Ciara

Tyler Clementi Suicide Spurs Ellen DeGeneres, Ciara To Speak Out

30 Sep 2010 20:28:57 EDT

'Four lives lost is a crisis,' DeGeneres blogs, referencing recent teen suicides.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Ellen DeGeneres
Photo: Mark Sullivan/ Getty Images

The tragic wave of suicides among young people who have been targeted because of their sexuality has prompted several celebs to speak out against bullying. In recent weeks, teens such as Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi and 13-year-old Seth Walsh have taken their lives after enduring taunts and humiliating incidents regarding their sexual orientation. Blogger Perez Hilton and several gay activists have spoken out against teen bullying, and columnist Dan Savage has started the YouTube channel "It Gets Better" to offer support, urging LGBT youth not to resort to suicide for relief from vicious teasing. A diverse range of celebs also have blasted bullying and implored young people who have suffered abuse at the hands of their peers to maintain hope. Media personality and former MTV VJ La La Vazquez teamed up with R&B star Ciara for a YouTube video offering support to young people affected by bullying. "If you're gay, bisexual, transgender, I know it can be tough in high school dealing with people who might not understand who you are," Vazquez says in the clip. "We just want to let you know that it does get better. We were in high school once, and we know how mean people can be who just don't understand certain things." "You gotta know that your life is in your hands; you determine your destiny," Ciara adds. "You're in total control. You determine where things can go — where they can start, where they can stop. It starts with you, and it really does get better." Jay Manuel from "America's Next Top Model" also made a video, explaining to teens that regardless of their current situation, the future is bright. "I'm 38, and I can tell you, it does get better," he says. "It's not easy in high school; I don't think anybody has it easy. "People are gonna call you names, they're gonna make you feel bad about yourself, but at the end of the day, we go off and do our own things, and you really do control your destiny. When someone calls you a name and they call you gay and they call you queer or whatever they call you, remember that at the end of the day, you can go off and be a success all on your own." Hilton had been tweeting several high-profile names in recent days to get involved in the "It Gets Better" initiative, and Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden responded with a link to the band's anti-suicide video "Hold On." Madden also pledged to make a personal video message. "One Tree Hill" actress Sophia Bush also took to Twitter to express her concern about the ongoing bullying issues among young people. "Anyone out there who thinks being a bully makes you cool? Wake up. It makes you a LOSER," tweeted Bush, who created the Twitter account @MissUSethWalsh in honor of the late teen. "Cool means doing good things for people. ALL people." Openly gay talk show host Ellen DeGeneres maintained that bullying is an issue that affects more than just the young people lobbing insults and getting hurt in the melee, and urged everyone who is able to make a difference to get involved. "One life lost in this senseless way is tragic. Four lives lost is a crisis," DeGeneres blogged Thursday (September 30), referencing the suicides of Clementi and Walsh as well as Texas teen Asher Brown and 15-year-old Billy Lucas from Indiana. "And these are just the stories we hear about. How many other teens have we lost? How many others are suffering in silence? Being a teenager and figuring out who you are is hard enough without someone attacking you. "My heart is breaking for their families, their friends and for a society that continues to let this happen. These kids needed us. We have an obligation to change this," she continues. "There are messages everywhere that validate this kind of bullying and taunting and we have to make it stop. We can't let intolerance and ignorance take another kid's life." DeGeneres closes her note with a sentiment echoed by many other celebs: "Things will get easier, people's minds will change, and you should be alive to see it." MTV's ongoing "A Thin Line" project provides stories and resources for anyone who believes they are being cyberbullied or who is looking for ways to stop harassment by digital means.

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Ciara Tells Students To 'Never Stop Learning'

07 Oct 2010 22:04:18 EDT

'I wish I would have just paid attention a little bit more,' she says about wanting to know more about history as she travels the world.
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by Jeff Schneider

Ciara
Photo: MTV News

R&B siren Ciara is world-famous for her limber, hip-popping moves and sassy vocals, but the ATL songbird stresses that a chart-topping career is not just about turning in a great performance. Making sure you're up on your behind-the-scenes skills is instrumental to pulling off a successful stage career, which is the advice Ciara doles out to aspiring stars.

"For people that wanna be professional creative people, such as an artist, a musician, painter whatever it is, you have to know that it's not that easy. People think that, 'Oh, I can sing and I can do [whatever],' but there's so many doors you have to go through to even get there," Ciara explained at a Get Schooled Youth Summit on Thursday (October 7). The singer, along with Jive recording artist K. Michelle and former MTV VJ Quddus, reinforced the importance of education to students at East High in Memphis, Tennessee. "What I always say to people is in that process of you trying to reach your creative goal, make sure you never stop learning. Make sure you still go after getting that diploma, still [get] a degree, because, again, if it doesn't work out the way that you want it to, you have something to fall back on and that's gonna always be there." Ciara said students should put in the work with every subject because you never know when that one class you're slacking off in may figure prominently in your future career as a fabulous, globe-trotting pop star. "You'll be amazed at how something you can learn in science or something you can learn in math or history can apply to music. For me, I travel around the world and I do sometimes beat myself up because in history ... I wish I would have given it a little bit more. Because now that I travel to Paris and London and Japan and these different places, I remember there were so many things that we talked about in history, and it's like, 'I wish I would have just paid attention a little bit more,' " Ciara admitted. "I graduated with a B in history or whatever, so it's not bad, but I could have gotten an A. It's just that easy. It's just a matter of studying more, just working a little bit harder and just putting in the time. It's really easy." Stay tuned to MTV News for more information about how you can get the president to speak at your commencement celebration at the end of this school year. Get Schooled is a national program aimed at increasing high school and college graduation rates and promoting the importance of education, developed by Viacom in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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T.I. Gets Support From Ciara, Lil Jon And NeNe Leakes

17 Oct 2010 17:49:27 EDT

Atlanta stars send MC words of encouragement as he heads back to prison for 11 months.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Photo: Moses Robinson/ WireImage

T.I. is heading back to jail for nearly a year but not without some words of support from his fellow Atlanta stars.

The superstar MC was sentenced Friday to 11 months in prison for probation violation after he was caught with drugs during a traffic stop in Los Angeles last month. Tip just wrapped up a bid for a felony weapons charge in March and is expected to turn himself in within the next two weeks. As the ATL spitter heads back to prison, some famous faces are sending T.I. some hometown love. "He just gotta hold his head up," Atlanta producer and DJ Lil Jon told MTV News on the Tao New York 10th Anniversary red carpet Saturday. "Sometimes you get the wrong curveballs in life but you keep your head up, keep pushing, everything will be good." Southern songbird Ciara also sent the MC some messages of support. "To the big homie T.I., I just want to ... send you and your family all my love and support and prayer and, of course, keep your head up strong," she said. "You survived this long, and before you know it, the journey will be over and I'm hoping that when you come out that things can only continue to get better for you and for your family." The R&B princess added that she feels for T.I., who has to deal with the sometimes harsh glare of the spotlight and fair-weather support from the music game when handling mistakes. "I support him. None of us have perfect days and it's crazy because in our industry when we don't have perfect days a lot of times people turn their backs on you. We're all human and unfortunately ... when you are a celebrity what you do is exposed. But there are a lot of people just like you that go through troubles every day," the "Ride" singer said. "I support anybody that's going through a tough time and I'm sure ... he wants to do better and I support a person who wants to do that too." "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" diva NeNe Leakes said she hopes Tip will turn his life around after his latest slip-up. "I feel sorry for him because he's so great and he's so powerful. I feel really bad that it's happening to him," she said. "So maybe this will be the last lesson learned. Maybe he'll really get it together." Ultimately, it sounds as though many of the city's celebs will continue to hold the MC down. "He represents Atlanta," NeNe smiled. "We love him."

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Keri Hilson, Ciara Heat Up BET's 'Black Girls Rock!' Show

07 Nov 2010 07:52:20 EST

Jill Scott, Shontelle also perform, as Missy Elliott receives Lifetime Achievement Award during special airing Sunday.
By Daniela Capistrano

Ciara at the 5th Annual "Black Girls Rock!" Awards
Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage

NEW YORK — As she took the stage at the start of BET's "Black Girls Rock!" event, host Nia Long announced, "The golden rule for this evening is to believe in yourself fearlessly." Her smile seemed to invite the audience to give it a try. Anchored by stellar performances from Jill Scott, Keri Hilson, Ciara and other heavy hitters, the program's 11 honorees — including Lifetime Achievement Award winner Missy Elliot — carried a message of empowerment. "Black Girls Rock!" is a tribute devoted to honoring African-American "Icons, Moguls and Sheroes" and will be televised for the first time on BET Sunday (November 7) at 8 p.m. ET. An audience full of icons could make anyone feel intimidated, but Shontelle, who performed her hit single "Impossible," embraced the challenge. "Walking onto the stage, I was a nervous wreck," she admitted to MTV News. "[I was] in front of all these legends I look up to. I was so nervous at first, but then I realized everyone was singing along and it felt really great." "Black Girls Rock!" is supported by a diverse mix of talent; 2009 honorees included Janelle Monáe, Mary J. Blige and poet/activist Sonia Sanchez, but this year's broadcast is poised to bring "Black Girls Rock!" to a global audience — a dream come true for founder Beverly Bond. "I want young black girls to know that they matter," the stylish Bond shared at a New York press screening of the awards on Tuesday. The celebrity DJ and former model founded the non-profit organization in 2006 to provide mentorship and programs to young black girls, including a DJ academy, college campus tours, a summer camp and poetry workshops. "It's up to us females to open doors for other females like the legends sitting here tonight," Raven-Symoné said while accepting the Young, Black & Gifted Award. The actress — "The Cosby Show" vet was at 5 years old the youngest artist signed by RCA and has been producing since 18 — revealed that hearing "no" during her career has never stopped her from achieving her dreams. "Stay true to yourself," she advised. But the actress/singer wasn't the youngest honoree of the night: The vibrant Nickelodeon star Keke Palmer was presented with the Who Got Next? Award. The 17-year-old, who won Favorite TV Actress at this year's Kid Choice Awards, released her first fashion line in 2009 and is actively involved in charity work. "A lot of black girls don't know they rock," Palmer stressed. She applauded the organization's efforts to help girls improve their self-esteem. "[This] lets them know dreams do come true." At the preview screening, a solemn Hydeia Broadbent watched herself onscreen, one of several young women at this year's awards show recognized as Black Girls Making A Difference. An HIV/AIDS activist who contracted the disease from her biological mother during childbirth, Broadbent has traveled the country to share her story and has won numerous awards for her advocacy. During a panel discussion that followed the screening, Broadbent choked back tears of happiness. " 'Black Girls Rock!' represents a change for so many people. ... I'm honored to be a part of it. I can't wait for my younger sisters to see [the show]. There are not enough role models for them." Bond is on a mission to change that. She sees her partnership with BET as an opportunity to utilize a wider platform that will be "the beginning of an empowerment movement for women of color across the globe." And to think, it all began with a T-shirt design. Four years ago, Bond was a successful DJ in a profession that was often "a boys club," but didn't like the way that black women were increasingly being portrayed in the media, particularly in music videos. Bond found herself designing a T-shirt for herself that carried a simple but powerful message: "black girls rock." The t-shirt logo eventually became the name for Beverly's nonprofit organization. "Our girls are not being told how amazing they are or how amazing they can really be," she said. "It is time we start telling them. It is time we start shouting out to the entire world that we, black girls rock!" How do you feel black women are portrayed in music videos? Sound off in the comments!

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Keri Hilson Calls Her Feud With Ciara 'Unfortunate'

15 Nov 2010 17:41:09 EST

'We're good now,' singer/songwriter tells Jones magazine about her rekindled friendship.
By Jayson Rodriguez

Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Keri Hilson and Ciara were long believed to be at odds over Hilson's alleged CiCi dis on the "Turnin' Me On" remix. The two Georgia peaches kept a lid on any animosity, but in a new interview with Jones magazine, Hilson revealed that she and Ciara were, in fact, in a bit of a feud. "It was unfortunate, because we used to be really good friends," Hilson said in the cover story. "We let the media get in the way and speak for us, and we weren't speaking to each other." Hilson anchored the "Turnin' Me On" remix — featuring T-Pain and Lil Wayne — with a sing-song flow, firing shots that hit a little too close to home for Ciara. "Go 'head and tell them folks how long I been writing your songs," Hilson sings. "I been puttin' you on, just check the credits, ho." Ciara later responded in her song "Basic Instinct (U Got Me)," spewing lyrics about being "all fired up." Last month, though, the two patched things up, appearing jointly in a Ustream interview. They both appeared at BET's "Black Girls Rock!" celebration too, which is also chronicled in the winter issue of Jones, set to hit newsstands November 30. "We're good now," Hilson told Jones of Ciara. "Nobody wants to fight with an old friend. It's not cute, and it doesn't reflect our character. Don't get me wrong: I am feisty, but I'm not catty." What do you think of Keri and Ciara's temporary feud? Are you glad they're friends again? Let us know in the comments!

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Kim Kardashian's Music With The-Dream Will Have 'Attitude,' Ciara Says

17 Dec 2010 19:02:12 EST

Singer and producer Tricky Stewart talk about the reality siren's stab at music.
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by James Lacsina

Ciara
Photo: MTV News

Glamour girl Kim Kardashian already has reality starlet, unwitting adult-film actress and red-carpet regular on her résumé as a Hollywood siren. According to the diva's good friend Ciara, Kardashian is now looking to make her mark in the music game — and CiCi is down to lend a hand. "I told her if she needs me, I'm here," Ciara smiled about giving her curvy friend some crooning tips. The "Speechless" songstress said Kardashian isn't trying to change the game, but is rather just embarking on a fun venture.

"She really, really is fascinated with the music-video process and stuff like that. She's a very, very glamorous girl. She really loves that whole idea, and so she joked about [it] like, 'I wanna shoot a music video ... but I don't want people to take it too serious. I would just like to have fun with it,' " Ciara said. Kardashian may have just been messing around initially, but with the encouragement of her A-list friends and access to chart-topping hitmakers, Ciara said the reality vixen decided to take the plunge. "Actually Dream had reached out to me too, and I was like, 'Hey, I'm gonna hit her up.' I know she talked about music before. She wasn't all the way sure of it, but I said, 'Hey, give it a try, go for it. If you like it, you like it. If you don't, you don't.' The cool thing is that you're able to even experiment with that. Dream is a really, really great producer and writer, so that's really cool that you get the moment to do that. So go for it," the "Gimmie Dat" singer said. "We had a lunch and we talked about it a little bit, and so I think she's gonna give it a shot." Hit genie and record executive Tricky Stewart, who collaborated with The-Dream on Ciara's latest release, Basic Instinct, said the "Love King" artist has already hit the studio with Kardashian, but the details are being kept under wraps. "I know that she recorded, but it's under lock and key what they're doing," he explained. Ciara thinks Kardashian's music will reflect the star's feminine style revved up with some butt-kicking flair. "I think ... she's gonna have a little pop and I think a little attitude. She's a girly girl [kind of] girl too, but she still has attitude," she said. "I think it's gonna be all that in her music." What do you think of Kim Kardashian getting in the studio with The-Dream? Let us know in the comments!

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Ciara Is 'Very Proud' Of Basic Instinct

17 Dec 2010 19:02:12 EST

'This is when the fun really starts to kick in and starts to get turned up,' CiCi says of releasing latest album.
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by James Lacsina

Ciara
Photo: Rick Diamond/ Getty Images

With her fourth album on shelves, there is one word that sums up what Ciara is feeling right now: pride. The ATL princess' latest effort, Basic Instinct, landed on shelves Tuesday, and when MTV News caught up with the songstress, who was hanging out in the studio with hit architect Tricky Stewart, she was super amped that the album was available for mass consumption.

"I'm so excited. I'm very, very, very proud of this record, and I've always said out of all of my albums, this is the one that's most dedicated to my fans," she said of the collection of snappy, sultry jams that includes "Ride" and "Speechless." The R&B star said the album's arrival is just the start of the good times, chatting about heading out on tour and shooting more videos. "I told Tricky, I'm like, 'Releasing the record is the start of the process.' I'm just now starting my promos and just starting to get into the groove, and it's just really important that my fans get to hear the music," she said. "The journey is just beginning in my mind, that's how I feel. This is when the fun really starts to kick in and starts to get turned up." While the "Gimmie Dat" hitmaker is brimming with pride, she's also keyed up about fans turning up the album and joining the fun. "For me, I'm just really, really excited for my fans to have the record," she said. "I'm very, very, very, very happy with the way that it came out." Are you feeling Ciara's latest album? Let us know in the comments!

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Ciara Says Online Post About Label Woes 'Came From A Real Place'

23 Feb 2011 13:53:13 EST

'I just wanted my fans to know where I was,' she tells MTV News.
By By Aly Semigran, with reporting by Rahman Dukes

Ciara
Photo: MTV News

Ciara took to her Facebook page last week to address fans and ask her label, Jive Records, to release her after two lackluster albums. When MTV News caught up with the R&B singer recently, we asked about the headline-making post. "My letter was a message to my fans, and it came from a real place and I just wanted my fans to know where I was," she explained.

The 25-year-old singer, who has had chart-topping hits such as "Goodies" and "1,2 Step," wrote in the post, titled "My Time to Speak": "It is true that I have asked and I pray that my label will release me. I have had some great times and success with my label, but sometimes like all great things, it's at that point where I feel we don't share the same views on who I am as an artist." She called her last two efforts with the label -- Fantasy Ride and Basic Instinct, which, in its first week on the Billboard albums chart, debuted at #44, moving just 37,000 copies -- "frustrating" because she was allegedly all but ignored by label execs. Ciara then told her Facebook fans that she spent "tens of thousands" of her own money to promote her latest single, "Gimme Dat," and "more than one hundred thousand dollars" to get the subsequent music video made. In one final plea, the multiple Grammy nominee wrote, "I have so much of me as an artist I still want to give to the world and my fans, A release would allow me to go be creative with people who care and understand me as an artist. In a short time, I will be able to bring to you a new music energy and a visual excitement! Thank you so much for standing by me through the good, bad, and the confusion. I love you all." Jive Records has yet to comment on the Facebook post. Despite her concerns about what comes next, Ciara confirmed to MTV News, "I am still going to be doing shows, of course." Late Tuesday night, the singer posted a video of a recent performance, tweeting, "I live for moments like this! Love my Fans! http://tinyurl.com/476mwef Its a #CiaraMovement baby!!" Ciara reiterated, as she did in her Facebook post, that she was going to make her fans, shows and "having fun" her top priorities, while allowing everything else regarding her future in music to "fall in place the way it's supposed to." Do you think it was a good move for Ciara to address her label woes with Jive on Facebook? Let us know in the comments!

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Rihanna, Ciara Fight And Make Up On Twitter

28 Feb 2011 11:33:19 EST

Ciara's mention of Rihanna on E! sparks online battle between the two singers.
By James Montgomery

Rihanna performs at Madison Square Garden
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/ WireImage

Note to any aspiring haters out there: Rihanna is not one to be trifled with. First, she flogged members of the media in her video for her current single "S&M," then she went all scorched-earth on censors in the U.K., who changed the title of that song to "Come On" without her knowledge and earned a fierce rebuke for their efforts. (Rihanna personally vowed to have the title changed back ... and, less than a week later, it was.) And on Friday, she turned her wrath upon Ciara, after the singer dared dis RiRi during an appearance on E!'s "Fashion Police" with Joan Rivers. "I ran into [Rihanna] recently at a party. She wasn't the nicest," Ciara told Rivers. "It's crazy, because I've always loved and respected what she's done in fashion. It wasn't the most pleasant run-in." Of course, things were about to get a lot less pleasant. Soon after Ciara dared speak her name, Rihanna took to her Twitter account to strike back brand-new rival ... in less than 140 characters. "My bad, Ci, did I forget to tip you," Rihanna wrote, including the hashtag #howrudeofme for extra spite. Of course, that earned a response from Ciara, who wrote, "Trust me, Rihanna, you don't want to see me on or off the stage." Rihanna replied first with a taunt ("U gangsta huh? Haaa" (link and then, after thinking about it for a minute, went for the jugular, making fun of Ciara's recent sales woes by writing, "Good luck with booking that stage you speak of." Ciara tried to laugh off the slight, while Rihanna, perhaps feeling a twinge of remorse after vivisecting her latest foe, posted an apology: "Ciara baby, I love you girl! You hurt my feelings real bad on TV! I'm heartbroken! That's why I retaliated this way! So sorry!" Ciara accepted RiRi's apology and suggested the two work out their problems "in person." Rihanna has yet to respond.

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Kanye West's Fashion Show 'Monumental,' Ciara Says

01 Oct 2011 19:28:03 EDT

'I saw Kanye after, and I told him it was amazing,' Ciara tells MTV News via phone from Paris Fashion Week.
By James Montgomery

Photo: Antonio de Moraes Barros/ WireImage

Kanye West finally unveiled his much-discussed womenswear line Saturday night (October 1) with a high-profile show at Paris Fashion Week that was as full of eye-catching designs as it was celebs. From Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour to actress Lindsay Lohan, the stars were on full display for West's show. Minutes after 'Ye took his bow, we spoke to Ciara, who phoned MTV News from backstage to give us her take on the collection. And, yes, she was impressed with what she saw. "It was amazing. The clothes, the feeling in the room, the energy backstage -- it really feels special," she said. "It was definitely one of the most talked-about events [of Paris Fashion Week], because it wasn't going to be your typical show. This doesn't happen every day, and to see someone like Kanye, who aspires to succeed in fashion, to get so much respect and cross over like this, it was monumental. It was an historic moment." While she was amazed by the fashion community's embracing of West, Ciara was quick to point out that she was just as struck by his designs, singling out a few favorite looks. "I loved the pants, the color-blocking and the orange, I loved the fur accessories, I loved the black dresses," she said. "There was a lot of attitude. It was strong, sexy ... I loved it. I kept seeing looks that made me think, 'Oh my God, I want that.' " Just before she phoned MTV News, Ciara had a chance to speak with West backstage, congratulating him on a job well done. As she was getting ready to head out into the night ("There's definitely an afterparty," she laughed), she also took a moment to reflect on (and draw inspiration from) what she had just witnessed. "I saw Kanye after, and I told him it was amazing. But there was so much chaos backstage -- good chaos, of course. He was excited, and it was just so much good energy," she said. "And now, I'm walking away from this being inspired. He continues to inspire me with everything that he does. And tonight was definitely a moment." For complete coverage of Kanye West's Paris Fashion Week debut, check out the MTV Style blog.

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