Florida Sentinel Bulletin

Rihanna showed up several hours late to an event congratulating winners of her “Shine Bright Like A Diamond” contest, Friday.

The singer left students at Barrington High School, near Chicago, waiting for over three hours, before finally showing face. She was scheduled to arrive at 2 p.m., but didn’t show up until after 5:30, while 2,500 students—who were told to arrive at 1:30 p.m.— awaited her arrival.

Over an hour into the wait, Rih Rih tweeted that she was on her way, later posting a photo of being stuck in traffic. By the time she arrived, some students had already left, but for the ones who stayed, Rihanna gushed over their winning video submission. “I was so impressed and touched seeing the video. I wanted to come and express that to you in person.” she told students.

LOS ANGELES — Bobby Brown has been released from jail after serving less than a day of his 55-day jail sentence for a driving under the influence conviction.

A sheriff’s spokesman said the 44-year-old R&B singer was released after eight hours and outfitted with an electronic ankle monitor Thursday because of jail overcrowding and good behavior.

A spokeswoman for Brown said he is at home with his family. Brown pleaded no contest to DUI and driving on a suspended license in February and turned himself in Wednesday. He will be required to serve four years on informal probation and complete an 18-month alcohol treatment program.

NEW YORK — The idea of working with director Antoine Fuqua was enough for Angela Bassett to appear in the action flick, “Olympus Has Fallen.”

But things got better for the Oscar-nominated actress when she found out she’d share most of her scenes with Morgan Freeman. “I was really happy to have that and I was intimidated before he even showed up,” Bassett admits. That all changed once they started working together on a set outside Shreveport, La., where they recreated parts of Washington, D.C., including the White House. “He was nothing but professional and kind and warm and fun, and you know, a treat,” Bassett recalled.

The actress plays Secret Service Director Lynn Jacobs alongside Freeman’s Speaker of the House Trumbull, who assumes presidential power when the president and vice president are incapacitated after a terrorist attack on the White House. “He’s been in so many great roles and he works all the time, you know? Who am I going to be in a world with him? His right hand! And he was at my left. So it was great,” Bassett said.

She added: “At the end, I couldn’t help myself, I just grabbed him and said, ‘I just had a ball, you know, I hope we do it again sometime.’ I think he thought the same, so I was humbled by that.”

ORLANDO, FL — A former lead singer of the soul music group The Spinners has died in Orlando.

A statement released Monday by the manager of the rhythm and blues group said Bobbie Smith passed away Saturday morning due to complications from pneumonia and influenza. He was 76.

The statement says Smith had been diagnosed with lung cancer in November.

Michael Jackson’s children and Katherine Jackson want $40 billion from AEG Live for his death.

It appears the Jackson family isn’t letting AEG Live get off easy.

Michael Jackson’s children Prince, Paris and Blanket, along with their grandmother, Katherine Jackson, are requesting $40 billion from the entertainment company for the death of their father in 2009.

The family is suing AEG Live — who sponsored Michael’s “This Is It” tour — for its alleged negligent hiring and supervision of Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the King Of Pop’s death.

The kids reportedly want $10 billion for all of the future earnings they claim their dad would have made had he lived, as well as an additional $50 million for various other damages. Still, AEG Live says the Jacksons’ billion dollar demand is ridiculous considering Michael’s career was in a state of decline after his child molestation allegations. The concert promoter also says their monetary request is based off of rank speculation.

The civil case begins in Los Angeles on April 2.

Atlanta, Georgia star rapper T.I. and wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris have announced a third season of their VH1 reality show, “T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle.” The latest behind the scenes look at the life, marriage and parenthood for the celebrity couple will begin April 8 at 10 p. m. EST.

According to a VH1 press release, Season 3 emphasizes Tiny, a longtime member of Xscape, in her latest music pursuit. Tiny is working with acts OMG Girlz! and French Kiss, as T.I. celebrates his recent music and acting comeback, largely from 2012’s Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Hand album.

Ne-Yo has a new neighbor, and his name is Trey Songz. The Virginia crooner is dropping $35,000 a month on a plush Hollywood Hills, Calif. mansion, right next door to his R&B brethren.

Songz, 28, will have lots of room to chill, throw parties, make music, and anything else that his hearts desires, in the sprawling 13,000 square foot residence.

When he moves in, April 1st, Songz can look forward to 10-bedrooms, 12-bathrooms, a gym, and a movie theater. There’s also a pool on the rooftop , and wrap-around balconies.

After a string of major flops like last year’s Cloud Atlas and this year’s Movie 43, Oscar winner Halle Berry entered this weekend in serious need of a hit.

And despite a low budget and mixed reviews, it appears her new thriller The Call brought just what the doctor ordered.

According to box office estimates, the movie opened with $17.1 million, making it her third largest non-X-Men debut.

Sony/TriStar, which acquired the $15 million R-rated film from Troika Pictures, effectively marketed The Call to women, and according to the studio, the opening-weekend audience was 61 percent female and 47 percent below the age of 30 — and it also played very well with African-American moviegoers. The Call earned a ‘B+’ CinemaScore grade.”

Berry’s film beat out the latest comedy offering from A-listers Steve Carrell and Jim Carrey, the magician spoof The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, but failed to unseat last week’s reigning champ Oz: The Great and Powerful which earned just over $42 million in its second weekend.

Despite fan concern and conflicting reports, more sources close to the situation say that Lil’ Wayne is recovering. One woman with Wayne’s entourage called TMZ’s story “lies” and said that the rapper was sitting up drinking water.

Wayne’s fellow YMCMB member and close friend Drake paid him a visit at Cedars Sinai Hospital as visiting hours were closing. The latest report is that Wayne’s condition is “slowly improving” but doctors are watching him closely.

Rapper T.I. tweeted that he has spoken to Lil Wayne and he’s fine. Then he sent out a few angry tweets to TMZ, saying that he was ready to “ride” on them for the continuing false report.

After suffering multiple seizures in recent months, the latest being last Tuesday, rapper Lil Wayne, 30, is reportedly in ICU in critical condition at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.