Yahya Abdul-Matteen has taken on Denzel Washington’srole of John Creasy in Netflix’sMan On Fire, and BOSSIP and Cassius are diving headfirst into the action-packed flames.
Source: Netflix / Netflix
Today, the brands released a new episode of The Black Watch, an editorial-led series examining the biggest cultural moments in film and entertainment.
The latest installment of the series brings together BOSSIP’s Managing Editor Dani Canada, iONE Digital Vice President of Video Tanya Hoffler-Moore, iONE Digital Director of Content for the Men’s Division Alvin Blanco, and comedian-writer Richard Jones for a candid conversation about the first two episodes of Netflix’s seven-part thriller.
Source: The Black Watch / iOne Digital
Led by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as a PTSD-stricken former Special Forces soldier seeking revenge while protecting a young girl in Rio, the series quickly sparks debate among the panel, not just for its action-packed premise but for the shadow cast by its predecessor.
Before diving into Man on Fire, Richard sets the tone with a blunt, comedic comparison.
Source: The Black Watch / iOne Digital
“This was the exact palette cleanser that I needed to get the taste of Wonder Man out of my mouth. No Diddy! Wonder Man was great, right up until the end… once you get to the last episode, it is garbage juice,” he says. “Garbage, juice, you’re supposed to be a superhero, but you break a criminal out of jail. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Other than that, Yabba Dabba Doo did his thing.”
Source: Netflix / Man on Fire
That unfiltered energy carries into the panel’s main discussion, where comparisons to Denzel Washington’s 2004 Man on Fire quickly become unavoidable.
“You can’t remake anything that Denzel did, just leave it alone,” Tanya says. “We are always going to compare you to the original. I just kept saying, ‘This ain’t Denzel!’”
Source: The Black Watch / iOne Digital
“This is a travesty, I wasn’t feeling it,” she adds. “I’m still gonna give it a shot, but I just was, like, what am I watching?!”
Still, not everyone is tied to nostalgia. Alvin offers a contrarian take, pushing back on the reverence surrounding the original film.
Source: The Black Watch / iOne Digital
“I really didn’t like Denzel’s Man on Fire,” he admits. “Denzel’s acting was great, but—look away if you haven’t seen it yet; he dies at the end! I’m, like, why Denzel gotta die? He saved the white girl, but oh, Denzel gotta die? I was done. He should have lived.”
Dani lands somewhere in the middle, praising Yahya’s performance while acknowledging some uneven moments in the series.
Source: Netflix / Man on Fire
“I just like seeing him in action, beating up the bad guys, flipping the guns, doing all the stunts,” Dani says. “I think he is like the ultimate actor for an action role because he’s an AC-TOUR, he’s a Yale graduate, so I feel like he puts a lot into his roles.”
Source: The Black Watch / iOne Digital
Tanya adds that the series may be working against itself by leaning too heavily on its connection to the original.
“I think they should have called it ‘Yahya on Fire’ or something else,” she says. “It’s like they set him up a little bit, but let’s be clear, Yahya’s a hitmaker.”
Beyond the comparisons, the conversation expands to Yahya’s growing résumé, with the panel pointing to his work across television and film as evidence of his versatility and staying power.
Source: Netflix / Man on Fire
Dani also highlights the show’s early performance metrics, noting its strong debut viewership and higher Rotten Tomatoes score compared to the 2004 film.
After debating about Man On Fire, the episode closes on a lighter note, with the group testing their knowledge of iconic quotes from classic Black films and television before diving into red carpet coverage from Is God Is, with interviews from Vivica A. Fox and executive producer Tessa Thompson.
By now, you’ve probably seen Dr. Cheyenne Bryant getting dragged to Higher Ed Hell and back over her suspected scholastic scammery as a trending social media star who addressed the claims on a press run for her new book, Live Your Promise.
In an appearance on The Breakfast Club, Bryant responded to the growing online skepticism surrounding her doctoral credentials.
Over the past few months, social media users have accused Bryant of being a “fraud” and a “scammer,” with many loud critics claiming they could not find records of her dissertation or documentation confirming her doctorate.
On her website, Bryant says that she earned a doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the now-defunct Argosy University and has a Master’s degree in Marriage, Family, & Child Therapy.
According to Bryant, she completed the doctoral program while the school was still accredited. However, years later, when she attempted to retrieve her official transcripts, she discovered that the university had closed.
“I said, oh, well, they got to have records,” she shared, responding to Loren Lorosa. “I mean, they were accredited when I attended the school. They were accredited when I finished the program. I go and look, there is a third party that has the records where I contact the third party. That third party only holds records for two years.”
Bryant went on to explain that because she missed the 2-year deadline to retrieve the records, she ultimately lost access to official documentation.
“And then I contacted financial aid. You can’t make up financial aid. It shows that I paid for a doctoral program alongside my master’s program and my undergrad program, and they said we can fully refund your money under one circumstance, we give you your money back. You don’t get credit for not a class, a course, a program you took in this university… So do you want us to refund you? Or do you want us not? I said no, because I didn’t want to risk the chance of them saying what we’re going to give you back your money, and it wipes out your entire program.”
Bryant also shared that she was able to download portions of her academic records from the Argosy student portal, “including up to” her dissertation, but claims many of the remaining files were no longer available. She added that other former students from the university experienced similar issues.
Not long after her Breakfast Club interview went viral, Bryant appeared on The Marissa Mitchell Show where she doubled down on refusing to provide proof of her doctorate degree.
“I have multiple degrees, and my thing is that my proof isn’t something that I have to prove to individuals… my obedience is to God, not the people,” she said, citing highly visible ‘sessions’ with celebrities, including Nick Cannon, Cam Newton, Shannon Sharpe, and B. Simone, as evidence of her impact and legitimacy.
“All of my sessions have been live,” she continued. “No one knew who Dr. Bryant was prior to seeing all of my sessions that were live… They deemed my work effective before they deemed me validating myself.”
The conversation grew more testy when Mitchell directly asked Bryant why she continues using the title “Doctor” if she cannot produce the doctoral degree publicly.
“I’ve earned the title,” she responded. “I have multiple degrees, and I’m not going to prove anything to anybody… Yeah, Dr. Cheyenne Bryant, baby…”
Naturally, social media erupted with (hilarious) reactions to Dr. Bryant’s claims which, in the midst of all of the shenanigans, inspired the resurfacing of a clip of her appearance on Basketball Wives.
In the clip, she can be seen chiding Brooke Bailey for not standing up as requested during an empowerment lunch.
Bailey, who was skeptical about Dr. Bryant at the time, posted the following statement after the life coach’s latest viral moment.
Do you think Dr. Bryant should provide proof of her Doctoral degree? Or is this one big overblown saga that isn’t that serious? Tell us down below and peep the social media hilarity over Dr. Bryant’s shenanigans on the flip.
Source: Kandi Burruss and Todd | Paras Griffin / Paras Griffin
Kandi Burruss is opening up about the emotional toll of her divorce from Todd Tucker, and kandidly konfirming that she hasn’t fully “healed” from the split. In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitutionon May 14, the former Real Housewives of Atlanta star shared that she’s been trying to keep herself occupied since the marriage ended.
“I don’t think I’m healed. I don’t,” Burruss told the outlet after wiping away a few tears. “I’m one of those people like I try not to talk about it I guess. I don’t like to talk about stuff because I don’t like to be emotional. I don’t like to be sad. I like to lean into the positive, lean into the fun.”
Why did Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker get divorced?
Burruss first filed for divorce on Nov. 21, 2025, bringing an end to their 15-year marriage. While she has largely stayed quiet about what led to the split, a source told People in December that infidelity may have played a role.
“Kandi and Todd had been having marriage troubles for a while now. Kandi was not happy because she found out that Todd had been talking to other women behind her back. She had no idea,” the source alleged.
Tensions appeared to spill into public view in April, when Burruss referred to Tucker as “Cheat-ee Pablo” during a social media spat. The moment followed Tucker’s accusation that she was trying to profit off their breakup through ticket sales for her one-woman show, I Did I Do I’m Done.
To promote the show, Burruss shared a throwback clip from RHOA, which also featured her mother, Momma Joyce, and Tucker in a now-viral scene. In the clip, Momma Joyce jokingly referenced “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” telling Tucker nothing would stop her from “keeping on” his “a**.”
Tucker wasn’t pleased by the clip.
“They will use me until I’m all used up,” he said at the time. “And I was supposed to be the opportunist! Damn! Get your tickets!”
Burruss responded sharply, writing:
“Please stop playing victim…wrong road…wrong road.” She later doubled down on the nickname “Cheat-ee Pablo” after Tucker had labeled her “Petty Pendegrass.”
That same month, Burruss also previewed a song from her one-woman show titled “My Man’s Been Cheating On Me!” in which she describes discovering a situation at home that no wife would want to face. Still, the infidelity claims remain unconfirmed.
Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker’s divorce was finalized on March 24, officially closing the chapter on their long-running marriage.
What are your thoughts on Kandi’s emotional interview?
In The Grey is in theaters today, and BOSSIP has a BTS clip of Jake Gyllenhaal getting playfully bromantic over his “handsome” co-star Henry Cavill.
Source: In The Grey / other
The action thriller, written and directed by Guy Ritchie, follows a covert team of elite operatives who operate in the shadows, balancing influence and firepower as they take on a mission to recover a stolen billion-dollar fortune.
Source: In The Grey / other
What begins as a calculated heist quickly escalates into a sprawling conflict defined by strategy, deception, and survival.
Source: In The Grey / other
The ensemble cast also features Kristofer Hivju, Emmett J. Scanlan, Jason Wong, and Michael Vu, with Fisher Stevens, Rosamund Pike, and Carlos Bardem rounding out the lineup.
In The Grey Exclusive Clip
In the clip, Jake offers a lighthearted moment amid the film’s intense production, praising Henry’s good looks in a way that underscores the camaraderie between the actors.
Source: In The Grey / other
“It’s so nice to tell you how wonderful I think you are,” says Jake. “I’m just here, really, to just gaze at Henry Cavill.”
“I don’t even know how to answer anything,” he adds witha. smile. “I just—when I stare at him, I can’t stop.”
He jokingly adds that his handsome costar has “nothing up here,” pointing to his head, and Henry quickly catches the shade.
“Terribly underhanded compliment,” he says with a laugh.
Take an exclusive look below!
In The Grey is now playing in theaters nationwide.
Drake is back in a big way, dropping three new albums on Friday, May 15.
Source: Simone Joyner / Getty
Having teased his highly-anticipated project, Iceman, for years now, the Canadian rapper surprised fans by dropping a trilogy of albums. At midnight ET on May 15, Iceman was released alongside Maid of Honour and Habibti. These are his first major projects since 2023’s For All The Dogs.
Earlier on Thursday, rumors were circulating that Drake’s Iceman release would be followed by Maid of Honour about an hour later, according to DJ Hed on X. But, soon after these rumors began, Aubrey announced that the trio of projects would drop simultaneously as his Iceman Episode 4 livestream finished.
“All 3 albums dropping at midnight from the biggest sound,” he said before unveiling the album cover images with individual posts on Instagram.
Altogether, the album trilogy has a total of 43 songs and features guest appearances from Future, 21 Savage, PartyNextDoor, Central Cee, Popcaan, Sexyy Red, Qendresa, Molly Santana, Loe Shimmy, Iconic Savvy, and Stunna Sandy.
The second the album dropped, fans were listening to all of the projects with fresh ears, searching for meaning throughout his bars. Towards the end of the opening track on Iceman, “Make Them Cry,” Drake revealed that his father, 71-year-old Dennis Graham, was battling cancer.
“My dad got cancer right now, we battlin’ stages / Trust me when I say there’s plenty things that I’d rather be facin’ / For real / And this time, ask me to dig deeper, I’ll gladly explain it,” he raps on the song.
Alongside the release of Iceman, Dennis took to Instagram to support his son, posting a heartfelt photo of himself and Drake sharing an embrace along with the caption, “The Ice Man and The Nice Man just doing what we do, don’t get it twisted, .”
Following the album’s release, TMZ caught up with Dennis Graham on the street, who revealed that he’s currently in remission from lung cancer.
“No, that was a while back. I’m okay now. I’m wonderful,” he told the paparazzi. “My phone’s been blowing up all night. Thank you guys for the concern—I love you all, and from the bottom of my heart I appreciate you.”
Dennis continued, “It was lung cancer at first but fortunately I got a message that it disappeared. And here I am.”
Rising stars Kara Young and Mallori Johnson are bringing fierce sisterhood and a range of emotional depth to the revenge thriller Is God Is, the film adaptation of playwright-director Aleshea Harris’ acclaimed stage production.
Young and Johnson are cast as twin sisters Racine and Anaia, two women scarred physically and psychologically after surviving a childhood fire set by their abusive father, named simply and appropriately “The Monster,” played by Sterling K. Brown. After learning their mother, played by Vivica A. Fox, is still alive, the sisters are sent on a violent mission of revenge that forces them to confront trauma, rage, and family loyalty.
Young enters the film with an already celebrated acting résumé. The actress recently earned back-to-back Tony Awards for her acclaimed stage performances and has also appeared in projects including Master, The Staircase, and I’m a Virgo. Critics have praised her fiery portrayal of Racine, the more aggressive and protective of the twins.
Johnson, meanwhile, gained widespread attention for her breakout role in Hulu’s Kindred and has continued building momentum with emotionally grounded performances onscreen. In Is God Is, she plays Anaia, the quieter and more introspective twin whose emotional scars run just as deep as her physical ones.
The chemistry between the two actresses has become one of the film’s biggest strengths. BOSSIP spoke exclusively with both women about their preparation process.
Says Kara Young:
“A lot of preparation goes into it and also a knowing of what your instrument can do and where it can go. And also a lot of building the history of your character. The fortunate part was that we got to build a lot of our history together with Aleshea and that was incredibly special. “
When asked about the significance of fire and the role it plays in the film, Mallori Johnson replied:
“Oh my God, it’s everything. It really is the core symbolism that I think Aleshea is trying to get across of how…how…Black women, I’m gonna say Black women’s rage burns and embers and is tampered out and stomped out but also raised again…”
A gorgeously glowing Godiva Goddess just made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut, and the baaaawdy was baaawdying while she walked the carpet.
Reality star, content creator, and budding model Olandria Carthen was spotted on the red carpet at the SI Swimsuit party at Hard Rock Hotel in New York City on May 14. And in true Olandria fashion, she made sure everybody had something to talk about.
Source: Stephanie Augello / Getty
Olandria arrived in a brown sheer Bronx and Blanco gown that felt like a brown girl’s dream. The dress featured bold cutouts, a body-skimming silhouette, and standout gold hardware that wrapped across her frame like jewelry.
The look showed off her melanin, curves, and confidence, even including a glimmering highlight on body to give a peekaboo thong effect—and we are obsessed.
Source: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty
Sis looked TF good.
Her glam added even more heat. Olandria wore her hair in a high ponytail with soft curls and wispy bangs. Her makeup was sultry but clean, with sculpted cheeks, glossy lips, and lashes that framed her face beautifully.
Olandria Carthen Makes Her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Debut
Olandria’s Sports Illustrated debut was shot in Fort Myers, Fla. In one of the pics, Olandria posed on the beach in a two-piece.
Her long, voluminous curls blew in the wind, adding movement and drama to the photo. And her French manicure added a chic element of sophistication to the ultra-sexy look.
In another shot, she rocked a white T-shirt look. Yes, Sis!
Olandria spoke to Essence about the spread. She said she learned about the opportunity while home in Alabama for the holidays.
“I was so shocked, but so grateful to be presented with this amazing opportunity, especially being a small-town girl from Bama,” she told Essence.
In participating, Olandria also had a request we can all relate to: to be shown naturally.
The Bama Barbie continued, “Don’t edit my stretch marks. Leave that there. That’s real life. I want to show that it’s okay to have those things, it’s still beautiful.”
This debut is more than another slay. For Olandria Carthen, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit drop is a moment to celebrate curves and confidence—and, yes, her body—flaws and all. Check out more of Olandria’s pics here.
Beauty Forward founderIsan Elba and humanitarian organization CARE transformed Atlanta’s Retreat at The Gathering Spot into a purpose-driven wellness space.
Source: Brooks Lee / Brooks Lee
Framed by warm weather and rooftop ambiance, the immersive CARE PACKAGE® Salon spotlighted maternal health, birth equity, and community care while celebrating CARE’s 80-year humanitarian legacy.
Source: Brooks Lee / Brooks Lee
The evening moved beyond traditional philanthropy, creating a hands-on, educational experience where beauty leaders, health advocates, and changemakers united to directly support mothers and birth workers through both dialogue and service.
For Elba, the mission was rooted in impact.
“It means the world to me,” Elba told BOSSIP’s very own Lauryn Bass. “I’ve really sat on a mission for the past two years, really, to use my platform for good, to use my platform, to amplify extremely meaningful situations like this.”
Source: Brooks Lee / Brooks Lee
Partnering with CARE allowed Elba to connect beauty activism with one of the nation’s most urgent conversations: Black maternal health outcomes.
“To be able to partner with such an iconic organization such as CARE, for something that affects women that look exactly like me, is incredibly important,” she said. “Really an honor to be able to use my platform to amplify things like this.”
Panel Prioritizes Maternal Health, Self-Advocacy, And Safer Birth Outcomes
The salon’s moderated panel focused heavily on foundational maternal wellness topics.
Source: Brooks Lee / Brooks Lee
Key messaging included the importance of:
Community health workers
Doulas
Midwives
Mental health resources
Shelters
Sharing testimonies
Counseling
Self-advocacy strategies
Healthy boundaries
Education around hospital expectations & more
Speakers emphasized the necessity of mothers understanding their own bodies, advocating for providers whose values align with their wishes, and establishing supportive care systems before birth.
Source: Brooks Lee / Brooks Lee
Home births, provider alignment, and family or friendship support were also key themes, reinforcing that safer maternal outcomes often begin with informed decision making and strong community infrastructure.
Source: Brooks Lee / Brooks Lee
Attendees were reminded that support is both emotional and practical, with one of the event’s most resonant takeaways being the reminder: “Closed mouths don’t get fed. Somebody knows somebody. Express yourself, there’s help out there.”
The phrase reinforced one of the panel’s strongest messages, that maternal care must include active self advocacy.
Elba Reflects On The Importance Of Building Community Before Motherhood
Elba said the salon’s honest conversations around doulas, midwives, community health workers, and self advocacy offered her an unexpectedly eye opening blueprint for what true maternal support should look like long before pregnancy begins.
“These are the conversations,” said Elba. “I didn’t even realize those are all things that you should have. And that’s the type of community that should be around you.”
Her reflection reinforced one of the evening’s most impactful messages: safer maternal outcomes are often rooted not just in medical intervention, but in education, aligned providers, healthy boundaries, and community based support systems established well before labor and delivery.
200 CARE PACKAGE® Boxes Packed With Essential Wellness Items
The evening’s philanthropic mission concluded with an interactive care package assembly. Guests packed 200 CARE PACKAGE® boxes for women in CARE’s Maternal Health Program.
Packages included body wash, body lotion, breast milk pumps, teething toys, baby wipes, revitalizing hand wash, fleece blankets, creams, lip balm, hand sanitizer, fragrance, fuzzy socks, 10 breast milk storage bags, and handwritten personal note cards.
This immersive packing experience transformed attendees from passive listeners into active participants, embodying one of the event’s defining principles: We’re “not here only to listen but also to respond.”
Beauty Forward Redefines Beauty As Community Care
By combining wellness, advocacy, and practical support, Beauty Forward and CARE demonstrated that beauty spaces can evolve into transformative platforms for social impact.
As CARE honors 80 years since its first CARE PACKAGE® delivery, Elba’s modern interpretation proves that care remains most powerful when it is intentional, informed, and deeply rooted in community.
For Atlanta’s mothers and birth workers, the event was not just a salon. It was a blueprint for how advocacy, beauty, and direct service can work together to create safer futures for black women.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky went all out for their son RZA’s 4th birthday, throwing a private celebration at the Sloomoo Institute in Soho, NYC.
Source: XNY/Star Max / Getty
According to reports from Page Six, the couple rented out the entire slime museum for the private celebration, which was attended by close family and friends.
The couple’s other two children, son Riot, 2, and 8-month-old daughter Rocki, were also in attendance.
Despite the star-studded pair putting on the bash, no other celebrities were in attendance. The party featured extravagant balloon displays and plenty of hands-on activities for the kids. Party guests explored slime attractions throughout the venue, including Sloomoo Falls, the DIY Slime Bar, and Groov’s Groovy Grove.
Source: DAMEBK/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
“The kids spent time exploring the different slime vats and creating their own custom blends at the DIY bar,” the insider told Page Six, adding that the family had the “most epic” time at the event.
Rihanna and Rocky were photographed arriving at and leaving the downtown hotspot with their children, both dressed in coordinated neutral-toned looks.
The Fenty founder wore an oversized layered outfit featuring a cropped beige jacket, cream trousers, and pointed snakeskin-inspired boots. Rocky matched the muted palette in a beige trench-style coat layered over a gray rhinestone graphic tee, paired with baggy dark jeans and chunky black shoes.
Source: XNY/Star Max / Getty
At one point during the evening, the rapper was seen carrying baby Rocki in a carrier while covering the infant with a cozy blanket. Meanwhile, birthday boy RZA and little brother Riot coordinated in colorful outfits for the celebration.
The birthday festivities came shortly after Rihanna addressed fresh pregnancy rumors online. Speculation began circulating after an old photo from summer 2025 resurfaced on social media. The image was originally taken while she was pregnant with her third child, Rocki Irish.
Source: XNY/Star Max / Getty
After an Instagram creator reposted the photo and suggested she could be expecting again, Rihanna quickly shut the rumors down in the comments section.
“Is the baby in the womb with us?” she joked.
The confusion reportedly stemmed from a previously shared post from Vogue featuring the singer during her pregnancy with Rocki, whom she welcomed in September 2025. Judging from the singer’s recent tattoos and piercings, it seems like she’s most definitely not pregnant.
Drake might have officially entered his villain era, as a newly leaked track titled “1 AM In Albany” sounds like he’s throwing shots at everybody, especially a certain Compton clobberer he’s comparing to Muggsy Bogues and an iconic baller the Iceman rapper thinks switched sides.
Source: Getty Images
The Toronto rapper seemingly still has more “chewing for your headtop” left for a familiar op and a few others. First up, the obvious target, Kendrick Lamar. The two heavyweights spent most of 2024 going back and forth in one of Hip-Hop’s biggest rap beefs in recent memory.
The battle kicked off with Kendrick’s verse on Metro Boomin and Future’s “Like That,” after that, ending the beef with a knockout punch, dropping “Not Like Us.”
Since then, Drizzy has mostly stayed quiet, only dropping subtle hints toward redemption on his ICEMAN single “What Did I Miss?” But now, with this alleged leak making rounds online, it sounds like he’s back in attack mode.
On one bar, the OVO rapper appears to compare Kendrick to the shortest NBA player of all-time, Muggsy Bogues.
“Muggsy Bogues dunked for once, even I’m a bit amazed, someone give the kid a raise.”
That was definitely a subtle shot at the GNX rapper.
Even LeBron James got a couple bars from Drake, who said he isn’t surprised the King switched up on him.
“I shouldn’t even be shocked to see you in that arena, because you always made your career off of switching teams up.”
Drake doubled down with another line questioning LeBron’s loyalty.
“Please stop asking what’s going on with 23 & me, I’m a real n*gga, and he’s not, it’s in my DNA.”
Another bar is rumored to have been for Joe Budden, someone The Boy has been dissing for quite a while now, even referencing Budden’s history of sleepwalking.
“I watched this guy spasm with a puzzled face. Who knows which one of his bubble-shaped things I must’ve ushered through the double gates. Showed her the time of her life while broski having stomach aches, hearing bout good times at lovers lake and send her back to you while you sleep walking naked in another state.”
Lastly, fans believe J. Cole also caught a jab when Drake referenced a “married rapper” who backed away from the beef.
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