Jennifer Hudson Talks Weight Loss, Break Up Rumors, & Marriage

Jennifer Hudson gives the scoop to Access Hollywood about how much weight she’s recently lost and where she and David will be getting married.  We wish them both well in their relationship as they move closer to “jumping the broom”.

Mary J. Blige Talks Pain, Love, Working With Her Husband, & Inspiration Behind Her New Album

By Team BLAM

Mary J. Blige visited the “Chelsea Lately Show” last week and talked about the inspiration behind her new album “My Life II”. One of the reasons Mary J. Blige is as popular as she is in our opinion is because she is as honest and transparent as she is. Whe we are able to be honest about ourselves–where we’ve been and what we’ve been through–it actually liberates and free us to go to the next level in our lives.

In 2000, Blige met record industry executive Martin Kendu Isaacs, who later became her manager. The two were married on December 7, 2003, in a small private ceremony at Blige’s home attended by 50 guests. Check out her interview above and let us know what you think.

VIDEO: Beyonce Shares Her Excitement About Becoming A Mommy With 20/20’s Katie Couric

By Team BLAM

Beyonce was interviewed on Friday by 20/20’s Katie Couric and she was full of anticipation as her due date draws nearer.

“Physically I was starting to show, so it was only a matter of days before someone zoomed in. So I just wanted it to be from me, and I wanted it to be something that was a celebration of something so beautiful,” Beyonce said of the decision to stop mid-performance at the VMAs to rub her belly, in a sit-down interview with Couric.

Her reaction following the reveal was of relief. “Honestly, I just felt free. I really did, because I’d been holding the most exciting thing in for so long, and I just felt like, ‘Wow, now I can enjoy and now I can just experience this the way that every woman should,’ ” she said. “I felt like, ‘Oh, I can breathe and be happy. It was a beautiful feeling. … I went straight off the stage and cried. I hugged my mom, I hugged Jay and just cried. It was a beautiful day.”

Beyonce revealed that she hasn’t been having any off-the-wall pregnancy cravings, even though there were rumors that she liked ketchup on everything and ice-cream with hot sauce.

“I was on a plane and the flight attendant came and was like, ‘I have your hot sauce and pickles and bananas,’ ” she recalled. “And I’m like, ‘That is absolutely disgusting, what are you doing?’ He’s like, ‘I read it on the Internet.’ ”

It seems that this superstar is truly in pregnancy and is gearing up for Mommy-hood. She deserves it!

Monica Shares How She’d Decided To Stay Single UNTIL She Met Hubby Shannon Brown.

By Team BLAM

Monica stopped by the Wendy Williams Show and talked about how she and hubby, Shannon Brown, met, how they’re opposites, and the fact that she had basically resigned herself to being single until she met Shannon. When asked about the possibilities of a baby she said “we practice regularly”. They make a very attractive couple . We wish them all the best! Listen in.

Congrats To New Parents To Be….Chris & Adrienne Bosh!!!

We want to send a big CONGRATULATIONS out to Chris Bosh and his wife Adrienne. Seems they’ve been very busy with all that free time from the NBA lockout! The Miami Heat player and his wife are expecting their first child, reports Page Six. The couple, who were married in Miami this past July, are “over the moon” about welcoming their “Baby Bosh.”

Adrienne was even spotted shopping at posh baby boutique Bellini with fellow basketball wife Larsa Pippen (married to Scottie Pippen).

Congratulations to the parents to be!

VIDEO: Look At Her Now! Tasha Smith Opens Up About Her Marriage & Troubled Past

Actress Tasha Smith stopped by the “Wendy Williams Show” and opened up about her marriage to husband Keith Douglas (they exchanged vows in the living room of their Los Angeles home last year) and her past job as a stripper in New Jersey.

I have to say Tasha Smith is a bona fide inspiration as far as I’m concerned. She has no problem talking about her mistakes, how much she loves her husband, and how her relationship with God  saved her life. She represents so well! Listen in.

VIDEO: Pat and Gina Neely Talk About Their New Book, “The Neelys’ Celebration Cookbook”.

By Team BLAM

Food Network’s Pat and Gina Neely stopped by “Good Day Atlanta” to demonstrate how to cook a traditional turkey and talk about their new cookbook titled, “The Neelys’ Celebration Cookbook.” We love the Neely’s here at BLAM. They are a couple who by their mere existence demonstrate the power of combining your purpose, passion & love together. They are making their mark doing what they do best and by being of service to the world. That’s what life is all about. Get some fab new down home cooking skills skills and support this duo by purchasing your copy HERE.

Thanksgiving with the Neelys: MyFoxATLANTA.com

Thanksgiving with the Neelys: MyFoxATLANTA.com

Tasha Smith Reflects On Her Road From Homelessness To Stardom

In the Essence December cover story “Diary Of A Happy Black Woman,” the 40-year-old star opens up about her faith, finding love and her life-changing friendship with director Tyler Perry.

Famous for her sassy role as Angela in the movie “Why Did I Get Married?,” Smith has distinguished herself as talented actress with serious box office moneymaker. Plus, she’s a happily married black woman (take that statistics)!

So it’s hard to believe that Smith’s life wasn’t always so glamourous.

The New Jersey native was once homeless, worked as a bartender at a strip club at 14-years-old and struggled with drug addiction. CLICK HERE to read more.

Meet Gloria Cain…The “Better Half” Of Herman

By Associated Press

Gloria Cain is hardly the traditional presidential campaign wife.  She has been virtually absent from the campaign trail as her husband, Herman, runs for the Republican presidential nomination. And she’s been silent this week as the businessman fights to overcome allegations that he sexually harassed women while he led the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s.

“She’s doing fine, and she’s still 200 percent supportive of me in this whole race, 200 percent supportive of me as her husband, because I haven’t done anything,” Cain told conservative talk show host Sean Hannity on Thursday. He added: “She is feeling for me more so, because she knows that it’s baseless.”

Those who know Cain’s wife of 43 years say she backs her husband’s candidacy. Mrs. Cain is often described as “gentle” and “the nicest woman you’ll ever meet,” and people frequently remark on her faith and dedication to her husband and her family.

But it’s unclear whether Mrs. Cain, 65, will step into the national spotlight to defend her husband the way so many spouses have done over the years when politicians are rocked by allegations of sexual misconduct.

Cain’s campaign declined to make her available for an interview.

Relatively little is known about Mrs. Cain beyond what Cain writes about her in his 222-page book: “This Is Herman Cain!: My Journey to the White House.”

Cain devotes a chapter to his wife; it’s 3 ½-pages long. He also dedicated the book to three groups of people, including his wife “for her unwavering support, patience, and sacrifice.”

The chapter begins: “Gloria Etchison was beautiful. Let’s face it; I was first attracted by her looks. And then I figured out she was also smart.”

Cain writes that the two first saw each other on the street corner near the family owned grocery store where he worked as a college freshman. The future Mrs. Cain was walking down the street with a high school friend of his. It would be almost a year before the two went out on their first date — to the movies — while she was attending Morris Brown College and he was at Morehouse College.

“It was magic from that moment on, and so I didn’t go out with anyone else. Neither did Gloria,” Cain wrote.

The two were married June 23, 1968. They have two adult children — a daughter, Melanie, and a son, Vincent — and grandchildren.

As he runs for president, Cain wrote: “Gloria continues to be a steady source of devotion and inspiration, never more so than now.” He acknowledges that people often ask why she doesn’t campaign with him, and he tells them that she’s at home. “And Gloria will tell them that she’s not running but supports me 100 percent. That’s all I need.”

Mrs. Cain was with her husband in Omaha, Neb., during his years as a restaurateur and by his side as he beat colon cancer. In 1998, when the Cains returned to Atlanta, they also went back to Antioch Baptist Church North, Herman Cain’s longtime spiritual home.

“She’s a woman of deep faith involved in a lot of church activities,” said Matt Carrothers, who worked on Cain’s failed campaign for U.S. Senate in 2004 and later worked for Cain from 2004 to 2007.

Carrothers said that while going out on the campaign trail isn’t her primary interest, Gloria Cain supports her husband in other ways.

“Whenever I would go to Herman’s house, there were grandkids running around. She has her own activities, but she’s fully supportive of everything he does,” he said.

Jay-Z: Songs He Doesn’t Want His Daughter To Hear

If you have any type of civilized bone in your body you can acknowledge that the entrance of a child into your world changes things.  The child changes how you see yourself.  The child changes how you see your relationship with your spouse.  The child changes how you see the world.  Some folks embrace the responsibility that comes with being a parent….others run from the responsibility.  Regardless of what your reaction is, you are impacted nonetheless.  Patrice Evans of Grantland.com recently took a look at some of Jay-Z’s popular tracks and suggested that these songs possess lyrics that HOV won’t want his daughter to hear.  BLAM Fam check out the lyrics and let us know what you think.


I’ve heard it said nothing transforms a man like having a baby girl. So news that Jay-Z and Beyoncé are having a daughter could mean we will never see or hear from the old Shawn Carter again. Old Jay-Z: “hard dick and bubble gum”. New Jay-Z: poopy diapers and baby food.

It’s the beginning of a new era in hip hop. The Old Man Rap era. And a lot of emcees are gonna have some ‘splainin’ to do. Hov, to his jeweler’s credit, has always talked more Maybachs and ice, than about his sidepiece and wife. So he won’t have as much umm, err, umm stammering to contend with as, say, Kanye. But here’s five songs we still expect to be removed from Lil Hovita’s iPod.

BIG PIMPIN’
As a joke I think they should play “Big Pimpin’” in the birthing room. It’s the only way to “re-claim” the song. Otherwise, Jay told the Wall Street Journal even he cringes when he hears it, “Some [lyrics] become really profound when you see them in writing. Not “Big Pimpin.” That’s the exception. It was like, I can’t believe I said that. And kept saying it. What kind of animal would say this sort of thing? Reading it is really harsh.”
Cover the Ears Quotable:
In the cut where I keep ’em
’til I need a nut, ’til I need to beat the guts
Then it’s beep beep, and I’m picking them up
Let em play with the dick in the truck

AIN’T AIN’T NO NI**A:
This one is gonna hurt to lose, it being his first hit record and all. The chorus is so catchy. And easily converted to baby talk, “Ain’t no daddy like the one I got. No one can change me better”. Alas, at some point she’ll get older and the questions will come up. Why is it all they get is 50-cent franks and papaya’s, daddy? And who are the black chicks, besides mommy, between the sheets like Essence? What is Essence? That’s even before getting to the matter of Foxy Brown, and the open wound of Jaz-O. It’s gonna have to go, or at least be kept password protected in the cloud.
Cover the Ears Quotable:
I been sinnin’ since you was playing with Barbie and Ken ‘n
You can’t change a player’s game in the ninth inning.

CLICK HERE to read more.