True beauty can't be bought and buying into this ideology can force you to pay a hefty price, both literally and emotionally, and has even cost a number of women their lives and K. Michelle's new show on Lifetime is a potent reminder of this fact. In 2012, the now-33-year-old R&B singer paid $7,000 for black market butt injections, and after 8 years of migraines, surgeries, and complications, K. Michelle says that she has spent nearly $300,000 to get the procedure reversed. On a recent episode of the Wendy Williams Show, K. Michelle opened up about her tragic experience and her mission to ensure that no woman has to ever go through what she went through, again. She explained:
"One morning I woke up, I was fine. And just one morning I woke up, y'all and my legs gave out and I couldn't walk and no one knew. They told me I had lupus. They didn't know what it was."
After learning that the silicone had spread throughout her body, causing potentially fatal damage, K. Michelle was forced to undergo a series of back-to-back surgeries to get it removed and they were not cheap.
"That surgery alone was $300,000 and I did it and no insurance doesn't cover it, so that's why I have the TV show because I'm helping women get it out of their bodies."
Although K. Michelle still has at least two surgeries before she's fully on the road to recovering, she's adamant about using her platform and her upcoming show to save the lives of women who don't have $300K to spend on a lifesaving procedure.
"Every day I get about 20 to 30 emails begging for their lives to be saved because they can't afford to get it out."
For more of the news that's poppin' this week, scroll below!
Kobe & GiGi Bryant's Memorial Service Was Today & There Wasn't Dry Eye In The Room
After watching Kobe and Gianna Bryant's memorial service, I have felt all of the feels and my heart literally can't take it. Along with Beyonce's performance of Kobe's favorite song, "XO", one of the most emotional moments of the service was when Vanessa Bryant gave an emotional tribute to her daughter GiGi, who she says would have made a great mother and ultimately become one of the greatest players in the NBA:
"God knew they couldn't be on this earth without each other. He had to bring them home to heaven together."
In her address, Vanessa also had a message about her late-husband, who she calls her "protector":
"I was his first girlfriend, his first love, his wife, his best friend, his confidante and his protector. He was the early bird and I was the night owl. He was fire and I was ice, and vice versa sometimes."
"I"m so thankful Kobe heard KoKo say dada. He taught us all valuable lessons... and we're so thankful he left those lessons and stories behind for us... We're still the best team."
B. Smith Loses Her Battle With Alzheimer's Disease
According to reports, 70-year-old lifestyle icon, cookbook author, and restauranteur B. Smith lost her seven-year battle with Alzheimer's and died peacefully in her sleep on Saturday and the creative industry lost one of the biggest bosses to ever do it.
Known for becoming one of the first Black mainstream fashion models, Barbra was a multi hyphenate businesswoman with many eggs and many baskets and she won't be soon forgotten. In a 1997 interview with New York Magazine, she said:
"Martha Stewart has presented herself doing the things domestics and African Americans have done for years. We were always expected to redo the chairs and use everything in the garden. This is the legacy that I was left. Martha just got there first."
The NAACP Image Awards Show Was Black Elegance Personified
I'm going to need to send Lizzo, Rihanna, Tracee Ellis Ross, and all of the other Black girl magicians who pulled up at the NAACP Image Awards an invoice. Because my wig is snatched and I would like reimbursement.
Among the stars who were honored was our favorite bad gal, Queen Rih, who received this year's President's Award and we can always count on our good sis to come through with a word. In her moving speech, she asked the audience:
"How many of us in this room have colleagues and partners and friends from other races, sexes, religions? Well then, you know, they want to break bread with you, right? They like you? Well then, this is their problem too. So when we're marching and protesting and posting about the Michael Brown Jr.s and the Atatiana Jeffersons of the world, tell your friends to pull up."
Erykah Badu’s Vagina-Inspired Incense Sold Out In Minutes
Erykah Badu might possibly be one of the most iconic businesswomen of our time. Sis committed to the commando lifestyle, burned all of her old panties, made them into incense and sold them on the internet.
Earlier this month, the singer revealed that the unique product, which featured 20 sticks per box and is priced at $50, would be featured on her Badu World Market exclusively, and according to Erykah, it sold out in 10 minutes. So if there's anyone out there who doesn't believe that you can do anything you put your mind to (even if that means burning your underwear and selling them), just know that you're the only person holding yourself back.
Sabrina & Idris Elba Have A New Podcast, Here’s What We Know
Last year, Sabrina and Idris Elba tied the knot and recently, the couple announced that they would be giving viewers an inside look at how they make their relationship work with their joint lifestyle brand, Sable Labs.
The newlyweds say that with the launch of their podcast, they plan to help couples find a way to achieve their dreams together:
"We've started something called Sable Labs. We believe if we can create a Coupledom community, we can share our experiences and help each other communicate better and achieve more. We'd love to explore couples and relationships of all kinds under the topic of Coupledom, which is two people coming together to make a shared dream a reality. My hope is that by listening to other partnerships, people will recognize themselves and their own relationships, finding common ground that they can apply to their own lives. We hope that Coupledom becomes an inspiring space to help one another grow."
Featured image via Giphy