The MTV Video Music Awards are back and for the first time in history, only women are nominated in the show’s Artist of the Year category. Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, Karol G, and Shakira are contenders for the night’s biggest prize.
Well, this morning the VMAs announced its final round of presenters, which include A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Ashante, Billy Porter, Chloe Bailey, Dove Cameron, Fat Joe, Halle Bailey, Nelly Furtado, Tiffany Haddish, Timberland, and Wyclef Jean. It’s going to be a good show.
It takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It will be hosted by Nicki Minaj. Now, last year, she emceed alongside Lil Wayne and Jack Harlow. This year, she is solo. Because, like I said, it is definitely the year of women.
Well, the show also will celebrate 50 years of hip hop with a star-studded, multi-generational finale performance. And by the way, Diddy will receive the Global Icon Award and perform at the VMAs for the first time since 2005. He will become the third recipient of the award, following the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Foo Fighters. It should be, like I said, a great show.
Jussie Smollett’s drawn-out legal saga has a new chapter. It began this week, as an Illinois appeals court will hear the oral arguments that the former Empire actor’s convictions for staging a racist homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and then lying about it to the Chicago police should be just tossed out.
If the appeal before the Chicago-based First District Appellate Court fails, Smollett would have to finish his 150-day stint in jail that his trial judge ordered during his 2022 sentencing.
Smollett spent six days in jail before his release, pending the outcome of the appeal. There are a lot of things that they are appealing among the long list of arguments in the 76-page written appeal. But the main thing is his lawyers say he has already performed community service and forfeited a $10,000 bond as a part of the 2019 deal with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to drop the initial charges.
Yep, remember that part of it? They had dropped the charges, and then they came back. Who knows?
In any case, Jussie will be back in court in Chicago. I know he will be really happy when this chapter of his life is over.
And for all these stories and a whole lot more, don’t forget to follow Tanya Hart on social media @tanyahollywood and @aurnonline.
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