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Miss Diddy Kicks Off BET Awards Weekend With 'A Toast To Black Hollywood'
It’s the BET Awards weekend, and L.A. is the place to be, according to power-house entertainment marketer and entrepreneur Miss Diddy. “It’s always been a time when people come from all major markets and they want to be in the city and everything like that,” the LA Native tells xoNecole.
That’s why every year, Miss Diddy kicks off BET Awards weekend by hosting her annual LA event, A Toast to Black Hollywood. Founded in 2014 initially as A Toast to Young Hollywood, the event was born from Miss Diddy’s desire to celebrate people who typically don’t get the recognition they deserve for their impact on the culture. “Years ago …it really started for me to really give an ode to the people that were moving the culture forward,” she says. “So the executives, the people behind the scenes, the people who had a big effect on my career as well.”
In the event’s first year, the honorees included Meagan Good, Baron Davis, Eric Bellinger, and Steve Rifkind. This year’s honorees include Valeisha Jones, Nina Parker, Cynthia Bailey, and Shayla Cowan, among other movers and shakers in the industry.
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Miss Diddy is relaunching the event under its new name, A Toast to Black Hollywood – a shift that came in response to everything that happened post-2020, including the protests against police brutality. “As soon as everything kinda changed in the world during the time of the pandemic, and everything that happened as a culture and as a community, I wanted to make sure to change the name to A Toast to Black Hollywood,” Miss Diddy tells xoNecole. “We’re being really intentional about our messaging moving forward and what’s important to us as a community.”
Alongside the new name for the event, Miss Diddy also prides herself in the charity work she does for the community. “I’ve partnered with the mayor of Compton, Asia Brown, to do many community initiatives,” she says. “Whether it’s Thanksgiving, making sure we’re feeding families, handing out turkeys, serving the elderly. Whether it’s Christmastime and I’ve partnered with Champion for them to give us so much clothes for the community. Mattel is one of my partners that come and give our kids in Compton so many toys.”
Since the beginning of her career as an entertainment marketer, Miss Diddy has had a front row seat to culture defining moments. “When Kanye started Good Music, I started over in the promotion department with [West’s Co-manager] John Monopoly and just built my career from there.” It wouldn’t be long before Miss Diddy would begin facilitating her own legendary moments.
When reflecting on what moment from over the years at The Toast to Black Hollywood event stands out to her, Miss Diddy points to 2018 when the event honored Lauren London who was attended by her partner, the late rapper Nipsey Hussle. “Nipsey was there and just having a great time with us. He was so proud of Lauren and so proud of me.”
Miss Diddy credits her drive and tenacity to her Los Angeles rearing. “It’s a place I was born in, grew up in, raised in, and became successful in – extremely successful,” she says. “This is where people come to make their dreams come true. They come here to be in the city that we built with our hands. Everything about Los Angeles has shaped who I am.” With the forthcoming Toast to Black Hollywood event and all the work she continues to do in her career, Miss Diddy is certain to always put on for her city.
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This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Shaunie Henderson Says Creating 'Basketball Wives' Was A 'Matter Of Survival'
Before Shaunie Henderson married Pastor Keion D. Henderson, she was married to NBA star Shaquille O'Neal, and they share six children. However, the former couple was officially divorced in May 2011, a year after the first season ofBasketball Wivespremiered. While the reality TV show, which chronicled the lives of women who were exes or current girlfriends/ wives of basketball players, had a lot of people tuned in, it also faced a lot of criticism. One of the criticisms was the portrayal of the women on the show who, at times, were fighting with each other.
However, in our exclusive interview with Shaunie, the Undefeated author said the show was created out of necessity.
"We just tend to tear our own people up for whatever reason. When I started Basketball Wives, it was really a matter of survival for me. I was in desperation mode. I needed the show to be successful because I had to figure out how I was going to live and provide a life for my children," she said. "Basketball Wives is a platform and it is a space for women to have the freedom to be and say and do what represents them. And what that is, is their decision, right? I just provided the platform for it to happen.
She also explained that she wanted to help other women financially by having a platform that will give them access to opportunities.
"I knew that I had lost my voice before, and I wanted to provide a space to ensure that other women didn’t lose theirs. Again, what they decided to do with the camera time and who they decided to show up as is on them, but here's the platform, and I think for many women, it has been just that. It’s boosted them into a space in their life where they're able to make money and branch out into other opportunities that they may not have had otherwise."
"I knew that I had lost my voice before, and I wanted to provide a space to ensure that other women didn’t lose theirs. Again, what they decided to do with the camera time and who they decided to show up as is on them, but here's the platform, and I think for many women, it has been just that. It’s boosted them into a space in their life where they're able to make money and branch out into other opportunities that they may not have had otherwise."
Basketball Wives: LA Cast. L-R: Jac'Eil Duckworth, Brooke Bailey, Jackie Christie, Shaunie Henderson, Evelyn Lozada, Jennifer Williams, and Brandi Maxiell
Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images
One of Basketball Wives' most infamous moments was the fight that occurred between Evelyn Lozada and Tami Roman in the second season. While it was a very explosive scene, Shaunie revealed that behind the scenes, the following day, everything was copacetic. She recalled that moment and said it was one of her most cherished memories from the show.
"It was probably the day after the infamous fight between Tami Roman and Evelyn Lozada. Evelyn had coined the “non-mf factor” phrase, and production had broken up their fight the night before. Me and her were on the beach, and Tami called to see what I was up to. I told her I was with Evelyn, and she said she was coming to meet us," she said.
"I'm thinking I'm about to be in part two. There's no security, we were off for the day and I was sure it was about to be horrible. Tami gets there. She’s already got her cigarette lit, her bob is bouncing as she walks up to us, and I just remember her saying, ‘What y’all heffas doing?’ It was just like nothing had happened at all. It was like they fought, they got it out, and she was off to the next thing."
She added, "Those type of moments I wish people could experience and see that although things happen that seem outrageous, it’s all love. It doesn't always end up perfect. But for the most part, we have had a really, really good time."
Read more from the interview here.
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Feature image by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images