Florida Sentinel Bulletin

The Dog Pound will woof again: Arsenio Hall is returning to late-night TV.

Two decades after his self-titled show rebuilt the talk genre for a new generation, the 56-year-old comic and recent “Celebrity Apprentice” winner will attempt a major comeback with a nightly syndicated offering starting in September 2013.

Hall is partnering with CBS Television Distribution and which will broadcast the 11 p.m. show on its 17 TV stations, including WGN-TV in Chicago and KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, giving it instant access to more than half the country. Tribune also owns or is a partner in scores of websites and operates eight daily newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times.

R&B singer Ne-Yo was inducted Thursday into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, which took place in New York City.

The 32-year-old songwriter, arranger, and vocalist, who was born in Arkansas but raised in Las Vegas,  jump started his illustrious musical career penning songs as a teenager.

The R&B performer, whose actual name is Shaffer Smith, was joined by fellow inductee entertainment legends Bette Midler and Bob Seger in to the prestigious institution, which has recognized accomplishments in the industry as well as those who are pioneers in their craft since 1969.

New facts have emerged surrounding the melee that broke out in the wee hours of Thursday morning between Brown and Drake’s entourages.

New York City police investigators have questioned Brown and his lawyer has allegedly given them “physical evidence” that Drake actually participated in the fight despite previous reports that placed him in London.

At this time, Brown is a victim, not a suspect in the case, according to police officials. The R&B performer sustained an open gash to his chin during the fight. Fists, glasses, ice buckets and bottles were reportedly flying all over the place. The incident resulted with five people injured. Brown’s bodyguard “Big Pat” sustained a serious head injury.

The rumor that is swirling as to why the fight ignited is that Drake and Brown had words over the pop singer Rihanna. The singer was once linked to Brown–a relationship that resulted in her getting beaten up by him. According to GossipCop, the actual fight began when Drake looked “pissed” and “serious,” and after an unknown provocation, a member of his party picked up a bottle and hit Brown directly in the face with it.

Brown’s lawyer, Mark Geragos reportedly went to the NYPD on the evening after the brawl took place to give detectives undisclosed evidence that places Drake and one of his reported associates, Meek Mill, at the center of the fight. Geragos alleges that both men were, in fact, the instigators of the battle.

There are reports that neither Brown nor Drake ever touched each other during the fiasco. Both entertainers were scurried off the premises before police actually arrived.
Events are still unfolding, so stay tuned.

The Twittersphere is mourning the death of former ‘Moesha’ star Yvette Wilson, who played Andell Wilkerson. She was 48 years old.

As previously reported, Wilson was suffering with Stage 4 cervical cancer and was in dire need of funds in order to pay her mounting medical bills.

Shar Jackson has been sending out tweets asking for prayers for her friend and co-star for the last few days.

Since that time, the condolences have been pouring in from Jackson, who played Moesha’s best friend Niecy Jackson on the show.

Wilson, who also co-starred on ‘The Parkers’ with comedienne Monique’ and such memorable films such as “House Party 2,” “House Party 3,” and ”Friday,” was not only battling cancer but has also been plagued with kidney problems and needed kidney transplant as well.

Funnyman, activist, and supreme jazz aficionado Bill Cosby is bidding farewell to his 30-year gig as the host of the world-renowned Playboy Jazz Festival.  Cosby will take his leave after he emcees the event for the last time during the weekend of June 16 and 17 at the Los Angeles famed Hollywood Bowl venue.

The founder of the festival, Hugh Hefner of the Playboy Magazine fame, hired Cosby back in 1979 to host the festivities, which has entertained an estimated 750,000 people to well more than 500 hours of jazz.  Hefner refers to Cosby’s contributions to the event as “immeasurable.”

Cosby got the opportunity to premiere his own jazz group, The Cos of Good Music, at the event back in 1995.  The jazz group, which switches members from year to year, features musicians that Cosby cherry picks himself.  The veteran entertainer also gets to join the performers as a drummer or conductor.

Actor Giancarlo Esposito is the latest of many minorities to have become the focus of racial profiling by the NYPD. Esposito, who co-starred on the cable series Breaking Bad, revealed in an interview that he was frisked by NYPD officers while leaving a theater where he was in rehearsals for a play.

According to reports, officers screamed at Esposito and drew weapons, before realizing that they had mistaken him for someone else. One officer was said to have recognized him from the ABC drama Once Upon a Time.  “I refuse to walk around, carrying that sack of racist crap,” Esposito said, refusing to give too much detail on the incident.

Actor Todd Bridges (pictured), who is known for his public struggles with both fame and drugs after his ’70s sitcom hit “Diff’rent Strokes,” is splitting from his wife, Dori (pictured), of 14 years, reports People Magazine.

Bridges, who also had an occasional acting stint on the now-defunct TV sitcom “Everybody Hates Chris,” reported the news of his breakup on his Twitter account:

‘She’s a great mother im glad to have had the years to know her and have a great kid with her as we know, people grow apart and we did.’

The Bridges’ marital problems were first made public back in 2007, when they appeared together on reality show “Decision House,” where couples received on-camera therapy to save their marriage.

Now, just five years later, the pair, who have two children, have called it quits.

On Monday, Bridges tweeted:
‘Life is full of changes God allows them to better your life. Either you except his changes now or you painfully deal with them. GOD has you.’

Beyoncé is clearly back to business, and her latest project is one that her 5-month-old daughter, Blue Ivy, will soon be able to enjoy. The “Countdown” singer has just been named as one of the lead voices in the upcoming animated film Epic. She will take on the role of Queen Tara, starring along Colin Farrell and Amanda Seyfried.

Phaedra Parks of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” has filed a $30 million lawsuit against Vibe Holdings, which operates Vibe.com, Uptown Magazine, and Augustus Publishing, reports Atlanta Journal Constitution.com.

Parks, a high-profile Atlanta attorney who has represented R&B singer Bobby Brown, is suing for defamation of character after Vibe Magazine seemed to highly publicize the book “Lies Of A Real Housewife,” by Angela Stanton, who claimed that Parks was involved in illegal activities with her husband, Apollo, before making it big as an attorney.

The lawsuit, filed this week, demands a jury trial, $5 million in compensatory and $25 million in punitive damages, and retractions.