See why we’re adding a dash of caramel to our brew:
• Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson is teaming up with a SNL writer to launch his own sitcom. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Thompson will write, star and executive produce the untitled show for the network. The storyline follows a guy who moves to New York and ends up living with his in-laws where family drama ensues. It’s unclear if Thompson will leave SNL or when his new show will begin airing. [Hollywood Reporter]•
• Jordin Sparks and boyfriend Jason Derulo could be competing on the charts next year. The couple announced they have separate albums coming out at beginning of the year. In addition, they recorded a few songs together and are in the process of deciding who gets what song. But it’s all love. Sparks thinks Derulo will beat her in record sales. However, he’s promised to buy a million of her albums in the first week. [Hollywood Reporter]
• Usher says life in the public eye is difficult. He believes few people can actually really understand a star’s frustration to gain privacy. He told Extra TV, “The truth is one can ever understand the reality of the life we live. We are humans, humans have frailties… humans have ups and downs.” [Extra TV]
• This is the time of year where Oprah truly thrives. The media maven handed out a bevy of gifts recently on her “Favorite Things” episode on OWN. Among the hot items were an Octane Elliptical valued at $3,000, a Jetson E-Bike valued at $1,800 and a Bose VideoWave II valued at $4,999. [Oprah]
• Comedian Mike Epps could be in hot water this morning. A shot was fired inside a nightclub where he was celebrating his birthday last night. According to police, people from Epps’ group clashed with club goers, and someone fired a warning shot. No one was hurt. Police are investigating the matter. [TMZ]