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Celeb Travel

Hollywood, Meet Tylerwood: Black Celebrities Fete Atlanta Movie Studio

October 6, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 0 Comments

Time to give Tyler Perry his due: After continually stealing number one at the box office, nudging his show "House of Payne" into syndication and continuing to adapt his original plays into movie gold, Perry put the cash together to open up his very own movie studio.

Friends like Oprah and Sidney Poitier celebrated the opening of Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia (in a former airline reservations center, no less!) at a Saturday party. Will Smith brought his smiling face and Perry ensemble player Cicely Tyson brought a date to hear Patti LaBelle perform.

Of course, as with any huge party, there were crashers: Writers Guild representatives claim Perry fired four writers from "House of Payne" for participating in WGA activities. Perry's studio may be bright and shiny, but his show is one of the only scripted productions without a union presence.

Related Stories:
· Tyler Perry Makes History With Movie Studio [Faded Youth Blog]
· WGA Vs. Tyler Perry Productions Continued [Deadline Hollywood Daily]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Young, Black and Fabulous]

Commencement Travel

Commencement Travel: Everybody Gets a Platitude!

June 16, 2008 at 10:30 AM | 0 Comments

By her own admission, she left school one credit short and didn't finish for 22 years, but Oprah Winfrey was deemed more than qualified to address graduating students at Stanford University yesterday. Winfrey told the grads to find what makes them happiest, but the media mogul had something to celebrate: Her goddaughter Kirby Bumpus, daughter of BFF Gayle King, was among the Stanford Class of 08 and got a special shout out:

After four years, I finally get to see her room. Love you, Kirbycakes.

The talk show host did not repeat her one-time stunt of giving a car to everyone in the audience, but she did leave the grads two of her favorite books to read--and neither of them was Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Oprah and long-time man friend Stedman Graham later took a walk on campus (with her security detail), quietly observing a number of the festivities including the American Studies and Religious Studies department ceremony.

Related Stories:
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Commencement Travel coverage [Jaunted]