The Root
Staff writer and columnist at The Root.
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Monique Judge
Guest
FROM Monique Judge
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Accused of rape, hip-hop's Russell Simmons fights back Twelve women have accused music mogul Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct. Earlier today, fashion publicist Kelly Cutrone told Page Six that Simmons tried to rape her in the early '90s. The New York Police Department has opened an investigation. But yesterday on Instagram, Simmons called the new claims “an insane pile on,” and posted an image of the words #NotMe.
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Opening the Curtain
Breaking free from Shakespeare's Ghetto What if “The Merchant of Venice” were told from Shylock’s daughter’s perspective? That’s the conceit behind Sarah Mantell’s play “Everything that never happened”.
Screengrab
Will viewers go for 'The Conners' without Roseanne? ABC premieres 'The Conners' this week. This is of course, 'Roseanne' sans Roseanne. After the network fired Roseanne Barr for racist tweets, the fate of the show was unclear. Now, it's back with the core family intact, except for the matriarch.
Hollywood Breakdown
Endeavor ending $400 million deal with the Saudi government Following the apparent murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, most likely ordered by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Endeavor--the parent company of WME--is backing out of a huge $400 million deal it had made with the Saudi government.
Design and Architecture
Scooter wars, gifting houses, puppets on the move What we learned about the future of mobility at our “Flipping the Bird” design jam at IndieCade this past weekend. Buy a condo in a Bjarke Ingels-designed tower, gift a house to a slum dweller? A Vancouver group applies the TOMS Shoes one-to-one gifting model -- to houses. And the Bob Baker Marionette Theater has been dazzling people with hand-made puppets for 55 years. Will it keep the magic as it leaves its home?