00:00Hey, hey, Essence.com, I'm Dana Blair, and this is 7 Things We're Talking About.
00:10Number one this week, fall TV is back, and last week we all sat on our sofas in great
00:15anticipation of The Empire Season 2 premiere. From Cookie's next move in the corporate takeover
00:20to Lucius's adjusting to life behind bars, the world could not wait to see what happened
00:25next. And I do mean the world. The celeb cameo packed premiere episode scored over 20 million
00:31viewers. Compared to the show's all-time high for the two-hour season one finale on March 18th,
00:36The Empire Season 2 debut rose 4% in the demo to establish a completely new record. Congratulations
00:43to Lee Daniels and the cast of Empire. We cannot wait to see what happens next. All right, Michael
00:49B. Jordan is refuting reports that he sent a Snapchat to fans saying he believes all lives
00:54matter. In an open letter given exclusively to Essence.com, the star says he is and has
00:59always been a strong supporter of the hashtag Black Lives Matter movement. Jordan, who just
01:04announced plans to play African-American attorney and equal justice initiative founder Bryan Stevenson
01:08in the film adaptation of his memoir, Just Mercy, is also elaborating on controversial remarks
01:14he made about race in Hollywood during a GQ interview where he said, and I quote, he wanted
01:19roles that were written for white characters. You can read this exclusive letter in its entirety
01:23right here on Essence.com.
01:25On a much, much more somber note, after 20 years of marriage, Anthony Anderson and his
01:30high school sweetheart, Alvina, are calling it quits. Alvina filed the divorce document
01:34citing irreconcilable differences and is asking for spousal support and joint legal custody
01:39for their 15-year-old son, Nathan. The couple also has a 19-year-old daughter named Kyra.
01:44Alvina states the date of their separation as early as April 1st of last year. Anderson's rep
01:49told E! News, yes, the divorce papers are public record and they have been separated
01:52for some time now. Alvina did not accompany the Black-ish star to the 2015 Emmy Awards,
01:57where he was nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy.
02:00Now, as if we were not already in love with our FLOTUS, First Lady Michelle Obama will appear
02:05on an upcoming episode of Doc McStuffins, the beloved animated Disney Junior series about
02:09a stuffed animal veterinarian. The First Lady appears as herself on the series when a group
02:13of children visit 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for a tour. In a clip released by Disney Junior,
02:18the First Lady praises the kids for making a difference in their communities. According
02:22to Variety, the First Lady later appoints Doc McStuffins to the position of official toy
02:26doctor at the White House. Um, can you say adorable? Alright, Essence, you may remember that last
02:32week we discussed Zendaya and her new Barbie doll. Well, we have even more fabulous doll news.
02:38The Bratz brand announced that Taraji P. Henson and Uzo Aduba and their 2015 Emmy looks
02:42would become dolls. Taraji showed off her excitement via Instagram by reposting the
02:47official Bratz page, featuring a likeness of the Empire star wearing her gorgeous Alexander
02:52Wayne dress. Uzo's doll is featured with a replica of her Emmy. Congratulations, ladies.
02:57Alright, Essence, hold on to your seats for this next story. A recent video from a WNCT reporter,
03:02Angela Green, has the hair world going nuts. Apparently, the veteran anchor advised her 19-year-old
03:08intern, Madison Jaggers, to straighten her beautiful curly hair for the sake of her
03:12budding news career. Green then went on to explain straight hair is what she felt was
03:16most acceptable in today's broadcast standards, based on her own experience and her desire
03:20to appease her bosses. Considering the massive natural hair movement happening in our community
03:25and on beauty shelves coast to coast, plus the love of our women that they're receiving on
03:30magazine covers and red carpets with their natural tresses, do you think the advice was necessary?
03:35Let us know your thoughts on social via at Essence Mag. Alright, last but certainly not least,
03:40the Bill Cosby update. First reported by TMZ, Fordham University here in New York City has
03:45revoked the honorary doctorate that was awarded to the actor in 2001. Last week, members of the
03:50Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to pull the 78-year-old's degree, marking the first time the
03:55school has done so in its 174-year history. A rep for Fordham confirmed that the comedian's degree
04:01was rescinded, explaining in a statement that the school, and I quote, has taken this extraordinary
04:05step in light of Mr. Cosby's now public court depositions that confirm many of the allegations
04:11made against him by numerous women. Fordham's actions follow Spelman College's decision in July
04:15to discontinue its endowed professorship with Cosby. Though Cosby has yet to face criminal charges
04:20stemming from the allegations, the public fallout includes the removal of a bronze bust of the
04:25actor from Disneyland, NYU's decision to remove Cosby's name from its Future Filmmakers Workshop,
04:30and the director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art, stating that she would
04:34never have moved forward with an exhibit featuring the artworks owned by the comedian had she been
04:39aware of the allegations against him. This week, Brown University also revoked Cosby's honorary degree.
04:45Well, there you have it. That's seven things we're talking about this week. I'm Dana Blair.
04:48I will see you here on Essence.com next time. Bye-bye.
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