It’s no wonder that we’re so interested in celebrity gossip. The fact is that celeb news is a distraction from our everyday lives, and allows us to be concerned about issues that really don’t affect us directly. Today in entertainment, there is something for everyone. Movies are bigger than ever, with some raking in hundreds of millions of dollars during their first weekends in theaters. Musicians and singers are regular parts of current news, with their music selling on a variety of different platforms. Even reality TV makes an exorbitant amount of money for its “stars”. Part of this is fueled by the latest entertainment news outlets. People don’t just care about the projects that their favorite celebrities are involved in; they want to know about their personal lives. Many celebrities are willing to work with entertainment news sources directly because they know that their popularity is affected by how well their fans feel that they “know” them. Of course, this is especially true for black celebrities, who appeal to fans who often once felt like they couldn’t “see” themselves in Hollywood when it was dominated by white stars. Today in entertainment, everything from music to the movies is gradually becoming dominated by black celebrities, which in turns has led to specific news outlets specializing in black celebrity gossip. Let’s look at some of the most successful black celebrities today.
1. Beyonce
It should go without saying that Beyonce is one of the biggest stars today, black or white. She’s made her mark in the music industry, with her albums being among the most successful and critically acclaimed of recent memory. While she was famous beforehand, it’s arguable that she became an icon after the release of her third solo album “I Am… Sasha Fierce”, which began moving her towards the strong, confident image that she has today, nd away from the softer version that people knew from her days as a part of Destiny’s Child. Her self-titled album was dropped without any prior promotion, still becoming a massive hit and proving her influence. Furthermore, she’s revitalized and redefined the “visual” album with “Lemonade”. Of course, people don’t just care about Beyonce the artist — they want to know about the woman herself. Famously married to Jay Z, she’s half of a power couple. On her own, Beyonce has an estimated net worth of $450 million, while her husband’s is $650 million. This means that their collective worth is around $1 billion. Jay Z may not be as active in music today as he once was, but his wife isn’t the only artist in the family — “The Blueprint 3” was his eleventh No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, which meant that he beat out Elvis for record of most number one albums by a solo artist.
2. Oprah Winfrey
Of course, black celebrities aren’t confined to the musical realm. Perhaps one of the most powerful voices today in entertainment in general is Oprah Winfrey. Oprah began as a small-time news anchor, but rose to prominence with the Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired from 1986 to 2011. In the first year alone, $125 million, with Oprah receiving $30 million. It was on 120 channels, and had an audience of 10 million. The fact is that Oprah is seen as something of an icon by America in general, and when she ended her show she no longer needed it. She started her network, “OWN” and continued things like her magazine, her book club, and of course her list of “favorite things”. Oprah is also an actress, receiving acclaim and undeniably wielding a huge amount of power in the industry.
3. Will Smith
With nearly all of his movies having grossed over $100 million, Will Smith is one of the most highly paid actors today in entertainment. He went from being a rapper, to a TV star, to a famous movie actor who can do virtually whatever he wants. Off camera and on, his extreme popularity makes him a power player, and people listen to his music to this day.