By NAN ET Editor
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. April 7, 2017: Here are the top stories making news on the Caribbean entertainment scene for the week-ending April 7, 2017:
Fake News Hits Vybz Kartel
Vybz Kartel is in prison but he is still big news in dancehall circles. So much so that a fake news report circulated earlier this week on social media that the Jamaican-born dancehall star is giving his life fully to Jesus and getting baptized in prison.
Kartel, born Adidja Palmer, Shawn “Storm” Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John are currently serving life sentences for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams. All four men legal teams are preparing their appeal documents for submission by the summer and preparing for a trial by the end of the year. They have all maintained their innocence.
Attorney Miguel Lorne, who represents Kartel’s co-accused and DJ Shawn Storm (real name Shawn Campbell) said the letter sent to some media outlets making the claim was not penned by Vybz Kartel.
“That letter is not authentic. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have not seen the letter. But if it was true the defence team would have known about it,” Lorne said.
That Peter Thomas & Cynthia Bailey Divorce
Looks like Jamaican Peter Thomas and his former super model wife, Cynthia Bailey, will officially be divorced this month. Reports are that the divorce, filed in Fulton County Superior Court on February 21, could be finalized by the court later this month. The couple split amicably. They were married in July, 2010 on second season of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” at the Fernbank museum. Thomas now lives in Charlotte, N.C. while Bailey moved to a new lakeside home in Atlanta last fall.
Guyanese American Actor Derek Luke In New Netflix Series
Guyanese American Actor Derek Luke is in the new Netflix Series 13 Reasons Why. The series is based on a young adult book and going and Luke plays Mr. Porter, a guidance counselor who fails to get help from a mental health professional or even to call the star, Hannah’s parents to alert them when she admits to him that she is suicidal. Luke, 42, has been on the scene for some time. His breakout role was with Denzel Washington in Antwone Fisher in 2002, for which he won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead Actor and a handful of BET Awards for his performance.
Billy Ocean For Tyne Fest
Grammy-winning Trinidad-born star Billy Ocean will headline this year’s Mouth of the Tyne Festival in the UK.
The star will take to the stage in the stunning surroundings of Tynemouth Priory and Castle on Sunday, July 9th. Tickets for Billy Ocean cost £20 for adults and £10 for children and go on sale from 9 a.m. today, April 7, at www.ticketmaster.co.uk , www.eventim.co.uk and www.seetickets.com and from 10am at the Playhouse Whitley Bay box office.
