Melanie Fiona insights “SISTORY” with the EVERY WOMAN CAMPAIGN and a new album.

ESSENCE.com: Why did you start the “Sistory: Every Woman” campaign?

MELANIE FIONA: I wanted to do something that was different that would represent the way I feel as a young woman in music and just a young woman, in general. In making music, I found that women really responded to my music. So, that was really the focus of the stories that were being told from a woman’s perspective. When it came time to this “Her Story” campaign I wanted to do the alter ego shoot with Derek Blanks and become several different women in different times and in different cultures. I’m in the middle of the photograph, which is where I’m representing the unity of music, love and peace. It’s really just about showing the fight of women throughout time. Rather than history, it’s “Her Story.”

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The federal government could be vulnerable to billions of dollars in claims after a judge ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers’ failure to properly maintain a navigation channel led to massive flooding in Hurricane Katrina.

U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval on Wednesday awarded seven plaintiffs $720,000, but the government could eventually be forced to pay much more. The ruling should give more than 100,000 other individuals, businesses and government entities a better shot at claiming damages.

NOW LET’S SEE HOW LONG IT TAKES THE AWARDEES TO RECEIVE THEIR MONEY FROM THE VERY SLOW GOVERNMENT….
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The Donda West law, which was introduced in September, has officially become a California state law. The law, inspired by the late mother of rapper Kanye West, makes health checks and a written clearance mandatory before being allowed to undergo plastic surgery in the state of California. SOURCE

The people over at Ambercrombie & Fitch are trying to stop Beyonce from launching her ‘Sasha Fierce’ fragrance because they think the name is too close to their own ‘Fierce’ fragrance. However, Beyonce’s camp says they aren’t even planning to name the fragrance after Beyonce’s alter-ego, so the lawsuit is pointless. CLICK HERE for more on this story.

The Game’s cousin (Robert Kirkwood) who refers to him as someone who “fashions himself as some kind of rapper, gangsta and/or celebrity” is suing his LA rapper over an alleged fight that took place last year at a relative’s funeral.

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Custody battles between ‘regular’ people like you and me can get ugly and take years in some cases, so you can imagine how ugly this battle between Debbie Rowe and the Jackson Family is going to get. Debbie not only wants her kids back, but she also wants a restraining order against Joe Jackson to keep him away from her kids.

“I want my children,” Rowe said during a 90-minute phone conversation Thursday morning with NBCLA’s Chuck Henry. Rowe said she was willing to submit to any testing, including DNA to prove that she is the children’s true biological mother. Rowe also said she would submit to psychological testing. She also said she would seek a restraining order to keep Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson, away from the children.

The agreement does allow for visitation, but Rowe said it’s a very difficult process. She said if she misses a visitation date, it is difficult to reschedule with the Jacksons. “I am stepping up,” Rowe said. “I have to.” Rowe said she was still grieving. She said she decided she had to seek custody after Jackson’s death. “We had an agreement… he didn’t keep his end,” Rowe said, referring to Jackson’s death. “It hasn’t been easy. It’s been painful.” Jackson, who died at age 50, left behind three children: son Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11; and son Prince Michael II, 7. Rowe was the mother of the two oldest children. The youngest was born to a surrogate mother, who has never been identified. Rowe said she was concerned about splitting up the children. She said she did not expect the court to grant custody of the third child, but added that she would be willing to accept custody.

Rowe, who was married to Jackson in 1996 and filed for divorce three years later, surrendered her parental rights. An appeals court later found that was done in error, and Rowe and Jackson entered an out-of-court settlement in 2006. In her testimony eight years ago, Rowe said, “I had the children for him. They wouldn’t be on this planet if it wasn’t for my love for him. I did it for him to become a father, not for me to become a mother. You earn the title ‘parent.” I have done absolutely nothing to earn that title.” Earlier this week, Jackson’s mother was appointed temporary guardian of the children, pending a hearing on Monday. A will signed by Jackson in 2002 and filed with the court Wednesday requests that Katherine Jackson be named guardian of the children, but in the event of her death, he asked that singer Diana Ross be appointed.

The will also specifically leaves Rowe out of any inheritance. “I have intentionally omitted to provide for my former wife, Deborah Jean Rowe Jackson,” the will states. Rowe’s attorney, Eric George, told the Los Angeles Times he will be at the custody hearing Monday to represent her.

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Perez Hilton said in a recently released statement that he plans to sue any and everyone involved in the altercation at the Much Music Awards in Toronto.

In a statement that was released from the lawyer of gossip blogger Perez Hilton, Perez has revealed that he will be taking “legal action” against anyone who was involved in the physical altercation that took place after the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto.

Following the altercation, which took place over the weekend, Perez has continuously informed fans via Twitter and his blog that he will seek justice. And according to a statement released by his lawyer, Perez will be doing just that.

“Perez will take legal action against anyone who chooses to resort to physical violence as a means to respond to criticism they do not like,” Perez Hilton’s attorney, Bryan J. Freedman, explained in a statement to Access Hollywood.

According to Perez he was hit by Polo Molina, the manager for the Black Eyed Peas, after Perez and will.i.am exchanged words earlier in the evening. Molina has since turned himself in to the Toronto police.

“All persons responsible for this cowardly act of physical violence will be sued and held legally responsible for their actions,” Freedman added. “His first amendment rights will not be infringed upon through fear, intimidation or violence.”

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Chris Brown has copped a plea in the assault case between he and Rihanna.

According to TMZ:

Chris Brown has copped a plea in his assault case. He won’t do jail time, but he will spend 6 months doing things like road cleanup. He’s also been ordered to stay 50 yards clear of Rihanna.

He’ll spend 180 days doing hard labor in Virginia which is where Brown lives – it’s equivalent to Caltrans or graffiti cleanup.

He gets 5 years probation for FELONY assault — he pled guilty. He’ll get supervised probation. He’ll have to come back to court every three months.

He must enroll in a domestic violence counseling program.

This is interesting … the judge said if Brown and Rihanna are at the same public events, the 50-yard stay away turns into 10 yards. The stay away order lasts 5 years.

The judge said she wanted to make sure that Chris Brown “was treated as any other person who comes through this court.”

If Brown violates probation, he could get up to 4 years in prison.

Rihanna is in the courthouse but never entered the courtroom.

So Brown is now a convicted felon and loses the right to vote or carry a gun.

The preliminary hearing in the Chris Brown/Rihanna Assault case is set to start at 1:30PT. Rihanna is supposed to testify, but Chris’s lawyer is trying to get a plea deal.
We will keep you updated as information becomes available. Updates courtesy of TMZ.

*UPDATE: HUGE … THEY’VE JUST ALLOWED A CAMERA IN THE COURTROOM. OUR SOURCES SAY IF A CAMERA WAS LET IN THAT MEANS THERE ALMOST CERTAINLY IS A PLEA BARGAIN

*UPDATE: Even though Rihanna’s there it still does feel like plea bargain

*UPDATE: BIG CHANGE. RIHANNA IS IN COURT. THAT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE A PLEA BARGAIN

*UPDATE: Rihanna’s lawyer is in court but she isn’t there. It smells like a plea deal.

*UPDATE: Brown is in the courtroom. His head is down and he looks rather upset. His mom is in court, along with other family members. There is reserved family seating.

*UPDATE: Chris Brown just arrived at the LA County courthouse and entered with his lawyer.

A Manhattan club owner is pretty pissed off at Beyonce for backing out of a show she had signed on to perform this past Saturday.

A PULLOUT by Beyoncé Knowles has a Manhattan clubowner threatening a million-dollar lawsuit. The pop princess was slated to perform tomorrow at M2 — the West 27th Street nightclub that used to be Crobar and Mansion — as part of the launch of her “I Am . . . Sasha Fierce” North American tour. M2 owner Joey Morrissey agreed to pay the singer $200,000 for the gig, he says.

But on Wednesday, Beyoncé’s people suddenly pulled the plug on the performance, despite having signed a contract that had prompted Morrissey to spend $100,000 preparing for the show, according to the clubowner. “They said they were too busy with the launching of the tour and that they wouldn’t have time to do the kickoff party,” Morrissey tells Page Six.To make up for the cancellation, Morrissey says Beyoncé offered to stop by the club “to hang out for an hour” on Sunday. He adds, “I mean, we sold tables for thousands of dollars for the show, and spent $100,000 renting a soundboard and other equipment, as per their stipulations. What good does her showing up for an hour do me? They’ve been totally unwilling to agree to another show.”As a result, Morrissey says he’s now preparing to file suit against Beyoncé, claiming his place has suffered a “loss of reputation” in addition to the sunk cash. “We had an overwhelming response from our clubgoers, who were lining up to buy tickets and tables. This will come as a great disappointment to all of them,” he claims, adding, “If Beyoncé cancels and doesn’t give us a new date, this hurts our credibility in night life.”

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Beyonce is taking a stand against pirates. Not the pirates on boats, but those that are bootlegging her stuff.

From THEYBF:

And Beyonce is suing the pirates. Not the ones on the boats, the ones bootlegging her ish outside her concerts. B and Pappy Knowles want to crack down on piracy and is now suing anyone who is selling fake cds and tickets and B paraphenalia outside her concerts. According to TMZ:

Beyonce has filed a federal lawsuit today in New York, alleging that a pile of shady people have sold knock-off CDs and merchandise in “the vicinity” of past concerts she’s performed around the world.

Beyonce believes the piracy is bound to happen again — specifically at her upcoming concerts at Madison Square Garden on June 21 and 22 — so she’s asking the court to deem it illegal before the bootlegged booty hits the streets.

The lawyer of Tameka Foster Raymond is doing what Tameka is paying him for, defending her honor as a mother and wife in the divorce of Tameka from singer Usher.

‘We were hoping this case would be resolved privately,’ lawyer says of Usher divorcing his wife, Tameka Foster-Raymond.

Randall Kessler, who is representing Usher’s wife, Tameka Foster-Raymond, in their impending divorce, has spoken about the couple’s split. On Friday, Usher filed for divorce from Foster-Raymond after less than two years of marriage. The couple have two sons together: Usher Raymond V, 18 months, and Naviyd Ely Raymond, 6 months.

Kessler told The Associated Press that Foster-Raymond, 38, was a “faithful wife and loving mother,” and declined to comment about Usher’s conduct during the marriage.

He also told People.com that he and his client will respond to the divorce filing in a “timely manner,” adding, “We were hoping this case would be resolved privately, but since Usher filed it publicly we will have to respond.”

Kessler added to E!, “She’s trying her best to take the high road and not attack him.”

People also spoke with several sources close to the couple about the split. “No one I’ve spoken to is surprised,” one source said. “As bad as this is gonna sound, it was never a matter of ‘I wonder if they’ll divorce,’ but more like ‘I wonder when they’ll divorce.’ “

Another source said, “They peaked before they even got married. Right after it was over, they started to drift apart. [Usher] just wasn’t ready to settle down, at least not with her.

“They’ve been going their own way for awhile,” the source added. “They don’t spend a lot of time with each other. When they were together, it was all about the boys.”

The marriage reportedly has been strained for months now. Sources have said the pair haven’t lived under the same roof for quite some time, as Usher has relocated to Nevada to work on his next solo album. Pictures and video of Usher, alongside Jermaine Dupri and others, partying in Las Vegas have appeared online in recent weeks.

The couple’s relationship has been fraught with controversy ever since Usher broke the news — somewhat off-handedly — to MTV News in March of 2007 that he and Foster were engaged. The couple married later that year in Atlanta in a simple ceremony, after canceling the original, more lavish wedding. Rumors were rampant about the reason for the cancellation of the original wedding plans, including that Usher’s mother disapproved of the relationship, claims the couple later denied.

Throughout their marriage, the couple was dogged by insinuations that the singer was being controlled by Foster, and further reports of discord with his mother, whom he released from her duties as his manager in 2007 before rehiring her the following year. Questions about the singer’s fidelity also arose. Usher took umbrage with much of the discussion and fired back at the gossip in interviews.

In a “TRL” appearance in May of 2008, Usher unleashed a verbal broadside about the rumors. “I love my wife very, very much,” he said. “There was a little rumor earlier this week about us separating. It ain’t true. We in love. Get outta there,” he said, raising his left hand and showing off his wedding band. “Matter of fact, I’m tired of people continuing to talk so much trash about me, know what I’m saying? And my relationship.”

Early this year, Foster suffered cardiac arrest before undergoing plastic surgery in Brazil. Upon learning of her condition, Usher canceled his performance at Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy gala and flew to the foreign country be to with her. Davis told the crowd at the party that Usher had to leave town due to a “serious injury in the family.” People’s sources called the event a “brief reunion in an otherwise troubled marriage.”

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Poor Rihanna just can’t stay out of court these days. First, she is called to testify in the assault case between her and Chris Brown. Now, she is being sued by her neighbor.

The courtroom drama just keeps piling up on Rih Rih. Her L.A. neighbor Christian Moeller–who designs spaces for The W Hotel in Hollywood–says she’s been trampling all over his lawn and is allowing others to do the same with their cars. Rihanna rents her home from a Stephen Yacobian, and while Stephen had the right to use Moeller’s outdoor lawn property a while back, Moeller’s claiming Rih Rih doesn’t now.

According to TMZ:

Rihanna rents a home owned by Stephen Yacobian, whose house is next door to Moeller’s. Moeller gave Yacobian an easement — the right to drive cars on a portion of Moeller’s property.

But two years ago, Yacobian renovated the property and the easement wasn’t really being used. To make matters a lot worse, since Rihanna moved in she’s been allowing cars to drive on Moeller’s lawn to get to her driveway… and the suit claims sometimes the cars just sit there on the lawn.

So Moeller wants the easement eliminated. As for Rihanna, Moeller is suing her for allowing people and cars to trespass on his property.