Bishop TD Jakes steps onto a reality TV Set; should he use his position for real world issues on a broader scale

Rev. T.D. Jakes gave the bickering Braxton sisters the scolding of their lives on Braxton Family Values. In short he said:

"you're spoiled. You're flat-out spoiled."

"to see you in these fancy shoes and these nice clothes, and act like this??? "how can we teach our children to respect black women, if black women don't respect black women? This has got to stop."

Although the mega-church leader intervened with the Braxton sisters, What's The 411 host, Glenn Gilliam, took him to task for not being a voice against police brutality. What's The 411 correspondent, Onika McLean, came to Reverend Jakes defense in that he may not be an activist, as all preachers are not activist preachers.

Where do you stand? Should Reverend T.D. Jakes have a louder voice regarding police brutality or, does he only get involved if there is a check?

Camille Cosby Opens Up; Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson Get Emmy Noms for Lead Actresses in Drama Series and more

In What's The 411 Episode 58, the panel of What's The 411 hosts Glenn Gilliam and Kizzy Cox and correspondents Onika McLean and Essence Semaj are discussing the Eric Garner case, Bill Cosby, BB King; rapper/producer Timbaland; Bobbi Kristina; rapper Hussein Fatal, NASA scientist Claudia Alexander; the Emmy nominations; rapper Future's feud with singer Ciara over her new beau, NFL Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson's involvement with their son; Amazon's selection of Spike Lee's film, Chiraq; President Obama's work ethic; the Harlem Book Fair's Wheatley Awards and author Selma Jackson's win of a Wheatley Award; Kizzy Cox calls Texas police On the Carpet for the death of Sandra Bland; and a Reality TV Recap focused on VH1's Twinning and Bishop TD Jakes' scolding of the Braxton sisters on the Braxton Family Values.

What's The 411TV Episode 58 Rundown

What's The 411 Quick Takes

A settlement was reached in the Eric Garner case. Garner was the Staten Island man who died after being placed in a chokehold by police in 2014. The Garner Family settled with the City of New York for $5.9 million dollars.

WBLS.COM and the New York Post are reporting the Camille Cosby believes that her husband's accusers 'consented' drugs and sex. More than 40 women have come forward accusing the disgraced actor and comedian, Bill Cosby, of rape. In the meantime, President Obama, when asked about the alleged allegations at a press conference, said: "if you give a woman -- or a man, for that matter -- without his or her knowledge a drug and then have sex with that person without consent, that's rape." recently, The New York Times has obtained a 10-year-old deposition in which Cosby spoke more of how he used fame, drugs, and fortune for sex. Comedian and talk show host, Whoopi Goldberg, after originally defending Cosby on the View, has now backtracked her support.

We have an update on the late blues man B.B. King. King's daughters said he was poisoned which led to his death. Now, according to a recent autopsy report, he died of Alzheimer's Disease and other complications.

THE GRIO.COM is reporting that NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt is number one newscast for three consecutive weeks.

And it doesn't get any better for rapper-producer Timbaland. His wife, Monique Mosley, has filed for divorce for the second time; Nick Gordon has been served with a $10 million dollar lawsuit on behalf of Bobby Kristina Brown. The documents state that Gordon misrepresented himself as Brown's husband to control and limit Brown's spending and interactions with others; and rapper DMX was sentenced to 6 months for not paying child support.

Speaking of Bobbi Kristina, movie mogul Tyler Perry recently visited her at the hospice in Atlanta. Perry later pleaded to the media: "It's heartbreaking to think that even in a time like this, this child is still not allowed any peace. I assure you, the family will issue an official statement if something changes. Until then, can we just pray for Krissi, and the Houston and Brown families?"

In an "Only in New York" story, singer and actress Brandy boarded a New York City subway train, in complete disguise, and sang on board a packed train. No one paid her any attention.

AND IN MEMORIAM, WE REMEMBER:

• MARLENE SANDERS, ONE OF THE FIRST WOMEN TO BREAK INTO TELEVISION NEWS, HAS PASSED AWAY. SHE WAS 84.
• D'ARMY BAILEY, THE FOUNDER OF THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM HAS PASSED AWAY AT AGE 73.
• RAPPER, HUSSEIN FATAL, WHO WAS A MEMBER OF TUPAC'S GROUP, OUTLAWZ, DIED IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT. HE WAS 38.
• MICHAEL MASSER, WHO WROTE SOME OF THE BIGGEST HITS FOR WHITNEY HOUSTON, HAS DIED AT 74
• NASA SCIENTIST CLAUDIA ALEXANDER, WHO HELPED DIRECT THE AGENCIES GALILEO MISSION TO JUPITER HAS PASSED AWAY FROM BREAST CANCER. ALEXANDER, WAS 56.

What's Poppin'

2015 Emmy Nominations

The 2015 Emmy nominations are in. Among the nominees are actresses Taraji P. Henson and Viola Davis, who are up for outstanding lead actress in a drama for their respective shows EMPIRE and How To Get Away With Murder; Uzo Aduba for outstanding supporting actress in a drama for Orange Is The New Black; Don Cheadle and Anthony Anderson for outstanding actor in a comedy for their shows House Of Lies and Black-Ish respectively; Queen Latifah and David Oyelowo are nominated for outstanding actress and actor in a TV movie for Bessie and Nightingale respectively; Khandi Alexander and Cicely Tyson are up for outstanding guest actress for Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder respectively; and Regina King, Angela Bassett, and Mo'nique are up for outstanding actress in a limited series or movie for their work in American Crime (King), American Horror Story: Freak Show (Bassett), and Bessie (Mo'nique). Congratulations!

Future-Ciara-Russell Wilson

It seems like rapper Future is having a little trouble with Ciara moving on with her life. When Future was asked about photos showing Ciara's new man, Russell Wilson pushing around in a stroller little Future, his son with Ciara, the rapper voiced his disapproval.

"You don't even bring a man around your son," he shared on the Breakfast Club. "You know this dude for a few months and you're bringing him around your kid? Who does that? Nobody does that."

Is Future right? Is it too soon for Ciara to expose her son to a new man in her life?

Amazon Selects Spike Lee

Amazon Studios says it has acquired Spike Lee's new film as its first amazon original movie. The film, with the working title Chi-raq, features a cast including Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Hudson, and Teyonah Parris, as well as D.B. Sweeney, Harry Lennix, Steve Harris and Angela Bassett, plus John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson.

Amazon studios' Ted Hope said, "It would be impossible to find a better filmmaker" than Lee to launch the studio with.

Under The Radar

The hardest working man in government is ... you guessed it, is President Obama. According to Americans Against the Tea Party, President Obama would need to take the rest of his candidacy on vacation to add up to the time former President George Bush took on vacation. If you recall, Roger Ailes, President and CEO of Fox, about two years ago:

"Obama's the one who's never worked a day in his life. He never earned a penny that wasn't public money. How many fundraisers does he attend every week? How often does he play basketball and golf? I wish I had that kind of time. He's lazy, but the media won't report that."

411 Book Party

Luvon Roberson, What's The 411's Book Editor, tells us about the Harlem Book Fair's Wheatley Awards and a recap of her interview with author Selma Jackson, one of the winners of The Wheatley Awards.

On The Carpet: Texas Police

Every week there's at least one person that gets called on the carpet. And this week we are calling on the carpet the Hempstead Police Department in Texas.

Stories like this are on rewind! Twenty-seven-year-old Sandra Bland was on her way to her new job when she was pulled over by state trooper Brian Encinia in Prairie View, Texas for failing to signal when changing lanes. The police then claimed that she was combative with the officer, which required him to slam her to the ground and another officer to hold her down as well. But there was a witness who recorded the incident and Bland doesn't appear combative but is heard yelling that they slammed her head into the ground so hard she couldn't hear! What's worse is that they threw her in jail and two days later she was dead. The county sheriff claims she died of suicide by asphyxiation...but this is the same sheriff who was fired from his post as Chief of Police in Hempstead, Texas in 2007 for racism and abuse against black people! Why was he allowed back into law enforcement at all?

This just keeps happening, the excessive force, the death of black people at the hands of law enforcement. It has to stop, just like white lives, Black lives matter.

Reality TV Recap

VH1's Twinning

According to perezhilton.com, Vh1 is ready to dip its feet back into the reality TV pool with the launch of its new show, Twinning on July 22nd. This show will feature twins in a survivor-like competition for a grand prize of $222,222.22. For 10 weeks, a dozen sets of twins will live apart from one another and compete in challenges to see which pair really has the closest bond.

Braxton Family Values

Bishop T.D. Jakes gave the bickering Braxton Sisters the scolding of their lives on Braxton Family Values. In short he said:

"You're spoiled. You're flat-out spoiled."

"To see you in these fancy shoes and these nice clothes, and act like this??? "How can we teach our children to respect black women, if black women don't respect black women? This has got to stop."

What's The 411TV host Glenn Gilliam, put a wrinkle in the commentary. Glenn suggested that Bishop Jakes needs to use his pulpit to comment on larger issues affecting the Black community.

COMMENTS

If you would like to call someone on the carpet, hit us up on Facebook or Twitter @whatsThe411TV with who you want called on the carpet and why. If we choose your story, we'll include it on the show.

Music Legend, Quincy Jones to Receive the EBONY Achievement Award;
Wendy Williams, Audra McDonald, Viola Davis, Shonda Rhimes, Pharrell and Others to be Honored

EBONY® Magazine's EBONY Power 100 Gala is scheduled for November 19 and will be held at the historic AVALON Hollywood in Los Angeles. For a third consecutive year, Nationwide will proudly present the prestigious affair to celebrate honorees on the 2014 EBONY Power 100 list.

The EBONY Power 100 list salutes the achievements of the most influential African-Americans in the country. Among the game changers honored this year are television producer, Shonda Rhimes; actresses Audra McDonald, Viola Davis, Laverne Cox, and Gabrielle Union; radio personality Rickey Smiley, NBA stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant, singer Usher Raymond, talk show host Wendy Williams, producer Pharrell Williams comedian Kevin Hart, ballerina Misty Copeland and Bishop T.D. Jakes.

"This event pays tribute to those who have made it their mission to make a positive impact on their industries and in their communities," said Matt Jauchius, Chief Marketing Officer at Nationwide. "Nationwide is honored to once again present the EBONY Power 100 Gala and celebrate the achievements of these amazing men and women."

Hosting the star-studded evening will be comedian and actor Wayne Brady. Brady is known for his television work on Whose Line Is It Anyhow, The Wayne Brady Show and Don't Forget the Lyrics.

Legendary icon Quincy Jones, will befittingly receive this year's coveted EBONY Achievement Award. Known for his groundbreaking strides in music and film, Jones is arguably considered one of the most innovative pioneers in entertainment.

Paying tribute to Quincy Jones will Queen of Funk Chaka Khan, Grammy-award winning vocalists Patti Austin and James Ingram, hip-hop pioneers Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh, soul singer KEM, dance performer Savion Glover and jazz musician Terence Blanchard. At the helm of the evening's musical tribute to Jones will be renowned music director, producer and musician Ricky Minor whose band will serve as the house band.

The 2014 Power 100 list will appear in the December issue of EBONY on newsstands the week of November 17. The full list of the EBONY Power 100 can be found here. 

Comcast will also broadcast the event on CelebrateBlackTV.com and Xfinity On Demand during the month of December.

Maya Angelou Tops What's The 411TV's List of 25 Most Interesting People of 2013

List contains celebrities, authors, protestors, Motown royalty, a billionaire, entrepreneurs, and more

BROOKLYN, NY; December 30, 2013 - What's The 411, a weekly entertainment and lifestyle television show from the Brooklyn-based independent television producers, What's The 411TV, released today its list of 25 Most Interesting People of 2013.

What's The 411's 25 Most Interesting People of 2013 was developed from interviews conducted by What's The 411 reporters between January 1, 2013 through December 13, 2013. The list consists of people from a variety of industries from celebrated personalities to artists and entrepreneurs seeking to break through to ordinary people doing extraordinary things to New Yorkers rallying for justice for Trayvon Martin in the aftermath of George Zimmerman's acquittal. Many people on the list are local to the New York City metro area, while others are global figures.

"Throughout the years, What's The 411 reporters have interviewed so many amazing and interesting people," said Ruth J. Morrison, CEO and Founder, What's The 411 Networks. "Our list is a way to congratulate and celebrate accomplishments, and similar to last year, it was not an easy task for our reporters and producers to narrow down the list to 25 and since we couldn't, we also have a list of eight honorable mentions."

Below is a list of What's The 411TV's 25 Most Interesting People of 2013 with links to their respective interviews. They fall into the categories of sports; film; theater; music; television; fashion and beauty; small business; and literature:

1. Maya Angelou, author, poet, and recipient of the National Book Foundation's Literarian Award
2. Berry Gordy; Legendary Founder of Motown, entrepreneur, and film and theatre producer
3. Mahen Bonetti; Founder, New York African Film Festival, celebrating 20 years of bringing renowned African films and filmmakers to international audiences
4. Bishop T.D. Jakes & Mrs. Serita Jakes; Chief Pastor, The Potter's House, film producers, authors, and more
5. Mikhail Prokhorov, billionaire, and Brooklyn Nets Principal Owner
6. Willis Reed, Legendary NBA and New York Knicks basketball player
7. Dr. Makaziwe Mandela and Tukwini Mandela, daughter and granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, the late former President of South Africa
8. The Tankards: Ben and Jewel Tankard; music producer, Godfather of GospelJazz, and bestselling GospelJazz instrumentalist in the world; Mrs. Tankard is a financial advisor and empowerment coach; and they are both non-salary senior pastors at Destiny Center Church in Murfreesboro, TN; and reality TV stars of Bravo's The Tankards: Thicker Than Water
9. Carolyn A. Butts; Founder and Publisher, African Voices; and producer of African Voices' 16th Annual Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival
10. Duane Jackson, Times Square Hero, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author of MAY FIRST
11. Martha Reeves; singer, former elected official, and lead singer of the Motown group, Martha and the Vandellas, and still performing since the 1960s
12. Sonya Lamonakis; balancing being a New York City school teacher and a professional boxer
13. Allison J. Davis, Co-Founder, National Association of Black Journalists
14. Producers and Cast of Classical Theatre of Harlem's A Midsummer Night's Dream
15. James McBride; Author and winner of the National Book Award for Fiction
16. Nelson Frank; three-time Grammy-nominated artist (songwriting and producing) and he just added recording artist to his list of accomplishments
17. Justin Tuck; New York Giants defensive end and Founder, Tuck's R.U.S.H. for Literacy
18. Jeremy Lin; former guard with New York Knicks (NBA) whose unsuspecting basketball skills lit a spark and a winning streak that New York basketball fans called "Linsanity;" he is now with the Houston Rockets
19. Mike Tyson; former heavyweight boxing champion and Executive Producer, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth; life knocked him down a few times and he's still standing
20. Ramfis Myrthil, Producer; and Adam Lawrence, Producer and Director of the film, Love and the Small Print
21. New Yorkers Rallying for Justice for Trayvon Martin after the Acquittal of George Zimmerman
22. Michael Brooks and Rotimi Akinnouye; fearless and smart marketers, and owners of Bed-Vyne Wines, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
23. Todd Jones; charismatic owner of Sweet Dreams Mini Donuts, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
24. Cynthia Bailey-Thomas and Peter Thomas; reality TV stars, Real Housewives of Atlanta; and authors of the book, Carry-on Baggage: Our Non-Stop Flight
25. Dashaun Wesley; Dancer and Choreographer and taking vogue to new heights

HONORABLE MENTION
• Lynn Whitfield, actress, producer, and an ambassador to a Nigerian film festival
• Vivica A. Fox, actress, producer, and a supporter of literacy projects
• Adrian Matejka, Poet and 2013 National Book Award Finalist for Poetry
• AJ Calloway; Former Host, BET's 106th and Park, and lover of real old school hip-hop
• Red Hook Residents Demonstrating for Hurricane Sandy Restoration
• Jared Fogle, Subway restaurant spokesperson and supporter of weight-loss and literacy initiatives
• Big Daddy Kane; pioneering Hip-Hop MC with longevity
• Grandmaster Caz, Hip-Hop Pioneer

About What's The 411TV

Based in Brooklyn, New York, What's The 411TV is a division of What's The 411 Networks, a media/news, marketing, and events company. What's The 411TV connects sophisticated multi-cultural audiences with its content through its distribution platforms of television, online, mobile, and social media.

What's The 411TV's celebrity portfolio consists of interviews with Magic Johnson, Beyonce, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover, Harrison Ford, Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Hudson, and many, many more.

WATCH VIDEO: RED CARPET OF BLACK NATIVITY NEW YORK PREMIERE

What's The 411TV correspondent Cristina Twitty was on the red carpet with the stars of the new holiday movie, Black Nativity, at its New York Premiere at the world famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York.

The red carpet was brimming with some of Hollywood’s A-listers and up-and-comers.

Captured in this video are: Forest Whitaker; Angela Bassett; Jennifer Hudson; Executive Producer Bishop T.D. Jakes and his wife Serita Jakes; actress Lynn Whitfield; rapper Nas; actress Grace Gibson; R&B artist Luke James; entrepreneurs and reality TV stars Ben and Jewel Tankard; Music Composer Laura Karpman; Music Co-producer and songwriter Taura Stinson; and newcomer, actor Jacob Latimore.

Speaking on camera in this video in order of appearance are: Bishop T.D. Jakes and his wife Serita Jakes; R&B artist Luke James; actresses Lynn Whitfield; Grace Gibson; and singer-actress Jennifer Hudson.

Bishop T.D. Jakes, and his wife, Serita on the red carpet at the BLACK NATIVITY New York Premiere at the Apollo Theater in New York City

Bishop Jakes Discusses the Significance of BLACK NATIVITY

The couple has produced several movies, so is there a difference between BLACK NATIVITY and the others.

"Huge difference," said Bishop Jakes. "When you consider Jumping the Broom, and Sparkle, Woman Thou Art Loosed and some of the things we have done, none of our movies have ever been alike and this is true to form. We've never done a musical before; we've never done a movie that really focuses on the family of a pastor before, ironically. And, so this is an opportunity for us to do something that shows the humanity of the pastor and the struggle of the family, in general, in a way that I think that people can come out and find out hey my family doesn't have to be perfect to be able to enjoy this film and maybe I can use something to get back together again and hook it up between the people I love."

So what made Bishop Jakes get on board to be an executive producer of BLACK NATIVITY?

"Well, first of all, it's a pastor's family why would I not jump on board with that? And then it's a great opportunity from the standpoint of the tremendous cast that we have and I love to do things that you can bring the whole family to and not have to cover up the kids' eyes. And, I think during the holidays when so many people wrestle with depression to do something that's uplifting and rejuvenating that doesn't show this picture perfect family and make people feel like if you don't have it all together you can't enjoy the holidays, it's a great way to reach that audience."

BLACK NATIVITY is a holiday musical drama, so what is Bishop Jakes' favorite Christmas song?

"Well, Silent Night is an all-time favorite, you can't really have Christmas without it," he replied. "And, for me personally, Come O Ye Faithful is a great song. In the movie though, the song, Be Grateful is absolutely amazing. It's incredible. Jennifer Hudson rocks it."

Upcoming Projects from Bishop Jakes
So what upcoming projects does Bishop Jakes have that we should be on the lookout for?

Bishop Jakes always has something going on. However, he has a book coming out in Spring 2014 called, INSTINCT. It will hopefully show people that if you listen to your instincts you can perhaps tie into your Divine purpose and be far more effective in business, in your career, and in your personal life, basically, the book INSTINCT will teach people about the power of instincts.

Go see BLACK NATIVITY, it's for the whole family and especially for young people to see themselves on screen.

BLACK NATIVITY also stars: Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Tyrese Gibson, Jacob Latimore, Mary J. Blige, Nasir Jones aka Nas, Jennifer Hudson, Gale Gibson, Luke James.

What's The 411 reporter, Cristina Twitty, caught up with Bishop T.D. Jakes and Mrs. Serita Jakes at the Black Natvitiy New York premiere at the world famous Apollo Theater.

Serita Jakes is the "Christmas Kid" in the Jakes household, according to Bishop T.D. Jakes.

Mrs. Jakes loves to decorate during the Christmas season and it's the time of year that everyone offers good tidings and great joy.

When the Christmas season is over, Mrs. Jakes feels "humbuggy".

WATCH VIDEO: