A week ago, 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells took a boat trip with friends to celebrate the Fourth of July on an island off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.

The family of a Mississippi 18-year-old who was found dead after a July 4 boat trip with friends to an island off the Gulf Coast called for a deeper investigation and for greater transparency at a news conference Friday with the Rev. Al Sharpton and noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

Text message screenshots obtained by The Associated Press show that Tyler Perry and “Boo.

Tyler Perry faces a lawsuit for sexual assault by actor Mario Rodriguez, marking the second such case against him recently.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is being honored with the Television Academy’s Governors Award even as it winds down after nearly 60 years.

The Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival is back for its 23rd year, celebrating Black filmmakers, actors and tastemakers.

An actor who worked on the Tyler Perry-created TV drama “The Oval” has filed a lawsuit alleging Perry leveraged his power in the entertainment industry to sexually assault and harass him.

Country superstar Dierks Bentley returning with the album “Broken Branches” and Sydney Sweeney in the dark, dramatic thriller “Echo Valley” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

A Shaquille O’Neal docuseries about his time at Reebok’s basketball division and Mario Kart World on Nintendo’s Switch 2 are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Hollywood is pulling out the stops this summer movie season, which kicks off with Friday's release Marvel’s “Thunderbolts*.”.

The only Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II, known as the “Six Triple Eight,” has been presented with the Congressional Gold Medal.

The mother of Beyoncé and Solange, Tina Knowles has released her book, “Matriarch: A Memoir.”.

Musical artists and loved ones on Friday mourned Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone at a memorial service near Atlanta.

Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson, will host a new weekly podcast series starting this month featuring a special guest pulled from the world of entertainment, sports, health and business.

Meagan Good is basking in her season of harvest, reaping rewards from the hard work she’s sowed throughout her three-decade career.

The president of Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios has died when the small plane he was piloting crashed on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Paul Mescal, Rita Moreno and Quentin Tarantino are getting awards at the annual Academy Museum Gala in October.

Cable television is filled with ghosts.

A woman on South Carolina's Hilton Head Island who drew national attention from such stars as Tyler Perry and Snoop Dogg as she fought off developers in her final years has died at 94.

BET won’t be sold after all: Paramount Global decided against selling the majority stake of the network.

“Rap City.”.

Actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry is donating $2.75 million to older homeowners in Atlanta to help ensure they’re able to stay in their homes.

Michelle Obama’s recent celebrity-filled book tour is becoming a podcast.

While filming “Emancipation,” Will Smith routinely drew inspiration from the words “sacred motivation” that were written on the front page of a script.

Tyler Perry has directed his first screenplay, 27 years after writing it.

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When the 47th Toronto International Film Festival unfolds beginning Thursday, it will follow two editions that were much diminished by the pandemic.

A rundown of notable films coming out this fall, which range from Disney+'s “Pinocchio” adaptation to Ana de Armas playing Marilyn Monroe in the Netflix film “Blonde.”.

Tyler Perry will receive an honorary AARP award for uplifting communities and helping people “overcome various obstacles” through his foundation.

Chris Rock received several standing ovations before he told one joke at his first comedy show since Will Smith slapped him in the face onstage at the Oscars.

Every Oscar show has its big moments, but Will Smith’s slap heard ’round the world overshadowed them all this year.

This week’s new entertainment releases include a new album from Tears for Fears, that familiar “cha-CHUNG” sound effect signals the return to TV of NBC’s “Law & Order” and Tyler Perry’s gun-totting grandmother Madea in a fresh Netflix film.

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Tributes to Sidney Poitier poured in from Hollywood and elsewhere following the death of the groundbreaking actor and cultural icon.

Four new films with major stars from Hugh Jackman to Michael Keaton opened in North American movie theaters this weekend and only the one with animated puppies fared well.

Three acts who kept music alive during the worldwide pandemic will be honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers later this month.

This week’s new entertainment releases include the return of Angelina Jolie in the thriller “Those Who Wish Me Dead” as a Montana smoke jumper who comes across a 12-year-old boy in need of help.

Two foundations that serve the needy achieved the kind of spotlight at the Academy Awards telecast that any nonprofit yearns for: A shout-out from a famous celebrity to the 10 million or more people estimated to be watching from home.

FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2020, file photo, Eddie Murphy accepts the lifetime achievement award at the 25th annual Critics' Choice Awards in Santa Monica, Calif. Murphy will be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame this month. The NAACP announced Thursday, March 11, 2021, that Murphy will be inducted during the March 27 ceremony, which will air on CBS. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)LOS ANGELES – Eddie Murphy was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame at the organization’s show that highlighted works by entertainers and athletes of color. I’m very moved.”Murphy went on to send a message to Hall about his famous red leather suit from his 1983 stand-up special “Delirious.”“My red suit was not that tight Arsenio,” Murphy said. “I get a lot of cracks about that red suit.

NEW YORK – When Eddie Murphy made the original “Coming to America,” he was, almost indisputably, the funniest man in America. “Now I take nothing for granted and appreciate everything.”Thirty-three years after “Coming to America,” Murphy and Hall have returned to Zamunda. At the barbershop, where Murphy and Hall also reprise their characters, the conversation bounces from Teslas to transgender people. Before making “Black Panther,” Murphy has said Ryan Coogler approached him about a “Coming to America” sequel. Ruth E. Carter designed the costumes of both “Black Panther” and “Coming 2 America.” Both were shot in Atlanta.

Pallbearers carry the casket of pioneering Black actor Cicely Tyson from Harlem's famed Abyssinian Baptist Church to a hearse on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. The New York-born actor was 96. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)NEW YORK – Tyler Perry and Bill and Hillary Clinton were among the attendees of a private memorial service for Cicely Tyson at Harlem's famed Abyssinian Baptist Church. It was very Cicely Tyson: It was formal, it was humorous, it was sad, it was glorious,” said Larry Thompson, Tyson's manager for more than 40 years. The New York-born actor was 96.

Morton is the first artist in residence at a historically Black private university in New Orleans. Dillard University announced that Morton will teach master classes in songwriting, music publishing, studio production and talent management during the 2021-22 academic year. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)NEW ORLEANS – Grammy-winning musician PJ Morton is the first artist in residence at Dillard University, a historically Black private university in New Orleans. “I’m so excited to be partnering with Dillard University. His most recent project, “Gospel According to PJ,” is a Grammy nominee for this year’s best gospel album.

This image released by Netflix shows Michael Potts, from left, Chadwick Boseman and Colman Domingo in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." Boseman was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for outstanding actor in a motion picture for his performance in the film. Boseman was also nominated in the supporting actor in a motion picture for his role in the SPike Lee film "Da 5 Bloods." (David Lee/Netflix via AP)LOS ANGELES – With his final two performances, the late Chadwick Boseman earned two NAACP Image Awards nominations Tuesday, while “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” could make its presence felt at next month’s ceremony. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” came away with nine nominations.

(AP Photo/W.A.Harewood, File)LOS ANGELES – Cicely Tyson was a Black actor who knocked down doors so other women of color could walk through them. Tyson strategically selected powerful roles with an intent to elevate how Black actors were perceived. Tyson desired to get away from the negative portrayals of Black women with the hopes of highlighting them with powerful prestige. “Tyson showed the world that the Black woman is more than a moment. He went on to say that Tyson “became a vessel through which all the dignity of who she was as a Black person, a Black woman, could flow.”AdTyson’s fame transcended all media.

FILE - Tyler Perry poses at the grand opening of Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta on Oct. 5, 2019. Perry and the Motion Picture and Television Fund are being honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Thursday. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Invision/AP, File)Filmmaker Tyler Perry and the Motion Picture and Television Fund are being honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Thursday. Perry helped create a safe way for many to return to work at his Tyler Perry Studios while the MPTF has provided social services to nearly 9,000 members. Perry and the MPTF will receive their Oscar statuettes at the 93rd Academy Awards on April 25.

This photo provided by JeCaryous Entertainment shows Natalie Desselle Reid. Reid, who starred alongside Halle Berry in the 1997 film B.A.P.S. and on the sitcom Eve, died Monday, Dec. 7, 2020. (Leonard Reid/Courtesy of JeCaryous Entertainment via AP)LOS ANGELES – Natalie Desselle Reid, who starred alongside Halle Berry in the 1997 film “B.A.P.S.” and on the sitcom “Eve,” has died. In the film “B.A.P.S,” Reid and Berry played the roles of two waitresses at a Georgia food diner who decide to fly to Los Angeles for a music video audition.

ATLANTA – Thousands of people jammed roads for miles in Atlanta on Sunday to try to get boxes of food and gift cards donated by entertainer Tyler Perry. Tyler Perry Studios said they had enough boxes of canned vegetables and $25 gift cards for 5,000 families to drive through and pick up. The studio said it was out of food by 10 a.m. Sunday. The line started forming Saturday and at one point stretched for 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of downtown Atlanta, media outlets reported. Volunteers in protective equipment were handing out the food and gift cards.

In this October 2020, photo provided by the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Dance Theatre of Harlem Company members rehearse at the Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, N.Y. Fifteen dancers, a choreographer, the artistic director and a production team has taken up residence at a cultural center in New York's Hudson Valley, about 100 miles north of New York City, due to the coronavirus until the end of the month. (Will Cotton/Dance Theatre of Harlem via AP

(Will Cotton/Dance Theatre of Harlem via APNEW YORK – Living and breathing dance is par for the course at the Dance Theater of Harlem. There, inspired by the example set by the National Basketball Association and entertainment mogul Tyler Perry, they're in a bubble until the end of the month — a coronavirus quarantine bubble. As with many artistic organizations, the pandemic has been difficult for the renowned dance company, founded by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook in 1969. “What’s been fabulous about this moment is the opportunity for people to learn about Dance Theater of Harlem and our very unique story, as well as our very unique approach to this art form of ballet," she said. “I want more and more and more and more people to watch this video and ... to fall in love with this beautiful company."

This image released by BBC America shows Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in a scene from "Planet Earth: A Celebration." The special debuts at 8 p.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 31, on BBC America, AMC, SundanceTV and IFC. (BBC Studios/BBC America via AP)

This image released by BBC America shows Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in a scene from "Planet Earth: A Celebration." The special debuts at 8 p.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 31, on BBC America, AMC, SundanceTV and IFC. — AP Music Editor Mesfin FekaduTELEVISIONWhether the new season of CBS’ “Love Island” includes any version of love remains to be seen, but it’s definitely not on an island. The special, debuting 8 p.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 31, on BBC America, AMC, SundanceTV and IFC, includes new narration from Attenborough. Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer (“The Lion King”) and Jacob Shea, an Emmy nominee for the “Planet Earth II” score, created new music.

NEW YORK Tyler Perry has won awards from the NAACP and BET. Now he's getting a big one from the Television Academy: He and his foundation are the recipients of the 2020 Governors Award. Tyler Perry has changed the face of television and inspired a new generation of content creators. He pioneered a new brand of storytelling that engages people of color both in front of and behind the camera, and his shows have resonated with a global audience, said Governors Award selection committee Chair Eva Basler in a statement. The award honors an individual or organization in the television arts and sciences whose achievement is so exceptional and universal in nature that it goes beyond the scope of annual Emmy Awards recognition.Previous recipients of the Governors Award include Star Trek, American Idol, Masterpiece Theater and Comic Relief.

Raphael G. Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, comforts Tomika Miller, the wife of Rayshard Brooks during his public viewing at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Monday, Jun 22, 2020 in Atlanta. A private funeral for Brooks will be held Tuesday at the church. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)ATLANTA Rayshard Brooks, who was fatally shot by a police officer, is to be remembered Tuesday at the church in Atlanta where the Rev. The private funeral at Ebenezer Baptist Church follows a public viewing held Monday. Bernice King, also plans to deliver remarks at Brooks' funeral, along with a friend of his and his mother-in-law, according to a draft program released by the church.

Touting itself for decades as the city too busy to hate, Atlanta has had an unbroken succession of Black mayors since 1973. After hiring its first Black officers in 1948, the Atlanta Police Department is now 60% Black, higher even than the city's Black population of 52%. King's legacy was often evoked in promoting cooperation between the city's Black leaders and white business establishment, Hobson said. Thats what made me mad.She's among more than a dozen owners seeking help from Atlanta Black Owned Business Relief, a group started after the protests. Actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry, an embodiment of Black prosperity in Atlanta, is helping pay the bill.

Interim Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant speaks to the Associated Press on Thursday, June 18, 2020, in Atlanta. A few hours after reporting to the Fulton County jail in Atlanta, Rolfe was moved to the jail in neighboring Gwinnett County, according to online records. Atlanta officers are walking off their shifts or not responding to calls because they feel abandoned, betrayed, used in a political game, Champion told the AP. Rolfe shot Brooks after he grabbed a Taser, fired it and ran, Howard, the prosecutor, said. The district attorney said the other officer, Brosnan, 26, is cooperating with prosecutors and will testify.

LOS ANGELES Tyler Perry wrote we must never give up in a heartfelt first-person essay in People magazine detailing his thoughts on racial injustice and police brutality against unarmed black people in America. Perry said he almost passed on publishing his essay in the upcoming issue, which will be released Friday, but the filmmaker felt compelled to follow through because hes exhausted from what he's recently seen across the country. Im exhausted from all the hate and the division, the vitriol that I see online from one to another, the actor-writer-director writes. The level of racism and brutality that George Floyd faced is something that we as black people know all too well, he wrote. I felt for my 5-year-old son.Perry said he is mulling over how to explain racism to his son.

Across the U.S., many celebrities have been doing far more than tweeting supportive words or issuing carefully prepared statements. They took to the streets alongside thousands of people to condemn the killings of black people at the hands of police and to demand reform. The video shows Sampson step in front of his assistant and an officer hit him at least twice with a baton. Then an officer aims straight at me, no ricochet, and shoots (rubber bullets) Sampson wrote. Everyone is angry but there is a way to direct that anger, actor/director Taika Waititi wrote on Twitter on Saturday.