Toya Wright

Tameka "Tiny" Harris

Reginae Carter

Kenya Moore

Zonnique Pullins

Tammy Rivera

Cynthia Bailey

Rasheeda Frost

Karlie Redd

Mimi Faust

Towanda Braxton

Trina Braxton

Sheree Whitfield

Quad Webb-Lunceford

Adiz "Bambi" Benson

Jasmine Burke

Shirlene "Ms. Juicy" King Pearson

The post Check Out The Best & Boldest Fashion From The Bossip On WE Party In Atlanta appeared first on MadameNoire.

Old Navy Go-Dry Racerback Medium Support Sports Bra for Women ($9.97)

Faye Star Sequin Fray Hem Denim Shorts-$36

Unique Vintage 1950s High Waist Stars & Stripes Flag Swing Skirt-$78

This Is Me Living The Dream T-Shirt-$23.95

Stars and Stripes Baseball Cap-$9.90

Star Shape Face Jewels-$4.90

Bikini Lab Reversible Stars Stripes Swimsuit-$67

Studio One Twenty Stars Bodysuit-$103.20

Sequin USA Star Tank-$42

Maya Stars And Stripes Denim Skirt-$30

The post 12 Ways To Wear Your Love For The 4th appeared first on MadameNoire.

Kobe Bryant

Wanya Morris

Usher

Mase

Robert Smith

Quentin Richardson

Flo Rida

Terrence Jenkins

Ryan Press

The post Did Brandy Split From Her New Man? 9 Other Times She’s Tried Her Hand At Love appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image via Getty

Pastor Jamal Bryant’s private life has gotten him in all types of public trouble. His promiscuity ended his marriage, led to allegations that he impregnated a 17-year-old girl and, most recently, involved him in a custody and child support battle with Latoya Shawntee Odom, the mother of his youngest child.

In 2015, Odom sued Bryant demanding child support. Bryant acknowledged that the child was his and said that he had been paying child support, in an attempt to handle matters outside of court. But when Odom kept harassing him, he stopped making payments and left it up to a judge to decide.

Naturally, Odom took issue with the lack of support and found it particularly insulting that Bryant was living a life of luxury.

In November, the two reached a settlement. Odom was awarded primary physical custody and Bryant was given visitation. The amount of child support was sealed from the public but he was ordered to pay $13,500 in Odom’s legal expenses.

Last summer, I asked whether or not Pastor Bryant should take some time away from the pulpit to get his life back in order. Since that time, I really haven’t kept up with his whereabouts.

But last night, there was a bit of an update. According to The Jasmine Brand, Odom raised claims stating that Bryant had failed to pay child support on time, failed to provide medical and life insurance and failed to pay 75 percent of the uninsured medical expenses as he had been ordered to do.

As a result, she asked that Bryant be held in contempt of court.

Bryant responded pleading with the judge not to throw him in jail, saying he did not disobey the court order.

The judge found that he was in contempt, ruling that while Bryant did pay child support in a timely manner, he did not obtain medical and life insurance for his child and did not cover his portion of the uninsured medical expenses.

The judge ruled that Bryant pay $3,258.31 to purge himself of contempt.

The post Jamal Bryant Held In Contempt Of Court, Ordered To Pay Son’s Medical Bills appeared first on MadameNoire.

The post Eat Your Heart Out, Charlamagne: While You Were Sleeping, Lil Mama Had A Major Glo Up appeared first on MadameNoire.

Credit: Derrick Salters/WENN.com

The post Have Y’all Noticed Fantasia’s Been Slaying The ‘Gram Lately? appeared first on MadameNoire.

Images via WENN

I don’t know what I can say about the Kardashian family and their obsession and theft of Black culture that hasn’t already been said and said again. They imitate and emulate Black women’s features and most recently designs from their clothing lines and they attach themselves to Black men in order to get more shine and attention. They exploit Black pain to sell caffeinated beverages.

It’s all a hot mess.

Most of us have peeped game.

And just when you think they’ve done the worst that they’re going to do, something else happens that makes you wonder if they live their lives with the intent to troll Black folks.

I say that because the most recent stunt is just too unbelievable for words.

The Jenner sisters, Kylie and Kendall have transposed their images over two or our most beloved icons, fallen rappers Tupac and Biggie for their vintage t-shirt line.

Kendall and Kylie may have committed the worst fashion crime yet.https://t.co/vVJNzIcc61

— HYPEBEAST (@HYPEBEAST) June 28, 2017

For those who aren’t sure what’s going on here, that’s an Instagram picture of Kylie pasted over an image of Tupac. And another of Kendall dressed in a suit, over an image of Biggie.

Not only was it a bad idea to literally cover two of our favorites, I can’t understand the logic behind it.

How did that meeting go? Knowing the reputation they have in this industry, how does someone approve, let alone create an image where a White woman is pushed to the forefront at the expense of a Black man? Who heard that concept and thought brilliant?

Then the shirts are selling for $125.

As you might imagine, the reaction from both Black and White people was intense.

This shit is wild disrespectful and tacky https://t.co/T2ukBdnehu

— ZAPHOD BEEBLEBROAZ™ (@broazay) June 28, 2017

kendall jenner selling a shirt with her face overlayed on top of tupac is literally racism and i won’t stand for it

— Lauren Ablondi Olivo (@laurenablondi) June 28, 2017

If I see you wearing a Kendall+Kylie shirt with their faces on top of Biggie and Tupac… just know that I’m legally obligated to punch you.

— Sidra (@ByeGuys17) June 29, 2017

If you’re able to find the words, let us know what you make of all this.

The post Kendall And Kylie Jenner Catching Hell For Transposing Their Faces Over Biggie And Tupac appeared first on MadameNoire.

In May, popular company Thinx, known for its unconventional take on feminine hygiene products and protection, hipped us all to their newest offering — training shorts.

After the success of their period-proof underwear, they introduced the shorts, meant to help you continue to be active without the use of bulky pads and sometimes unreliable tampons during your period. The shorts are said to be capable of holding up to two tampons worth of blood in their built-in underwear, which have a unique four-layer technology meant to keep you dry and help you avoid leaks wherever you get your workout on at.

It sounds good, but do they work?

I actually had the chance to test a pair of the $65 shorts recently, and it was a very interesting experience. I wore the black bottoms on the third day of my seven-day period to the forest preserve near my parents’ home on a particularly hot day. With it being close to 90 degrees, I was skeptical about how the shorts would hold up in the heat and with all the sweat I knew I was going to work up during my run. I walked for about 10 minutes, taking in how I felt in the shorts and getting used to them before I finally took off running for about 40 minutes.

While the underwear inside of the shorts gave me no trouble, I have to admit that the shorts’ “body flattering cut” was a little too short for me. I wore a size large, and for the record, I’m almost 6’0″ tall. When I started running, I found myself feeling a bit underdressed because the legs of the shorts kept riding up. A majority of my thigh was exposed while running, and with it being a forest preserve with older men and women present, I felt like I was doing too much. Still, many running bottoms on the market are meant to be that short, and again, I’m tall, so that’s not a knock to Thinx.

Despite all of that, the shorts didn’t disappoint when it came down to what they were made to do — prevent leaking and keep you comfortable. The underwear’s four-layer technology kept me dry inside of the shorts, which is something you just don’t get with traditional cotton panties during any workout (on your period or not). With that being said, while I did bleed in the shorts, nothing ever came through or out, this even after I stopped running, drove to the store, walked around Wal Mart, got back in the car and headed home. I say all that to state that even with all of my different types of moving (sitting, standing, walking, running), I was protected. However, all bodies and flows are made different, so if you know you bleed very heavily (which I don’t past a certain point) for the entirety of your menstrual cycle, the company understands if you want to wear their products in conjunction with whatever feminine hygiene product you’re most comfortable with.

After my test of the shorts, I came to the conclusion that they do work, but would work best for me on days when I do strength training, stationary cardio machines or yoga. Call me prudish, but I just don’t want my long legs and thick thighs stopping traffic (or thirsty men) when all I’m trying to do is get in a jog. But just because they’re not my style in terms of cut doesn’t mean they won’t be perfect for others. Overall, they are very comfy and allow you the chance to not worry about what’s going on down there when you’re being active. And any peace of mind a woman can get during her period, not to mention freedom, is worth a try.

The post She Tried It! THINX’s New Period-Proof Training Shorts appeared first on MadameNoire.

Deux Lux Island Weekender-$39.99

Black And Coral Geometric Weekender Bag-$15.98

Float Your Boat Tan Weekender Bag-$49

Jessica Simpson Navy Freedom Weekender-$47.99

Roxy Havana Spirit Handbag-$34.99

Bueno of California Double Handle Weekend Bag-$44.97

Luv Betsey Cruisn Quilted Weekender-$34.99

Kipling Zaliki Duffel Tote-$49.99

Deux Lux XO Weekender-$43.50

The post 9 Bags Under $50 That Are Perfect For A Summer Weekend Getaway appeared first on MadameNoire.

Zoë Kravitz

Maya Rudolph

Debbie Allen

Phylicia Rashad

Janelle Monae

Ruth Negga

Naomie Harris

Wanda Sykes

Leslie Jones

What a Honor it was to Present @MeaganGood Good With an Award for Her Excellence in the Arts! pic.twitter.com/E2guQIKpUG

— Kim Hardin (@khardincasting) September 24, 2014

Kimberly Hardin

The post All The Black Women The Academy Added To Their Ranks appeared first on MadameNoire.

After the teaser gave us a pretty brief glimpse at what to expect in the next chapter of the saga of Issa, Molly, Lawrence (played by Issa Rae, Yvonne Orji and Jay Ellis) and co., an official trailer has been released today to give you a better idea at what you will see in Season 2. Get excited because the preview alone left us cackling.

In the two-minute clip we see Issa trying to return to the dating scene, begrudgingly. She wants Lawrence back, but as you’ll recall from the end of Season 1, we last saw him getting his rocks off with bank teller Tasha after leaving our protagonist for stepping out with old flame Daniel. So Issa is trying to put herself out there. She is going on dates, while at the same time, hoping that after giving Lawrence some space, they can pick up where they left off.

As for Molly, she looks to be having a little bit more luck at love the second time around, but not when it comes to work. Despite being one of the top lawyers at her firm, she finds out that a white male colleague at the same office and on a similar level gets paid more than her.

The dilemmas for both ladies are big, but per the usual, they are handled with a huge dose of hilarity. That includes Issa deciding to go through a “ho phase” to mutual friend Kelli trying to comfort Molly by telling her she shorts her White clients on their tax returns as a form of reparations. Comedy.

Check out the trailer below, and be sure to check out the premiere of Season 2 on July 23 at 10:30 p.m. (right after Ballers) on HBO.

The post Issa Is Single And Going Through A “Ho Phase” In Season 2 Of Insecure [Trailer] appeared first on MadameNoire.

Of all the sports bras I’ve bought over the last few years as I’ve gone through the ups and downs of my fitness journey (those ups and downs include cup sizes), I only use about three or four consistently. A majority of those are Nike bras. The reason for that is because they are usually the most heavy duty. They can take me through six-mile runs, hold me down in dance classes or provide just enough support but a lot of comfort when I’m in yoga. And no, they’re not the cheapest, but sometimes you have to pay more for great quality.

But guess what? You don’t have to pay an arm and a leg right now for a great Nike sports bra because a pretty awesome collection is currently on sale on Nike.com. A few of them are in my collection, so trust me when I say that they are must-haves. That includes maximum support bras, padded bras for a little less tight compression and light joints for less intense exercise or athleisure wear. Check out five of our favorites that you can currently get for a pretty good price.

Nike Rival Fade $57

A maximum support bra that usually costs more than $75, it’s perfect for running, HIIT training and team sports.

Nike Fierce $35

Great for medium-impact activities like cardio classes and cycling.

Nike Classic Padded Graphic Bra $35

A go-to for running, strength training and your everyday gym workout. The padding is removable if it’s not your thing.

Nike Indy Cool $40

A low-impact bra, this bra is just enough support without being restricting when you do yoga, Pilates and barre.

Nike Seamless $40

This low-impact option is seamless so it looks amazing under your tops (bye back fat) when you’re doing light training.

The post Some Of Nike’s Best Sports Bras Are On Sale! Here Are 5 Must-Haves appeared first on MadameNoire.

@PghLynne thanks for being awesome and for all you in Pgh #UssieSummerGames pic.twitter.com/P8ePGQZd2e

— CandiCastleberry (@Candi) June 25, 2017

Lord knows Twitter has had its fair share of struggles when it comes to issues of diversity. Most clear in my mind was the way George Zimmerman was allowed to terrorize the community, posting pictures of Trayvon Martin’s dead body, with no repercussions or the way Milo Yiannopoulos taunted Leslie Jones for weeks on end with no consequences.

But thankfully, they’ve recognized that something’s got to change.

And the company has hired Candi Castleberry-Singleton as the new vice president of diversity and inclusion for the social media company.

The hire is an attempt for Twitter’s workforce to better reflect its user demographics. And y’all the power and relevance of Black Twitter cannot be overstated.

Until Castleberry-Singleton was hired the position was occupied by White men.

Groundbreaking.

According to USA Today, Castleberry-Singleton comes to Twitter having occupied a similar position at Motorola and Sun Microsystems.

In regards to the new gig, Castleberry-Singleton said, “I’m so excited to join the team at Twitter to lead inclusion and diversity efforts for employees and the Twitter community. I look forward to bringing what I’ve learned to Twitter.”

With Twitter’s users being 28 percent Black and dominating so many of the internet’s conversations, we’re happy Candi is stepping into the party. She’s long overdue.

The post About Time: A Black Woman Is Heading Inclusion & Diversity At Twitter appeared first on MadameNoire.

I'm just a lil verklempt. Ain't nobody calling for Black men to be perfect. Just take responsibility for your shit.

— Veronica Wells (@VDubShrug) June 30, 2017

To witness Jay-Z do this--putting so many Black women at the center-- in such a public and profound manner is a step in the right direction.

— Veronica Wells (@VDubShrug) June 30, 2017

His momma, his wife, his daughter, his sister in law, Nina Simone, the Clark sisters, Sister Nancy

— Veronica Wells (@VDubShrug) June 30, 2017

Kill Jay-Z

Solange

It's going to be a long night for a lot of rappers.... Remember fellas, never go full #EricBenét. #themostinterestingmanonradio #future #jayz #444

A post shared by TheFreeStyleKing (@jmacglobal) on Jun 29, 2017 at 11:10pm PDT

Ciara

Beyoncé

Hey yo #Jayz! Just so ya know, I got the baddest girl in the world as my wife....like right now! ✌

— Eric Benét (@ebenet) June 30, 2017

The Story of O.J.

Smile

4:44

Family Feud

Legacy

The post Black Women Are The Catalyst For Jay-Z’s Growth On 4:44 appeared first on MadameNoire.

In this episode of Did Y’all See, we’re chatting about the hottest topics from the month of June. The Amber Rose picture that had Instagram in a tizzy. Our thoughts on the mistrial of Bill Cosby and Al Sharpton’s selfies.

We also discuss the father/daughter moment that went viral. And while it was sweet at first, eventually viewers started noticing that he treats his lighter skinned daughter a bit better than his darker complected daughter.

Plus, there’s a new segment called #WerkItWithTiffany.

Check it all out in the video above.

The post Did Y’all See? Amber Rose Bares All + Does This Father Favor His Lighter Skinned Daughter? appeared first on MadameNoire.

Ooh Khamba is a brand supplying traditional and modern Zulu artisanship from beaded and woven grass products to clay pots, leatherwork, embroidery and jewelry. Started by two young Black male entrepreneurs, Ooh Khamba links rural crafters to urban markets, providing opportunities for young artisans to make a living through their art.

The post 4 South African Lifestyle Brands Worth Your Rand (And Dollars) appeared first on MadameNoire.

If your spouse holds another person’s hand, is that a problem? And if you have a problem with it does that automatically mean that you don’t trust them and you’re insecure?

That’s been the conversation behind a picture of actor Lance Gross and glo-up queen Lil Mama, who star together in the new TV One biopic When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story.

At the American Black Film Festival premiere of the TV movie earlier this month in Miami Beach, the rapper/actress stood among her co-stars on the red carpet for pictures. At one point, she is seen next to Gross, who plays her character’s toxic love interest in the upcoming film. In case you missed it, he is married to stylist Rebecca Jefferson and the couple have a daughter named Berkeley. But back to the picture.

Lil Mama and Gross hold hands at one point and it looks like nothing, but I guess that depends on what photos you get to see and who you’re talking to. The ShadeRoom shared this image of the pair holding hands, much different from the one above, and asked the question of whether or not it was inappropriate:

The conversation expanded further than The ShadeRoom comment section, popping up on Lipstick Alley and other forums. The responses were mixed. A lot of people believed the image to be innocent.

“I don’t see anything wrong if there was something to hide they would not be doing it publicly,” one commenter said. “It’s innocent, people must relax. No one ‘owns’ anyone at the end of the day.”

“Harmless,” another stated. “And if it’s harm he’s the one holding her hand… always trying to make lil mama the scapegoat.”

But there were others who felt that it was too much on the part of both parties.

“Issa nooooooooo,” someone wrote. “Idc what type of damn relationship they have my man, scratch that my HUSBAND is not another woman’s support system get through the night or go home.”

“It isn’t just the hand holding its how they are looking into each other’s eyes to [sic],” another person said. “Very inappropriate.”

But if you ask me, I don’t see this hand-holding moment as an improper one. Without much of a backstory, if someone tells you he’s married and Lil Mama is not his wife, it would make sense to raise an eyebrow. However, with proper context, knowing that they worked on this project together, knowing that Lil Mama hasn’t had the chance to star in many projects and then stand front and center on a red carpet at the premiere to represent it, you can see why it might be more of a moment of support than anything else. And as the aforementioned commenter pointed out, if they were doing something inappropriate behind the scenes, they likely wouldn’t tip us off by getting in front of cameras and holding hands.

But that’s not the first time co-stars getting close to one another to show love on the red carpet was read as inappropriate. If you’ll recall, Keke Palmer’s confession of a past crush on her Brotherly Love co-star Cory Hardrict made her interactions with him somewhat controversial to people. Those “people” included his wife, Tia Mowry.

When Mowry heard about Palmer’s crush statements, which she revealed while doing press for the film, Mrs. Hardrict tweeted, “Saying you like married men in interviews in [sic] not cute…Just saying…” before deleting it.

But Palmer made it clear during an appearance on the Wendy Williams Show that she’s nobody’s homewrecker.

“What happened was, I’ve known Cory since I was 10-years-old,” she said. “He auditioned for Akeelah and The Bee to play my big brother in the film. And in the interview I was talking about how the whole Brotherly Love cast, we kind of grew up together…And I was like ‘I’ve known Cory since I was 10 and I was like I’m going to marry this man,’ as a 10-year-old. It was me quoting how I was as a kid.”

“That’s not my style,” she added. “But I do love Cory. I do love Cory and Tia.”

While it may not always be the case (i.e., Brad and Angelina), in Hollywood, it seems that comments of admiration, co-stars holding hands and other affectionate moments don’t necessarily mean that a man and woman are doing more than just being friends. Hell, they could even just be drumming up publicity for their project. Either way, to be that out in the open with it makes the likelihood of an affair all the less likely.

But what about everyday men and women who have no movies to promote, no serious projects to celebrate on red carpets and no reason to stand nervously together in front of the public? Is it still not a big deal if your man holds the hand of another woman and vice versa?

Again, I need context. Call me a hypocrite, but if he’s not helping her down some stairs, into a car or across the street, then that’s definitely going to be a no. Just walking jolly down the street holding hands? Make that a hell no. Even if you find out that your partner isn’t having an inappropriate relationship with this woman or man, just out of respect, why are they holding hands with someone else? Do you know how big of a deal holding hands is for some people? There are women in relationships with men right now who won’t hold their hand when they walk in public. There are people who will have sex with someone but still won’t hold their hand. Melania Trump barely likes to hold her husband’s…

There is a strong level of intimacy to hand-holding, hence the reason some people prefer to lock arms or just walk closely when they’re not ready for that “step.” So with that being said, a quick hand squeeze to provide reassurance, comfort, affection or aid to someone may not be a big deal, but if you catch your partner holding hands with someone and neither party seems to be letting go anytime soon, there is cause for pause…

But as usual, that’s just my opinion. What say you? Is a person in a committed relationship holding hands with or holding on tight to someone else inappropriate? 

The post Is This Petty? People Had A Lot To Say About A Married Lance Gross Holding Hands With Lil Mama appeared first on MadameNoire.

If someone would have told Melissa “Her Royal Thighness” Leng-Adams, a British woman from London, that she was going to set up a fitness company and play American football competitively a few years ago, she probably would have laughed at the idea. She wasn’t into fitness nor impressed with football initially when introduced to it, but when she gave it another chance, she fell in love. The 25-year-old is now a running back representing Great Britain (the Lions) in the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Women’s World Championships.

Leng-Adams trains her body extensively, and it’s something she loves to do, sharing her wellness tips, fitness regimen and more with thousands of followers on Instagram. But her road to launching a fitness company, being a body positive advocate and playing American Football competitively hasn’t been a smooth ride. For years, Leng-Adams struggled to accept her body, specifically her large thighs. She was overly conscious of her weight and during her early adult years punished her body; after a major health scare she did the work to turn things around. So when she looks at herself now, especially her thighs, the muscles she’s built and how far she’s come, Leng-Adams loves and embraces her body, and she wants all women to. That’s why she set up the fitness community Ad Virtus UK and her website, Her Royal Thighness, to help other women get moving in unique and fun ways, to embrace a balanced diet and to just walk away with a more positive mindset. That’s also why she talked with us and is sharing her fitness journey. Check it out.

MadameNoire: Tell us about your journey with sports and fitness. Have you always been an athlete and how did you end up playing American football as a British woman?

Melissa Leng-Adams: I’ve always enjoyed being active in one way or another. In my primary school, the Fulham Football Club (soccer) ran after-school sessions with us. I remember being one of two girls who stayed behind school to participate. In high school I enjoyed netball and athletics. I was really good at high jump and the 200m was my strongest sprint event.

American Football was a complete change of direction for me at 23 years old as I’d never competed in a contact sport before. My husband had been playing American Football competitively for quite some time. He started off playing in the premiership league in the U.K. and then professionally in Portugal. Since we already trained in the gym together he suggested I try the sport out myself. He knew a women’s development day was being hosted soon in the U.K., that’s a day for women who have never played American Football before to try it out, so I went along. Surprisingly, I was quite indifferent about it. I didn’t understand the terminology and because it wasn’t a sport I watched nor played before, I wasn’t won over straightaway, but a seed must have been sown because I kept thinking about it! At the development day a few women invited me to train with their local team in London. I thought I’d give the sport a second chance and I really enjoyed it. Ever since I committed to it my husband has tirelessly trained me and altered my workouts to now support my new football journey. After two years of playing the sport I tried out for the Great Britain squad and now I’m representing Great Britain in the IFAF Women’s World Championships in Canada. That’s why I always say, especially to women, when trying out a new sport or activity, always try it out a few times before you make up your mind about it. I could have given it a miss three years ago but now I’m playing nationally and representing Great Britain.

I read in a previous interview that in your youth you were more weight conscious and finally figured out the importance of being health conscious. What did it take for you to get to that health-conscious point?

As a teen I fell into that ridiculous trap of obsessing over weight loss and didn’t ever consider my health. By 13, I was already quite curvy with bigger thighs unlike my peers and instead of embracing being unique I just wanted to be slim and conform. When I look back at it, it was silly. We’ve been conditioned to want to fit in with everyone else in fear of standing out, but it’s a really weird way of thinking. If there is something that makes you, you — own it. It’s yours. It makes you special. It’s something I continuously tell people all the time who complain about their freckles, or their long legs, or their dark skin, or pale skin.

Unfortunately, as a teen I hadn’t got to this way of thinking yet and I was bulimic for a year. Being a black female, it was something I was incredibly ashamed to ever speak to anyone about. It’s often seen as a problem “we don’t suffer from.” I realized how much I was punishing my health when I developed heart palpitations and was given a heart monitor to wear. I was 19 by this time and at university so I decided to make the most sensible decision: I just went to the gym and ate sensibly! I decided to never punish my body ever again.

How did you come up with the tag/moniker “Her Royal Thighness”? And when did you start really loving and embracing your thighs?

In school, I wanted my thighs to be slimmer. Fast forward to seeing the light, my thighs were actually the first part of my body to react to my training regimen. My quads just kept growing and growing and with a new mindset I loved it. It wasn’t just a moment of self-acceptance but also a reminder of how far I’d come from once loathing my body to now being proud of it. I loved how my thighs looked in jeans, leggings, shorts — they just popped. They are my quads that I built and I love them. I was flexing my quads in the mirror and made the joke to my husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, about him addressing me as “Royal Thighness” and we joked that I should make it my social media name.

As a running back, what type of exercise regimen does it take to be in fighting shape for the football season?

Sprint training, footwork drills and compound exercises; bench press, deadlifts and squats primarily. It’s important that I’m not only physically strong but also agile and can carry my own weight comfortably. I’m 72KG (158 pounds) and 5’4″, which is a solid weight for my height.

What about your diet? Are you consuming more of something like protein and less of other things?

My diet is quite flexible. I’m not shy around carbs, particularly on days when I’m doing a lot of sprint training. I need that energy to keep me going. I’m of Haitian descent, as well as Jamaican and St. Lucian, so I cook a lot of mushroom rice, which is called diri ak djon djon.

As for protein, I’m more of a white meat eater so I love chicken and turkey, and salmon is my favorite fish although I have developed an obsession with tuna steaks recently. I’ll treat myself to a medium rare steak once in a while too. I love food and eat a lot, basically! [laughs]

You, like many influencers, use social media to share your many endeavors, including your diet, charity work, exercise and diet, but I know you’ve said that a lot of social media also has a negative impact on the way women look at themselves, particularly their bodies. How do we combat that?

My company Ad Virtus UK seeks to improve the physical and mental well-being of women by practicing self-acceptance through a range of fun group events. As you can see by our social media pages, we have a good laugh and our focus is on normalizing what’s actually normal. Stretch marks, a range of skin shades, different body shapes – it’s all normal, so we want to constantly expose our followers to the beauty of humanity and set the record straight that there is no one model of beauty.

As for combating body negativity, I think it works in two ways.  Influencers have a responsibility to be honest about what they share. If they’ve had surgery done on their body then selling a gym regimen to “get to look like me in 30 days” is straight up fraud. Secondly, self-love and acceptance starts with ourselves, so whilst we can unfollow people who make us feel bad about ourselves, we have to ask ourselves why they make us feel bad by just looking at them and see to that problem. What happens if you start a new job and you’re surrounded by people whose appearance makes you feel inadequate? You can’t avoid them, so the truth is, it’s something we have to work on individually and something I worked on myself years ago. I see the beauty in everyone including myself and for that reason whether I follow a fitness buff, Beyoncé or my gorgeous friends on social media, I appreciate their beauty and it doesn’t change or affect the way I see myself in any way, shape or form. It’s powerful and liberating.

I know that outside of football, you also do management, charity as well as PR and marketing work. How do you make the time for everything?

Good question [laughs]. I account for every hour of my day, Not working a 9-to-5 for the past two years has made me realize how much can be done in a day if I organize myself well.

Music was my first love – I was a journalist for MTV during my time as a student, so when I came across a talented music artist named Jafro who needed management, I jumped at the chance. I’ve been managing Jafro for a year now as well as managing a handful of companies’ marketing and social media campaigns in the finance, fitness and sports sectors.

I set up Ad Virtus UK a year and a half ago in order to host monthly fitness and nutrition events for women in London. Our events are “tick off your bucket list” events, so fitness events you’ve probably not tried before like yoga in the dark with UV paint, BeyoncAerobics and Hulafitness. It’s tailored for an exclusive class of women on a first-come-first-serve basis. We all get to take home goody bags and the environment is always fun and empowering. Ad Virtus means “to empower” in Latin. I manage these events every month from conception to completion. I meet with potential fitness trainers to see if they’re suitable to run a class and liaise with sponsors for each goody bag.

As far as charity, my husband has always had a big heart for the community and wanted to set up a charity to reach out to overlooked communities in and around London. Leng Community has been running for 18 months and through this charity we have launched campaigns to support the homeless with the Parcel of Hope campaign. With elderly people we’ve done a MP3 campaign where we went down to a elderly care home that looks after patients suffering from dementia and gifted them with mp3 players with music dating back to their teens. It was such an emotional yet fun experience. We will also be launching a music campaign to support the evacuees of the recent Grenfell Tower fire tragedy to help support their long-term needs.

Because you’re known as “Her Royal Thighness,” could you give us your top three workout moves that you would encourage for quad and hamstring development?

Walking lunges while holding dumbells at a weight you’re most comfortable with. Hip thrusts are awesome for hamstring development when you really focus on pushing up from the heels, firing up, squeezing and coming down controlled. Lastly, Bulgarian squats, they really work the vastus medialis obliques. I can’t forget standard back squats, though. As creative as people get in the gym, you can’t knock good formed squats  – they never fail. This summer I’ll be sharing a lot more fitness tips on my website with some awesome guest bloggers so stay tuned!

Follow Melissa Leng-Adams on Instagram and check out the rest of the Fitness Friday profiles here. 

The post Fitness Fridays: Melissa Leng-Adams On Playing American Football In Britain, Overcoming Bulimia And Embracing Those Thighs appeared first on MadameNoire.

A friend of mine just hit newlywed status a few weeks ago. Although she and her husband had a blast celebrating their nuptials, they’ve already disagreed on a major decision. He wants them to live with his parents and she doesn’t.

Even though this living arrangement would be a temporary one (home renovations are taking a lot longer than expected), my friend would rather not stay at her in-laws’ house while they wait.

I can’t blame her.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m fortunate enough to get along very well with my in-laws and enjoy being around them. With that being said, I don’t think living with them would greatly benefit my marriage. I use the word “greatly” since there would be a few benefits such as splitting or taking turns paying bills, having easy access to babysitters and shared household chores.

Of course, nothing can beat the help with the above items, but is it worth the challenges that can come from living with your in-laws? My friend is newly married and newlyweds already have the hurdles of getting used to living with each other (and other minute annoyances that have to be ironed out). Having gone through that, I advised her to weigh other options as opposed to moving in with family. I wouldn’t do it, not now and possibly not ever, for a few reasons.

For one, it’s one thing to live with in-laws, but to move into their home is a whole other beast. We all know that women run their household, so each woman would want to build a home the way in which they desire. If you move into another woman’s home (regardless of who that woman is to you), it can become a power struggle. Now add your husband in the mix as the common denominator of issues and the struggle gets more real.

Regardless of the stage that your marriage is in, all couples also need space. If you’re newlyweds, you both need time to enjoy the beginning of your marriage with no interference, and if you’ve been married for years, you need space to enjoy each other, at any time, and space to work through any issues. The last thing you and your spouse would want or need is an outside party, albeit family, butting into any disagreements or problems that you might have and causing unnecessary drama.

I know that some people would disagree and mention that living with family could be great for financial reasons and it would allow the kids to be around their grandparents a lot more. If that’s the best situation for you and your family, great. I do think there are ways to make it work.

First, set boundaries so that you and your spouse can ensure time apart from your in-laws. For example, if you are staying in the basement and this is possible, create direct access to the outside so that you and your family can come in and out of your living space with no interruption. If that’s not possible, just make sure there is some type of marker to note when you’d like your privacy.

Second, make sure you and your spouse have regular date nights. This will give you two a chance, and a great excuse, to get away from family.

Third, set a date to move out and work towards that goal. While living with your in-laws could be your ideal situation for now, it should be temporary.

Whether you live with your in-laws or your parents, being married and living with other people can be tough. Just exhaust all topics of communication, weigh all options and think long and hard before deciding to make that jump. Because chances are, you wouldn’t just be sharing space, but also the goings on of your marriage.

The post Could You And Should You Live With Your In-Laws? appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image via WENN

I don’t plan on talking about the Jenner girls everyday. But I found the responses from the offended parties of their latest fashion misstep quite hilarious, so I thought I’d share their reactions here.

I didn’t report this yesterday but Biggie and Tupac were not the only people to have an image of the Jenner girls transposed over them. There was also Black Sabbath, Metallica, Pink Floyd, the Doors, Kiss and Led Zeppelin.

And the public weren’t the only people who called b*llshit.

There was Biggie’s mom Voletta Wallace.

I am not sure who told @kyliejenner and @kendalljenner that they had the right to do this. The disrespect of these girls to not even reach out to me or anyone connected to the estate baffles me. I have no idea why they feel they can exploit the deaths of 2pac and my Son Christopher to sell a t-shirt. This is disrespectful , disgusting, and exploitation at its worst!!!

A post shared by Voletta Wallace (@volettawallace) on Jun 29, 2017 at 9:31am PDT

Then there was Kelly Osbourne, daughter of Ozzy, of Black Sabbath, who took a more graphic approach.

#CurrentMood

A post shared by Kelly Osbourne (@kellyosbourne) on Jun 29, 2017 at 2:10pm PDT

And my favorite of them all, Sharon Osbourne, wife of Ozzy.

Girls, you haven’t earned the right to put your face with musical icons. Stick to what you know…lip gloss. pic.twitter.com/BhmuUVrDBn

— Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) June 29, 2017

The shameless shade.

I’m not sure if it was before or after these comments but the sisters issued an identical response to their ill-fated collection.

💜 pic.twitter.com/wfcNyNBgVe

— Kendall (@KendallJenner) June 29, 2017

There have just been too many indiscretions for me to accept this apology, knowing that it likely won’t be the last time.

The post Voletta Wallace And The Osbournes Come For The Jenner Sisters appeared first on MadameNoire.