April 24, 2006

Big Business

The ubiquitous Omarosa Manigault Stallworth told BV Buzz that while she’s not ready to tender her crown as the Queen of Reality Television, there is one title she just conceded. “I have officially relinquished my title as the president of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee,” she boasted over dinner at Clyde's of Gallery Place in Washington, D.C.

Wearing a low-cut red and yellow gown by NuMe designer Victoria Shaffer, Omarosa proudly showed off her new bodacious bosom. “For the first time in my life, I have cleavage,” she said smiling, before admonishing: “Stop looking at my cleavage!” After my apology, she added that this was the first time she had cleavage that she didn’t have to manipulate herself before leaving the house. “Cleavage that is not constructed by a Victoria’s Secret pushup bra, silicone cutlet inserts or taping my boobs together. I’m so happy to have natural cleavage,” she said.

Her transformation from “a negative A-cup” to a “full voluptuous C-cup” was documented for television and will appear on a forthcoming episode of the Discovery Health series ‘Plastic Surgery: Before & After.’ Omarosa’s mother, Theresa Manigault, is also featured on the series. “I treated my mother to a total makeover. The makeover of her dreams,” Omarosa added.

Omarosa kept me abreast—pun intended—of her other recent endeavors. She’s currently starring in a film short directed by Andrew Coppa called ‘Soul Sistahs,’ which is being showcased online now at www.soulsistahs. com. “It was a phenomenal process, very difficult, and all shot on blue and green screen. It was a very intricate process, and we’ve gotten interest in making it into a full-length film,” she said. Omarosa plays a superhero-turned-villain sent to cut Donald Trump’s hair in the semi-animated movie.

In addition to the chest chat and career talk, I asked the always opinionated Omarosa to chime in on some current hot topics.

On Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney’s run-in with Capitol Hill security: “I worked on the Hill for many years. You know who the congressmen and congresswomen are. I think it is extremely disrespectful of the Capitol Hill Police to not acknowledge her as a congresswoman, moreover a senior congresswoman. Secondly, I know how many congressmen and women walk through there without flashing a pen, a badge or anything. It’s about respect or in this case, a lack of respect.”

On Whitney Houston’s reported drug problems: “You know I just wish people would just back up off the whole Whitney piece. I understand it’s of great interest, but in order for a person to have the freedom to be who they are and to experience what they’ve got to experience, you’ve got to give them space. Right now, the scrutiny is ridiculous and unnecessary. For people who are fans of Whitney for all of those years, they need to continue to support her now and not try to tear her down.”

On TomKat (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes) finally having their daughter Suri: “I’m so damn glad they done had that baby! I am so sick and tired of seeing Tom and Katie walking around pretending to be a normal, functional family. I’m just so glad they had that baby. Whew!”

Star Athlete

If ‘Desperate Housewives’ star Mehcad Brooks decides to give up his day job, he could always become a professional athlete. The Texas-bred Hollywood hunk said his parents kept him and his brother active in athletics from an early age. “We both came up playing everything, and we got to make choices later on. My parents started us off in everything: soccer, football, basketball, baseball, track and swimming,” he said.

While the 6' 3" former model doesn’t have any plans of telling Tinseltown to take a hike, he does have one sport he’d like to perfect. “I love golf. It’s very relaxing,” he added, before confessing, “but I’m not good at it!”

Talk Soup

It was the almighty television that taught actor Djimon Hounsou how to speak English. The Oscar nominated star of ‘In America,’ who hails from Cotonou, Benin, West Africa, told BV Buzz that it was documentaries on the History Channel and the Learning Channel that taught him the English language.

Though he picked up the King’s English easily, Hounsou still worries about his English when working on projects. “The most difficult is working because I can sit here and converse with you, but when it comes to work I'm always worried about not being heard clearly,” he said. Hounsou isn’t trying to lose his accent—“Never any need to fit in, meaning to sound like everybody else”—but making sure filmgoers and television watchers completely understand him is a concern. “That's certainly unnerving for the most part.”

Buzzworthy

Ebony magazine will honor some stupendous ladies at its Outstanding Women in Marketing & Communications Awards Dinner at the Hilton New York & Towers in New York City on May 4. Among this year’s honorees are Deborah Roberts (correspondent, ABC News), Sheila Eldridge (President, Miles Ahead Entertainment), Suzanne Malveaux (CNN White House correspondent), Helen Shelton (Executive Vice President, Ruder Finn Arts & Communications Counselors), Fredia Roberson (Senior Vice President, Campbell-Ewald Advertising) and Xernona Clayton (President & CEO, Trumpet Awards Foundation, Inc.).

Jazsmin Lewis (‘Barbershop 2’), Victor Williams (‘The King of Queens’), Mari Morrow (‘How To Be A Player’), Richard T. Jones (‘The Wood’) and newcomer Aaron D. Spears star in the film ‘Traci Townsend.’ The story centers around a journalist (Lewis) who decides to shoot a documentary on relationships after none of her male suitors ever propose.

Word has is that Slim of the R&B quartet 112 (aka Marvin E. Scandrick) has signed a solo deal to record for Nick Cannon’s Can I Ball Records. Cannon’s sophomore rap CD ‘Stages’ is being released on Motown Records. No word on whether Slim’s solo debut will bow on Motown as well.

Diana Ross’s son Evan Ross (‘ATL’) and Alphonso McAuley (‘Fat Albert,’ ‘Glory Road’) will star alongside Terrence Howard, Kimberly Elise and Bernie Mac in the Lions Gate movie ‘PDR.’ The film is about Jim Ellis who in the 1970s transformed a group of troubled North Philadelphia kids into a top swim team. Most of the film will be shot in Shreveport, La., with exteriors in Philadelphia.

Can’t Say Names…

Sources say a certain R&B boy band is near destitute and has been using ‘Six Degrees of Separation’-like means to survive. Word has it that the group, who has racked up several hit records and earned a few plaques for platinum and gold-selling albums, are now struggling to make ends meet. Maybe the group should be the new spokesmodels for the Boost Mobile phone company, since at least two of them can only afford a prepaid cell phone service.

BV Scene

‘King of Comedy’ Cedric The Entertainer taking in a performance by Las Vegas staple Clint Holmes at Harrah’s Casino in Las Vegas... Those boisterous twins from ‘American Idol,’ Derrell and Terrell Brittenum, spotted leaving the BET Interactive building on 7th Avenue in Manhattan… Eddie Murphy's ex-wife, Nicole Murphy, apparently wants the world to know she’s a free woman. Days after her divorce was final, the former Mrs. Murphy got onstage at the Cirque du Soleil show ‘Zumanity’ at Las Vegas’ New York-New York Hotel & Casino for a simulated orgy scene… Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Rosie Perez, rocker Dave Matthews, Diane Sawyer, Mario Cantone, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins at opening night on Broadway in ‘Three Days of Rain’ starring Julia Roberts at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre… Star Jones, supermodel Iman, and Harry Belafonte in attendance for veteran actress Diahann Carroll's opening night of ‘The Life and Times of Diahann Carroll,’ at Feinstein's at the Regency in New York City.