Black Celebrity Men

It's about damn time! If you're a regular reader of B.C.M. I'm pretty sure you have heard me gripe over Essence magazine's cover selections when it comes to black celebrity men. Well, in the upcoming October issue, Essence chose actors Blair Underwood, Boris Kodjoe and Lance Gross, three of the most beautiful celebrity black men, to grace their cover and needless to say, I'm absolutely loving it. It's like having a triple combo platter of swaggerific-sexiness, handsomeness and a whole lot of flavor lying face-up on your coffee table or nightstand. The three men will discuss both business and pleasure aspects of their lives which include their current projects and why they love Black women.

Take a glimpse of all of that caramel, pecan-brown and deep, dark chocolate below!

From Essence.com:

"...My parents have been married for 43 years. What I've learned about love is that communication is everything. I'm also paying more attention to the little things because they add up..." --Lance Gross

Just breathe. That's what we're trying to tell ourselves as the fall TV season begins. From Blair Underwood's role as an ultra-cool Commander in Chief, to Lance Gross' return as a steamy fireman, to Boris Kodjoe's double life as a spy and husband, prime time has never looked this sexy.

*goes to check mailbox*

Why Did I Get Married Too? stars Lamman Rucker, Malik Yoba and Michael Jai White hit up the Essence magazine offices last week to promote the film which opened at number 2 last weekend behind the Clash of the Titans. Lamman reached out to his fans through his Twitter page to thank them for making WDIGMToo a success.

MORE PICS OF LAMMAN, MALIK & MICHAEL WHEN YOU CLICK THE LINK BELOW!

I was flipping through my issue of Essence magazine when I came across this man's face. Just beautiful. He's Olympic medalist David Oliver and he's also Essence magazine's Single Man of the Month for April 2010. To find out what turns him on and why he's still single, click on the pic below to read for yourself.

CLICK ON THE PIC TO ENLARGE.

And if you're wondering what he looks like shirtless and in action, look below.

MORE PICS OF DAVID AFTER THE JUMP!

I have a habit of keeping just about any magazine I've ever bought (or subscribed to), right? So last week as I was going through them to see if I could find any throwback photo shoots of Black Celebrity Men I cam across an old Essence magazine issue (October 2006) with Reggie Bush in its Do Right Men feature. At first I paid it no mind, then I caught the part of the page where it says, 'Why he loves Black Women.' I read it and was convinced that the 'sister' he was referring to was his own mama because we have yet to see him hand-in-hand with a 'sister'....who is not his mother.

Click the pic below to read the text.

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You know usually when I get my new issue of Essence magazine in the mail, I'd take a glance at the cover and depending on who's on it, I'd either throw it on my coffee table (to read later or not at all) or sit down and read it from cover to cover. However, when I saw the April 2010 issue with Zoe Saldana on the cover, I was ready to throw it up against my wall because I have no interest in her whatsoever. It wasn't until I saw the cover line that read 'Confessions of an NBA wife, Shaunie O'Neal Tells Why She Left Shaq' and I thought to myself, 'Now, Shaunie should have been the cover story, not Zoe!' But we all know how Essence do.

I checked the table of contents and flipped right to Shaunie's article. While reading it, I found myself saying, 'Seriously, Shaq?! Dude?!' I know he's an Omega, but damn he got to be a dog through and through? Now, I've read bits and pieces of his sexcapades with several other women...including his trysts with Karrine 'Superhead' Steffans and just shook my head. But when I read about how he treated his wife and their five kids during what had to be the most tumultuous time in Shaunie's life, I began to feel some kind of way about him. And it wasn't good. My heart really went out to her. And although he and Shaunie are cool and cordial with one another now, it's going to take a while before I stop giving Big Dawg the side-eye. I mean really, Shaq! But I got to give it up for Shaunie though. The girl is doing her thang!

YOU CAN ALSO READ ABOUT SHAUNIE'S NEW VH1 REALITY SHOW, BASKETBALL WIVES PLUS SEE MORE PICS FROM HER ESSENCE PHOTO SHOOT ON REAL GOSSIP 101!

Since the interview is really long, I picked out a several excerpts from it and posted them below. Needless to say, if you haven't copped this copy (yes, I know Essence has been lagging in the juicy stories department lately), do so.

Shaunie on how moving to Miami (and it's groupies) changed their lives in 2004: "Miami is a great city. It just wasn't a great city for our family. I know they say L.A. has its groupies, but Miami has a different mentality. People hang out on the beach all day and then club all night. Even going to the games, the whole environment is so different. Girls are sitting [practically] in their bras and panties in the arena. When you're trying to keep your husband, that's a lot to take. It was a whole new lifestyle I wasn't ready for. Apparently we didn't have a strong enough foundation for Shaq to withstand that type of temptation."

Shaunie on confronting Shaq with the rumors: "It got really ugly between us, because people started calling me and telling me things about his other women. He would deny it sometimes, and other times he would ask, 'You got pictures? Video? If not, don't come at me because you have no proof.' He'd say, 'Okay, you're mad. Now what? You're not going anywhere.' And he was right. I didn't for a long time. I did not want my kids to be from a broken home. I was willing to suffer and make the best of the situation for their sake....It's hard to keep that kind of stuff away from your kids, especially when they're old enough to use the computer."

Shaunie on being served with divorce papers in 2007 and Shaq leaving her and their kids: "It was the most devastating moment in my life. I never thought he'd jeopardize our family. I was thinking, 'How could you do this to the children?'" Weeks later, Shaunie and the kids returned to Miami (they had moved to L.A. during she and Shaq's separation) to find that Shaq had taken all of his clothes and moved into a condo he owned just five minutes away. Shaunie said, 'Shareef (their second oldest son) saw the empty closets and dropped to his knees crying. He kept saying, 'Daddy's gone.' Then his sisters and brothers started crying, and so did I. I think we cried together for about an hour. I was devastated."

WHEN YOU CLICK THE LINK BELOW, READ SHAUNIE'S RESPONSE TO RUMORS OF HER CHEATING ON SHAQ, FIND OUT WHEN SHE KNEW HER MARRIAGE WAS OVER AND WHY SHE'S THE HAPPIEST SHE'S BEEN IN A LONG TIME!

As promised, here's Essence magazine's February 2010 issue featuring their top 10 sexiest men that I said I would post up for you all. HERE.). With the exception of having Idris, Lance, Maxwell and LL Cool J. on the list, I, for one, am not impressed. (Read my gripe concerning this particular issue by clicking I've never even heard of at least two of the men on the list.

Inside the magazine, it says 'There's nothing like a dream lover. He's always sexy and romantic, with movie star good looks and the chiseled body of an athlete. Plus, he's got all the right moves. Channeling her inner bad girl, our own Jeannine Amber spins ten naughty tales starring some of our favorite men to curl up with, if only in our minds.' I don't know about all of that. What I do know is if I had the chance to compose the list, it would be much different! Jeannine placed actor David McIntosh on her list; and that's fine. Whatever tickles her pickle. But for me, there is something very unsexy about a man with that many tattoos on his torso. No sir! Especially around the lower abdomen area! Ugh! But I have to commend her for including my Puerto-Rican Prettyboy/Cuban Cutie Adam Rodriguez on the list! Yes, sir! LOL!

Anyhoo, I posted my favorite picks on the front page of this post.

CLICK LINK BELOW TO SEE THE REST OF THE MEN ON THE LIST.

Model Keston Karter was featured as Essence magazine's Single Man of the Month (November issue). Find out what this cutie had to say about the kind of qualities he looks for in a woman, what turns him off and his special talent! Also be on the lookout for Keston's 2010 calendar. It was shot in various locations across the United States as well as Jamaica and his hometown, Trinidad.

TO READ THE ARTICLE, CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT.

And for those of you who would rather look at Keston shirtless, CLICK THE LINK BELOW!

True Blood star Mehcad Brooks (according to Essence, Mehcad’s mother derived his name from the ancient Ethiopian word meaning “prophet” or “wise one.” Mehcad says: “Little did she know that I’d make a profit off being a wise ass.”) recently opened up to Honey magazine about everything from his reluctance to being a sex symbol, why he won't get married until gays gain the right to marry and why he chooses to focus on his career instead of focusing on finding a wife.

MEHCAD ON GAY RIGHTS & WHY HE WON'T MARRY UNTIL THEY CAN: "I haven’t even gotten that far (thinking about settling down). But yeah, I want a wife, I want kids. The whole thing. But I’m also not even concerned with marrying somebody until it’s legal for everybody to get married. And what I mean by that is the whole Prop 8 thing. I find it really offensive. I just find it really problematic when you start throwing people’s rights away. Until we get our gay brothers and sisters back into a realm of consciousness that everyone else is in, it’s just not right. A woman who’s getting married — it’s probably going to be a gay man who made her dress, and a gay man who’s doing her hair and makeup, but he can’t get married. How messed up is that?"

MEHCAD ON BEING A SEX SYMBOL: “I mean, it’s just a strange thing to claim. I can own the fact that I’m a good actor, because I work really hard at it. I can own the fact that I’m athletic because I work really hard at it. I can own the fact that I have a lot of stamina and I have lot of strength because I work really hard at that. But one person may find me sexy, and another might not find me sexy. That’s all subjective, an opinion. I can’t go around proclaiming that I know other people’s opinions about me. Plus, I see myself everyday, and I see everything that’s wrong. I don’t see everything that’s right, most of the time. It’s all relative. Sometimes I’m running and working out and sometimes I’m just trying to chill, stomach hanging out, chilling. The thing is I don’t really consider myself a sex symbol, because I don’t find myself sexy.”

In the interview, Mehcad also revealed that he loves women. He finds a lot of women very nurturing and good listeners. And the reason why it was really easy for him to end simply going into one relationship after another is because he has a lot of female friends. And lately, he’s been trying to focus on his career and finding the right woman is not his paramount concern right now. He says, “I’ve been trying to focus on other things, like on my career. And just focus on who I am as a human being without being wrapped up in relationships. Finding the one is not my top priority right now.”

MEHCAD'S IDEAL WOMAN: “I really like an attentive listener. And support. And a woman who has her own, who can support herself and feel secure in her own skin. I complement her and she complements me.”

Look for Mehcad on the the big screen in the upcoming Fence Walker and Just Wright, which stars Queen Latifah.
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Lamman Rucker sat down with Essence.com in June to talk about his role as 'Will' on Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns sitcom as well as his character 'Sheriff Troy' on Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too. And as usual, he was asked about the status of his personal life...which he happily answered. So unless his relationship status has changed in the last four months, chances are you die-hard fans will be satisfied with his answer.

ESSENCE.COM: What do you have in common with your married doctor character Will?
LAMMAN RUCKER: A lot of things. He is the first in [the Brown family] to have an advanced degree. I know what a challenge that can be and the dynamic of being one of the people in your family who has had the privilege to go off to school. He's really down to earth, has a great sense of humor and is very giving and supportive in his relationships. All of that I can relate to.

ESSENCE.COM: You're reuniting with the cast for the sequel to Why Did I Get Married? as Sheriff Troy. What can fans expect from you this time?
RUCKER: I've seen a draft of the script and everyone is going to love this one! We're filming this summer and it is a very interesting snapshot into marriage. The whole cast is returning and the film takes place a couple years down the line. When it comes to marriage and relationships, there is always a new adventure. Sheriff Troy will show an interesting side of himself and people will see his layers. Why Did I Get Married? did so well because it gave some real perspective on the realities of love.

ESSENCE.COM: Does playing these married men have this Do Right Man ready to settle down?
RUCKER: (Laughs.) I'm taking my time on all of that and the application process is still open. When I am ready it will take a woman who knows who she is. Many women are so wounded that they can't love another person. I need a woman who is secure and loves herself first. Then she can share that love and light with me.

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Steve Harvey and his third wife, Marjorie Bridges-Woods Harvey are featured in the December 2009 issue of Essence magazine. I didn't want to bore yall with info you already knew (i.e. his book--even I'm tired of hearing about it--and yes, I did read it, his radio show, becoming BFFs with Oprah, the Hoodie awards). So instead I selected excerpts from their interview where they talked about how they met, the night Marjorie almost walked out on him for good, their beautiful blended family and why, after two failed marriages and one messy-ass, much-publicized divorce, Steve considers Marjorie to be his one true soul mate. Also, I want to point out that I read that entire interview at least three times, and I still don't know what Marjorie does or has ever done for a living. If anyone out there knows, let me know! In the meantime, check out excerpts...as well as pics of their blended family as well as their massive 5-story mansion in Atlanta below.

FYI, this weekend, I'll be updating B.C.M. with more blog postings and pictures of black celebrity men.

Steve, who has 3 children (twin daughters, Karli and Brandi, born in 1982; a son, Broderick Jr., born in 1991 from his first marriage, and one son, Wynton, born in 1997 from his second marriage of over 10 years to ex-wife Mary Lee Harvey), and Marjorie met over 17 years ago when Marjorie walked in late during one of Steve's stand-up comedy gigs in Memphis, Tennessee. He told the audience that, although he didn't know who she was, she would one day be his wife. They dated briefly, but then went their separate ways--she into the arms of a former fiance, he into the arms of a first wife....and then a second. In 2006, they divorced their partners and began seriously dating again. Steve almost lost her when he accepted a phone call from another woman--in front of her. Of that night, Marjorie says, 'I was just at a point in my life where I was like, 'If what you want is the same thing as what I want, then great. If not, it just means we're not in the same place. What I'm not going to do is sit here and be in something where I'm not happy and not getting what I want. I wasn't afraid to walk away. It didn't take a shouting match or me yelling at the top of my lungs to get my point across.' Steve says, 'She wasn't talking loud, but the zippers on that bag were pretty damn loud. Them high heels in that hallway at three o'clock in the morning was kinda loud.' Needless to say, Steve came to his senses and the two tied the knot in June 2007.

CLICK ON EACH PIC TO SEE ITS FULL IMAGE

I told my reader FrescaBella I'd post Idris Elba's Essence magazine photospread for her. So here you go, girl! And for a bittersweet extra treat, I've also included an excerpt from the interview where Idris talks about the kind of women he dates.

"You see actors with models and actresses, and it's so cliche. I'd rather date someone who's regular. But what often happens is that she faces huge criticism like, 'Why her? She's Miss Ordinary.'" Idris likes when a woman makes him feel needed. "Be an independent woman. I love that. But at the same time don't be ashamed to, you know, throw your toys on the floor and let me pick them up."

Isn't he something special? Now, earlier I mentioned the word 'bittersweet.' I used that word because although it's refreshing to know that this very sought after bachelor would rather date us 'regular' women, in real life, and much to many women's dismay, he's actually dating a regular, nice woman from New Jersey.

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Actor Hill Harper and rapper/actor Ludacris have one thing in common: actress Gabrielle Union. It's no secret Gabrielle's relationships with black celebrity men has been the target of some of the most vicious and unfounded rumors that have not only bombarded the blogosphere, but has also motivated the actress into filing a lawsuit against a popular Black blog who has gone above and beyond in their efforts to smear her name. While going through this drama, Gabrielle has 2 of the most successful men in their respective fields in her corner. In separate interviews with Essence.com, both Hill and Luda explained their platonic relationships with Union.

HILL HARPER: Gabrielle Union is one of my best friends. People have always said we've hooked up. We've shared great memories and very difficult times together, but we've never crossed the line of friendship. Men and women can absolutely be friends and that's what we need to be. Part of the problem is that we aren't friends enough. Our relationships are negotiations and that is not friendship.

LUDACRIS: ....And yes, men and women can be friends because Gabby's my friend. (Laughs.) Even if a man is physically and mentally attracted to a woman, if he's respectable he can remain [platonic] with that woman and respect those boundaries.

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NFL player Terrell Owens opened up to Essence.com about his new reality show, 'The T.O. Show', which I have the hardest time watching. I swear. I think it has a lot to do with his 'bama accent (it grates my nerves LOL!) and the notion that at times (and in certain 'scenes' except for the one with him and his grandmama) it comes off as being a bit scripted, which he vehemently denies. I don't know why it's so hard for celebrities with these reality shows to refuse to acknowledge that their shows are 100% 'real' and unscripted. Anyway, as I read his interview, I noticed that he really tried to make it a point to let everyone know that he loves Black woman....although he doesn't date us exclusively. I said to myself, 'T.O., of course you love Black woman, because, needless to say, it was a Black woman who raised you.' But we also know...well, yall know what we know. I'm just saying. Whatever tickles your pickle, hunny. It is what it is...I guess. Anyhoo, here's how he explained it to Essence:

.....Black women I do love you. Honestly, if I were to reveal the Black females I've dated, the women who are accusing me of that would be surprised. I've had a lot of Black women hit me up on Twitter accusing me of not liking my own kind and all I have to say is that they are thinking too much. These women don't know me like that to have something negative to say about the women I date. Perhaps I have a certain type of woman that I like and a preference and I shouldn't be faulted for that. And for the record, I'm very familiar with headscarves because my grandmother wore them. I was just saying to Kiya that the women I date don't wear them because it's the truth. If I'm dating a Black woman and we hang out it doesn't mean she's sleeping over, so I might never see her in a headscarf. Again, I think some women are thinking too much about this because I love Black women.

Seven years into a gold-and-platinum-honored career, top R&B singer/songwriter/producer AVANT is joining the Capitol Records roster of urban chart-topping artists. His first Capitol Records album was released on October 28. Fresh off a live appearance at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, the artist says he chose to title his first Capitol Records album with his own name, AVANT, to acknowledge his established track record, as well as the sense of creative accomplishment and ownership that marks the project overall: "I've proved my point. (The album) reflects who I am. I think one of the reasons I've been able to enjoy the kind of longevity I've had, is that I write songs that are about real-life situations."

Accordingly, the album's kick-off single, is the probing, emotive and sophisticated When It Hurts, an impassioned and irresistible plea about the true meaning of unconditional love, produced by the Anonymous Entertainment team of Eric Dawkins and Tony Dixon (Fantasia).

LISTEN TO 'WHEN IT HURTS.'

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY AFTER THE JUMP!