So I FINALLY got a chance to watch last Wednesday's episode of The Challenge: Rivals II! I know, BEYOND late, seeing as though the finale and live reunion premiered last night (that recap will be up today as well). It's been a crazy exhausting week and a half and I have a lot to catch up on in my writing life. The week before this episode, we were left on a cliffhanger as Diem and Aneesa faced Jemmye and Camila in the last Jungle, "Hanging By A Thread." The main objective of the game is to cut through two ropes while hanging upside down. Obviously, the winners will go on to the Finals! Diem struggles to even touch the rope and starts freaking out! Though Camila is short and can't reach the rope either, Jemmye uses her saw to bring the rope to her and they get through it. Once Diem and Aneesa figure that out, they begin to work through the ropes too! Unfortunately, they just couldn't pull it out in time. Jemmye and Camila win, sending Diem and Aneesa home right before the Final. It sucks because I really wanted to see Aneesa in the final, and it's hard to get that close and lose like that. Though they're both upset, they're grateful that they got to know each other better and become closer. Diem also holds no ill will towards CT (though me being the grudgeful person that I am, I definitely would!).

Anyway, the final six teams have been decided! For the girls, we have Emily and Paula, Cara Maria and Cooke, and Jemmye and Camila. For the guys, we have Johnny and Frank, CT and Wes, and Marlon and Jordan.  TJ gives everyone a few days to relax, but also tells them that he can't stand the heat in Thailand anymore, implying that they'll be going somewhere new! Back at the house, the teams train for the Finals. Emily is doubtful going into the challenge, worried that she may not be able to hack it. The housemates also talk about where they'll be going. They don't know what in the world's going to happen with them!

That night, the house gets a text from TJ: "I hope that you enjoyed your time off, as things are about to get interesting! Meet me in TOKYO tomorrow at 10 p.m and we're going to see how you handle the city for a change!" This is CRAZY! I feel like the Final Challenge has always been in a pretty remote place, so no one really knows what's going to happen! Wes is worried that they are going to be distracted in the big city and the Challenge will turn into something that anyone can win. Paula is stressed now too because she thinks it's going to be a puzzle scavenger hunt that doesn't require real skill.


The next day, the house preps to leave for Tokyo when a van of guys get in front of their bus and jump on board! One of them is T.J. and he tells them that things have changed! The teams all get their hands tied together and bags are put over their heads. Then they get put in two separate vans! Turns out there is no Tokyo at all! The teams are still in Thailand, and have to run in that sweltering heat that they have come to know and adore. T.J. reminds them again of the stakes: 3rd place, both teams will split $15K. The 2nd place teams get $35 grand, while first place takes home a whopping $125,000 ($62,500 for each team member!).

There is a yacht anchored off the coast of what T.J. calls "Dream Island." The teams have to swim a mile to get to the shore and solve one of three puzzles to get a key to a kayak to get to the yacht. Another twist: there's only room on the yacht for two guys' teams and two girls' teams! So the last place teams in Day 1 don't even get to see the rest of the Challenge! The girls start first, and Emily and Paula take off! The boys start a few minutes later, and everyone is swimming hard to get to shore. Cara, of course, struggles because swimming is a real weakness of hers.


Emily and Paula are the first girls' team on shore, followed shortly after by Jemmye and Camila.
They have to assemble one of three puzzles with huge Tetris-looking blocks within an hour. Because of their challenge with the swimming, Cooke and Cara have to seriously make up time. The guys all eventually get to shore, and start working on their puzzles. Everyone is struggling to get these pieces to work, and teams are already starting to crumble. However, CT and Wes figure out their puzzle first and get their key to advance to day 2! Johnny and Frank start arguing, while Marlon and Jordan try to make their puzzle work.

After everything, Cara Maria and Cooke surprisingly get their puzzle right and move on, making them the first girls' team to make it to the yacht. I wouldn't be upset if they won at all. For one thing, Cooke went to Loyola University Maryland as did I (I didn't know her, but Greyhounds stick together haha!). Also, Cooke and Cara have seriously the underdog and the scapegoat in this entire challenge. A lot of that stems from the fact that not a lot of people really like Cara Maria. However, they've managed to fight for their spot, and they deserve to move on to fight to the finish! Emily and Paula get their puzzle right finally and take off towards the boat, leaving Camila and Jemmye to take 3rd place getting $15K. Unfortunately for them, that ends their time in Thailand, and they don't get to see the rest of the Final. The guys' hour time limit expired and it's basically a kayak race between Frank and Johnny and Marlon & Jordan. As the teams race for the yacht, one of the boats capsizes and I'm pretty sure it was Frank and Johnny! Then...the episode ends. Ugh I hate cliffhangers!

The SEASON FINALE of The Challenge: Rivals II premiered last night (I'm typing up the recap just as soon as this one is published). Definitely a good one that I hope you didn't miss! 

Images via MTV

7:22:00 AM

I have another artist to spotlight today (Any artist, designer, producer, etc, looking to be featured please contact me). This has been a LONG time coming, but greatly deserved! It was important to me to feature rapper Coyotito, not only because he works with Anthony Glover of Concrete Entertainment (who I featured a little over a year after I started Spotlight, and still keep in touch with), but because, after listening to his music, I was hooked! The man is truly a lyricist, which I believe is rare in hip hop today.

Born and raised in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans, “Tito” as he is also known, grew up watching videos of his favorite rappers on TV. Even as a young kid, he dreamed of being a rapper and began recording his own lyrics over popular songs, using a tape deck and recorder. “The moment I fell in love with hip hop was when I heard Special Ed’s ‘I’m the Magnificent,” he said of his love of hip hop. “The beat, the lyrics and his whole style was just fresh to me.  It made me feel so good to the point where I just wanted to recite it and listen to it over and over again.”In addition to Special Ed, artists like Rakim, Scarface, Fiend, Soulja Slim, and Jay-Z inspired him to hone his craft and mold his dream.

Quickly, Tito became a student of hip hop, studying how exactly his favorite artists put a song together. He learned not only how to choose a right beat for a song, but revealing a powerful message through the music. He also grew in his craft from his home environment of New Orleans, rich in music and culture. Growing up there, he learned that it was okay to simply be himself and show who he is in his music.  He could showcase a positive message in his lyrics, without falling into the typical lines about sex, fame, women and money. And that is what separates him from different artists out here! “I love hip hop music.  I have a passion for writing songs and coming up with the craziest lyrics,” the rapper said of his craft. I feel that I have the talent, mindset, and work ethics needed to succeed in this industry.” It’s that drive, work ethic and talent that is going to take him far!

Currently Coyotito is working on his new mixtape Shut Up and Rap, a new project in which he “channels his pristine lyrical writing skills and relies on that original hip hop sound to bring the industry back to the times when you actually had to rap about something, not just anything.” It’s definitely a tape to be on the lookout for! You can learn more from Coyotito on Bound43Music.com and ReverbNation, as well as Facebook! And check out some of his music below!

Learn how to get a song on itunes at ReverbNation.com

9:31:00 AM

Loving Hollywood Exes this season! There's a good amount of drama, but there's a great amount of fun, business ventures, and comedy! As this season is dwindling down, I hope that VH1 renews it for a third.  Picking up from last week, Tony and Andrea go to the park, and Drea shares that she has a new plan up her sleeve. She called her manager, and plans to do a dance fitness DVD. With the DVD under her belt, she wants to travel and do master classes in major cities. For Drea, this DVD isn't about losing weight quick. It's about women embracing their sexy curves, but toning up! The video will feature a lot of fun, sexy moves but still calorie burning! It's definitely going to be a lot of work. There has to be a casting call for background dancers, a set location, filimint crew and more. It's going to be A LOT of work, mostly for Tony!

That night, Nicole invites the girls to go to a Hollywood party for her friend, celebrity hairstylist Chaz Dean. As the party goes on, Jessica gets drinks at the bar and suddenly sees her second ex-husband Garth and his girlfriend! Apparently the guy is a very good plastic surgeon who Jessica even worked with during their marriage. Jessica talks to him and catches up, but she kind of pushes herself all over him! Even though she's probably drunk, she needs to have a little bit more sense in her head to do all of that.

The next weekend, Sheree has closet organizers come in to help make room in her closet for Terrell's stuff. Even with that garage sale they had, they still have a lot of stuff cluttering the closet that she still has to get rid of! The ladies do a great job of cleaning out the closet. However, they took out things that seemed outdated or out of season. Sheree struggles to let go of the stuff, but she eventually backs off and lets them do what they've come to do.

Meanwhile, Jessica and Drea spend more time together again and go to the beach to talk. Drea talks about her fitness DVD which will be shot at Debbie Allen's studio! Jessica shares that she saw Garth at the party, and she still feels a little connection between them. After watching her this season, I don't necessarily think she's really back into him. I think she's in love with the idea of being in true love and having something work. We've all been there, but that's no reason to try to get back with an ex, especially when he has a girlfriend! Andrea advises her that there is a reason why they got divorced, and she may want to consider that before moving forward.

The next day, Andrea meets her dancers at Millennium to practice for the DVD. The workout will be filled with moves that ladies can use when they want to get sexy for their significant other! She put Tony in charge of wardrobe, who finds cute little pieces for the ladies to wear. Rehearsal goes very well, but it's clear that Andrea's ankle is still not fully healed. She's going to try to do the routine in her heels, but there's no telling how that's going to turn out.

That evening, Nicole, her mom Ellen, and Mayte, goes to Jessica's practice. Ellen wants to get her vagina rejuvenated and tightened. It's weird for Nicole to watch her mother do this, but she goes to support. Even though Nicole's father passed, Ellen figures she would give her husband a present when she gets up to heaven herself! This lady and her jokes make up some of the funniest parts of the show! Ellen actually likes it, but she comes out walking funny afterwards!

Later, Sheree shows off the renovated closet to Terrell. It's so clean and perfect. Terrell really appreciated the effort, because he knows how much Sheree loves her clothes and shoes. This is his home now too, and Sheree didn't want him to feel like a guest anymore. Meanwhile, Jessica and Mayte show up to Garth's office as Mayte wants to get her breasts reconstructed. However, Jessica knows she just wants to see Garth again! Jessica used to work there, and it brings back a lot of memories for her. She's beginning to think that the divorce wasn't the right decision. During Mayte's consultation, Jessica is very distracting and flirtatious. The whole thing was very awkward. Here's this man just trying to do his job, and his ex is all over his back. Jessica, get it together!

The next day, Andrea gets to film her workout DVD only....she's late. What's worse is that her background dancers are not there either! By the time everyone gets there, gets dressed, puts makeup together, they are 45 minutes behind schedule. Unfortunately for Andrea, her shoot is a definite case of Murphy's Law. Everything that could go wrong, does go wrong! Andrea ends up getting a run in her stocking and has to shoot her scene over after taking them off. Then the air conditioner comes on, holding up production since it's so loud! She also breaks her nail in the midst of everything. However, in spite of it all, the shoot comes together and looks very sexy and fun! AND Miss Andrea does it all in heels, injured ankle and all! You better check your email honey!

Later on, Mayte and Jessica walk Mayte's dogs. Mayte is nervous about the pain after she gets her breasts done again. Jessica reassures her that she'll be okay. Mayte also brings up the sparks between Jessica and Garth. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like those sparks were a little one-sided just from watching! Garth looked a little embarrassed behind it all to me. Jessica admits that she was dumb in divorcing him. She didn't understand why he had to work so much, becoming very insecure and distrustful of him, eventually pushing him away. Mayte thinks that Jessica should say something to him, and she plans to when she goes with Mayte for her operation. This girl. I want her to focus on Jessica for a second. Everyone needs that time of being alone to be able to get the mind right and figure out what he or she wants out of life in general, not even just love. Plus the man has a girlfriend! Now Jessica is seeing that the grass isn't too much greener on the other side, and thinks she wants him back. But she was just thinking about getting back with Jose earlier on in the season! This is just me from the outside looking in. Jessica needs to worry about herself and Josie for now. Anything else that comes along and is meant to be, will be.

Check out new episodes of Hollywood Exes on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. only on VH1!

Image via VH1

12:38:00 PM

The past week has been has been absolutely CRAZY. I'm definitely behind on a lot. Balancing the So I owe two recaps of Hollywood Exes this week (last week's and last night's episodes). Haven't had a chance to watch and recap Wednesday's episode of The Challenge: Rivals II yet. Basically staying away from any and all things MTV until I do! My life has become a balancing act, which I'll write about on BrittanyShawnte.com sometime this week.

Picking up from Episode 9, the girls are back in a good place after their Utah trip. Nicole has brunch in her backyard with her sister-in-law Jamie and her mom Ellen to discuss the wedding plans! Jessica swings by as well. With this second wedding, Nicole definitely wants something more toned down than her first, with probably a local setting. She wants to go ahead lock in the date, but she and Michael are still working out that prenup! Once that's done, details can finally be finished. It's a struggle, but it's important that they both protect themselves in case things do go wrong. I'm hoping that they don't though, because they seem really great together!

Later, Sheree meets with Jessica for dinner. Sheree reveals that she is completely over moving Terrell's stuff into their house, planning to have a garage sale, but even that might not be enough. Truth is, Sheree has gotten settled into her space with her son Trey, and now that Terrell is moving down from San Diego, she has to adjust. Jessica then asks for some much needed advice on Josie, who is doing terrible in chemistry and math! Jessica gets very emotional about it, because she has no idea what Josie is really doing, and it's hard to stay on top of her. Apparently, Josie has also skipped a class as well, which Jessica gets an email about. She calls Josie from the table to get an explanation! Josie blames her mom taking away her car for the reason she missed her morning Bible class. Her friend was late getting her so she didn't get there in time. At the end of the day, Jessica, as a mom, needs to start putting her foot down. Josie, to me, has too much freedom. She seems like a good kid overall, but she needs more structure as well as consequences for her actions. Jessica also reveals that Jose up and moved to Vegas! The man is not a dependable father, and is probably the reason why Josie's trying to act out. Now, granted, Josie is responsible for her own decisions, but she needs a strong father figure in her life, and Jose isn't that at all.

The next day, Nicole goes out with Mayte and Jessica to look at some dresses. Greeted with champagne, the ladies look through some fabulous choices. Since they all have been married before, they talk about their first wedding gowns. Mayte absolutely hated hers even though it was custom made, but Prince LOVED it. The women also talk about how they felt like they lost a piece of their own identity in their relationships, feeling somewhat controlled because their husbands were the major breadwinners. For Mayte and Jessica, it's hard to find a guy that is financially stable, but feels like he doesn't have power over you just because he has money. Nicole eventually tries on a bunch of dresses, all of which are pretty. She wants something simple and elegant, yet completely different from her first when she was married to Eddie. Mayte and Jessica join in on the fun, coming out in these crazy looking poofy dresses! It was fun, but hopefully Nicole picks something out and walks down that aisle soon!

That afternoon, Shamicka and Andrea meet up for lunch. Shamicka is so glad that she has the ladies in her life now. She's dealing with her divorce, and is beyond grateful for their support. The ladies have all been the celebrity wife and then ex-wife, so they understand what she's going through, especially Andrea who shares personal stories with her. Drea remembers at the Grammys one year. She was left at the hotel, and then Mr. Robert Kelly went on the red carpet with another woman. Absolutely disrespectful, but Andrea swept it under the rug. When you love someone, you tend to make excuses for his or her behavior, and Shamicka completely related to that. I think she and Andrea will have a great relationship! They're different, but still very much alike!

Meanwhile, Terrell and Sheree finally have their garage sale. It's crazy just how much stuff they have! Mayte comes over and brings Gia, who shows off some more of her walking skills! Terrell gets really excited to meet her. He loves babies, but Sheree hopes that he doesn't think that he's going to have one with her. She doesn't find it that appealing to start over with a new baby the more time goes by, especially since her son Trey is basically grown! Shamicka comes through as well with her grandmother. By the end of the day, Sheree and Terrell make a little dent in getting rid of some stuff, but still definitely have a long way to go!

Later, Jessica goes to a therapist to talk about her issues with Jose and Josie. It's quite possible that Jose not being around is directly related to Josie's problems in school. She might just be acting out because of Jose not being in her life. He hasn't made her a priority in her life. He doesn't even pay child support! Jessica knows that, even though this all hurts her, she can't crumble, because she is all that Josie has. The therapist advises that Jessica should talk to Josie about all this, and try to work things through. Josie herself needs to voice her own opinions to her father as well.

Mayte and Andrea meet up and talk about Gia and the official adoption. Mayte has had to go through so much already to adopt Gia, but she's almost there. She just can't wait until Gia is completely 100% hers. Andrea encourages her to remain prayerful and hopeful through this process. However, Drea wants Mayte to prepare herself for the harsh possibility that she might lose Gia. I hope that she doesn't. Adoption is such a tricky thing, I know. However, Gia is very happy with Mayte and Nelly and I think that Mayte deserves to keep her and be a mommy!

The next day, Jessica talks to Josie and plans to work through her homework with her to get her back on track with school. Jessica asks her if it's bothers her that Jose is gone, but Josie's not even surprised. Josie has become a little numb and cold to it all, saying that she doesn't trust anybody, and doesn't want to talk to a therapist because she's been let down so much. It's sad that Jose has made her like this. Jessica tells Josie that she needs to lay it all out to him about how she feels. When she calls him, Jose explains that he made the move to possibly be a hitting instructor for a baseball training facility. Josie asks why he can't do that in L.A. Jose quickly gets defensive, saying that he felt like she had no time for him, always wanting to be with her friends.Josie lets him have it because it's ridiculous. You're the parent and Josie's the kid. Even if she wants to be with her friends, make the extra effort to spend time with her. He feels "ignored," but he just really doesn't show up. When Jessica tells him that he can't keep coming in and out of Josie's life, and that she's become cold to him, Jose gets pissed, saying that Jessica has been sabotaging their relationship from the beginning. He even throws a low blow saying that she slept with an 80-year-old for money, and hangs up! At that point, Jessica refuses to deal with him anymore, and rightly so. She's not going to keep Josie away from her father, but Jessica's done dealing with him. I don't blame her. And I wouldn't blame Josie if she decided she wanted to do the same.

Image via VH1

6:57:00 AM

It's getting down to the wire for The Challenge: Rivals II! Picking up from last week, the house swims in the pool, and CT and Diem joke around. Diem vents to Aneesa saying that she feels "full" around him, and that he sees her for exactly who she is. That, of course, makes her feel good, and, after struggling with this second bout of ovarian cancer, it seems like she really needs that. Aneesa doesn't know if Diem's setting herself up for failure when it comes to her emotions, though. Johnny, who is very close with Diem, later tells her that CT is manipulative and might be playing with her emotions. Camila tells her that no one knows how they really feel except for them. Diem doesn't really think that CT would screw her over in this game at the expense of her feelings.Meanwhile, Cooke thinks that the other ladies are threatened by her and Cara. They know that they have to win the last challenge. Otherwise, they risk going home in the Jungle, because they will definitely get thrown in!

Later, T.J. sends the house a clue: "Who are the real winners and losers amongst you? We'll see your true colors at tomorrow's challenge!" When the other ladies, minus Cara and Cooke, talk about the game, they realize that their fates are up to the game now. Through a lot of politicking, they have gotten this far together, but the next few days, things may get a little crazy! Camila hopes that the other ladies will get to the Final, but not Cooke and Cara. Paula gets angry all of a sudden at the conversation and walks out. When Camila goes to talk to her, Paula expresses that she thinks that people will definitely not be friends after this, which upsets her.

At the next day's challenge on the beach, TJ reiterates the importance of winning this for the girls! Since the guys are already in the Finals, they're not competing. The girls compete in "Color Correction." There's a mile-long trail along the beach, which the girls have to run along to get to a hut. In the hut, there is a light panel that flashes a sequence of colors that the ladies have to memorize. Then they have to run back to the other end of the beach to put colored dials on a pole in the order they saw it. The catch of the challenge: they will also be chained together! There are two rounds, with the first two teams to win the first round moving on to compete in the winners' round. The team that finishes last will automatically head to to the Jungle! The ladies all struggle memorizing the colors after that long run up to the hut. When they finally get there, Aneesa throws Diem off of memorizing by saying her own colors out loud. Diem wastes time because she doesn't trust that Aneesa knows the colors herself, and stays to make sure she has it in her own head. That, however, hurts them in the end, giving Diem and Aneesa a ticket to the last Jungle. That sucks for them, because what's probably worse than going home first is being the last team eliminated before the Final, right when you're so close! Cooke and Cara move to the winners' round as well as Paula and Emily. In the heat, Paula struggles to remember the colors. Cooke and Cara, confident that they have the 17-color sequence down, take off for the end.  They win this challenge, which was the most important challenge for them to win!!!! I'm happy for them, because they were the underdog this entire challenge, and they busted their butts to get here. They were thrown in the Jungle time after time again as the scapegoat, and came out winning, so I think that they deserve a spot in the Final. The only thing is that now, Aneesa and Diem will have to go against two of their friends. Diem, however, wants to go against Jemmye and Camila, because Emily and Paula are definitely the stronger team. Camila thinks that the guys should just choose by themselves, and wants Diem to just stay out of it. Already the drama starts!

Before deliberation, the other girls think that Cara and Cooke shouldn't be here. Diem wants so bad to beat Cooke, and goes off about it! Diem and Aneesa goes to talk to the guys, who are split on who they want to send in. Diem thinks that the guys should ask her and Aneesa who they want to go against, and is rubbed the wrong way that CT didn't even ask. If he doesn't step up and defend her now, it will show his motives and true allegiance. At the pool, Diem talks to CT about it. CT and Wes said that she said that she would want the harder team if she was put into the Jungle. There's only two teams, and they think that they should throw in Paula and Emily, especially since Jemmye and Camila have had their back throughout the Challenge. CT says that they can't do everything for Diem. Here's my thing. Just last episode, probably the day before in real time, CT said that he would help her get into the Final, and now that the time is here, he's bailing! He's definitely showing his own true colors right now! If Diem wants Jemmye and Camila to make it easier for them, he ought to vote them in! It just makes him look shady, like he just played with her feelings all this time just to get ahead.

Meanwhile, Paula thinks that if she and Emily are not in the Final, Cara and Cooke will probably win. Marlon and Jordan want to send them in, because they sent the rookies in themselves before. Paula breaks out a few tears, and literally begs for the rookies to save them, especially because they went so hard in this game!  It pisses Jemmye and Camila off, but you have to do what you have to do to save your tail. It's the way of the game. At deliberation, the vote is split. Johnny and Frank vote for Jemmye and Camila, while CT and Wes vote Emily and Paula. The decision comes down to the rookies, and, in a shocking decision, they vote Jemmye and Camila. In the end, the rookies realize that Emily and Paula won 80-85% of the challenges, and that's why they saved them. Those two fought hard to be here as well, and deserve their shot!

Camila, after seeing that Diem looked relieved about going against her and Jemmye, goes off about it. They both think that Diem is fake, only playing the nice girl role when really she's manipulative to get what she wants. They're both honestly just upset that they're in the Jungle so close to the Final. Aneesa sets everybody straight, telling that that what's done is done, and they all just have to deal with it, and fight for that last spot.

Later, Diem, who is going a little crazy trying to mentally prepare herself for the challenge, drunkingly goes off on Cooke! She tells everyone that she tried to like the girl, and it didn't work, but Cooke doesn't care. Diem also feels used and manipulated by CT, and gets upset that Jemmye said that she got played. She has no idea what was real. When CT approaches her, she runs after him to confront him. At the end of the day, he played her ALLLLL the way to the left! He just looks really shady and inconsistent. If I were Diem, I would run for the hills, no matter how cute he is. You can't trust somebody who blatantly breaks his word like that!

The next night, the teams are seen walking into the last Jungle. Diem and Aneesa are getting ready to face Jemmye and Camila in the last Jungle of the season, which is sure to be intense! And the episode ends. I'm definitely anxious to see who goes home. Part of me wants Diem and Aneesa to win because I really do like Aneesa, but then I love seeing Camila in these challenges too! We'll see what happens next week!

Check out the last few episodes of The Challenge: Rivals II on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET only on MTV!

Image via MTV

12:21:00 PM

More legal trouble for Drake? According to TMZ, a Hollywood jeweler, Michael Raphael (owner of Baden Baden Inc), is suing the rapper for allegedly creation copies of his almost $50,000 owl pendant for Drake's own crew! The owl pendant is one that Drake rocks a lot.

Raphael claims that his company was hired to make Drake this custom diamond and platinum pendant back in January, which was paid for by Drake for $49,204. Six months later, Raphael saw copied gold designs of the pendants on Drake's Instagram account (these celebs stay getting in trouble with their social media accounts!).

With the suit, Drake faces copyright infringement as well as having to cough up the copied pendants! Goodness! This isn't Drake's first suit surrounding his fashion, though. His stylist sued him just last month for alleged unpaid bills. Drake, if this is indeed true, I need you to cough up the money! You get paid WAY too much to ever stiff folks out of their cash.

In other Drizzy news, he officially dropped his trailer for his third album, Nothing Was The Same, which drops September 24, a month before the rapper's 27th birthday! Check it out below!




Image via MinaSayWhat

7:04:00 AM

Aww it's a boy! Mario Lopez and wife Courtney welcomed their second child, son Dominic, last night, September 9!  Mario broke the news on Twitter: “It’s a boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please welcome Dominic Lopez to the world,” he tweeted. “Couldn’t be happier… Courtney and baby are doing just fine.”

The couple also has another child, Gia Francesca, who turns three this Wednesday. Big sis Gia has been very excited for her new sibling to come, Mario has said. “She’s pointing at the baby and saying, ‘There’s a baby in there,’” he told PEOPLE earlier in the year, also adding that she wanted to know the sex of the baby, something her parents wanted to be a surprise for everyone. “She wants to know if it’s a boy or a girl, but we don’t know because we’re waiting to find out. That’s kind of tough sometimes, we just don’t know!” Courtney added that she wasn't sure if Gia really understood the fact that her mommy was carrying another little baby : “Gia kind of understands that there is a baby in my belly,” the mom said shortly after announcing her pregnancy back in February. “She also told me our dog Julio has a baby in his belly — so who knows!” Aww too cute!

Congrats to the happy family!

Image via Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP

7:07:00 AM

Another dramatic episode of Hollywood Exes this past Sunday! Picking up from last week, the ladies come back home from their dramatic dinner, with no telling what would happen! Mayte storms to her room like a child. As women, they ought to be able to agree to disagree, as Shamicka says. While she talks, Mayte comes back in the room, and Shamicka talks to her about the things that she saw in her life, like substance abuse, which is why she doesn't drink. She doesn't want to push her beliefs on any of the ladies, and Mayte gives her a big hug in apology. Really what Mayte needs to do is take a page out of Shamicka's book and stop trying to push her positions about fur on everyone else!

The next day, the ladies relax before they go tubing. Nicole breaks out her fur headband, which she is going to wear if fur policewoman Mayte decides not to go. She hides it in the couch for the meantime. Mayte does end up deciding to go, and all the ladies push aside their fur out of respect. Mayte ends up leaving tubing because of how cold it is. It's convenient that there is a moving ramp to get up the hill! Meanwhile, Mayte gets hot chocolate and is bored, so now she wants to go out there and have fun! Nicole and Sheree have a snowball fight, and end up wrestling in the snow!


That night, the girls play "Concentration," which quickly becomes a drinking game! Since Sheree and Shamicka don't drink, they are dared to flash on the balcony! They also play "Never Have I Ever," and Jessica has essentially done it all! This is why I love this show! They fuss and fight, but they always manage to come back together and truly enjoy themselves!

The next day, the whole house goes to Main Street to go shopping. They see lots of fur, even a fur thong! Of course, with Mayte around, none of the other ladies buy fur. Andrea herself promised Mayte that she wouldn't buy any more fur, even though she sees a really cute pair of boots! Later, Mayte does a video chat with Gia and shares with the ladies! Two days before she left, Gia started walking, so the ladies see her in action! To not be there for her daughter is difficult, but she's happy that she got to see her.

That night, Nicole, Shamicka, and Sheree go to the store to get some food for dinner, leaving Andrea, Mayte, and Jessica behind. As the ladies sit on the couch, Mayte finds Sheree's fur headband. Jessica snatches the mink and decides to cook it! She douses it in cream, and then Mayte and Jessica set the thing on fire on the balcony! They justify their behavior saying that Nicole won't miss it, probably having a bunch of fur coats and things. Andrea sits back and just watches. Right as the other ladies walk in, Jessica throws the burnt mink on the hot tub! Right after putting the food away, though, Nicole suggests playing Truth and Dare in the hot tub!  When she goes out there, she sees her burnt up mink, and things go downhill from there! Nicole goes off on both Jessica and Mayte, knowing that they did it. Jessica said that she'll buy her a new piece, but Nicole refuses, because it was disrespectful in the first place! Though they both apologize, Nicole is still very upset, especially with Jessica.

After Shamicka gives her two cents on the situation, Jessica tells her to shut up and butt out. That turns sweet Shamicka into Shamicka Sherron, and she goes off on Jessica, saying that if Jessica ever touches anything of hers, she will jack her up! After their confrontation cools down, Jessica goes to talk to Nicole to try to work it out. Nicole's feelings were really hurt, because she and Jessica are so close. Even though Jessica keeps offering to buy her another, Nicole rejects the offer. She can buy another headband, but it's the principle of the matter. Jessica got on Mayte's bandwagon of fur haters, and, in the process, let Nicole down majorly!

Later, Nicole tells Mayte that she was going to wear her band, but when she knew that Mayte was going, she didn't. Mayte owns up to her part in everything, and apologizes. Andrea, of course, has to offer her opinion, saying that Jessica should've taken responsibility for her part from the very beginning. My problem with Andrea even speaking is that she watched the entire thing go down, and, if she really thought it was wrong, she would've fought a little harder to stop it. I know that Mayte and Jessica are both grown women, but she watched and even laughed in disbelief that this was happening. Ehh whatever. In the end, the ladies work it out, and they all hug each other, even Jessica and Shamicka!

The next morning, the ladies vow to have a peaceful day, going in the hot tub and reflecting on the trip Overall, they had a lot of fun. On the last night, the ladies go out to dinner. They're really overdressed for this small little restaurant, but they have a good time anyway! Sheree asks Nicole about her wedding plans with Michael. Though Nicole wants to be married, she and Michael are working out a pre-nup, which is why the wedding is taking so long! It's smart, because nothing is for certain, and both parties want to be protected. I just hope that they come to a mutual agreement soon, and settle down already!

Later on in the evening, Shamicka surprises the ladies with a horse-drawn sleigh ride! So nice! They all snuggle together and reflect on the trip. Even though there were some issues, they have a better understanding of each other, which was great to see.

Check out new episodes of Hollywood Exes on Sundays at 9 p.m. only on VH1!

Image via VH1

5:29:00 AM

The Challenge:Rivals 2 is coming down to the wire! Picking up from last week, only four teams remain for both the men and the women! The house exercises hard, and the guys prepare for the last guys' challenge. Meanwhile, CT and Diem continue to flirt. CT also admits that he likes having Wes for a teammate, and is determined to win this challenge! Later, Preston talks about his relationship with teammate Knight, which is really bad. They manage to work all right together, but it's clear that they will never be friends.

That night, the house goes out to party. CT and Diem connect on the dance floor, of course, because they both still have feelings for each other. They make out at the bar, with everybody else thinking that Diem has lost her mind! Back at the house, CT prepares his bed to have some alone time with Diem, but she passes out drunk! Johnny tells him the next day that she is going to act like nothing happened, which is exactly what she does. She acts like she can't remember, but Diem you weren't that drunk! Stop faking like you don't still love some CT!


The next day, the teams play "Rampage." There are four ramps over a pond. Two teams start at the top of their opposing ramps, and try to run to the other side to deposit balls into baskets, hopefully not running into each other in the process! The most baskets in the fastest time in three minutes wins. CT and Wes determines who goes against who. Of course, they have Johnny and Frank square off against Marlon and Jordan. though the challenge is three minutes, the teams struggles after a while, Johnny especially. It's a lot of running, and it takes a lot of momentum to get up those ramps! During the girls' heat, Cara Maria struggles a lot as well, with her knee pads dropping to the ground every two seconds, frustrating Cooke as they go against Emily and Paula. Afterwards Camila and Jemmye go against Diem and Aneesa, and their roudn is pretty pitifulruns into Cooke as they go against Emily and Paula. Cara just stands in the middle as she struggles with her knee pads. Camila and Jemmye versus Diem and Aneesa is pretty pitiful, but I know I would be the same way! CT and Wes pick the weakest guys' team Knight and Preston to go against. It gets a little physical, but CT and Wes still get all 20 balls in their baskets with 40 seconds left on the clock. They win the challenge, earning a spot in the finals! They're definitely sore winners, but it's cool. It was a very important challenge for them to win! Emily and Paula win for the girls, getting yet another $1000 in their pockets. Knight and Preston lose, heading straight to the Jungle!

Back at the house, Marlon already knows that he's going in the Jungle with Jordan, so he's not even going to waste time politicking with everybody. Meanwhile Frank hopes that CT and Wes winning lights a fire under Johnny to get him pumped for the finals! At deliberation, it's clear that Jordan and Marlon are going in, giving Johnny and Frank a ticket to the Final. Wes talks trash at deliberation about Johnny's struggle with the day's challenge, starting a fight. Johnny gets in his face, and CT actually defends Wes, saying that Johnny is all washed up! The trio argue back and forth as the rest of the house just watches, with the other guys joking that maybe somebody will throw a punch and get sent home! The whole argument was too much. It's obvious that CT and Wes want to prove that they can beat Johnny, who's won four of these challenges, while they've won none. NOW Johnny is fired up, and he and Frank are determined to just leave it all on the field! The conversation switches to Diem who a majority of the house thinks is a pawn in CT's game. CT tells her straight up that he doesn't care who wins for the girls, but he is still going to help her get into the final!

At the next night's Jungle, Preston and Knight compete against Marlon and Jordan in "Breaking On Through." The challenge features two towers with four floors and a trap door on each floor. You use the tool in each trap door to get the level below, with the team members having to alternate floors! At the end, they will have to break through a giant steel door and ring the bell.  Knight struggles to get through the chains on his floor, which really sucks for him and Preston. In the end, Marlon and Jordan win the elimination round, earning their spot in the final, and sending Preston and Knight home! It's exciting because I know that it's going to be a GREAT final with the guys! They fought their way here, even though they're rookies! Next week will be the girls' challenge!

The house goes out to a pub, and play games. Diem doesn't remember how she made out with CT the other night, but CT thinks she's falling for him again. Johnny, however, is losing respect for her, thinking that she is setting herself up to be heartbroken again! I don't know. I kind of love the two of them together. I think when it's good, it's really good, and when it's bad, it's really bad. It's up to Diem if she wants to deal with that again.

Check out new episodes of The Challenge: Rivals II on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. only on MTV!

Images via MTV

7:24:00 AM

Last night was the SEASON FINALE of The Game, and it did not disappoint! Picking up from last week, Malik is fighting for his life in the hospital after he got jumped. Everybody comes to the hospital, not knowing who was hurt at first. The news simply reported that a Saber was beat down after the movie premier. The police question Keira about Malik and Franko, with Blue eventually getting the cop to leave her for a second since she's visibly upset. Keira thought that it mgiht have been Blue. Even though they aren't in the best place after the last episode, it's clear that they still love each other.



Meanwhile, Tasha is still at the diner trying to talk with her father, with no idea that Malik is in the hospital.  Her therapist told her that she needs to let go of her past, which includes her father who wasn't around for her. She grabs his hand and says that she forgives him. "In the spirit of moving on," he says that he forgives her too, saying that she was a terrible daughter. How is that?! He says that she never bothered to come see him, even though she knows where he lives. After Tasha calls him a "passive aggressive alcoholic roadblock" to her life, Walter states that if it wasn't for him, she wouldn't be the woman she is today! They continue to go back and forth. My thing is this: either you're going to move forward from the past or you're not. That's with friends, family, significant others, whoever! If you can't find it in your heart to try to start fresh, then forgive, but move on with your life!

Back at the hospital, Tee Tee really seems to be the only one who actually cares about Malik's state. Nina comes down, but does an interview beforehand saying that she's carrying Malik's kid. Jason passes cracks saying that they all should expect the worst, and hope for the best, though the worst is probably going to happen. At that moment, Chardonnay comes in, rushing to Jason, thinking that it was him. Jason offers her his jacket since she's obviously freezing in her dress. Right when Chardonnay wants to talk to him about their issues, the policeman comes to question him. He asks her to steal some sugar and creamers for her really quick. Irritated, Chardonnay goes to get them, and then finds Jason's note to Kelly in his pocket, and storms out! Meanwhile, the doctor  comes out with an update saying that he needs to speak to a family member. After Keira gives him her cute little catchphrase, the doctor reveals that Malik is out of surgery, but that's all he can say for now.

At the diner, Tasha and Walter are still arguing. At that moment, Tasha sees on TV that Malik was jumped and is in the hospital. She runs out, and Walter runs after her.

Meanwhile Keira wants to talk to Blue about everything, It was the night that Blue brought Ciara to the photo shoot. She didn't want to lose him, so she lied. Blue realizes after tonight that life is too short, and she didn't want to lose him. Keira tells Jason he should go after Chardonnay. He feels like he's dragging her through the emotional mud all the time. Blue says that beneath it all, he loves Chardonnay, and thinks that Jason needs to stick it out. Jason says that sometimes you need to know when to throw in the towel. At that moment, Tasha shows up asking where her son is!

In Malik's room, Tasha prays over him, saying that God allowed them both to leave the hood and escape this foolishness. She would rather Him take her! Walter prays and apologizes for what he's done, and asks God to take him before his daughter and grandson, and Tasha agrees. At that moment, Malik prays that God will take both of their chatty selves so he can gets some sleep! Malik wakes up, saying take both of their chatty selfs so he can sleep! He's surprised that both of them are even in the same room! I like how this serious episode still had good little quips to lighten the mood!

Tasha goes back to everyone and says that Malik is really banged up, but he's going to be okay! Blue looks over at Jason, telling him that life is too short, and he needs to make up with Chardonnay. Chardonnay is still at the hospital sitting in the car (Jason finds her after he located her phone). He tries to explain the letter to her, but Chardonnay refuses to her him out, believing that he had feelings for Kelly still after all this time. Jason reveals that there were two letters, the one to Kelly, but also one to Chardonnay, which is in the other pocket. He gives it to her to read. To sum it up, Jason says that, for him, it's not an option to leave. He would do anything for her, and wants another chance to be the husband she deserves! Jason even signs it "FORMER football player who brought the city a championship, Jason Pitts," showing that he is giving up his career for her! It was the sweetest moment between the two of them. Ahh love!

Back inside, Keira begins walking out to leave, wanting to let Malik spend time with his family. She wants to head out without Blue. In just one night, Keira had decided that she and Blue cool, but she thinks that they are just getting in each other's way. Maybe it's just bad timing for them, and they should both just focus on their careers. Meanwhile, Malik talks with Tasha, Walter and Tee Tee. The doctor comes in revealing that he will be fine. However, the damage to his arm, is very bad, which means he'll probably have limited mobility in his arm, maybe never regaining full use. The episode ends as Malik, Tasha, Walter, and Tee Tee all take in the news. Malik's a quarterback, so what is going to do now?! This could be turn out to be okay or very bad for Malik. If I was a writer for the show, I would explore how this could make him fall back into alcohol and drugs again to try to get rid of the pain of losing his career. Or maybe having Malik be positive and go after his planned business venture with Tee Tee. Maybe he could fight to try to get his career back regardless. All I know is that even the potential of losing his career will have a HUGE impact on Malik next season!

I absolutely loved this season of The Game! Though I was initially VERY upset with Tia Mowry and Pooch Hall gone, Lauren London and Jay Ellis made up for it! I loved seeing their roller coaster relationship, and think that, for once, BET got it right on that front. We saw Tasha finally come face to face with her issues, and start maturing. Malik did as well! Jason and Chardonnay's relationship grew even through their ups and downs. I think this was a turning point for the series actually. I'm excited now to see Season 7, versus before I was apprehensive. Next season, we'll find out what happens with Malik and his arm, and whether or not his career as a professional football player is over! It's going to be good!

What did you think of this season of The Game?

Image via BET

9:37:00 AM

Busy last couple of weeks...probably months! Today I launched my official website, BrittanyShawnte.com! The site features my resume and writing clips, as well as personal blog posts, pictures and video, so check it out! With the hustle and bustle of everything, I couldn't get this recap up yesterday, but I couldn't forget about Hollywood Exes! Especially when it's getting GOOD!

I thought I actually missed this episode last week, but I guess VH1 didn't air it. Probably because of the VMAs last week. So picking up from two weeks ago, the girls prepare to go to Park City, Utah, after Shamicka invited them out. Andrea and Shamicka go shopping and hang out, getting to know each other a little bit. They talk about wearing their fur, though Andrea said she told Mayte she wouldn't buy any more fur. The ladies love the fur coats though, and they seem to click very well! Shamicka talks a little about her background growing up in South Central, revealing that she has an alter ego, Shamicka Sherron! She's nice, but don't push her, or she's pushing back! Andrea also informs Shamicka about her problem with Jessica. Drea does want to relax and not be on edge the whole time, so she's hoping to work it out before they leave.


That night, Jessica and Sheree also go shopping for some coats and clothes for the cold weather to come, and, of course, they both go straight for the fur! Sheree asks Jessica how she felt after Nicole's party with Drea being there. Jessica doesn't want to have a confrontation with Drea during the trip. She wants to work things out before the trip as well, which is good! Meanwhile, Mayte goes through her clothes to pack some warm clothes as well. It's the first time she'll be away from Gia, and she doesn't know if she'll be ready. If Mayte wasn't around, she probably wouldn't go. She's scared, but still wants to bond with the girls.

The next day, Jessica reachs out to Drea and they meet up for dinner. They're both wearing the same outfit, so it makes them laugh, easing the tension a little bit. Jessica surprisingly apologizes with no excuses, no explanations. Andrea also apologizes for her part in everything  They both realize that they were arguing over something so small, but, at the end of the day, they both love each other. I'm glad that they were able to push through. Drea knows that at the root of it, Jessica's a good person, and she is learning to change and grow. Drea also talks about her issues with her kids, and traveling back and forth. It's all having a toll on her, and it's clear that it played a part in her conflict with Jessica. Jessica had no idea that she was going through so much. The conversation brings them closer, and now they can go to Park City in a better place!

Later on in the week, the ladies finally arrive in Utah, and head to the lodge! Shamicka has tubing, shopping, and dinner plans for them. The lodge is really, really beautiful! The girls go to claim rooms, but one of the rooms has bunk beds in it. Mayte gets upset, telling Shamicka straight up that she's not sleeping in a bunk! Shamicka even tries to share her room to accommodate Mayte, but Mayte's not having it! Sheree then finds an open space on the top floor but since there is a sofa bed, that's still not good enough for Mayte! Shamicka eventually just switches rooms with the girl. I'm not a fan of bunk beds myself, but Mayte was extremely rude and extra dramatic! Shamicka set this trip up to get everybody together, and here goes Mayte acting up!

That night, Shamicka and Nicole bring out their fur when they go out to dinner. Of course, Mayte goes off, but it's cold! At the end of the day, if the girls want to wear fur, they can wear fur! Shamicka gives attitude right back to Mayte, telling Mayte that it's her choice if she wants to wear fur! It upsets Mayte and she refuses to go out to dinner. Nicole, Sheree, and Shamicka leave out with Mayte, leaving Jessica and Drea to try to calm Mayte down. The other girls are irritated at Mayte, and rightfully so. I understand being down for a cause, but you can't force somebody to believe what you believe. And you definitely can't get mad and throw a tantrum if they go against what you believe. Mayte was beyond childish from the beginning. Mayte eventually goes to dinner with Drea and Jessica, but refuses to sit at the same table with the other ladies. Drea and Jessica stay with her. Nicole calls Jessica to come over, clearly putting her in the middle. Mayte is clearly upset, but the girls are over her immature behavior, Shamicka especially. Jessica and Sheree want Mayte to resolve her differences with Nicole and Shamicka, but Mayte really wants to leave to go home, stating that she's not trying to have a new girl in the group. Seems like from jump Mayte was not feeling Shamicka, and now it's all coming out! Really not feeling her these last couple of episodes!

Check out new episodes of Hollywood Exes on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. only on VH1!

Image via VH1

6:41:00 PM

Kerry Washington looked great on the cover of Glamour for the October issue! Dressed in a pink Diordress, the actress spoke with the magazine about why she chose to keep her relationship a secret, her style game, as well as revealing that her parents disapproved of her career choice (what?!!)!

Check out more from the interview below!

On Keeping Her Personal Life Private

I learned through experience that it doesn’t work for me to talk about my personal life. I’ve had earlier times in my career when I did talk about it. I was on the cover of a bridal magazine [InStyle Weddings, in 2005, when Washington was engaged to actor David Moscow]. But I couldn’t just turn around and say, “I only want to talk about the good stuff, but not the bad stuff.” So I just thought, “OK, no more.”

You even managed to get married in June without anyone knowing.

Absolutely! I’m walking around in the world with my ring. And when people say congratulations, I say thank you. But I’m going to continue to not talk about it and just let it unfold.

It must have been satisfying to pull off a wedding with no press around.

[Laughs.] I don’t want to sound smug about it…but the point is to do what’s best for me. I have girlfriends in this business who talk about their personal lives, and it works for them, and I love it. But not for me.

On If Her Parents Approve Of Her Career ChoiceWhen I said that this is what I wanted to do, my mother literally cried. She didn’t want me to experience all that rejection. They both would have preferred me to have been a lawyer.… [After college] I gave myself a year to make it in acting and was living in my parents’ house teaching beginner’s yoga when I got my first part, in Our Song. Then I got Save the Last Dance.… Now they’re really behind me. And I’m always working. My cousins call me the longshoreman of actors.

On Fashion Being Important to Her Career
OK, I’m going to admit this: There were a couple of actresses whom I felt were having the upper hand careerwise—because they knew how to work that red carpet. I was like, “I’m missing a really important tool. If I am the CEO of the Kerry Washington Corporation, my marketing department is really lax.” So I sort of developed a new character: Red-Carpet Kerry.[...]And I researched her like any other character. I actually called Tracee Ellis Ross [the actress and Diana Ross’s daughter], who’s a good friend, and literally asked, “How do you pronounce Hermès?” Red-Carpet Kerry needed to know.[...]The professor’s daughter kicked in. I was doing library hours on fashion. And then it happened—I was in love.

On Her All White Fashion in “Scandal”
From me and the costume designer Lyn Paolo. And the pants—that Olivia wears pants—that was mine, because I really wanted her to wear the pants in that relationship.

I'm a proud Glamour subscriber, so I can't wait for my issue to get to the house! And, of course, season 3 of Scandal starts back up October 3, officially a month away! Gladiators are you ready?!!

Image via Glamour

1:55:00 PM