Source: Poptower.com

After “Basketball Wives” creator and executive producer Shaunie O’ Neal announced that she wouldn’t return to “Basketball Wives” for Season 5 unless three castmembers were cut, Kesha Nichols, Royce Reed, and Jennifer Williams all received pink slips. Now all of a sudden Shaunie is saying she was totally “blindsided” by the cut.

TMZ reports:

“Basketball Wives” star Shaunie O’Neal says it’s not her fault three cast members were axed … telling people she learned the news when everyone else did …

But Shaunie is telling friends, despite the accusations, the cuts were NOT made by her. Sources close to Shaunie tell TMZ she was blindsided by the news. Shaunie says the production company leaves her in the dark about everything after she butted heads with them over the violent direction the show was headed (i.e on-air brawls and cat-fights).

According to our sources, Shaunie is upset over the current situation and wants Shed Media (the production company) to know she is willing to walk away from the series if it becomes something she no longer believes in.

So, Shaunie expects us to believe that she had nothing to do with the cuts? Is Shaunie redefining the word “blindsided” to mean “not blindsided at all” the way her show has redefined “wife” to mean “not married to anyone”? Maybe Shaunie is saying that she was blindsided by who got cut — especially since many thought it would be Tami and Evelyn. Still, it is hard to believe that she isn’t exerting control over who is in and who is out.

Further, her threats about walking away from the show if it becomes something she no longer believes in doesn’t make sense. What could possibly happen now that would make her walk away considering she has stayed put despite what happened last season?

Shaunie trying to distance herself from the problems on that show is ridiculous considering she is the creator and executive producer. But I guess the reality show star’s finger pointing isn’t surprising considering she has already said: “I won’t take responsibility for what [the show] has turned into.” Clearly, she will place the responsibility on any and everyone else instead. Shaunie is hard to believe though because, like with this most recent backpedaling, it is evident she is all about the drama both on-screen and off.

Do you think Shaunie is really in the dark about “Basketball Wives?”

Alissa Henry is a freelance writer living in Columbus, OH. Follow her on Twitter @AlissaInPink or check out her blog This Cannot Be My Life

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From EurWeb.com 

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to the children of Niecy Nash.

Viewers get a huge weekly dose of her three children Dominic, Donielle, and Dia on TLC’s “Leave it to Niecy,” and it became quite apparent early in the season that funny runs in the family.

“Let me tell you something. I’m a funny girl, and I gave birth to what? Funny. I can’t help it,” says Nash. “It just is what it is, and my kids have been around my antics so long, it kind of rubs off a little bit. So when it comes to what you see, you only see what is really manifesting in our lives at the time.”

The reality series – which airs Sundays at 10 on TLC and reruns on OWN – so far has Niecy’s kids offering their dry wit on such activities as going unplugged for a weekend, eating healthy meals and participating in their mother’s new Christmas traditions.

“My house is full of antics, mayhem, foolishness, carrying on, cutting up, shucking and jiving, and I have that whether cameras are there or not,” says Nash. “Our youngest just had us up with her shenanigans and hijinks all night. So, it’s all the time, even off camera.”

For the complete story, visit EurWeb.com.

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Source: Zap 2 It

Ol’ Marty Mart is back. Last month we found out that CBS was toying around with two different scripts to bring Martin Lawrence back to prime time TV, and the network has officially given a pass to a new comedy project.

CBS scratched both of the initial ideas in favor of a pilot featuring Martin as a widowed father of two teens who loses his job as a construction worker and then attempts to enroll in the police academy at the seasoned age of 46. I wonder if Martin will dredge up a little bit of Otis the security guard from his ’90s show for this part.

Mike Lisbe and Nate Reger from “$#*! My Dad Says” will write and executive produce the untitled project so we can count on plenty of non-PC jokes, especially once Martin gets involved. Hope the pilot proves to be as funny as his show was back in the day.

What do you think about this plot, will it work?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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During her show today, Wendy Williams tearfully expressed her love for Whitney Houston and how painful her death over the weekend has been. Williams stated that after finding out, she shut down: turned off the TV, didn’t watch the Grammys, didn’t answer phone calls and tried to separate herself from all the coverage. For those who tuned into The Wendy Williams Show early on, you probably know that she was a huge Whitney fan and wanted her to appear on the show many times. But she pointed out that even though she knew Whitney would never show up, it was her own way of sending the troubled singer some love. That’s why her death has been so hard–and also why she doesn’t plan on talking about it again on the show.

In addition to expressing her love for Whitney as a fan and a fellow Jersey girl, Williams also opened up about the fact that they both have more than that in common. Wendy said she also struggled with drugs in the past and broke down while revealing the details: “It’s been almost 15 years since I last smoked from a crack pipe. It’s been almost 15 years since I waited on Jerome Avenue in the Bronx for my drugs. I’m not proud of the girl that I was, but without being that girl I wouldn’t be the woman I am today.”

That’s true folks! You can’t go back and change the mistakes you may have made in the past, but you can definitely use them to grow as a person and to help others do the same. While I have had my issues with her show from time to time, Williams’ admission is very commendable in the wake of Houston’s death, and I’m sure it will help others in their struggles. Check out what else Williams had to say about Whitney below and the hopes she had for the singer that were never fulfilled.

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I can’t get enough of Martin even though it’s been 15 years since the show went off the air (shout out to TV One for playing reruns). Thankfully, Comedian Martin Lawrence is expected to return to TV soon with a new sitcom on CBS.

The network is currently throwing around two different scripts for a show. In the first one, developed by “Bernie Mac” creator Larry Wilmore, Martin would play a single man who becomes a foster parent to several children along with his sister. Tom Hertz, the creator of “Rules of Engagement”  came up with a different plot where Martin would be a family man trying to keep his kids grounded while facing off with his wealthy in-laws.

The funny man known for characters like Sheneneh Jenkins and Jerome, signed a deal with CBS and CBS TV Studios last fall to develop a comedy project and a decision on which direction the network will go is expected in the coming weeks. Martin probably won’t have as much freedom on CBS as he did on Fox but I can’t wait to see if he’s as funny in his 40s as he was in his 20s. Maybe he can get Bruhman to make a cameo.

What do you think about Martin returning to primetime TV? Which sitcom would you prefer to see him in?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Beyonce’s talented but I don’t think she can be in two places at one time. Amidst reports that the singer has checked in to St. Luke’s Hospital and is ready to give birth to a baby girl Twitter followers have named Tiana May Carter (SMH), Ryan Seacrest has let it be known that “you will see Beyonce” on the Rockin’ New Year’s Eve special this year.

With Beyonce you never know what to expect.This could be a teleprompter appearance, she could reveal a new music video, she might even dance in pumps 6-9 months pregnant. Maybe she’ll give us the first glimpse of the baby, if she really already gave birth. The possibilities are truly endless.

With or without Beyonce, the 40th new year’s eve special promises not to disappoint with performances by Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. Guess we’ll just have to tune in to catch the big “midnight surprise.”

Do you plan on watching the new year’s eve special this year? What do you think Beyonce has planned?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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As much as we all try to be individuals, rep a certain set, or accessorize a sense of style, there are ties that bind us together into something collectively called the human condition. When you strip away the hypocrisies we build in order to maintain a sense of order and responsibility i.e. society, we’ve all got the same basic fears, desires and downright ludicrous habits.

This next list is a reminder of those quirky, sad, humorous and silly experiences that just about everyone can cosign.

The Kardashians 2.o? We at least hope not.

Three of Nelson Mandela’s granddaughters will have the chance to introduce themselves to the world via reality television soon, as the sisters, Swati Dlamini, and Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway, and their cousin, Dorothy Adjoa Amuah, are going to star in a reality series to air in the U.S. about their lives as prosperous, hard working South African women.  The women all range from ages 27-34. Producers are hoping to showcase the program on an American television station. The girls, all raised in Boston according to CNN, will have their personal and professional lives followed, you know, per the usual reality TV show. But what’s different about them and their series compared to other reality TV shows is that they claim and hope to be positive role models for women around the world. So don’t expect to see too much foolishness from Nelson Mandela’s grandbabies. Well, maybe just a little. You know reality shows don’t last without some kind of drama:

“We are exposing Africa for what it is … with a new middle class of intellectuals … contributing to the economy. We’re definitely not the African Kardashians,” said Amuah.

Another thing you shouldn’t really expect to see is Nelson, himself. While the family is supportive of the idea of the show for the three women, aside from a few cousins, their kids and spouses, they don’t plan on being involved. It is also unclear whether or not the show will be taped in South Africa or in the States, but either way, it sounds pretty interesting. Some people commenting about the plans seem to think that the women are using their grandfather’s name for something that could make a mockery of it. Do you think it’s that deep? Or is it just another harmless notch in the reality TV belt?