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Sheryl Lee Ralph Uses Rihanna Lyrics to Demand Pay at SAG Strike Rally on September 14, 2023 at 8:55 pm Us Weekly

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Sheryl Lee Ralph fired up the crowd at a SAG-AFTRA strike rally in Los Angeles with a defiant speech featuring lyrics from another SAG member: Rihanna.

The Abbott Elementary star, 66, demanded on Wednesday, September 13, that the union-backed actors be properly compensated as she quoted — and paraphrased — RiRi’s 2015 triple platinum hit, “Bitch Better Have My Money.”

“You know why we’re here. You know what we deserve,” Ralph said. “And in the words of one of our SAG members, pay us what you owe us.” (She slightly changed Rihanna’s original lyrics, “Pay me what you awe me.”)

Continuing from the song, Ralph commented, “Don’t act like you forgot. I call the shots, shots, shots.”

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“Bitch Better Have My Money” was inspired by a comical scene from the 1988 film I’m Gonna Git You Sucka starring Keenen Ivory Wayans and Antonio Vargas. In the role of a pimp named FlyGuy, Fargas angrily said, “Bitch better have my money,” and 27 years later, he appeared with Rihanna, 35, in the music video.

Related: Sheryl Lee Ralph Through the Years: From Dreamgirls to Abbott Elementary

Paying her dues. When Sheryl Lee Ralph won her first Primetime Emmy Award in September 2022, the Abbott Elementary star was overcome with emotion after spending more than 40 years working in Hollywood. As she took the stage to accept her trophy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, the Connecticut native belted out […]

Ralph and Rihanna, meanwhile, share Caribbean roots. Ralph’s father is Jamaican and she spent part of her childhood growing up in the West Indies. The nine-time Grammy Award winner, for her part, was born in Barbados.

Sharing part of her speech via Instagram on Wednesday, Ralph tagged Rihanna and teased in the caption, “What can I say…the spirit of @badgalriri got to me.”

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At the rally, Ralph spoke directly to her fellow actors, adding, “Everybody out there, we are the heartbeat of the entertainment industry. You might try to recreate us with AI, but nothing’s gonna be as fabulous as the human beings we are.”

Ralph won her first Emmy in 2022, earning the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series trophy for her role as kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard on Abbott Elementary. Ralph also received a Golden Globe for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for her performance on the sitcom.

Related: Sheryl Lee Ralph Wanted to Play Ava on Abbott Elementary, But Quinta Brunson Needed a Queen for Barbara

Sweet baby Jesus! Sheryl Lee Ralph has received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Barbara Howard on ABC’s Abbott Elementary — but that wasn’t always the role she wanted to play.  “When I first read the script, I wanted to play [the principal], Ava,” Ralph, 66, exclusively revealed to Us Weekly at the 2023 PaleyFest red […]

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike in July after failing to agree on a new contract for improved wages and working conditions with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Actors are also seeking improved health and pension benefits and hoping to create safeguards that would protect them from having their likeness replicated by artificial intelligence.

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“We are the victims here,” Fran Drescher, president of the actors union, said when the strike began. “We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us… It is disgusting; shame on them. You cannot change the business model as much as it has changed and not expect the contract to change, too.”

In addition to SAG-AFTRA, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is also on strike and has been since May.

Sheryl Lee Ralph fired up the crowd at a SAG-AFTRA strike rally in Los Angeles with a defiant speech featuring lyrics from another SAG member: Rihanna. The Abbott Elementary star, 66, demanded on Wednesday, September 13, that the union-backed actors be properly compensated as she quoted — and paraphrased — RiRi’s 2015 triple platinum hit, 

​   Us Weekly Read More 

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What We Can Learn Inside 50 Cent’s Explosive Diddy Documentary: 5 Reasons You Should Watch

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50 Cent’s new Netflix docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs is more than a headline-grabbing exposé; it is a meticulous breakdown of how power, celebrity, and silence can collide in the entertainment industry.

Across its episodes, the series traces Diddy’s rise, the allegations that followed him for years, and the shocking footage and testimonies now forcing a wider cultural reckoning.

For viewers, it offers not just drama, but lessons about media literacy, accountability, and how society treats survivors when a superstar is involved.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

1. It Chronicles Diddy’s Rise and Fall – And How Power Warps Reality

The docuseries follows Combs from hitmaker and business icon to a figure facing serious criminal conviction and public disgrace, mapping out decades of influence, branding, and behind-the-scenes behavior. Watching that arc shows how money, fame, and industry relationships can shield someone from scrutiny and delay accountability, even as disturbing accusations accumulate.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

2. Never-Before-Seen Footage Shows How Narratives Are Managed

Exclusive footage of Diddy in private settings and in the tense days around his legal troubles reveals how carefully celebrity narratives are shaped, even in crisis.

Viewers can learn to question polished statements and recognize that what looks spontaneous in public is often the result of strategy, damage control, and legal calculation.

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3. Survivors’ Stories Highlight Patterns of Abuse and Silence

Interviews with alleged victims, former staff, and industry insiders describe patterns of control, fear, and emotional or physical harm that were long whispered about but rarely aired in this detail. Their stories underline how difficult it is to speak out against a powerful figure, teaching viewers why many survivors delay disclosure and why consistent patterns across multiple accounts matter.

4. 50 Cent’s Approach Shows Storytelling as a Tool for Accountability

As executive producer, 50 Cent uses his reputation and platform to push a project that leans into uncomfortable truths rather than protecting industry relationships. The series demonstrates how documentary storytelling can challenge established power structures, elevate marginalized voices, and pressure institutions to respond when traditional systems have failed.

5. The Cultural Backlash Reveals How Society Handles Celebrity Accountability

Reactions to the doc—ranging from people calling it necessary and brave to others dismissing it as a vendetta or smear campaign—expose how emotionally invested audiences can be in defending or condemning a famous figure. Watching that debate unfold helps viewers see how fandom, nostalgia, and bias influence who is believed, and why conversations about “cancel culture” often mask deeper questions about justice and who is considered too powerful to fall.

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South Park’s Christmas Episode Delivers the Antichrist

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A new Christmas-themed episode of South Park is scheduled to air with a central plot in which Satan is depicted as preparing for the birth of an Antichrist figure. The premise extends a season-long narrative arc that has involved Satan, Donald Trump, and apocalyptic rhetoric, positioning this holiday episode as a culmination of those storylines rather than a stand‑alone concept.

Episode premise and season context

According to published synopses and entertainment coverage, the episode frames the Antichrist as part of a fictional storyline that blends religious symbolism with commentary on politics, media, and cultural fear. This follows earlier Season 28 episodes that introduced ideas about Trump fathering an Antichrist child and tech billionaire Peter Thiel obsessing over prophecy and end‑times narratives. The Christmas setting is presented as a contrast to the darker themes, reflecting the series’ pattern of pairing holiday imagery with controversial subject matter.

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Public and political reactions

Coverage notes that some figures connected to Donald Trump’s political orbit have criticized the season’s portrayal of Trump and his allies, describing the show as relying on shock tactics rather than substantive critique. Commentators highlight that these objections are directed more at the depiction of real political figures and the show’s tone than at the specific theology of the Antichrist storyline.

At the time of reporting, there have not been widely reported, detailed statements from major religious leaders focused solely on this Christmas episode, though religion-focused criticism of South Park in general has a long history.

Media and cultural commentary

Entertainment outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, Slate, and USA Today describe the Antichrist arc as part of South Park’s ongoing use of Trump-era and tech-world politics as material for satire.

These reports emphasize that the show’s treatment of the Antichrist, Satan, and prophecy is designed as exaggerated commentary rather than doctrinal argument, while also acknowledging that many viewers may see the storyline as offensive or excessive.

Viewer guidance and content advisory

South Park is rated TV‑MA and is intended for adult audiences due to strong language, explicit themes, and frequent use of religious and political satire. Viewers who are sensitive to depictions of Satan, the Antichrist, or parodies involving real political figures may find this episode particularly objectionable, while others may view it as consistent with the show’s long‑running approach to controversial topics. As with previous episodes, individual responses are likely to vary widely, and the episode is best understood as part of an ongoing satirical series rather than a factual or theological statement.

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Sydney Sweeney Finally Confronts the Plastic Surgery Rumors

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Sydney Sweeney has decided she is finished watching strangers on the internet treat her face like a forensic project. After years of side‑by‑side screenshots, “then vs now” TikToks, and long comment threads wondering what work she has supposedly had done, the actor is now addressing the plastic surgery rumors directly—and using them to say something larger about how women are looked at in Hollywood and online.

Sweeney at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival red carpet premiere of Christy

Growing Up on Camera vs. “Before and After” Culture

Sweeney points out that people are often mistaking normal changes for procedures: she grew up on camera, her roles now come with big‑budget glam teams, and her body has shifted as she has trained, aged, and worked nonstop. Yet every new red‑carpet photo gets folded into a narrative that assumes surgeons, not time, are responsible. Rather than walking through a checklist of what is “real,” she emphasizes how bizarre it is that internet detectives comb through pores, noses, and jawlines as if they are owed an explanation for every contour of a woman’s face.

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The Real Problem Isn’t Her Face

By speaking up, Sweeney is redirecting the conversation away from her features and toward the culture that obsesses over them.

She argues that the real issue isn’t whether an actress has had work done, but why audiences feel so entitled to dissect her body as public property in the first place.

For her, the constant speculation is less about curiosity and more about control—another way to tell women what they should look like and punish them when they do not fit. In calling out that dynamic, Sweeney isn’t just defending herself; she is forcing fans and followers to ask why tearing apart someone else’s appearance has become such a popular form of entertainment.


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