Lena Waithe Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

The Chi is coming back later this summer.

The HBO Original documentary Being Mary Tyler Moore reveals the life of the titular actress, producer and philanthropist who dazzled family, friends and fans both on and off screen until her death in 2017.

The HBO Original documentary Being Mary Tyler Moore reveals the life of the titular actress, producer and philanthropist who dazzled family, friends and fans both on and off screen until her death in 2017.

Hello and welcome to the Scene 2 Seen podcast season 2! I am your host Valerie Complex.

EXCLUSIVE: Showtime’s hit drama The Chi, which films entirely in Chicago, has paused production on its upcoming sixth season, effective today. The decision was made Monday after a second consecutive day of shooting was disrupted by WGA strike-related picketing.

Showtime’s The Chi is the latest series whose production has been disrupted by the ongoing writers strike. According to sources, the hit drama, which is based in Chicago, filmed Friday morning before moving to another location, which had a picket line already in place.

Project Runway is celebrating 20 years of the reality competition series with an “All-Stars” edition set to premiere on Thursday, June 15 at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo. The network announced that the premiere will be two parts and you can watch a preview of the upcoming season in the video posted above.

's landmark 20th season: the network's first-ever all-star season!Christian Siriano, an all-star in his own right, returns as a mentor, while Nina Garcia, Brandon Maxwell and Elaine Welteroth are all back as judges, all ready to critique the couture of 14 fan-favorite designers from across the series' 19 seasons. It's a chance at redemption, as this cast features no returning winners. Each 90-minute episode will feature challenges that test the designers' artistry and push their limits, including an unconventional challenge that takes everyone by surprise.

Angelique Jackson The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) has announced the lineup for this year’s Talks Series, headlined by 2023 festival ambassador Lena Waithe. The 27th edition of the festival will be held June 14-18 in Miami Beach, followed by a virtual program June 19-25 on ABFF Play. On Thursday, June 15, the Emmy-winning writer, producer and actor will sit for an intimate one-on-one conversation, billed as “The Lena Waithe Effect,” where she’ll recount her journey in the entertainment industry. In addition to Waithe, the series of conversations and panels also features: “That’s Our Business,” a candid conversation with Tabitha Brown and her husband Chance Brown; a panel discussion with TV One Networks’ Kirk and Tammy Franklin (“The One”) and LisaRaye McCoy (“Asking for a Friend”); a look behind-the-scenes of Bounce TV’s “Act Your Age” starring Kym Whitley and Yvette Nicole Brown; a celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary with the Xfinity Original Series “Hip House”; and the WBD Access Music Supervisor Panel featuring Morgan Rhodes (“The Color Purple”) and Carolyn Owens (“Cherish the Day”).

Lena Waithe is now a first-time Tony nominee as one of the producers of  The production scored a total of six nods, tying it with  as the most-nominated new play, for the 76th annual Tony Awards. Following the announcement, which was revealed live by Lea Michele and Myles Frost on Tuesday, Waithe shared her excitement about the play's recognition. " is a monumental play and I was honored when Lee Daniels asked me to join the team," she said in an exclusive statement to ET. «I saw a reading of it years ago and I knew it deserved to be on Broadway.

BreAnna Bell Onyx Collective’s “Searching for Soul Food” will arrive on June 2 exclusively on Hulu, Variety has learned. “Searching for Soul Food” follows rock star celebrity chef Alisa Reynolds as she discovers what soul food looks like around the world. As she seeks out the food, she’ll also explore the stories, the people, and the traditions of each place she visits, bringing her own flavor right along with her. The international journey finds Chef Reynolds exploring the culinary worlds of Mississippi, Oklahoma, Appalachia, South Africa, Italy, Jamaica, Peru and Los Angeles.” Additionally, Onyx Collective also released a teaser for the unscripted series. The 38-second clip offers a brief montage through some of host Reynolds’ travels across the globe, eating various versions of tacos, corn bread and collard greens, and pizza in celebration of the traditions that unite the diverse cultures throughout the world.

REFRESH FOR UDPATES: The nominations for the 76th Annual Tony Awards will be announced on CBS Mornings today by Funny Girl star Lea Michele and MJ‘s Tony Award winner Myles Frost. The complete list of nominations will be posted here at 9:10 a.m. ET./6 a.m. PT.

Angelique Jackson “Kokomo City” star Koko Da Doll was found fatally shot on Tuesday in Atlanta. She was 35 years old. The Atlanta Police Department reported that Koko was found with a gunshot wound in Southwest Atlanta shortly before 11 p.m. on Tuesday. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Koko, whose given name is Rasheeda Williams, was a prominent transgender woman featured in the award-winning documentary “Kokomo City,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The film, which marks the feature directorial debut of Grammy-nominated producer, singer and songwriter D. Smith, presents a raw depiction of the lives of four Black trans sex workers living in Atlanta and New York City — Koko, Daniella Carter, Liyah Mitchell and Dominique Silver — as they confront the dichotomy between the Black community and themselves, as well as the persistent threat of violence they face each day.

A.V. Rockwell — the writer and director of her hit feature film debut “A Thousand and One,” which is continuing to run up numbers at the box office in addition to earning a 96% from Rotten Tomatoes.

As the new crop of 2023 festival favorites roll out, Focus Features presents A Thousand And One in over 900 carefully curated theaters, testing the appetite for specialty fare at a challenging moment.

EXCLUSIVE: Hillman Grad the new class for the 2023 Mentorship Lab.

DKC, the public relations, digital communications and content production agency, has officially moved into its new West Coast headquarters in Century City.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Satellite radio and podcast company SiriusXM extended its relationship with Kevin Hart and his entertainment company, Hartbeat, in a new multiyear deal. Under the agreement, Hartbeat will continue to curate content on Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Radio (SiriusXM channel 96), where all of Hartbeat’s audio programs will premiere exclusively — and the channel will have the exclusive first window on a previously unreleased stand-up album from late comedy legend Bernie Mac. Hart, who first struck a deal with SiriusXM in 2017, will continue to host his show and podcast, the newly renamed “Gold Minds With Kevin Hart” (formerly called “Comedy Gold Minds”), which debuts its new season Wednesday (March 15) at 7 p.m. ET exclusively on SiriusXM. In the season premiere, the comedian-actor-producer-entrepreneur will host filmmaker Ryan Coogler, and the duo will discuss his career journey, working with Michael B. Jordan across multiple projects including “Creed III,” and receiving guidance from the likes of Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Sylvester Stallone and Christopher Nolan along the way.

Lena Waithe promises that good things are coming down the line for fans of  and BET's  ET spoke with the Emmy winner about the third round of her Rising Voices initiative in partnership with Indeed and 271 Films, and the show creator gave some much-needed updates about the return of her highly anticipated series.Showtime renewed  for season 6 back in August, while its fifth season was still airing. Although Waithe couldn't give ET a premiere date, she teased that the upcoming season will be «unlike any other season of  before.»«It'll be a very unique season, everybody will find out why very soon,» the Hillman Grad production founder shared.

Lena Waithe isn't just talking the talk. The Emmy-winning writer and producer recently entered the third year of the Indeed: Rising Voices program, an initiative that «aims to discover, invest in, and share stories created by BIPOC filmmakers & storytellers around the power and meaning of work.»In partnership with 271 Films, Waithe's production company, Hillman Grad, selects 10 filmmakers to award a $100,000 production budget. Those filmmakers produce a short film, with access to mentorship and support from the advisory panel, and premiere their films at the 2023 Tribeca Festival in New York.

Angelique Jackson Sheryl Lee Ralph has delivered one rousing acceptance speech after another, all awards season long. But the newly crowned Emmy, Critics Choice and Golden Globe-winner saved something special for Essence’s 16th annual Black Women in Hollywood luncheon on Thursday afternoon. Presented the award by her “Abbott Elementary” co-star and creator — and 2022 Essence Black Women in Hollywood honoree — Quinta Brunson, Ralph whipped the audience into a frenzy with a 13-minute speech that ranged from an subdued, yet soul-stirring rendition of “Endangered Species” to an impassioned rallying cry to remember who paved the way for where Black women in the industry have come from and where we’re going.

Carla Renata Fresh off his Industry Leadership Award at the ABFF Honors and brokering a $90+ million-dollar strategic funding plan with a group of blue-chip investors, it was time to decompress as Charles D. King and wife Macro chief brand officer Stacey Walker King hosted their fifth annual pre-Oscars party. The festivities, again presented by Chase Sapphire, were in full swing at Mother Wolf in Hollywood Thursday night attracted some of Hollywood’s best known people of color. “Abbott Elementary” stars Quinta Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tyler James Williams were in attendance, while producer/actress and “Black-ish” star Marsai Martin hit the dance floor alongside Lena Waithe, Affion Crockett and Teyana Taylor.

The cast of the new Disney+ movie Chase Can Dunk stepped out for the world premiere!

Ellise Shafer HBO Max will host its own coffeehouse at SXSW this year, featuring events centered around the streamer’s popular titles like “The Last of Us” and “The White Lotus.” The two-day activation is presented by HBO Max’s Human by Orientation and Pa’lante initiatives, which are designed to “elevate and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ and Latinx communities,” according to a press release. The coffeehouse will be open to the public on March 11 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on March 12 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The coffeehouse will host both invite-only and public events, including a HBO documentary filmmaker roundtable, “The Last of Us” fireside chat with Gabriel Luna and Variety‘s Selome Hailu, an acoustic performance by Ambar Lucid, a queer cocktail party and “The White Lotus” discussion with writer Evan Ross Katz and Variety‘s Adam B. Vary.

Brendan Fraser and Angela Bassett were among the big winners at the 2023 Hollywood Critics Association’s HCA Film Awards!

Magnolia Pictures acquired worldwide rights to Kokomo City, the feature directorial debut of two-time Grammy-nominated producer/singer/songwriter D. Smith, who made history as the first trans woman cast on a primetime unscripted TV show. Smith also filmed and edited this wildly entertaining and refreshingly unfiltered documentary that passes the mic to four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York City – Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell and Dominique Silver – as they hold nothing back while breaking down the walls of their profession. The film, executive produced by Lena Waithe, played in the Next Section and will next screen at Berlin Panorama. Magnolia will release the film theatrically this year. They burned the midnight oil on this one, with negotiations lasting till the wee hours.

EXCLUSIVE: CAA has signed emerging filmmaker D. Smith, whose documentary Kokomo City will world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival later today.

The MACRO Lodge is back at Sundance for its 6th annual edition of programming and events centered on celebrating diversity and inclusion.Over the course of four days, the invite-only showcase will host screenings, panels and parties at its location on Park City’s Main Street.MACRO, which also sponsors the festival, is presented by the company’s founder and CEO Charles D. King and his wife, Chief Brand Officer Stacey Walker King.

“I prefer to speak through my movies,” Ryan Coogler told a well-heeled crowd tonight at the late night A Taste of Sundance dinner.