The Weekend Entertainment Recap: December 19th
As Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion wrapped up with court for the week, drama still circulated from the trial over the weekend. The case stems from a July 2020 incident in which both artists attended a party at Kylie Jenner’s house and ended with a shooting. Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, has pleaded not guilty to discharging a firearm with gross negligence, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. Now, the events of the evening are coming to the forefront in court. Much of the recent discussion revolves around the H-Town Hotties’ former best friend Kelsey Harris as well as conflicting evidence and “missing” witnesses.
Harris initially made statements that she saw Lanez do the shooting but has since seemed to have a different recollection of events as she testified this week that she did not see him fire the weapon. There is also conflicting evidence such as Lanez’s DNA not being present on the magazine of the gun, but there was evidence of a woman’s DNA on it. The latest twist in the case centers around Megan’s bodyguard, Justin Edison, who is supposed to testify that Lanez fired the gun. Although Edison is M.I.A, an official missing person case has not been opened by the Los Angeles Police Department.
All of the court drama temporarily subsided once the world caught wind of new photos of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s baby boy. The couple welcomed their bundle of joy back in May of 2022 and managed to keep his image a secret until recently. Jason Lee’s platform, Hollywood Unlocked, received exclusive photos from the superstar after she learned that paparazzi planned to release unauthorized photos of the child. The adorable little boy was seen in two photos with his rapping father, A$AP Rocky, as well as a solo shot of him on the bed.
As fans gushed over the baby photos, Chris Paul was gushing over his new degree from Winston Salem State University. After the Phoenix Suns’ star point guard helped the team defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, Paul received his bachelor’s degree in communications and the stage at his fall 2022 commencement ceremony. Before attending an HBCU, Paul was enrolled at Wake Forest University until going pro in 2005. Graduating with a basketball star proved to have its perks for the other students, as Paul announced that he will fund a bank account at the Black-owned institution, Greenwood, for each graduate and it will have $2,500 in value.
While Chris Paul celebrated the end of his college experience, superproducer Jermaine Dupri, and rapper Bow Wow disagreed on who created 106 & Park, the hit BET television show. Dupri sat down for an interview on The Goats And Underdogs podcast this week, and claimed to have created the series for his former artists Bow Wow. In true Bow Wow fashion, the rapper to social media to call out his former mentor. Bow Wow stated, “JD aint create 106&Park stop the cap” before listing Stephen Hill, Rick Grimes and other BET office staff as the real creators of the show. The comments left fellow So So Def artist, Da Brat, feeling the need to speak up in defense of J.D.
The rapper took to social media with a caption that included the following: “Don’t do this. Respect a legend. Respect a cultural icon. Respect the person who made your career what it is. I’m asking you now to please stop.” Da Brat is not one to interject in social media disputes, but in the case of Jermaine Dupri, she was prepared to clear the air.
In the midst of all the commotion, rap star Latto managed to give back to residents in her home state through a Christmas gift giveaway. For the second year in a row Latto’s Win Some Give Some Foundation hosted “Christmas in Clayco.” Residents in Clayton County, Georgia were eligible to register for the event which took place on Sunday, December 18. Items were given on a “first come first serve” basis to individuals with a verifiable residency in Clayton County. The “Big Energy” rapper launched her nonprofit foundation in 2021 during the holiday season and put a focus on women with children.
