Trending Now: The Root’s Celebrity News From Week of Dec. 28 – Fans React

From celebrity breakups to colorism accusations, here’s everything you missed in the latest in entertainment news!

Tichina Arnold is finally giving her viewpoint when it comes her old show “Martin” and whether or not some of the jokes lobbed against her character were laced with colorism. And what she has to say just might surprise you.

– Shanelle Genai

It appears music icon Damon “Dame” Dash is trying to do all he can to get himself out of debt–including selling off some of his catalogue. But given the latest price he’s just sold it at, it’ll be awhile before he reaches his goals. Don’t worry, we’ll explain.

– Shanelle Genai

The more President Donald Trump tries to shake his deep ties to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, it seems the more the president is slowly being dragged down by his ghost. Now, a new report revealed young girls were sent from Mar-a-Lago to Epstein’s infamous island, prompting more questions about just how close the two billionaire businessmen were.

– Phenix S Halley

As Bone Thugs n Harmony once said, “Wake up, wake up — it’s the first of the month!” Except this time, A$AP Rocky has the 1st covered for some folks in his old neighborhood. The Harlem rapper is making a rare, full-circle gesture tied to both his roots and his next era. And for the residents connected to his past, 2026 is starting off with a bang — and one less bill to cover. 

– Asheea Smith

After months of sensual on-screen interactions, intimate relationship highlights, and plenty of PDA, reports claim one of the sexiest Hollywood couples, Teyana Taylor and Aaron Pierre, have quit. But wait to you hear what the Internet is saying.

– B.Kadijat Towolawi

The year 2025 may have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean this current crop of Black movies are the only ones we’ll have to savor. In fact, 2026 looks poised and ready to bring us more than a handful of amazing films and believe us when we tell you–there’s plenty coming.

– Shanelle Genai

After hosting your familiy and friends, its time to celebrate your alone time and and what better way to do that than with a great movie? From the hilarious Dave Chappelle specials to the thrilling sci-fi films like “Train to Busan,” these selections are perfect for keeping you entertained all holiday weekend. Pour yourself some leftover champagne and enjoy.

– B.Kadijat Towolawi

But you may not know Amos was also the man behind Brandy’s iconic ’90s braid stylings. In a recent interview with Complex, he revealed that his career began with styling R&B sweetheart Brandy while he was still a student at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. Their partnership lasted throughout the decade, turning a Black-girl staple into a high-fashion, cultural statement.

– Shellie M. Scott

As 2025 comes to a close, what better way to compliment this nail-biter of a year than with some truly nail-biting true crime documentaries? With some much needed time off on the horizon for a lot of us, we thought it’d be fun to round up more than a handful of projects that will truly give you the creeps, make you question what you thought you knew about some viral crimes, and cause you to do a deep dive into some back stories for more details.

– Shanelle Genai

It’s New Year’s Eve, but we couldn’t close the books on 2025 without showing love to some of the amazing titles Black authors blessed us with. After reading just about everything we could get our hands on all year, we picked some of our favorite books in every genre.

– Angela Johnson