Filed under: Celebrity News
As most of you are probably aware,
Fantasia has been getting some unwanted (I think) publicity for her affair with a married man. The fact that Fantasia was involved with married man,
Antwaun Cook, has been a pretty frequent discussion topic on various gossip sites for the past year; however, it seems that being a focus of the divorce proceedings was such a shock to Fantasia that she attempted suicide. Fantasia might even be more shocked to realize that, now that she has, thankfully, recovered, she could be facing an
alienation of affection lawsuit for coming between a man and his wife.
First and foremost, let me say that I am glad that Fantasia failed in her attempt at suicide
and is doing better. Although we may disagree with her actions (or alleged actions) with a married man, suicide is not the answer. She is a mother, and it would have been devastating to her child and the rest of her family and friends if she had succeeded in her suicide attempt. But now, Fantasia has to face the repercussions of her alleged affair, which are financial in addition to being emotional.
North Carolina is one of only a handful of states that still allows alienation of affection lawsuits. These types of lawsuits (which have been eliminated in most states and are considered antiquated by many) are aimed at punishing those who participate in an affair with a person they know to be married. In North Carolina, the three elements of proof that support an alienation of affection claim are:
1. The marriage entailed love between the spouses in some degree
2. The spousal love was alienated and destroyed
3. The defendant's (in this case, that would be Fantasia) malicious conduct contributed to or caused the loss of affection.
I don't believe for one moment that Fantasia didn't know this man was married, and I also don't believe that Antwaun Cook was separated from his wife, Paula, during the time he and Fantasia were dating. Concerning the possible alienation of affection lawsuit that Fantasia may be facing, the official date of separation is of vital importance, because conduct that takes place before the separation date is considered completely relevant to proving the claim. If Paula Cook can prove that most of the affair occurred before the married pair separated, she could be in for a big payday.
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Female Power Belters
Sisters With Voices: 30 Power Belters to Know
There are singers and there are those who can "sang." We've compiled a list of some of the most soulful, sing-it-from-your-gut vocalists in black music history. Each of these beloved entertainers has garnered fan followings not for their catchy hooks or gimmicky images, but for their sheer talent and song styling. Blackvoices.com gives you 'Sisters with Voices: 30 Power Belters To Know.'
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BlackVoices.com
Female Power Belters
Sisters With Voices: 30 Power Belters to Know
There are singers and there are those who can "sang." We've compiled a list of some of the most soulful, sing-it-from-your-gut vocalists in black music history. Each of these beloved entertainers has garnered fan followings not for their catchy hooks or gimmicky images, but for their sheer talent and song styling. Blackvoices.com gives you 'Sisters with Voices: 30 Power Belters To Know.'
Female Power Belters
Alyson Williams
Real Name: Alyson Williams
Hometown: New York City
Beginnings: She got her start singing background for the likes of Bobby Brown and Melba Moore before becoming the first female R&B singer artist to sign with Def Jam Records.
Most Popular Song: Williams is best known for the Quiet Storm staple 'Just Call My Name,' which instantly became a radio classic and made it to No. 4 on the Billboard R&B chart.
Recent Business: Williams, who continues to perform around the country, released the 2004 album 'It's About Time' independently.
Factoid: At one time, she was a member of the singing group, High Fashion, which also featured powerhouse singer Meli'sa Morgan.
Female Power Belters
Angela Winbush
Real Name: Angela Winbush
Hometown: St. Louis
Beginnings: After singing background vocals for Stevie Wonder, Winbush and singer Rene Moore joined forces to form the group Rene & Angela. In addition to having their own popular 1980s singles -- 'My First Love' and 'I Love You More' -- they also produced and wrote songs for Janet Jackson and Stephanie Mills.
Most Popular Song: 'Run to Me' was the second single from Winbush's solo debut, 'Sharp,' and the video was choreographed by Paula Abdul.
Recent Business: Since being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003, Winbush has been relatively low key, but she did recenlty perform her hit song 'Angel' on 'The Mo'Nique Show.'
Factoid: Winbush's music has been sampled by several artists, including The Notorious B.I.G. and Foxy Brown, and her notable ballad 'My First Love' was covered by Avant and KeKe Wyatt.
Female Power Belters
Angie Stone
Real Name: Angela Laverne Brown
Hometown: Columbia, S.C.
Beginnings: Stone got her start as a member of the Sequence, the first female rap group to hit the charts.
Most Popular Song: 'No More Rain (In This Cloud),' which samples Gladys Knight & the Pips' 'Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)' has been Stone's most loved song.
Recent Business: Stone released her fifth studio album ,'Unexpected,' in 2009.
Factoid: Stone, who has a child with R&B crooner D'Angelo, made her feature film debut in 'The Fighting Temptations,' which starred Beyonce Knowles.
Female Power Belters
Aretha Franklin
Real Name: Aretha Louise Franklin
Hometown: Memphis
Beginnings: The Queen of Soul released a gospel album at 14, and after becoming a teenage mother, returned to the music scene to record pop music.
Most Popular Song: 'Respect' might have been originally recorded by Otis Redding, but Franklin's version of the song topped the R&B and pop charts and cemented her as a superstar.
Recent Business: The Presidential Metal of Freedom honoree has been heralded as a national treasure and was asked by President Barack Obama to perform 'My Country, 'Tis of Thee' at his inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20, 2009.
Factoid: The 18-time Grammy Award winner holds the record for most awards for best female R&B vocal performance, with 11 to her name, including nine consecutive awards from 1968 to 1975.
Female Power Belters
Chaka Khan
Real Name: Yvette Marie Stevens
Hometown: Chicago
Beginnings: With a little songwriting help from Stevie Wonder, Khan made a name for herself as the lead singer of the funk group Rufus in the 1970s.
Most Popular Song: The 1975 single 'Tell Me Something Good' earned Rufus a Grammy and also peaked at No. 3 on the U.S. Pop charts.
Recent Business: Khan released her last album, called 'Funk This,'in 2007. Just one year later, she starred in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical 'The Color Purple' as Sophia, opposite gospel singer Bebe Winans.
Factoid: Whitney Houston famously covered the 10-time Grammy Award winner's No. 1 disco track 'I'm Every Woman,' which was written by Ashford and Simpson. Khan made a cameo in the video.
Female Power Belters
Cissy Houston
Real Name: Emily "Sissy" Drinkard Houston
Hometown: Newark, N.J.<
Beginnings: Cissy got her start as a background singer for Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin.
Most Popular Song: In 1979, Houston had a big disco hit with 'Think it Over.'
Recent Business: Houston teamed up with her famous daughter, Whitney, and niece Dionne Warwick for the 2006 song 'Family First,' which appeared on the soundtrack to 'Daddy's Little Girls.'
Factoid: Unbeknown to many, Houston was featured, uncredited, as a background singer on the 1978 film 'The Wiz.'
Female Power Belters
Deborah Cox
Real Name: Deborah Cox
Hometown: Toronto
Beginnings: Cox got her start backing fellow Canadian Celine Dion for eight months before being signed to Arista Records by Clive Davis in 1995.
Most Popular Song: The 1998 song 'Nobody's Supposed to Be Here' held the record for nearly eight years as the longerst-running No. 1 Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Single by remaining on the chart for a record 14 weeks.
Recent Business: Cox has plans to team up with Kelly Price and Tamia to form a super group called The Queen Project. The plan to release an album this year.
Factoid: In 2004, following Tony winner Heather Headley's exit, Cox appeared on Broadway in the title role of the Elton John musical 'Aida.'
Female Power Belters
Dee Dee Warwick
Real Name: Delia Mae Warwick
Hometown: Newark, N.J.
Beginnings: Along with her sister Dionne and their aunt Cissy Houston Warwick formed the gospel trio The Gospelaires in the late '50s.
Most Popular Song: 'I Want to Be with You' from the Broadway show 'Golden Boy' was a big hit for Warwick.
Recent Business: On Oct. 18, 2008, at the age of 63, Warwick died from failing health related to her long-time drug addiction.
Factoid: Warwick first recorded 'You're No Good' in 1963, a song later recorded by Betty Everett and made popular by Linda Ronstadt in 1975.
Female Power Belters
Dionne Warwick
Real Name: Marie Dionne Warrick
Hometown: East Orange, N.J.
Beginnings: In 1958, Warwick teamed up with her sisters Dee Dee, Myrna Utley, and Carol Slade to form The Gospelaires. The group won the Apollo Theatre Amateur Night competition, their very-first performance together, which led to Warwick's work as a session singer for everyone from Dinah Washington to The Drifters.
Most Popular Song: The Bacharach/David-penned 'Walk On By' became Warwick's first international hit in April of 1964. The song went on to sell 1 million copies.
Recent Business: The Goodwill Ambassador's last record, 'Why We Sing', was released in 2008 and featured her late sister Dee Dee.
Factoid: In 1985, Warwick appeared on two charity songs, the four-times platinum 'We Are the World' and the AmFAR benefit single 'That's What Friends are For.'
Female Power Belters
Conduct that occurs after the separation date is considered relevant only as it corroborates conduct that took place prior to the separation date. Given this, it should come as no surprise that Fantasia's married boyfriend is claiming that he and his wife separated early last year, while his wife claims that they only separated a couple of months ago.
If Fantasia is ultimately sued for alienation of affection, it could have a devastating impact on her pocketbook. There have been several large awards granted in these cases in North Carolina, including a case involving one mistress who was ordered to pay $5 million in compensatory damages and $4 million in punitive damages (
Wowowow.com). As
Fantasia has had serious money issues in the recent past, an alienation of affection lawsuit could obliterate her financially just as she's beginning to get back on her feet.
Fantasia is in a terrible situation no matter how it plays out, especially given all the children that are involved. For Fantasia, even without the potential for financial loss from a lawsuit, the damage that is being done to her image is likely to cost her in a variety of ways, ranging from losing projects to dropped endorsements. This will be especially true if certain evidence is presented at the divorce and/or alienation of affection trials, such as an rumored sex tape that she made with her married lover. In addition, lawyers' fees for these two cases will cost a pretty penny.
Hopefully, this situation will be a learning experience not only for Fantasia, but all men and women out there who are involved or would consider getting involved with a married person. Even if you don't live in North Carolina, it can cost you in ways that you may not be ready for.
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