Tameka Foster may not have regrets over her old marriage to Usher (the ugly divorce was finalized last week, finally) but she has thought twice about another major decision she once made. Remember back in February when she went to Brazil to have liposuction which resulted in her going into cardiac arrest, being placed in an induced coma for 24 hours, and spending over a week in intensive care? Well now Tameka is speaking out and calling her decision “foolish.”

She tells Ebony magazine, “It was silly because my baby had only (been born) nine weeks or so (before), and I should’ve just waited. It was too soon after giving birth to be concerned about what I looked like physically. The foolish part for me was the fact that I wanted to take the shortcut. This is something I teach my children: Do not take the shortcut. It bothered me that I fell prey to it.”

The surgery followed the December 2008 birth of the former couple’s second son Naviyd Ely Raymond.

Hindsight is 20/20. Better late than never Tameka!

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Usher and Tameka Foster seem intent on out bashing each other!  TMZ just reported that the singer recently called the police accusing his ex-wife (well, almost, he still hasn’t signed the papers) of sneaking onto his property and scratching up one of his cars. Police investigated the call but Tameka was nowhere to be found when they arrived.  They later interviewed both Tameka and Usher about the incident but found that there was not enough evidence to support his claims. Two days later Usher called the cops again! The second time he said Tameka was on his property and refused to leave but again, when cops came out to the house she wasn’t on the scene.

Now Tameka might be sneaking around at night causing Usher all that strife, but her people told TMZ the whole story is untrue. “This is just another attempt to disparage Tameka. It’s simply an angry ploy that has no merit. Tameka’s own truck was scratched but it’s not clear how. The truck is registered in her name, it’s not even Usher’s car. Why would she vandalize her own vehicle?”

This is turning into a mess! Once upon a time they were trying to prove that they were so in love and that it really was going to last….

J-Hud’s New Man

The world got a glimpse of Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga’s little man, David Jr. this week. After keeping her pregnancy hush-hush, Jennifer sat down with People magazine for the cover story of their October 15th issue  and opened up on what it’s like to be a new mom. “He has a lot of personality, like David. He’s always been a good sleeper. His favorite time to smile now is diaper changes. Or when he spits up on you – he just cracks up like he thinks it’s the funniest thing,” she said. How precious!

Cased Dismissed
Not everybody hates Chris! A judge just dismissed a $5million dollar lawsuit that Chris Rock was slapped with by a woman claimed that he stole her idea for his new documentary Good Hair. Regina Kimbell claimed she showed her documentary My Nappy Roots to Rock back in 2007 and was shocked to later find that he was coming out with his own hair documentary. In the lawsuit, Kimbell lists a dozen similarities saying both movies explore the cultural significance of black hairstyles and feature interviews with celebrities, among other things.

In addition to asking for the monetary settlement Kimbell also tried to block production of Rock’s movie, but a judge wasn’t buying any of it. Rock has been cleared of all allegations and Good Hair will be released in theaters today.

If you go see the movie this weekend, tell us what you think!  We’ll be back to chat with you next week!

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Only a day after Usher leaked his divorce-promoting track, “Papers,” is soon-to-be-ex wife, Tameka Foster Raymond, running off at the font in the blogosphere.

Tameka wrote a post to Global Grind about celebrities who compromise themselves in order to stay relevant and succeed. Gee, I wonder who she’s talking about.

Here’s some of her rant:

To be or not to be…but at what cost?  It’s almost inconceivable the lengths that some artists & entertainers feel obligated to go to keep themselves in the headlines. The prioritization of fan base over God, family, morals, and over just plain ol’ fashioned common sense is an example of that remarkable distance. I think it’s important to understand the premise of letting a character that’s been created for fans drown out who you really are. One easily can become a zombie, while the people who love them waste away looking for the sea salt. It becomes so easy to sell your soul to the entertainment business while creating an illusion of grandeur. Hence, this painfully obvious thirst for relevance that completely overshadows sensibility. Thirsty much?

And on and on she goes. If you dare read the rest of her entry, see below:

When I started in this business over 14 years ago, I was a stylist (fashion) for many well-known artists both upcoming and platinum selling, I never imagined the atmosphere would become this cloudy or eerie. I was trying to define the images of young hopefuls who thought “my way” would set them apart from the masses. Often dorky and clunky, trying to find themselves in defiant color schemes, wrongly combined textures and overworked fashion techniques. Although, consumers see the finished product but are remiss as to what goes into the development. It isn’t always a graceful process. Silly belts, headgear and nervously popped collars often highlighted a level of awkwardness in identity. I’ve watched boys become men and helped boys become men. Yet this identity crisis that hovers over much of the entertainment world is like a crimson cape of insecurity as does this obsession with being “hot” and having “followers.” While fans fixate over the lives of their idols, some celebrities have become slaves to the persona that has been created for them but rarely has anything to do with who they are. Shock value. Publicity stunts. Peddling relationships like a vagabond for a few hundred double clicks on their fans favorite blog sites.

Who are they really?

Some of your favorite artists were born into the industry or should I say “grandfathered” into it and never got the chance to figure it out. Driven by vicarious dreams of demanding managers/labels, artists are a “what” not a “who.” Their “what” is the gross, their “who” is the net. Artists get whatever is left of themselves after the world takes its share.  It all reminds me of a scene from the film “The Devils Advocate” where souls were sold for money, class, and status.

The mirrors have definitely become smoky. So much in fact that it makes it hard for one to decipher reality from the facade. Is it Live or Memorex? Even the public should recognize the #FF (fame fanatics) who go to such great lengths to garner attention ranging from publicity ploys, outlandish stage outfits, sex tapes, head shaving, public grand standing, picture leaks and throwing tantrums. From vintage concepts of dating shows in hopes of finding a soul mate (huh? #wheredotheydothatat) to trying to hit Billboard Charts by any means necessary. Surely, the fans know better than to think what flows from “the pen” of any writer embodies the details of another human’s deepest and true desires.  Sadly, men singing about love, politics, marriage, children or anything genuine and benevolent equates to album sales flop, mundane chatter and waning popularity. It takes a song about disparaging all the aforementioned just to get accolades and spins on the radio. Unlike a mathematical equation the negative induces the positive. The need to placate fans puts artists at their mercy, leading to maniacal decisions. But I guess desperate times call for desperate measures. I digress….

Nowadays some artists, entertainers, producers and even songwriters are going as far as buying magazine covers and paying photographers to follow them like paparazzi. It’s called #stayingrelevant. I say amass the fortune, help others and bump the fame, but that sentiment is not often shared. The fame, notoriety, popularity and prestige i.e. “the Light” for some is parallel to a drug. So much self-value is encompassed, without it life to them has little worth. Is it life imitating art or art imitating life?

Before the tirades and “smoke and mirror-esque” themes, when music actually made sense, even a mere decade ago, it was something we created memories with, celebrated, made and raised our kids to. It embodied our diverse cultures, experiences, and gave others a peek into our soulful worlds.  Yet there are many like Lauryn, Mary J, Common and others that are non-conformists. They have never compromised themselves, their sexuality nor their art, yet they remain timeless. Although standing in “the Light’ has had its costs for all, selling one’s soul for relevance is completely different. It makes one wonder the cost of buying it back. I believe that many of these artists today lack the confidence in self that proves to be true staying power. Where there is absolute talent, no drama, no controversy, no nonsensical angles are needed. Its called: Do what God gave you the talent to do and leave the shenanigans to vaudeville and the games to Milton Bradley.

For those naysayers, I don’t feel the need to run down my list of qualifications or validate myself, or point out the careers I have funded, started, saved, and salvaged. Yet I will say to those that create diversions for relevancy…to stop, save face, don’t listen to those that benefit more from their advice to you, and ask God for suitable guidance. In the meantime don’t feel inclined to do anything that isn’t organic. At this point, I think I may start my own trending topic #betruetoyourself.

Those that actually KNOW me, know how I love a quote that is apropos, so as Dr. Seuss wrote:

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

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Usher filed for divorce from his wife Tameka back in June but apparently now he’s dragging his feet on making it a done deal.

According to RadarOnline.com, the Grammy-winning R&B star has yet to put his signature on the divorce papers he filed in Atlanta’s Superior Court even though a source says they agreed on the terms and conditions about a month ago.

What’s the hold up?  Usher sure was quick to sing about breaking free in the latest single he released earlier this week which is slated to be on his upcoming album currently titled “Raymond vs. Raymond.”  The track, titled “Papers” is all about his estranged wife (you know Usher can’t make a good album unless he’s going through some relationship drama!).  Check the lyrics:

“I gave my heart and turned my back against the world/’Cause you were my girl/ I done damn near lost my mama/ I done been through so much drama / I done turned into the man that I never though I’d be/I’m ready to sign those papers/ I done took all I can take but you leave me no options girl”

Ok if it’s all that, don’t talk about it, be about it Usher!  

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“I shared my personal story as a dark skinned woman in America, an experience that parallels millions of other Black women. Regrettably, this other author has no copyright (or patent) on the Black female experience. While I’m delighted to discover there is a new book with a similar theme available I only wish the author would have embraced our commonality as sisters in this struggle rather than opt for such a defamatory public recourse via a disreputable gossip writer. Approach is everything. Plagiarism is a serious implication that I’m extremely disheartened and insulted by. If this author can produce the same references in her book that I made to Alek Wek, poet Khalil Gibran, an experience in Brazil, disparaging public comments surrounding living as a “dark skinned” woman as well as scrutiny regarding her marriage to an R&B singer then perhaps she should seek legal counsel to handle this matter with the proper protocol.”

She makes a good point: it’s not like other African-American women haven’t shared similar sentiments about having darker skin, so maybe the similarities in Tameka’s post and Aisha Curry’s book were merely a coincidence?  You would hope an author would have substantial proof of plagiarism before accusing someone of it, so I guess the proof is in the papers.

The jury’s out on this one, but if Tameka really did write that post then maybe we’ll see more substantial writing from her? At least until the next blogger pisses her off.

Remember that “well written” blog post we told you about that  Tameka Foster wrote about the plights of being dark skinned? Well BV Buzz reports that blog post may have been plagiarized! According to the article author Aisha Curry, who wrote the book ‘Pretty For a Black Girl’  read the piece and had the sinking feeling that she had seen it before…because she wrote it. “Why did I feel so connected to this article? Suddenly, it came to me. It was my work! It was my work, my voice, but in her words,” Curry said. “The only difference between her article and my book is she used ‘dark-skinned’ and I used ‘Black.’”

Curry’s 96-page pocket-size book, which was self-published in March 2008, though Tameka’s reps deny she ever saw the book before writing the article. I guess the topic at hand is one that many women of color have struggled with, so it’s not like Tameka couldn’t have come up with the topic on her own, but after some of the letters I’ve seen that Tameka has written bloggers in the past, I was a little surprised at her poise with the pen in that blog. I’mjustsayin.

Wigging Out

Did you see the Real Housewives of Atlanta last night?  Luckily no one tried to pull Kim Zolciak’s hair out, but on the internet this morning for some reason, people were still wondering if those shiny blond locks are real. If there was any confusion Kim’s hair is a wig! Not only did she reveal this on the season one reunion, she keeps addressing it in interviews and supposedly even has a wig line that’s coming out soon.  Last night Kim appeared on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live and some un-aired footage hit Bravo.com where the two extensively talked about Kim’s extensions.  “So literally it’s woven in?” Cohen asks.  “No I just put it on honey!”  Kim said of her wig.  She did admit that there’s several pictures out there of her at the beach with her real hair and she said “my natural color is black” (surprise, surprise).  Not sure why everyone is so fascinated by Kim’s hair piece, it’s not like everyone else on that show hasn’t dabbled in some Yakki (I mean even Kandi had a piece glued in the front of her short bump and curl before the photo shoot on yesterday’s episode!).  Let the girl have her Barbie weave.

All About the Benjamins

Kelis still can’t keep her hands out of Nas’ pockets! It wasn’t enough for her to receive a nearly $55,000 child and spousal support settlement after her divorce, according to TMZ, Kelis’ lawyer Laura Wasser has filed documents requesting that Nas pay $281,571 in retroactive spousal support and $29, 522 in retroactive child support. But, that’s not all: because Nas makes over $244k per month, Wasser believes Kelis is entitled to $72, 728 in spousal support and in the future, $17,225 a month in child support. Ok now I am saying she’s a gold digger! Kelis is really trying to take a brother for all he has! There’s no way baby Knight Jones needs all that money, though note to self: put Laura Wasser’s name in my rolodex for the future….just in case!

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The soon to be ex-Mrs. Usher says she had no idea that Urshur was about to dump her because they only “got it in” a week prior to him filing for divorce.

In new court documents, Tameka Raymond disputes Usher’s claims that the two have been separated since July 2008.

In papers filed on Monday she said she “had every reason to believe her marriage was intact” and that two were “intimately together as husband and wife as recently as June 6.”

If true, that would mean mini-Ben Vereen smashed his wife one last time then upped and divorced her without letting her know.

CLASSY, Usher.

Ok, I’m about tired of celebrities adamantly denying rumors that we knew were true from jump!

The latest in celeb denials, of course, came from Usher and Tameka Raymond about their marital problems.

Now back in May when rumors surfaced of a separation, Usher was all too pressed to lash out and shoot down the allegations.  That month he went on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and waxed poetic about his wife saying: “She’s built up … the foundation of who I am. I want to see more men standing with their women.”  His manager Benny Medina also insisted reports that the couple was splitting were, “100 percent not true.”

Even Tameka laughed off the rumors and went as far as going toe to toe with bloggers who questioned the relationship. Now a mere month later the divorce papers have been filed and today, Tameka sang a different tune on Twitter:

“@TamekaRaymond: Afternoon. Today is beautiful, there’s a black dog barking outside, I JUST realized that I’d rather have 5 sons over 1 dog. Sorry.”

(Side Note: how long do you think it will take for her to change her Twitter name to “TamekaFoster”?)

Now I understand celebrities deserve their privacy on these personal issues, but PSA: You don’t have to lie to kick it!

What’s the point of working overtime with your publicist to deny a pregnancy (um, like Jennifer Hudson’s reps until her friend outted the news), a marriage (Jay-Z and Beyonce), a relationship (Chris Brown and Rihanna) when we’ll definitely see the baby bump, marriage certificate (or divorce papers!), or  picutres of you and the person that you swear up and down you’re “just friends, like brother and sister” with,  tonguing each other down on a beach?

Isn’t it just so much easier to say ”no comment”?

One thing there’s no question about is how adorable Usher and his son look
together. They better enjoy these father-son bonding moments. Knocked up Tameka
is due to have the couple’s second child in December, just a month after she
throws Cinco his first birthday party.

Maybe Usher holding up two fingers tells the story.

Apparently the couple is very much together and Tameka has another bun in the oven, according to MediaTakeOut.com.

An “extremely well-placed source” told the website:

“Usher and Tameka are still together and are happier than ever – and anyone
that knows them can attest to it. There are a lot of hate-filled people out there
who want to see their marriage fail, but it’s stronger than ever.”

And the insider reportedly confirmed Tameka’s pregnancy, adding, “Everyone’s
ecstatic about the new addition to their family.”

Another report says the baby, the couple’s second, is due in December.