In the wake of the news that Nickelodeon actress Alexandra Shipp will be stepping in to play Aaliyah in the Lifetime biopic, Zendaya is explaining why, exactly, she dropped out of the role.

Although the Disney star’s initial casting was met by backlash, she said on Friday (July 18) that wasn’t the reasoning behind her exit.

Alexandra Shipp Cast In Role Of Aaliyah For Lifetime Movie Biopic

“Let me just explain something. The reason why I chose not to do the Aaliyah movie had nothing to do with the haters or the people telling me I couldn’t do it, I wasn’t talented enough, or I wasn’t black enough,” she said in an series of Instagram videos.

“The main reasons were the production value wasn’t there, there were complications with the music rights, and I just felt like it wasn’t being handled delicately considering the situation,” she continued. “And I tried my best to reach out to the family on my own, and I wrote a letter, but I was unable to do so therefore I felt not morally OK with moving forward with the project.”

“With all that being said, congratulations to the new woman playing Aaliyah,” she said of Shipp’s casting. “I only hope that she does not have to deal with half the hate I had to deal with. And remember that we are all human beings trying to do what we love to do. Let’s practice motivation and love, not discrimination and hate.”

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You need to stop watching whatever cat video you’re staring at right now and feast your eyes on this cat-tastic feline feast. None other than Grumpy Cat, Nala Cat, Hamilton the Hipster Cat, Oskar the Blind Cat and Klaus actually GOT TOGETHER and threw a BARBECUE. We’re talking bean bag toss, slide n’ slide, crochet and grilled steak-kabobs.

Like, what? Where was my invitation, Friskies? I like to run through sprinklers and frolic in flower gardens too.

Jessica Hyndman

Lil Jon has been seriously concerned about the state of affairs in the “Bend Ova” dance department. That’s why he’s taking the time to make sure everyone is on par with how to properly bend over and make your knees touch your elbows when dancing to his new single with Tyga.

Here’s how not to bend ova:

You’re Not Supposed To Do Crunches

It Cannot Be Done Correctly In A Car

NO, ELMO. NO!

Somebody Call A Doctor! This Is Not OK.

So, thank you, Lil Jon, for setting the record straight and hiring this talented group of women to break it down for the whole world. Pay attention, people!

Jessica Hyndman

Since the Internet decided to act all Internet-y and leak Austin Mahone‘s supposed new single, “Say My Name,” he went right ahead and dropped the official version on Tuesday (July 15).

It’s a slow-jam, bump-and-grind hit that speaks to Austin’s growing maturity in the music scene. With lyrics like “Baby, cut the lights down low / And I’m gon’ treat you like you never felt before / Breathe / Baby girl I know you got your needs / And I’ll make it my mission to make sure you’re pleased,” he tells the world “the time is right” and he’s ready for someone to “say my name.”

Take a listen let Austin’s smooth vocals make you feel some kind of way:

Austin is getting ready to embark on his fist major tour, kicking off next weekend (June 26) in San Antonio, Texas with Fifth Harmony and Shawn Mendes.

Jessica Hyndman

There are few ways to make a Thursday evening the best night of the week. Enter: Jared Leto. Last weekend the 30 Seconds To Mars frontman posted this adorable photo of himself hugging a tree during a day off on his Carnivores Tour with Linkin Park:

“Tree huggin hippy? Guilty! #lovelustfaithdreamstour #dayoff #chicothedogdoyoumissme?”

Then the internet grabbed hold of this harmless act of foliage affection and transformed it into the best celebrity meme this half of the year has seen.

And Mr. Leto loved it, retweeting several rather clever edits. These are only some of the best:

1. Jared Leto Hugging The Sad Brazil Fan

2. Jared Leto Hugging A Magical Unicorn

3. Jared Leto Hugging His Oscar

4. Jared Leto Hugging Gerard Way

5. Jared Leto Hugging The Eiffel Tower

6. Jared Leto Hugging A Cookie
Nom.

7. Jared Leto Hugging Sassy Rayon

8. Jared Leto Hugging Everyone’s Favorite Chocolatey Spread

9. Jared Leto Hugging EVERYTHING

Jessica Hyndman

Late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel and his wife, Molly McNearney, welcomed a daughter, Jane, into the world on Thursday (June 10). Kimmel announced the birth via Twitter, congratulating his “very tough” wife on the delivery.

McNearney echoed what may have been a difficult birth, joking about the amount of medications she was administered during the process.

This is the first child for the couple. The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host has two other children, Kevin and Katherine Kimmel, with ex-wife Gina Maddy.

Friends of the star shouted congratulatory sentiments on Twitter, including Ellen Degeneres who played host to Kimmel’s pregnancy announcement.

Jessica Hyndman

The queen of the animals herself, Kesha, has started a cult. But it’s not just any old regular cult — it’s a Cat Cult.

There’s just one catch. In an interview with E! News, K-Dollar reveals the rather unpalatable initiation process.

“You have to eat a little bit of glitter. It’s mixed in with cat litter. It’s part of the process,” the “Rising Star” mentor says. “People can be in it if they like to be cats or play with cats or play with cat toys.

A cult leader like Kesha should command a dedicated and high-profile following, and we know exactly who she and Mr. Peeps need on their team:

1. Katy Perry and Kitty Purry
It’s probably safe to bet the “Birthday” singer has (accidentally or not) ingested her fair share of glitter during the Pristmatic World Tour, and, I mean, changing litter boxes can be tricky. Katy and her furry companion are basically members already.

2. Taylor Swift, Meredith and Olivia
Does anyone love cats more than this girl? Even my mom knows who Meredith is. And Olivia (Benson) is named after the best character in the history of television, so she gets 1,000 points just for her namesake.

3. Miley Cyrus and her Sad Cat Tattoo
Kesha said nothing about owning a cat, and clearly having a kitty forever inked onto your body shows a serious level of cat appreciation. Also, she made out with Katy ...

This November, prepare for the epic, totally unforeseen sequel to the “Iron Man” saga, “Iron Baby.”

Just kidding.

But Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan are expecting their first daughter. “Um. I don’t know if it’s a ‘man’s world,’ but I’m certain women run it. Susan and I are therefore delighted to announce we are expecting a baby,” he wrote on Facebook on Wednesday (July 9).

The actor also took an even shorter approach on Twitter, quipping “Yo. Susan. Me. Baby. Girl. November. Scorpio?”

You do know you get an entire 120 characters on that platform, right Bobby?

The couple have one son together, 2-year-old Exton. He also has one son, 20-year-old Indio, from his first marriage.

Jessica Hyndman

Hold onto you oxygen masks, folks. Back in February of this year, Air New Zealand partnered with Sports Illustrated to create an airline safety video surrounding the magazine’s 50th anniversary. The video, featuring the publication’s signature swimsuit models, drew backlash from the Kiwi community and prompted a Change.org petition garnering over 10,000 signatures against the “sexist advertisement.”

According to the petition, “This video creates an unnecessarily difficult and uncomfortable working environment for its female staff, which goes against the entire nature of safety.”

Supporters rejoiced on Tuesday (June 8) as it was widely reported that Air NZ had removed the video after a five-month run. However, the video can still be watched via the airline’s YouTube account.

According to stuff.co.nz, an Air New Zealand spokesperson denies bowing to the social media pressure. Rather, “the Sport Illustrated video had reached the end of its run and was gradually being phased out of the aircrafts it was used on.”

This isn’t Air NZ’s first dip into sexy safety video production. In 2009 the airline released a “Bare Essentials of Safety” video depicting an entirely nude flight crew (with cleverly painted-on uniforms). Granted, this video features both men and women in the nude. Check it out below.

Tell us what you think about the Air New Zealand Sports Illustrated video. Sexy, or sexist?

What do you think about the Air New Zealand swimsuit model video?

Jessica Hyndman

You can stop staring at your television screen in wide-eyed disbelief. It happened. It really happened. Brazil suffered an embarrassing World Cup defeat to Germany, scoring their sole goal in the remaining minutes of the 7 – 1 game. Well, at least it wasn’t a shut-out…

Never failing to respond to any heartbreaking situations, the Internet dutifully responded with a rash of memes, tweets and vines forever memorializing the pain and shame Brazil is feeling.

The game went something like this:

“Disbelief” was the sentiment of the day:

Neymar couldn’t escape the heat:

Some people even tried to blame the celebrities:

But really, guys, they’re super sad about all of this too.

Jessica Hyndman