Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey had a frank conversation about the most difficult time in his life during the episode that aired Wednesday.

He discussed, in great candor, physical abuse he suffered as a child at the hands of his father, and sexual abuse by several others.

“Predators know when a child is an easy mark,” Perry said.

He remained silent for years, not wanting to cause his mother pain. After she passed away last year, he said, he felt it was time to bring it out into the open.

“He knows and I know that because of who he is, this is going to be a pivotal moment not just for him but for millions of men who have survived the unthinkable and have never told a soul, especially their wives,” Winfrey said at the beginning of the show.

By the time he was 10, Perry said, he had been sexually abused by both a woman and several men, and was subjected to regular beatings by his father. His Aunt Jerry was in the audience and confirmed his recollections. She lived around the …

Continue reading Tyler Perry reveals painful secrets on “Oprah” »

The latest Beyonce-is-pregnant rumor might actually be true.

Us Weekly is out with the news that the entertainer and husband Jay-Z are expecting. This of course follows various blogs’ reports over the past year or more that she was going to become a mom.

Here is what the celeb mag says:

“Beyonce is pregnant with her first child… and no one was more surprised than the 29-year-old singer herself.

‘B was shocked. She loves kids, but she wasn’t ready to be a mother just yet,’ says a source of the singer, who married rapper Jay-Z in 2008. ‘She really wanted to get her album done and tour the world again.’

Still, another insider says that the singer, who is in her first trimester, realizes that ‘this is a gift from God and she’s so happy.’ ”

Us must feel pretty good about its information; it is trumpeting the news out front on its web site and has a story running on the front of the next print issue.

Best wishes to the expectant parents if indeed this round of chatter turns out to …

Continue reading Heard this one before? Beyonce’s pregnant »

A still from Oprah.com

Tyler Perry will discuss a difficult passage of his childhood with his close personal friend Oprah Winfrey today.

“He was beaten, scarred and nearly broken,” the Winfrey site says, giving a preview of today’s visit. “In a groundbreaking interview, Hollywood mogul Tyler Perry reveals the devastating details of his childhood sexual abuse.”

Winfrey’s show airs locally at 4 p.m.weekdays on Channel 2 WSB-TV.

Perry has been keeping busy as always lately, wrapping up his film “Colored Girls,” which was shot largely in the metro Atlanta area. It opens next month.

More recently, he announced on his site that he was pulling the plug on his latest traveling “Madea” play, explaining that he just needed a break. In a post on his site the other day he described today’s interview with Winfrey as the most in-depth one he’s ever given.

We’ll be watching and tweeting live today beginning at 4 p.m. Follow us on Twitter here.

Continue reading Tyler Perry to discuss molestation on “Oprah” today »

The rapper T.I. has been canned by the AXE deodorant company, following his recent legal woes.

Known to the courthouse crowd as Clifford Harris, the entertainer is heading back to prison following an arrest on a drug charge while on probation for a weapons charge.

AXE told the TMZ site simply, “We will no longer feature T.I. in our promotional campaign.”

He had signed with AXE earlier this year, but has been removed already from their web site.

In brighter news, of course, T.I. is credited with having talked a depressed young man off a ledge. The two reunited during a V-103 radio visit, during which T.I. waxed prophetic.

“All of the things we go through in life, they just prepare us for the next battle,” said the rapper and film star, who is headed back to prison soon to serve 11 more months.

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Continue reading T.I. axed by AXE »

It’s always a treat to speak with comic-television host-author Jeff Foxworthy. The metro Atlanta husband and dad stays busy with various projects, from hosting “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” to reprising the “Blue Collar Comedy Tour” with Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy (original member Ron White is onto other things).

We spoke with Foxworthy the other day regarding yet another project of his, a new book called “Hide!” It’s a delightful children’s book with charming illustrations by Steve Bjorkman. Here are excerpts from the interview.

Buzz: Why children’s books? (Foxworthy has written two others, “Dirt on My Shirt” and “Silly Street.”

Jeff Foxworthy: When my girls were little I was always coming up with silly little rhymes and things. I always read to them. That was something my grandmother instilled in me. She wasn’t educated. She lived in a trailer, but it was full of books.

Buzz: This seems like a way to engage a new generation of fans.

JF: With ‘Smarter …

Continue reading Catching up with Jeff Foxworthy »

Tyler Perry‘s latest production could be called “Tyler Perry needs a break.”

The multi-platform entertainer has decided to pull the plug on his latest traveling play, “Madea’s Big Happy Family.” In a message on his blog he said “right now I’m not capable of giving you the show you want and deserve. I hope one day soon I will be able to make it up to you.”

In brighter news, he’ll be on Oprah this Wednesday. Sounds like that visit will be worth DVRing. Perry said on his blog it will be “the most in depth and revelatory interview I have ever done.”

His latest film, the adaptation of “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf,” comes out in November. For the film, the title has been shortened to simply “For Colored Girls.”

Buzz took in the traveling “Madea” play last year in Macon. It was boilerplate Tyler Perry, where the family confronts a loss, along with lesser challenges involving relationships, job situations and just getting kids to act right, …

Continue reading Tyler Perry cancels play, goes on Oprah »

AJC staff photo by Chris Dunn

The celeb site TMZ reports that teen idol Justin Bieber is caught up in some sort of legal tangle involving a 12-year-old boy who taunted him during a game of laser tag.

The site says that Bieber was playing with friends at an arcade in Richmond, British Columbia when the 12-year-old taunted him. The 12-year-old then reported that Bieber hit him.

A popular Canadian celeb blog reported that any contact between Bieber and the boy accidentally occurred as the game was going on.

A video posted on TMZ says the 12-year-old taunted Bieber with a gay slur before the supposed incident happened.

Continue reading Report: Justin Bieber in tangle after taunt »

Have you been good this year?

If not, time to clean up your act. It’s already time to book your kids’ reservations to see the famous Phipps Plaza Santa. He arrives Nov. 6. (Maybe it’ll be cooler than 80 degrees by then).

Online reservations start at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Hurry! Last year all appointment slots were taken within 48 hours.

Here’s the website with full details, including hours and pricing information: www.santaatphipps.com.

Continue reading Phipps Santa reservations start Wednesday »

Good morning. Here’s a happy little tidbit to start the day.

Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough went grocery shopping at the Publix Plaza Midtown store Sunday around lunchtime. They apparently don’t mind being recognized.

After they finished shopping, a store employee welcomed them and thanked them for shopping there. He told Julianne he missed seeing her on “Dancing With the Stars” and Ryan said, “I miss her, too!”

Publix, where shopping (and star sighting) is a pleasure!

(Our tipster is pulling for Julianne’s brother Derek Hough and Jennifer Grey to win this time.)

“Such a friendly and happy couple!” our source added.

They had dinner at Bacchanalia Saturday night, by the way, with a group of friends. A tipster there said Ryan wished another couple, who were there celebrating an anniversary, many more years of happy marriage. Nice guy!

Julianne’s in town filming the “Footloose” remake, which is shooting scenes at the Cowboys nightclub in Kennesaw today. They were there …

Continue reading Star sighting: Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough »

The annual Soul Train Awards, to be aired Nov. 28 on BET, will be held at the Atlanta Civic Center at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9.

But you need to get in gear this week if you’d like to attend without spending a lot of money.

On Wednesday only, a limited number of $10 tickets will be available for the Soul Train Pre-Awards Show Concert. After that the price jumps to $39.50, on up to $200 VIP tickets getting you back stage access and an invitation to the red carpet reception amid other perks.

Scheduled to perform will be Rick Ross and Erykah Badu, the never-boring artist who got into a bit of a legal tangle this spring when she filmed the video for her song “Window Seat” and dropped her wardrobe along a downtown Dallas street.

The episode drew a $500 citation and landed her scads of free publicity. We’ll see if she holds on to her hat (and the rest of her outfit) when she performs here.

For tickets: www.ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Continue reading Act fast to see Erykah Badu for $10 »