STARZ
It’s hard enough for the average person to find a true friend, so imagine what it’s like for the rich and famous. Usually when someone makes it big, people start coming out of the woodwork asking for hookups, which can lead to plenty of side eyes and frustration.
But not everyone is a fake friend; there are plenty of genuine people who hold their famous friends down on a personal and professional level. That’s the premise of the hit STARZ Original Series, Survivor’s Remorse, that launches into its second season this Saturday, August 22 at 9:30PM. When Boston native Cam Calloway makes it out of the projects and into the NBA, the only person he trusts to manage his career and money is his cousin/best friend Reggie, who serves as the basketball star’s manager.
Although Cam and Reggie are fictional characters, here are a few real-life examples of celebrities who have taken care of friends who have been down since day one and even put them on the payroll.
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Tameka “Tiny” Cottle & Shekinah Jo Anderson
Aside from Tameka “Tiny” Cottle and Shekinah Jo Anderson being the best of friends, they also have a working relationship. Earning her coin as a hair stylist, Shekinah has been styling the former Xscape singer’s tresses since high school. In 2014, the two made their partnership official by launching a mobile weave salon business that was documented in the VH1 reality series, “Tiny and Shekinah’s Weave Trip.”
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Jay Z & Tyran “Ty-Ty” Smith
Jay Z and Tyran “Ty-Ty” Smith have been friends long before Hov became the reigning king of rap. After the Brooklyn rapper cleaned up his image and went corporate, Ty-Ty followed suit and worked as an executive under Jay at both Def Jam and Roc Nation, overseeing the careers of Rihanna, Wale and Ne-Yo. Remaining cool with Jigga even earned Ty-Ty a SAG card for his onscreen role in 2002’s State Property. Not a bad tradeoff for having Jay’s back through thick and thin.
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Justin Timberlake & Trace Ayala
Growing up together in Memphis, Justin Timberlake and Trace Ayala have been BFFs for ages. Originally working as JT’s personal assistant, Ayala joined Timberlake and co-founded the William Rast clothing line in 2005. The brand’s name is a combination of Timberlake’s grandfather’s first name and Ayala’s grandfather’s last name. Although the line is now defunct, the pair remains thick as thieves.
Lil Wayne & Cortez Bryant
Back when Lil Wayne was still little, he met Cortez Bryant, three years his senior, during band class in middle school. When Weezy decided that he wanted to take his music career seriously, he tapped Bryant to be his manager because he needed someone he could trust. That proved to be a wise choice as Wayne’s career has grown to superstar status under Bryant’s guidance. Bryant now serves as Co-President of Weezy’s Young Money imprint in addition to running his own management company with a host of A-list celebs as clients.
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Oprah Winfrey & Gayle King
There’s no best friend quite like Oprah Winfrey. She has been very good to her BFF Gayle King throughout the years. Not only has Winfrey traveled the world with her bestie, but she’s also hooked King up with numerous jobs, including making her the editor of “O, The Oprah Magazine.”
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Kanye West & Don C
Don “Don C” Crowley has been by Kanye West’s side long before Kim Kardashian and even Amber Rose came along. When he’s not sitting courtside with Yeezy watching the Chicago Bulls play, Don C keeps busy handling Ye’s day to day affairs as his manager and overseeing new artists signed to G.O.O.D. Music. Somehow he still manages to find time to run his own hat and accessories line, Just Don.
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Kendrick Lamar & Dave Free
For more than a decade, Kendrick Lamar has left his career in the hands of his high school homie and manager, Dave Free. One of the top dogs at Top Dawg Entertainment—which is K-Dot’s label home—Free serves as the Co-President.
Jessica Simpson & Cacee Cobb
When Jessica Simpson struck it big, she hired her BFF Cacee Cobb as her personal assistant, proving that sometimes you can actually mix business and pleasure. Fans have seen the pair’s bond unfold on TV for years on various Simpson-led reality shows and docuseries. Simpson and Cobb are so close they even gave birth to sons weeks apart from each other, which will likely lead to years of playdates and potentially passing their friendship factor on to a next generation.
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Jerry Seinfeld & Larry David
Comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David met back in the 70’s and hit it off. About a decade later, Seinfeld asked his buddy to help him create a show… about nothing. The end result was “Seinfeld,” that has gone on to be one of the most successful sitcoms, even influencing rappers like Wale to dedicate a mixtape and album to the show. Despite being off the air for years, the show has developed a cult following that allows Seinfeld and David to keep laughing all the way to the bank.
