Florida Sentinel Bulletin

R&B singer Chris Brown may never live down the 2009 domestic assault charge he was slapped with after brutally beating girlfriend Rihanna. However, the Virginia native wants to turn the corner and acknowledged in a video interview today that he realizes what he did was wrong.

Brown, 23, sat down with NBC’s “Today” show host Matt Lauer to discuss, among other things, his relationship with Rihanna, the aftermath after the incident and his upcoming album “X.”

“I’ve been humbled by the whole experience,” he says. “From me losing everything, you know, to me having to regain public opinion or whatever it is but most importantly, you know, knowing that what I did was totally wrong and having to kind of deal with myself and kind of forgive myself in the same breath and being able to apologize to, you know, Rihanna and being able to be that man who is a man, you know?”

The iconic children’s TV show “Sesame Street” has certainly had its fair share of negative press over the last year.

First with the voice of Elmo, Kevin Clash, and all of the sexual allegations that have plagued him and now another loveable favorite who played Gordon, Roscoe Orman, has taken over the spotlight.

Orman is accused of kicking his longtime partner of 40 years, Sharon, to the curb for a younger woman according to the New York Post.

Orman had been a Sesame Street cast member for thirty years and even though his role is no longer consistent, he still makes guest appearances on the show.  The 68-year-old, who has four children with Sharon, never legally married her, yet they lived together as man and wife for nearly 40 years. Sharon took Orman’s last name and is reportedly named as his wife on all legal documents such as real property mortgages, tax filings and deeds.

Now the 60-year-old woman is claiming that the Sesame Street father figure got married last December to a much younger woman named Kimberley Lamarque. The miffed ex is also accusing Orman of breaking all ties with his children and not giving her any financial support.

After a nine-month delay, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” deployed to the top spot at the box office.

The action film starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Bruce Willis and Channing Tatum as the gun-toting military toys brought to life marched into the No. 1 position at the weekend box office, earning $41.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Retaliation” opened Wednesday at midnight, which helped bring its domestic total to $51.7 million.

Among the other new films this weekend, “Tyler Perry’s Temptation” starring Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Lance Gross opened above expectations at No. 3 with $22.3 million, while the sci-fi adaptation “The Host” featuring Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, and Jake Abel as characters from the Stephenie Meyer novel landed at No. 6 in its debut weekend with a modest $11 million.

NEW YORK — Lil Wayne says he’s an epileptic and has had seizures for years.

In an interview with Los Angeles-based radio station Power 106 on Thursday, the 30-year-old rapper said epilepsy caused his most-recent health scare earlier this month, when he was rushed to a hospital. Wayne said he had three back-to-back seizures.

The Grammy winner says: “I’ve had a bunch of seizures; y’all just never hear about them.”

Wayne says he “could’ve died” and that the recent seizures were a result of “just plain stress, no rest, overworking myself.”

He released his 10th album, “I Am Not a Human Being II,” this week. He’ll embark on a 40-city tour in July with rappers T.I. and Future.

Recent petitions have been launched on RapRehab.com and Change.org calling on hip-hop star Rick Ross to take responsibility and apologize for his lyrics referencing date rape on his new single, “U.O.E.N.O. (You Ain’t Even Know It).”

The MMG artist raps on the track: “Put molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it / I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain’t even know it.”

Molly refers to the drug MDMA, also known as ecstasy, however many molly capsules contain methylone — an active ingredient in the recently-publicized bath salts.

Released shortly after the conclusion of the Steubenville, Ohio rape case, in which two high school football players were convicted of sexually assaulting an intoxicated 16-year-old girl who was unable to consent, the track has generated countless discussions on violence against women.

Motown songwriter-producer Deke Richards has died at a hospice at age 68.

Richards, whose real name was Dennis Lussier, died Sunday at the Whatcom Hospice House, Peace Health St. Joseph Medical Center spokeswoman Amy Cloud confirmed Monday. Richards had been battling esophageal cancer, according to a statement from Universal Music.

As leader of the Motown songwriting, arranging and producing team known as The Corporation, Richards was involved in writing and producing many Jackson 5 hits.

Those songs included the Jackson 5’s first three No. 1 hits — “I Want You Back,” ”ABC,” and “The Love You Save.” He also co-wrote “Love Child” for Diana Ross & The Supremes, as well as Ross’ solo “I’m Still Waiting.”

Other recording artists for whom Richards produced or wrote songs include Bobby Darina and Martha Reeves & the Vandellas. He is survived by his wife, Joan Lussier, a brother and two nephews.

Gucci Mane has turned himself in. The “Lemonade” rapper surrendered to authorities and was taken to the Fulton County jail in Atlanta. Mane has been charged with aggravated assault.

As previously reported, a warrant was issued for Gucci’s arrest after a soldier accused the trouble rapper of going upside his head with a champagne bottle.

According to the soldier, who only revealed his first name (James), he asked security at the VIP section of the Harlem Nights nightclub in Atlanta if he could take a photo with the rapper. However, upon said request, Gucci, born Radric Davis, went upside his head with the bottle. James was taken to the hospital and alleges that it required 10 stitches to close the wound on the top of his head.

NEWARK, NJ — Singer Dionne Warwick owes nearly $10 million in back taxes and has filed for bankruptcy.

In a Chapter 7 petition filed this month in New Jersey, Warwick lists liabilities that include nearly $7 million owed to the Internal Revenue Service for the years 1991 to 1999 and more than $3 million in business taxes owed to the state of California. Warwick lists her current address in South Orange.

The singer of classics such as “Walk On By,” ”I Say a Little Prayer” and “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” also lists about $21,000 in monthly income and about the same amount in monthly expenses. Warwick’s publicist says the singer has paid back the actual amount of the taxes but that penalties and interest have accumulated over the years.

If any rappers are looking to flex their financial status, then a $91,500 Hermes shirt might do the trick. The luxury designer brand is selling a T-shirt made of crocodile and chiffon, rather than the breathable material known as cotton.

Thanks to the price tag, the design has earned the title of being the most expensive T-Shirt (or “Tee Shirt,” as Hermes calls it) in New York City, and maybe the world.