Source: TheGamutt.com

When rapper Cam’ron posted pictures of his fiancee having an…let’s just say reaching her sexual peak in a tub, it was then that I realized how exhausted I am with being into invited the bedrooms of complete strangers.  If it’s not Rihanna and Chris subtweeting, talking about he “lays the pipe” and Instagramming pics of them sharing the same sheets, it’s DJ Envy publicly apologizing to his wife for his infidelity while he’s on the air.  I don’t know about you guys, but I am so sick of being invited into celebrities’ bedrooms and personal lives. If I’m more familiar with your favorite position than your latest song lyrics, that’s a problem.

Okay, you’re boning, we get it, but what else do you have going on?  Kim Kardashian didn’t exactly invent the sex tape, but as far as I know, she takes credit for single-handedly building a career on making her private parts public knowledge. Now it seems certain celebrities have followed suit and tried to build, revive, or extend careers solely on their sex lives.  I don’t know whether I’m insulted more by the idea that they believe the public can be entertained by so little or by the fact that some us actually are.  I mean just look at the facts.  When is the last time Cam’ron had a hit single?  But I bet you his Instagram was flooded with comments after posting pictures of him and his fiancee getting freaky in the tub.  Somewhere between trolling Twitter and Instagram accounts, we stopped holding celebrities accountable for not being talented because we were so entertained by who they’re pregnant by, getting it popping with or punching in the mouth.

The worst part about it is when the legitimately positive moves that celebrities make get overshadowed by the foolishness.  I gave up on Love and Hip Hop a long time ago, and yet when I scroll through my Twitter timeline all I see are blogs posting about Yandy Smith’s pregnancy, engagement, and her man Mendecees’ legal troubles.  Little did I know Yandy Smith has a net worth of $15 million dollars (according to Celebrity NetWorth) and her career credits include Executive Assistant at Violator Management, Talent Agent at Monami Entertainment and President and Manager of Everything Girls Love.com, a lifestyle brand.  But since I don’t watch the show (and I’m sure these are facts even fans may not be aware of), all I ever knew about the girl was that she worked with Jim Jones and her baby daddy was accused of being a sexual predator.

In the lives of celebrities, any publicity is good publicity, and drama equals dollar signs so I can understand why everyone and their grandma (literally) is coming out with a reality show or selling some story to the blogs, but the more important question is why do we care? I think it’s easier to focus on the faults of the rich and famous than to actually get up and do something about the drama in our own lives. When we see our favorite celebrities having baby daddy troubles, balling completely out of their budget or in unhealthy relationships, it reassures us that money doesn’t buy happiness and it makes us feel like on some level they are just like the rest of us.  In addition to our obsession with everything celebrity, Facebook and Twitter allows your friends to post pics and details of their most intimate moments as well.  Either way, I feel like I know way too much about people’s personal lives these days. And as much as I’d like to say just “unfriend or unfollow,” even I at times find myself reloading my Facebook page or visiting Bossip a few times throughout a boring day just to be entertained by who is making a fool of themselves.

A little foolishness is fine for entertainment, but I think something us regular folks and celebrities alike need to understand is part of the fine art of discretion.  If you notice, some of the couples’ whose relationships have lasted the longest are the ones who aren’t giving us the play-by-play on every major relationship milestone they have.  When you open up your bedroom to the world, your relationship becomes fodder for the insecure and envious.  You can’t post pictures for the world to witness your love then catch an attitude when you don’t get the response you were hoping for.  People will find and pick apart every major flaw and inconsistency like they are getting paid for it, and if your relationship is already fragile it probably won’t withstand the backlash.  Lastly, in a relationship some moments are just meant to be intimate and inviting everyone to witness them instantly turns it from private to p*rno.

Trust and believe, celebs with actual talent will have success that stands the test of time.  It’s why someone like Justin Timberlake can virtually fall off the face of the Earth for years with only a little inkling revealed about his wedding over the years and still only have people caring about The 20/20 Experience.  In the meantime, I urge myself and everyone else to question what we’re entertained by.  As for me, I’m going to start being more about my business and less into everyone else’s.

Do you think celebs share too much information about their personal lives?

Toya Sharee is a community health   educator and parenting education coordinator who has a  passion for helping  young women build their self-esteem and make well-informed choices about their sexual health.  She also advocates for women’s reproductive rights and blogs about  everything from beauty to love and relationships. Follow her on Twitter @TheTrueTSharee or visit her blog, Bullets and Blessings.

If you were watching Monday’s episode of Love & Hip Hop New York, you probably watched the ordeal Mendeecees and Yandy were going through as he prepared to turn himself into Federal agents. They didn’t go into detail of why he was being investigated on the show, but as previous reports stated, it has to do with drug trafficking charges after allegedly moving drugs from 2005 to 2012 in New York. He turned himself in at the end of January, and while we couldn’t really tell if he was going in to stay or not, in an interview with VH1, Yandy confirms that he is indeed incarcerated.

The reality star and businesswoman opened up about how she’s handling things seeing as they were hoping to prepare for a wedding in the future, and how she is trying to keep their house together with two little boys by herself.

VH1: Is Mendeecees currently incarcerated?

Yandy: He is.

Vh1: How are you holding up?

Yandy: You know, it’s a hard situation, especially when you don’t have any answers yet. It’s kind of just a waiting situation to see what this is all about, and that’s the hard part – the unknown is the hardest part.

VH1: It has to be tough. You’re recently engaged. One minute you’re in pre-wedding bliss then you’re hit with this news.

Yandy: Yeah, it’s hard. It’s absolutely hard. It’s hard when you kind of see your life flash before you. I know the life that we live together which has been like a storybook, like a fairytale with ups and downs of course, but it’s been good, and the love has been good, so for something like this to happen and to happen now, it’s like, “Ugh, why!” And you know you read about it with all the articles everywhere talking about the engagement. This case is from all these years ago. It’s just like, why now? You know? That’s just how I feel, like, why now of all times?

VH1: Are you putting everything wedding related on hold?

Yandy: Oh yeah, absolutely.

VH1: How do you keep your mind occupied so you’re not worrying and sad about him not being there with his sons?

Yandy: Well, you know I go through spurts, especially at night. I just keep busy. Like I told you, I haven’t had a day off, so I don’t even know if I’ve really soaked up what’s happening in my life because I’ve just been so busy. We both were busy during the day so it really hits me at night when I come home and I’m with the boys in the house, that’s when it’s like, “Aww, dag.” But I’m really faithful and hopeful that this situation will be cleared up and he’ll be back with us soon.

I feel for Yandy, because things seemed to be on the up and up for them with the baby, him getting found not guilty with the child abuse charges, their engagement–and then this happens. But then again, these things happen when your man has a history of selling drugs, which I’m sure she knew about. Can’t get too comfortable. But let’s hope that as she says, he’ll be back soon for the sake of his family.

Check out a clip of Mendeecees saying goodbye to his family from Monday’s episode on the next page:

Source: Twitter

Last month, we told you that Love & Hip Hop star Mendeecees Harris was found not guilty on all charges regarding the sexual abuse allegations brought against him by his ex-girlfriend’s teenage daughter. His very supportive girlfriend, co-star and mother of his son quickly took to her Twitter page after the verdict was read, to celebrate the victory and broadcast his innocence.

“No matter how much they tried to rip you of your pride, defame your name, degrade you…you kept your faith in God and told me to keep my head up. So I did. Not Guilty! I say it again NOT GUILTY!!!!” Smith tweeted.

Unfortunately, there’s another obstacle that Smith and Harris have to surpass before they can breathe easy and pursue their quest for happily ever after because as far as the courts are concerned, Harris isn’t totally in the clear yet. In the beginning of February, we told you that in addition to the heinous sexual crimes that the Love & Hip Hop star was being accused of, he was also facing some pretty heavy drug trafficking charges. According to court documents, Harris along with two other men, his brother Tyrus Harris and Ronald Walker are accused of transporting $2.5 million worth of drugs throughout Rochester and New York City between the years of 2005 and 2012. Harris turned himself in to authorities on January 24th and has been in police custody awaiting his trial since.

Harris appeared in federal court on Friday in relation to the charges and entered a not guilty plea, reports the Democrat and Chronicle. Ronald Walker and Tyrus Harris have also pleaded not guilty. During Friday’s hearing, the Assistant U.S. Attorney motioned that Harris be detained without bail. Harris’ attorney, Donald Thompson expressed that he would be requesting a bail hearing. A court conference has been scheduled for tomorrow, where a possible bail hearing date will set.

Due to a prior drug charge from 2001, if convicted, Harris faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison. This type of lengthy sentencing could be extremely devastating to Harris and the family that he’s building with Yandy. The couple had their first child together last summer.

Check the next page for news footage of Mendeecees’ trial.

Source: VH1

Earlier this week, we shared the chilling testimony of the 19-year-old New Jersey woman who accused Love & Hip Hop star, Mendeecees Harris of coercing her into engaging in sexual acts with him for money in his Lodi, New Jersey home. Yesterday, Harris was given the opportunity to share his side of the story in the Hackensack, New Jersey courtroom. And this time, girlfriend and co-star, Yandy Smith was present in the courtroom, listening intently and going everywhere with a protective entourage that attempted to keep her from being photographed, reports Cliff Point View.

“No.  No way. No, no. I never had a relationship with her, she never extended herself,” expressed Harris when his attorney, Brian Neary questioned him about whether or not he was guilty of any of the charges being brought up against him.

“She didn’t play basketball, she didn’t play Playstation, didn’t want to go to the movies. She always walked around the house like she had an attitude,” he continued.

According to reports, the reality star’s two-hour testimony consisted of his denial of having any sexual involvement with his accuser and attempting to convince the court that he is not a person who is casual about sex.

“That’s the truth – never, never – I never committed none of them acts to that girl in my life.”

He expressed that he was rarely ever around his accuser while they lived under the same roof and revealed that the teen had actually moved into his home after he had already lived there with his then girlfriend and her two sons for three years.

Harris, who has been shuttled between the courthouse and the Bergen County Jail each day of the trial, took the stand voluntarily, as he was not required to testify. When asked by his attorney why he had chosen to take the stand, he responded:

“It was very hurtful to me to hear that, and I felt if I didn’t testify my side of the story would never be heard.”

Cliff View Point also reports that closing arguments in the trial were presented yesterday.

“How dare the prosecutor suggest that because he had a different lifestyle – that because he had different girlfriends – sometimes at the same time? And that he’s a reality TV star who gets $4,000 an episode… How dare she? Not one question contradicted his belief, his strong feeling, and the truth that he had nothing to do with this girl, nothing to do with these sexual allegations. He broke down and said, ‘I didn’t do this,’ on the verge of tears,” Harris’ defense attorney, Brian Neary expressed.

The jurors involved in this case certainly have a lot to digest. So far, no verdict has been revealed.

Jazmine Denise is a news writer for Madame Noire. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise

Source: Cliffviewpilot.com

Just yesterday, we reported that “Love & Hip Hop” star Mendeecees Harris was facing drug trafficking charges. In addition to the recently revealed drug charges, Harris is also facing sexual assault charges,after his ex-girlfriend’s 15-year-old daughter accused him of molesting her back in 2009. The trial for that case began yesterday, and the now 19-year-old young woman testified against him in court today, reports Cliff View Pilot.

With the jury’s full attention, the young woman recounted the chilling tale of how Harris went from being a “father figure,” whom she believed she could trust to a man who forced her to have sex for money, after moving into his Lodi, New Jersey home back in 2009.

After moving into Mendeecee’s home with her mother and brothers, the teen revealed that because her mother was always at work, she reported to Harris for permission to hang out with her friends and other things that teens generally have to report to their parents about. She also revealed that because she didn’t have the strongest relationship with her mother, she confided in Harris about a lot of things.

“Mendeecees made me feel comfortable. He would give me advice.  He’d say ‘It’ll be okay between you and your mom’,” she told the court.

She expressed that the initial act of molestation occurred one afternoon while no one else was home. After finishing up taking a shower, she realized that there was no towel in the bathroom.

“I asked him to get me one [towel], and he did. Then he came into my room and suggested I let him m*sturb*te on me, but I just laughed,” she testified.

She went on to tell that Harris continued making the suggestion until she finally gave in, after which he gave her $15 or $20 “for lunch or maybe a ball game.”

The teen testified that although she had given in, Harris wasn’t satisfied and began pressing her for oral. She expressed that Harris, noticing her reluctance, began using a very private piece of information, which he previously acquired from her mother to manipulate her.

“He told me he knew I had been raped when I was 8 years old, and he found out from my mother.”

“ ‘Your mom doesn’t want you here’,” she said Harris told her just before exposing his genitals to her.

She eventually gave in, which she revealed was out of spite to get back at her mother for revealing such an intimate secret to Harris.

“I felt betrayed by her. I didn’t tell her about it until I was 14, and it was something I didn’t want anyone to know.”

As time went on, Mendeecees allegedly continued to request sexual favors from the young woman in exchange for money. She even revealed that he would pull her younger brothers into the mix when they asked him for money by telling them  “talk to your sister. She knows what she has to do.”

The relationship between the teen’s mother and Harris ended when she confiscated the girl’s cell phone and found some inappropriate messages from Harris.

“I heard them in their room yelling, I felt bad. She came in my room and she was livid. She told me to get out. She was just screaming to me to get out.  I don’t remember if she said why,” she recalled before revealing that she left home to stay at a friend’s house that night.

“My mom didn’t know where I was, but Mendeecees did.”

The next day Mendeecees found her at her friend’s home, told the young woman that her mother had packed her belongings and pleaded with her not to reveal any details about their relationship.

“He said she didn’t know anything, so don’t say anything. It was something he would ‘take to his grave.’ He [also] told me they were done.”

“I felt horrible. At one point Mendeecees and my mother were going to get married. I felt it was all my fault.”

Sadly, she also revealed that she had to drop out of nursing school because of the trial. “You can’t miss that many days of class,” she said. She expressed that in addition to being shocked to learn that Harris was featured on “Love & Hip Hop”, she was also unaware that he was carrying on a relationship with Yandy Smith while he was still with her mother.

Mendeecees is currently facing seven counts of illegal sex.

Jazmine Denise is a news writer for Madame Noire. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise

Source: VH1

It’s no secret that Love & Hip Hop star Mendeecees Harris has a delinquent past. He made it clear during the first episode of the show that although he has a past history of being in the streets (a.k.a criminal activities), he’s gotten himself together and snagged a legal gig in the music industry. Unfortunately for the “Love & Hip Hop” star, authorities say otherwise.

Court documents reveal that Mendeecees and two other men, Ronald Walker and Tyrus Harris, are accused of trafficking $2.5 million worth of drugs throughout the Rochester area of New York between 2005 and August of last year, reports the Democrat and Chronicle. It has not yet been revealed whether or not Mendeecees and Tyrus are related. Thus far, authorities have seized $1.5 million from safety deposit boxes and $407,000 worth of jewelry in connection with the case. Authorities are also “pushing for the forfeiture of properties in Georgia and Baltimore” tied to the accused men. Mendeecees is reported to have turned himself in to the Rochester Police on January 24th and will be arraigned once his current trial in New Jersey is over. If you recall, the reality star is also facing sexual assault charges in Lodi, New Jersey, which were filed against him for inappropriately touching a 15-year-old girl. The trial for that case began January 29th.

Mendeecee’s is facing some pretty serious charges, which could mean some heavy jail time. Considering the turmoil that his life is currently in, one can only imagine how heavily this is weighing on Yandy, considering that she recently gave birth to his youngest son. However, many believe that Yandy must have had some clue about his past, considering the fact that they’ve been together off and on for the past six years.

What do you think of the latest allegations again Mendeecees?

Jazmine Denise is a news writer for Madame Noire. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise

If Raqi isn’t your favorite person on “Love & Hip-Hop,” she should’ve at least earned one point for asking a very legitimate question of Jen the Pen when it comes to raising her son as a Muslim: “You Guys Didn’t Think About This Before You Had A Baby?”

That actually is the appropriate question for a lot of things that were said on last night’s episode, whether the parents were Jen and Consequence or Yandy and Mendeeces. Check out our recap to see what all went down in Episode 4.

Last night’s episode of Love & Hip-Hop NY was a ball of couple confusion. Yandy has always presented herself as a woman about her business but it’s clear she doesn’t use quite as much discretion when it comes to picking her boos. Between claiming Mendeeces was the “perfect man” when they met, to blowing a gasket over him still liking pics of chicks on Instagram — and then saying she wants to see where their relationship goes before they get a place together, all we could think was (1) isn’t he on his way to jail?, and (2) shouldn’t you have thought about this before you had a child together?

Ah well, guess that’s how this goes in the cliche world of Love & Hip-Hop. Check out this wrap-up to see what all went down last night.

Source: Twitter

Everybody knows the real reason people join the cast of “Love & Hip-Hop” isn’t to launch whatever singing or rapping career they claim to have, they’re looking at dollar signs. The question is, just how much is clowning on TV and telling all your business to $3.5 million viewers every week worth? According to CelebrityNetworth.com, that answer is a pretty penny because some of these reality stars are cashing in big time from the show’s high viewership. Take a look at the estimates some of these stars reportedly earned in 2012.

LOVE & HIP-HOP ATLANTA GETS HOT

“Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta” has become one of the highest rated shows on VH1 because of all the ratchet ish that went down between the cast members. Steevie J, Joseline, and Mimi made this show what it is because of their confusing love triangle and some of the most unbelievable things happened right before our eyes that had nothing to do with love or hip-hop, just a group of people acting like they ain’t never been nowhere in front of the cameras. After watching just one episode, I can truly say I know how the saying “Where they do that at” came about. Welcome to Atlanta. Let’s do a quick recap to show you some of the craziest things that went down: