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Tag: alfonso ribeiro

  • Gary Busey Bids Adieu to “Dancing With the Stars,” or Does He?

    Gary Busey bid adieu to Dancing With the Stars on Monday night, a couple of weeks after he likely should have been voted off the show. Following his and dance partner Anna Trebunskaya’s elimination, he issued a very Gary Busey-like statement.

    “The fact that I’ve been eliminated is false,” he said following the announcement of his elimination. “You won’t see us dancing, but we’ll be there.”

    Whether Gary Busey meant this cryptically or plans to be in the audience with Anna Trebunskaya watching the remaining couples compete is a bit uncertain. Those who follow Gary Busey are likely not surprised.

    Busey’s performance for the night was a Buddy Holly-inspired routine. He and Trebunskaya received just 16 points total–the lowest total of the evening.

    The top score on Monday night of Dancing With the Stars went to Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough. The couple danced to a poignant rendition of The Police’s “Every Breath You Take,” in a sweet, emotional tribute to her late father.

    Tom Bergeron was absent from Dancing With the Stars on Monday evening. He left the show to be by his ailing, elderly father’s bedside. Last season’s winner, Alfonso Ribeiro filled in for Bergeron. He should have been sent home instead of Gary Busey.

    Did you catch Monday night’s episode of Dancing With the Stars? Who did you think was less annoying–Alfonso Ribeiro or Gary Busey?

  • Alfonso Ribeiro Fills in for Tom Bergeron on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ Better Dancer than Host

    Alfonso Ribeiro filled in for Tom Bergeron Monday night on Dancing With the Stars, and proved he’s a much better dancer and actor than he is a television host.

    Tom Bergeron’s absence is due to an elderly, ailing father. Alfonso Ribeiro seemed like a great idea for a temporary replacement. After all, he won last season’s mirror ball trophy.

    Not so, however. Where Tom Bergeron is smooth, with a touch of dry humor, Alfonso Ribeiro is cocky, with a touch of annoyance.

    Monday night’s DWTS had some truly remarkable moments despite Alfonso Ribeiro’s quirky presence. Bindi Irwin danced a tribute to her dad–the late Steve Irwin–and there couldn’t have been a dry eye in the place. She and pro partner Derek Hough also earned the first 10 of the season.

    Alek Skarlatos paid tribute to the victims of last week’s mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. Not only is that his hometown, he had also enrolled there as a student before the Paris train attack scenario changed his plans.

  • Corey Feldman’s Performance At A Minor League Baseball Game Was So ‘Far Below Expectations’ That The Team Apologized

    Corey Feldman’s retro night performance at a minor league baseball game in Pennsylvania did not go as organizers had hoped and the team ended up apologizing to its fans for the appearance that was “so far below expectations.”

    Taking its cue from a successful retro night with Alfonso Ribeiro from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air last year, the State College Spikes booked Feldman — star of such 1980s classics as The Lost Boys, Stand by Me and The Goonies — hoping for the same success at Saturday night’s game.

    Unfortunately, their plan backfired, and the Class-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals was not happy with Corey Feldman’s appearance.

    The team tweeted on Monday that Feldman’s appearance “was not what we had anticipated for the evening” and ended up being “so far below expectations,” adding an apology “to all fans who may have been offended by its content.”

    According to the Centre Daily News via The Los Angeles Times, Spikes General Manager Scott Walker said Feldman’s contract called for him to interact with fans, but “he simply did not want to do any of that.”

    Walker added that Feldman seemed more interested in performing with his band, Corey’s Angels, which Walker described as “not exactly family-friendly.”

    “It’s not the type of entertainment we stand for or stand by,” Walker said.

    Feldman had his own opinion of the event. In a Twitter post, Corey called the appearance “the most unprofessional event I’ve done” and “it was like working w The 3 Stooges!”

    Fans of Feldman seemed pleased, however, and tweeted their support.

    Corey Feldman will once again appear at the receipt-of-the-torch ceremony for the Special Olympics World Games on Friday in Los Angeles. Corey’s Angels are also expected to perform at the event.

  • Tatyana Ali Reunites With ‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ Co-Star Will Smith at BET Event

    Tatyana Ali was reunited over the weekend with her Fresh Prince of Bel Air co-star Will Smith.

    Tatyana Ali and Will Smith were attending the 2015 Black Girls Rock event Saturday when the sweet reunion took place.

    Will Smith, 46, was at the show in Newark, New Jersey, to present an award to his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, when he bumped into his Tatyana Ali backstage.

    The two starred on the popular sitcom from 1990 to 1996, on which Tatyana Ali, 36, played Smith’s cousin Ashley Banks.

    The actress, wearing a GEMY MAALOUF jumpsuit, shared a selfie of the quick reunion on Instagram, writing “Backstage @blackgirlsrock @mbib #imagineafuture #nofilter #fam #tatyanaali #willsmith #FRESHPRINCE.”

    This isn’t the first time the duo have reunited. Tatyana joined fellow Fresh Prince star and Dancing With the Stars champion Alfonso Ribeiro at the premiere of Will Smith’s 2008 film Seven Pounds.

    Backstage @blackgirlsrock @mbib #imagineafuture #nofilter #fam #tatyanaali #willsmith #FRESHPRINCE

    A photo posted by Tatyana Ali (@tatyanaali) on

    As for the award presentation, Will Smith offered an adorable tribute to his wife of 18 years at the BET event, and presented her with the Star Power award.

    Much media attention was subsequently given to the PDA Will Smith offered his wife along with the award with a kiss and pat on her behind.

    Black Girls Rock is a non-profit organization with a mission of empowering young black women and exploring the media’s impact on them.

    Also at the event were the couple’s 14-year-old daughter, Willow, and Jada’s mother, Adrienne Canfield-Jones.

  • ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Signs ‘Bachelor’ Chris Soules

    Dancing With the Stars has announced the mystery contestant who wasn’t divulged last week when the remainder of the upcoming season’s cast was listed. It seems that shortly after The Bachelor’s Chris Soules hands out that final red rose, he’ll be putting on his dancing shoes.

    That’s right. Chris Soules is joining the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars. He will be paired up with Witney Carson as his dance pro partner. And there won’t be any making out with her on the Dancing With the Stars set. It’s not that kind of show. Witney Carson danced with Alfonso Ribeiro–all the way to that coveted mirror ball trophy–during season 19.

    A source explained to Us Weekly that Chris Soules has been meeting with DWTS producers for a few weeks now so he will understand exactly what is expected of him on the show. It seems he even called another Bachelor who has appeared on Dancing With the Stars–Sean Lowe–to ask him some questions about the competition.

    “He seems like he’s not totally sure what he’s getting himself into! It will be fascinating to see how well he does,” the source said.

    In addition to Sean Lowe and Chris Soules, other Dancing With the Stars contestants from the Bachelor or Bachelorette franchise include Bachelor Jake Pavelka, Bachelorette Trista Sutter, and Bachelor 13 castoff Melissa Rycroft.

    Dancing With the Stars premieres its 20th season on March 16th at 8:00 PM ET. Will you be tuning in to see Bachelor Chris Soules take his first spin around the ballroom?

  • Witney Carson: Can She And Alfonso Ribeiro Win?

    Witney Carson and Alfonso Ribeiro wowed the judges during Monday night’s half of the season finale.

    They did a return of the jive they did earlier in the show. The first time, it earned four 9’s from the judges. This time, Witney Carson and Alfonso Ribeiro earned a perfect 10 from each judge.

    Alfonso danced quite gracefully through the back injury he suffered recently, prompting Len Goodman to say that Ribeiro dances like Sinatra sings.

    He and Witney Carson also earned praise from Bruno Tonioli, who said the couple propelled the jive into interstellar space.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF7He0Hwd0s

    During the freestyle part of the night, Witney Carson and Alfonso Ribeiro did an eclectic mix of styles, featuring a tap dance solo for Ribiero.

    The routine started with an old-school swing intro to the music of to Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing” and then quickly transitioning into a modern routine set to Sugarhill Gang’s “Apache (Jump On It)”.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dw_o7cD_4o

    Len Goodman said the Witney Carson-designed routine was a buffet of great dancing and hoped America would realize that Alfonso Ribeiro is the season’s best dancer.

    Alfonso Ribeiro and Witney Carson seem to be kind of the front-runners of the season, if there is such a thing. In previous years, the winner would be fairly obvious by now, but not so this season.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvDlaRev4Nc

    Witney Carson and Alfonso Ribeiro have some pretty stiff competition with Sadie Robertson and Mark Ballas, as well as Janel Parrish and Val Chmerkovskiy following seriously close behind.

    Who do you hope will win the mirror ball trophy tonight? Are you a fan of Witney Carson and Alfonso Ribeiro or do you like Sadie Robertson and Mark Ballas’ sweet style?

    Perhaps the great love story of Val and Janel has caught your attention?

    Tonight, we shall know!

  • Witney Carson, Alfonso Ribeiro Dance Their Way to Two Perfect Scores on DWTS

    This fall’s Dancing with the Stars competition will come to a close tonight as the three remaining dance pairs put it all on the line for a chance to become the season 19 winners.

    ABC’s Dancing with the Stars is a ballroom dancing competition featuring celebrities and professional dancers. Celebrities are paired with dancers and compete weekly on network television, with pairs eliminated each week.

    Last night the first episode of this week’s season 19 finals aired, further paring down the competition to just three dance pairs. Competitors were tasked with reprising a dance at the request of the judges and then putting their best foot forward with a freestyle dance.

    YouTube celebrity Bethany Mota and her partner Derek Hough were tasked with bringing back their week-one jive version of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” but were eliminated after scoring a combined 76 points out of a possible 80.

    Tonight’s finale will feature Duck Dynasty star Sadie Robertson with her partner Mark Ballas; actress Janel Parrish with her partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy; and actor Alfonso Ribeiro with his partner Witney Carson.

    Ribeiro, best-known for portraying Carlton Banks on the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has been a fan-favorite throughout the competition. In the competition’s fourth week Ribeiro trotted out his famed character’s dance, nabbing a perfect score.

    Last night Ribeiro and Carson received two perfect scores. One was for a reprisal of their week one jive to Cupid’s “3-6-9” and the other was for the pair’s freestyle dance, which featured songs such as Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)” and The Sugarhill Gang’s “Apache.”

    Ribeiro celebrated his perfect score on social media, thanking his fans and calling Carson his “hero.”

    Such a happy moment. Thank you all for the best dream come true @witneycarson you are my hero.

    A photo posted by Alfonso Ribeiro (@therealalfonsoribeiro) on

    The two-hour Dancing with the Stars season 19 finale will air tonight at 9 pm EST on ABC. A season recap titled Dancing with the stars: Road to the Finals will air at 8 pm EST before the competition.

  • Alfonso Ribeiro Performs Despite Pain on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

    Alfonso Ribeiro performed Monday night on Dancing With the Stars, despite being in a great deal of pain. Since injuring his back more than a week ago, Alfonso didn’t know if he would be able to continue in the competition. He proved naysayers wrong, however, and gave it his all during Monday’s semifinal rounds, even though it was abundantly clear the Fresh Prince of Bel Air star was in excruciating pain following the competition.

    Alfonso and pro partner Witney Carson wowed fans with their dream-themed dance in which they wore costumes akin to pajamas. What truly impressed everyone–including the judges–were the lifts Alfonso Ribeiro executed beautifully–carrying Witney gracefully across the dance floor. As CBS reports, “Dancing through the pain gave his performance a complexity and depth he hasn’t shown so far this season.”

    So who went home on Monday night? Alfonso Ribeiro fans–including his former Fresh Prince of Bel Air cast mates–are hoping it wasn’t him. If you didn’t tune in to watch Dancing With the Stars on Monday, this serves as your spoiler alert.

    Bethany Mota and Derek Hough, along with Janel Parrish and Val Chmerkovskiy both received perfect 10 scores from the judges. Tommy Chong and Peta Murgatroyd along with Sadie Robertson and Mark Ballas were the only couples left standing after Bethany and Derek, Janel and Val, and yes, Alfonso Ribeiro and Witney Carson were all declared safe.

    Tommy Chong and pro partner Peta bid adieu to Dancing With the Stars on Monday evening.

    Next week starts finals week on Dancing With the Stars. Do you think his back injury puts Alfonso Ribeiro at a significant disadvantage going into the finals?

    Who do you expect (or hope) might win Dancing With the Stars and take home that coveted mirror ball trophy? Will it be Sadie Robertson and Mark Ballas, Bethany Mota and Derek Hough, Janel Parris and Val Chmerksovskiy, or Alfonso Ribeiro and Witney Carson?

    Stay tuned next week to find out.

  • Leah Remini Guest Hosts On ‘Dancing With the Stars’

    Leah Remini returned to Dancing With the Stars this week, but in a much different capacity than the last time she graced he ballroom floor. This time she served a guest host while Erin Andrews is off doing sideline reports at the World Series. Co-hosting with the show’s mainstay, Tom Bergeron, Remini was thrilled to return.

    “So excited to be back on the show, even more excited I don’t have to dance!” she told E! News. “I hope ABC has a delay, gonna speak my mind!”

    The King of Queens actress is known for sometimes saying things that border on inappropriate–hence her comment about a ‘delay.’ Most recently very outspoken about the Church of Scientology, from which she and her family defected, she boldly told the media that ‘everything the church taught me was a lie.’

    Leah Remini had a few funny quips about the Dancing With the Stars contestants–including former Fresh Prince of Bel Air star Alfonso Ribeiro’s unfortunate groin pull.

    “Let’s not discuss it any further. This is an ABC show!” she said.

    Lots of tweets were sent in praise of Leah Remini’s appearance on Dancing With the Stars, and she addressed her followers with gratitude.

    What did you think of Leah Remini on Dancing With the Stars this week? Do you prefer her hosting style over that of Erin Andrews?

  • Alfonso Ribeiro Talks ‘Dancing With The Stars’

    Alfonso Ribeiro is quite the dancer!

    While most fans are familiar with Ribeiro’s famous “Carlton” dance from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, he’s taken things to a whole new level with his recent performances of Dancing With the Stars!

    His success on the notable dance competition series has garnered lots of attention.

    So, of course, everyone wants to know exactly what he’s been doing to be able to execute those dance steps with such precision. During a recent interview with ABC News, the 43-year-old revealed he actually practices eight hours a day.

    “I’m doing four, five hours at the studio, then I come home and work for three or four hours on the dances myself, just kind of get it into my body,” he revealed.

    Although Ribeiro makes dancing look relatively easy, he went on to express how difficult the whole process has been.

    “It’s really, really, really difficult. People seem to think I’m this professional dancer and that’s so not the case. I’ve only done tap dancing before,” he continued.

    “All of this is brand new. Like this week we are doing the quick step … It’s been a tough, tough journey. But every day we go into it saying, ‘Let’s do the best we can today’ and hope that keeps us near the top.”

    He also revealed the first performance was actually the easiest, because he had three weeks to train and prepare. However, things have gotten a bit more challenging, because he has to learn and keep up at an accelerated pace. Now, he only has one week to prepare for each performance.

    “It’s so hard, but it’s a lot of fun and I’m having a blast. I’ve got the best partner in Witney Carson, she’s just amazing. We are having a blast with it,” he said.

    In addition to having fun, he also revealed dancing has been great for his health! “I’ve already lost 17 pounds,” he revealed. “There’s been a lot of change.”

    Fans can catch Alfonso Ribeiro in action when the next episode of Dancing With the Stars airs Monday, Oct. 6 on ABC.

  • Val Chmerkovskiy Excited About ‘DWTS’ Season 19

    Val Chmerkovskiy is back and excited about the 19th season of Dancing With the Stars. The brother of longtime DWTS pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Val is paired this season with Pretty Little Liars star Janel Parrish.

    Val recently spoke with Time magazine about Janel and their season 19 competition.

    “Janel is one of those kids who grew up having a natural flair for performance,” Val told them. “She did singing and acting, but musical theater was the thing she really loved to do. She took some dance classes to complement that. She knows how to move and has some stage presence and she kept up with it, so she has been introduced to dancing before, but has never worked on ballroom dancing in her life.”

    Val Chmerokovskiy is well aware that their combined resumes may indicate to fans and audience members that their performances should be stellar, and recognizes that it would behoove them as a dancing pair to exceed those expectations.

    “I am humbled by the fact that people have a lot of expectations for her and myself. I want to surpass those expectations,” he says. When asked if he thinks he and Janel have it in them to take home the Mirror Ball Trophy this year, he diplomatically replies: “I think everybody on the show should think that way about their partners and their opportunities.”

    “I’m not obsessing about the result as much as the process. I want to make this season great for her,” he also added.

    NorthJersey.com asked Val Chmerkovskiy if he’s sad he’ll be the only Chmerkovskiy on DWTS this season.

    “I’m ecstatic about that,” Val laughed. “Finally, he’ll stop hogging the spotlight.”

    But, in all seriousness, the younger Chmerkovskiy recognizes a special time has ended if they are never “DWTS” pros together again.

    “I’m definitely going to miss being able to share such a platform with him,” he said. “We’re constantly together, so it’s not something where I’m never going to see him again. But in terms of the blessing that was both of us being on the show, for our family, that was a huge privilege — for our grandparents, for our parents, for our friends. To be able to make it to this level in the profession is one thing, but to be able to do it with your brother is something that happens very rarely. I don’t take that for granted. I really appreciated that. But all good things come to an end.”

    Even after just one night’s performance thus far for season 19 of Dancing With the Stars, Val Chmerkovskiy has already pegged a frontrunner.

    “Alfonso Ribeiro is a great performer and I’m sure he’s going to be a highlight,” said Chmerkovskiy.

    Are you a Val Chmerkovskiy fan? Will you be cheering him and his partner Janel Parrish on during Dancing With the Stars’ 19th season?

  • ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 19 Premiere

    ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 19 Premiere

    Dancing With the Stars premieres its 19th season on Monday evening, and the cast members are reportedly ready–and very excited–about their first forays across the dance floor.

    Thirteen ‘stars’ will compete for that coveted mirrorball trophy throughout season 19. This season’s contestants include Jonathan Bennett, Tommy Chong, Randy Couture, Betsey Johnson, Lolo Jones, Bethany Mota, Janel Parrish, Alfonso Ribeiro, Sadie Robertson, Antonio Sabato, Jr., Tavis Smiley, Lea Thompson, and Michael Waltrip. Of course each of these contestants is paired with a dance professional. This season’s pros include Mark Ballas, Cheryl Burke, Sharna Burgess, Witney Carson, Artem Chigvintsev, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani, Allison Holker, Derek Hough, Keo Motsepe, Peta Murgatroyd, Emma Slater, and Karina Smirnoff.

    Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba return to the Dancing With the Stars judges’ desk. They are also joined this season by two-time mirrorball trophy winner and film star Julianne Hough–whose brother Derek is one of the pro dancers.

    USA Today reports that some of these ‘stars‘ are amateurs at best, and that it really is quite a stretch to call them stars. Since the show is called Dancing With the Stars, however, the producers had to do what they could to come up with contestants who could somewhat fit that criteria.

    Duck Dynasty star Korie Robertson is already soliciting votes for daughter Sadie Robertson.

    Will you be tuning in to the season 19 premiere of Dancing With the Stars on Monday evening, September 15th, at 8PM? Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC.

    Which of the ‘stars’ might you be rooting for during season 19?

  • ‘Dancing With the Stars:’ Who Are These Stars?

    Dancing With the Stars hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews announced the new season’s cast a few days ago, leaving some fans to ask, “Where are the stars?” Of course it was pretty likely from the inception of the show that they would eventually run out of real stars–but Tommy Chong? He and Cheech Marin made up the duo famously known as ‘Cheech and Chong.’ The two smoked enough pot back in the 1970s to leave them with a life long case of the munchies.

    In addition to Tommy Chong, who will be paired with dance pro Peta Murgatroyd, is a lineup of cast members who might become stars by appearing on Dancing With the Stars, but really aren’t stars as of yet. A few were stars, but haven’t had that claim to fame for a very long time.

    Sadie Robertson is Phil Robertson’s granddaughter and she sometimes appears on Duck Dynasty, so that makes her a ‘sort-of’ star–maybe even a ‘star in training.’ Sadie will compete on Dancing With the Stars with Mark Ballas.

    Michael Waltrip is a star if you’re a pro racing fan. He will temporarily trade in his race car for dancing shoes and is paired with DWTS pro Emma Slater.

    Lolo Jones is an Olympic star, unless you count her efforts on the bobsled during the 2014 Winter Olympics. She will dance with Keo Motsepe, and can at least outrun everyone on the show if she feels she’s too embarrassed to continue on with the competition.

    Jonathan Bennett joins Dancing With the Stars following (no one said ‘following soon thereafter’) his appearance in the 2004 film Mean Girls. He won’t be dancing with Lindsay Lohan, but rather with dance pro Allison Holker.

    If you loved Back to the Future, you’ll remember Lea Thompson, who played Marty McFly’s (Michael J. Fox) love interest Lorraine Baines. She has come back to the present to dance with Artem Chigvintsev.

    Antonio Sabato, Jr. earned his stardom on General Hospital and Melrose Place, meaning when the drama gets ridiculous on Dancing With the Stars, he just might be involved. Cheryl Burke–his dance partner-in-crime–will likely hold him accountable for his actions, however.

    Randy Couture is a champion mixed martial artist who is trying to become a star as part of The Expendables franchise. In the meantime he is dancing with Karina Smirnoff on Dancing With the Stars.

    Janel Parrish plays the role of Mona Vanderwaal on Pretty Little Liars. Hopefully she leaves Mona’s cunning personality on that set as she comes to the DWTS set to compete alongside the very handsome Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

    Designer Betsey Johnson is a star in the fashion world. Might she be there to help out with the costumes she and partner Tony Dovolani will wear during this season’s competition?

    Bethany Mota comes to your TV straight from YouTube. She is a beauty expert with more than seven million followers. How does that even happen? She is dancing with just one Dancing With the Stars pro, however–Derek Hough–whose sister Julianne Hough will be sitting at the judge’s table this season.

    Alfonso Ribeiro comes from 1996–the last year The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air aired. He played the role of Carlton Banks opposite Will Smith. Will couldn’t be his dance partner on Dancing With the Stars (oh–he wasn’t asked?) so Alfonso is dancing with pro Witney Carson instead.

    Rounding out this season’s contestants is Tavis Smiley. The talk show host (most of us don’t know where he did that talking) will dance with Sharna Burgess.

    Will you be tuning in to watch this season of Dancing With the Stars? It premieres on September 15th on ABC. How many of this season’s ‘stars’ do you recognize?

  • James Avery of ‘Fresh Prince’ Dies at 68

    Prominent actor James Avery, 68, died on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2013, in Glendale, California. He grew up in Atlantic City, New Jersey, served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and later studied drama and literature at the University of California. According to Cynthia Snyder, Avery’s publicist, Avery passed away “due to complications from open heart surgery.”

    Avery was best known for his role as Phillip Banks in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” His two on-screen sons were Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro, who confirmed the news on Wednesday morning on his personal Facebook page. “The world has lost a truly special man. I am saddened to say that James Avery has passed. Even though he played my father on TV, he was a wonderful father figure to me in life. He will be deeply missed,” Ribeiro wrote.

    Avery played roles in a number of television series, including “The Closer,” “That ’70s Show,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Charmed,” “That’s So Raven,” “NYPD Blue,” “Dallas,” and “L.A. Law,” and used his voice in several animated series, including “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Iron Man.” He also acted in numerous movies, such as “Fletch,” “The Prince of Egypt,” and “8 Million Ways to Die.” According to Synder, he will be seen in the film “Wish I Was Here,” which is scheduled to premiere later this month at the Sundance Film Festival.

    Avery is survived by Barbara Avery, his wife of twenty-six years, Florence Avery, his mother, and Kevin Waters, his stepson.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • James Avery Of “Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air” Dies

    James Avery, known for his role as Uncle Phil on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, passed away on December 31, after suffering from complications during surgery.

    TMZ reported that Avery was admitted to a hospital in Glendale, CA to undergo open-heart surgery. After the completion of the surgery, Avery’s health worsened, and he soon passed after suffering from complications. Avery’s publicist, Cynthia Snyder confirmed his death.

    Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Uncle Phil’s son Carlton, was one of the first of Avery’s co-stars to address his death. Ribeiro took to Twitter to mourn the loss of the man that he considered a father figure. He tweeted: “I’m deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away. He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly.”

    The Fresh Prince of Bel Air made a six-season run from 1990 to 1996 on NBC, and the network aired 148 episodes in all. The show is now considered one of the best 90s sitcoms of all time.

    Avery is survived by his wife of 26 years, Barbara Avery; his mother, Florence Avery; and his stepson, Kevin Waters.

    Image via NDN

  • Morgan Freeman, Carlton Still Very Much Alive

    Morgan Freeman is pretty much universally loved, and when so many people care about a celebrity, there’s bound to be a small faction of the population who get some giggles out of creating drama around them. Freeman has now been “death hoaxed” for about the eleventy billionth time, but no worries, fans.

    “Morgan is alive and well, and joins the long list of actors who have been victimized by this hoax,” his rep said in a statement.

    Along with Freeman, Alfonso Ribeiro has also been killed off online, with Facebook pages dedicated to him and images plastered with R.I.P. making their way across the web. Apparently that one was a little easier to swallow, because he’s been getting calls all weekend from loved ones making sure he’s still breathing.

    Relax, Carlton lovers, and do this in celebration.

  • Carlton Leads Flash Mob in the ‘Carlton Dance’

    Alfonso Ribeiro of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air led a group of thousands in a flash mob rendition of the hipster beloved Carlton dance this past weekend.

    The flash mob was part of a viral marketing campaign by Body by Vi in an attempt to break the world’s record for the largest simultaneous flash mob.

    Carlton, uh i mean, Ribeiro, led the dance at Universal CityWalk in Hollywood. It was performed simultaneously in cities across the country in an attempt to break the record. No official word yet, as to whether they accomplished this goal, but according to Ribeiro and Body by Vi they succeeded.

    (image)@alfonso_ribeiro
    Alfonso Ribeiro    Just did the worlds largest flash mob. Over 300 cities today at the same time. Awesome.(image) 3 days ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    From ViSalus’ youtube video decription:
    On April 21, 2012 we made history with the World’s Largest Simultaneous Flash Mob. More than 2000 dancers in hundreds of cities met to do the Carlton dance, lead by none other than Alfonso Ribeiro himself.

    For those of you that don’t remember, here is the original Carlton dance:

    Ribeiro is selling weight loss programs with Body by Vi via dothedancechallenge.com claiming he is going to “Do the Dance” every time he losses a few pounds. He has landed a few TV roles since Fresh Prince, and reportedly hates people automatically associating him with the Carlton role. I guess it’s different when can actually cash in, not just having to put up with fans asking you to “do the dance” on the street.

    (image)@alfonso_ribeiro
    Alfonso Ribeiro    Come on everybody. Join me on the http://t.co/tq3aDnaE. Everytime I lose weight I will post a video on me doing the dance. Do the same.(image) 1 day ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    [LAWeekly]