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Kim Kardashian West Says She's Called Her Lawyers on Behalf of Cyntoia Brown


Kim Kardashian West has called her attorneys on behalf of Cyntoia Brown, a woman who was sentenced to life in prison at the age of 16 because she killed the man who bought her as a trafficked child sex slave.

On Tuesday the star posted a tweet drawing attention to the case of Cyntoia Brown, who was convicted in 2004. She included a screenshot of a text post that summarized Brown’s story and wrote, “The system has failed. It’s heart breaking to see a young girl sex trafficked then when she has the courage to fight back is jailed for life! We have to do better and do what’s right. I’ve called my attorneys yesterday to see what can be done to fix this.”

The text post itself read, “Imagine at the age of 16 being sex-trafficked by a pimp called ‘cut-throat.’ After days of being repeatedly drugged and raped by different men you were purchased by a 43 year old child predator who took you to his home to use you for sex. You end up finding enough courage to fight back and shoot and kill him. Your [sic] arrested as result tried and convicted as an adult and sentenced to life in prison. This is the story of Cyntoia Brown. She will be eligible for parole when is 69 years old.”

Hours prior, Rihanna also uploaded a screenshot of the same text post to her Instagram. “Did we somehow change the definition of #JUSTICE along the way??” she wrote. “cause….. Something is horribly wrong when the system enables these rapists and the victim is thrown away for life! To each of you responsible for this child’s sentence I hope to God you don’t have children, because this could be your daughter being punished for punishing already!”

According to Newsweek, the text post in question originated from a 2011 documentary by director Daniel Birman about Brown’s story. As the text post reads, Brown was only 16 (legally a child) when she killed 43-year-old Johnny Mitchell Allen, who solicited her for sex. After Allen took her back to his home, she shot and killed him. At her trial Brown did not deny killing Allen and was sentenced to life on prostitution and murder charges despite her team’s efforts to use her lifetime of emotional, physical, and sexual trauma as a defense.

Birman’s documentary was influential enough to change Tennessee laws so that minors could not be charged for prostitution and would be considered victims of sex trafficking, Newsweek reports. However, the new laws do not retroactively apply to Brown, who is now 29 and has spent 13 years in prison. She completed her associate’s degree in prison, is working on her bachelor’s, and consults on an unpaid basis for the juvenile justice system. It will be another 51 years before Brown is eligible for parole.

It is not yet evident why celebrities like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian West as well as T.I. are speaking up now about Brown, but a local news story was published on Thursday, which may have brought new, viral attention to the case.





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Taylor Swift Just Released an Insanely Catchy New Song Called 'Gorgeous'


Taylor Swift is single-handedly saving pop music in 2017. The 27-year-old first sent top 40 radio into a tizzy in August when she released “Look What You Made Me Do,” a slinky techno banger that’s arguably her darkest effort to date. She followed this up with “…Ready For It?,” a lighter, more summery track with rapped verses and an incredibly uplifting chorus. But that was more than a month ago, and pop has turned back into a dry, depressing wasteland. Where are the jams? Where are the anthems?

Music lovers have been stalking Swift’s social media channels for weeks, waiting for the moment when she announces the next song off her album, Reputation, due out November 10. They know she’s the only one who can deliver the goods.

And she finally has with a new, insanely catchy track off Reputation called “Gorgeous.” It’s exactly the kind of fizzy, delightful tune we need in these bop-less times. Listen, below:

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Swift first teased “Gorgeous” on Instagram Thursday afternoon. “Available everywhere midnight tonight Eastern,” she wrote, along with a five-second snippet of the track (which, oddly, features a baby saying the word “gorgeous”).

Several diehard fans who’ve attended Swift’s Reputation secret listening sessions say “Gorgeous” is one of the best songs on the album. Some flat-out think it’s the best. Here’s are just some of the reactions we found on Twitter.

Sonically, “Gorgeous” is right on par with “Look What You Made Me Do” and “…Ready For It?” It’s electronic and poppy, but slightly left of center—pushing the genre forward in unexpected, but very satisfying, ways. After listening to it, we’re more than confident that Reputation will be one hell of a ride.

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How to Dress Like the New Taylor Swift, According to Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s New Music Video Is Reportedly All About Joe Alwyn



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Courtney Love Called Out Harvey Weinstein Back in 2005


PHOTO: Getty Images/Pierre Suu

Following the recent *New York Times* investigation reporting multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault by Hollywood mega-producer Harvey Weinstein over the last three decades, everyone seems to be asking themselves how something like this could have gone on for so long. This weekend, TMZ dug up a video of a 2005 red carpet Comedy Central interview with Courtney Love that clearly shows Love warning about Weinstein—and as it turns out, her short answer was enough to spark some major professional repercussions.

When comedian Natasha Leggero asked Love what advice she had for young women trying to make it in Hollywood, Love hesitates at first, saying, “I’ll get libeled if I say it.” But after a brief pause, where Love seems to be seriously considering what to say next, she adds, “If Harvey Weinstein invites you to a private party in the Four Seasons, don’t go.”

The Weinstein allegations seem to have shocked the world. And yet, looking back there appear to be many instances in which some people in Hollywood were waving a red flag about the producer’s behavior. There were references to his lewd behavior in two episodes of 30 Rock that both aired at least five years ago. At the Oscar nominations press conference in 2013, Seth McFarlane quipped that the five Best Actress nominees “no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein.” And, of course, this 1999 interview with Gwyneth Paltrow, in which she calls Weinstein a “coercer,” is eerie to watch now that the truth has come to light—especially because Paltrow has since publicly accused the producer of sexual harassment.

Love, for her part, responded to the resurfaced video on Twitter with a statement about how her brief answer affected her career: apparently she was banned from the Creative Artists Agency, a major talent agency, following her quip.

“Although I wasn’t one of his victims, I was eternally banned by CAA for speaking out against Harvey Weinstein,” a statement she followed up with “#rape” before linking to TMZ’s story.

Maybe this will be the wake-up call the world needs to believe women.

See the interview here:

Related Stories:
–Celeb Lawyer Lisa Bloom Says Representing Harvey Weinstein Was a ‘Colossal Mistake’
–Courtney Love Goes on an Animated Personal Style Journey With Karl Lagerfeld
–Samantha Bee to the ‘Creeps of Hollywood’: ‘We Are Coming for You’



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It Cosmetics CEO Just Called for an End to ‘Unattainable’ Images


Over the past the year, a wave of change has disrupted the cosmetics industry—from the types of spokesmodels cast in ads to the language we use when discussing what constitutes “beauty.” Still, as Fenty’s breakthrough campaign and product assortment recently showed, there’s much to be done. Adding to that conversation, Jamie Kern Lima, the CEO of It Cosmetics, just called for an end to “unattainable” images in advertising, directly taking on the airbrushed, impossible-to-achieve look women are indirectly told to aspire.

While accepting the Achiever Award from the Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) organization last week, Kern Lima recited the experience she had when she was first trying to get her now $1.2 billion business off the ground: Investor after investor wouldn’t back the brand because she refused to use thin, flaw-free models. One male investor even told her, “I’m just not sure women will want to buy makeup from someone who looks like you—you know, with your body and weight.”

“The experts told me one thing, but my gut told me another,” she went on to say. “What my gut told me is, women are tired of buying from ads and commercials who don’t look like them.” Powerhouse that she is, Kern Lima followed her intuition and used her make-it-or-break-it QVC moment to demo the brand’s concealer on models who the products were actually created for—women with acne, hereditary dark circles, wrinkles, and her own rosacea-prone skin.

“In the beauty industry we’ve bought into the notion that you have to show these unattainable images of aspiration in order to sell products. And me standing here right now, and the success of It Cosmetics, is proof that this isn’t true,” she said, going on to further implore that the rest of the industry needs to catch up with the demand for authenticity. “I want you to think and answer this question honestly. When you look at the images of models and of beauty for your brand, have they ever made you feel insecure or less-than? Have the images you put out in the world empowered you or disempowered you? […] How did the images you saw of beauty impact you as a young girl? How do they impact you today? […] What will you do with the power that is you?”

Watch her full speech to beauty industry execs, below, which was met with a standing ovation. It’s long, but worth your time.

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Related Stories:
–Glossier’s New Campaign Shows 5 Real Women—and 5 Refreshingly Real Bodies
–Exclusive: Chef Ayesha Curry Is the Newest CoverGirl
–This Albino Woman’s Review of Fenty Beauty’s Foundation Proves Just How Inclusive the Line Is



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Kate Hudson Is Being Called Out for Describing Her C-Section Birth as 'Lazy'


PHOTO: Luca Teuchmann/WireImage/Getty Images

Kate Hudson is facing a lot of backlash for a comment she made on C-sections. For her cover story in Cosmopolitan‘s October issue, the actress filled out a quiz that included prompts like “My post-sweat-session hacks,” and “What I do to de-stress.” Pretty innocuous stuff for the most part, but one answer did not sit well at all with many women: For the “Laziest thing I’ve ever done” prompt, Hudson wrote down, “Have a C-section!”

Moms and mom-supporters across social media immediately set her straight. “How insensitive,” wrote one user on her Instagram. “Shaming a way that so many women don’t chose to have their babies but have to! I labored for over 24 hours before it was no longer safe for me and my baby. I think that’s the furthest thing from lazy! And women who have to have C-sections for other reasons aren’t lazy, this is why our society thinks it’s ok to mom shame. You lost another fan here.”

“I don’t know what sort of c section you had but the one I had was far from lazy!” commented another. “I had all plans to go natural and was 10cm dilated and pushing for hours until I had my baby come out via emergency c section. It was soo painful for weeks and I struggled to even lift my baby for days. I really hope your comment was a joke!”

This is a great time to remind both Hudson and anyone else who looks down on C-sections that there is no “right” way to give birth. Although the World Health Organization discourages medically unnecessary C-sections, since such a major surgery can be risky for both the mother and child, in some situations a C-section birth can be much safer than a vaginal birth. Not to mention there’s nothing “lazy” about C-sections: The recovery time is much longer than with vaginal births and the pain while healing is much more intense.

Still, a lot of women get shamed for what some people (falsely) consider to be “taking the easy way out.” In February, screenshots of a conversation between a mom and a photographer who refused to shoot her birth photos because “a surgery isn’t birth” went viral. Outraged mothers chimed in to explain to the photographer exactly what’s wrong with that sentiment, but the stigma against C-section births is still pervasive and widespread.

As for Hudson’s comments, some defended her by saying she wasn’t calling all C-section births lazy, just her own. She delivered her 13-year-old son Ryder by Caesarean, and her 6-year-old Bingham with a vaginal birth. Others said she was probably just making light of the situation.

“I had 3 c sections in the last 4 years, and I found the comment hilarious,” commented one Instagram user. “Sounds exactly like something I would have said as a joke.”

But joke or not, perpetuating C-section shame is never O.K.



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Taylor Swift Just Dropped a Brand New Song Called 'Ready for It'


Well, well, Taylor Swift sure has been busy today. First, the pop singer made a “very sizable donation” to the Houston Food Bank to help with Hurricane Harvey relief. Then she made a rare public appearance in Martha’s Vineyard to serve as a bridesmaid for her high school best friend Abigail Anderson. And now, she just dropped the first minute of a brand new song, titled “Ready for It.” What a benevolent queen.

According to Just Jared, the snippet played during the pre-show intro of the college football game between Alabama and Florida State. Details about when the full song will be released and available for download aren’t available yet, but that one-minute clip has made its way online for your previewing pleasure.

Ready for it? (Hah, get it?) OK, enough dad jokes; listen here:

I’ll go ahead and say it: As much fun as I had deciphering the music video for “Look What You Made Me Do,” I’m already feeling “Ready for It” way more. “LWYMMD” pushed Taylor’s image and sound, yes, but we wanted a banger!

But now on to the important stuff: guessing who this song is about. According to Genuis, these are the lyrics. Let’s look for clues:

[Post-Chorus] Are you ready for it? So baby let the games begin The
games begin The games begin (Are you ready for it?) So baby let the
games begin The games begin The games begin (Are you ready for it?)
Are you ready for it?

[Bridge] Oh! I-I-I see how this is gonna go Touch me and you’ll never
be alone I-Island breeze, lights down low No one has to know

[Chorus] In the middle of the night In my dreams You should see the
things we do, baby (We do, baby) In the middle of the night In my
dreams (My dreams) I know I’m gonna be with you So I’ll take my time
In the middle of the night

[Post-Chorus] So baby let the good things begin The good things begin
The good things begin (Are you ready for it?) So baby let the good
things begin The good things begin The good things begin (Are you
ready for it?)

Some might guess Calvin Harris. Some may say Tom Hiddleston. But my money’s on her new boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, because it’s referencing “good things” beginning (not ending)—and, if the rumors are true, this new “thing” with Joe is very good indeed.

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