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{blackbabes} Mariah Carey’s dogs get pampered in wine country

 

Even Mariah Carey's dogs live the good life.

We hear that after spending time in the studio prepping for her upcoming Las Vegas residency, Carey spent Memorial Day weekend in Napa Valley, Calif., with her kids, Moroccan and Monroe, boyfriend Bryan Tanaka and Jack Russell terriers Cha Cha and Jill E Beans.

A spy said, "Never one to leave her beloved pups behind, the pop sensation used ­on-demand dog-walking service Wag to pamper the pooches with long walks among the vineyards."

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{blackbabes} Keshia Knight Pulliam Wants All Future Child Support Taken from Ex's NFL Pension

 

Keshia Knight Pulliam's fed up with late child support payments, and now wants all future dues ripped from her estranged husband's NFL pension ... no middleman.

Keshia filed new court docs in her pending divorce from ex-NFL player Ed Hartwell, asking that all of his future child support payments come directly from his NFL retirement or disability money. She says Ed's been late a lot lately, and he hasn't paid for May.

Keshia also claims Ed hasn't been allowing her to travel outside of the country for work since he's been dragging his feet on signing consent forms to allow their 5-month-old daughter to leave with mom.

Once again ... she's demanding the judge lock up Ed until he's square on child support.

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{blackbabes} It's a girl! Venus lets Serena baby secret slip

Serena Williams (L) leaves after attending her sister Venus Williams' tennis match against Japan's Kurumi Nara at the French Open

Paris (AFP) - Serena Williams will be the mother of a baby girl, if sister Venus is to be believed after she appeared to let the secret slip on Wednesday.

Venus, playing at the French Open in Paris, told a TV interviewer: "She's going to call me her favourite aunt."

"We all like 'baby V, baby Lyn, baby Isha'. We all want the baby to be named after us," the 36-year-old told Eurosport, referring to the names of Serena's sisters.

Serena, who revealed she was pregnant in April, has refused to discuss the sex of the baby she is expecting with fiance, Alex Ohanian, the founder of Reddit.

She was at Roland Garros on Wednesday watching her older sister defeat Kurumi Nara in the second round on the showpiece Philippe Chatrier court.

"I think it's not easy for her to watch, because, you know, obviously she knows she can do well here," said Venus after the match.

Serena is a three-time champion at Roland Garros.

"I think that she's just excited about everything coming up in her life, on and off the court, excited about returning here hopefully next year," added Venus, who turns 37 next month.

Serena, who won her 23rd Grand Slam title in January when she defeated Venus in the Australian Open final, is due to give birth in September, the month she turns 36.

Earlier this week in Paris, Venus had talked about her anticipation of becoming an aunt.

"I'm definitely looking forward to it. I have no idea what the experience will be like, because previously I became an aunt when I was very young and lived far away, across the country, so it was a completely different experience than it will be this time," she said.

"So I hope that I can live up to this job. I've got to get some confidence that I can do this. It's all new for me. It's a great journey."

Venus, who was runner-up to her sister in Paris back in 2002, added: I think you just have to be ready, aware, and alert. Then have a lot of diaper duty. Yeah. So we'll see."

Serena learned she was pregnant just two days before the Australian Open.

She has told of being nervous about playing, uncertain whether it would be too dangerous for her or the baby.

Kelly Bush Novak, Williams's publicist, said last month that the US star "looks forward to returning in 2018".

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{blackbabes} Venus stellar in Paris with straight sets win over Japan's Nara

PARIS (Reuters) - With superstar sister Serena away pregnant, it was left to 36-year-old Venus to carry the standard for the Williams family at Roland Garros on Wednesday, with a second-round thumping of Japan's Kurumi Nara.

Seeded 10th here, Williams ground her Japanese opponent into the red Parisian dust in a contest that at times almost veered into miss-match territory before ending 6-3 6-1.

Williams never appeared extended on the Philippe Chatrier court, but she nevertheless delivered a display of exquisite shot-making to a crowd denied a real contest.

Punching her black and lime-green racquet through the ball, Williams cleaned the lines with her groundstrokes, sending Nara scampering all round the arena.

"You know, it's always a joy when you can control the match," she smiled afterwards. "That always feels good."

The win makes her the oldest woman to reach the third round at the French Open since Billie-Jean King in 1982, .

Next up is either Dutch qualifier Richel Hogenkamp or Belgian Elise Mertens.

"I don't think I have played either in singles, so it will be interesting to, like, see how that ball is coming at me," she mused.

"I just want to win, so whoever I play, I just would like to win that match. That's how you have to be is greedy."

It is Venus's 20th attempt at winning this title, and time may be running out for her, and for tennis fans to enjoy her languid shot-play.

She came closest in 2002 when she was beaten in the final by her younger sister, as she was at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open that year.

There is no Serena standing in her way here, but plenty of younger guns are eager for a notable victory.

Serena for one, though, is in her corner.

"Yeah, she said, 'Good job'. She came in sometime during the match. I don't know exactly when.

"She knows exactly what it's like out there, and she's had a lot of success here. If she stays here through the end, I would like that."

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{blackbabes} Serena Williams visits French Open to watch sister Venus win

 

PARIS — Serena Williams was back on the Grand Slam scene Wednesday, only she was snacking on a piece of fruit while sitting in a shaded part of the stands at the French Open, watching her older sister win in straight sets instead of playing a match herself.

About six months pregnant, and off the WTA tour for the rest of this season, Williams was blase about attending a major tournament as a spectator rather than a participant.

"It feels fine. I don't feel anything," she said Wednesday before leaving the Roland Garros grounds. "It's just a part of my life."

As everyone connected to the sport acknowledges, tennis events simply are not the same without Williams in the draw. She generates attention and wins more than her share of trophies — the Australian Open championship in January, while she already was expecting, was her 23rd at a Slam.

She beat her sister Venus in that final. Now Venus is the only Williams who'll be in tournament brackets until 2018, when Serena vows to return.

"I'm sure she feels the excitement of being at a major and not having the pressure to play and prepare. Must be an interesting feeling, to say the least," the 10th-seeded Venus said after taking 11 of the last 12 games and beating Kurumi Nara of Japan 6-3, 6-1 to get to the third round. "But she knows exactly what it's like out there, and she's had a lot of success here."

Serena has won the French Open three times, in 2002 (Venus was her opponent in the final), 2013 and 2015.

So what's it like for her to be an observer nowadays?

"It's like any athlete: When you watch another player, you can see everything that they're not doing and you want to get out there and do it yourself. That's the way it is," said the sisters' mother, Oracene Price. "She can't wait to come back, though. Actually, she's working toward it now."

Yes, Serena is not staying idle.

Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, said Serena recently texted him "and she said: 'It's going to sound weird, but I'm going on the court. I don't want to lose my touch.' That was her joke, talking about losing her touch. But she wants to keep in contact with the racket and the ball. There is no doubt that she plans to come back."

Mouratoglou added that Serena already is talking about making it back in time to play the Australian Open next January.

"For anyone, it sounds impossible, because it's too short a time after you give birth," said Mouratoglou, who noted that he is planning to continue as her coach whenever she is ready to return to competition.

"But Serena is Serena. There is no rule that you can apply to Serena. She has a body that is not anybody's body. She has a will that is also completely unusual. She is one of a kind," he said. "I never see any limits for her and put any limits to her, because that would be wrong. So if she says Australian Open, it's going to be the Australian Open."

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{blackbabes} Juno Temple & Janelle Monae To Star In ‘Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams’ Episode

Juno Temple (Vinyl, The Dark Knight Rises) and Janelle Monae (Hidden Figures, Moonlight) are set for lead roles in an episode of Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams sci-fi anthology series from Ronald D. Moore, Michael Dinner, Bryan Cranston and Sony Pictures TV.

The show, based on short stories by the award-winning novelist, was commissioned by Channel 4, who will air the series later this year in the UK. It will launch on Amazon Prime in the U.S.

Temple and Monae will lead the "Autofac" episode. Despite society and the world as we know it having collapsed, a massive, automatic product-manufacturing factory continues to operate according to the principles of consumerism – humans consume products to be happy, and in order to consume continuously, they must be denied freedom of choice and free will. When a small band of rebels decide to shut down the factory, they discover they may actually be the perfect consumers after all.

Temple will play Emily, one of the rebels, and Monae appears as Alexis, an Autofac representative.

Jay Paulson (Mad Men, Grimm) and David Lyons (Revolution, ER) will also appear in the episode.

Peter Horton (Grey's Anatomy, American Odyssey) directs the episode written by Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim, Clash of The Titans).

The series features an all-star cast including Steve Buscemi, Greg Kinnear, Mireille Enos, Anna Paquin, Terrence Howard, Timothy Spall, Richard Madden, Holiday Grainger, Jack Reynor, Benedict Wong, Geraldine Chaplin and Bryan Cranston, who also serves as an executive producer on the series.

Moore and Maril Davis of Tall Ship Productions and Michael Dinner of Rooney McP Productions exec produce with Cranston and James Degus of Moonshot Entertainment, Isa Dick Hackett, Kalen Egan and Christopher Tricarico of Electric Shepherd Productions, David Kanter and Matt DeRoss of Anonymous Content, Lila Rawlings and Marigo Kehoe of Left Bank Pictures, Don Kurt and Kate DiMento in association with Sony Pictures Television.

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{blackbabes} Vanessa Williams performs in Washington D.C. at the National Memorial Day Concert.

 
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{blackbabes} 'Underground' Canceled As WGN America Exits Scripted Biz

 

Being Mary Jane star Gabrielle Union is teaming up once again with producer and BMJ executive producer Will Packer on an upcoming feature — Breaking In. Union will star in and produce the drama which centers on a woman who fights to protect the ones she loves during a home invasion. V for Vendetta helmer James McTeigue is directing the project which will go before the cameras in July.

Union is producing the feature with Packer, James Lopez, and Practical Picture's Craig Perry and Sheila Taylor from a screenplay by Ryan Engle. The script was based on a pitch from Jaime Primak Sullivan who is on as executive producer with Valerie Bleth Sharp and Jeff Morrone.

Breaking In marks Union's fourth outing as a producer. Packer, who has a flair for yielding big returns off movies with conservative budgets, is gearing up for the release of the all female-led comedy film Girl's Trip, which arrives in theaters on July 21.

Union recently starred in and was an exec producer on Will Packer Productions' holiday film Almost Christmas, and also co-starred opposite Jamie Foxx in Sleepless. She's repped by CAA and Primary Wave. Packer and McTeigue are both repped by CAA. Engle is repped by Original Artists.

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{blackbabes} Fame has gotten ‘Underground’ star free Starbucks

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Amirah Vann — who stars in WGN America's hit TV series "Underground" — says fame has its perks.

"I am now getting recognized in the streets," she told us at a Cinema Society event this week.

"I have gotten free coffee from Starbucks — I order the tall and then they say, 'It is on me."

Although the show, set in 1850s Georgia, just premiered its second season in March, Vann told us, "We are still waiting for our announcement for Season 3 [renewal]. We can't leave the fans now!" Fiji sponsored the event.

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{blackbabes} Venus looking for 1st French Open title in 20th appearance

 

PARIS (AP) -- Making a record 20th appearance at Roland Garros, Venus Williams is looking to finally get her hands on the French Open trophy.

Williams has played in the French Open more than any other woman, but has only gotten past the quarterfinals once - when she lost the 2002 final to younger sister Serena.

''Is it 20 already? I thought I missed a few, but apparently not,'' Williams said with a smile. ''Here we are. You know, what an experience. What can I say?

''It's always an opportunity, for sure. You know, I want to play the kind of tennis that's consistent and aggressive, inspired. That's my goal, really, every match.''

Williams turns 37 next month, but is showing no signs of slowing down. The American reached her 15th Grand Slam final in January - nearly eight years after her 14th. She lost the Australian Open to Serena.

Williams attributes her longevity partly to the breaks she has taken during her 23-year career.

''Definitely, I think spacing out how long, how many tournaments I have played, I believe that's helped me,'' Williams said. ''It's not easy emotionally or mentally or physically to do this job, so I think that helps. I haven't had any other experience.

''So would I recommend it? For sure, but I think if you're happy playing a lot of tournaments and you can handle that, then it's not a problem. But if you're not, then you have to space it out.''

Williams will play Kurumi Nara of Japan in the second round at Roland Garros after surviving a scare to beat Qiang Wang in straight sets on Sunday.

The 10th-seeded Williams quickly took the first set in 41 minutes, but then had to draw on all her experience to recover from two set points down and go on to take the set - and the match - on a tiebreaker.

Williams eventually triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (3) after Wang hit a backhand into the net.

''The first round is always tricky,'' Williams said. ''You know, she played well. I just tried to stay aggressive until the end. You know, you have to still be aggressive even though the courts are slower here on the clay.

''When I was trailing, I know she had done things to earn it, to be at 4-2, so it was a credit to her. But also, I realized I had to put some balls in the court, so that would be my main focus at that point.''

Williams added: ''I think today the experience helped, for sure. Having the opportunity to play 20 of these tournaments helped me a lot.''

Clay is Williams' least favorite surface, but with several of the top stars out or struggling, this could be her year.

Serena is not playing because she is pregnant, while Maria Sharapova's ranking wasn't high enough to gain direct entry into the tournament after a 15-month doping suspension. Tournament organizers did not grant her a wild card.

World No. 1 Angelique Kerber lost her first-round match 6-2, 6-2 against 40th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova, while third-seeded Simona Halep is struggling with a right ankle injury.

''All I can speak of are the players that I play against, and they play amazing every time. That's the competition I face,'' Williams said. ''What other players are doing, I have got to be honest, I don't watch so closely. I just try to understand what can I accomplish. And then after that, I go home.''

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{blackbabes} Venus starts 20th Roland Garros with victory

US Venus Williams serves to China's Wang Qiang during the French Open on May 28, 2017

Paris (AFP) - Venus Williams started her 20th French Open with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) win over China's Wang Qiang on Sunday.

Williams, seeded 10 and three weeks shy of her 37th birthday, had to dig deep to see off her opponent who had led 4-2 in the first set and 5-3, with set points, in the second.

The American veteran, who made her Roland Garros debut in 1997 and was runner-up to sister Serena in Paris in 2002, will next face Japan's Kurumi Nara.

Nara defeated 15-year-old Amanda Anisimova of the United States in three sets.

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{blackbabes} Venus Williams set for French Open 20th anniversary

Paris (AFP) - Serena Williams may be missing from this year's French Open, but big sister Venus is still going strong and marks her Roland Garros 20th anniversary on Sunday.

Three weeks shy of her 37th birthday, the American star, who made her debut in the French capital in 1997, kicks off her latest campaign against China's Wang Qiang.

Williams, seeded 10, has played every year since 1997 with the exception of 2011 and despite her senior citizen status, she is still a contender at the Slams as her run to the Australian Open final in January proved.

Her staggering longevity is illustrated by the fact that her potential second round opponent is compatriot Amanda Anisimova who, at just 15, is the youngest main draw competitor since 2005.

When Venus was losing the 2002 Roland Garros final to Serena, Anisimova was just nine months old.

"I'm here as I still have a lot to give. That just wraps it up," said Venus who has never got beyond the quarter-finals in Paris since her runners-up spot 15 years ago.

Anisimova, the Florida-based daughter of Russian parents, made the tournament courtesy of winning the US wild card play-off.

She faces Japan's world number 94 Kurumi Nara on Sunday.

"This will be my first main draw match at a major, I'm very excited and I can't wait to play already," she said.

Elsewhere on what's expected to be a sweltering opening day in Paris, world number one Angelique Kerber starts against experienced Russian player Ekaterina Makarova.

Kerber was defeated in the first round by unseeded Kiki Bertens 12 months ago and has yet to get past the quarter-finals.

The German left-hander has endured a miserable clay-court season, losing early in Stuttgart and crashing out in her Rome opener, while retiring from her last-16 clash in Madrid with a lower back injury.

"Everybody knows clay is not my favourite surface, but I try my best," said Kerber. "Last year was not the best for me."

Makarova, also left-handed, is a former top tenner who has made at least the quarter-finals of all the majors, except the French Open.

Action on Philippe Chatrier centre court starts with two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova making her comeback after six months away from the sport spent recovering from potentially career-ending injuries sustained in fighting off a knife-wielding burglar in December.

Kvitova, a semi-finalist in 2012 and seeded 15 this year, faces America's Julia Boserup, the world number 86 who is making her French Open debut.

The standout match in the men's singles sees Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem, a semi-finalist in 2016, take on unpredictable Bernard Tomic of Australia.

Thiem is regarded as a potential champion should world number one Andy Murray, defending champion Novak Djokovic or nine-time champion Rafael Nadal slip up.

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{blackbabes} Naomi Campbell celebrates birthday with ‘low-key’ yacht party

 

Naomi Campbell celebrated her 47th birthday aboard a 282-foot yacht, Chakra, in Cannes on Monday.

But unlike in years past, it was a smaller, more low-key affair.

The supermodel was in town to host her Fashion for Relief fund-raising show, which took place on Sunday.

Naomi's birthday bashes have been known as over-the-top fêtes during the film festival — last year's lavish celebration was at a chateau.

This time, we're told Naomi arrived late, and headed to a private room, which was sealed off by security.

Billionaire Paul Allen also toned down his annual yacht party on the same night, bringing out his "small" boat, the 303-foot Tatoosh, rather than his usual 414-foot monster, Octopus.

Unlike past parties, there was no theme, but starry guests included Salma Hayek, Pamela Anderson and Lindsay Lohan, and Allen did, per tradition, provide the entertainment by playing guitar with a band.

Perhaps still confused from her Oscars flub, Faye Dunaway snapped at one guest who asked why she was in Cannes: "To learn about movies."

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{blackbabes} Venus could rise again in Paris, says Shriver

 

(Reuters) - Veteran Venus Williams could blast through the huge holes in the women's draw and win her first French Open at the age of 36 next month, according to former world number three Pam Shriver.

With Williams' pregnant sister and three times French champion Serena absent, Russia's twice winner Maria Sharapova failing to gain a wildcard after returning from a doping ban and Belarusian Victoria Azarenka still not back after becoming a mother, the biggest names in the women's game are missing.

Add in the poor form of German world number one Angelique Kerber and Spain's defending champion Garbine Muguruza and an ankle injury for new title favorite Simona Halep of Romania and the often unpredictable claycourt slam looks wide open.

Shriver feels Venus could be the one to take advantage despite only having two quarter-final runs in Paris since losing to Serena in her only French Open final in 2002.

"I think there are so many possibilities in the works," Shriver told a conference call hosted by broadcaster ESPN, who she will be working for during the Roland Garros fortnight.

"I've seen some draws that are wide open on the women's side but I've never seen a situation like this.

"Venus coming off what she did at the Australian Open getting to her first grand slam final since she knew she had the auto-immune syndrome (Sjogren's Syndrome) and now knowing that her sister is not in the draw. Can she win it? Why not?

"She is a more capable claycourt player than most people think and when you consider the big hitters that have won in the women's game, Sharapova twice in the last few years and Muguruza last year, Venus is definitely one of the possibilities."

Seven-times French Open champion Chris Evert agreed that Venus, who has won seven grand slam titles but none for nearly a decade, stands out as a player who has been there and done it in a field low on proven quality.

"Venus is a very capable claycourt player, she's won grand slams before and the mental part of the game is going to be very important this year," Evert said.

With 23-times grand slam champion Serena vowing to return next year following her pregnancy, there is a window for a new face to establish a grip on the women's game.

But Shriver says few candidates spring to mind.

"Right now, honestly there is no heir apparent, a teenager who seems to have it all," she said. "I don't think we are going to have a dominant player after Serena goes."

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{blackbabes} Serena Williams accepts a new challenge in Silicon Valley

 

SAN FRANCISCO — Tennis star Serena Williams has 39 Grand Slam titles, four Olympic medals, major endorsement deals and her own line of clothing and accessories. Now she is embarking on a new mission: She says she wants to help tech companies diversify their workforces and solve one of the industry's most vexing problems.

Williams, 35, will get her chance as she joins a Silicon Valley boardroom. Online survey service SurveyMonkey announced Williams' appointment to its board on Wednesday, along with Intuit CEO Brad Smith.

"I feel like diversity is something I speak to," Williams said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Change is always happening; change is always building. What is important to me is to be at the forefront of the change and to make it easier for the next person that comes behind me."

Williams didn't offer specifics about her goals as a corporate director. She implied that her very presence can help push the company — and, by extension, the industry as a whole — in a more diverse direction.

Individual board members don't usually exert great influence over the companies they oversee, although they are often compensated handsomely in cash and stock for their part-time work. SurveyMonkey, a private company, didn't say how much Williams will be compensated.

VALLEY DIVERSITY

Silicon Valley's lack of diversity has become a recurring source of embarrassment in a region that has long sought to position itself as an egalitarian place that doesn't favour one gender, ethnicity or race over another. Yet that philosophy hasn't been reflected in high-tech workforces , despite the efforts of companies such as Google, Apple and Facebook to fix the problem.

Williams has been hanging around Silicon Valley more frequently now that she is engaged to high-tech entrepreneur, Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of the online forum Reddit. Like many other African-Americans, she says she's disappointed that the vast majority of high-paying technology jobs are filled by white and Asian men.

At SurveyMonkey, which employs about 650 workers, only 27 per cent of technology jobs are filled by women. Just 14 per cent of its total payroll consists of African-Americans, Latinos or people identifying themselves with at least two races, according to numbers the company provided to the AP.

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WHAT SHE CAN DO

Williams' appointment is part of the solution, according to SurveyMonkey CEO Zander Lurie. "My focus is to bring in change agents around the table who can open our eyes," he said.

Diversity advocates say women and minorities add value to corporate boards -- as well as companies' executive ranks -- by offering new perspectives and advocating for a broader range of a company's stakeholders, whether that's customers, shareholders or employees.

In a report on France's quota requirements for corporate boards, the business research group Conference Board found that the real value of adding women came from the fact that they were more likely to be outsiders. They were more likely to be foreigners, have expertise in more diverse business issues than men and more likely to have risen through the ranks outside traditional networks, such as elite universities. This, in itself, can "substantively" improve the collective decision-making of a board, according to the report.

Williams' celebrity may help draw attention to the lack of diversity on corporate boards themselves, said Brande Stellings, vice-president of corporate board services for Catalyst, a group focused on fighting for women's rights at work. For instance, African-American women occupy only 122 of the more than 5,000 board seats among Fortune 500 companies, based on Catalyst's analysis.

"This is an opportunity to show you don't want a board full of people with the same backgrounds and experiences as everyone else," Stellings said. "(Williams) can bring a fresh perspective and a different voice that could be helpful for disrupting the 'group think' that's typical in many boardrooms."

STEPPING STONE

Racism is something Williams confronted and overcame at an early age when she began playing a predominantly white sport. She grew up to become the top-ranked female tennis player in the world.

Diversifying Silicon Valley isn't the only item on Williams' agenda. Like a lot of rich athletes, she is interested in becoming more involved in the business opportunities amid the high-tech boom in Silicon Valley. She says she is already exploring other opportunities in the area, but isn't ready to provide details yet.

Her connection to SurveyMonkey came through her friendship with Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer and another member of SurveyMonkey's board. Sandberg's husband, Dave Goldberg, was SurveyMonkey's CEO before he died in 2015 while the couple was vacationing in Mexico.

"I have been really interested in getting involved in Silicon Valley for years, so I have been kind of in the wading waters," Williams said. "Now, I am jumping into the deep end of the pool. When I do something, I go all out."

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{blackbabes} ‘Queen Sugar’: Sharon Lawrence, Alimi Ballard, Margot Bingham Set To Recur In Season 2

 

Emmy nominee Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue, Grey's Anatomy, Shameless), Alimi Ballard (The Catch, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) and Margot Bingham (Boardwalk Empire) are set for recurring roles on the second season of OWN's praised drama series Queen Sugar. In addition, Julie Dash joins Season 2 as part of an all-female directorial team handpicked by creator/executive producer Ava DuVernay.

In Season 2, Bordelon siblings Nova (Rutina Wesley), Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) and Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) struggle to move forward with their lives as they strive to honor the legacy of their father following his unexpected passing. Together, they must learn to rely on one another as they navigate their tenuous bonds as family. Cast also includes Nicholas L. Ashe (Micah), Omar J. Dorsey (Hollywood), Dondré T. Whitfield (Remy), Timon Kyle Durrett (Davis), Bianca Lawson (Darla), Ethan Hutchison (Blue), and Tina Lifford (Aunt Violet). Additionally, guest star Henry G. Sanders recurs as Prosper Denton.

Lawrence will play Lorna, the mother of Charley Bordelon. Sophisticated, charismatic, and complicated, Lorna is a successful, self-motivated businesswoman who raised her daughter to never settle for second best. Ballard will portray Dr. Robert Dubois, an epidemiologist who works at The Center for American Progress. Sincere, charming and intellectual, Dr. Dubois makes a lasting impression on Nova. Bingham is Tamar Judith, a cool and confident pop singer who crosses paths with Davis.

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Dash broke through racial and gender boundaries 26 years ago with her Sundance award-winning film Daughters of the Dust, and she became the first African-American woman to have a wide theatrical release of her feature film. Most recently, Dash is the recipient of the New York Film Critics Special Award; the 2017 Robert Smalls Merit and Achievement Award; and the Visionary Award from Women in Film, Washington DC. She is also currently in production on a feature-length documentary about Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor, a world-renowned author, performer and chef from rural South Carolina who has led a remarkably unique and complex life. The film is based upon Grosvenor's bestselling work, Vibration Cooking: or, the Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl.

Queen Sugar is produced for OWN by Warner Horizon Scripted Television. The executive producers are Ava DuVernay, Monica Macer and Oprah Winfrey. The series is inspired by the book by Natalie Baszile.

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{blackbabes} Billboard Music Awards 2017 Winners: The Complete List

 

Top Artist: Adele
Beyoncé
Justin Bieber
The Chainsmokers
WINNER: Drake
Ariana Grande
Shawn Mendes
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots
The Weeknd

Top Female Artist

WINNER: Beyoncé
Adele
Ariana Grande
Rihanna
Sia

Top Male Artist

Justin Bieber
WINNER: Drake
Future
Shawn Mendes
The Weeknd

Top New Artist:

Alessia Cara
Desiigner
Lil Uzi Vert
Lukas Graham
WINNER: Zayn

Billboard Chart Achievement Award:

Luke Bryan
The Chainsmokers
Nicki Minaj
The Weeknd
WINNER: Twenty One Pilots

Top Duo/Group:

WINNER: The Chainsmokers
Coldplay
Florida Georgia Line
Guns N' Roses
Twenty One Pilots

Top Billboard 200 Artist:

WINNER: Drake
Beyoncé
Prince
Twenty One Pilots
The Weeknd

Top Hot 100 Artist:

WINNER: Drake
The Chainsmokers
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots
The Weeknd

Top Song Sales Artist:

WINNER: Drake
The Chainsmokers
Prince
Justin Timberlake
Twenty One Pilots

Top Radio Songs Artist:

WINNER: Twenty One Pilots
Justin Bieber
The Chainsmokers
Drake
Rihanna

Top Streaming Songs Artist:

WINNER: Drake
The Chainsmokers
Desiigner
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots

Top Social Artist:

Justin Bieber
WINNER: BTS
Selena Gomez
Ariana Grande
Shawn Mendes

Top Touring Artist:

WINNER: Beyoncé
Justin Bieber
Coldplay
Guns N' Roses
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Top R&B Artist:

WINNER: Beyoncé
Bruno Mars
Frank Ocean
Rihanna
The Weeknd

Top R&B Tour:

WINNER: Beyoncé
Lionel Richie
Rihanna

Top Rap Artist:

WINNER: Drake
J. Cole
Desiigner
Future
Rae Sremmurd

Top Rap Tour:

WINNER: Drake
Future
Kanye West

Top Country Artist:

Florida Georgia Line
WINNER: Blake Shelton
Keith Urban
Chris Stapleton
Jason Aldean

Top Country Tour:

WINNER: Kenny Chesney
Luke Bryan
Dixie Chicks

Top Rock Artist:

WINNER: Twenty One Pilots
Coldplay
The Lumineers
Metallica
X Ambassadors

Top Rock Tour:

WINNER: Coldplay
Guns N' Roses
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Top Latin Artist:

WINNER: Juan Gabriel
J Balvin
Los Plebes Del Rancho De Ariel Camacho
Maluma
Nicky Jam

Top Dance/Electronic Artist:

WINNER: The Chainsmokers
Calvin Harris
Major Lazer
DJ Snake
Lindsey Stirling

Top Christian Artist:

WINNER: Lauren Daigle
Hillsong Worship
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family
Skillet
Chris Tomlin

Top Gospel Artist:

WINNER: Kirk Franklin
Jekalyn Carr
Travis Greene
Tamela Mann
Hezekiah Walker

Top Billboard 200 Album:

Beyoncé Lemonade
WINNER: Drake
Views
Rihanna
Anti
Twenty One Pilots
Blurryface
The Weeknd Starboy 

Top Soundtrack/Cast Album:

WINNER: Hamilton: An American Musical
Moana
Purple Rain
Suicide Squad: The Album
Trolls 

Top R&B Album:

WINNER: Beyoncé Lemonade
Bruno Mars 24K Magic
Frank Ocean
Blonde
Rihanna
Anti
The Weeknd Starboy 

Top Rap Album:

WINNER: Drake Views
Cole 4
Your Eyez Only
Kevin Gates
Islah
DJ Khaled
Major Key
A Tribe Called Quest We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service 

Top Country Album:

WINNER: Chris Stapleton Traveller
Jason Aldean
They Don't Know
Florida Georgia Line
Dig Your Roots
Blake Shelton
If I'm Honest
Keith Urban Ripcord 

Top Rock Album:

WINNER: Metallica Hardwired…To Self-Destruct
The Lumineers
Cleopatra
Radiohead
A Moon Shaped Pool
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Getaway
Twenty One Pilots Blurryface 

Top Latin Album:

WINNER: Juan Gabriel Los Dúo 2
J Balvin
Energia
CNCO
Primera Cita
Juan Gabriel
Vestido De Etiqueta: Por Eduardo Magallanes
Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho Recuerden Mi Estilo 

Top Dance/Electronic Album:

The Chainsmokers Bouquet (EP)
The Chainsmokers Collage (EP)
Flume
Skin
Kygo
Cloud Nine
WINNER: Lindsey Stirling Brave Enough

Top Christian Album:

WINNER: Lauren Daigle How Can It Be
Casting Crowns The Very Next Thing
Joey + Rory
Hymns
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family
Love Remains
Skillet Unleashed 

Top Gospel Album:

WINNER: Tamela Mann One Way
Kirk Franklin Losing My Religion
Travis Greene
The Hill
Tasha Cobbs
One Place: Live
Hezekiah Walker Better: Azusa - The Next Generation 2

Top Hot 100 Song:

WINNER: Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla "One Dance"
The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey "Closer"
The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya "Don't Let Me Down"
Justin Timberlake "Can't Stop The Feeling!"
Twenty One Pilots "Heathens"

Top Selling Song:

WINNER: Justin Timberlake "Can't Stop The Feeling!"
The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey "Closer"
The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya "Don't Let Me Down"
Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla "One Dance"
Twenty One Pilots "Heathens"

Top Radio Song:

WINNER: Justin Timberlake "Can't Stop The Feeling!"
The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey "Closer"
The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya "Don't Let Me Down"
Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla "One Dance"
Sia Featuring Sean Paul "Cheap Thrills"

Top Streaming Song (Audio):

The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey "Closer"
WINNER: Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla "One Dance"
D.R.A.M. Featuring Lil Yachty "Broccoli"
Rihanna "Needed Me"
The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk "Starboy"

Top Streaming Song (Video):

WINNER: Desiigner "Panda"
The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey "Closer"
Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall "JuJu On That Beat (TZ Anthem)"
Rae Sremmurd Featuring Gucci Mane "Black Beatles"
Twenty One Pilots "Heathens"

Top Collaboration:

WINNER: The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey "Closer"
The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya "Don't Let Me Down"
Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla "One Dance"
Sia Featuring Sean Paul "Cheap Thrills"
The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk "Starboy"

Top R&B Song:

WINNER: Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla "One Dance"
Bruno Mars "24K Magic"
Rihanna "Needed Me"
Rihanna Featuring Drake "Work"
The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk "Starboy"

Top R&B Collaboration:

WINNER: Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla "One Dance"
PARTYNEXTDOOR Featuring Drake "Come And See Me"
Rihanna Featuring Drake "Work"
The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk "I Feel It Coming"
The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk "Starboy"

Top Rap Song:

WINNER: Desiigner "Panda"
Drake "Fake Love"
D.R.A.M. Featuring Lil Yachty "Broccoli"
Migos Featuring Lil Uzi Vert "Bad And Boujee"
Rae Sremmurd Featuring Gucci Mane "Black Beatles"

Top Rap Collaboration:

WINNER: Rae Sremmurd Featuring Gucci Mane "Black Beatles"
D.R.A.M. Featuring Lil Yachty "Broccoli"
Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall "JuJu On That Beat (TZ Anthem)"
Machine Gun Kelly & Camila Cabello "Bad Things"
Migos Featuring Lil Uzi Vert "Bad and Boujee"

Top Country Song:

WINNER: Kenny Chesney Featuring P!NK "Setting The World On Fire"
Florida Georgia Line "H.O.L.Y."
Florida Georgia Line Featuring Tim McGraw "May We All"
Little Big Town "Better Man"
Keith Urban "Blue Ain't Your Color"

Top Country Collaboration:

Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King "Different For Girls"
WINNER: Kenny Chesney Featuring P!NK "Setting The World On Fire"
Eric Church Featuring Rhiannon Giddens "Kill A Word"
Florida Georgia Line Featuring Tim McGraw "May We All"
Chris Young Featuring Vince Gill "Sober Saturday Night"

Top Rock Song:

WINNER: Twenty One Pilots "Heathens"
Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons with Logic & Ty Dolla $ign Feat. X Ambassadors "Sucker For Pain"
Twenty One Pilots "Ride"
Twenty One Pilots "Stressed Out"
X Ambassadors "Unsteady"

Top Latin Song:

WINNER: Nicky Jam "Hasta El Amanecer"
Daddy Yankee "Shaky Shaky"
Enrique Iglesias Featuring Wisin "Duele El Corazon"
Shakira Featuring Maluma "Chantaje"
Carlos Vives & Shakira "La Bicicleta"

Top Dance/Electronic Song:

WINNER: The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey "Closer"
The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya "Don't Let Me Down"
Calvin Harris Featuring Rihanna "This Is What You Came For"
Major Lazer Featuring Justin Bieber & MØ "Cold Water"
DJ Snake Featuring Justin Bieber "Let Me Love You"

Top Christian Song:

WINNER: Hillary Scott & The Scott Family "Thy Will"
Lauren Daigle "Trust In You"
Skillet "Feel Invincible"
Ryan Stevenson Featuring GabeReal "Eye Of The Storm"
Zach Williams "Chain Breaker"

Top Gospel Song:

WINNER: Travis Greene "Made A Way"
Jekalyn Carr "You're Bigger"
Tasha Cobbs Featuring Kierra Sheard "Put A Praise On It"
Kirk Franklin "Wanna Be Happy?"
Hezekiah Walker "Better"

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