From television visionary to book author, is there anything Shonda Rhimes can’t do? Simon & Schuster announced Tuesday that Rhimes will publish her first book in November. In Year of Yes, Rhimes will write about how she took on the challenge of saying yes, for one year, to unexpected invitations. “Saying yes for an entire year…

Tom Hanks has been called “the nicest guy in the world” for most of his acting career, but his son, aspiring rapper Chet Haze (real name Chester Hanks), is aiming for another title. Which is probably more along the lines of “f—kboy of the year.” Haze, who couldn’t rap himself out of a paper bag,…

After starring as Martin Luther King Jr. in Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed movie Selma, David Oyelowo revealed in a recent interview that another big-name director is trying to get him to reprise his role as the civil rights leader. In an interview with Esquire, Oyelowo stated that Steven Spielberg has asked him to portray King…

When he’s not singing or producing music, Akon is busy providing sustainable living options to people in African countries. The Senegalese-American singer’s initiative, appropriately called Akon Lighting Africa, aims to supply electricity to 600 million people in Africa who lack it with the launch of the Solar Academy. Located in Bamako, Mali, the Solar Academy…

When you’ve spent four years in high school, there’s nothing like going out with a bang during graduation. And that’s what the seniors at Hawaii’s Kahuku High and Intermediate School did during their graduation ceremony. The Class of 2015 sang and performed dance routines to “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson (featuring Bruno Mars) and the…

The image below shows how many people have been spending their Wednesday nights since the season finale of Empire: Going through withdrawal. But don’t fret, Empire fans. The Fox drama returns Wednesday, Sept. 23, and will include 18 episodes. Taraji P. Henson and the Empire writers tweeted the good news today: https://twitter.com/TherealTaraji/status/604312411114373120https://twitter.com/EmpireWriters/status/604341547639812096 And now we…

NBC is doing things a little bit differently as it casts the role of Dorothy for The Wiz Live! When the network announced the live show, many people had their own ideas as to who should capture the coveted role. In a poll done by The Root, 740 people cast their votes, and the results…

Tidal seems to have 99 problems, and Beyoncé and ownership are one and two. There are those who want to see the music-streaming service fail, and then there are those who praise the ground Jay Z walks on, as well as those who really don’t care either way. But most importantly, there are those who want…

The Daily Show will soon have a new host sitting in Jon Stewart’s old seat. Comedy Central announced on Twitter that Trevor Noah’s first show will air Sept. 28. In March the network announced that the South African comic would replace Stewart after 16 years. Noah, who was a correspondent on the show, felt backlash…

Actor and comedian Reynaldo Rey passed away Thursday at the age of 75 as a result of complications from a stroke. Rey, who was born Harry Reynolds in Sequoyah County, Okla., was known for his roles in movies such as Friday, White Men Can’t Jump and Harlem Nights, as well as TV shows like BET’s Comic View, The…