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By Jasmine Grant ·February 16, 2021February 16, 2021

This past weekend, Oprah and the good folks at WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) teamed up to bring us “Be the Love You Need” – a free virtual event designed to “help people recommit to themselves and create the stronger, healthier life they envision.”

The 90-minute experience was packed with gems about how to set up the building blocks to healthier, happier versions of ourselves. Ciara stopped by for a quick chat with mama O, where she gave a quick update on her weight loss journey since having her third child, Win, last summer. The Grammy-winning singer set out to lose 48 pounds with a balanced diet and committed workouts with her trainer Decker Davis. She reveals that while she only has about 18 more pounds left to lose, she’s not as eager to lose the weight as she once was.

“With this pregnancy, in particular, I chose to embrace every step of the process,” Ciara told Oprah. “I’m really enjoying my curves. I think my goal may change this go-around versus what I use to want my goal to be. I may want to hold on to five more pounds than I normally would. But because I’m loving where I am, I’m embracing every bit of the process, and it is somewhat a new me.”

Ciara explains that after giving birth to her son Future and daughter Sienna, she put much more pressure on herself to snap back into shaping. This time around, she’s taking a different approach. “I realized sometimes you have to step back, look at where you are, and say, ‘I’m actually doing alright. I love these extra love handles and my hips.'”

Ciara also admitted to feeling “empowered” by her decision to keep working and appearing on magazine covers while still working towards her fitness goals. “I’ve done a few cover shoots that I probably never would have done back in the day because I would have felt like I had to get back to my base weight,” she admits.

Watch the full segment below:

Ciara’s hard work appears to be paying off. While appearing at the Super Bowl with her husband Russell Wilson, Cici showed off her toned legs as she participated in the “walk challenge.”

A post shared by Ciara (@ciara)

Keep on crushing it, Cici!

The post Ciara Talks Embracing Her Curves At Oprah x WW’s ‘Be the Love You Need’ Event appeared first on Essence.

Written By: Madelyn Gee 

The murder mystery plotline has been used for ages. There is always a murderer trying to run from capture for a murder more horrific than words can express. However, what happens when your captor is in your own home? The Hulu mini-series The Sister, based on the 2010 book Burial by Neil Cross, explores this dynamic throughout the four episodes of the series. Through flashbacks, larger-than-life, characters and the dreary atmosphere of London as its backdrop, director Niall MacCormick displays how far someone can go to not only protect themselves, but the ones they love as well.  

We first meet Russel Tovey’s character Nathan sitting in front of the television and watching the news. There are a deadly amount of pills strewn across his glass table along with a glass of water. Something on his television screen stops him from executing his plan. Elise Fox (Simone Ashley) has been missing for three years. Her sister Holly (Amrita Acharia) is begging for her sister’s return. In a daze, Nathan puts the pills away. This is where the true chaos of the show begins. 

Produced by Euston Films, the show is mostly filmed at nighttime or indark settings. This contributes to the haunting and eerie vibe of each episode. Darkness has become synonymous with the supernatural — and as each episode continues, these themes become a main character. The supernatural is what makes The Sister different from the typical murder mystery. Actor Bertie Carvel’s character Bob and his struggle to separate what is real and what is not is what drives him to see his “old friend” Nathan in the first place. The belief that your past actions can manifest into your future is constantly being forced into Nathan’s mind. 

The flashbacks of each episode show that simply ignoring the past is not going to work. It is essential to understanding the entirety of what happened to Elise Fox. As each flashback becomes more and more detailed, the viewer can see the panic and dread taking over Nathan. One of the most powerful emotions in the world is guilt, and slowly the viewer can see it transform Tovey’s character into his worst nightmare — a monster.

He is trying so hard to be the perfect husband. The perfect worker. The perfect son-in-law. But there is only so much one can do before secrets come to the surface. In the case of The Sister, those secrets are transforming into “mental imprint manifestations” — a phenomenon much scarier than just a noise in the dark. These secrets are not only eating at him, they are physically appearing before him, looking to be released into the world. 

Another factor that drives the series is the cat-and-mouse game that Nathan plays with his wife’s best friend (and cop) Jacki (Nina Toussaint-White). In the first scenes with them together, it is blatant that there is no trust there. Even at a party for Jacki, Nathan looks like he is having to save face. The more that Jacki and Nathan interact, the more that Jacki notices what is truly off about Nathan. She begins to keep track of him while Nathan is keeping track of her. Along with trying to maintain this status of perfection, Nathan now also has to be as unsuspicious as possible while the police poke and prod at who he truly is. 

What truly was heartbreaking about this series were the scenes showcasing Elise’s family. They walk and interact around their home as if they are zombies trying to find their purpose. The joy and happiness they once had now has been replaced with an eternal anxiousness for justice for their daughter. They have been waiting for three years to find any type of clue of Elise’s whereabouts. However, the person that holds all the answers is someone close to them, making the deceitfulness behind Elise’s case even more enormous. 

The twists in each episode truly stopped this viewer in her tracks. What I knew about each of the characters seemed to change every minute, showing that we can truly never know the people we surround ourselves with. Nathan starts the show as a calm and well-natured man navigating life through London. At the show’s climax, I could see the physical effects of guilt and dread were eating him alive. As characters such as Bob, Jacki, and Elise’s family continue to show up and require attention or time from him, Nathan begins to lose it. How far can someone go to not hurt others before they begin to hurt themselves as well? The Sister showcases through the series that it doesn’t take long at all. 

The series is surely not one of instant action. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a slow burn series that transforms into a blazing fire full of drama and edge-of-your-seat suspense, then this is the show for you. 

All four episodes of The Sister are streaming now on Hulu. 

Ryan Reynolds, noted good guy and craft gin enthusiast, celebrated Deadpool‘s fifth anniversary with another touching story that highlights his special relationship with fans. He shared some lost correspondence with a big fan of the Merc with a Mouth, including Reynolds’ reply that never got mailed. Probably because neither is real. But one thing that’s definitely true is that this whole “exchange” is really funny.

The former Green Lantern star took to Twitter to celebrate five years of donning Deadpool‘s red mask by posting a letter he received from a “fan” named “Hunter” (which we first heard about at THR) back in 2016. In his letter, a highly complimentary Hunter, who sounds like a five-year-old in one sentence and a PR veteran in the next, talks about his love of Deadpool. He also praises the film’s producers who “didn’t tone down” the film’s R-rating. The whole “English class assignment” might almost be believable if not for young Hunter signing off with a hope to get a beer with Reynolds some day.

There’s no question the actor’s “lost” response is a clever work of fiction. It’s full of wildly inaccurate predictions and comments that are obviously hilarious in 2021. That includes laughing at the thought of Disney and the MCU producing a Deadpool movie. (Which is going to happen.) Reynolds’ commitment to acting and acting alone, without any distractions from something like a small business. (Of which he now has many.) His wife Blake Lively giving birth to their second and “final” child. (They now have three kids.) And that we would get a new Deadpool sequel every two years “like clockwork.” (That clock is broken.)

That’s not all he’s wrong about. He also mentions his enthusiasm for famous failures like the Fyre Festival and the “Thanos” [sic] blood company. Reynolds also comments on Tom Brady’s guaranteed lifetime tenure with the Patriots, as well as his own love affair with beer and beer only. All before signing off that in 2020 there will be nothing better than “handshakes and hugs.”

Ryan Reynolds

For someone to be that wrong about literally everything they’d have to see the future. So clearly this letter was fake. Either that or Ryan Reynolds’ actually did get Cable’s Temporal Dial to work. If he did, forget about going back and sending this letter in 2016. Can he please go back and warn everyone about 2020 instead?

Featured Image: 20th Century Films

The post Ryan Reynolds Shares Definitely Fake DEADPOOL Fan Letter appeared first on Nerdist.

Psst. Psst. Hoy! New episode of the ShoPowSho! Episode 19: We welcome Artist, Kenneth Tan of The Lola x Kenneth Collaboration! Join us as we discuss Kenneth’s story, his amazing Lola’s story and how their collaboration came together! ShoPowSho explores Filipino and Filipino American history and culture; along with spotlighting and featuring Filipinos throughout various […]