
Lori Harvey Shares Why She Proudly Claims Michael B. Jordan Over Past Beaus

To say that Lori Harvey's love life has been in the driver's seat of her career is a massive understatement. She's been linked to many, claiming few, and taking a page out of Beyoncé's book in the process, by simply not addressing any of the chatter at all. In fact, up until now, the usually private mogul's only job was to be the beautifully radiant famous daughter of Steve Harvey and keep us all guessing without an ounce of clarity on who is who, and what's next for any of them. But now, sis is stepping out and speaking up on all of the above.
Well, sort of.
With a new skincare line on the horizon, and aspirations to take over the beauty and fashion industry in very Rihanna-esque fashion, Harvey finds herself addressing some of the chaos surrounding her life. Lori took on a recent and rare interview and linking up with Bustle to clear the air on the number of rumors surrounding her love life once and for all. She opens up about the men involved, that infamous Future lyric, and why through it all, finding balance is the most important aspect of her relationship with her equally-yoked bae, Michael B. Jordan.
Continue reading for some of our favorite highlights!
On ending her engagement with soccer player, Memphis Depay:
In 2017, after a year and a half of dating and bringing him along on her family's vacations, Harvey got engaged to the soccer player Memphis Depay. Dad, Steve Harvey announced the engagement on Twitter: "This young man is a good one! Congrats!"
A year later, Harvey was single and spotted multiple times without her ring.
"I grew up a lot and I learned a lot from that relationship. And so, I think just as I've gotten older and developed as a woman, I've taken that knowledge with me: learning what I like, what I don't like, and just applying that to where I'm at now."
On meeting current boyfriend, Michael B. Jordan years before entering into a relationship:
Of how she met Michael, Lori says:
"We met actually a few years ago. We had some mutual friends. I think we met out, just in passing."
When asked if there was a connection at that time, she cheekily laughs and says she thought he was cute. The starlet then went on to describe how the two public figures are working hard to keep their relationship sacred by being private but not too private:
"I think we're both very private people naturally. So we just decide, if we take a picture or whatever it is, do you want to post this? Do we not? We have a conversation about it, like, 'You want to post this or we keep this to ourselves?' We know there are people that love and support us and want to see us. So [we want to] give just enough, but keep the majority of it just for us. We're trying to find a balance."
On why she publicly addresses her relationship with MBJ versus others she's been linked to:
In the past, Harvey has been linked to Trey Songz, Lewis Hamilton, P. Diddy, and Future, who may have been the only one who had gotten a little bit of shine on her social media. But her relationship with MBJ is without question and who she publicly addresses as her boyfriend, something the others never experienced.
"I think just as I've gotten older and interests change, I think this was something that I just decided to be a little bit more public with because it's a more serious relationship. So I'm just handling it differently."
Oop.
"I look for someone who is trustworthy and reliable, somebody that could be a good foundation and just stability for me. Somebody that has to be able to get along with my family. I'm so close to my family, so my family is the deciding factor in if you're going to stick around or not. If they don't love you, our time together will probably be short. I knew they were going to love him, which they did. [The introduction] was good. It was easy."
On addressing Future's infamous shot at her:
Earlier this month, rapper 42 Dugg leaked a track in which Future showed off his hurt to the world and decided to take his 37-year-old hurt, and send direct shots at Harvey by saying, "Tell Steve Harvey I don't want her." The lyric was in reference to Steve mentioning in an interview that he hated most of the men she brought home and that some of them stayed around longer than he would have liked (among other things).
Lori responded (without responding) to the lyrics, saying:
"I think they get from me that I try to just not let any type of negativity or rumors or anything like that make me stoop down to that level and go back and forth with it or whatever. Just maintain my position of I know who I am, I know what's going on. I just try to stay up here and take the high road in every situation. So I think that would probably be what they get from me, because I am private, so I like to just give enough."
We're cringing at the thought of our exes too, sis, but we live for an unbothered queen!
Harvey also touches on growing up in a blended family, her very first passion, and why she has her eyes set on Rihanna.
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Featured image via Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Roc Nation
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
Eva Marcille On Starring In 'Jason’s Lyric Live' & Being An Audacious Black Woman
Eva Marcille has taken her talents to the stage. The model-turned-actress is starring in her first play, Jason’s Lyric Live alongside Allen Payne, K. Michelle, Treach, and others.
The play, produced by Je’Caryous Johnson, is an adaptation of the film, which starred Allen Payne as Jason and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lyric. Allen reprised his role as Jason for the play and Eva plays Lyric.
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Feature image by Leon Bennett/WireImage
A Celebration Of Black Voices: What You Missed At The 3rd Annual Black Effect Podcast Festival
Over the weekend, iHeart Radio held its third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival in Atlanta, attracting a star-studded lineup of personalities and shows. Charlamagne tha God, founder of the Black Effect podcast network was in attendance along with other notable personalities like Mandii B and Weezy WTF, the hosts of the popular Decisions, Decisions podcast, who also served as the festival's hosts.
Sarah Jakes Roberts, the esteemed pastor and host of Woman Evolve podcast, singers and co-hosts of the R&B Money podcast, Tank and J. Valentine, former NFL star and Funky Friday host Cam Newton and many more further rounded out the festivals' lineup.
The festival hosted panels that focused on mental health and the future of podcasting as well as many live shows. Good Moms, Bad Choices hosts, Erica and Milah, welcomed Dreka Gates and held a live dating show that was nothing short of hilarious. Naked Sports host Cari Champion sat down with Iman Shumpert and they discussed sports and dating.
Tank and J. Valentine surprised the audience with Jacquees, Cam had a live conversation with Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams, and Sarah closed out the festival with reality star Toya Johnson. Check out photos from the festival below:
(L-R) Shawn Bethea, Jay Barnett, Devi Brown, Charlamagne tha God and Amber Grimes
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Jamilah Mapp, Dreka Gates and Erica Dickerson
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Mandii B and Weezy WTF
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Porsha Williams and Cam Newton
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Iman Shumpert and Cari Champion
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Tank, Jacquees and J. Valentine
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
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Feature image by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network