TAYLOR SWIFT, BILLIE EILISH AND CARDI B AMONG GRAMMY PERFORMERS – (03/08/2021)

Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Cardi B will perform at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. 

The Recording Academy announced the full lineup on Sunday (March 7th).  Additional acts include, Bad Bunny, Black Pumas, BTS, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Mickey Guyton, HAIM, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Megan Thee Stallion, Maren Morris, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, and Harry Styles. 

The event will pay tribute to the independent venues, which have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. Day-to-day workers like bartenders and box office managers from the Troubadour (Los Angeles), The Hotel Café (Los Angeles), the Apollo Theater (New York City), and The Station Inn (Nashville) will present various categories throughout the night.

Hosted by Trevor Noah, CBS and the Recording Academy present the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, airing live on Sunday, March 14th at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on CBS. 

CARDI B DELETES TWITTER AFTER FANS COMPLAIN ABOUT HER RELEASING A NEW DOLL – (03/08/2021)

Cardi B decided to delete her Twitter after receiving comments from fans who were upset that she decided to release a new doll instead of new music. After one fan wrote, “drop the fu**ing album,” Cardi responded, “SUCK MY D*CK.”

She later said in a Twitter voice note, “Yo, I really hate when people start acting like brats and start really p*ssing me off. I don’t like that s**t.  I wanna make it very clear. After I dropped I said, I’m gonna take my time. I gotta finish my album. If I say I’m gonna finish my album, it doesn’t mean that I’m gonna drop in March, it doesn’t mean that I’m gonna drop in April. Let me do this f**king s**t because everybody expect me to f**king fail, so when I drop my album, I want it to be immaculate with everything great.”

She continued, “However, don’t every single time that I f**king drop something, ya’ll discourage me with the ‘I thought you was gonna drop the album, I though you was gonna drop a song.’ My mans, I just dropped a song three f**king weeks ago. How ya’ll expect me to be a great business woman, how ya’ll expect me to make it to Forbes if I’m not doing other business ventures besides music? You should learn from JAY-Z. You don’t just become a billionaire with f**king making music.”

She added, “Let me do my s**t. Stop harassing me for f**king music. I just dropped something. And I don’t like to drop bulls**t because if it flops, then what? Cardi is a flop, Cardi is a flop, and ya’ll gonna be mad arguing on Twitter. So stop. That s**t is f**king annoying. Deada**.”

She then deleted her Twitter.

CARDI B TO PERFORM AT THE GRAMMYS

In other news, Cardi is set to perform at the 63rd annual Grammy awards. Other performers include Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Baby,  Roddy Ricch, Post Malone, Doja Cat, DaBaby, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, BTS, Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, John Mayer, and Chris Martin. It is also rumored that Beyonce may join Megan to perform their hit collaboration “Savage.”

The 63rd annual Grammys, hosted by Trevor Noah, will air on CBS on Sunday, March 14th, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. 

MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY TELL ALL – (03/08/2021)

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a much-anticipated, much-teased interview at 8 p.m. on CBS. The interview proved to be as filled with drama as many expected, touching on the racist reception Meghan got inside and outside the Palace, and how the constant criticism and harassment challenged both Meghan and Harry’s mental health and ultimately forced them to step away from royal life. 

As many royal watchers know, Harry and Meghan announced on Instagram that they were stepping down from their royal roles in January of 2020. Under terms brokered by the palace, the couple had to step back from royal duties, drop their His and Her Royal Highness titles and would no longer receive funds for royal duties. 

Among the wildest revelations from the interview: Meghan had to learn how to curtsy five minutes before meeting the Queen; Kate Middleton made Meghan cry the week before their wedding, as opposed to the opposite which was widely reported; Meghan and Harry got married in secret before their televised wedding; Meghan says the Queen has always been “warm” to her; Royals were worried about how dark her and Harry’s son Archie would be; a serious mental health crisis and the lack of Royal support led to them leaving; Meghan and Harry are happy and living a “really fulfilling” life in California; they are having a girl this summer, their second child; Harry and Meghan told the Queen and his father, Prince Charles, that they were leaving their senior royal roles before they announced it in public. 

GOING IN 

Going into the momentous interview, the Palace adhered to its standard protocol of not commenting on speculation surrounding royals. They did, however, announce that they were investigating allegations that Meghan bullied members of her staff. The claims were made anonymously in a British newspaper; the Sussexes said, through a spokesperson, that the report was “a calculated smear campaign” in response to their expected revelations. 

QUEEN’S PERSPECTIVE 

Queen Elizabeth, 94, attempted to share a softer side of the royal family ahead of the interview. Hours before their talk, she paid tribute to the heroes who came together in response to COVID-19. “Over the coming week, as we celebrate the friendship, spirit of unity and achievements of the Commonwealth, we have an opportunity to reflect on a time like no other,” the Queen said at the start of her speech. “The testing times experienced by so many have led to a deeper appreciation of the mutual support and spiritual sustenance we enjoy by being connected to others.”

The Queen also expressed hope that “we shall maintain this renewed sense of closeness and community.”

“Looking forward, relationships with others across the Commonwealth will remain important, as we strive to deliver a common future that is sustainable and more secure, so that the nationals and neighborhoods in which we live, wherever they are located, become healthier and happier places for all,” she said.

‘NOMADLAND’ AND ‘THE CROWN’ WIN BIG AT 2021 CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS – (03/08/2021)

On Sunday March 7th, Taye Digs hosted the 26th Annual Critics Choice Awards for the third year in a row, but this time around, things were quite different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The show, broadcast on the CW from the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California, honored the best in film and television.

On the film side, Nomadland grabbed the biggies, including Best Picture and Best Director. On the TV side, The Crown won big, snagging Best Drama, Best Actor for Josh O’Conner, Best Supporting Actress for Gillian Anderson and Best Actress for Emma Corrin.

The Crown and Ozark led the TV awards going in, with both earning six nominations. On the film side, Chadwick Boseman made history by nabbing two posthumous nominations in the same year for his roles in Da 5 Bloods and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. (He won for Best Actor) Netflix’s Mank and A24’s Minari led the film field going in, with 12 and 10 nominations each. 

The show was a mix of on-site and virtual appearances, with presenters announcing winners live from the Barker Hanger.

Presenters included Kevin Bacon, Angela Bassett, Mayim Bialik,
Orlando Bloom, Phoebe Dynevor, Morgan Freeman, Gal Gadot, Jim Gaffigan, Tony Hale, Chelsea Handler, Justin Hartley, Chris Hemsworth, Tyler Hoechlin, Jameela Jamil, Leslie Jordan, Javicia Leslie, Eva Longoria, Chrissy Metz, Mads Mikkelsen, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jared Padalecki, Ashley Park, Kyra Sedgwick, Yara Shahidi, Elizabeth Tulloch, Courtney B. Vance, John David Washington and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

In addition to TV and Film accolades, the Critics Choice awarded Zendaya honored with the SeeHer Award. Established in 2016, the award recognizes a woman who defies stereotypes and forges her own unique path. 

The tradition of tie-breakers was continued. This year, Jerry Seinfeld and Michelle Buteau tied for Best Comedy Special. Last year, there was a tie for Best Talk Show between The Late Late Show with James Corden &Late Night with Seth Meyers and then for Best Song between “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” – Wild Rose &  “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” – Rocketman. The year before, Lady Gaga and Glenn Close tied for Best Actress.

More than 350 members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association voted on prizes, as did members of the Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

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TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS:

• Freddie Prinze, Jr. (actor, I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, the Scooby Doo movies, Down To You, She’s All That; married to Sarah Michelle Gellar) (45)
• James Van Der Beek (actor, CSI: Cyber, Mercy, Dawson’s Creek, Varsity Blues) (44)
• Kat Von D (model, makeup artist) (39)