VENUS & SERENA WILLIAMS IN HARPER'S BAZAAR MAGAZINE.

World renown tennis players/sisters Venus and Serena Williams glammed-up and slammed-down in their new photoshoot for Harper's Bazaar magazine.

....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

NEW PICS: SERENA WILLAIMS WINS THE 2008 U.S. OPEN WOMEN'S FINAL.

A handful of celebs such as Kimora Lee Simmons, Djimon Hounsou, Star Jones (with her new boo), Dawnn Lewis and rapper/actor Common (Serena's boo) all attended the 2008 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City this weekend. Richard and Oracene Williams, the parents of Serena and Venus were also in attendance. After Serena Williams knocked her big sister Venus out of the competition on September 3rd, she went on to whole shebang against Jelena Jankovic on Sunday, September 7, 2008.

MORE PICS AFTER THE JUMP!

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

VENUS & SERENA WILLIAMS ON WHY THEY WON'T 'BARACK THE VOTE' IN UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

They may have had to take sides on the court during the recent 2008 Wimbledon Championships, but tennis stars and Jehovah's Witnesses Venus and Serena Williams must remain neutral when it comes to politics. "I'm a Jehovah's Witness, so I don't get involved in politics. We stay neutral. We don't vote," Serena says. However, she did admit she is happy about Senator Barack Obama's success thus far and she says she should vote for him "if it wasn't for my religion." Sister Venus says what she does in tennis and when she helps people through UNESCO and other agencies "isn't really political." Jehovah’s Witnesses do not swear allegiance to an organization or nation, cannot join the armed forces, run for political office or vote. Hmph, you learn something new everyday.

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY BY CLICKING 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!'

In related news, the Williams sisters put Wimbledon in a headlock over the weekend (7.5.2008), with Venus winning the women's singles title over her sister Serena 7-5, 6-4, and both siblings teaming about 3 1/2 hours later to win the doubles championship. "We've both worked really hard this year, and I think the results showed here, both in the singles and the doubles," Venus said after winning the Wimbledon singles title for the fifth time. This is Venus' fifth title at Wimbledon's All England Club, while Serena was looking for her third after wins in 2002 and 2003. "I can't believe it is five because when you are in the final against Serena Williams five seems so far away," Venus said during her post-match interview. "It's unbelievable especially with some of the injuries I have gone through. I love this place." Including the prize money awarded to the singles champion and runner-up, along with what they earned for the doubles championship, the Williams family netted more than $2.5 million Saturday, according to the Associated Press.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

SERENA WILLIAMS IN EBONY MAGAZINE: DISHES ON RELATIONSHIP WITH RAPPER COMMON, NEW FILM ROLES...AND OF COURSE TENNIS.

Serena Williams played cutesy with Ebony magazine in a July cover story, by EUR contributing columnist Jasmyne Cannick, that eventually brought up the subject of rap star Common. Asked to comment on the recent dating rumors, she said: "I think he's a great guy. He's obviously a great artist who is timeless and classic. You can't beat that. But I have to focus on tennis because that's my goal in life." In the meantime, she says her plans for the summer include a trip to see the film Wanted, which stars Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and, lo and behold, Common. "I'm really looking forward to seeing that film," she laughs.

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY AFTER THE JUMP!

Meanwhile, Common has been busy, himself, trying to figure out a way to get more children to read. The rapper has just launched The Corner, an online book club designed to develop critical thinking skills among participants while giving them a chance to discuss current selections. The club is open to students age 13-18 and features recommended books that promote messages of tolerance, compassion and nonviolent expressions of achieving social justice. Members can also blog with each other about relevant topics and have a chance to participate in a live online chat with Common Ground Foundation staff. The Corner will also feature interviews each month with celebrity artists who will talk about their favorite books and why reading is so important to them.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

NEW CANDIDS: SERENA WILLIAMS IN BEVERLY HILLS; ASHANTI IN MANHATTAN.

Serena Williams spotted shopping for lotions and jewelry in Beverly Hills yesterday (April 25th, 2008.)

==================================
Here's Ashanti leaving her Manhattan Hotel.

.....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

NEW PICS: JILL SCOTT AND GABRIELLE UNION POSE NUDE IN ALLURE MAGAZINE'S NUDE ISSUE (MAY 2008).

Last January, I told you all that Jill would be posing nude in Allure magazine's May 2008 issue The purpose of the photo spread is to celebrate various shapes of the female body. "Here I am, naked in a magazine at size 16 ... We are all beautiful, each and every one of us. I don’t think that I am a particularly big girl, clearly I am not a small girl, but I think I am an average-sized American woman. I have been blessed with family and friends who appreciate all sides of me. My nude photo shoot for Allure, was so empowering and after it was all done, I was congratulated by staff members of Allure for breaking the mold,” said Scott.

Gabrielle Union and Scott are among the five celebrities chosen by Allure magazine to go completely naked for a pictorial. Actress Angie Harmon, also featured in the pictorial, reaffirms that the photos are not about selling sex. "It's about showing the female body in a positive, beautiful way," she says.

Celebrities featured in past nude issues of Allure magazine include: rapper Eve, Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas of TLC, Aisha Tyler, Kelly Rowland, Serena Williams
Pics courtesy of URBAN-HOOPLA
....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

SERENA WILLIAMS & BOYFRIEND COMMON DENIED ENTRANCE TO MIAMI CLUB.

Rapper-turned-actor Common and his rumored girlfriend, tennis ace Serena Williams were recently spotted clubbing in Miami. 'So what?' you ask? Well, the two--who still won't confirmed as to whether they are indeed a couple--apparently turned heads when they arrived at Miami's hot Prive Nightclub--hand in hand--only to be denied entrance because Common was inappropriately dressed and did not meet the venue's strict dress code. Rumors of their courtship began late last year (2007) after the two appeared together in Common's video I Want You. Soon after, they were caught holding hands and getting all lovey-dovey and whatnot at a party at hotspot Tenjune in Manhattan.

Previously, Common's most high-profile romance was with R&B star Erykah Badu, while Williams enjoyed a fling with director Brett Ratner as well as ATL co-star Jackie Long.

.....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

NEW PICS: D-WADE, STAR JONES, ALONZO MOURNING, RICHARD WILLIAMS @ SERENA'S SONY ERICSSON OPEN IN KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA.

Star Jones, Miami Heat players Dwayne Wade and Alonzo Mourning (and his wife Tracy) alongside Serena Williams' father Richard and his girlfriend cheer Serena on as she defeats Jelena Jankovic in their final match of the Sony Ericsson Open at the Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne, FL, on April 5, 2008.

(CLICK PICS TO ENLARGE)


....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!