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{blackbabes} Join @karlamosley @reignedwards @feli7sha @amhorsford @ObbaBabatunde 4 #BoldandBeautiful tom http://bit.ly/1r0QYUP

{blackbabes} Alicia Keys hopes her freckles inspire a revolution

 

You've never seen Alicia Keys like this before.

The 35-year-old 15-time Grammy winner and activist has emerged in recent weeks without an ounce of makeup and according to her Lenny Letter essay, she grew tired of hiding imperfections and the pressure to be perfect.

"I was finally uncovering just how much I censored myself, and it scared me," Keys said about writing songs for her upcoming album. "Who was I anyway? Did I even know HOW to be brutally honest anymore? Who I wanted to be?"

An album photoshoot with photographer Paola Kudacki further propelled the makeup-free trend and gave new meaning to a song she penned called "When a Girl Can't Be Herself."

Keys said she walked onto the set, fresh from the gym and wearing a scarf under a baseball cap, when Kudacki got inspired by her minimal look.

"I have to shoot you right now, like this!" Keys said Kudacki told her. "This music is raw and real, and these photos have to be too!"

"It was the strongest, most empowered, most free, and honestly beautiful that I have ever felt," Keys said. "I felt powerful because my initial intentions realized themselves. My desire to listen to myself, to tear down the walls I built over all those years, to be full of purpose, and to be myself!"

The finished product is the promotional artwork for her project and single.

Husband Swizz Beatz loves her his wife's new minimal look too. He posted a photo on Instagram from her recent Vanity Fair shoot saying, "You look 19 without makeup… My fave pic #VanityFair… the fact that this is a new pic."

"I hope to God it's a revolution," Keys added. "'Cause I don't want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing."

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{blackbabes} Rihanna, Naomi Campbell chow down on Italian food

 

Rihanna and Naomi Campbell had a feast of a dinner with friends Sunday night at famed Nolita eatery Emilio's Ballato.

We're told the singer, who arrived in a colorful caftan, and the supermodel, along with six friends, dined on antipasto, ravioli with meat sauce, pasta e fagioli and rigatoni alla bolognese, washed down with bottles of Soldera Brunello and Gaja white wine.

Emilio Vitolo, who has owned the clubby restaurant for 24 years, told us, "They are beautiful girls, and they ate everything. They love my place. Rihanna, who looked amazing, even complemented me on my colorful shirt."

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{blackbabes} This is a side of Serena Williams you don’t see often

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cjn353bUkAAlUNA.jpg:large
 

There is no doubt about it — Serena Williams is the queen of women's tennis.

The holder of 21 grand slam trophies and 70 career titles has long been unstoppable on the court. Last year, she claimed three of the year's four majors, falling agonizingly short of completing the coveted calendar Grand Slam when she lost to Roberta Vinci in the US Open semifinals.

She's brutally dominating, and her sheer power accompanied by those piercing screams just blows opponents away time and time again.

All that we know, but there's a side to Serena we don't often see.

After her third-round victory over France's Kristina Mladenovic at the French Open, we got a glimpse of the real Serena when she was out of public view — or so she thought.

Williams had knocked Mladenovic out of her home grand slam in straight sets, but was made to work a lot harder than most of her victories, taking the second set in an epic tiebreak. Mladenovic was clearly disheartened after the brutal defeat.

Knowing how down Mladenovic must have been, Williams offered more than just the obligatory handshake at the net. Waiting until the pair got back in the locker room, the American walked over to the French woman and gave her a hug.

It was a classy move from a classy woman. Wanting to do it in the private inner sanctum of the locker room was a nice touch, but we're guessing Serena wasn't banking on being caught by the all-seeing, all-knowing lenses placed in every nook and cranny at major sporting events these days.

It's a rare insight into the person the younger Williams sister is off the court, but it shouldn't come as a surprise.

"It was very difficult today, she played really well," said Williams, bidding for a fourth French Open title. "She forced me to play my best tennis."

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{blackbabes} After 'long' coach's speech, Williams gets by at French Open

 

PARIS (AP) — Serena Williams was ahead, yes, but hardly at her best, when claps of thunder and a heavy downpour interrupted her third-round French Open match at a critical juncture.

So during what turned out to be a delay of more than 2½ hours right before a second-set tiebreaker Saturday against 26th-seeded Kristina Mladenovic of France, Williams met with coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

"I spoke 10 minutes, which is far too long. Actually, at the end, I said: 'Sorry. I spoke too long. Much too long.' Because a long speech is not a good speech; it has to be short and powerful," Mouratoglou recounted later. "My point was just to make her think the way she thinks when she's good, when she's playing like Serena plays."

Did it work?

"Just look at the score," Mouratoglou said, "and, more than that, look at the way she did it."

Coming out of the locker room determined to dictate play more than she had been, Williams edged Mladenovic 6-4, 7-6 (10), a victory that set up a fourth-round matchup against a woman whose coaching consultant is the 34-year-old American's former rival, Justine Henin.

Her sister Venus, seeded No. 9, beat France's Alize Cornet 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-0 to reach the fourth round for the first time since 2010. And another American, No. 15 Madison Keys, got that far at Roland Garros for the first time with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory over Monica Puig.

Quarterfinal berths will be at stake in these matchups Monday: Venus vs. No. 8 Timea Bacsinszky, Keys vs. Kiki Bertens, No. 12 Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Yulia Putintseva.

Next up for Serena Williams is No. 18 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, who was 0-7 against Ana Ivanovic before beating the 2008 French Open champion 6-4, 6-4.

Svitolina, 21 and the winner of the girls' title in Paris in 2010, is 0-3 against Williams. But the far more fascinating storyline involves Henin, a seven-time major champion whose playing career ended in 2011 and who has been helping Svitolina with the mental aspects of tennis for the past few months.

On Saturday, Williams deflected a question about what it might be like to see Henin in a foe's camp all these years later.

Trying to become the first woman to win consecutive titles at Roland Garros since Henin took three in a row from 2005-07, Williams knows she will have to do a better job of capitalizing on chances than she did against Mladenovic, 23, who called it a dream to finally get to play against someone she grew up watching on TV.

Williams went only 1 for 12 on break points and needed five — yes, five — match points in the tiebreaker to close things out, erasing a set point for Mladenovic along the way.

"Barely getting through that — I had opportunities to end it a lot sooner," Williams said, "and I didn't."

Thiem, 22, got past Alexander Zverev 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to close in on his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

While the draw set up a potential fourth-round match for Thiem against Rafael Nadal, the nine-time French Open champion's withdrawal Friday because of an injured left wrist means that a far less daunting opponent awaits.

Instead, Thiem faces 56th-ranked Marcel Granollers, who never has reached a major quarterfinal, either.

"Against Rafa, I'm the underdog," Thiem acknowledged. "Against Granollers, I'm probably the favorite."

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{blackbabes} Serena, Djokovic advance at French Open

 

PARIS — Serena Williams was ahead, yes, but hardly at her best, when claps of thunder and a heavy downpour interrupted her third-round French Open match at a critical juncture.

So during what turned out to be a delay of more than 2 1/2 hours right before a second-set tiebreaker Saturday against 26th-seeded Kristina Mladenovic of France, Williams met with coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

"I spoke 10 minutes, which is far too long. Actually, at the end, I said: 'Sorry. I spoke too long. Much too long.' Because a long speech is not a good speech; it has to be short and powerful," Mouratoglou recounted later. "My point was just to make her think the way she thinks when she's good, when she's playing like Serena plays."

Did it work?

"Just look at the score," Mouratoglou said, "and, more than that, look at the way she did it."

Coming out of the locker room determined to dictate play more than she had been, Williams edged Mladenovic 6-4, 7-6 (10), a victory that set up a fourth-round matchup against a woman whose coaching consultant is the 34-year-old American's former rival, Justine Henin.

"Up until that point, I had not been playing my game. I was playing really defensive. It's not me," said the top-seeded Williams, who compiled a 5-2 advantage in winners in the tiebreaker. "So I just wanted to be Serena out there."

Her sister Venus, seeded No. 9, beat France's Alize Cornet 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-0 to reach the fourth round for the first time since 2010. And another American, No. 15 Madison Keys, got that far at Roland Garros for the first time with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory over Monica Puig.

Quarterfinal berths will be at stake in these matchups Monday: Venus vs. No. 8 Timea Bacsinszky, Keys vs. Kiki Bertens, No. 12 Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Yulia Putintseva.

Next up for Serena Williams is No. 18 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, who was 0-7 against Ana Ivanovic before beating the 2008 French Open champion 6-4, 6-4.

Svitolina, 21 and the winner of the girls' title in Paris in 2010, is 0-3 against Williams. But the far more fascinating storyline involves Henin, a seven-time major champion whose playing career ended in 2011 and who has been helping Svitolina with the mental aspects of tennis for the past few months.

Williams and Henin played each other 14 times (Williams won eight, including the 2010 Australian Open final). Their most infamous encounter came at the 2003 French Open: There was a flap over whether Henin tried to call time; Williams drew fans' ire by arguing line calls; Henin's three-set victory ended a 33-match Grand Slam winning streak for Williams, who was jeered off the court, then teared up while talking about it all.

On Saturday, Williams deflected a question about what it might be like to see Henin in a foe's camp all these years later.

Trying to become the first woman to win consecutive titles at Roland Garros since Henin took three in a row from 2005-07, Williams knows she will have to do a better job of capitalizing on chances than she did against Mladenovic, 23, who called it a dream to finally get to play against someone she grew up watching on TV.

Williams went only 1 for 12 on break points and needed five — yes, five — match points in the tiebreaker to close things out, erasing a set point for Mladenovic along the way.

"Barely getting through that — I had opportunities to end it a lot sooner," Williams said, "and I didn't."

In men's action, No. 1 Novak Djokovic finished his 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Aljaz Bedene just before nightfall, while No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga quit after seven games against Ernests Gulbis because of an injured right leg. Other winners: No. 7 Tomas Berdych, No. 11 David Ferrer, No. 12 David Goffin, No. 13 Dominic Thiem and No. 14 Roberto Bautista Agut.

Thiem, 22, got past Alexander Zverev 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to close in on his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

While the draw set up a potential fourth-round match for Thiem against Rafael Nadal, the nine-time French Open champion's withdrawal Friday because of an injured left wrist means that a far less daunting opponent awaits.

Instead, Thiem faces 56th-ranked Marcel Granollers, who never has reached a major quarterfinal, either.

"Against Rafa, I'm the underdog," Thiem acknowledged. "Against Granollers, I'm probably the favourite."

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{blackbabes} Venus into French Open round four for first time in six years

 

PARIS (Reuters) - Ninth seed Venus Williams reached the fourth round of the French Open for the first time since 2010 when she downed France's Alize Cornet 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-0 in a rain-disrupted match on Saturday.

Williams, whose best result at Roland Garros came in 2002 when she lost to her sister Serena in the final, will next face Swiss eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky.

After the tie was interrupted by rain for 2-1/2 hours early on, the American relied on her experience to bag the opening set tiebreak but she visibly tired in the second as Cornet easily leveled the contest.

The seven-times grand slam champion was back to her best for the decider, wrapping it up with an exquisite sliced crosscourt backhand winner.

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{blackbabes} Serena Williams holds back Mladenovic at French Open

 

PARIS — Defending champion Serena Williams needed five match points after waiting out a rain delay of more than 2 1/2 hours, but she eventually moved into the fourth round of the French Open with a 6-4, 7-6 (10) victory over 26th-seeded Kristina Mladenovic of France.

In a tight, well-played match at Court Philippe Chatrier, action was suspended Saturday when a thunderstorm arrived right before Williams and Mladenovic began the second-set tiebreaker.

Once they resumed, Williams erased one set point for Mladenovic at 9-8 with a swinging forehand volley winner. Four times, Williams was a point from victory in the tiebreaker — at 6-5, 7-6, 8-7 and 10-9 — and couldn't close it out. But on the fifth opportunity for Williams, Mladenovic pushed a forehand wide to end the match.

"She played really, really well and forced me to bring out my best tennis," Williams said. "I'm happy I got through that."

Williams' coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, called the tiebreaker "the only moment that I think was her good tennis."

"Serena was really aggressive, went for her shots and took risks," he said. "That's her game."

Williams, the No. 1 seed, is trying to become the first woman to win consecutive titles at Roland Garros since Henin took three in a row from 2005-07.

Next up against the American will be Elina Svitolina, who defeated Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-4.

In her seven previous matches with Ivanovic, the 18th-seeded Ukrainian had only managed to win a set. Svitolina had also lost twice at Roland Garros against the 2008 champion.

"First win against Ana, it's huge for me," said Svitolina, whose best result at the French Open is a quarterfinal spot last year, when she lost to Ivanovic.

The 21-year-old Svitolina, who had won just one match on clay this season before starting her campaign in Paris, said she played with a "better mentality" than during her previous matches against the Serb.

"I was really confident today," Svitolina said. "I don't know. Just everything was right. Today I was doing (the) right things. Even missing bad shots, I was trying to stay positive and to play my tennis."

Svitolina, who made her debut on the tour four years ago, has added three-time French Open champion Justine Henin to her coaching team this year, hoping that the former top-ranked player would help her reach a new level.

Although an injury hampered her quick progression this season, Svitolina said Henin's experience has helped her mentally.

The Belgian's knowledge of Williams' game may be a strong asset too. The now retired Henin beat Williams twice at the French Open in 2003 and 2007.

"It's going to be a big challenge for me," said Svitolina, who has lost her three previous matches with Williams. "I think mentally I need to stay strong, stay positive, and no more junior mentality and junior tennis."

The 14th-seeded Ivanovic managed to hold just three times when serving and got broken seven times by Svitolina. She also hit 29 unforced errors.

"My forehand wasn't really working today," Ivanovic said. "I was making a lot of errors. I managed to get back into (the) match and then few disappointing errors always came in the wrong time. I felt like that was sort of throughout the match."

Also advancing to the fourth round Saturday were No.8 seed Timea Bacsinszky, who beat Pauline Parmentier 6-4, 6-2, and No. 12 Carla Suarez Navarro.

In the men's draw, Dominic Thiem prevailed in the duel of rising tennis stars, downing teenager Alexander Zverev 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

The 13th-seeded Thiem equaled his best result at a major tournament after reaching the round of 16 at the U.S. Open in 2014. It was the third time that Thiem and Zverev faced each other in four weeks, with Thiem extending his winning record to 3-0.

Thiem's next opponent will be Marcel Granollers, who advanced without playing thanks to Rafael Nadal's withdrawal with a wrist injury.

Former French Open runner-up David Ferrer also reached the fourth round, for a sixth consecutive year.

The 11th-seeded Ferrer came out on top from an all-Spanish match with Feliciano Lopez, winning 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-1. He'll next face either seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych or Pablo Cuevas.

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{blackbabes} Rihanna steps out in see-through Gucci during a night out in New York City.

{blackbabes} And The 2016 Women In Film Crystal + Lucy Awards Go To …

 

A power roster of heavy-hitting producers in town will be honored by Women in Film on June 15 at the group's annual Crystal + Lucy Awards. The awards dinner, which also will honor an actress, director and agent, give props to the outstanding women in entertainment — those who lead by example in their chosen fields. This year's Excellence in Film honorees will be producers Denise Di Novi, Lauren Shuler Donner, Lucy Fisher, Lianne Halfon, Lynda Obst, Jane Rosenthal, Paula Wagner and Paula Weinstein, most of whom have been in filmmaking for 25 years or more.

This year's Lucy Award for Excellence in Television will go to Taraji P. Henson (Empire) ,while CAA's Hylda Queally will receive the Sue Mengers Award (last year it went to ICM's Toni Howard). Natalie Dormer will receive the Women in Film Max Mara Face of the Future award. She is best known for her work on Game of Thrones and The Tudors. In addition, the BMW Dorothy Arzner Directors Award will go to prolific TV director Lesli Linka Glatter, whose helming credits include Homeland, Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Ray Donovan,The Newsroom and many more.

The theme for this year's show is "Designing Change." "We are on a mission to change the gender imbalance that is endemic to the entertainment industry (and) to design a more inclusive business for all women in the film, television and digital creative arenas," said Cathy Schulman, president of WIF in Los Angeles. "The women we honor this year are all catalysts for that change and exemplars in their fields."

Added Iris Grossman, who is returning this year as chair of the awards, "We are proud to recognize this year's honorees not only for their talent, but also for their strength, perseverance and their tireless efforts to change the balance for women in this industry, by example and by deed, whether in front of or behind the camera and in one case literally as an agent for change." Grossman is also president emerita of WIF, Los Angeles.

The awards show will take place at the Beverly Hilton this year.

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{blackbabes} Broad Green’s Culture-Clash Sorority Comedy Sets Ensemble Cast & Gets New Title

Megalyn Echikunwoke
 

Damien alumna Megalyn Echikunwoke is set to star in the film formerly known as Ain't No Half Steppin'. Broad Green Pictures said today that its sorority comedy from Drumline helmer Charles Stone has been retitled Step Sisters and also will feature Eden Sher, Lyndon Smith, Gage Golightly, Nia Jervier, Alessandra Torresani, Marque Richardson, Naturi Naughton and Matt McGorry.

Eden Sher Lyndon Smith

The film centers on Jamilah (Echikunwoke), an ambitious black sorority girl who, in order to get admitted to the law school of her dreams, agrees to cross culture lines and teach the exclusive art of black Greek stepping to a band of wild, Kardashian-obsessed white sorority girls whose charter is about to be revoked.

Chuck Hayward wrote the feature, which is produced by Matt Alvarez, Lena Waithe and Benjamin Cory Jones. Broad Green's Josh Reinhold is an executive producer.

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{blackbabes} Sister Act: Serena, Venus Williams both win big at French Open

 

PARIS — First it was Serena Williams' turn to overpower an opponent 6-2, 6-1 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Shortly after that was over Thursday, her older sister Venus entered the very same French Open arena and won by the very same score.

A bit like old times, n'est pas?

"It's a little surreal sometimes, because it has been so long. They've both been out here almost 20 years," said their sister, Isha Price, who was in the stands for both matches.

"It was nice to have them play back-to-back and not have to move," Price added with a laugh. "It's so interesting that their scoreline was the same. It was really nice to be there for that."

Back in 2002, when neither was yet 22, the American siblings contested the final at Roland Garros, one of their eight all-in-the-family Grand Slam title matches — and they haven't played each other at any stage in Paris since.

That's due in part to Venus' troubles at the clay-court tournament, where, now nearly 36, she moved into the third round for the first time since 2010 by relinquishing only three games in 54 minutes against American qualifier Louisa Chirico. Defending champion Serena's similarly simple victory against 81st-ranked Teliana Pereira of Brazil lasted 12 minutes longer.

The sisters — No. 1-seeded Serena, No. 9 Venus — even got a chance to cross paths and catch up briefly between their nearly identical matches. Serena faced one break point; Venus zero. Serena compiled a 31-6 edge in winners; Venus's margin was 22-6. Serena made 17 unforced errors; Venus 15.

If some spectators were pleased that a single ticket allowed them to see one Williams, then the other, the players themselves said they don't really find the time to savour such events.

"We're unfortunately really focused on our match. And I say 'unfortunately,' because in a few years, we'll be like, 'Wow, that's a great moment,"' the 34-year-old Serena said. "But right now, we have to be focused on what we want to do in going out there and winning the match."

Venus agreed.

"We focus more on the match at hand, and we both have a job to do, and that's to try to get to the next round," she said. "We focus less on the significance of us playing and more of like, 'Can you win this match?"'

Each Williams next plays a French opponent: Serena against No. 26 Kristina Mladenovic, Venus against unseeded Alize Cornet.

Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., was eliminated after dropping a 6-4, 6-4 decision to eighth-seeded Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland in second-round play.

It would take three more victories apiece, but — on the half of the draw already missing No. 3 Angelique Kerber and No. 5 Victoria Azarenka — there is the potential for a Williams vs. Williams semifinal next week. They have not met that deep into a major tournament in seven years, although Serena did defeat Venus in the U.S. Open quarterfinals in September.

One match after that, of course, Serena's bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam ended. So did her pursuit there of Steffi Graf's Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam titles, an effort Serena has resumed at Roland Garros.

When it comes to milestones, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal both achieved notable ones Thursday.

No. 1 Djokovic became the seventh man with 50 match wins in the French Open, moving to the third round by overcoming 42 unforced errors on a windswept afternoon to beat 161st-ranked qualifier Steve Darcis of Belgium 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. Next on Djokovic's agenda: joining the other half-dozen men on that list with at least one championship at Roland Garros.

The fourth-seeded Nadal, meanwhile, earned his the 200th Grand Slam victory of his career, something seven other men — including Djokovic — have done.

At the outset against 99th-ranked Facundo Bagnis of Argentina, a fellow lefty, Nadal was a little tentative and dropped 10 of the first 13 points to trail 0-2, love-30.

"True," Nadal acknowledged, "I started slow."

Didn't take the nine-time French Open champion long to get going, though. He reeled off 14 of 15 games to seize control along the way to winning 6-3, 6-0, 6-3.

Nadal improved to 200-30 in majors, a winning percentage of .870, and 72-2 at Roland Garros.

"The only thing I know is that I have reached the third round," Nadal said. "That's the only thing that matters for me."

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{blackbabes} Rashida Jones Talks Politics During Harvard Speech: I've Been 'Told to Shut Up Because I'm a Stupid Celebrity'

 
 
Rashida Jones is used to being told to "shut up."

The Angie Tribeca star returned to her alma mater
Harvard University on Wednesday afternoon to serve as the guest speaker for the class of 2016's Class Day celebration, and the actress didn't hold back during her speech.

"I've been often told to shut up because I'm a stupid celebrity," Jones told the crowd. "But you know what? I don't care."

Sporting a blunt bob haircut, black rimmed glasses and a black and cream colored dress, Jones took the stage in Harvard Yard to give an enthusiastic speech that had both hilarious moments (she managed to slip in a quote from
DJ Khaled and reminisced about the time a frozen yogurt machine was installed into her dorm's dining hall) and also got serious, discussing how she refuses to back down from her left-leaning political convictions.

"Now is the time to be loud. Louder than the loudest troll on the Internet," said Jones, who graduated from the university in 1997. "We need it right now. People tend to think its annoying for celebrities to be vocal about politics ... but I don't care. There's too much to fight for. The equality and respect that people before us have fought for and the laws put in place to protect these things are at risk of slipping away."

Rashida Jones Talks Politics During Harvard Speech: I've Been 'Told to Shut Up Because I'm a Stupid Celebrity'| People Picks, TV News, Donald Trump, Rashida Jones 
Jones touched on a variety of social issues, mentioning her frustration with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

"Young, unarmed black men are being killed in record numbers. States are passing laws that are systematically stripping away women's reproductive rights. A presidential candidate is encouraging us to be violent and racist, and wants to ensure that there be no gun-free zones in this country," she said.

Jones is the fourth consecutive Harvard alum to give the Class Day address.
Her dad, music legend Quincy Jones, had the the honor back when Jones graduated in 1997. Looking back on her own graduation day (Jones says she slept through her alarm and was hung over), the actress managed to give this year's graduates a dose of real talk.

"This commencement is literally the only time someone will be rooting for your success. America loves underdogs, and you are not underdogs. it doesn't matter if you're the first person in your family to graduate college and your grandma is here crying right now. No one cares," Jones joked. "Because now, you're Harvard grads."

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{blackbabes} Rihanna Designs Star Trek-Inspired Sunglasses for Dior, Kenzo Teams Up with H&M and More High-Fashion News

 

Rihanna continues to break boundaries. After a year as the first black woman to represent Dior, the singer is marking another milestone as the first ambassador to actually design for the fashion house. She just teamed up with the accessories department to create her own pair of sunglasses. They're futuristic, metallic and 100 percent RiRi. Read on to find out about the collab, plus more high-fashion news you can't miss.

Rihanna for Dior

Rihanna's Dior frames, appropriately called "Rihanna," are a thick-frame-meets-aviator style that will be available in six colors for $840, with a 24-karat gold-plated pair retailing for $1,950 (all available exclusively in Dior stores in June).

WWD reports that Rihanna visited the the design house last year and studied the brand's vintage frames. She was influenced by a pair from 2000 and credits La Forge from Star Trek as her inspiration for her design. "I've always been obsessed with his eyewear, and when I got to Dior and saw all the materials I could play with, it all just came together," she told WWD.

In other exciting fashion collaboration news, Parisian designer, Kenzo, is the latest brand to partner with H&M. Though, you'll have to sit tight the women's, men's and accessory items won't hit stores and H&M's website until November 3. And if the teaser is anything to go by, the collection may include a lot of futuristic rain forest prints.

In a statement Kenzo creative directors Carol Lim and Humberto Leon said, "With this collaboration with H&M we want to think big, push the boundaries and bring the new energy of Kenzo to everyone around the world."

And finally, Alexander Wang is joining the new wave of runway by switching the resort collections to a buy-it-now approach — but with a twist. The 2017 resort collection will still be presented during the June runway show, but all reviews and images will be held until clothing hits shelves in November.

Wang tells WWD, "This shortened timeline between seeing the collection and it being available in stores creates a sense of immediacy and generates excitement at the retail level."

Other designers who have switched to a buy-it-now model include Burberry and Rebecca Minkoff.

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{blackbabes} Beyoncé and Jay Z share a late-night meal at Del Posto in NYC.

{blackbabes} Teen Choice Awards 2016 Nominations Announced: See the "First Wave" of Potential Winners

 

MOVIES
Choice Movie: Action/Adventure
Deadpool
In the Heart of the Sea
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
Spectre
The Divergent Series: Allegiant
The Jungle Book

Choice Movie Actor: Action/Adventure
Chris Hemsworth – In the Heart of the Sea
Dylan O'Brien – Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
Neel Sethi – The Jungle Book
Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool
Theo James – The Divergent Series: Allegiant

Choice Movie Actress: Action/Adventure
Charlotte Riley – In the Heart of the Sea
Kaya Scodelario – Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
Léa Seydoux – Spectre
Morena Baccarin – Deadpool
Shailene Woodley – The Divergent Series: Allegiant

Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Captain America: Civil War
Fantastic Four
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
The Huntsman: Winter's War

Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Ben Affleck – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Chris Evans – Captain America: Civil War
Chris Hemsworth – The Huntsman: Winter's War
Henry Cavill – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Josh Hutcherson – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
Robert Downey Jr. – Captain America: Civil War

Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Amy Adams – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Charlize Theron – The Huntsman: Winter's War
Chloë Grace Moretz – The 5th Wave
Daisy Ridley – Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
Scarlett Johansson – Captain America: Civil War

Choice Movie: Drama
Creed
Miracles from Heaven
Point Break
10 Cloverfield Lane
Straight Outta Compton
The Martian

Choice Movie Actor: Drama
Jacob Tremblay – Room
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
Matt Damon – The Martian
Michael B. Jordan – Creed
O'Shea Jackson Jr. – Straight Outta Compton
Taron Egerton – Eddie The Eagle

Choice Movie Actress: Drama
Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl
Brie Larson – Room
Jennifer Garner – Miracles from Heaven
Jennifer Lawrence – Joy
Jessica Chastain – The Martian
Tessa Thompson – Creed

Choice Movie: Comedy
Barbershop: The Next Cut
Mother's Day
Mr. Right
Ride Along 2
The Intern
Zoolander 2

Choice Movie Actor: Comedy
Ice Cube – Barbershop: The Next Cut, Ride Along 2
Jordan Peele – Keanu
Keegan-Michael Key – Keanu
Kevin Hart – Ride Along 2
Will Ferrell – Daddy's Home
Zac Efron – Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising

Choice Movie Actress: Comedy
Jennifer Aniston – Mother's Day
Anna Kendrick – Mr. Right
Chloë Grace Moretz – Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
Anne Hathaway – The Intern
Melissa McCarthy – The Boss
Nicki Minaj – Barbershop: The Next Cut

TELEVISION
Choice TV Show: Drama
Empire
Gotham
Grey's Anatomy
Pretty Little Liars
Rosewood
Shades of Blue

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Ben McKenzie – Gotham
Ian Harding – Pretty Little Liars
Jussie Smollett – Empire
Keegan Allen – Pretty Little Liars
Terrence Howard – Empire
Tyler Blackburn – Pretty Little Liars

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Ashley Benson – Pretty Little Liars
Jennifer Lopez – Shades of Blue
Kerry Washington – Scandal
Maia Mitchell – The Fosters
Taraji P. Henson – Empire
Troian Bellisario – Pretty Little Liars

Choice TV Show: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Arrow
iZombie
Once Upon a Time
Supernatural
The Flash
The Vampire Diaries

Choice TV Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Andrew Lincoln – The Walking Dead
Grant Gustin – The Flash
Ian Somerhalder – The Vampire Diaries
Jared Padalecki – Supernatural
Joseph Morgan – The Originals
Paul Wesley – The Vampire Diaries

Choice TV Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Candice King – The Vampire Diaries
Emily Bett Rickards – Arrow
Danielle Panabaker – The Flash
Eliza Taylor – The 100
Kat Graham – The Vampire Diaries
Lana Parrilla – Once Upon a Time

Choice TV Show: Comedy
Austin & Ally
Jane the Virgin
Liv and Maddie
Modern Family
Fuller House
Scream Queens

Choice TV Actor: Comedy
Andy Samberg – Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Anthony Anderson – Black-ish
Jaime Camil – Jane the Virgin
Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory
Ross Lynch – Austin & Ally
Taylor Lautner – Cuckoo

Choice TV Actress: Comedy
Candace Cameron Bure – Fuller House
Dove Cameron – Liv and Maddie
Emma Roberts – Scream Queens
Gina Rodriguez – Jane the Virgin
Laura Marano – Austin & Ally
Lea Michele – Scream Queens

Choice TV: Animated Show
Descendants: Wicked World
Family Guy
Gravity Falls
Over the Garden Wall
Steven Universe
The Simpsons

Choice TV: Reality Show 
Mob Wives
Dance Moms
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
MasterChef Junior
The Voice
Total Divas

MUSIC

Choice Male Artist
Charlie Puth
Drake
Justin Bieber
Nick Jonas
Shawn Mendes
Zayn Malik

Choice Female Artist
Ariana Grande
Beyoncé
Demi Lovato
Rihanna
Selena Gomez
Taylor Swift

Choice Music Group:
5 Seconds of Summer
DNCE
Fall Out Boy
Fifth Harmony
One Direction
The Chainsmokers

Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Artist:
Beyoncé
Drake
Iggy Azalea
Jason Derulo
Nicki Minaj
The Weeknd

Choice Country Artist
Blake Shelton
Carrie Underwood
Hunter Hayes
Kelsea Ballerini
Luke Bryan
Sam Hunt

Choice Song: Female Artist
Adele – "Hello"
Ariana Grande – "Dangerous Woman"
Demi Lovato – "Confident"
Meghan Trainor – "NO"
Selena Gomez – "Hands To Myself"
Taylor Swift – "New Romantics"

Choice Song: Male Artist
Charlie Puth – "One Call Away"
Flo Rida – "My House"
Justin Bieber – "Sorry"
Nick Jonas – "Close" (feat. Tove Lo)
Troye Sivan – "YOUTH"
Zayn Malik – "PILLOWTALK"

Choice Song: Group
5 Seconds of Summer – "She's Kinda Hot"
DNCE – "Cake By The Ocean"
Fifth Harmony – "Work from Home" (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)
One Direction – "Home"
The Vamps – "Wake Up"
twenty one pilots – "Stressed Out"

FASHION

Choice Female Hottie
Gigi Hadid
Selena Gomez
Demi Lovato
Hailey Baldwin
Kendall Jenner
Bella Thorne

Choice Male Hottie
Austin Mahone
Cameron Dallas
Harry Styles
Jussie Smollett
Justin Bieber
Zayn Malik

OTHER

Choice Comedian
Aziz Ansari
Ellen DeGeneres
James Corden
Jimmy Fallon
Jordan Doww
Kevin Hart

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{blackbabes} Teen Choice Awards 2016: CW Dramas, Pretty Little Liars Lead Early Noms

 

The first wave of nominees for the 2016 Teen Choice Awards were announced Tuesday, and the list couldn't be any less surprising.

Pretty Little Liars is leading the pack with six nominations, one for the series itself (Choice TV Show, Drama!) and additional noms for Ian Harding, Keegan Allen, Tyler Blackburn, Ashley Benson and Troian Bellisario.

Scroll down to see if your favorite shows and stars made the cut. (And keep in mind, there are still more nominations to come.)

Choice TV Show: Drama
"Empire"
"Gotham"
"Grey's Anatomy"
"Pretty Little Liars"
"Rosewood"
"Shades of Blue"

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Ben McKenzie – "Gotham"
Ian Harding – "Pretty Little Liars"
Jussie Smollett – "Empire"
Keegan Allen – "Pretty Little Liars"
Terrence Howard – "Empire"
Tyler Blackburn – "Pretty Little Liars"

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Ashley Benson – "Pretty Little Liars"
Jennifer Lopez – "Shades of Blue"
Kerry Washington – "Scandal"
Maia Mitchell – "The Fosters"
Taraji P. Henson – "Empire"
Troian Bellisario – "Pretty Little Liars"

Choice TV Show: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
"Arrow"
"iZombie"
"Once Upon a Time"
"Supernatural"
"The Flash"
"The Vampire Diaries"

Choice TV Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Andrew Lincoln – "The Walking Dead"
Grant Gustin – "The Flash"
Ian Somerhalder – "The Vampire Diaries"
Jared Padalecki – "Supernatural"
Joseph Morgan – "The Originals"
Paul Wesley – "The Vampire Diaries"

Choice TV Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Candice King – "The Vampire Diaries"
Emily Bett Rickards – "Arrow"
Danielle Panabaker – "The Flash"
Eliza Taylor – "The 100"
Kat Graham – "The Vampire Diaries"
Lana Parrilla – "Once Upon a Time"

Choice TV Show: Comedy
"Austin & Ally"
"Jane the Virgin"
"Liv and Maddie"
"Modern Family"
"Fuller House"
"Scream Queens"

Choice TV Actor: Comedy
Andy Samberg – "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
Anthony Anderson – "Black-ish"
Jaime Camil – "Jane the Virgin"
Jim Parsons – "The Big Bang Theory"
Ross Lynch – "Austin & Ally"
Taylor Lautner – "Cuckoo"

Choice TV Actress: Comedy
Candace Cameron Bure – "Fuller House"
Dove Cameron – "Liv and Maddie "
Emma Roberts – "Scream Queens"
Gina Rodriguez – "Jane the Virgin"
Laura Marano – "Austin & Ally"
Lea Michele – "Scream Queens"

Choice TV: Animated Show
"Descendants: Wicked World"
"Family Guy"
"Gravity Falls"
"Over the Garden Wall"
"Steven Universe"
"The Simpsons"

Choice TV: Reality Show
"Mob Wives"
"Dance Moms"
"Keeping Up with the Kardashians"
"MasterChef Junior"
"The Voice"
"Total Divas"

Winners will be announced July 31 at 8/7c during the TCAs on Fox. Did your favorites make the cut? Do any major snubs leap out at you?

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{blackbabes} Williams coasts to easy win at Roland Garros

 

PARIS — Even before Serena Williams quickly and easily seized control of her first-round match Tuesday, things were shaping up rather well for her at the French Open.

The No. 1-ranked Williams' bid for her 22nd Grand Slam title, which would equal Steffi Graf's Open-era record, began with a nothing-to-see-here 6-2, 6-0 victory over 77th-ranked Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia in all of 42 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Not that she wished it had been more of a workout.

"It was a little short for me, but I think in my career, if I don't have it by now, I need to look into something different. So I'm OK — I'm OK with that," said Williams, who took the last 10 games after a so-so start.

What happened earlier on Day 3 was more surprising — and perhaps just as significant for the defending champion: Two of the top five seeded women exited the clay-court tournament.

No. 3 Angelique Kerber, who upset Williams in the Australian Open final in January, lost to 58th-ranked Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. And No. 5 Victoria Azarenka, one of the only other two women who defeated Williams this season, bowed out in the first round, too, stopping because of an injured right knee while trailing 4-0 in the third set against 118th-ranked Karen Knapp of Italy.

Williams could have faced Azarenka in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, and Kerber in the semifinals. In the six major tournaments before this one, Williams was 39-2, with the only losses coming against Kerber and No. 7 Roberta Vinci, who stopped the American's try for a calendar-year Grand Slam at the 2015 U.S. Open but is done in Paris after a loss on Monday.

The rain that played havoc with the schedule over the first two days was nowhere to be found Tuesday, although the chill remained, and Williams wore leggings under her skirt and a zipped-up, long-sleeved top to shield her from the temperature that was right around 60 degrees (15 Celsius).

"I don't like playing in cold weather," said Williams, who compiled 25 winners and only five unforced errors, "but everything felt pretty good."

Her older sister, No. 9 Venus, also won in straight sets, thereby avoiding a second consecutive first-round Grand Slam loss — and a second consecutive first-round French Open loss. But she spent a lot more time on court, needing nearly two hours to get past 82nd-ranked Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4).

The top-seeded man, Novak Djokovic, was not tested at all Tuesday, defeating 95th-ranked Yen-hsun Lu of Taiwan 6-4, 6-1, 6-1. And Rafael Nadal was so at ease in a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 victory over 100th-ranked Sam Groth of Australia that the nine-time French Open champion even allowed himself a smile after a dazzling, back-to-the-net, through-the-legs passing shot winner in the next-to-last game.

No. 2 Andy Murray was never that at peace during his struggle of a match, which was suspended because of darkness Monday night in the fourth set.

Murray lost the opening two sets against 37-year-old Radek Stepanek, a qualifier from the Czech Republic who was the oldest man in the field, then twice was two points from losing while serving down 5-4 in the fifth on Tuesday.

"An extremely difficult match. Very tricky, challenging," Murray said. "Today was pretty, you know, stressful."

The two-time major champion did not make any sort of attempt to hide that feeling, engaging in his usual mix of gesticulating and grousing. Stepanek, meanwhile, was having the time of his life, mixing confounding drop shots and net rushes, and motioning to the crowd to give him more support.

In the end, though, Murray emerged to eke out a 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 win.

"I gave it all. I have no regrets. Obviously being so close, it's always tough to absorb," Stepanek said, "but to play on such a stage, in front of such a crowd, it's been a pleasure."

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