Radio Ro Blog

Rihanna is reportedly being lined-up to portray Whitney Houston in a new Hollywood biopic of the singer. According to the Daily Mail, both the ‘Talk That Talk’ singer and Jennifer Hudson are under consideration to portray Houston in a new biopic. The report also says that Houston’s friend and record label boss Clive Davis is behind the project and wants filming to start as soon as possible. Other actresses who are said to be in the running for parts in the biopic are Kill Bill star Vivica Fox and American Idol singer Jordin Sparks, as well as Will Smith’s 11-year-old daughter Willow, who is reportedly being considered to play Houston as a child. Source

Robin Roberts went straight for the gusto and asked how the “We Belong Together” singer was coping with the untimely death of Houston.“I don’t think people could ever understand our relationship. I’m almost incapable of talking about it still,” Mariah said. “There was always this supposed rivalry in the beginning and then we did this duet (at the 1999 Oscars) and we became friends. I saw her towards the end. I loved her. It’s very heavy emotionally.” Visibly emotional she culled over the home going services she attended for the late singer last Saturday instead, “It was great,” she said of the nearly four-hour service. ”Such a class act, the way she went out and the way her family dealt with it.” Just the day before her friend’s shocking death, her husband was hospitalized for blood clots in his lungs. The hospitalization was the second time that the public knew of Nick’s health concerns, but Carey seemed to imply there may have been more. “We didn’t know how big a deal it was at that moment,” Carey said of Cannon’s initial hospitalization in January. “It was a gradual thing. We ended up in a couple hospitals this year already. Now, he is doing better and the thing is, he’s a strong, healthy person and it’s about changing the lifestyle.” Nick made the decision to cut back on his working schedule which his doctors attributed to his poor health. “I feel a little bit awkward because I don’t know exactly what he was revealing when he talked to people, but the best thing, I think, was his choice he made to leave his radio show and concentrate on America’s Got Talent and Up All Night.” “It’s about changing the lifestyle…and just an awareness of what can really happen to you no matter how young or in great shape you are,” she said. “I think, like he always does, he’s going to turn something that happened into a positive thing.” Besides accommodating her husband, the two have 10-month-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe, who she has to see after, but is unapologetic about having help with the babies. “I’m not going to say I don’t have help,” she said. “I do try to spend as much time with them as I can.” Mariah’s pregnancy gave her her own health scare when she learned she had both gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. “When you carry twins that is a whole other thing so, physically, I went through it,” she said of her pregnancy. “I had never dealt with a physical thing like that.” And because of her newly-found diagnosis, she became a spokesperson for Jenny Craig, losing30 pounds on the diet. The “Always Be My Baby” singer co-directs and stars in a newly released public service announcement marking February as Heart Awareness Month. Source

Jeremy Lin rejected the Kim Kardashian date idea Sunday, saying he won’t go out with her because he’s “not that type of guy.” During an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols that ran on SportsCenter Sunday night, the New York Knicks’ new superstar point guard denied rumors that he’s going on a date with reality TV personality Kim Kardashian. “I’m not that type of guy,” he said after being asked whether he wants to go on a date with Kardashian. It was one highlight of many during the wide-ranging interview, during which the 23-year-old Knicks phenom said the most surreal part of Linsanity has been “the rumors,” including the one about Kardashian. Kardashian, 31 also appears not to be interested in the basketball star, as her spokeswoman Jill Fritzo, told the newspaper amNewYork that the date rumor was entirely false: He also said that his indulgences are junk food — particularly candy and chips — and video games, and that he gets flak for it from his family: “My family sometimes calls me an over-sized kid,” he said. He also said that there were times when he was “literally in tears” as he tried to break into the NBA over the past couple of years. MediaTakeOut reported last week that the publicist for Kardashian, who recently divorced Kris Humphries of the New Jersey Nets, had made arrangements for her to go on a “date” with the Knicks player. “She thinks [Jeremy] is cute, and she’s good friend’s with [Jeremy's teammate Carmelo Anthony's wife] Lala,” a friend of Kardashian’s reportedly told MediaTakeOut. “It’s going to be a double date.” The gossip site stated that Lin was excited to meet Kim K, but it appears that the source was incorrect, as Jeremy Lin rejected the Kim Kardashian date idea on ESPN on Sunday night. Source

Up at 5 a.m. for two hour workouts, six small meals a day, plus more! All the details on how Beyonce will lose 40 lbs fast! Beyonce is willing to do whatever it takes to get back to her pre-baby body fast, so she’s doing four weeks of boot camp! According to Star magazine, trainer Marco Borges has moved into her home with Jay-Z and Blue Ivy to lead her intense daily workouts. Here’s what a source says she’s doing to get in shape: * Twice-a-day, two-hour workouts. “Beyonce and Marco are up at 5 a.m. for a two-hour workout, and they do it again at 5 p.m.,” says the source. “They do a mix of cardio, Pilates, plyometrics, yoga and, of course, dance.” * Six tiny high-protein meals a day. “She’s living on protein shakes, egg-white omelettes, pineapple chunks and lots of ice-cold water,” the source reveals. And she’s already seeing progress! She’s lost 14 lbs to date and hopes to reach 128 lbs by early March (She weighed almost 170 at the height of her pregnancy, according to the source). “She’s exhausted but totally dedicated,” says the source. “Beyonce’s vowed to have a better body than ever before… and she’s a woman of her word.” Source

Simon Cowell is offering Beyoncé Knowles $100 million a year — easily the highest salary on TV — to become a full-time judge on “The X Factor,” according to reports. The money may seem outrageous, but the idea is not as far-fetched as it once may have seemed — now that the world’s No. 1 pop singer is a first-time mom. Word is that Beyoncé would like to stop touring and stay in one place for the baby’s first few years. And a weekly TV job is the perfect way to get her off the road but keep her in the public eye. Simon has begun to think that Mariah Carey — long rumored to be the first choice to take one of the two judges’ seats that opened this week — is no longer the hot ticket she once was, according the Web site Media TakeOut.com, which first published the story. “He wants a big-name female star on the panel,” a source told the Web site. “Mariah [Carey] is good, but she’s not that hot today. “He wants Beyoncé because that would immediately give him the bounce needed to beat ‘American Idol.’ ” Beyoncé even has some history with “X Factor” and is familiar with the judge-versus-judge format. Back in 2008, she appeared on the British version of the show as a mentor. In fact, the woman she coached, Alexandra Burke, went on to win the show that year. Until this week, the outside world did not realize how disappointed Simon was with the inaugural season of “X Factor.” With an average of 12 million viewers a week, it was a top-10 show — but didn’t draw near the 20 million viewers Simon had hoped for and was still far behind “Idol,” which averaged 18 million. Still, by axing three main people on the show — judges Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones — this week, he signaled that the show is going to be rebuilt from the ground up by next fall’s premiere. Beyoncé’s spokesman did not return e-mail requests for comment. The ratings for “American Idol” continue to slip this year. The audition episode in rainy Portland Wednesday night was seen by about 18 million people — down 9 percent from last week and 34 percent from last year. It has lost almost seven million viewers since 2011. The series, now in its 11th season, remains the No. 1 entertainment show on TV. Source

Boston Celtics great Larry Bird saw the Los Angeles Lakers as the enemy during his playing days, but there’s one current Laker he’d like on his side if he were playing today — Kobe Bryant. Appearing on “The B.S. Report” with Grantland.com’s Bill Simmons, Bird said that LeBron James is one of the greatest players and we should all sit back and enjoy what he can do on the basketball court. He even calls him the best player in the league, but he’s not the player he would go into battle with. If he could choose any current player that he’d like to play a season with, who would it be, Bird was asked. “Well, probably Kobe, because of the fact that … well, of course he wouldn’t have been shooting as much as he does now … but his desire to win, his dedication, to always get better, uh, and he’s just, he’s just tough,” Bird said. “He’s just a tough cat. “But, if you want to have fun, like I did with Bill Walton, play with LeBron. It would have probably been more fun to play with LeBron, but if you want to win and win and win, it’s Kobe. Not that LeBron’s not a winner, just that [Kobe's] mindset is to go into every practice, every game, to get better.” Bryant has won five championships with the Lakers, one short of the legend he’s most often compared to, Michael Jordan. James joined the Miami Heat last season and fell short in the NBA Finals, leaving him searching for his first title. Source

It's no secret that actor Jonah Hill has lost a lot of weight over the past year. Until now, most people believed his "Moneyball" co-star Brad Pitt had something to do with Hill's suddenly svelte look. Not so. Hill, whose work in "Moneyball" earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, recently spoke with ABC News. Apparently, he lost weight mainly by eating sushi. "It was just mostly diet," Hill said. "I wish there was some crazy thing that I did, like a pill or a genie or something, but it was, unfortunately, I went to see a nutritionist, and he told me what to eat to change my habits and stuff." [ Related: Full list of nominees at Oscar.com ] An article in the U.K.'s Daily Mail points out that many people had speculated that Pitt's influence was what inspired Hill to shed the pounds. Hill, who was known for being a comic actor prior to "Moneyball," explained that his weight loss was also a function of his wanting to get more serious roles in his career. "I just had a moment in my life where I said I wanted to become a man," Hill said.

INDIANAPOLIS – It’s of little surprise that the Peyton Manning-Jim Irsay relationship would continue to splinter. Statements to the contrary, these two simply don’t appear capable of coexisting any more. They could have at least made it through the Super Bowl ceasefire though. Word broke Thursday, via ESPN, that Manning had been “medically cleared by two doctors” to resume his football career after missing the entire 2011 season because of a neck injury. The report eventually included an email from Dr. Robert Watkins, who performed a neck procedure on Manning, saying as much. More From Dan Wetzel Brandon Jacobs preps for second career in boxing Feb 3, 2012 Tim Tebow dwarfs Joe Montana at Super Bowl Feb 2, 2012 AdChoices Jim Irsay has continued to weigh in publicly regarding Peyton Manning. (AP Photo) The news sent the football world into a tizzy over the potential ramifications. Would the Indianapolis Colts still draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck first overall in April? Would Manning become a tantalizing trade prospect and wind up on a contender? Where would he end up and in what kind of shape? Then Irsay, the Colts’ outspoken owner, snuffed it early Friday by tweeting: “Peyton has not passed our physical nor has he been cleared to play for The Indianapolis Colts.” And so on it went: Once more, the Colts and the future of their signature, sure-bet Hall of Fame quarterback becoming the talk of Super Bowl XLVI. So much for the pair’s joint press release last week that was intended to “dispel any misperception that there might be any hard feelings between us.” Manning and Irsay haven’t had many direct discussions of late but are scheduled to have dinner together (along with other NFL folks) at a pregame party Sunday. Who knows how that scene plays out. Irsay’s late night tweet, which came after he held a raucous 500-person party (guests included John Mellencamp, Meg Ryan and other celebs) at the Indiana Capitol, had the appearance of annoyance. It was a sharp rebuke of the “cleared to play …” angle that almost everyone assumes was leaked out of Manning’s camp – unless you believe Manning’s doctor would discuss his recovery without his patient’s permission. [ Related: Irsay tweet casts doubts on Manning’s progress ] Yahoo Sports first reported earlier in the week that even if he is “cleared to play” he doesn’t possess the strength to throw the ball with the necessary velocity. The entire thing could be just semantics in an ongoing soap opera. Perhaps most telling is that this is still the news of the day even as Indianapolis continues to excel at hosting its biggest event ever, a title game featuring no less than Manning’s younger brother, Eli, of the New York Giants against the New England Patriots. Couldn’t the “cleared to play” story have waited until next week – especially when there appears to be enough confusion that not even the Colts are acknowledging its accuracy? “Jim and I will talk at the right time,” Peyton Manning said on Tuesday. “[Right now] there’s nothing to talk about.” Manning also said Tuesday that he had spent the morning at the Colts’ practice facility in a very promising training session which included throwing to two Indy receivers, Anthony Gonzalez and Blair White. He insinuated his rehab work was continuing each day. Peyton Manning had never missed an NFL game prior to the 2011 season. (AP Photo) “I’m having fun and I’m doing what I need to be doing,” Manning said. Other than that, he said the focus should be on the Super Bowl and the city of Indianapolis. “All the other talk,” Manning said, “it is what it is.” Well, apparently not. The fate of Peyton is of importance here both historically (he made this franchise matter with his arrival in 1998) and competitively (if he’s really healthy, all sorts of things could change). Everyone knows that, which is why as news drops out and the denials get sharper, the attention grows and grows. It is what it is, as Manning said. Irsay had already put Manning on blast last week when he ripped the quarterback as “a politician” for discussing the state of the Colts in the Indianapolis Star. Irsay felt Manning was trying to get fans on his side in case there is an eventual split. Irsay chastised Manning for not “keeping it in the family.” “If you’ve got a problem, you talk to each other,” Irsay told reporters. “It’s not about campaigning or anything like that.” By Friday morning, he was issuing pointed tweets and promising further press releases. They clearly hadn’t talked to each other about this news development.

It has been recommended that Halle Berry take her daughter to counseling sessions due to the on going battle between her and her baby’s father Gabriel Aubrey. It was just a few years ago, when Halle revealed that she wasn’t looking for marriage but she was definitely looking for someone who she could have babies with. Shortly afterward, Gabriel Aubrey popped up in her life but it wasn’t a ‘wam bam! thank you mam, thanks for my baby, you go your way and I’ll go mine’ situation. The two were involved in a public relationship, however after they parted ways, the many problems that started to arise over the baby and who would have custody has become more of a headache than if she would have just went to a sperm bank. Now she’s back in court again this week, attempting to obtain a restraining order against Gabriel to keep him away from their baby until a child endangerment investigation against him is resolved. She is claiming he put her child in danger when he pushed the nanny while she was holding Nahla. The judge, however, recommended that everyone should go to counseling, including Nahla so they could peacefully figure out how they will raise her. Gabriel reportedly rejected all of the recommendations including one that suggested he attend some anger management classes so they’ll be back in court again for a full hearing shortly. Who’s to blame in this on-going battle? Is Gabriel being spiteful? Or is it Halle, who has added this to her laundry list of bad relationships with men. According to Spearhead, a site dedicated to exploring men issues, the racial angle of the two raising an interracial baby is the underlying factor in their Made-For-TV child custody drama. Sadly, Berry’s vindictiveness is common amongst women following breakups with their child’s father. But in this case, the racial angle is contributing to tension. Although it isn’t a well-known fact, white fathers of children with black women face even worse odds than your typical father. The traditional “one-drop rule” that posits that all Americans with black African ancestry are strictly black tends to put a barrier between the father and child, because people assume that children should be raised amongst their own. This may be why one of the main points of contention between Aubry and Berry has been over whether their daughter is “black.” If so, as the tradition goes, then he has no real claim to the child. Last year in Ebony, Halle revealed that she considered her child to be black because she believes in the one-drop rule, however weeks later a story was leaked to the press that Gabriel would get upset any time someone would refer to his daughter as such. After those reports, the public battle between the two began to heat up and take a turn for the absolute worse. Halle seems as though she would love for Gabriel to be out of the picture completely, but she should know by now that you can’t just have a child and then deny the father his right to see or assist in raising her. No matter what the underlying issue is, this can not be good for a three year old. It’ll be even worse when she gets older and decides to google her own name. Source

Drake recently spit a single line that vibrated throughout the industry like an earthquake in his “Stay Schemin” record. The line went something like this: “Kobe about to lose one hundred and fifty M’s [Million}, Kobe My N—- hate it to have to be him, B—- you wasn’t with me shootin in the gym.” What seemed to be the most appropriate thing to say at the moment happened to backfire at Drake as the internet took this as a diss to Kobe’s recently divorced wife Vanessa. If you ask Drake, he’ll tell you otherwise… “That line came from a conversation about being this young and making this much money and the fear of losing it all. I just used his potential situation to address my own life. I never intended to offend Vanessa or anyone else. That line had everything to do with me and what goes on in my head as a 25 year old man with this much income flowing in. Kobe is and always will be a friend and an icon to me.”

According to The Washington Post: “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius was found dead in his Los Angeles home early Wednesday morning. He was pronounced dead after the Los Angeles Fire Department transferred him to a nearby hospital, Officer Sara Faden of the Los Angeles Police Department told The Washington Post. Cornelius was 75. The cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound said Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter.