From BlackVoices

“View” co-host Sherri Shepherd appeared on Tuesday’s “Fox & Friends” and told the hosts why she planned on purchasing a gun. Last month, the alarm system in Shepherd’s house went off in the middle of the night. Shepherd was so freaked out that she decided to purchase a gun. “We have two dogs and they didn’t bark,” Shepherd said to the “Fox & Friends” hosts.

“And immediately my husband jumped out of bed and ran downstairs. And I ran to my son Jeffrey’s room. And I never wanted a gun in my house but the sight of my son laying there saying, ‘Mommy I’m scared.’ That’s when you realize all you got is a wicker trash basket between me and anybody that comes in this room. And it was a scary thought.”

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If Rick Ross and Lil Wayne have taught us anything, it’s that you had better watch your filthy mouth, because it could very well hurt your pockets. But they aren’t the first celebrities to get the boot from a company for acting a complete donkey. Or in the case of some of the celebrities on this list, for just being themselves. Here are 10 who lost lucrative endorsement deals over the years because of their antics.

Chris Brown

It still makes me sad to think about how on top of the world Chris Brown USED to be. Back in 2008, he was the guy every mom wanted their young daughters to date, and he was blowing everybody’s mind with his great dance moves and catchy songs. But then that terrible altercation occurred the night before the Grammys in February of 2008, and his fame was forever altered. And of course, he was also hit in the pockets. Brown was dropped as the spokesperson for Wrigley’s gum, and while you might say, “Who cares about some Doublemint Gum?” if it wasn’t for writing jingle for the company, we would never have “Forever” (“Double your pleasure, double your fuuuuuun…”).

There are some actresses (i.e,. Halle Berry, Thandie Newton, Kerry Washington) who get all of the glory, and there are some that don’t get nearly as much recognition. Phenomenal acting abilities have gone with a lack of praise while mediocre performances by non-black women are seen as unparalleled (even when they’re just okay…). You can Google lists of top black actresses, and find that while those women are great at what they do, a great deal of them haven’t even had a leading role in years (if at all). Maybe they’ve decided to take a break from acting, or maybe they are just struggling to grab those big roles, but it’s about time that Hollywood is reminded that there are strong black actresses in Hollywood, and these women need to have their faces back in somebody’s movie sooner than later.

Source: WENN

Since news broke that Joy Behar would be leaving popular daytime talk show, The View, after 16 years, the excitement about who would be chosen to replace the feisty funny lady has been the talk of the town. Following the shocking news, rumors began to swirl that Elisabeth Hassleback was in danger of being kicked off of the show by producers due to her conservative views. Barbara Walters squashed those rumors during an airing of the show, expressing that she and her co-hosts value Hassleback’s views.

“There’s a particularly false story that keeps getting picked up about Elisabeth’s alleged departure saying we don’t approve of her conservative views. The truth is… we value and appreciate her point of view, it’s important to us, because it helps give the show perspective and balance. We have no plans for Elisabeth to leave the show. Having said that to all of you, Bill [Geddie] and I have always said that when one of you make the choice to leave, that’s your choice, and we will support your decision”

This of course only morphed rumors of Hassleback’s termination into rumors of Hassleback’s voluntary departure from the show, which brings me to Whoopi. Us Weekly recently caught up with the outspoken actress-turned-television personality as she mixed and mingled at the Vanity Fair party for the Tribeca Film Festival. When asked about the show’s casting controversy, Whoopi responded:

“Let me tell you this about The View: I take a paycheck every other week. That’s all I do. I could give a sh-t what comes. I do my job — I have a contract. That’s where I stand. I don’t give a f-ck. Whatever y’all want. Just make sure my check doesn’t bounce!”

“My job is to show up and be cute by 11 o’clock and get the f-ck off that show by 12. And that’s what I try to do.”

This is probably one of the most real statements we’ve heard come out of a celeb’s mouth all week!

What do you think of Whoopi’s raw and uncut response?

Source: WENN

*Update*

On top of news that Joy Behar is leaving “The View,” Us Weekly is reporting that Elisabeth Hasslebeck is getting the boot too:

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, one of the five cohorts of ABC’s daytime talk show The View, will not be returning to the couch next season, following hot on the footsteps of fellow cohost Joy Behar, a source tells Us Weekly.

According to the source, the show’s resident conservative voice is being ousted after market research revealed that she isn’t popular with TV audiences.

“The viewers they polled all said she was too extreme and right wing,” the insider tells Us. “People did not watch the show because of Elisabeth. So they told her yesterday her contract would not be renewed.”

When reached for comment, a rep for the show told Us in a statement: “Elisabeth Hasselbeck is a valued member of The View and has a long term contract.”

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After rolling with it since its debut in 1997, Joy Behar has decided to call it quits with the show that has made her a household name (and an enemy to right-wing folk). According to Deadline.com, she’s not renewing her contract with ABC’s The View in August because she wants to see what else is out there. The 70-year-old (she looks great doesn’t she?), when speaking on her pending departure says t Deadline, “It seemed like the right time. You reach a point when you say to yourself, ‘Do I want to keep doing this?’ There are other things on my plate I want to do — I’ve been writing a play, I’ve been neglecting my standup.”

Behar has tried her hand at being a singular host outside of The View, including her show on HLN, The Joy Behar Show, which was a big success ratings wise, but ended after just a couple of seasons. She also received another shot as a talk show host with Joy Behar: Say Anything!, which is on Current TV. It will also be canceled though when Al Jazeera takes over the network soon. But whatever is next for Behar, she only has love for her ABC family and the feeling is mutual. “I have a lot of friends there, and I will miss everyone I’ve worked with because we have a family there.” And she also spoke particularly high of Barbra Walters out of all the ladies around the table saying, “It is a smart talk show because somebody of her stature is leading the conversation; Barbara was one of the main reasons I took that job.”

While I’m not particularly a fan of Behar’s solo hosting efforts, I really like her on The View, which we watch like clockwork at 11 a.m. every morning ’round these parts. But you can tell that with the addition of other funny ladies with a lot to say, aka Sherri Shepherd and Whoopi Goldberg, Behar was kind of fading in the background since they, with Hasslebeck, seem to dominate the conversation with their wit and strong opinions. Either way though, it was a good run while it lasted, girl!

Will you miss Behar on The View?

They may be known for working the runway, smiling for the camera or performing for millions of fans, but when these 15 celebrities wipe off the make-up and step away from the flashing lights, they are simply known as ‘Grandma’ and ‘Grandpa.’

WENN

In addition to being a reality television star, NeNe Leakes has added two primetime shows to her resume but is now prepared for another big role in her life: grandmother. Leakes’ oldest son Bryson welcomed baby girl Bri’asia in mid-June of 2012 giving the mother of two a granddaughter to play dress-up with. The “New Normal” star said, “I always wanted to have a girl and now I have one! She’s just adorable. Forty is the new 30. I’m a sassy, fashion-forward grandma!”

WENN.com

We did the men, now it’s on to the women. We scoured the interwebs and our own treasure trove of celebrity knowledge to bring you 15 women who shocked us just a bit when they stepped out with white men.

Black women aren’t always given the opportunity to portray strong or positive female leading characters on-screen, particularly because Hollywood is dominated by men…white men. Somehow, however, the following women have struck gold in films and television shows that would have them act as outstanding characters, showcasing strength and character in multiple capacities, depicting black women who are struggling with death, romance, violence, revenge, scandal, betrayal or simply trying to survive–all in a gracious and entertaining way.

“Scandal”: Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington stars in ABC’s Scandal as crisis manager, Olivia Pope. Pope’s character is loosely based on the real life crisis manager, Judy Smith. Washington portrays Pope as a headstrong, heavy-hearted woman who personally bears each burden that presents itself in her life. Pope leads a team of attorneys who are tasked with the goal of solving issues for politicians, celebrities and athletes. Scandal doesn’t elude Pope’s personal life, after all, she was carrying on an affair with the president of the United States–making the show all the more interesting.

In the acting world, many actors and actresses are open to taking any movie role that they are offered. However, sometimes celebs simply can’t say yes and end up turning down an acting position that they were offered. Here are 15 movie parts that were originally meant for others.

WENN

Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett could have played the role of Storm in the movie X-Men but she declined. The movie role went to Halle Berry.

In Hollywood nowadays there are tons of actresses including a few Black actresses that dominate the big screen. We all know that actresses get paid millions for their talent and performances, but it goes without saying that some make more than others. Here are the 15 highest paid black female actresses according to Celebrity Net Worth.

WENN

Halle Berry

With dozens of star rolls, it’s no surprise that Halle Berry is worth a net $70 million.