Lizzo fans were surprised to see the Grammy winner pop up in the latest episode of The Mandalorian, which streams on Disney+. Lizzo played a noblewoman who befriends Grogu. She wrote on Instagram how happy she was to land the cameo, “When I was a young girl my dad introduced me to Star Wars like a rite of passage. The trilogies are his favorite movies and quickly became mine. When Jon Favreau called me and offered the role of "The Dutchess" I cried all day wishing my dad was still with us cus he’d be so proud. Star Wars was a dream I never thought was possible— but thanks to Jon, Bryce, and everyone in the galaxy I am now part of the ever-expanding saga of the stars. I am in honorable company and forever grateful. This is The Way…. and May the Force be with you.” See the post above.

After Angel Reese went viral for the "you can’t see me" hand gesture, the LSU Tigers small forward made no apologies and slammed the double standard in her media coverage. However, the story took another turn when First Lady Jill Biden said in the name of “sportsmanship” she would invite LSU, the champions of this year’s NCAA’s women’s basketball, and the losers, Iowa Hawkeyes. Angel Reese’s response? It was a hard no. 

On April 4, she told the "I Am Athlete" podcast, "You can't go back on certain things that you say. You felt that they should have came because of 'sportsmanship,' right? (Iowa) can have that spotlight; we'll go to the Obamas. We'll see Michelle. We'll see Barack." See the clip above.

Angel Reese isn’t the only LSU player doing big things. In an in-game interview during LSU’s Final Four matchup against Virginia Tech, Lil Wayne revealed that he and the LSU freshman Flau’jae Johnson talked about working on music together. It appears to be a definite now, Johnson tweeted on April 4, “Imagine Winning A National Championship Your FRESHMAN Year! Then Getting A Lil Wayne Feature Right After??!”

This week marks five years since Cardi B’s debut album Invasion of Privacy dropped. The album won a 2019 Grammy for best rap album and made history as the most streamed album on Apple Music in one week by a female artist. In an April 5 clip, she celebrated with wine and a cake that said, “Happy 5th Anniversary!” 

“What my team got me, guys!” Cardi B said in the video. “Yeah! Five years! I’m still getting booked for millions of dollars with one m*thaf*ckin’ album, b*tch! Yeah, wassup? Ain’t nobody can tell me nothing.” See above.

1. If you missed Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey in conversation for the former first lady’s book The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, Netflix has you covered. On Apr. 25, the streaming service will drop The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama & Oprah Winfrey. The wide-ranging conversation includes discussions about childhood, family, and aging. See the trailer above.

1. According to Deadline, BET Her has officially greenlit Black Girl, Erupted, which is written by Tiffany Yancey. Vanessa Bell Calloway will star and also direct. The movie, which is the first feature film under the BET Her Presents: The Couch franchise, includes Tressa Azarel Smallwood of MegaMind Media as an executive producer. Smallwood said in a statement, “It has been my honor to work with BET Her to tell stories that matter, written, produced, and directed by Black women for all women. Reuniting with Vanessa Bell Calloway to produce the first feature for The Couch franchise speaks to the BET Her commitment: to change the narrative by cultivating Black women creatives and showcasing their work.”

Earlier this week, Issa Rae was trending after the trailer dropped for the live-action movie Barbie. Rae plays President Barbie and the image of her in the film has gone viral (see above). The movie, which is directed by Greta Gerwig, also includes Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and Dua Lipa. The movie follows Barbie who is seeking happiness after she is kicked out of Barbieland. Barbie opens in theaters July 21, 2023

1. The Ms. Foundation announced this week that Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown will receive the Vision Award. Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, will also be honored at the annual gala, which will take place on May 16 at New York City’s Ziegfeld Ballroom. Others honorees include co-founder of Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project Wanda Irving, executive director of URGE Kimberly Inez McGuire, abortion rights activist Olivia Julianna and LGBTQ+ advocate Rebekah Bruesehoff.

This week, Bowie State University, a historically Black college in Maryland, has unveiled the Dionne Warwick Performing Arts Theatre. At the ceremony, the music legend said that Bowie State is “a traditional Black college, and with us losing so many of them, this is a fine promotion to give. [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] are still very vital, not only to our existence but to the world.”

The new Hulu series starring Gabourey Sidibe officially has its cast. According to Deadline, 1266 will star Sidibe as a woman who becomes a phone sex operator after she is fired from her job. The rest of the cast includes Anna Maria Horsford (The Wayans Bros.), Judy Reyes (Claws), and the legendary Tisha Campbell. The show is loosely based on Sidibe’s own life in New York City before her big break in the 2009 film Precious.