Songs, Movies & Moments – July 2026

A Look at Entertainment

by T.J. Moore –

Creativity doesn’t just expand. It evolves, and for Mara Brock Akil, that’s definitely been the case. The showrunner and creative force behind iconic Black sitcoms Girlfriends and The Game released her debut novel, The Revelation of Dionne Daphne, on June 30, 2026.

Mara Brock Akil Fireside

The Revelation of Dionne Daphne

Set in 1990s New York City, the novel follows Dionne Daphne, a successful beauty editor who appears to have everything she’s ever wanted: a thriving career, an exciting social life, and a handsome boyfriend. But when life-altering news arrives at her Brooklyn doorstep, the carefully curated world she has built begins to unravel.

The Revelation of Dionne Daphine is available wherever books are sold.

Lizzo – BITCH

Official Video

Sometimes, the fall off is as meteoric as the rise. Singer Lizzo is finding that out firsthand.

Her fifth studio album Bitch has gone “quadruple lint” as fans are no longer interested in what the one-time music darling has to offer. Rolling Stone did a deep dive analysis to find out exactly what happened and why her latest album sold only 2,560 copies in its first week—a huge drop-off from Special, which sold 39,000 copies in its debut four years ago.

“I think the biggest reason is that she never had a core fanbase,” one former senior label executive told Rolling Stone. “She was a very song-driven, radio-hits-driven artist who lacked a core fanbase, and that’s what you need today for career longevity.”

Lizzo believes her struggles are because of an ever-changing and fickle music industry. She tried to explain why she had such a poor showing earlier this month when she posted on X: “The industry changed so much in the last 3 yrs. streaming replaced radio & I was a radio darling,” she wrote. “That’s how my fans discovered my music.”

Rolling Stone also noted that all three of her singles failed to make the Hot 100 charts. At one point in her career, she couldn’t miss—collecting Grammys and hits as if it were predestined. Now, she couldn’t buy a hit on credit.

Some critics believe that the singer’s downfall happened after her body-positive, good-girl image took a damning blow in 2023 when her backup dancers filed a lawsuit claiming that sexual harassment and weight shaming created a hostile work environment.

Tyra Banks Sues Netflix

Tyra Banks is suing Netflix for defamation by implication and breach of contract over the streamers ‘Reality Check: American’s Next Top Model’ documentary.

From ripping the runway to serving looks in federal court, Supermodel Tyra Banks has recently filed an explosive defamation lawsuit against Netflix, alleging that producers maliciously displayed an edited narrative to destroy her reputation. Filed on June 13, Banks’s lawsuit claims that the recent three-part docuseries, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, relied on a deceptive narrative that she was not privy to.

According to PEOPLE, Banks originally agreed to sit down for a grueling three-and-a-half-hour interview because she wanted to provide an honest look at the groundbreaking reality show’s history, including taking accountability for decisions that have faced criticism in the years since the show aired.

However, Banks’s lawsuit alleges that producers used only 16 minutes of the footage, removing her contextual comments, and editing them to portray her as a villian.

One of the more damaging claims in the lawsuit centers around Cycle 2 contestant Shandi Sullivan. In the docuseries, Sullivan recalled the controversial 2004 episode in Italy, where she drank heavily and slept with a male model despite having a boyfriend at home. Twenty-two years later, Sullivan stated she had blacked out at the time and accused production of editing what she now considers a sexual assault into a juicy cheating storyline.

When producers asked Banks about Sullivan’s trauma on camera, the final cut depicted the supermodel giving a blank stare upward, implying she couldn’t even remember the woman or the incident.

The lawsuit countered that what aired was not what happened in reality. The unedited footage reveals that before looking up, Banks nodded affirmatively and explicitly stated, “I do remember her story.” By surgically cutting the nod and erasing her vocal confirmation, producers ensured viewers only saw a manufactured lie. Banks also noted she was entirely unaware that Sullivan classified the encounter as an assault until the documentary aired.

The lawsuit further rejects the documentary’s implication that Banks ignored misconduct on the set. The filing reveals a hidden factoid. During one specific cycle, a crew member reported a regular ANTM cast member for a pattern of sexual misconduct.

As Banks seeks unspecified damages for massive loss of future business income, emotional distress, and corporate manipulation, prominent ANTM figures are publicly siding with her.  Former “Top Model” judge turned PR pro Kelly Cutrone voiced support for Banks.

“I think that 80 percent of the docuseries is incredibly twisted,” Cutrone told PEOPLE. “She’s done a lot for people, including the people who are out there trashing her right now… I believe that the facts and the truth will come forward.”