CNA Week 11
Actor and comedian John Witherspoon, who appeared in ‘Friday,’ dies at 77
John Witherspoon, actor and comedian, born in 1942, passed away at the age of 77 at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Witherspoon was an actor in the “Friday” franchise and was a voice actor in the animated series “The Boondocks”. By the 1970s, Witherspoon launched a career in stand-up comedy with television roles and appeared in the 1980’s “The Jazz Singer” and starred as John “Pops” Williams in “The Wayans Bros.” among numerous other TV and film roles.
NBC News spoke to the family who stated, “It is with deepest sorrow that we can confirm our beloved husband and father, John Witherspoon, one of the hardest working men in show business, died today at his home in Sherman Oaks at the age of 77,”. On Tuesday night, Sinbad, a comedian, who also mourned Witherspoon’s death, tweeted that Witherspoon was “one of my early heroes and a beautiful person.”
Many other people in the industry tweeted messages saying how much they loved Witherspoon and how he impacted them.
Kanye West, Heretic by Nature, Finds God
On Friday, 42 year-old rapper Kayne West released his ninth album “Jesus Is King” with a new gospel twist, making the album independent and eccentric from his previous albums.
West took a giant turn when it came to the kind of music he usually releases, especially when he incorporated his Sunday Service choir into some of his new songs such as “Selah”. West, being the well-known artist that he is, is sure to impact an even bigger range of people due to his music genre switch up and openness about his beliefs.
In the new album, West discusses things such as anxiety, religious awakening, and the need for healing. West seems to have found God and is becoming more open about his faith.
Kelly Ripa responds to backlash over son in ‘extreme poverty’ joke
On Tuesday, Kelly Ripa appeared on the late night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and talked about her 22-year-old son who attends New York University and is learning to live on his own like everyone else his age. Ripa stirred up controversy with what she had to say about it.
What Ripa said that turned heads the wrong way was when she referred to her son saying, “I think he loves his freedom,” Ripa said jokingly. “He hates paying his own rent, and he’s chronically poor. I don’t think he ever really experienced extreme poverty like now.” Ripa continued to throw out small jokes about her son being on his own and needing money, seemingly throwing him under the bus.
Ripa started to get backlash for her comments, in which she responded to on Wednesday in the comment section of a photo on her sons Instagram page saying how he worked a lot and was a senior in college and how she expects her kids to work hard like her and her husband.