TONI BRAXTON ON HER OUST FROM 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' & COPING WITH HER SON'S AUTISM.

I know I'm not the only one who was sad to see Toni Braxton eliminated from this season's Dancing with the Stars...especially when we have to be subjected to the geriatric-foolery that is Cloris Leachman! Anywho, Toni recently said that her departure from DWTS was bittersweet and that she truly considers her run a complete success because she overcame her heart condition to master the demanding ballroom routines each week. "My goal was reached," Braxton, who has coronary microvascular angina, told The Associated Press after being voted off Tuesday night. "I wanted to do better. I wanted to breathe better. And I was definitely breathing better. I've come a long way from Week One to Week Now." Braxton and her professional partner, Alec Mazo, received a score of 22 out of 30 from the show's judges during Monday's performance after a respectable West Coast swing routine. The Unbreak My Heart crooner was booted after that score was combined with viewer votes.

In related news, the singer says she has finally 'come to terms' with her youngest son, 5-year-old Diezel's autism after years of feeling nothing but confusion and guilt following his diagnosis. "You tend to blame yourself," the singer admits in the Oct. 27 issue of People, adding that she tortured herself with the question: "Is there something I did wrong?" Braxton says it took some time and a lot of patience to accept her son's condition. "A lot of times, parents are in denial because they want to think their child is perfect." With the help of an applied behavioral analysis (ABA) specialist who works with Diezel both at home and at school, Toni's family appears to have brighter days ahead. "A friend of mine told me, 'Toni, all these autistic kids in the world now, they are God's new angels, and they are here to show us life differently.' I've been embracing that. He's a wonderful kid."

Toni attends the 2008 Spirit of Life Award dinner honoring Doug Morris in Santa Monica, California.

Toni and Kim Kan't-Dance-shian at the Grand Opening of XIV Restaurant in West Hollywood, California.

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TONI BRAXTON SAYS HER HEART PROBLEMS WON'T HINDER HER COMPETING IN THIS SEASON OF 'DANCING WITH THE STARS.'

Singer Toni Braxton, who has just been cast to compete in ABC's seventh season of Dancing with the Stars, says she is determined to overcome the fears and anxiety that go along with her illness. “To be honest, I am a little nervous. Just because when I perform, the adrenaline gets pumping. I am a little nervous how my heart is going to feel,” Braxton said on Access Hollywood . And second, am I going to remember my steps because I am so worried about my heart?” Braxton was diagnosed with the heart disease pericarditis five years ago, and had a health scare last April that forced her Las Vegas show "Revealed" to close early. Participating in Dancing with the Stars, she believes, will help her to conquer the apprehension of performing everyday activities – such as climbing stairs – without worrying that she'll experience tightness in her chest. Still, she intends to remain cautious.

“I am not thinking about my blood pressure although my doctor has been on me to check it during rehearsals, so I have to stop and check it,” she added. As far as the competition goes, Toni said she’s not looking for any sympathy votes. “I’m competing with myself because I don’t want to be the victim because people will be like, ‘Toni has heart disease, oh she is a victim,’” she added.

The seventh-season opener will air on Monday, September 22 at 8:00 p.m. when each of the 13 celebrities will perform one of two routines they've prepared.
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NEW PICS: LL COOL J. IN MEN'S FITNESS MAGAZINE.

Instead of experiencing a mid-life crisis like or letting his gut go like some other rap legends, 40-year-old LL Cool J is still as fine and as energized as ever as you can clearly see on the cover of Men's Fitness magazine's August 2008 issue. He is so fine, yall! He's also still growing as an artist, an entrepreneur, and as a man. While most of his 80s counterparts spend their time playing guest DJ at the hottest nightclubs or appearing on low-rent VH1 reality shows, LL, stays on the grind by working on his thirteenth and last studio album under his Def Jam contract, Exit 13, launching his Todd Smith men's clothing line, developing a drama for CBS and planning Platinum Nutrition, a line of dietary supplements. As for his workout plan, the rapper/actor, who's at a lean and trim 212 pounds, eats six to seven small meals per day to speed up his metabolism. He scrapped fried foods from his diet years ago but admits to 'cheat days' and 'cheat weeks.'

"[Seven years ago] I looked in the mirror and didn't like what I saw. I saw some ripples on my back and some spots that I didn't feel comfortable with. But I wanted to do it the right way and not go lie on somebody's operating table. It took a lot. I had to dig deep, but that is what I'm doing. I have more reasons to believe in myself now because look what I've accomplished. Let's be realistic: I have been a relevant figure in practically every era of hip-hop. No one else can say that. You have people who dominated one era. I have been relevant in every era and dominated a couple. Russell Simmons and I are the blueprint for everything you see going on in hip-hop."

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CANDID PICS: KELLY ROWLAND LEAVING BBC RADIO 1 STUDIOS IN LONDON.

Aside from promoting her music, over the past of couple of years, R&B singer Kelly Rowland has spent more time overseas than in the States. I've even become more accustomed to posting pictures of Kelly in London, Milan, Australia and even Africa. However, it was Rowland's new role as ambassador for MTV's Staying Alive Foundation that led the former Destiny's Child singer on a trip to Africa, specifically South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya, where she made appearances to a number of Foundation supported HIV/AIDS awareness projects. The Foundation aims to reduce discrimination against HIV and AIDS victims especially in the country of Nairobi which is rife in the Kenyan capital. During her visit to Nairobi, the singer underwent a HIV/AIDS test to raise awareness of the deadly diseases in a bid to try and dissolve the stigma surrounding the illnesses. She says, "Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to HIV infection, and it is important for everyone to know their HIV status. The quicker you know your status, the sooner you can receive treatment if you're HIV positive+, and reduce the risk of inadvertently infecting future partners."

Watch Kelly get an HIV test: here

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RECENT CHILLI PHOTOSHOOT + SINGER SNAGS ENDORSEMENT DEAL WITH SKIN CARE COMPANY; SHARES HER PERSONAL BEAUTY TIPS.

I'm well aware of the many questions I receive from some of you anytime I post pictures of TLC's Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas. Because of her flawless skin complexion and ageless face, 99% of you all ask what Chilli's skincare regimen consist of. Well, she has not only revealed her secrets as to what keeps her skin looking so healthy and glowing, she has also snagged an endorsement deal with exclusive skin care line Chamonix, respectively....and finally! In a recent interview, where she talked about things other than her new solo album Bi-Polar (scheduled to his stores in September), her new bag line, Bags by Chilli, her adoration for Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and the future of TLC, the singer, who will, of course, receive a lifetime supply of moisturizers, face creams, spa treatments and all the other goodies that come along with being a celebrity endorser, also shared her own personal beauty tips. "[Using] Vitamin C serum is really, really important. Also, the Matrixyl cream (by Chamonix), it also keeps the skin tight and it moisturizes and doesn’t dry the skin out. I use it in the morning and at night, and I love the way it makes my skin look and feel. Everything that this line makes is all natural. And the main thing to do is to exfoliate, " says the 37-year-old Atlanta native. And in a past issue of Sophisticate's Black Hair magazine, Chilli (whose mother is of African-American descent and whose father ancestry consist of East Indian/Arab descent) also advised folks to "drink a lot of water" and to make sure they "get plenty of sleep"...two other things she does to keep her 'good black don't crack' skin texture.

Now, as for her hair. For those of you out there who claim you're tired of her wearing it in the same ol' style and would like for her to chop it off, well it ain't gone happen (the chopping off part) anytime soon because when it comes to her signature long-length tresses, Chilli says she loves being a long-haired girl! "I think you have to figure out what's more becoming to you. Like with Halle Berry, I think she's most beautiful with short hair. I think longer hair is my thing. I'm gonna wear it long like this as long as I can."

And what blog post about Chilli would be complete without pictures? Check out a recent photoshoot the singer posed for at The Mansion in Atlanta for Rolling Out magazine.

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The petite singer says she gets a trim once every 8 weeks and a protein treatment once every 2 months because of her (dyed) hair auburn hair color which she has had for the past 5 years. And for those of you who have ever wondered if Chilli has ever worn a weave or extensions, the answer is no. "I have never, ever had extensions. I don't have a perm, nothing. The only thing I do have is color. So it's always been my hair."

There you go, Chilli's skin and hair regimens all in one blog post! Peep more pics from Chilli's photoshoot below.

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PICS: T-BOZ ATTENDS THE 2008 SICKLE CELL DISEASE JAZZ EVENT WITH BOYFRIEND TAKEO SPIKES.

Below you'll find pictures of TLC's Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins at the 2008 Sickle Cell Disease Jazz Event at the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue on Saturday, June 14, 2008, with her boyfriend of 4 years, NFL ball player, Takeo Spikes (he's the biggest dude in the pictures below!). The Jazz Event is the primary and largest fund-raising event hosted by the Community Advocacy Committee, a volunteer group focused on raising awareness and monetary support for the Sickle Cell Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. For those of you who don't know, T-Boz not only suffers from the disease, she's also the national spokeswoman for the Sickle Cell Disease Association. In 1996, the 38-year-old singer went public with her disease. She's made her biggest impact as a spokeswoman for the association. She has beaten the odds that are set against about 75,000 African Americans with deadly sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that causes red blood cells to become sickle-shaped, making it difficult for them to pass through blood vessels. She wasn't supposed to live past her 20s, let alone sing and dance her way to stardom with TLC before giving birth to her baby girl Chase at 30. She says her optimism and faith in God have, fortunately, kept her free of strokes and blood transfusions.

To minimize frequent pain episodes, Watkins says she uses daily doses of folic acid, natural vitamins, a 45-minute treadmill walk, a positive attitude and a prayer. "That's the best medicine for me," she says. "I was put here for a reason. And God covered me. I was told that I'd be on disability my whole life. But everything I ever wanted to do, I did. I'm all for taking over the disease instead of letting it take care of me. I don't sit around and wait to be sick. I tell all my 'patients' to get up and be happy when they're pain-free. They used to say that sickle-cell patients don't last past their 30s. But, hello, that's been proven to not be true!"

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About 10% of sickle-cell patients have strokes by the age of 20; blood transfusions tend to be the treatment. As a carrier of the blood disorder and spokeswoman for the SCDAA, Watkins encourages people, especially African Americans, to donate blood. "We need more blacks to give blacks blood because ... we need each other." (Black sickle cell patients may be less likely to have a reaction to blood from an African-American donor.) To stress this point, she has supported minority recruitment activities with the Red Cross.

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PICS: LAMMAN RUCKER ATTENDS 'I STAND FOR MAGIC' PSA PREMIERE.

Actor/activist/motivational speaker as well as tall, dark and oh-so-handsome Lamman Rucker attended the premiere of 'I Stand with Magic' campaign at the AMC Magic Johnson Crenshaw 15 theater in Los Angeles last week. Now, if you all have read Real Gossip 101 blog posts on Lamman, you'd know that he is more than just a fine, specimen of a man...and if you haven't read them, I suggest you do because if I get started this post will become much longer than it needs to be...so I'll digress. So, instead I'll take this time to thank my loyal reader and devout Lamman fan (and no, it's not FamuDiva LOL!) laporfesora81 (you all can also thank her as well) for sending me the info regarding Mr. Rucker attending this event. And a special shout out to msreape/M.A.R. for supplying the pictures for me and the rest of Lamman's fans. Thanks a lot ladies. I appreciate it so much!

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE NEWS ON LAMMAN RUCKER ON BLACKCELEBRITYMEN.BLOGSPOT.COM!)

According to the Sun-Herald, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Cookie Johnson, Abbott and the Magic Johnson Foundation launched the public service announcement campaign as part of the I Stand With Magic Program. The public service announcement campaign will premiere nationally this summer and is targeted toward African-American and other minority communities where new HIV infections are prevalent. In 2005, about half of the people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the United States were among African Americans, who represent about 13 percent of the population. The first PSA entitled, "Stand," focuses on a "call to action" encouraging African-Americans to get educated, get tested and to seek treatment for HIV. The second PSA, titled "Talk" encourages women to protect themselves and talk to their partners about safe sex and HIV. Both will also be featured on Abbott.com and YouTube. The public service announcement campaign launches in advance of National HIV Testing Day on June 27, 2008.

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"We need to take it upon ourselves to bring the number of new infections down in the Black communities by arming ourselves with knowledge," said "Magic" Johnson. "Getting tested for HIV can be scary for many people, but I hope by launching these public service announcements to at-risk populations, people across the country will have the courage to get tested and go back for their results."

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GABRIELLE UNION SHOWS OFF NEW HAIR-CUT IN ESSENCE MAGAZINE'S JULY 2008 ISSUE.

For the fourth time in her career, actress Gabrielle Union graces the cover of Essence magazine's July 2008 issue. In Union's 'Love Your Body' feature story, the 35-year-old beauty, who co-stars with Eddie Murphy in Meet Dave opening this summer, talked about her new work-out regimen with her personal trainer/counselor/friend and former actress AJ Johnson (House Party) as well as her brand new hair-do.

GABRIELLE ON HER RIGOROUS WORK-OUT REGIMEN THAT'S PART CARDIO/PART TALK THERAPY/PART BIBLE STUDY: "It's about getting on the path to being the person you want to be. It helps you work out your issues and find your answers, which are usually pretty logical. Half the battle is just talking it out. There's no point having amazing shoulders or ripped abs if you don't feel like getting out of bed everyday. I'm loving the new cuts that are coming in--up my thighs, my arms. I love my abs. I definitely have more confidence, energy and stamina."

GABRIELLE ON HER SPUNKY, SHORT NEW HAIRCUT: "I felt fierce, fierce as the devil. I can already tell that people take you a little bit more seriously when they're not distracted by long curly locks. I wanted something different and dramatic and this is it."

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Gabrielle at The Race for the Cure in Washington, DC on June 7, 2008.

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