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The 2026 Emmys had plenty of Black talent in the running, but when the trophies were handed out, the wins were noticeably missing.

At Monday night’s 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, the major acting categories were dominated by performers who were not from underrepresented communities. Across the lead and supporting drama and comedy races, along with the lead acting categories for limited series, all 10 winners were white.

Black stars and other performers of color were well represented among this year’s nominees, but once the wins were announced, those numbers told a very different story.

Ernest Harden Jr. Was The Standout

The biggest Black acting win of the Emmy cycle came before the Primetime ceremony even aired.

Ernest Harden Jr. took home Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Louie Cloverfield on HBO’s The Pitt during the Creative Arts Emmys. The 73-year-old actor’s win was a major career moment and placed him among a notable group of Black actors who have previously won the category, including Louis Gossett Jr., Charles S. Dutton, Laurence Fishburne, Paul Winfield, Glynn Turman, Joe Morton, Reg E. Cathey, Ron Cephas Jones, Courtney B. Vance and Colman Domingo.

Harden Jr.’s victory ultimately stood out as one of the few acting wins for a Black performer during this year’s Emmy ceremonies.

Octavia Spencer also won at the Creative Arts Emmys for narrating Lost Women of Alaska, marking another Black performer to take home an Emmy during the broader awards cycle. However, neither win came during Monday’s Primetime broadcast.

Plenty Of Nominations, Few Wins

The lack of Black winners was particularly noticeable considering the amount of Black talent represented on this year’s ballots.

According to Variety, 17 performers of color were nominated across the lead and supporting acting races in 2026. That number represents a steep drop from the 28 performers of color nominated the previous year, marking a 39% decline.

For comparison, the number peaked at 49 performers of color in 2021, the same year the Emmys became associated with the “#EmmysSoWhite” criticism.

This year, stars including Sterling K. Brown, Zendaya, and multiple members of the Abbott Elementary cast were among those who went home without an acting trophy. Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph even addressed the comedy race ahead of the ceremony, pointing out what she saw as an unusual situation for the ABC sitcom.

“Abbott Elementary, top of the conversation. Nominated for best cast, I’m looking forward to a win since we’re the only real comedy in the category,” Ralph said, per Page Six.

The beloved sitcom did not have the Emmy night many fans had hoped for.

A Different Story Behind The Camera

There were still historic wins for performers and creatives of color elsewhere in the ceremony.

Hiro Murai, a Japanese American filmmaker, won the Emmy for comedy directing for Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay. His victory made him the first Asian director to win the comedy directing category and only the third Asian director to win an Emmy in any category, following Beef creator Lee Sung Jin and Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk.

Still, the contrast between representation among nominees and winners was hard to ignore.

The Television Academy has more than 20,000 members divided into roughly 30 peer groups representing different areas of the television industry. Those groups help determine nominees and winners across various disciplines, meaning the final results are shaped by a complicated voting process that changes from category to category.

The sheer volume of television also plays a role. This year’s Emmy field included 110 drama series, 71 comedies, 31 limited series and 34 television movies, with nominees selected from hundreds of program submissions.

But for viewers watching Black stars and other performers of color get nominated only to see the trophies repeatedly go elsewhere, the explanation behind the voting system may not make the disappointment any less real.

The 2026 Emmys once again put the industry’s ongoing conversation about representation under the spotlight. Black talent was in the room, on the ballot and part of some of television’s biggest shows. When it came time to collect the hardware, however, those wins were far harder to find.

Check out the full list of nominees and winners for the 2026 Emmys after the flip:

The post #EmmysSoWhite Again: Only One Black Actor Won A Primetime Emmy Despite Numerous Nominations appeared first on Bossip.

Tyler Perry is getting ready to “chill out” a lot more in the near future, and he’s got it all planned out–down to him skipping out on marriage.

The 57-year-old multi-hyphenate recently revealed that he has plans to move to Puerto Rico with his 11-year-old son, Aman, to kick off 2027

During a recent interview on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, Perry opened up about his relocation plans for the first time. His answer came after reporter Justin Sylvester asked if he ever plans to “chill out” in his career.

“Yep, moving to Puerto Rico at the top of the year, and I’m pulling back a whole lot,” the film producer responded.

After celebrating his birthday last week, Perry admitted that the decision came as he grows more aware of his age.

“Getting older [inspired this],” he continued. “It’s time to slow down a bit, enjoy more time with my son and just take it all in.”

The filmmaker, who shares his son with ex-girlfriend Gelila Bekele, also said he never intends on getting married–another thing he attributes to his age.

“At this age, no, that’s not a good idea for me,” he said. “So no, won’t be any marriage for me.”

News of him shutting down the possibility of tying the knot comes after the release of his latest film, Why Did I Get Married Again?, the third installment in the Why Did I Get Married? franchise that started in 2007.

While celebrating his 57th birthday last week, Perry posted an eight-slide Instagram carousel titled “The Journey!!” which chronicled his life from childhood until now. The beloved filmmaker used his birthday to speak candidly about all of the trauma, loss, and mental health struggles he experienced along the way to becoming so successful.

In a vulnerable letter Perry addressed to his younger self, he recalled growing up in an unsafe home, also disclosing that he was sexually abused as a child.

As the star grew older, his life only got more difficult. He revealed in his letter that his best friend was murdered and that he was repeatedly racially profiled and harassed by police. Perry also wrote that he attempted suicide twice, including one instance in which he slit his wrist and another in which he took pills.

“Yet, by the grace of God, you wake up,” he wrote to himself.

Despite the ongoing struggles throughout his life, Perry says he can look back at his life with gratitude. Of the things to be grateful for, he pointed to the more than 45,000 people he says he has hired, the Black millionaires he says he has helped create, and the studio he built.

He ended the birthday message by encouraging anyone still struggling.

“There is life on the other side of it that will blow your mind,” he concluded. “Don’t let anyone count you out.”

The post Tyler Perry Reveals Plans To Move To Puerto Rico & Pull Back ‘From A Whole Lot’ Following Vulnerable Letter On His 57th Birthday appeared first on Bossip.

The 78th Primetime Emmys are underway, and several stars are sizzling and slaying television’s biggest night.

Among the evening’s standouts was Zendaya, who debuted a chic pixie cut and continued her seemingly unstoppable style streak in a custom Prada naked gown covered in crystals and intricate beading.

Her famed image architect, Law Roach, also confirmed that the new short ‘do was inspired by none other than Halle Berry.

“She’s debuting a new haircut,” he told Keltie Knight on Live From E!: 2026 Emmys. “It’s better tonight. She cut it a little bit more, and we’re paying homage to another great African American, beautiful actress.” 

As previously reported, Zendaya was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her performance as Rue in Euphoria, marking her third nomination in the category and sixth Emmy nod overall. She previously made history with wins in 2020 and 2022, becoming the youngest winner in the category and the first Black actress to win it twice.

She also hit the stage to present.

Also serving sumptuous style was Niecy Nash, who brought her bangin’ baaaaaaaaawdy to the carpet in a ravishing red gown while posing for pics with her HERSband, Jessica Betts.

Another style stunner was Chase Infiniti, who made a memorable Emmys entrance of her own in a custom Louis Vuitton bustier gown featuring black organza covered in copper gemstone embroidery.

She credited stylists Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald (Wayman + Micah) for the metallic moment.

The carpet marked an especially major moment for Chase who earned her first Primetime Emmy nomination for her performance as Agnes in Hulu’s The Testaments. She’s competing for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series alongside Zendaya, Carrie Coon, Keri Russell and Rhea Seehorn.

Last, but certainly not least, Sheryl Lee Ralph shimmered in a multicolored sequined Sergio Hudson column gown.

The Abbott Elementary actress sparkled from every angle in the curve-caressing creation while celebrating Abbott’s Outstanding Comedy Series nomination.

More on the flip!

The post Style Standouts: Celebs Sizzle & Slay The 2026 Emmys appeared first on Bossip.

Residents in Jackson, Mississippi, a city that is roughly 82% Black, have been grappling with an ongoing water crisis — a public health crisis caused by infrastructure neglect, severe weather, and a deteriorating water system — since the near-collapse of its water treatment plant in 2022. This month, the U.S. court system responded to the issue the same way America has always responded to Black people in crisis: by telling them they don’t have the right to live.

Well, OK, what actually happened is the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in a  10-5 decision that the alleged contamination of Jackson’s water system did not violate rights protected by the 14th Amendment.

“The Constitution does not provide redress for every governmental wrongdoing,” Circuit Judge Kurt Engelhardt wrote in response to a lawsuit filed by residents over the city’s lead-contaminated water system in 2022. According to 8 News Now, plaintiffs Priscilla Sterling, Raine Becker, Shawn Miller and John Bennett argued that the city knowingly allowed residents to drink unsafe water, and the court basically decided that, even if that’s true, the U.S. Constitution doesn’t directly say city leaders aren’t allowed to do that.

Actually, Jackson’s water woes began long before 2022. Journalist Madiba K. Dennie, the Deputy Editor and Senior Contributor at Balls & Strikes, provided some of that history in a piece published Friday:

In 2014, Willie Bell, the interim director of Jackson’s Department of Public Works, alerted Mayor Tony Yarber that the river’s pH levels were causing a dangerous increase in the amount of lead in the water supply. Bell warned that the city urgently needed to upgrade its corrosion control program, and that the city’s residents were at high risk of lead poisoning. 

Yarber did not pass on these warnings to the public. He instead fired Bell and expanded the city’s use of the low-pH river water. As a result, the people of Jackson—more than 80 percent of whom are Black, and a quarter of whom live below the federal poverty line—kept drinking and cooking with and bathing in water that they didn’t know was poisoning them.

In June 2015, the Mississippi State Department of Health found that 22 percent of homes in Jackson had elevated levels of lead in the water, meaning the danger was even more widespread in Jackson than in Flint, Michigan. Still, no one told Jackson residents until early 2016. And even then, city officials downplayed the risks and told the public that the water was safe. “The system is not the issue,” said Yarber at a February 2016 city council meeting. “We are not even close to being Flint.”

That last part was interesting, because, if you’re like me, many of you were reading that excerpt and thinking, “Damn, Jackson is sounding just like Flint

The plaintiffs’ lawsuit specifically alleged that “the city had endangered their fundamental right to bodily integrity as well as their right to be protected from state-created dangers, as guaranteed by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment,” as Dennie wrote. But in June 2024, the District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi dismissed the case, finding that the residents hadn’t proven their Constitutional rights were violated. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, on the other hand, ruled in November 2025 that while the city “plausibly violated the Constitution,” but was entitled to qualified immunity.

Now, the court is essentially saying there was no constitutional violation at all. So, at what point are we willing to admit this is necropolitics at work?

This is the same energy the Trump administration had when its Justice Department ended a wastewater settlement for a mostly Black Alabama town, falsely calling it “environmental justice as viewed through a distorting, DEI lens,” simply because environmental racism was addressed in the reaching of the settlement.

The post Jackson, MS Residents Not Legally Protected From Poisonous Water Supply [Op-Ed] appeared first on Bossip.

Pretty girls love tennis!

We’re back with more of the finest (and flyest) tastemakers, culture-shifters, and stars who served winning looks at this year’s super star-studded US Open.

This time around, Coco Jones set the tone in Thom Browne, along with Love Island‘s Core 4, Jordyn Woods, Victoria Monét, Coi Leray, SZA, and Big Mama Latto who caused quite the commotion with her first official outing with baby daddy boo thang 21 Savage.

While Latto was dripping in Burberry with a white Birkin and Loubotins, 21 Savage rocked an interesting collection of red, white and blue stripes with a matchy-matchy Atlanta hat.

Naturally, social media erupted with messy reactions to the duo’s first official pop-out which, based on most of the tweets, didn’t go as planned.

Once the smoke cleared, Big Mama clapped back with the seemingly unbothered caption, ‘I thought I told yall get off my jock,’ on a post showcasing her snazzy US Open look.

And for those waiting for a response from 21, well, you might be waiting forever since he barely posts online.

What was your reactions to 21 Savage and Latto finally popping out together? Which celebs had your favorite looks from the US Open (so far)? Tell us down below and enjoy MORE sporty stunners who served winning looks at the US Open on the flip.

The post Pretty Girls Love Tennis! A Second Serving Of Fly Girlies, Honey Deuce Hotties & Sporty Stunners Who Caused A Racket At The 2026 US Open appeared first on Bossip.

NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak have a long, complicated history from their time on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” but NeNe made clear this week that some things matter more than past drama. During an appearance on “The Big Tigger Morning Show” Friday, Leakes revealed she reached out to Zolciak last week to check on how she’s holding up amid her son KJ’s ongoing legal case.

“I recently spoke to Kim. I think it was last week,” Leakes said. “I just hit her up, wanted to know how she was doing… and made sure she was okay with what her son is dealing with. I know that’s a tough time, and I know she’s not okay.”

Their communication is unexpected given the tension that’s existed between NeNe and Kim for years. According to Page Six, the two famously feuded during their overlapping seasons on “RHOA” before NeNe exited the franchise in 2020. Their history grew even more contentious in April 2022, when Leakes filed a lawsuit alleging that Bravo and executive producer Andy Cohen had “encouraged” a work environment in which Kim made “racially offensive and stereotypical” comments toward her and other cast members. NeNe eventually dismissed the lawsuit “without prejudice” a few months later.

Despite that history, NeNe’s comments suggest the two have moved into a more civil, if not fully repaired, place in their relationship, especially as Leakes recently made her own return to the Housewives franchise for a cameo in “Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th.”

NeNe Leakes And Kim Zolciak Put Their Drama Aside

The situation Kim is navigating is undeniably heavy. Her 15-year-old son, Kroy “KJ” Biermann Jr., whom she shares with her estranged husband, Kroy Biermann, was arrested on August 21st on charges of aggravated sexual battery and sodomy following allegations that he assaulted a female classmate in a coed sauna at a Life Time fitness center in Alpharetta, Georgia. Kim spoke out shortly after his arrest, calling the allegations “reckless and deeply troubling” and stating that her son “categorically denies ever being involved with this woman or engaging in the conduct she has alleged.”

KJ was indicted on September 3rd on seven felony charges, including aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, aggravated sexual battery, false imprisonment, and three counts of aggravated sexual battery against a child under 16. Kim was later spotted arriving at Fulton County Superior Court for her son’s bond hearing, where an eyewitness described her as “stone-faced” throughout the proceedings while seated beside her daughter, Brielle.

During that same hearing, prosecutors revealed additional disturbing allegations, claiming investigators found videos on KJ’s phone allegedly showing him having sex with an underage relative. He was ultimately granted a $200,000 bond, with conditions requiring him to stay off social media and cell phones entirely, live at Zolciak’s home, and attend school virtually.

NeNe Leakes is no stranger to her children making headlines and facing legal troubles. Her eldest son, Bryson, has publicly struggled with addiction, with the latest arrest regarding unpaid child support. For now, it seems like the two are choosing compassion over old conflict during an uncertain chapter for Kim’s family.

The post NeNe Leakes Reconnected With Ex-RHOA Rival Kim Zolciak Amid Son KJ Biermann’s Sex Assault Case: ‘She’s Not Ok’ appeared first on Bossip.

Every year, National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from Sept.15 through Oct. 15, offers an opportunity to recognize the rich cultures, histories and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities, including the many Afro-Latino voices that have helped shape them.

Afro-Latinidad is incredibly diverse, spanning generations, countries and cultures. From Hollywood heavyweights and chart-topping musicians to television stars and rising actors, Black Latinos are continuing to make their mark, all while challenging long-standing ideas about what Latino identity is supposed to look like.

The celebrities featured here come from different backgrounds and have taken very different paths to the spotlight. But they share a common thread: each has helped bring greater visibility to Afro-Latino identity and shown that there is no single way to be Latino, or Afro-Latino. 

Here are 12 Afro-Latino celebrities you need to know. 

1. Amara La Negra

If you’re talking about Afro-Latina representation in pop culture, Amara La Negra deserves a spot near the top of the list. The Dominican-American singer, actress, dancer and television personality became widely known through Love & Hip Hop: Miami, but she’s been performing since childhood.

Amara has never been afraid to talk about colorism, anti-Blackness and the challenges darker-skinned Afro-Latinas face in entertainment. She’s used her platform to proudly celebrate her Dominican and African heritage and push back against the idea that being Black and Latina are somehow separate identities.

Her visibility is particularly significant because darker-skinned Afro-Latinas have historically had fewer opportunities to see themselves represented in mainstream Latino media. 

Read more after the flip!

The post Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month: 11 Afro-Latino Celebrities You NEED To Know appeared first on Bossip.

With bright lights, pictureqsue skylines and long city streets paved with art, NYC is the perfect playground for fashion. All of which is why stylistas, celebrities, reality TV personalities, influencers and stars alike descend upon the Big Apple for NYFW. From runway shows around the city to hot afterparties, the annual week of fashionable festivities brought out baddies like Tracee Ellis Ross, Nene Leakes, Brandy, Coco Jones, Danielle Brooks, Saweetie, Yvonne Orji, and more.

Brandy at Christian Siriano

Brandy proved blondes do have more fun when she popped out at Christian Siriano’s show in the front row beside Whoopi Goldberg and Tiffany Haddish. In true NYFW spirit, she popped out afterwards at the after party where she was serenaded by the designer himself.

NeNe Leakes Front Row

Sergio Hudson brings out the girls and his front row reflected that. NeNe Leakes, Crystle Stewart, Paris Chea, Bianca Lawson were some of the beautiful faces who showed up and showed out at Hudson’s show.

HB was on the scene at shows like Alice & Olivia, Sergio Hudson, Romeo Hunt, Son Jung Won, Harlem’s Fashion Row, Fashion Bomb Daily and more.

Keep scrolling to see who wore what to where at this year’s NYFW.

NeNe Leakes

From ATL to NYC. NeNe Leakes stunned at Sergio Hudson rocking her signature blonde tresses and a corset dress that cinched her at the waist and put her girls on display.

The post NYFW Street Style: Celebs Serving Looks Around The City appeared first on Bossip.

Hollywood has come a long way in its depiction of Black culture, going from an era where we couldn’t even be hired to portray our own race to becoming award-winning actors and actresses in our own right.

Unfortunately, we still deal with controversy when it comes to stereotypical roles reserved specifically for Black people. Although many thespians of color have shown autonomy in what acting jobs they choose to take or deny, the recent developments in artificial intelligence are threatening to add yet another hurdle to clear.

Famed director Paul Schrader proved that with his decision to use A.I. as a replacement for actors in his upcoming film, Three Guns At Dawn. His reason? No Black actors wanted to play the lead roles, which include a corrupt cop, a drug dealer and a sexual deviant.

RELATED: Black Actor Sir Lenny Henry Shares Survey That Says 64% Of Minorities In Hollywood Are Racially Profiled

Bad Boys Director Says Sony “Had No Faith” In The Film’s Success With Two Black Stars

“We sent it out to actors, and no Black actors wanted to play in a movie where there are no good Black people,” Schrader said in an interview with The Playlist, going on to blatantly add, “And it sort of died. But then AI came along, and I didn’t need Black actors.” The film, which originally had Antoine Fuqua attached to produce it, will reportedly be completely AI-generated. Schrader sees this decision as the project’s main source of pushback, completely ignoring the fact that Black actors simply don’t want to put on a performance that further perpetuates false characteristics of our race.

The Taxi Driver director’s affinity for A.I. has been brewing for a hot minute, even defending the use of it back in 2025 when he wrote on Facebook, “I just asked chatgpt for ‘an idea for Paul Schrader film.’ Then Paul Thomas Anderson. Then Quentin Tarantino. Then Harmony Korine. Then Ingmar Bergman. Then Rossellini. Lang. Scorsese. Murnau. Capra. Ford. Speilberg [sic]. Lynch. Every idea chatgpt came up with (in a few seconds) was good. And original. And fleshed out. Why should writers sit around for months searching for a good idea when AI can provide one in seconds?”

A few days ago, he added to the theory after getting self-satisfying results from ChatGPT on a prompt for a screenplay adaption of the Russell Banks novel, Affliction. “To ignore AI is to ignore the future,” he wrote as a closing statement. Our only rebuttal is, what about ignoring human decency?

The post IKYFL! Director Turns To AI For Stereotypical Roles Black Actors Won’t Take appeared first on Bossip.

Brian Steel might want to check his notifications because the streets, social media and hip hop are collectively singing his praises. Here’s everyone from social media to hip hop’s biggest stars celebrating Lil Durk’s attorney post his acquittal. 

According to Complex, after Lil Durk was acquitted on all five federal charges in his Los Angeles murder for hire case, attention quickly shifted to the Atlanta defense attorney standing beside him. Steel has become one of the most recognizable defense lawyers in hip hop and recently helped Durk’s legal team successfully challenge the prosecution’s case and the credibility of cooperating witnesses.

“22 months ago, Durk and I made an agreement. That we would make history with the greatest verdict in this country, and it happened today. Durk is not guilty of all charges,” Durk’s defense lawyer said.

And social media was not about to let the moment pass without giving the lawyer his flowers.

Steel has been practicing criminal defense since 1991, but his celebrity attorney era really took off during Young Thug’s YSL RICO case. His courtroom clash with Judge Ural Glanville became one of the trial’s most viral moments after Steel was held in contempt. The Georgia Supreme Court later unanimously reversed that contempt order, and Judge Glanville was eventually removed from the case.

Now add Durk’s acquittal to the résumé.

According to the publication, Steel joined Durk’s defense team in March 2026 alongside lead attorney Drew Findling. Young Thug even said he was responsible for sending Steel to help Durk, writing on X that he sent Brian to “take the case.”

During the trial, Steel went directly after the credibility of cooperating witnesses who testified against Durk. The defense argued that the prosecution’s witnesses had their own credibility issues and challenged the government’s version of events. After three days of deliberations, the jury returned not guilty verdicts on all five federal charges.

That was enough for social media to start treating Steel like the defense attorney version of a fourth-quarter superstar.

“The feds have what a 94% conviction rate?”

Brian Steel: “not with us”

The reactions circulating online have essentially turned into a Brian Steel appreciation club, with fans and hip hop watchers pointing to his track record in some of rap’s biggest courtroom battles. His client list has included Thug and Sean “Diddy” Combs, making his latest courtroom victory another major chapter in his increasingly famous career.

Still, there is an important footnote. Durk’s acquittal does not mean all of his federal legal troubles are over. Complex reports that he remains in custody ahead of another racketeering-related murder case, with that trial scheduled to begin Oct. 5 in Los Angeles.

For now, though, Brian Steel is enjoying another very loud courtroom victory. And judging by the internet, everybody has suddenly got his number on speed dial.

RELATED: Lil Durk Found Not Guilty In Murder-For-Hire Case

The post Steel Is Teflon! Everyone From Social Media To Hip Hop Stars Can’t Get Enough Of Praising Untouchable Attorney Brian Steel After Lil Durk’s Acquittal appeared first on Bossip.