Joy Rovaris and Nadji Jeter Talk About Bobbi Kristina Movie on TV One

Yesterday, I had a great time interviewing some of the cast from the upcoming TV One movie, Bobbi Kristina, premiering on TV One Sunday, October 8th at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT. Joy Rovaris stars as Bobbi Kristina and Nadji Jeter plays Nick Gordon. The story delves into Bobbi Kristina's struggle to come to terms with her mother's sudden departure as well as the complexities of her own life. Opposite Joy Rovaris, Bobbi Kristina stars Demetria McKinney who embodies the heart, flair and essence of the legendary Whitney Houston. The film also stars Hassan Johnson as Bobby Brown, and Vivica A. Fox as Pat Houston. It is directed by child actor Ty Hodges and Executive Produced by Tracey Baker Simmons and Wanda Shelley, who were the creators of the docu-series Being Bobby Brown and The Houstons. 

If you are a Whitney Houston fan, some of you might be put off by a movie about her daughter only two years after her passing.  Krissi's father, Bobby Brown and The Whitney Houston estate even sued to try and stop this movie from being aired.  But I say give it a chance, because this film really aims to share Bobbi Kristina's story which was often overshadowed by her larger than life parents.  Although I have not seen the film, I did get a look at a 10 minute trailer which really impressed me. The acting was great and I was eager to see more. What I loved most about this cast is that they are all Whitney Houston fans and would not be a part of something that bashed Bobbi Kristina. I will definitely be watching on Sunday. 

Check out my Studio Q interview below. 

2nd Annual Breaking the Silence Awards Ceremony & Luncheon [VIDEO]

On Sunday September 24, 2017, Studio Q covered the 2nd Annual Breaking the Silence Awards Ceremony & Luncheon held at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalow in Santa Monica, CA. Breaking the Silence Awards (BTSA) a fundraiser event, which ecognizes corporations and community leaders who use their platform of influence to advocate for Sexual & Domestic Abuse Awareness. BTSA raises funds to provide supportive services to GLBT survivors of sexual & domestic abuse. BTSA, a fundraising program of the I Love Me Foundation (ILMFDN), was established in 2015 by Hollywood publicist, Robert Harrell, to utilize the industry’s resources to engage the public in supporting new research efforts and to increase awareness about sexual trauma in the GLBT community.

Honorees included: William Institute Founding Executive Director, Brad Sears, Former West Hollywood Mayor, Abbe Land, OUT Magazine Managing Editor, R. Kurt Osenlund, Celebrity DJ & Music Producer, Zeke Thomas, Pulse Orlando Nightclub Shooting Survivor, Angel Colon.

Other guests included: Benjamin Patterson (OWN 'Greenleaf'), Jay Alexander (ANTM), Laith Ashley (NBC 'Strut'), Leeza Gibbons (Entertainment Tonight), James Wright Chanel (Youtube Personality, Pattie Pie Guy), Perez Hilton (Entertainment Blogger), Tammy Townsend (Disney 'K.C. Undercover'), Laura Govan (Basketball Wives LA) and many more.

Watch the Studio Q red carpet interviews below:

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Grammy Museum Gala Honoring David Foster

Courtesy of Grammy Museum Twitter Account

On Tuesday September 19, 2017 Studio Q covered the third annual fundraising gala honoring 16-time GRAMMY® Award winner David Foster which was hosted by The GRAMMY Museum®.  The Gala presented David Foster with the Architects of Sound Award in recognition of his unparalleled contributions to music.  Proceeds from the night will benefit the Museum's newly expanded music education programs, which were integrated with those of its sister organization, the GRAMMY Foundation, earlier this year.

Courtesy of The Grammy Museum's Instagram 

Participating in the evening’s celebration was 27-time GRAMMY winner Quincy Jones, singer/songwriter and actress Katharine McPhee; R&B, pop and gospel singer, and "American Idol" season two winner Ruben Studdard; recording artist and “American Idol” star Pia Toscano; singer/songwriter Sheléa; and operatic and classical crossover tenor Fernando Varela. The fundraiser was presented by Cheryl and Haim Saban, and Brian and Adria Sheth.

Check out our Studio Q interviews from the red carpet below 

Celebrity Connected Luxury Gifting Suite Honoring The 69th Emmy Awards

Shanice Wilson and Shanica Knowles

On Saturday September 16th, I attended the the Celebrity Connected Luxury Gifting Suite honoring the Emmys at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. I always have a blast at these events interviewing celebrities and discovering awesome new brands. 

Press play and check out my Studio Q coverage below. 

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Check out some of the pictures from the event. 

Taraji P. Henson, Laverne Cox, Alfre Woodard and More Honored at the 16th Annual Heroes In The Struggle Gala Reception and Awards Presentation

Courtesy of Black Aids Institute

On Saturday September 16, 2017, Tam and I covered Heroes in the Struggle Gala Reception and Awards Presentation held at the Darryl F. Zanuck Theater at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles. Every year the Black AIDS Institute inducts a select group of individuals and organizations that have made heroic contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS in Black America into the Heroes in the Struggle Hall of Fame.

Courtesy of Black Aids Institute

This year's theme was "Black Men Honoring Black Women" and included Taraji P. Henson, Alfre Woodard, Laverne Cox, Vanessa Williams, Gina Belafonte, Gina Brown, and Novant Health as the Corporate Hero. Board member and event chair, Jussie Smollett served as the evening's host and celebrated R&B singer/songwriter Ledisi performed a special tribute. 

Watch our Studio Q red carpet coverage below:

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Check out some photos from my red carpet interviews

Quencie Live on @Youtube - Episode 5

In episode 5 of my Youtube Live show I talk about my interview with Jenifer Lewis and all the behind the scenes fun and mishaps that you didn't see.  Watch below! 

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Quencie Live on @Youtube - Episode 4

On today's episode of Quencie Live I was joined by my Studio Q producer and bestie, Tam Anderson. We discussed the time we attended a taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show back in 2011. Thanks to Tam I even got to ask Oprah a question from the audience that was later featured on her website, oprah.com.   It was during her last season and Oprah gave everyone in the audience a free trip to the Miraval Spa in Arizona, which included air fare, car service and pajamas! Only Oprah would give a gift that included everything like that and we so love her for it. We had a great time at the show and the spa.  Watch as we give our behind the scenes account of our experience. You can also see the question I asked Oprah below. 

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Press play and watch me ask Oprah a question from the audience at Harpo which no longer exists. 

Quencie LIVE on @YouTube - Episode 3

I'm three days in to this live show and there's no stopping me now.  It's cool to talk about the behind the scenes stories of my interviews. In this episode, I talk about my interview with Bishop T.D Jakes during his Instinct Book Tour and a few red carpet events I'm covering this weekend. Subscribe to my Youtube channel and check me out live. Watch the replay below. 

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Check out my Bishop Jakes interview below

Quencie LIVE on @YouTube - Episode 2

Today was day 2 of my Youtube LIVE show and this time I had my Godson, Jayden  joined me as a co-host.  I'm surprised I was able to get through everything I wanted to say. He clearly needs to have his own mic and his own show lol.  I also had some technical difficulties earlier but I didn't let that or Jayden stop me. 

In this episode, I talk about the new Apple Watches, Fantasia and knowing your worth. Watch below. 

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Quencie LIVE on @Youtube - Episode 1

Today I did my first YouTube Livestream show!  And because I actually did it instead of just talking about doing it, I claim it as a roaring success. Sure, they were only 4 people watching, one even being my best friend Tam, but hopefully as time goes on that number will grow. The reason I decided to do a daily YouTube show is because even though I have conducted hundreds of celebrity interviews in the past 5 years, I am only visible in a handful of them. This is mostly because when I re-launched Studio Q online (Studio Q premiered as a community access show in my hometown, Springfield, IL) I was depressed and overweight.  No matter who I was interviewing I never wanted to be in the same camera shot.  It was really not as bad as I felt it was but when you're as depressed as I was at the time no one could convince me otherwise.

I'm such a natural extrovert that I'm sure folks who know me can not imagine me ever wanting to hide myself, but it's true. Normally, I'm able to push through things and overcome obstacles like that, but my depression had a serious grip on me. I was just happy that I could conduct an interview. However, if I had it to do all over again, I would force myself to get in front of that camera no matter what I felt I looked like. Now I understand how important it is to put yourself out there even if you're not happy with every single thing. Imagine if Oprah waited until she was skinny before she shared all her greatness with us.  We would have missed the very best of her.  

So now I have all these great interviews that no one knows I did.  All you really see is my arm, which in all honesty could be anybody's arm.  I remember being on the red carpet and someone asked me how did I get a job at Studio Q. You know you're doing something wrong when the Q in "Studio Q" actually stands for Quencie but nobody knows it lol. I'm doing a daily livestream to change that. Hopefully, by going live Monday-Friday people will get to know who the person is behind the arm holding that microphone.  It's not easy coming out from behind the bushes, but it's time.

On "Quencie Live" (That's the name for now) I will share my interview experiences, what I learned from each interview and some great behind-the-scenes stories. I'm still not where I want to be weight wise, but I'm working on it. What's different now is that I won't let that stop me from being in the camera shot.

In this first episode, I discuss September 11 (16 years later), and my interview with Taraji P. Henson since it's her birthday today. Happy Birthday Taraji! Watch below. 

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Tam and Quencie with Taraji P Henson 

Press Play on my first YouTube episode of Quencie Live! 

Karim Webb and Edward Barnett Bring Buffalo Wild Wings to Koreatown (Los Angeles)

Karim Webb and Edward Barnett (Co-Founders of PCF Restaurant Management)

PCF Restaurant Management Co-Founders, Karim Webb and Edward Barnett celebrated the opening of their newest Buffalo Wild Wings location in Koreatown (Los Angeles, CA) on Saturday, August 26, 2017. Saturday night's "soft-opening" and the Mayweather vs McGregor Fight Night event brought together some of the region's prominent business, philanthropic, entertainment and elected leaders. Over 200 guests feasted on Buffalo Wild Wings signature wings, 16 sauces, 5 seasonings, a wide variety of beers, and craft cocktails. Proceeds from the evenings event went to Korean Churches for Community Development and the Brotherhood Crusade.

As minority business owners, Webb and Barnett are excited to be expanding their footprint into a new and ethnically diverse area. "If I go into a restaurant in a community that I know is diverse and I don't see people that look like the residents in that community, I take note of that," says Webb. He and Barnett pride themselves on being responsive to unique needs of each community their units serve and their ability to engage stakeholders therein. Buffalo Wild Wings Koreatown opens to the public on Monday, August 28th at 11 am.

Check out our Studio Q interviews with the owners Karim and Edward below.  

Check out some of the great photos from the event.

LaRon and Lahmard Tate - Tate Entertainment

Nisan Stewart - Musician

"When Love Kills" TV One Los Angeles Movie Premiere [VIDEO]

Studio Q attended the Los Angeles premiere of the TV One movie, When Love Kills at the Harmony Gold Theater. Premiering on Monday, August 28th at 9pm ET, When Love Kills tells the tragic story of Falicia Blakely, a teen mom who only knows life in the fast-lane. When she becomes an exotic dancer, she attracts the attention of pimp and predator, Dino. His empty promises of a life together turn Falicia into a pawn in his dangerous games; she's forced to prove her love for him at the expense of innocent lives. 

When Love Kills stars: Niatia "Lil Mama" Kirkland (CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story), Lance Gross (House of Payne, Temptation), Tami Roman (Basketball Wives, Belle's) and Tasha Smith (For Better Or Worse, Empire) making her feature-length directorial debut.

Check out some of the photos from the red carpet below.

Studio Q correspondent, Tammi Rashonda, who filled in for Quencie, talked to some of the celebrities at the Los Angeles red carpet premiere. Watch our Studio Q interviews below:

Photo cred: Photography By Gip III

Check Out OWN 's New Docu-Series, 'Black Love'

According to Vibe, Oprah Winfrey and the OWN Network will premiere new docu-series, Black Love. Created by married couple and filmmakers Tommy and Codie Oliver, the duo interviewed several African-American couples—some in Hollywood some not–about how they met and how they keep it together.  The show, which will premiere Aug. 29 examines the intricacies and delicacies of love from black couples.

Some couples have been together for eight, 10 and even 17 years while other couples are still in the newlywed phase. The extended clip opens with Academy-Award winner Viola Davis speaking candidly about how nervous she was when she first met her husband, but then being flattered by his zeal.  

“I was terrified because he told me exactly who he was, he was absolutely honest about his past and then he brought me home and then said ‘you are a very beautiful and a nice woman and it was a pleasure spending time with you’ and he shook my hand and then I went in the house. Twenty minutes later he called again and I said ‘You got home already?’ and he said ‘No, I’m at the Ralph’s down the street, but I just wanted to tell you again what a great time I had and what a beautiful woman you are’ and I said ‘oh, ok.’  Twenty minutes later he called again and said ‘I just want to say I got home, but you’re a beautiful woman and I’m about to go to sleep and just wanted to tell you to have a good night.”

With interviews from Tia and Cory Hardwick, Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin as well as Flex and Shanice who have been married 17 years, these couples get real about what makes their relationship work. Check out the extended trailer below.

And if you are in the LA on the premiere date RSVP today for an exclusive first look at #OWN Network's new series, #BLACKLOVE! Happening August 29th, 2017 at 7pm. This Clips & Conversation based event is hosted by #HollywoodConfidential's brand new screening series. And will feature select cast members from #BlackLoveDoc and the show creators!

Loni Love Wants Her Own Late-Night Talk Show

I met Loni Love for the first time on the red carpet of The Bodyguard Musical back in May.  It was great interviewing this funny lady about 'The Real,' The K michelle Twitter beef, Tamar Braxton and how great Deborah Cox would represent Whitney in the show. I had no idea at the time that although Loni Loves 'The Real' she's been itching for her own Late Night Talk Show.  According to The Grio, during an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Loni Love opened up about what it’s like to be a black woman in the world of comedy and spoke on her own career goal of getting a late-night talk show.

She explained that when she first started out, she was getting the roles typical of black women, the ones that required “sass."  “For a long time, black women in comedy had to always be sassy. Do the neck, the eye roll. I did a guest spot on one show and I did this one little sassy moment and they made me a regular. It was one line and they were like ‘We need that sass!'” she recalled.

She then added, “That’s why you only ever saw one black girl, and you knew she was bringing the sass. And then, when you look at me and my physical, I’ve always been a big girl and loud. But there’s a lot of loud big girls that ain’t funny. For me, I had to break out of that — I wanted to be funny.”

Now, she is looking to expand her horizons, and she has her sights set on late-night hosting.

“I’m trying to keep tackling hosting. In daytime, women have always traditionally hosted. But in late-night, it’s always been a challenge. I want to tackle a late-night gig. And I kind of have to toot my own horn — I don’t care what she says — I helped Chelsea [Handler] with her show,” she said, laughing. “But she encouraged me because when we did ‘Chelsea Lately,’ we did seven seasons of that show and started out with guests from like ‘Survivor 15,’ but she worked herself up. That’s where I’m going next, tackling late-night in the prime-time space.”

You can check out the full interview here.  Check out my interview with Loni Love below. We had some mic problems so warning the audio is low. 

Russell Simmon's ‘All Def Comedy’ Returns to HBO As Series In December with Tony Rock as Host

I will always love me some Tony Rock! I interviewed him for the first time ever back in January about a new show he was doing on TV One and the conversation was just a great time.  Plus, a clip of my interview went viral, which has never happened before. Thanks Tony!  If you watch the interview below you will absolutely remember seeing it everywhere earlier this year.  

Hopefully, Tony will make things go viral again this year with his upcoming hosting gig.  According to Deadline, HBO has picked up Russell Simmons’ All Def Comedy stand-up series for a six-episode season that will kick of in December, the network said today. The order comes after HBO aired an All Def Comedy one-off special in November, part of Simmons’ overall first-look deal with the premium cabler. The shows will be taped October 10-11 at the Avalon Theatre in Los Angeles and hosted by Tony Rock. Like Simmons and HBO’s original Def Comedy Jam, the series will feature stand-up performances spotlighting up-and-coming comics discovered at All Def Digital’s live weekly comedy showcase and online video platform. 

All Def Comedy also will be available on HBO Now, HBO Go, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals. Simmons and Stan Lathan are producing with Chris Conti and Jeru Tillman. Lathan is directing.  “I have witnessed firsthand how the most cutting-edge, seemingly alternative comics become the driving forces in mainstream comedy,” Simmons said. “I’m thankful to HBO for allowing me to give these new voices access to mainstream audiences everywhere.”  Earlier this month, Simmons revealed he was looking to restart his Def Poetry Jam franchise with HBO as All Def Poetry and was talking with Grammy winner Chance the Rapper to host the potential series.

Russell Simmons never stops and I just love him for it. I remember watching Def Comedy Jam back in the day so that fact that it's still around in some form is an ode to Russell's genius.  Check out my interview with host, Tony Rock below. 

Syleena Johnson in New TV One Talk Show, “Sister Circle”

Congratulations to singer Syleena Johnson who can now add Talk Show Host to her resume. According to TheJasminebrand, TV One is the latest network to hop into the talk show space, launching a new daily roundtable talk show called ‘Sister Circle’. Launching on September 11th, the show feature a panel of four women — Quad Webb-Lunceford (“Married To Medicine”), singer Syleena Johnson, sports reporter Rashan Ali, and standup comedian Kiana Dancie— discussing a range of lifestyle and relationship issues as well as topical subjects. The foursome will be joined by DJ Q (aka Funky Dineva, who also owns a entertainment blog), who will spin records and add a male perspective to the conversation.

Courtesy of @MsFunykDineva Instagram 

Daytime TV vet Helen Swenson has been tapped as showrunner. The hourlong show will also blend in celebrity guests and expert commentary. It will air live in East Coast markets at 9 a.m. ET, originating from Tegna’s Atlanta outlet, NBC affiliate WXIA-TV. Tegna plans to launch the show on 12 of its 46 stations. The company is not looking to expand the show’s lineup outside those stations. Instead, the focus is on fine-tuning the show during its first season on the limited Tegna footprint and TV One, in the hopes of developing a stronger series to offer in syndication in year two.  

Check out my Studio Q interview with Syleena Johnson at the Daughters of Soul Launch party below. 

Quencie Talks to Rashad Jennings About Dancing With The Stars #DWTS

I interviewed NFL star Rashad Jennings on the red carpet of the Celebrity Connected luxury gifting suite event at the W hotel.  I of course asked him about all things Dancing with the Stars. Check out our conversation below. 

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Celebrity Connected Gifting Suite Recap - MTV Movie & TV Awards

On Saturday, May 6, 2017, I covered the red carpet for the Celebrity Connected Gifting Suite honoring the MTV Movie & TV Awards held at the W Hotel in Hollywood, CA. There were many celebrities in attendance who received gifts from sponsoring businesses in technology, home decor, beauty, health, food/beverage, fashion/apparel industries and more.

Some vendors include: Hug Life, Diva Stuff, Hemp Kitchen, Aitai Kuji, Sweetopia, Bonjour Clothing, Django Moccasins, Quest, UFrost, Speakeasy 710, Velare, and many more!

Check out my photos and video recap of the event.

Top left: Dawnn Lewis and Shanica Knowles, Sanayya Sidney, Rashad Jenning and Niles Fitch

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