Dec. 26, 2005

It's safe to bet that Mary J. Blige won't be spending the holiday season with her family. In a candid interview with the U.K. publication 'Guardian Unlimited,' Blige spoke about being estranged from her immediate family. "The environment that I was in-they'll be mad at me, but it's the truth -- they were angry, hateful, jealous, ignorant, prideful people. My aunts were very, very mean people. I didn't want to be like that but it turns out that everything I didn't want to be I ended up being, and I had to change. I came from that tree. And that's the reason why I've been considered an angry, mad, ignorant black woman in the music business," she added.

Dealing with her mother is a struggle for Blige as well. She believes her mother is envious of her success as a recording artist. "This was her dream. She wanted to do this. It might be that she's living vicariously through me, but I believe she's gotten real bitter about it. It's probably why we've never really got along. Even as a child, she was a little rough on me, because on top of my father leaving, I was singing as a child, and it was what she wanted, but she didn't use it. She didn't have the courage to use it," the singer explained.

Blige adds that her relationship with her father, a one-time aspiring bass player who she didn't meet until she was older, isn't any better than the one with her mother. She and her sister, one-time manager LaTonya Blige-DaCosta, have completely severed professional ties, though Blige would not admit why.

Buzzworthy

Former 'Desperate Housewives' actor Page Kennedy has released a rap track called "Hold On" offering his version of why he was fired from the hit ABC series. On the cut Kennedy griped about the reports that he was fired for exposing himself to cast members, without really giving an alternate explanation. "My departure was part of a particular incident that I'm done mentioning/ What else could I say, they went another way, they recast me right after they unmasked me/ And actually it wouldn't have been as bad as it is, if the tabloids would have been spreading bull- about what I did," he rapped. The actor, who also appeared in Usher's box office bomb 'In The Mix,' gets graphic when disclosing that he'd contemplated suicide. On the track, a gunshot is fired before a little girl screams, "Daddy? Daddy!" Vowing to make a comeback, Kennedy closes the track by saying, "See how the media is bad blooding me, now watch the next project they'll be back loving me. So hold on!"

Janet Jackson is not only prepping a new album for release in 2006 with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and her boyfriend Jermaine Dupri, but the singer is also slated to appear in an upcoming film called 'Tennessee.' The movie, to be produced by Lee Daniels ('Monster's Ball'), will also star Macaulay Culkin ('Home Alone').

Dionne Warwick will be saluted by a bevy of singers to celebrate her 45th year in the music industry. The special will be taped on Jan. 26 at the Kodak Theatre and feature appearances by Stevie Wonder, Mya, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Isaac Hayes, Olivia Newton-John, Angine Stone, Burt Bacharach and Nancy Wilson, among others. The broadcast date and network will be announced later.

BV Scene

'The Real World' star turned hip-hop activist Kevin Powell dining with a pal at MoBay Restaurant in Harlem ... Kelis was spotted days before Christmas buying Martha Stewart tree ornaments at the Astor Place Kmart in New York's East Village... Radio and TV talent Egypt at The Pink Tea Cup in New York's SoHo district ... Media maven Tanya Hart hosted a fundraising dinner for Save Africa's Children at the McClaney Estate in the Holmby Hills section of Calif. The charity's founder, West Angeles Church of God in Christ pastor Bishop Charles E. Blake, was in attendance along with notables Samuel L. Jackson and wife LaTanya Richardson, baseball great Dave Winfield, Victoria Rowell ('The Young and the Restless'), singer Tamyra Gray, celebrated real estate developer Phillip Hart and Billy Davis Jr. and wife Marilyn McCoo.

Can't Say Names...

Is mistress number three becoming bride number two? According to some friends of the ex-wife of a popular television personality, that's exactly what's happening. Apparently said TV talent had been cheating on his wife of more than a decade with women in just about every time zone. When his wife discovered his three extramarital affairs -- not to mention that he'd paid for one mistress's nose job -- she immediately filed for divorce. Now everyone is wondering how long it'll take the mistress with the engagement ring to find out about his newest fling.

Year End Review: Part One

Let's recap some of BV Buzz's most significant stories from the last six months of 2005. Next week, we'll cover January through May.

Terrence Howard begins dating singer March Anthony's ex-wife Dayanara Torres Delgado after his wife Lori left him for her high school sweetheart... Eddie Murphy and 'Access Hollywood' host Shaun Robinson begins dating after Eddie's wife Nicole files for divorce ... 'American Idol's' Jennifer Hudson is cast as Effie in 'Dreamgirls' movie ... 50 Cent confirmes signing Mase to G-Unit ... Countess Vaughn filed for divorce from her husband of three years, Joseph James ... Fabricated rumors of a romance between Queen Latifah and Laila Ali are proven false ... The New York Times best-selling author Karrine Steffans ('Confessions of a Video Vixen') begins dating HBO political pundit and comedian Bill Maher ... Foxy Brown suffers from sudden sensorineural hearing loss ... Thea Vidale lashes out R. Kelly after prosecutors in Polk County, Florida dropped their charges against him ... Lil' Mo separates from her husband, real estate developer Al Stone ... Kirk Franklin discloses his addiction to pornography to BV Buzz, before discussing the issue on 'Oprah' ... Usher splits with his model girlfriend Eishia Brightwell ... Salt-N-Pepa and the original En Vogue reunite for 'VH1 Hip Hop Honors'... Tamyra Gray parts ways with 19 Entertainment, the company behind 'American Idol' ... Ray J makes a successful comeback with "One Wish" and his UPN sitcom 'One On One' ... Destiny's Child's Michelle Williams lands the coveted Gap campaign ... Sexual assault and battery charges dropped against 'Best Damn Sports Show Period' host John Salley ... Damon Wayans message on war to President George W. Bush: "I'll send my sons if he sends his daughters." ... Sheryl Underwood lands 'Comic View' hosting gig ... Luther Vandross passes away ... Gospel star Kim Burrell prays a woman back to life during Dr. Bobby Jones' retreat in Fort Lauderdale ... SWV, Guy and Jodeci reunite ... LisaRaye McCoy and Turks and Caicos Chief Minister Michael E. Misick call off their wedding ... A.J. Calloway and Free quit '106 & Park.' ... Major restructering affects UPN shows 'One On One' and 'All of Us.'... Kym E. Whitley lands a lucrative holding deal with Touchstone TV ... Bow Wow and Ciara begin dating ... Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth divorces her husband Aaron Stallworth ... Former Michael Jackson rep Bob Jones releases tell-all 'Michael Jackson: The Man Behind the Mask' ... Eve is involved in yet another X-rated video scandal.