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Celebrities Who Joined George Floyd As Seen In the Protests

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4 years ago

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Unless you have been on a total hiatus in the fourteen days or perhaps, living under a rock – you have probably heard by now about the untimely demise of George Floyd. The news of his cruel death has made headlines and literally broke the internet. Now, more than ever, more people inside and outside the United States have been clamoring for justice for people of color. So much so, in fact, that celebrities who joined George Floyd were seen in the streets, among the protestors. 

With this tragedy opening an entire pandora’s box of questions and violent reactions – it would be understandable if you find yourself confused and in need of detailed explanations. Let us dive deeper into this whole shebang, shall we?

George Floyd’s Death 

Just recently, The New York Times published an entire reportage on George Floyd’s death – putting together the security footage, videos from witnesses as well as a good number of official documents which show that the choices made by the officers that day ended in a fatal mistake. 

The tragedy took place on the 25th of May. George Floyd, a 46-year-old man, was arrested by Minneapolis Police Officers. This happened right after the employee of a convenience store where George Floyd bought cigarettes accused him of paying with a fake 20 dollar bill. The employee then called 911 and from there, things went from bad to worse pretty quickly. Initially, the news that broke out only mentioned that he died under police custody.

 However, a few hours after his death, a video of the actual confrontation went viral. In the said video that was posted on Facebook by several different users, a police officer by the name of Derek Chauffin was seen pinning the victim to the ground with his knees right on top of the victim’s neck. What makes the video even more horrifying is that you can hear the handcuffed Mr. Floyd on the ground, saying that he could not breathe. To add insult to the injury, or in this case, tragic death – the Derek Chauffin did not take off his knees even after Mr. Floyd was seen unconscious. Mr. Chausin, who was also notably white, kept his knee atop the victim’s neck for a total of at least eight minutes and forty six seconds – thereby causing Mr. Floyd’s death. 

 

Honoring Mr. Floyd 

Shortly after his death, many of his nearest and dearest began sharing their favourite memories with George Floyd – whom they refer to as a gentle giant. One of his friends, Jonathan Veal, 45, shared with the press his fondest memory with the deceased. 

According to Mr. Veal, he first met Mr. Floyd more than three decades ago. They were only in 11th grade back then and it was the last day of school at Jack Yates High School in Houston. He recalled how their close group of friends, consisting of black teenagers, began contemplating about how they thought their senior year would pan out. The scene was almost like the ones you would see in most coming-of-age movies. They asked each other questions like “What do you think senior year would bring?” and “What do you want to do with your life?” 

Mr. Veal recalled that Mr. Floyd turned to him and said “I want to touch the world”. At the time, he was a tall and very promising star athlete. At the time, he thought that maybe he meant that he wanted to play in the NBA or perhaps, the NFL – they were 17-year-old teenagers, after all. 

Mr. Veal was not the only one who shared about how Mr. Floyd lived a good life. To his loved ones, he was fondly called “Big Floyd”. He was a father to a six-year-old girl Gianna who resides with her mother, Roxie Washington in Houston. According to Ms. Washington, he was no less than a good father to Gianna. 

He also left his girlfriend, Courtney Ross, behind. 

Celebrities Who Joined In Solidarity 

Since the occurrence of the tragedy on the 25th of May, a lot of celebrities joined George Floyd-related protests. Along with them, thousands of people from all over the United States have been speaking up against police brutality – most especially towards the Black community and the people of color. 

Ariana Grande 

The singer expressed her frustration over the lack of media coverage after she participated in a peaceful protest in Los Angeles, California, saying : “hours and miles of peaceful protesting yesterday that got little to no coverage. all throughout beverly hills and west hollywood we chanted, people beeped and cheered along. we were passionate, we were loud, we were loving. cover this too please.”

With this, Tinashe added that the Media “doesn’t want you to see peaceful protests” 

 

Ben Affleck and Ana De Armas 

The cute celebrity couple was photographed walking at a protest in Los Angeles. 

Halsey 

In a series of tweets, Halsey shared how many of the police troops tried to break the people apart through the use of tear gas and rubber bullets. The singer also shared that she, in fact, was one of the people who was directly hit by these rubber bullets. 

Cole Sprouse 

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A group of peaceful protesters, myself included, were arrested yesterday in Santa Monica. So before the voracious horde of media sensationalism decides to somehow turn it about me, there’s a clear need to speak about the circumstances: Black Lives Matter. Peace, riots, looting, are an absolutely legitimate form of protest. the media is by nature only going to show the most sensational, which only proves a long standing racist agenda. I was detained when standing in solidarity, as were many of the final vanguard within Santa Monica. We were given the option to leave, and were informed that if we did not retreat, we would be arrested. When many did turn to leave, we found another line of police officers blocking our route, at which point, they started zip tying us. It needs to be stated that as a straight white man, and a public figure, the institutional consequences of my detainment are nothing in comparison to others within the movement. This is ABSOLUTELY not a narrative about me, and I hope the media doesn’t make it such. This is, and will be, a time about standing ground near others as a situation escalates, providing educated support, demonstrating and doing the right thing. This is precisely the time to contemplate what it means to stand as an ally. I hope others in my position do as well. I noticed that there are cameras that roll within the police cruisers during the entirety of our detainment, hope it helps. I’ll speak no more on the subject, as I’m (1) not well versed enough to do so, (2) not the subject of the movement, and (3) uninterested in drawing attention away from the leaders of the #BLM movement. I will be, again, posting the link in my story to a comprehensive document for donations and support.

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Apart from amplifying the spirits of the protesters by showing solidarity through his social media following, Cole Sprouse also joined the protesters. He even revealed that he was arrested, saying : ““I was detained when standing in solidarity, as were many of the final vanguard within Santa Monica,” he wrote. “We were given the option to leave, and were informed that if we did not retreat, we would be arrested. When many did turn to leave, we found another line of police officers blocking our route, at which point, they started zip tying us. It needs to be stated that as a straight white man, and a public figure, the institutional consequences of my detainment are nothing in comparison to others within the movement.”

 

Timothee Chalamet 

Through a series of photos, the “Call Me By Your Name” actor shared photos of himself taking part in a peaceful protest in Los Angeles. 

 

Emily Ratajkowski 

In a series of photos and videos, the model shared how she took part in the protests. She was also able to film one of the cars burning. 

Machine Gun Kelly 

Through several photos, the musician demanded justice for the black community, saying “justice soon..” 

 

Ellen Page 

The “Umbrella Academy” star also took part in the protests that took place in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

Jamie Foxx 

The actor was seen in several locations to show his support for the protests. He also said that he was not there as a celebrity but as a part of the community. 

“These are my brothers. This means everything because, at the end of the day when we see you guys out here on the frontline, we want to let you know you got support.”

 

J.Cole 

Miguel 

 

George Floyd Funeral 

By the looks of it, the protests would not be ending anytime soon as people are still continuously talking about black lives matter and demanding to put an end to police brutality. 

As thousands gathered in Houston, Texas to pay their respects for George Floyd one last time, his family members share that they are hoping that this tragedy paves the way for a widespread call for change. 

The police officers who are responsible for his death have also been dismissed from service as of writing. 

To show further support to the cause, here are some organizations that you may be interested in : 

 

  • Campaign Zero – dedicated to ending police brutality in America through the use of research-backed strategies. 
  • Color of Change – encouraging and pushing decision makers to be more swift in responding to racial disparities. 
  • Equal Justice Initiative – aims to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality.

 

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Mariah Carey Covers Irene Cara’s Classic ‘Fame’ Ballad

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September 21, 2020

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Mariah Carey continues to dig within the crates to share unreleased tracks that got off from her.

The history-making popular music diva shared an excerpt from her upcoming memoir “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” during which she details her love for the 1980 movie “Fame” and its star, Irene Cara.

On Friday, she officially released her version of 1 of the songs Cara performed within the classic film movie, “Out Here on my very own,” which was an Oscar-nominated top-20 hit.

“My mother entered me in a talent competition in the city, and I sang one of my favorite songs, ‘Out Here on My Own,’ by Irene Cara,” the five-time Grammy Award winner shared to her 9.5 million Instagram followers. “I felt ‘Out Here on My Own’ described my entire life, and I loved singing that way—singing to reveal a piece of my soul. And I won doing it.”

“At that age. I lived for the movie Fame, and Irene Cara was everything to me,” Carey continued. “I related to her multicultural look…her multi-textured hair and, most importantly, her ambition and accomplishments.”

“’Out Here on My Own’ was such a pure song that touched my heart, and I couldn’t believe I won a trophy for singing a song I loved,” she wrote in the caption. “It was the first time I’d received validation as an artist.”

The “Vision of Love” singer/songwriter furthered: “Coincidentally, it wasn’t until after I had written about ‘Out Here On My Own’ in the book, that I found it in the vault while making ‘The Rarities.’ Totally meant to be!!”

Carey’s version of the ballad, recorded July 17, 2000, was going to appear on the soundtrack album of her 2001 critically panned movie “Glitter,” which was apparently originally titled “All That Glitters.”

Penned by Lesley Gore and Michael Gore, “Out Here on My Own” was nominated for Best Original Song at the 1981 Academy Awards.

The never-before-released gem will appear on the 2-CD compilation “The Rarities,” due Oct. 2 via Columbia/Legacy.

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“Glee” Star Dianna Agron and Winston Marshall Break Up

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September 21, 2020

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Celebrity couples are always in the news, with their on-again-off-again romances and spur-of-the-moment weddings. Some couples, however, do a very good job of keeping their personal lives private. It’s always a shock when these couples’ relationship woes make headlines because we don’t know much about them, to begin with. Dianna Agron and Winston Marshall are one of these notoriously private pairs who recently called it quits.

Agron is an actress best known for her role as Quinn Fabray on Glee. Agron was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, but later moved to Texas and then San Francisco. She has a younger brother, Jason. Agron was an excellent student in highschool and spent much of her time performing.

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Some kind of old Hollywood feeling…

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She began dance at just three years old, with a focus on jazz and ballet. She later became interested in hip-hop and musical theater. Her acting career began with commercials and supporting roles in Numb3rs, Veronica Mars, and Heroes.

In 2009, she was cast in Glee. The young actress received the news just two days before production began. After her breakout role on the hit TV series, Agron made her way to the big screen. She starred in the 2010 musical Burlesque, working with Christina Aguilera and Cher. She also played Sarah Hart in the 2011 action film, I Am Number Four.

Agron was sought out by director and screenwriter Luc Besson for a role in his 2013 film, The Family. After seeing her on Glee, Besson says he created the role of Belle specifically with Agron in mind. Belle was the daughter of a Mafioso who ratted out his cohorts, forcing his family into witness protection.

Marshall is the banjoist and lead guitarist of Mumford and Sons. Marshall was born in London and was interested in music at a very young age. He learned to play the electric guitar when he was 13 and later became incredibly skilled on the banjo.

In fact, Marshall’s incredible talent on the banjo brought the instrument into mainstream music and inspired numerous banjo players around the world.

Before making it big with Mumford and Sons, the musician ran jam nights at a local club, Bosun’s Locker. He actually met Mumford at this club. He also played in several other bands, most of which played bluegrass sleaze rap.

Later, Marshall became interested in techno and EDM and joined Austrian DJs, HVOB.

Marshall had a brief, one night fling with legendary musician Katy Perry. The were both in Germany, playing shows at different venues. They met at a nightclub one evening and later retired to Perry’s private room.

Dianna Agron attends Apple Store Soho Presents Tribeca Film Festival. Agron and Marshall reportedly began dating around July 2015, when they were seen getting cozy in Paris. They were seen again at an after-party for the film She’s Funny That Way.

During the holidays that year, they became engaged. Fans caught a glimpse of Agron’s gorgeous engagement ring in February 2016 at London Fashion Week.

The couple was married in Morocco in October 2016. The wedding was a lavish, three-day event. Photos feature Agron in a stunning floral gown and white headdress, and camels decked out in vivid red, pink, and orange knit blankets.

Recently they announced their split. They say they’ve been living separately for the past year, and that Agron has begun dating again. There is no word on what caused the split, and friends say that Marshall was a very thoughtful husband who treated Agron like a princess.

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Former Girls Generation member, Jessica Jung Writes a Book Called “Shine”

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September 21, 2020

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The story of a Korean-American teen who is picked by a significant agency to debut during a 9-piece K-pop girl group sure sounds familiar … but what we actually want to grasp is when Ace Entertainment will turn Jung’s story into a Netflix drama series.

Jessica Jung only turned 31 in April and her resume already includes singer, actress, YA book author, songwriter, fashion brand creative director and founder and, most recently, YouTuber. Meanwhile, her novel Shine is slated to hit the shelves in September 2020. What do we know about this long-awaited book, as well as Jung and her journey?

Born in San Francisco, California, she later moved to Korea in her early teens to train at SM Entertainment, one of Korea’s best agencies. Making her debut in the world famous girl group, Girls’ Generation, she found mainstream success in the industry at a young age.

In 2016, she met with disagreements within the group and company and was dismissed from the team. Later, she joined Coridel Entertainment, founded by her long-time boyfriend, business mogul Tyler Kwon, and released her debut solo album, “With Love, J”. Since then, she has actively been taking part in helping to co-write her albums, with credits for more than 10 songs.

She is seen most often with her sister, fellow K-pop star Krystal Jung. The two were much loved for their reality programme, J&K, which was even set to renew for season two, until Jessica fell out with her company – the very same one that houses Krystal.

For now, fans of their sisterly dynamics can be content with watching their vlogs on Jessica’s YouTube channel, Jessica Land. The two often travel together, making for fun videos. Recently, they attended a pottery class together.

Jessica Jung in Youtube

Jung’s YouTube channel is also blooming, with more than half a million subscribers. From song recommendations to daily vlogs, and even fashion lookbooks, Jung is adept at sharing her life with her fans. Recently she handmade rings for a giveaway.

Furthermore, Jessica’s book, Shine, is going to hit the shelves in September 2020. The book is about Korean-American teen, Rachel Kim, who is picked up by one of Korea’s most famous agencies. There, she debuts in a team of nine girls.

As she goes through various hurdles to let her star rise, she also falls in love with resident bad-boy and media darling, Jason Lee. Sound familiar? It’s practically an autobiography. The book has also already been picked up by

We can’t wait to see how far Jessica will go.

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