Usher Talks About Hugging Alicia Keys On Stage, Malia Obama Changes Her Name, A Peek into Nelly’s Old Mansion and More Celeb News

A collection of The Root’s best posts of the week in entertainment

Photo: Getty Images Ryan Kang

Usher Finally Speaks Out About His Cozy Hug With Alicia Keys During Super Bowl

Photo: Getty Images Ryan Kang Photo: Getty Images Ryan Kang

Usher heard all the chatter after his electric performance during the Super Bowl Halftime Show in Las Vegas. While many acknowledge how incredible he was on stage, people on social media had a lot of thoughts about that hug he gave fellow R&B legend Alicia Keys. – Noah A. McGee Read More

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17 Fashion Trainwrecks from Met Gala 2025

Obama’s Daughter Just Made a Major Change to Her Name, But Haters Can’t Stop Hating…

Photo: Getty Images Dia Dipasupil Photo: Getty Images Dia Dipasupil

If you want to get a table at a fancy New York restaurant or an internship at a Fortune 500 company, the Obama name can probably get you pretty far. But if you’re an aspiring young filmmaker just trying to get your career off the ground, the name might cause more harm than good – something Malia Obama is learning. – Angela Johnson Read More

Comedians Eddie Griffin, Corey Holcomb, Donell Rawlings Shock Audiences With Unfunny Comments

Photo: Getty Images Rodin Eckenroth, Phillip Faraone, Jamie McCarthy Photo: Getty Images Rodin Eckenroth, Phillip Faraone, Jamie McCarthy

The comedy world isn’t always fun and games. If there’s one thing we learned from Katt Williams’ explosive appearance on “Club Shay Shay,” it’s that comedians have more beefs than rappers. That notion was on full display during a recent stand up show by Donell Rawlings, who had words for Corey Holcomb. – Stephanie Holland Read More

Inside Nelly’s Abandoned, Mysterious Missouri Mansion

Screenshot: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘Fair Use’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}] Youtube.com Screenshot: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘Fair Use’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}] Youtube.com

This month, groups of TikTokers found their way into Grammy-winning rapper Nelly’s abandoned mansion in his home state of Missouri.

The potentially beautiful home sits on 12 acres of land which includes a private basketball court, a three-car garage and a bunch of unfinished rooms. The unwelcome visitors have documented the state of the crumbling, mildew-filled estate and have even discovered that others before them trashed the place. Here is what the house looked like after it was sold in 2021. – Amira Castilla Read More

Kelly Rowland’s Rep Finally Speaks About ‘Today’ Show Dressing Room Debacle

Photo: Getty Images Nathan Congleton Photo: Getty Images Nathan Congleton

Over the last week, there have been numerous reports of singer and actress Kelly Rowland walking off the set of the “Today” set due to her dressing room being too small. Now, the star’s rep Yvette Noel-Schure has spoken out on her behalf. – Candace McDuffie Read More

Sherri Shepherd Shades Kelly Rowland’s ‘TODAY’ Show Treatment With This Comment

Photo: Getty Images Bryan Bedder/Variety Photo: Getty Images Bryan Bedder/Variety

If there’s one thing we love to see, it’s Black women showing love to one another and making each other feel seen and heard. And that’s exactly what singer and actress Kelly Rowland did when she stopped by “The Sherri Show” on Friday to promote her new film, “Mea Culpa,” directed by Tyler Perry. – Shanelle Genai Read More

TLC’s Chilli Says She’s ‘Caramel’ Not ‘Chocolate’ and the Black Internet Loses Its Mind

Photo: Getty Images Dia Dipasupil Photo: Getty Images Dia Dipasupil

Social media is a wild, insane place where we spend a ridiculous amount of our time. It doesn’t matter how innocuous the post is, someone will find a way to hate on your fun, happy moment. Music star Chilli recently found herself on the receiving end of negativity over what was a seemingly innocent post. – Stephanie Holland Read More

Here’s Why People Think That Solange and Beyoncé Are Beefing

Photo: Getty Images MEGA / Contributor Photo: Getty Images MEGA / Contributor

Are the Knowles sisters on bad terms? After people couldn’t find more than one picture of Beyoncé and Solange together last week for the “Cranes in the Sky” singer’s son Julez Smith, Jr.’s Luar runway walk at New York Fashion Week, fans believed their theories were true. During the Luar show, Bey and Tina Knowles sat together as they were swarmed by paparazzi, while Solange was in a different part of the room sitting alone, taking pictures and videos of her son. – Amira Castilla Read More

‘Abbott Elementary’ Star Janelle James Reveals Who Inspired How She Plays Ava

James also shares which cast member on the ABC hit comedy makes her laugh most and whether or not there’s more stand-up in her future.

Presidents Day: Astronaut Leland Melvin On ‘The Space Race’ and JFK’s Role In Diversifying NASA

National Geographic’s new documentary, produced by Melvin, uncovers the history of Black engineers and scientists who made early space exploration possible.

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