The good news keeps a-coming for comedienne Niecy Nash.

I saw her cuddled up with her boyfriend, Jay Tucker, at the HBO post-Emmys party last week and should have known by her glow that something was brewing between the two lovebirds. The former Dancing With The Stars contestant is engaged and says she’ll be a spring bride. The pair plan to wed in May.

Nash, who hosted Style Network’s Clean House, an Emmy-winning show, and Tucker shared their news with friends over the weekend at a party. Guests say that Tucker then surprised her with a diamond engagement ring. One guest in attendance? Her DWTS partner, Louis van Amstel. (Remember when van Amstel was teaching her one dance, their theme was forbidden love and she cried, talking about how she’d be devastated if she and her boyfriend weren’t allowed to love one another? So touching.)

Nash, who also was recently named Entertainment Tonight’s Dancing With The Stars correspondent, tells the TV show, “I cannot believe that God has been this kind that he would gift me this man. I love you so much.”

Nash and Tucker were introduced to each other just last year, and she tells ET “falling in love was the easy part, planning a wedding — yikes!”

Also: naturally, she tweeted the news to her fans. (Because if it’s not Twitter official, it’s not, well, official.)

“I was asked a VERY important question,” she tweeted. “I couldn't contain how happy I was!!!! I said ‘yes’!!!!! So amazing…”

This will be the second marriage for 40-year-old Nash. She divorced Don Nash in 2007 and the two have three children.

Congrats and good luck!

 ***

2010-09-03

Now here’s a refreshing notion: a former Hollywood wild child isn’t blaming her folks for her past misdeeds.

Flashback to a few years ago, when Nicole Richie – the adopted daughter of R&B master Lionel Richie and his ex-wife Brenda – was the socialite who’s mug shot seemed to be a common image. Now? She’s transformed herself into quite the fashion plate and model mama.

I actually dig Richie. She’s a smart cookie and we’ve been able to chat a few times and I’ve found her to be quite pleasant and sweet and very much on her game. You wouldn’t exactly guess it by what you’d read about her these last few years, but she’s got some down home sensibilities about her.

When we last chatted, she and I laughed about how our families shared an Alabama background, our dad’s love of grits in the morning and what it was that ultimately saved her from continuing down the wrong path. In short? It was the birth of her daughter Harlow, who turns 3 at the top of next year (dad is rocker Joel Madden).

Richie says it forced her to grow up and take responsibility. She and Madden now have a son, Sparrow, who turns 1 next week.

“I’ve been lucky enough to find a healthy balance in my life with everything. I just take it day by day,” she told me when we last chatted about a year ago, right as she seemed to have gotten her life all the way together.

Sounds like things have only gotten better. She’s gracing the cover of October’s InStyle magazine, looking every bit the fashion rock star that she’s become. She says a lot of poignant things in the story — the kinds of tidbits that can prevent a potentially troubled kid from becoming an after-school special.

She talks up her past, sharing this nugget: “One thing about me is that I've always taken responsibility for my own actions whether they're good or bad. Even when I was going through my tough time, that was a situation that I created,” she says. “People ask me, do I blame Hollywood or my parents? No, I don't blame my parents. It had nothing to do with them. I created it and manifested it and I got myself through it with the help of a lot of great people.”

You have to respect that. I know I do.

 ***

2010-09-02

Don't send wedding gifts to Minaj and Drake — yet

There’s no need for tears.

Drake and Nicki Minaj aren’t married.

The two rappers who share a label (Young Money) and a mentor (Lil’ Wayne) were only goofing around on Twitter the other day when they announced that they’d tied the knot.

Naturally, the news hit micro-blogging site hard; folks were starting all types of trending topics about how the two got hitched. Maybe people believed it because of a Drake lyric? In his track “Miss Me,” he rather humorously raps to Minaj, saying “I hope one day we get married just to say we … did it.”

A few days ago, Minaj tweeted, “Yes, it’s true. Drake and I tied the knot.” Drake tweeted “Please refer to @nickiminaj as Mrs. Aubrey Drake Graham and don’t stare at her too long. She’s finally mine.”

I can see why people got excited about the idea of the pairing. You can’t find anybody hotter in contemporary hip hop other than those two kids.

I know Drake's music well, but was not so familiar with Minaj. Then I listened to her music. Then I talked with her. She impressed me as a thoughtful musician who really cares about the product that she’s putting out and the image that people are buying into.

Like any new hot chick on the scene, she’s got haters.

What I wanted to know was how does she handle it?

“Don’t go on the internet. Don’t listen to anyone that you think would be talking about you. I don’t go on any blogs — at all, period. So whether they’re talking good or bad, I wouldn’t know,” the 25-year-old rapper tells me. “I’ll get alerts from people who are in my close circle. And I go on Twitter. But you have to say, ‘listen: if I wasn’t doing something well, no one would care about who Nicki Minaj was.”

She’s right about that.

And in case you needed a bit more of an official word that their Twitter marriage, was in fact, just a Twitter marriage, there’s this recent tweet: “my husband Drake and I have decided to have our marriage annulled. We'll maintain joint custody.”

Custody of what exactly? Based on the early success of their careers, let's assume it's the hot tracks.

***

Here’s the thing: Rihanna looks so amazing these days that you almost want her to not be real.

That’s kind of the case now. Early this morning, a wax figure of the singer was revealed at Madame Tussauds wax museum in Washington, D.C. As is the case with most of these body doubles, her likeness is chilling. The figure is wearing a black lace corset, tight pants and black heels – in other words, it’s just as fierce as the real thing itself. The outfit is styled to look like what the singer wore to French design house Balmain’s show last October for Paris Fashion Week.

The singer wasn’t there for the revealing, but a spokesperson says that she saw the figure last week and “absolutely loved it.”

***

Fall TV is literally right around the corner – and the time is now to set your Tivo.

One of the hottest shows on network TV is Dancing With The Stars, and coming off the heels of last season, it has big stilettos to fill.

This season’s cast doesn’t seem to quite measure up with last year’s hot cast – ahem, Chad Ochocinco, anyone? – but there certainly are some interesting names in the mix here. Last night, the 11th season cast was announced, and the lineup includes some familiar faces, and some names who may require a quick explanation or two.

There always seems to be a pop star in the mix. This year it’s Brandy, and former Laker-turned-actor Rick Fox also is on the cast. (I ran into Fox last week and we chatted, and it seems he’ll be pulling double duty because he told me he’d be returning to The Game, which comes back to BET at the top of next year. The show goes into production in Atlanta next month.) Others in the cast: Disney actor Kyle Massey will all be dancing their butts off this season. Florence Henderson, Bristol Palin, actress Jennifer Grey, “Hills” reality alum Audrina Patridge, funnywoman Margret Cho, “Jersey Shores” Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Kurt Wagner and Michael Bolton.

The new dance competition begins airing on Monday, Sept. 20 

***

2010-08-30

So it’s not always bad news all the time post breakup.

Superstar actress Halle Berry and her ex-boyfriend, Gabriel Aubrey, prove that when it comes to co-parenting – even after what might have been a not-so-pleasant parting – a former twosome can still be cordial. The two share custody of their 2-year-old daughter, Nahla, and they’ve been seen all over the world lately, traveling with their tot.

People magazine quotes a source close to the Oscar-winning actress as saying “they are great parents and they want the best for Nahla. She is their priority. They love that little girl a lot.”So far, they’ve been seen in California, South Africa and in England. The three were in South Africa l ast month so that Berry, 44 – wow, seriously? 44? – could get to work on her maritime thriller, Dark Tide.

That said, don’t get too upset, gents. Berry is still on the market. The two may be spending time together, but there’s no romantic entanglements whatsoever.

“They’re going to co-parent and go on with their lives,” the same unnamed source tells People. “They will be in each other’s lives forever.”

People snags another good post-breakup nugget in their latest issue that features a spread with R&B king, Usher. In the article, he talks up his breakup with ex-wife, Tameka Raymond, and truthfully, it doesn’t sound all bad.

“I appreciate the relationship for what it was,” he says in the article. “Even though it didn’t work out, I’m glad we got together. I love her as the mother of my children; we just couldn't be married.”

And why was that exactly? The 31-year-old-singer (and let’s be honest, his music is soundtracking this summer; he’s putting out his best work these days) chalks it up to the disagreements he and Tameka had after the birth of his second son. They disagreed over how to parent with his busy schedule, he tells the magazine.

“We're two different people and we have two different goals. It just was never going to work out 100 percent,” he says.

The two now share custody of Usher V (he turns 3 later this year) and Naviyd, who’ll be 2.

“We had to put our issues aside and focus on raising them. There will never be another mother for my sons, and I'll always be their father,” he finishes up.

 ***

2010-08-27

Kimora Lee Simmons, Baby Phat part ways

It’s official: Kimora Lee Simmons has parted ways with Baby Phat, a fashion line that she launched with her ex-husband Russell Simmons.

Late last week, the former model broke news to her Twitter followers that she would be leaving the label behind, to instead focus on her other labels. But, the New York Post's Page Six now reports that she was dumped by the label, which is owned by Kellwood Co.

“Kimora was going over budget. She’d pay herself a fee to be in the ads, plus she paid her children fees to appear in ads. It costs thousands of dollars to airbrush her because she's a size 10. Plus, they spent a ton of money on body doubles. They would shoot another model in the clothes, and take Kimora’s head and put in on her body,” the gossip column writes, quoting an unnamed source.

“It’s time for me to move on and further expand my other businesses and create a new phenomenon. I adore all those who have faithfully been with me since the beginning,” Simmons says in a statement. “I’m forever dedicated to my family, fans and customers. My inspiration has always come from the fabulous women who have been with me through the years as we've grown from young party girls to power players! We're ready for our next journey together and we're taking a whole new generation of incredible young women with us. Girl power unite!”

Simmons, who divorced hip-hop music mogul Russell Simmons in 2008, served as creative director of the label, and her other business interests, include her clothing lines, KLS, Fabulosity and Kouture by Kimora Collection for Macys. Russell Simmons sold Phat Farm to Kellwood in 2004 for $140 million.

After the news broke, Simmons headed back to Twitter to tweet a few more updates to fans. She told them that there wouldn’t be a Baby Phat fashion show at this year’s Fashion week, tweeting “I will not b there. And corporate has decided not 2 do one!”

Simmons, who also is the star of her own reality show, “Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane,” tweeted that her daughters with Russell Simmons, Ming Lee and Aoki Lee, will cease modeling for the Baby Phat line as well.

***

2010-08-26

The good news is that super producer Timbaland is still alive.

The odd news is why we wondered about that in the first place.

On Wednesday, TMZ reported that the producer’s mother-in-law called police and filed a missing person’s report, saying that the 39-year-old was upset over what was filed in a police report as a stolen $2 million dollar watch.

As a result of the missing person’s report, the LA County Sheriff’s Department sent out a “possible suicide attempt” alert.

Timbaland — who’s the reason we like to crank up the bass in our cars in the summertime — called in to Ryan Seacrest’s radio show, saying “the only thing I did was take a drive.”

But in a recording of the 911 call from the woman who said she was his mother-in-law (naturally, TMZ posted it on their site), she says that the producer was near a cliff.

A police helicopter later found Timbaland, and brought him to his home. In regard to the theft report, police said that while there was an apparent theft, there was no break-in.

“I don’t know what happened, to be honest with you, I don't even know what people are talking about,” Timbaland went on to say in the interview with Seacrest. “I wasn’t talking, so I guess people got worried.”

And even stranger, when Ryan asked about the watch, Tim told him that something was in fact stolen from his home in Malibu, but it wasn’t a watch. He also brushed the notion off, adding “why would I commit suicide? I could buy what was stolen.”

He’s telling the truth. Deputies called paramedics to evaluate him, and they determined that he was not a threat to himself.

Good to know. A piece of bling — or whatever it was — even one worth $2 million, isn’t worth taking your own life. I bet we’ll hear more about this story in the coming days.

***

2010-08-25

If your celebrity curiosity can stomach it, hang tight for two more days and most will be revealed.

The new People magazine hits newsstands that day, and Elin Nordegren graces the cover, breaking her nine-month silence about her split with super athlete Tiger Woods.

In the exclusive interview, she talks about what life hasbeen like for her since the golfer’s infidelity made national news.

Her divorce from the 34-year-old golfer was finalized earlier this week; this article comes days after the ink was dry.

“I have been through the stages of disbelief and shock, to anger and ultimately grief over the loss of the family I so badly wanted for my children,” she says in the article.

But there’s hope here: Nordegren, who is 30 and has two children with Woods (Sam, 3, and Charlie, 19 months), says that she is studying for a bachelor’s degree in psychology and that she’s doing just fine.

“I also feel stronger than I ever have,” she says. “I have confidence in my beliefs, my decisions and myself. My immediate plan is for the kids and me to continue to adjust to our new situation. I am going to keep taking classes, but my main focus is to try to give myself time to heal.”

The magazine conducted the interview in four visits to her home in Florida, and in the spread, she shares some never before seen photographs.

The most important news she shares with the magazine? She says that this will be her only interview because she wants to remain a private person.

In other words, no Oprah.

 ***

2010-08-24

Ah, yes. I could have just pictured it.

And you could have, too, if you put aside any ill feelings you may have about Chris Brown and instead just choose to focus on the talent.

Less than a week ago, there was a hint that Brown and Usher might be touring together.

You know how things go these days — there are tweets, shoutouts from concert stages — and next thing you know it’s like, a thing. That’s exactly what happened here.

Plus, it didn’t help that producer and songwriter Bryan Michael Cox — one of my favorites — added fuel to the fire by saying the twosome may head out and tour together.

“Usher and the boy Chris Brown are going on tour, y’all know that, right?” Cox asked viewers in a Youtube clip last week. “They might don’t know that,” replied Jermaine Dupri, who was filming.

Then there were the tweets from the guys themselves: “What would you guys say if me and usher went on tour?” Brown asked, while Usher tweeted “if you could see Usher perform live with anyone — who would it be?”

But according to Brown’s fan site, chrisbrownweb.com, no such plans are in the works.

Tweets that were posted from Brown’s twitter account asking fans if they’d like to see such a tour have been removed from his account.

Oh well.

In other Brown news, his new film, “Takers” opens this weekend. He co-stars in the action film alongside heart throbs Idris Elba, Michael Ealy and T.I.

Make sure you check out the MyJet247.com video interview with Brown and Ealy, who play sibblings in the film. 

***

2010-08-23

Whatever you do, PUH-LEEZE don’t blame Rihanna for Matt Kemp’s not-so-stellar performance this season.

The Los Angeles Dodger (though, come on, we best know him as Rihanna’s boyfriend, these days) owns up to not performing his ultimate best, but says that his new high-profile girlfriend is not to blame.

I can understand why folks might think that. It’s almost impossible not to Google-image a photo of her and not see Kemp right by her side. The two have become one of the paparazzi’s most favorite couples to photograph and it’s easy to see why. They make an extremely good-looking pair.

Glancing at candid photos of the twosome, they seem to be very happy, in love and rather oblivious to the media attention they get.

But, Kemp is speaking out, saying that this is no Jessica Simpson-Tony Romo situation (the blonde pop singer was blamed as the reason the Dallas Cowboys had a blah season).

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the major league outfielder addresses that – and a few other issues — head on.

“I’m a grown man,” he says. “You’re picked on when you’re a kid.” When Kemp was asked if his own team has been too hard on him, he said, “I’m not going there.”

Now on to the good stuff. Is his superstar pop singer girlfriend to blame for his lackluster performance this year?

“Yeah, there have been times probably when I haven’t given 100 percent. But I want people to know I work hard, and I definitely care. I’ve been trying to do everything I can to figure this out,” he said. “My girl has nothing to do with what I do on the baseball field. If anything, she helps. She makes me happy, and as stressed as I am coming home sometimes, it’s nice to have someone there who just wants to support you.”

Got that, haters? Good.

 ***

When Phife Dawg takes the stage Saturday in Los Angeles to kick off the North American leg of the much-anticipated Rock The Bells concert festival, it’ll be a bit more special.

Two years ago, the electric emcee for A Tribe Called Quest — one of the greatest rap groups of all time — was being wheeled into a surgery for a kidney transplant and at the time he wasn’t sure if he would live, much less rock the mic again.

Everybody is talking about Lauryn Hill’s comeback that’s a part of this tour — and that’s exciting. But I was wowed at how inspirational Phife’s own story is.

I got a chance to chat with Phife the other day (we know each other through a friend) fresh off of an Australian tour with the hip-hop group. Soon, after these special select dates, he’ll get to work to finish up his solo album, and then he’ll get to promoting a documentary on the iconic hip-hop group, “Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest,” which is being produced by actor Michael Rapaport.

“Tribe means a group of people of African origin, or whatever. Tribe was supposed to continue to grow. When you had the original four, it was supposed to grow into something else,” he says, educating me on the group’s origins. “It was supposed to be an army at one point. So that never happened. But that wasn’t the initial plan. I just thought I would go solo, come back with the group. It wasn’t even a money thing back then. We really piled on a lot. We really did. As far as my solo project coming together right now, I’ve been out of the game since 2000. I had some health issues and I wasn’t thinking about music. I was just thinking about health, health, health and getting myself back. Finally, I was able to get my kidney transplant.”

His illness took away his want to rhyme, a tragedy if you’ve ever heard more than 30 seconds of a Tribe album.

Then good news came, and hip-hop heads everywhere get to reap the benefits of it all.

“But then they said my kidneys were working, and I took a trip to New York and got the bug again. I’ve been writing on the Blackberry ever since,” he tells me, laughing. “I gotta get my wind back as far as going on stage, though. I think I’ll be alright. That’s rough on somebody who’s ever received a kidney transplant.”

Then he pauses, and finishes up with: “I’m getting it back. Make no mistake. I am. I just humbly accept whatever comes my way – good, bad or indifferent. There was a time I didn’t even think I was going to be here to talk about this. I fought to be here. By the grace of God, I’m here. It definitely changed me. I think before I say certain things. I think before I do certain things. I’m just a little more laid back. That comes with age, too.”

And there is good news coming. Phife is working on turning his sports blog, “The FANalysts,” into a sports radio show with our mutual buddy, The Gambler, and from his description of it, it sounds like what happens when “Rap City” meets “The Mo’Nique Show” meets “The Best Damn Sports Show.”

Phife tells me he loved sports before he loved music, which tells me that this new venture will pan out quite marvelously for him.

 ***

 2010-08-19

See what you’ve done, Twitter?

What started off sounding like a tongue-in-cheek exchange of tweets, has apparently become a reality.

Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Raekwon are cooking up a musical collaboration.

Here’s how it all started: Kanye and Usher’s protege Bieber, got into a back-and-forth tweet love fest, when the Chicago rapper tweeted Bieber that he liked his track “Runaway Love.” Next thing you know, Kanye was all “maybe we can do something together. Me, You and Raekwon.”

We all twit-laughed about it, there were funny hashtags created, you know, the usual.

But the iconic Raekwon told XXL that “it’s definitely gonna happen.”

Say what now? 

“When you got these kinda talents merging together to do something exciting, I think it’s something that’s gonna make the fans check it out. I’m big fans of both of these guys. I think, at the end of the day, shorty is a sensation. And [for him] to acknowledge me it makes me feel good that the young generation is checkin’ me out like that. And at the same time it gives me a position to play a big brother in the game," the Wu-Tang member told the hip-hop music magazine. “Yeezy called me and we gon’ make it pop. At the end of the day we’re all doing our thing in the game and for them to even just have a conversation and just put my name in it it feels good… And we gon’ make a hit.”

Announcing it in the magazine wasn’t enough. Raekwon also posted it on Twitter, saying “on my way to the airport to nyc to get up wit my legendary @kanyewest! Yall asked for it now we’re gonna deliver!”

Because in 2010, it ain’t official until it’s on Twitter.

Now we wait patiently for that culture clash of a collab to hit the streets.

***

2010-08-17

Here’s why Kelly Rowland ranks high in my book — she takes her position as role model seriously.

The former Destiny's Child singer may not have reached the level of pop music success solo, as say, Beyonce has, but she’s doing her thing.

I’ve spent a bit of time with Rowland and I find her to be extremely genuine, hardworking and take her at her word. Especially about the role model business.

I nodded my head in agreement when I came across a recent interview Rowland gave to Britain’s Style magazine, because she and I had a similar conversation about a year back. Naturally, because of her popularity there, she travels quite often to promote her Euro-club sound that resonates so well in non-domestic markets.

When she and I last talked, I asked her about her international success. After two solo releases, they just didn’t seem to pop for whatever reason stateside, but overseas? That was another story.

She agreed, and said that she had recently decided to embrace her international glory, telling me “here, sometimes it's like my music didn't quite work, but overseas it's on top of everybody's chart. I've had more international success than domestic success, and I think that opens my eyes up to music. I mean, I just got back from performing in Lebanon. Lebanon!"

In this recent interview with the Brits, she talked up the Ibiza club scene, and recalled the time she was there promoting her hot hit “When Love Takes Over,” a collaboration with French DJ David Guetta. While there, she said her Just-Say-No stance was strengthened. (I’ve heard how heady the club and drug scene can be on the Spanish island.)

“Once, at Pacha [nightclub] in Ibiza, I looked into the crowd and thought, ‘That's heavy.’ Looking at those people, all completely spaced out, I felt worried for them,” she said. “I’m not indulging [in drugs]. That is not how I run my business. I love the fact I have control over myself. It's important to always be a lady. People come up to me and say, ‘My daughter looks up to you as a role model’, and I take that seriously.”

We’re glad you do, too.

***

2010-08-16

Please stop pressuring Beyonce and Jay-Z to have a baby.

It’ll happen, the pop star insists, but it’ll happen on her own time.

The 28-year-old singer (she turns 29 next month) tells You magazine, which is published by Britain’s Mail, that she and her hubby wants kids, but aren’t rushing to make it happen.

“My ambition is to continue to learn about the world and to eventually have a family,” she tells the magazine.

Naturally, they pressed her, considering that she’s the subject of “is-she-or-isn’t-she-pregnant” buzzing every now and again. She in turn says, “no dates, no times – it will happen when I am ready.”

The big hold up? Her crazy life, for starters.

“I love so many different things, and to have the discipline to turn certain things away and focus on one thing at a time so that I can give it 100 percent is really hard,” she said in the interview. “Probably the biggest challenge in my life is time – making sure I have time to be a wife, to be a singer, to be a songwriter, to be an actor and still have time for my clothing line and now for my perfume. I am like any other woman who has a child, who has a husband, who has a job. I think it’s the hardest thing about being a woman because we have so many responsibilities.”

In other words: stop with the pregnancy rumors, already.