Popular rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed in an incident Sunday afternoon outside of his clothing store in the Hyde Park area of south Los Angeles. He was just 33 years old.
According to TMZ, the rapper was one of three people shot by an unknown assailant who later fled in a vehicle after the shooting. All three — including Nipsey — were rushed to the hospital, where the rapper has since been pronounced dead.
The rapper was at his clothing company, called the Marathon Store, in the Hyde Park neighborhood on Sunday afternoon when he was gunned down while allegedly taking pictures outside with fans.
The LAPD is still investigating the shooting; from what sources are reporting, at least one man fled in a getaway vehicle immediately after the shooting. Cryptically, just hours before his violent death, Nipsey tweeted this to his followers (below):
Having strong enemies is a blessing.
— THA GREAT (@NipseyHussle)
It’s unclear at this time whether the shooting is gang-related, but Nipsey, who grew up in the Crenshaw area of El Lay, and was originally tied with the Crips, per TMZ. More recently, though, he’s said to have cut ties with them; in the recent past, he’s worked with artists from rival gang affiliations, as well, so he’d been able to successfully bridge the gap between gangs.
Rest in peace, Nipsey Hussle. / (c) WENN
His store had been very popular in the area, with Nipsey returning there often to do things like what he was apparently doing on Sunday afternoon at the time of the shooting — signing autographs and taking pictures with fans and followers who appreciated a local boy having made it in the music world.
Our hearts break for his family, friends, and loved ones as police will no doubt be working to determine who would commit an act like that in broad daylight, in front of so many people.
As we reported, the rapper and community inspiration was shot and killed outside of his clothing store in the Hyde Park area of south Los Angeles. He was 33 years old.
The musician was in a longtime relationship with Lauren London, whom they share 2-year-old son Kross.While the actress also has 9-year-old son Cameron Carter with Lil Wayne, Hussle shares 7-year-old daughter Emani Asghedom from a previous relationship.
On Thursday, Nipsey’s “Celebration of Life” memorial service was held at the Staples Center, which featured touching messages from London, as well as JAY-Z and Barack Obama. Beyoncé was also in attendance at the ceremony.
In the memorial program, Hussle’s girlfriend of five years shared a text message she sent to him on January 21. It read:
“I want you to know I feel real joy in my heart when I’m around you. I feel safe around you. Protected. Like a shield over me when you’re around, I am totally myself when I’m with you (which is prob why I’m annoying) because I don’t wear a cool mask anymore lol.”
In her message, London praised the rapper for making her into “more of a woman,” adding:
“And… you’re still the coolest guy in the world to me. Still! I love you so much. Unconditionally. My truth is this. I’m never going to give up on you. My loyalty and devotion is to you.
Lauren also appeared on stage, where she brought along their children, as well as Khalil Kimble, identified by Page Six as Nipsey’s young nephew.
Kameron told a story of a dream he had in which Hussle appeared:
“On the night of April 2, I had a dream that I was in paradise, and I was playing in the ocean water when [Nipsey’s real name] Ermias appeared… He said, ‘What up, Killa?’ because that was my nickname … I turned around and I held his hand and I gave him a hug… It was still cool, I guess… Ermias told me what it was like in paradise.’”
During her speech, Lauren discussed how Nipsey was a great father to his children, adding:
“My pain is for my 2-year-old who probably won’t remember how much his dad loved him.”
She also shared a saying Hussle always said to her:
“You can’t possess people, that you experience them. I’m so honored and blessed that I got to experience him.”
“The world just got to see a flash of your brilliance. You were a curious soul who was evolving at a speed that was truly inspiring… The seeds you have planted are already bearing fruit. The outpouring of admiration is testimony to the love and respect you’ve farmed. Sleep well King. The Marathon continues as a line of energy for all of us to consider.”
Both him and his wife, Beyoncé, were spotted at the service to pay their respects.
barack obama
Former president Barack Obama submitted a letter, which was read out-loud by Nipsey’s business partner, Karen Civil, at the ceremony.
It read:
“I’d never met Nipsey Hussle, but I’d heard some of his music through my daughters, and after his passing, I had the chance to learn more about his transformation and his community work. While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets, and despair, Nipsey saw potential. He saw hope. He saw a community that, even through its flaws, taught him to always keep going. His choice to invest in that community rather than ignore it — to build a skills training center and a coworking space in Crenshaw; to lift up the Eritrean-American community; to set an example for young people to follow — is a legacy worth of celebration. I hope his memory inspires more good work in Crenshaw and communities like it.”
WATCH a clip (below):
A Letter from former President Barack Obama is read at memorial service for rapper Nipsey Hussle.
Snoop Dogg took the stage and said he and the late musician shared a “spirit of love.” He exclaimed:
“One thing me and Nip had [in common] was a kind spirit. A spirit of love. When we met each other it was like a magnet coming together.”
WATCH (below):
“One thing me and Nip had [in common] was a kind spirit. A spirit of love. When we met each other it was like a magnet coming together.” – Snoop Dogg at the #CelebrationOfNipseyHusslepic.twitter.com/mghVhEQrgY
Grammy-winning duo Dan + Shay solidified themselves as the hottest group in country music with multiple wins at the Academy of Country Music Awards, where Keith Urban was named entertainer of the year and Kacey Musgraves won three honors.
Urban won the top prize Sunday with his ninth nomination for the award, besting Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean, who held the title the last three years.
“Baby girl, I love you so much,” Urban said, looking to his actress-wife, Nicole Kidman. “To the fans out there, you are amazing. You have no idea what you mean to me.”
Urban also won entertainer of the year at the Country Music Association Awards in November — his first time winning the prize since 2005.
AP/Reuters Kacey Musgraves, left, won three honors including female artist of the year. Keith Urban, right, was named entertainer of the year.
No women were nominated for the top ACM honor. Musgraves was the sole women up for album of the year.
She won twice when “Golden Hour” picked up top album — as an artist and co-producer of the project. She was also named female artist of the year.
Musgraves said the award “goes out to anyone woman, girl, or anybody really” who has been told “her perspective or style is too different.”
“Just stay at it. It’ll work out,” said Musgraves, who won four Grammys earlier this year, including album of the year and best country album.
Other categories didn’t feature many female nominees: Bebe Rexha was the only woman competing for song of the year with “Meant to Be,” while Maddie & Tae was the sole female act up for duo of the year.
But both honors, along with single of the year, went to Dan + Shay.
“I think somebody got the cards mixed up tonight,” Dan Smyers said onstage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. “This is all incredible. We are all winners tonight.”
Smyers technically won five honors — picking up double wins in song of the year as artist and co-writer (shared with Jordan Reynolds and Nicolle Galyon) and single of the year as artist and co-producer (shared with Scott Hendricks). Shay Mooney, who won three awards for his role in the duo, didn’t write or produce the song.
Even Thomas Rhett jokingly dedicated his male artist of the year trophy to Dan + Shay.
“I am going to give this to Dan + Shay so they can go home with four,” he said.
Rhett also gave a shout-out to his wife who sat in the audience: “You are smoking hot tonight.”
Associated Press Country music duo Dan + Shay took home the ACM Awards for song of the year as well as single of the year for their hit song “Tequila.” They also won duo of the year.
Rhett performed Sunday, while Dan + Shay hit the stage to sing “Keeping Score” alongside Kelly Clarkson, hitting impressive high notes. Chris Stapleton’s performance was also a highlight. The singer-songwriter, who often performs with his wife, Morgane Stapleton, sang onstage as she held her hand over her stomach (she is pregnant).
Emmy-nominated “This Is Us” actress Chrissy Metz made her live singing debut and gave an emotional performance onstage, teary-eyed at the song’s end. Metz sang “I’m Standing with You” from the upcoming film “Breakthrough,” which she stars in. She was joined onstage by Carrie Underwood, Lauren Alaina, Mickey Guyton and Maddie & Tae — the performers all wore blue dresses and sang in unison.
Ashley McBryde, who won new female artist of the year, also was memorable: Nearly in tears, she strummed her guitar and beautifully sang “Girl Goin’ Nowhere.” The 35-year-old was nominated for best country album at the Grammys and recently earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for her performance on “CBS This Morning Saturday.” McBryde shined again onstage when she joined Eric Church to sing “The Snake.”
Jason Aldean kicked off the awards show with a fun performance featuring the hit-making duo Florida Georgia Line. Aldean earned the Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award.
“More than anything — thank you to the country music fans (and) country radio, you guys have changed my life forever,” he said. “This is one of the proudest nights of my life.”
Reba McEntire, who hosted the show for the 16th time, told several jokes. When she mentioned the collaborative performances of the night — Khalid and Kane Brown and Brandi Carlile and Dierks Bentley, among others — she said she would perform with rap star Cardi B.
She said they could sing her song “No U in Oklahoma,” then said: “And that’s okurrr with me,” earning laughs from the audience.
Shila Iqbal expresses her remorse after losing her dream job in Emmerdale when offensive tweets she wrote as a teenager came to light pic.twitter.com/0F9kKxgGde
Shila said she was “shocked” to see the tweets after Emmerdale producers confronted her with them.
She’d only been a series regular since March.
“I didn’t think that was me because I don’t use those words anymore.”
Shila said there was “no malicious intent behind the tweets” and that it was “banter” between friends.
“It was influenced by the hip-hop music we were listening to.
“It did determine the language we used.
“I didn’t understand the true meanings behind them, the implications and the hurt those words could cause.
She told This Morning that people shouldn’t be judged on what they’d posted on social media as teenagers, “if the person has changed and shown remorse and your attitudes have changed”.
The actress, who also starred in the 2018 film Eaten by Lions, said being sacked from Emmerdale was “a blow”.
“I was at such a high point in my life when it all came crashing down, but I will move on from this.
“I’m a professional and I didn’t have the responsibility I do. I do own up to the fact that I used inappropriate language and I don’t speak like that anymore.”
‘I was remorseful’
In a separate interview with The Sun, Shila said Emmerdale bosses were making “an example” of her.
“From the get-go I was angry and disappointed in myself.
“I was remorseful, and I think that should have been taken into account with my young age and the fact that I wasn’t a professional actor at that age.”
A spokeswoman for Emmerdale said: “We offered Shila Iqbal support when this situation happened.
“We asked her if there was anyone we could contact who could come in and support her, a relative or friend.
“We also said she could call any of us at any time. She repeatedly said she was fine and didn’t want any help.
“We also immediately contacted her agent, who offered her advice and support.”
The touted No2 pick in this weeks NFL draft has scrubbed his social media of conservative views. But fans and teammates value winning above politics
Take a trip through Nick Bosas social media accounts and you will find something interesting: the projected No2 overall pick has been deleting tweets and Instagram likes in the run-up to the NFL draft.
The former Ohio State pass-rusher is expected to be selected second overall on Thursday night by the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernicks former team, though there is still a chance he will be taken with the first overall pick. Interestingly, it appears Bosa made the changes to his social media specifically because he is going to a city considered a liberal haven. I had to, Bosa told ESPN in a story published this month about his deleted posts. There is a chance I might end up in San Francisco.
The first thing that should be said is that Bosa shouldnt just scrub those likes of posts involving homophobia and the n-word: he should apologise and renounce bigotry. As for his other posts on Trump and Kaepernick: he is perfectly entitled to his political views. Which raises an interesting question: how should players balance their marketability with their off-field opinions? There is no right or wrong answer. It depends on your perspective, your priorities.
Colin Kaepernick took a knee knowing he could be ostracised from the NFL. But giving his community a voice was more important to him than slinging footballs, no matter how much he loved his job. Bosas priorities appear different. The younger brother of Charger All-Pro Joey, and son of John, an ex-NFL pro with the Dolphins, Nicks family is well versed in the business of football and its commercial impact. His decision makes financial sense. But his lack of conviction is jarring.
Whether you agree or disagree with Bosas politics is beside the point. If he truly believed, like really believed in these causes and views, he would use that to promote his message, the way Chris Long, Michael Bennett and Kaepernick have done. San Francisco is liberal, sure. Maybe you distance yourself from some folks in the locker room. Maybe some of the Niners more liberal base grabs a Garoppolo jersey instead of a Bosa one. But you show conviction, not timidity. Rational people can respect that.
Besides, the reality of sports is this: winning cures all and most fans and teammates have an ability to avert their gaze as long as the sacks and pressures and Ws are flowing. Its sad, but its the truth. As long as Bosa is devouring quarterbacks, it wont matter if hes battling a cocaine addiction or getting a DUI with a stack of guns and a child in the car. Dallas fans still cheered for Greg Hardy despite a domestic violence incident that included throwing a woman onto a bed of guns. Fans and other players will wince at those headlines. Then go back to rooting for the name on the front of the jersey, ignoring the sins of the name on its back.
By comparison, questionable social media activity is small potatoes. And heres the other thing: just because the tweets and likes are deleted, doesnt mean theyre gone for good. Screen grabs and memories live on. If a Niners fan has already checked out on Bosa due to their support for Kaepernick or their political leanings, deleting tweets will not change their mind. And you can bet theyll still let out the slightest of fist pumps when Bosa drops Jameis Winston in week one. For some like Kaepernick having your voice heard is more important than the extra dollars from a sponsorship deal or jersey sales. For Bosa, its clear that its not.
Top five players in this years draft
Note: these are the most talented players available, not a prediction of the order in which they will be picked.
1) Nick Bosa, edge, Ohio State
Questionable social media strategy aside, Bosa is widely considered the best player in this years draft class on either side of the ball. Bosa missed most of this junior year after undergoing a core-muscle surgery. Yet his place atop draft boards was already assured thanks to a dominant sophomore campaign, in which he had the highest pass rush wins percentage in all of college football. Bosa finished the season with 25 hurries, 15 hits, nine sacks and three batted passes. It was a non-stop highlight package. Bosa will be really, really good, really, really fast. No one is a cant-miss prospect, but Bosa is about as close as you can get.
The likely No1 pick is the most electric player in the draft, regardless of position. He is the only quarterback in 20 years who comes close to matching the athleticism of Michael Vick. In the right offense, he can be a special weapon.
Two of the major concerns about Murray have been answered: his commitment; his slender frame. He spurned baseball to concentrate on being a quarterback full-time and he turned heads at the combine turning up at a bulked up 207lbs.
Theres no disputing his on-field performance or production. He wasnt as methodically brilliant as Baker Mayfield at Oklahoma but his highs were just as high wow throws delivered from the most bonkers of body positions; game-breaking runs. Someone will take him first overall. Will it be the Cardinals or the Raiders?
(CNN)Growing up in Texas, Nathian Shae Rodriguez listened to the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla countless times and to him, she was more than her music. Rodriguez saw someone just like himself.
Rodriguez, 37, an assistant professor of digital studies at San Diego State University, will teach a new course dedicated to Selena next year.
The Mexican-American singer was shot dead 24 years ago by the president of her fan club just as she was breaking concert attendance records and was poised for a major crossover success. Decades later, her fans continue celebrating her life and she has become even more famous.
Her life and subsequent murder were the subject of a 1997 biographical film “Selena” starring Jennifer Lopez, which has become a cult classic for fans. Selena was honored with a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017, and more recently, MAC Cosmetics and Forever 21 launched lines inspired by her.
But Rodriguez’s class won’t be all “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” and “Amor Prohibido” — two of her hits. The course will use Selena’s influence over music and fashion to examine Latinx representation in media.
“The class is not about celebrity. It’s about representation, inclusion and giving voices to minorities,” Rodriguez said.
Students will first listen to Selena’s music, Bruno Mars and Cardi B’s renditions of her songs, and even dissect the upcoming Netflix scripted series based on the singer’s life. Then, they will work to identify minority stereotypes, discuss their own identities and talk about what they can do to improve Latino representation once they go into the job field.
“I want to this class to show people (Latinos) that it’s OK to be you and show others that Latinos are not only one specific way,” he said. “We are everywhere and were are doing all sorts of good things.”
Rodriguez said his own experiences, like discussing identity only with his grandmother and seeing the lack of diversity among his college professors, as well as the diverse pool of students at San Diego State University have fueled his desire to launch the course.
“I work with students who are Latinos, DACA, gay, lesbian, transgender, who are journalists,” he said. “I think people have always been interested in Latinx representation, in their cultures and their roots but there wasn’t a space in academia or media.”
San Diego State University students can register for the Spring 2020 “Selena and Latinx representation” course starting November 1.
Image copyrightJules Lister Image caption Artist Rasheed Araeen created an image of David Oluwale which features in the exhibition
A British Nigerian man who was “hounded to his death” by police in Leeds is being remembered in a series of events to mark 50 years since he died.
David Oluwale was last seen fleeing two police officers on 18 April 1969 and later found drowned in the River Aire.
His death led to the first prosecution of British police for involvement in the death of a black person.
Max Farrar, from the David Oluwale Memorial Association, said his tragic story had helped change the city.
Among the events was a gathering at Killingbeck Cemetery, where Mr Oluwale is buried alongside nine other people in a pauper’s grave.
Image copyrightRemember OluwaleImage caption The gathering at David Oluwale’s graveside was a contrast to the lonely burial he had in 1969 when the only person to attend was a vicar
An exhibition by artist Rasheed Araeen is being held at The Tetley gallery in Leeds while other events through April include poetry readings, music performances and a walk round Leeds of places associated with Mr Oluwale’s life.
Who was David Oluwale?
Born in Lagos in 1930, Mr Oluwale migrated from Nigeria in August 1949, hiding on board a cargo ship destined for Hull.
Because Nigeria was a British colony, he was able to obtain a British Travel Certificate and so left behind his poverty-stricken home in search of a better future.
He was too poor to buy a ticket for his journey and so crept on board the Temple Bar ship, hiding among the boxes of groundnuts being delivered to the port city.
But he was discovered a few days into the journey and, as soon as the ship docked, was jailed for being a stowaway.
Upon his release, Leeds was the place where Mr Oluwale spent most of his English life.
Image copyrightRasheed AraeenImage caption The exhibition at The Tetley art gallery features press clippings and a scrapbook made by the whsitle-blowing police cadet
According to Mr Farrar, he had a lot of friends among the small group of West Africans in the city at the time and his social life revolved mainly around the old Mecca ballroom and the former King Edward Hotel.
He worked in industries helping rebuild the post-war city, with friends recalling him as a popular and easygoing.
What happened to him?
In 1953, Mr Oluwale became involved in a fight with police and it was rumoured he took a truncheon blow to the head.
He was charged with disorderly conduct and sent back to prison where it was reported he suffered from hallucinations, possibly from the injury suffered during his arrest.
He was labelled as a schizophrenic and sent to Menston, an asylum outside Leeds, and did not resurface for eight years.
At Menston, Mr Oluwale was treated with electric shock treatment and heavy antipsychotic tranquillisers and upon his release was unable to hold down a job and quickly became homeless.
He spent the final two years of his life sleeping rough in the city centre, where he was the target of routine mental and physical abuse at the hand of two police officers, Insp Geoffrey Ellerker and Sgt Kenneth Kitching.
The last sighting of Mr Oluwale was in the early hours of 18 April 1969 when he was seen being chased by the officers towards the River Aire. His body was found in the water two weeks later.
Police treatment
In 1970, police cadet Gavin Galvin reported he had heard police station gossip about the way Kitching and Ellerker had treated Mr Oluwale.
An inquiry was started and evidence gathered to prompt manslaughter, perjury and grievous bodily harm charges against the officers.
During the trial in November 1971, a catalogue of sustained physical abuse came to light, at the hands of the pair.
Image copyrightDavid Oluwale Memorial AssociationImage caption David Oluwale was known to sleep in shop doorways, including the entrance to the former John Peters Store on Lands Lane
The court was told both officers, who worked together at Millgarth police station, made it their business to make life unpleasant for Mr Oluwale because they “simply did not want him in the city”.
It became well known at the station that whenever he was seen in Leeds, a message had to be passed to either officer so they could attend to it.
It was found racist terms were used on paperwork relating to Mr Oluwale, such as a racial slur being scribbled in the space reserved for nationality on his charge sheet.
But, despite that, there was no mention of racism during the trial.
The officers were jailed for a series of assaults but found not guilty of manslaughter on the direction of the judge.
The trial received national coverage but justice and civil rights campaigners considered it a whitewash, presenting a deliberate negative portrait of Mr Oluwale as a “social nuisance”.
The aftermath
Highly invisible for most of his English life, upon his death Mr Oluwale entered popular culture in the city and became somewhat of a folk hero.
Image copyrightThe David Oluwale Memorial AssociationImage caption David Oluwale was celebrated and transformed into a carnival king at the Leeds West Indian Carnival in 2017
The words Remember Oluwale were written on Chapeltown Road in huge white letters for most of the 1970s.
Mr Farrar said the case led to police in Leeds working with the United Caribbean Association on the Leeds Scheme, a pioneering effort to breach the gulf between black people and the police.
The discovery of declassified police paperwork relating to the case led to a book being written in 2007 by Kester Aspden, The Hounding of David Oluwale, which was adapted into a stage play first performed at West Yorkshire Playhouse.
Soon after that the David Oluwale Memorial Association was born, with the intention of educating people about his story and creating a permanent memorial to him.
Image copyrightDavid Oluwale Memorial AssociationImage caption Posters have been put up around the city to highlight the events planned
“David’s is a formative story about post war Leeds,” Mr Farrar said.
“We had these tragic circumstances of how he was systematically abused and died and then we see a transition to a more inclusive, hopeful city.
“Thankfully a lot has happened in 50 years. Lessons have been learned and Leeds has improved provisions for all the problems that David endured.”
Traveling is the perfect medium for experiencing different cultures complete with all sorts of art, music, crafts, and traditions. But visiting other countries is usually not just all roses.
With that idea in mind, artist Malachi Ray Rempen decided to share his traveling experience and situations in the form of fun comics dubbed “Itchy Feet Comic”. This weekly cartoon chronicle is mostly about travel, language learning, and life as an expat. It’s just about any bizarre situation you can imagine yourself in while traveling.
“Itchy Feet Comic deals with two very specific areas: language learning and traveling. One of the things I love about Itchy Feet Comic is the minute observations on the experiences that are so universal that you cannot help but say “That is so true!”” – says the artist.
So scroll the page and have a quick walk around the world!
Mark McGrath has been in the music business for a long time, but now his health is finally starting to affect his ability to perform.
The Sugar Ray frontman told DailyMailTV in an interview published Wednesday that he is losing his hearing after so many years of playing music.
“I’m deaf now. I cannot hear anymore,” he revealed in the candid interview after a show in Las Vegas.
“It’s years and years of being on the road and being two feet in front of cymbals and drums,” he said. “So high frequencies, I can’t hear anymore. I’ll be listening to people and they’ll tell me their names and I can’t hear anymore.”
Damairs Carter/MediaPunch/IPx Mark McGrath at the 7th Annual One Night for One Drop in Las Vegas on March 8, 2019. The singer said he’s losing his hearing.
The singer said he’s consulted with specialists about using “in ears,” which are hearing aids that help block out background noise for performers, but he remains reluctant to use them ― despite the obvious risks of not using them.
“You can’t repair your hearing. Once it goes, it goes. You can hope to stop the damage,” he said. “It’s absolutely a worry of mine.”
McGrath also pointed to fellow singer Huey Lewis as a “warning” for performers like himself.
“As I get older, my health’s going, I have knee problems, back problems. So I am working on the hearing now,” he said. “It’s something that recently last year my doctor said, ‘You’ve got to step back a little bit,’ and the whole Huey Lewis thing has been a warning for all of this for sure.”
Getty Editorial McGrath watches warmups before a game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Washington Redskins at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
Lewis was forced to cancel all of his future tours in April 2018 after telling fans he had Meniere’s disease, which is an inner ear disorder.
“Two and a half months ago, just before a show in Dallas, I lost most of my hearing,” Lewis said in a statement to fans last year. “I can’t hear music well enough to sing. The lower frequencies distort violently making it impossible to find pitch.”
2019 has already been an incredibly tumultuous year in the personal life of Bella Thorne, and this roller coaster isn’t slowing down. A couple months ago, she and her girlfriend, YouTuber and professional thirst trap Tana Mongeau, split up, and she announced her breakup with Mod Sun just last week. If I had been through two tough breakups in less than three months, the only thing I’d be making out with would be a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, but Bella Thorne is a special creature. She’s already moved on with someone who’s way hotter than Mod Sun ever could be (even if he showered).
His name is Benjamin Mascolo, and he has all three of the most important traits: he’s hot AF, he’s Italian, and he’s a successful musician. On Wednesday, just two days after she announced her split from Mod, Bella Thorne was spotted at lunch with Benjamin. At the restaurant, they were seen kissing, and he was also caressing her leg. Homegirl moves fast, and I have mad respect for her game, considering my dating life trajectory is getting ghosted by a guy once every three years. Over the weekend, Bella was seen leaving her house with Benjamin, so they obviously weren’t just at a random lunch meeting.
Benjamin Mascolo seems like an out-of-left-field choice for Bella Thorne, but I’m kind of loving it. He’s 25, and when I say he’s Italian, I don’t mean he lives in New Jersey and has a mom who knows how to make spaghetti sauce. I mean he’s like…really from Italy. He’s part of the musical duo Benji & Fede, which is apparently very popular in Italy. I listened to some of their music, and while I can’t understand any of the lyrics, their number-one song on Spotify is called “Moscow Mule,” so they have my immediate stamp of approval.
Both Benjamin and his musical partner Federico look like the kind of men who would absolutely ruin my life, but I’d be fine with it.
I mean…both of these men can f*ck me up, no questions asked. For Bella Thorne’s sake, though, I hope that Benji is a nice, upstanding gentleman who will always promptly respond to all of her texts. Mostly, I just really want to know how these two even met in the first place. Benji & Fede are big stars in Italy, but they really haven’t crossed over into the US at all. I mean, they don’t even have a Wikipedia page in English. Maybe Benji slid into Bella’s DMs from across the pond, and if so, I’d love if he could do the same for me.
So will this just be a momentary fling for Bella Thorne, much like her brief “friendship” with Scott Disick? Or will she spend the next two years of her life posting grungy bathroom selfies with Benji? Only time will tell, and obviously I’ll be watching every step of the way. Whatever happens, I’m sure there will be some good stories that Bella can use for her next book of poems.
