Florida Sentinel Bulletin

Crooner Usher Raymond is all set to play boxing legend, Sugar Ray Leonard in a forthcoming biopic about the life of Panamanian champion fighter, Roberto Durán.

The film, ‘Hands of Stone,’ will also feature actors Robert DeNiro and Gael Bernal, reports the BBC.

Usher, who was spotted in London recently, has been putting the finishing touches on an album, as well as training for the film.

If you guys see me running around London that’s what it is.  If you see me in the corners boxing. I’m doing that while working on this album.”
Filming is slated to begin later this year.

Sugar Ray Leonard was a phenomenal fighter who was named “Boxer of the Decade” in the 80’s.  He was the first boxer to earn more than $100 million in purses and managed to win world titles in five weight divisions.

NEW YORK — First lady Michelle Obama says she thought for sure her cover was blown during an undercover visit to Target last year when a woman approached her in the detergent aisle.

But the first lady told David Letterman on Monday the woman only wanted help with a package she couldn’t reach.

During Obama’s visit to CBS’ “Late Show,” Letterman held up a picture of her after she put on sunglasses and a baseball cap to try to visit a Washington-area store last September.

Obama said the woman apparently was oblivious of the fact she had asked a favor of the first lady and said “you didn’t have to make it look so easy” after the detergent was retrieved.

“That was my interaction,” Obama said. “It felt so good.”

The first lady talked about how she learned from her parents the notion of unconditional love, that the most important thing for children to know is that their parents adore them. She said she and the president try to instill that stability in their own two daughters, and almost became emotional talking about her father.

“Don’t make me cry,” she said. “This isn’t `Oprah.’ It’s supposed to be `Letterman.’”

The “Late Show with David Letterman” airs weeknights at 11:35 Eastern time.

LOS ANGELES  — Oprah Winfrey’s struggling television network, OWN, said Monday it is laying off one-fifth of its workers and restructuring its operations in New York and Los Angeles.

The decision to let 30 employees go is a “tough” one, but the economics of a start-up cable network didn’t fit with OWN’s cost structure, Winfrey said in a statement.

LOS ANGELES — Celebrity attorney Mark Geragos and his partner have settled a lawsuit against the owner of a charter jet company that secretly recorded the men and Michael Jackson as they flew from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara for the pop star to turn himself in on child molestation charges.

The settlement calls for a $2.5 million judgment to be entered against Jeffrey Borer, the owner of now-defunct XtraJet. He attempted to sell the video, which contains no audio, of the flight to media outlets after Jackson’s surrender in November 2003.

Geragos’ attorney has argued that the taping violated the privacy and attorney-client privilege of the lawyers and Jackson.

An appeals court struck down a $20 million judgment that was previously awarded to the attorneys.

Apparently, not everyone learned from M.I.A.‘s bird flip Super Bowl fiasco. Cee-Lo Green thought it would be appropriate to follow suit at President Barack Obama‘s fund-raising event in Atlanta.

With Tyler Perry hosting the event, Cee-Lo performed his hit “F**k You.” While the President thankfully missed Cee-Lo’s song audience members witnessed Cee-Lo giving a bird flip onstage.

NEW YORK  — Bobbi Kristina Brown has been spotted wearing a sparkly bauble on her ring finger, but she’s not planning on getting married anytime soon.

A rep for Brown’s mother, the late Whitney Houston, says the 19-year-old is “simply wearing her mother’s ring” and that she’s not engaged.

Rumors about a possible engagement flew after Brown was spotted snuggling with friend, Nick Gordon while wearing the ring.

Brown has been the subject of intense scrutiny since her superstar mother died last month. Brown’s father is Bobby Brown.

Houston left her entire estate to her daughter, her only child.

According to sources close to Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of pop icon Whitney Houston and self-acclaimed King of R&B Bobby Brown, the 19-year-old wants to change her name to her mother’s surname.

From the time Bobbi Kristina’s parents divorced back in 2007, Bobbi Kristina is said to have always wanted to change her name because of the negative relationship she has with her father.

Mother Whitney, though, always allegedly advised her against it. With her mother’s death, friends close to Bobbi Kristina reportedly say that she has decided to change her name to “Kristina Houston.”

President Obama is scheduled to attend a series of high-priced fundraisers in Atlanta soon, sponsored by the African-American Leadership Council and filmmaker, Tyler Perry.

The March 16th events will be hosted at Perry’s studio with ticket prices from $500 to $2,500 for a gala. There will also be a private reception, reportedly at Perry’s home costing as much as $35,800 per person — although the Obama for America invite lists it at $10,000.

CHICAGO  — Steve Harvey is going to star in his own daily television show, and it’s going to be taped in Chicago.

In a news release, Gov. Pat Quinn says the comedian, actor, author and radio host will host a one-hour program called “Steve Harvey.”

Quinn says the program will create about 100 jobs and could bring about 35,000 audience members and visitors to the city each year.