking to whip some hair that’s not itchy and will help us protect our strands from harsh weather (if you don’t get them too tight, they should protect your hair in general), the return of box braids has been welcomed with open arms. Especially by the African women who sit on 125th street in Harlem looking to put some braids on a fro they assume you want to hide. And while we love box braids here at MN, so do the celebs. From the ones who made the look hot years and years ago to the ones trying to keep it hot in the present, they’re everywhere. But who is rocking them right and who isn’t? Let’s take a look!

Source: Blog.VH1

I find it sort of comical that the women whose antics sparked a mass protest against “Basketball Wives” last season and almost got the show kicked off the air due to online petitioning are now trying to demand more money to be apart of the series but TMZ says that’s what’s happening on the BBW set. According to the site, although filming for season 5 has started, Shaunie O’Neal, Evelyn Lozada, Tami Roman, and Suzie Ketcham don’t have locked contracts so unless they get the cash money they’re asking for, they claim they’ll walk.

TMZ reports:

According to our sources, the “Wives” are in the process of renegotiating their contracts and they all want major pay raises, claiming the show does quite well for the network.

Our sources say VH1 is refusing to pony up more cash. We’re told before filming started, execs made it clear that salary increases would not happen and if any cast member had a problem with that … they could be replaced.

Despite the deadlock, we’re told production schedules were sent out and the girls began filming in hopes a deal would be worked out shortly. So far, a deal has not been reached and neither side is budging … so we’re told the “Wives” are planning to walk out next week if VH1 can’t agree to the terms.

I wonder if Evelyn forgets her and Ochocinco’s shenanigans actually cost the network money when their spinoff “Ocho & Ev” was cancelled a mere weeks before it was to air. Granted, people probably can’t wait to catch up with her on BBW5 and see how all that boohooing on “Iyanla Fix My Life” translates but I highly doubt she, Tami, or Shaunie are really going anywhere. Shaunie may have alimony and child support to fall back on but Tami and Evelyn know where their bread and butter comes from. They might as well ride this train out as long as they can because interest in them probably won’t last too much longer. What do you think?

Source: WENN

Man I don’t know what it is about the Govan women, but rumors of infidelity always seem to stick to them like flies to a horse… (excuse me). Our friends over at The YBF got the inside scoop on the “Basketball Wives LA” reunion show taping, which took place over the weekend and let’s just say, the newlywed Mrs. Govan-Barnes wasn’t depicted in the most  flattering light.

The way it’s being reported, Malaysia Pargo’s BFF and aspiring rapper, Bambi is the one who started pulling cards and attempted to expose Gloria for being a bit on the promiscuous side. In an effort to prove that she wasn’t just pulling these accusations out thin air, Bambi proceeded to expound on her “credibility,” stating that she “knows people in the hood” and that Govan is loving the crew and  has been rolling around in the sheets with multiple members of Black Wall Street, which is a Los Angeles based record label whom rapper The Game happens to be a part of.

If you remember back when Glo and Matt broke up back in 2011, Matt claimed that the reason the two split was because of Gloria’s infidelity. Barnes’ accusations were followed up by cryptic tweets from The Game, which many felt were an indicator that he was the guy Govan had been caught cheating with. Considering what has gone down in the past, these new accusations don’t look so good Gloria. It is reported that Bambi was relentless calling the mom of two  a “straight Wh*r*”.

What is most interesting about this entire exchange is that mouth-all-mighty-tounge-everlasting Gloria who always seems to have something to say about everything under the sun simply responded with, “True or not True….I’m in love with Matt and nothing else matters.” There could be some validity to Bambi’s statements or she could be pulling a Nia Crooks and trying to make a an impact so that producers may consider taking her from a mere accessory character to a main character. Who knows?

Unfortunately for Gloria this wasn’t the only rumor making its way around the reunion set. According to The YBF, word on the street is that Gloria is also rumored to have allegedly been sleeping with her sister Laura’s fiance’, Gilbert Arenas, before the two hooked up and that is ultimately what put the strain on the sisters’ relationship that we witnessed this season.

One can only hope that these rumors are not true.

Jazmine Denise is a news writer for madamenoire.com. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise.