Did you watch Rihanna’s revealing interview with Diane Sawyer last night on ABC’s “20/20″?  I was glued to my tele and have a new respect for the pop superstar, who has recently stirred up controversy with her questionable new single “Russian Roulette.”
A blonde Rihanna, flaunting yet another cutting edge haircut and wearing a sharp, white sweater dress with big shoulder pads and stilettos, spoke about her humiliation because of her abuse at the hands of ex-boyfriend Chris Brown and her regret over reuniting with the singer only three weeks after he assaulted her.
“This happened to me….it can happen to anyone,” …read more

In these pre-Oscar and Grammy  months, there’s been a lack of fabulous fashion to critique.  So I jumped at the chance to share photos of a few of Hollywood’s cutest couples at recent red carpet events.  
Tell me which couples you think are Hot and which are just lukewarm? 
 
I still don’t get Mariah Carey with Nick Cannon.  And it’s not because he’s younger; it’s because he seems so immature.  She’s a superstar glamazon and he’s…well, he’s Nick Cannon. But I have to admit Mariah seems truly in love and looks great in this body-hugging black gown at the premiere of …read more

Happy Halloween!  In celebration of the spooky holiday, here are a few of my favorite, scary celebrity fashion moments.  Are they Tricks or Treats? You be the judge:
I absolutely love Grace Jones.  She is a bold, beautiful avant garde fashion muse and music icon. But I can see how some folks would be more than a little scared of the 60-year-old glamazon.
Lil’ Kim has taken her tribute to Michael Jackson a little too far.  I can’t decide what’s scarier — her botched plastic surgery, crazy blue contacts, or this horrid, lime green stripper dress.
This mix-and-match outfit would be passable if …read more

Sheree Whitfield is one of the sexy, sassy “Real Housewives of Atlanta.”  I’m not ashamed to admit the Bravo show is must see TV in my Brooklyn abode.  So I was thrilled to interview the mother of three prior to the two-part second season reunion special, which she calls “a shocker.” 
 
 
This season, Sheree’s near fisticuffs with a hot-tempered party planner spawned the catch phrase “Who’s Gonna Check Me Boo?” and she debuted her She by Sheree clothing line.  The designer sites Dolce & Gabbana as her style icons, admits she’s not “bald-headed” but likes to rock  clip-in hair pieces, and …read more

How many Hot Mamas out there love shoes? Me too.  Well, meet fellow shoeholic (and Grace Jones fan) Tinu Naija.  The New York City model and singer’s latest music video, “Shoeholic,” from her sophomore album Addicted, is an ode to her enviable collection of  boots, pumps, sandals, platforms and everything in between. You can even enter to win a shoe bag designed by Tinu.
I chatted with the stunning Nigeria native via email.
Hot Mama Daily: How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Tinu: (Laughs) Mum is the word here! I am so ashamed to say the number out loud for the …read more

I wrestle with this question.  African-American and Latina women tend to have a healthier body image than women of other races.  Although I don’t believe you have to be stick thin or weight obsessed to be beautiful, I do believe in being healthy.  Your body mass index (BMI) can help determine your healthy weight range based on your height. But even without a scale, we know when we’re in shape and when we’re not.
 
 
Several stars of the Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry-produced “Precious” are zaftig. The movie hits theaters November 6th, and is based on the brilliantly brazen novel “Push” …read more

I’m an opinionated gal and once in a while I need to vent about things in the world of fashion, beauty, and pop culture that I’ve read about or witnessed.  Here are two recent stories that made this Hot Mama heated.

Controversy  was sparked — and rightfully so — over French Vogue’s 14-page photo spread featuring supermodel Lara Stone in blackface.  I don’t know where to begin. For starters, blackface is completely offensive to black people and there’s nothing cheeky or fabulous about it.  Secondly, black models don’t get nearly enough opportunities, so why would the magazine decide on using a …read more

I’m a Serena Williams fan.  She has a healthy body image and is an inspiration to young women of color (and all women).  However, I’m not sure how I feel about her racy-but-tasteful cover  for ESPN magazine’s”Body Issue.”  On one hand, I say if you got it, why not flaunt it?  But on the other hand, does the nude cover tarnish her image as a role model (her recent profanity-peppered tirade on the court hasn’t helped either)?
 
 
There’s also some controversy as to whether Serena is telling the truth about her weight.  Officially Serena lists her weight as 150 lbs. [she’s …read more

The ladies of hip-hop were out in full force at the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  The show airs October 13th at 9 p.m., and celebrates the 25th anniversary of Def Jam Records.
As expected, the fashions were hit and miss.  Which hip-hop diva looked Hot and which one was a Hot Mess?  Check out the following photos and let me know what you think.
Is that Ashanti or Mrs. T?  I’m not feeling the curly ‘do, the long feather earring, the Terminator sunglasses, or the thigh high boots (they look vinyl).   The dress, however, would be salvageable …read more

Don’t you think singer Amerie and oldest Kardashian sister Kourtney look a lot alike?  Although Amerie is bi-racial (part Asian and part African-American) and Kourtney is of Armenian Turkish descent , both petite beauties have luscious dark locks and a similar olive complexion.
Most importantly, both ladies know how to pump up the Wow factor on the red carpet.
Several years ago I interviewed Amerie for the Associated Press.  In her music videos and photos, her legs look endless.  Yet, she was surprisingly small in person.
“Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami” is one of my fave guilty pleasure reality TV shows.
What do you …read more