My Publicist Note Book

$400 MILLION SKY PALACE  When you've got the cash to make your dreams come true, why wouldn't you jump at the chance? Some people want to own an island, but if you know where the real life is at, it's owning your own private jet. Flying anywhere in the world when you want to beats an island in the middle of nowhere any day of the week, but the usual jets that the rich buy are chump change to a  billionaire . They aren't on a billionaire's level: they could own a whole fleet of private jets and store them on an island they just bought because they're feeling pretty 'tropical' these days. What  is  on a billionaire's level though is that next level airplane experience.  We're talking about a literal flying mansion in the sky that only gets used to fly from LA to London every few months.   You're going to need a big ass plane to get that job done, something along the lines of one of the biggest planes in the world. Sounds like...

Jussie Smollett Joins Greater Than AIDS at Essence Fest 2015! Jussie Smollett , star of FOX’s hit TV show  Empire , is joining Greater Than AIDS and the Black AIDS Institute to headline a special ESSENCE Empowerment Experience panel in New Orleans on Friday, July 3 rd  on  “The Power of Love & Family:  Ending AIDS in Black America” moderated by Soledad O’Brien.  The ESSENCE Empowerment Experience is the FREE daytime community forum of the hugely popular  ESSENCE Festival . On television, Mr. Smollett plays Jamal Lyon, the sensitive, talented and openly gay son of music moguls. In real life, Mr. Smollett, who serves on the board of the  Black AIDS Institute , has long been involved in addressing the epidemic facing Black America. He along with his sister the actor Jurnee Smollett ( Friday Night Lights ,  Parenthood, True Blood ) have  spoken out on behalf of Greater Than AIDS  to confront the silence and stigma that ...

Citing Ben Affleck’s ‘Improper Influence,’ PBS Suspends ‘Finding Your Roots’ An investigation that revealed that Ben Affleck pressured producers into leaving out details about his family prompted PBS to postpone a future season of "Finding Your Roots." PBS said on Wednesday that it was postponing a future season of “Finding Your Roots” after an investigation revealed that the actor Ben Affleck pressured producers into leaving out details about an ancestor of his who owned slaves. PBS will not run the show’s third season until staffing changes are made, including hiring a fact checker, it said. The show, which is hosted by the Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., traces family histories of celebrities and public figures, and has run for two seasons. The concern about Mr. Affleck’s relative surfaced in the WikiLeaks cache of hacked Sony emails after Mr. Gates asked a Sony executive for advice about a “megastar” who wanted to omit a detail about a slave-ownin...

Just four days after being canceled, Hannibal brings home a few Saturn Awards. This week has brought some devastating news to the Fannibals of the world: Our beloved show has been canceled by and will not return to NBC after Season 3 ends. Nonetheless, showrunner Bryan Fuller said in an interview with Vulture that the show is being shopped around, in hopes that someone else will pick it up for a fourth season. The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works mainly in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film,television, and home video.  The award was initially, and is still sometimes, loosely referred to as a Golden Scroll. Despite its cancellation, Hannibal is still being recognized for the amazing show it is — just four days after NBC dropped it, the series won three Saturn Awards. Hannibal was nominated this year for a total of seven awards: Best DVD Television Release; ...

It’s that time of year again. The biggest night in Black music is upon us and we’re anticipating a grand ole’ ratchet  time. Hosted by  Black-ish stars Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross , the  2015 BET Awards  will hit the Staples Center Sunday, June 28, at 8P/7C bringing with it a fierce red carpet, star-studded list of performers and presenters. Here’s everything you need to know about the show. Who’s Performing? Celebs like Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Ne-Yo, Big Sean, Meek Mill, Future, Tamar Braxton, Omarion, Tyga, Jidenna, the cast of  Empire  and more will hit the stage at the 2015 BET Awards. But we’re even more excited to see Ciara, Jason Derulo and Tinashe tackle some of Janet’s greatest moves in an all-star tribute to  Janet Jackson , who will receive BET’s inaugural Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award. “This is Janet Jackson, people! We are excited beyond belief to present her with our inaugural ULTIM...