Following William Balfour‘s conviction in the murders of Jennifer Hudson‘s family members, a Chicago judge has released video from his police questioning.

The interrogation took place just hours after the slayings, and in the video the police take Balfour’s clothes for evidence.

Balfour comes off as unusually calm when the police tell him that his “mother-in-law and ex-brother-in-law were found dead.” He even goes as far as suggesting that Jason Hudson’s alleged drug dealing led to the murders. Jason, Jennifer Hudson’s brother, was one of the victims.

“It was a drug house. What do you expect?” said Balfour. “He created a lot of enemies.”

Balfour was found guilty of the 2008 murdering of Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew. Prosecutors allege that Balfour shot the family members in a jealous rage because Hudson’s sister Julia broke up with him and began dating another man.

What Aimee Copeland still doesn’t know is that doctors plan to amputate all of her fingers, just as they had to remove most of her left leg in order to save her life.

“Her fingers are basically mummified. The flesh is dead,” Andy Copeland said in a phone interview from Doctors Hospital in Augusta more than two weeks after a zip-lining accident left a gash in his daughter’s leg that developed into the infection.

Copeland’s father said she held one of her hands close to her face Wednesday and asked family members about it. He said they told her “your hands have been damaged … and we’re trying to bring back as much of the life into the hands as possible.”

“She was well accepting,” Andy Copeland said. “No tears or anything.”

The 24-year-old student from an Atlanta suburb remains in critical condition as she battles an infection called necrotizing fasciitis. Doctors initially feared they might have to remove her remaining foot and both hands. But her father said she now faces losing only her fingers after two days of treatment using a hyperbaric chamber, in which patients breathe pure oxygen to boost white blood cells and accelerate healing. Flesh on her palms that had been purple was turning pink again, he said.

Copeland’s father said she was still unaware of plans to amputate her fingers, an emotional disclosure that will likely require a counselor’s help.

“We don’t know if she’s aware of her (amputated) leg yet,” he said. “We’re in a don’t ask, don’t tell policy.”

The flesh-eating bacteria, Aeromonas hydrophila, emit toxins that cut off blood flow to parts of the body. The affliction can destroy muscle, fat and skin tissue.

Copeland contracted the infection days after she suffered the deep cut May 1 when the zip line snapped over rocks in the Little Tallapoosa River near the University of West Georgia, where she studies psychology.

The bug is found in warm and brackish waters. Many people exposed to these bacteria don’t get sick. When illnesses do occur, it’s often diarrhea from swallowing bacteria in the water. Flesh-eating Aeromonas cases are so rare that only a handful of infections have been reported in medical journals in recent decades.

In addition to the damage to her extremities, Copeland is on a respirator and a dialysis machine as her lungs and kidneys recover. Doctors also had to remove much of the skin from her torso to keep the infection from spreading, her father said.

Though still heavily medicated, Copeland has become more alert and communicates with her parents and older sister despite the breathing tube in her throat. Her father said Wednesday doctors were removing that tube and inserting another directly into her trachea to make her more comfortable.

“If they take the tube out, I believe reading her lips is going to be a lot easier,” he said. “And she might be able to actually cover the tube up and be able to talk.”

Andy Copeland said his daughter has been asking for her cell phone, her laptop and a book to read, but is still in no condition to use any of those things. He said her sister, Paige, has been reading to her from a book on meditation.

“Early this morning, surrounded by family, we lost Donna Summer Sudano, a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith,” her family said in a statement. “While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy.  Words truly can’t express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time.”

A source to close to the family said Summer was suffering from lung cancer.

Summer was a five time Grammy award winner who was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard chart. Her hits like “Last Dance,” “Bad Girls,” and “Love to Love You Baby” made her a disco icon.

Born outside of Boston, Summer was raised by devout Christian parents who introduced her to both gospel and classical music. In a 2008 interview with ABC News’ “Nightline,” Summer remembered her mom singing songs to her before going to bed each night.

“As long as the classical station was playing on the radio, I wouldn’t cry,” she said. “If it was on for 20 hours, I would sleep for 20 hours. I would be calm. So I think that my mother probably helped my sense of musicality just by doing that.”

Summer left home at age 18 to audition for the Broadway production of “Hair” and got a role in the show when it moved to Germany. There, she met producer Giorgio Moroder, who would launch her solo career. She went on to produce hits like “Bad Girls,” “Last Dance,” and “She Works Hard for the Money,” a song that was inspired by a washroom attendant.

“I was at a Grammys party … and I went to the ladies room and on my way in I saw this little old lady sitting at the end of the bar. And she was asleep,” Summer told “Nightline.” “She was the bathroom attendant. And at that same moment, a group of ladies walked into the room and started spraying their hair and doing all these things. And my first thought was ‘God, she works hard for her money, that lady.’

“And then I thought, ‘man, that’s a song,’” she said. “So I went and grabbed my manager and we went back into the bathroom and started writing the song on a piece of toilet paper.”

Summer’s last album, “Crayons,” was released in 2008. In 2010, she told AllVoices.com that she was working on an album of disco standards.

Summer is survived by her husband, Bruce Sudano, three children, and four grandchildren.

Five-time Grammy Award winning singer and “Queen of Disco” Donna Summer died Thursday morning in Florida after a battle with cancer, according to TMZ. She was 63.

Summer’s illustrious catalog of music inspired legions of fans, and as news continues to spread across the world, many celebrities are sharing their thoughts and condolences for the legendary “Bad Girls” singer via Twitter.

Watch the clip below. What do you think of Jill’s hair?

Source: theurbandaily.com

When our favorite books are turned into movies it can either be really great or terribly awful. Though the film adaptation of The Color Purple was a bit different from the book, as expected, the movie was still a masterpiece. The film was well cast with big names who were trying new things and people who had yet to step onto our radar. But it all came together to create an iconic film. So timeless that we bet you still can’t help but to watch it when it comes on tv. Though the story is full of pain, many of us have been able to find humor in some of the film’s darkest moments. Like, What’s Love Got to Do With It, lines from The Color Purple have become a part of the culture. (I’m sure many of you will quote the more popular ones in the comments section.) You know the plot, you know the lines but did you know these behind the scenes secrets? Read on to find out.

Who is going to play Shug Avery?

You would not believe the number of names that came up when it came to this role. Initially, it seemed like the directors were going for a professional singer. Phyllis Hymen was the first choice for the role. While some sources say she declined it, others say she lost it. (The story was included in her biography.) Patti Labelle auditioned for the role but didn’t make the cut. Sheryl Lee Ralph also tested for the role. After Phyllis Hymen was out of the running Spielberg himself tried to get Chaka Khan but she later admitted that she was too scared to take on the role. She wasn’t the only one who wasn’t interested. Diana Ross, Lola Falana and Tina Turner all turned down the role of Shug Avery. Who knows how these divas would have come across on screen but we’re glad that the role eventually went to Margaret Avery. She nailed it.

Somebody got robbed

The film was very well received in theaters and critics agree it was a classic. Roger Ebert called it the best film of 1985 and predicted that Whoopi would win an Academy Award for her performance. Well Whoopi was certainly nominated. In fact, the film received 11 Academy Award nominations including best picture, best actress, best supporting actress, best writing and best music. Despite all the acknowledgment, the film didn’t receive a single award from the Academy. Not one. If you ask me, that sounds a little sketchy. The Color Purple along with 1977′s The Turning Point hold the record for the most Oscar nominations without a win.

Keep it on the Hush

When word got out that the novel, “The Color Purple” was going to be turned into a feature film, naturally people wanted to be involved. The response was so grand that instead of listing the audition under the actual film name, they had to change it to “Moon Song.” Obviously, if you wanted a part in this film, your people had to know people.

What did Alice Walker think?

It can be really hard to watch someone try to reinterpret your work for a different medium. Walker was there on set during filming so I’m sure she was consulted. But when the film was finished and she saw an advanced screening she did not like it. At all. She used the word “horrified.” She didn’t even like the opening scene because she said it looked more like Oklahoma than rural Georgia. But her opinion shifted a bit when she saw it again with an audience who loved it. Walker finally conceded that the film was good, just very different from her original novel.

Whoopi’s Extraterrestrial audition

Whoopi has never been one to take the traditional route. When she auditioned for the role of Celie she did so by portraying a stoned E.T. Yes, an alien. She did so to prove to Spielberg (and Quincy and Michael Jackson, who were also in the room) that she could play this and any role. God knows she was right.

Quincy Jones convinced Spielberg to direct the film

What doesn’t Quincy Jones have his hands in? Apparently, Jones and Spielberg are good friends and he tried to convince the filmmaker that he should take on The Color Purple. Spielberg didn’t exactly jump at the opportunity. He was very hesitant, telling Jones that he wasn’t familiar with the south and a black person should direct the film. Quincy told Spielberg that he wasn’t an alien but he directed E.T. Well, Spielberg bought his argument and took the project on. The rest is history. Thanks Quincy!

Oprah becomes an actress

Remember that powerful scene where Sophia (Oprah) is thanking Celie (Whoopi) for all she’s done for her? Well that was complete improv. As moving as those lines were, they weren’t scripted. Considering that this was Oprah’s first movie that’s pretty impressive, to say the least. That scene right there is a tear jerker. Even Whoopi was moved. After the scene wrapped., Whoopi went and hugged Oprah and told her she was now an actress.

Source: madamenoire.com

The 25-year-old woman, who will only reveal her name as Jessica out of fear, discovered that a mechanic had written ‘satanic symbols’ beneath her car’s engine.

When she took her 2002 Mustang to get a tune up, the latest technician came and told her that he found that the markings had been left on her previous visit.

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They saw three 6s, an upside-down cross and a pentagram all drawn in blue sealant on the car’s crossmember.

They deduced that the last time she went to get her oil changed on Oakmont Boulevard, the mechanic must have left the disturbing symbols.

The blue sealant found is the one typically used by Walmart autoshops.

‘Who does that? Being the Satanic symbols, it puts a bad omen,’ Jessica told CBS Fort Worth.

‘I mean, what if it’s a curse?

‘It just kind of puts a bad vibe on it,’ she said.

Jessica is particularly upset given the association that the three symbols have with devil worship.

‘I believe in God. It’s just so disrespectful and ridiculous to deface somebody’s property with those kinds of beliefs,’ she said.

Though she doesn’t remember the name of the technician who worked on her car on the visit in question, she has lingering suspicions.

‘He had an attitude, very sassy. By the time it was all said and done I spent about 3 hours at that Walmart just for an oil change,’ she said of the man.

Even though the symbols have left a bad vibe in her car- which she bought herself using money she earned as a manager at a bakery- she still plans to use Walmart service locations.

She does hope to get something out of the situation, however, and hopes that the company will refund her for the service. So far they have only said they will scrape off the offensive sealant.

‘We’ve looked into the matter. And although we’ve been unable to confirm the details, we never want our customer to have an unpleasant experience. And we’ve reached out to the customer and will continue to resolve the issue,’ Walmart spokesman Ashley Hardie told CBS.

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