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One thing we know for sure, or hope to be true: It’s never too late to learn a lesson. In this case, Miss “Queen of the Runway” has come to realize that liquor has been the root of almost all of her problems.

Well, that’s what she wants us to believe.  Naomi Campbell told Life & Style magazine that she’s convinced that alcohol is the reason she’s been so miserable for so long and has acted out, according to SF Gate. In the interview, she says:

“If people think they know me, they can think again. Most people think they know me because they say, ‘We’ve seen your pictures here and there for years,’ but when I’m not working or anything, I try to live a private, quiet life…

“I gave up drinking alcohol. Not drinking makes me a lot happier.”

Now, if any of you have had the unfortunate circumstance of dealing with someone who suffers from alcohol abuse, then you know that it does make you do things you may not ordinarily do if your head was a bit clearer. Campbell, however, isn’t admitting to any alcohol abuse – she’s just saying that she stopped because it wasn’t helping her at all.

I wonder if any of the people who were victims of her tirades, 10 documented cases between 1998 and 2008, can find it in their hearts to forgive her for her actions since the blame should be placed on “the Goose” or “the Henny.”  Let’s be honest: she settled most of those cases out of court so all was probably “forgiven” when the checks cleared.

These days, Naomi is spending her days traveling the world. Her billionaire boyfriend, Vladisdav Doronin, has bought her multiple homes around the world and they’re often photographed aboard his yacht.

Ah yes, life must be good.

As much as we know about Naomi Campbell, from the diva status she has incurred over the years, to her penchant for violence in the past, if she were an everyday sista that lived around the corner from you, you would probably not have very many nice things to say about ‘ol girl. But there’s something so awesome about Naomi Campbell when she steps in front of a camera that makes you forget all about her past drama, at least for a second, and say, “Now THAT’S a bad chick!” And at 42? To look this fabulous, you have to give the woman props, whether you’re a fan of her or not.

The iconic model sat down with ELLE magazine’s Mickey Rapkin to talk about her new reality TV show, The Face, her admiration of Tyra Banks (any other opinions about her she’s learned to keep to herself), and her hope to move forward from the negative rep she has due to past anger issues.

The Face, which will premiere on Oxygen (the same channel which is working so hard for Shawty Lo and his 11 baby mothers), is set to jump in the fashion and modeling reality TV ring, bringing in some of fashion’s biggest names right now, including Campbell, model Coca Rocha, and Karolina Kurkova. While always looked at as a diva, Campbell wants people to know that the show is about mentoring up-and-coming models so that they can compete against one another for a modeling contract. Clearly these young women will be learning from the best. When asked why she wanted to take part in the program, Na Na had this to say:

“Because it was done for me! When I first got Yves Saint Laurent Couture, I didn’t know how to take off a cape. I would ask Katoucha and Dalma—the real divas of the runway—‘Can you show me?’ I’ve never been afraid to ask for help. I care for my girls. Every single one of them. I’m not here to put anyone down.”

Campbell also talked about the other modeling reality shows that are out, and when that conversation came up, she shut down any questions about Tyra Banks before they could be asked (the author pointed out that she never asked her anything about her formal rival). Coincidentally, she’s working with Nigel Barker on the show, who used to be a judge on America’s Next Top Model:

“I don’t watch the other reality model shows. I’ll never have anything to say. If you ask me about Tyra Banks. I’m proud of her as a woman of color. She’s given girls opportunity, and God bless her.”

And as for her cell-slinging past, Naomi acknowledges that she made a mistake and would like to move forward, however, she like most people, knows that it’s something that’s going to affect the way people look at her from now on, no matter what she tries to do to get past it.

“I’m never gonna get away from it. It’s part of my history. I was remorseful and regretful. I’ve served. I did that time. And I never want to be in that position again.”

You can actually check out the full interview where Campbell talks about the blood diamond scandal people tried to pull her in (she allegedly accepted diamonds from the former president of Liberia), as well as her bucket list, inspired by the likes of the late Alexander McQueen. Also, check out more fierce photos from her ELLE shoot on the next piz-age.

WENN.com

Clearly, neither Naomi, her boyfriend nor his wife are concerned about their arrangement.  Those of us who follow celebrity culture are the only ones still scratching our heads about it. Meanwhile, Naomi has just nabbed her third house from her boo.

According to Gizmodo, Naomi’s billionaire boyfriend, Vladislav Doronin, commissioned  architect Zaha Hadid to create the spaceship, Jetsons-like mansion for his current lady love. This will be a 28, 524 square foot mansion that will also have two 65 foot towers (presumably, they’ll be bedrooms) that will overlook trees and valleys and all types of greenery. Where’s the house located? Moscow, of course. It should come as no surprise that the mansion is being built overseas; the penthouse he bought her is in Brazil and the “Eye of Horus” mansion he had built for her is in Turkey.  I suppose she can buy her own domestic homes.

I don’t think we’ll ever know the true nature of their relationship or Vladislav’s relationship with his wife but he has no problem going to red carpet events with Naomi and openly spending big bucks on her.

Check out more pictures at Gizmodo.

Do you think, if people on the outside looking in had no problems with it, you’d date a married man? Not just any married man; would you date a financially loaded married man?

Mr. Blue/WENN.com

She maybe a now legendary supermodel but that has never, EVER stopped anyone from talking about Trya’s huge forehead.

Well, ABC is now ready to give Tyra and her forehead some shine. They’ve accepted a scripted comedy co-created by Tyra and Kenya Barris called Fivehead (the “street” name for an unusually big forehead).  The show will be based on all the jokes and her life growing up as a teenager with a…fivehead. She said, “In high school, if you have glasses, you’re a ‘four eyes’, if you have braces, you’re a ‘metal mouth’ but if you had my forehead? You’re a FIVEHEAD.” Well, I can’t say that she’s wrong in that assessment.  From the description, it seems as though it will sort of follow the direction of Everybody Hates Chris.

Barris and Banks will create the characters together and then Barris will write the script. Barris has worked with Tyra on many projects, including America’s Next Top Model.  They’ve also been friends since since they were kids and went to school together so its only right he play a huge part in the creation of the show.

I’m so not mad at Tyra for this! When you see an opening or a lane, you have to go for what you know. But ABC is notorious for canceling shows if they don’t do big numbers the first week so I hope it’ll be good.

Source

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honeygerman.com

In the world of entertainment, relationships just seem to go downhill left and right.  Some end with very clear reasoning and some we’re left pondering…why?!  Of course, no one owes the public any explanation but on this day, I declare that we need to know why the couples on the next pages couldn’t make it last!

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Although the fashion industry continues to be dominated by Anglo-Saxon ideals of beauty, these seven black fashionistas turned the industry on its head. Displaying the splendor of diversity in color and size, they broke racial barriers and used their modeling and fashion platforms to pursue other business opportunities, support their favorite causes and open the world’s eyes to the beauty of black women.

Image: Style.com

Donyale Luna

Donyale Luna was the first black cover girl. Born Peggy Ann Freeman in 1945, this Detroit native enjoyed success in front of both still and motion cameras. In 1965, her sketch was featured on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar.  The following year, Luna became the first black model to be featured on the cover of Vogue; it was the British version of the magazine.

The New York Times proclaimed 1966 “The Luna Year” and stated that at the age of 20, she was the hottest model in Europe. She appeared in several Andy Warhol movies, starred in an Otto Preminger movie alongside Groucho Marx, and was the title character in Salome, an Italian movie made in 1972.  The Sunday Times Magazine of London, described Luna as “the completely new image of the Negro woman. Fashion finds itself in an instrumental position for changing history, however slightly, for it is about to bring out into the open the veneration, the adoration, the idolization of the Negro.”

Source: afterelton.com

I remember the first time I saw Grace Jones. It was 1984-ish and I was watching Conan the Destroyer when Zula the lady warrior literally graced the scene twirling around a huge spear. I remember thinking, and quite possibly verbalizing, “Who the heck is this tall Amazonian looking woman with dark piercing eyes and a high top fade?” At the age of seven, I didn’t know what to make of her beyond being shocked and a little scared.  But now as an adult, I marvel in her awesomeness.

I can imagine that like most people from my generation – the generation that thought beauty only existed in glammed up Divas – it took some time to appreciate the incredible, stunning and powerful artistry that is Grace Jones. Some probably still don’t. But for most, she is hard to ignore. Standing at 5 feet 10 and half inches, she not only towers over most folks but her lean, sleek and dark physique gives her a certain ferocity – like a black panther.

Jones was Lady Gaga when Gaga was just some ole’ regular chick named Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. She was treacherous snarling and climbing around in cages long before Nikki Minaj was calling women stupid ho*s. Jones had been a style icon for decades prior to Beyonce reaching her Destiny – Child.  She was both daring and willing to speak truth before Madonna could figure out what to name her risque coffee table book. She screamed more nonsensical Isht on tracks than Kelis could ever think of. And she was butt-naked on magazines and in videos long before Rihanna reached puberty. Yes, Jones is the original archetype for all of the modern day pop Divas combined. And she still continues to ride in a lane of her own making.

The daughter of an apostolic preacher and seamstress mother, the Jamaican-born Jones, formally known as Grace Mendoza, burst onto the scene around the mid ’70s. In an interview with British late night talk show host Ryan Tubridy, Jones said that she attributed her quirkiness to her religious background. And it was that the desire to burst free from her religious background which led her to abandon her dreams of being a Spanish teacher for theatre and modeling in both New York and in Paris. She got her first record deal in 1977, which resulted in a number of disco hits, mostly popular in the gay and underground club scene. However it would be her 1981 classic, yet risque track “Pull up to the Bumper,” which would propel Jones into the gaze of the mainstream.

Source: Wire Image from the Telegraph.co.uk

Well, well, well. Look at what we have here. Rohan Marley, son of Reggae legend Bob Marley and infamous baby daddy to Lauryn Hill’s five children, is finally settling down with Brazilian supermodel Isabeli Fontana. After dating since October 2011, the couple recently got engaged and plan to marry in Ethiopia. They’ve yet to set a wedding date but Fontana told the Brazilian newspaper, Terra, ”Rohan told me that we must return to their origins so that the marriage will last forever.”

That’s interesting.

Honestly, I‘m not here to judge Rohan and his new fiancé…harshly. But I really do have one very important question. Why after dating Fontana for less than a year is Marley so ready to make it official when he and Lauryn, who were together for fifteen, were supposed to get married and have five children together, never made it down the aisle?

And before some of you start making assumptions, this really isn’t a racial thing, for me. And I hope it’s not for Marley either. If anything it’s more about being a man of honor, staying true to your word and doing right by your children. If you believe in the institution of marriage in the first place, and clearly Rohan does considering he took a good minute to divorce his first wife, then why continue to have children with a woman you have no intention of marrying? And that one’s directed at both Rohan and Lauryn too. Sometimes you have to get real with yourself.

*Sigh* I could ask questions all day but really it’s none of my business. I’ll never understand the dynamics of Rohan and Lauryn’s relationship. It’s different and unorthodox. I do hope though, that since Lauryn has had a child with another man, that the both of them have moved on from the romantic element of that relationship because we know those five children will always tie them together.

What do you think about Rohan’s engagement announcement? Do you think he’ll actually get married this time?

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Source: Avenue Insider

Thanks to Beyonce, we typically only think about women upgrading men these days and depending on how much you’re willing to invest in a little DIY man project, this is either well worth the effort or a big no-no.

When we talk about men upgrading women, we think of calculated moves, like golddiggers trying to trap celebrities and pro athletes. Although on the other end of the spectrum there’s the Cinderella stories of the average woman sweeping some billionaire off his feet and suddenly not having to lift a finger for the rest of her life—think Jennifer Lopez in Maid in Manhattan. But as enticing as the idea of a financial come up accompanying true love appears in the movies, Tyson Beckford’s recent comments on his regular-girl-turned-supermodel girlfriend are a quick snap back to reality.

The Evening Standard caught up with Tyson to see what the 41-year-old who’s fallen off of the supermodel radar for a while now has been up to and he said some interesting words about his girlfriend, Australian model Shanina Shaik, who has walked for some of the biggest brands in the industry from Victoria’s Secret, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, and L’Wren Scott. Ironically, as Tyson talked about trying to warn his girlfriend that the fashion industry can be “ugly, mean and shallow,” he said this about her:

“When I found her she was a regular girl. I helped place her with the right people, get her teeth cleaned, her body toned up. Everything changed and now everyone wants a piece of her.

“I hear people say, ‘You can do better than Tyson.’ I’m like, ‘Really? Really?! I created her!’?”

While I get what Tyson is trying to say about people hating on their relationship, he might want to chill on the whole “I created her” attitude. You got her teeth cleaned and hired a personal trainer, what is this MTV’s “Made?” And who tells that? If my man had to do those things for me, I certainly wouldn’t want him bragging about it to a national publication and then trying to act like I can’t go anywhere else because I would just go back to being a “regular girl” without him.

Nowadays most women, black women especially, are focused on getting their own without a man but Tyson’s comments demonstrate what’s tricky about a man completely changing a woman’s lifestyle—she starts to seem like a trophy wife/girlfriend rather than a woman who they fell in love with as they were and then helped them achieve their own goals. I can’t say he wouldn’t have dated Shanina as she was when they first met but his comments definitely make her sound like a piece of eye candy—or that her being with him is the real driving force behind their successful career.

I feel like his “I created her” statement is one of those comments that come out in a heated argument and make you say, “oh, so that’s how you really feel?” At the end of the day I don’t ever want to feel like a man has something over my head by upgrading my lifestyle and showing me the “finer” things in life, as Tyson is apparently accustomed to waking up in “Dubai one day, Paris the next.” I definitely think it’s possible for two people to come from different classes or financial backgrounds and mutually improve each other’s lives but when a man is trying to act like he has to take me from Ragedy Brande to Halle Berry, I’ll pass.

What do you think about Tyson’s comments on his girlfriend? Could you ever let a man upgrade you like he did?

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

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Alek Wek probably has one of the more recognizable faces in the fashion industry. Largely because she doesn’t look like anyone else on the runways.

Find out how the Sudanese super model was first discovered on the streets of London and how she defines beauty at StyleBlazer.com.

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