Queen Latifah

LOS ANGELES, July 5 (UPI) -- Rapper-actress Queen Latifah says she will remember the late U.S. singer Michael Jackson for influencing her and her brother when they were young. The actress, whose voice is featured in the animated movie said she remembers how influential Jackson was to her when she first heard his Jackson 5 song the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday. she said of Jackson, who died June 25. The rapper, whose real name is Dana Owens, said her forthcoming album will represent her various personality aspects and musical tastes. she told the Times. Copyright 2009 by United Press International All Rights Reserved. Read Full Story

Singer/Actress Queen Latifah arrives at the 81st Annual Academy Awards held at Kodak Theatre on February 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) Queen Latifah apparently enjoys having employees, but the idea of paying them totally escapes her. Two lawsuits were filed in Manhattan Federal Court yesterday by cosmetologist Roxanna Floyd and stylist Susan Moses, accusing the actress, rapper and singer of failing to pay their promised salaries. Latifah apparently failed to pay the women a combined $1 million for their work on her Curvations lingerie line and CoverGirl campaign. Stylist Moses, claims she was promised a salary of $50,000-a-year ... Read Full Story

A makeup artist and a fashion stylist claim in coordinated lawsuits that they got ugly treatment from Queen Latifah when she cheated them out of $1 million. Celebrity cosmetology consultant Roxanna Floyd says she lost $700,000 when the rapper-actress failed to pay her for work she did between July 2005 and February 2008. In a separate lawsuit, celebrity fashion stylist Susan Moses said she was cheated of $300,000 during the same period. The lawsuits were filed Monday in federal court in Manhattan. Amanda Silverman, a spokeswoman for the actress whose roles in movies include Hairspray and Mad Money , says the lawsuits have no ... Read Full Story

    Rapper-turned-actress QUEEN LATIFAH has opened up for the first time about her harrowing childhood as a victim of sexual abuse in a candid new magazine interview.   The Chicago star, real name Dana Owens, grew up in New Jersey with her mother Rita. Her dad, policeman Lancelot Owens, left the family home after her parents divorced when she was 10 years old.     Latifah reveals she would often be placed under a babysitter’s care, but her life was turned upside down when one teenage male sitter decided to take advantage of the youngster.     She struggled to come to terms ... Read Full Story

Queen Latifah has revealed a traumatic chapter of her personal life: The singer-actress was sexually abused as a child. In the latest issue of Essence magazine, Latifah says the abuse occurred over a period of time, and at the hands of a teenager charged with watching her. According to Latifah, she never told anyone about the abuse. Instead, she "buried" the secret and "kept people at an arm's distance." The 39-year-old entertainer, whose new album "Persona" arrives in July, says the abuse affected her relationships. She eventually told her parents, and has gone through therapy to come to terms with what happened. ___ On ... Read Full Story