By Mona Austin
As the decade comes to a close, The Slice has rounded up the top news of 2019 in the world of entertainment. Some of the stories caught our attention include unexpected deaths and the unexpected actions of celebs. Here are the top 10 highs and lows from the people who entertain us that made headlines this year:
1. Jussie Smollet hate crime hoax
Gay and Black, the actor claimed to be a target of a hate crime. Chicago police said he staged the whole thing and he was charged with 16 felony counts, but prosecutors later dripped the charges. Smollet lost his job as Jamal in the final season of "Empire" and to a degree, his credibility as a professional actor. He maintained his innocent throughout the ordeal.
2. R. Kelly documentary
The "Surviving R. Kelly" Lifetime docuseries set off a revolving door of new charges that kept the beleagured R&B singer in court. The series caused Kelly to lose his record deal after activists protested and some fans who had remained loyal despite previous accusations. Several women alleged Kelly held them and had sex with them against their will when the were underage. He famously broke into tears in an exclusive interview with Gayle King of CBS news and remains jailed without bond.
3. Lizzo bears it all
The flute blowing singer turned heads at a Lakers game when she boldly showed up with her rear end exposed. But it was her meteoric rise on the global stage that kept her in the news all year. From her body positivity movement to her songs landing in commercials, Lizzo's unapologetic energy made 2019 the year of Lizzo. She is nominated for 8 Grammy Awards.
4. Alex Trebek announced terminal illness
The popular game show host announced stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March and five months later told his fans he is on the mend with treatment. Keeping in touch with his fans trhoughout his batter with cancer, he admitted to are times he gets depressed. The longtime Jeopardy! host, 79, will share ore about his battle with cancer during a one-hour ABC News special, airing Thursday, January 2. Trebek, a beloved figure in American television got emotional a November episode when a contestant Dhruv Gaur opted not to write the answer and instead wrote a question to honor the him asking, “What is … We love you, Alex,” as his answer.
5. Nipsey Hussle killed
A West Coast activist and rapper, Hussle was slain in front of his Marathon clothing store in Los Angeles. His involvement in the community and rise in music had a tangible impact all the way to Congress where Rep. Karen Bass of California recognized his passing by reading a resolution . It appeared he was more famous in death than in life. A letter from Pres. Barack Obama was read at his funeral, which was so massive it was held at the Staples Center. The song "Higher” — a collaboration with DJ Khaled and John Legend that was one of the last songs Hussle recorded and is one of three Grammy nominations he garnered from his final album, "Victory Lap."
6. Luke Perry dies
Sadly, Perry was never able to rejoin the "Beverly Hills: 90210" cast for a reboot of the popular 90's show. At the age of 52 he died of a massive stroke in March. He had gained a following from a new generation when being re-introduced as Fred Andrews on the CW's "Riverdale."
7. Lil Nas X cashes in on controversy
The rapper broke the Billboard 100 music charts with the self released song "Old Town Road" he recorded with country legend Billy Ray Cyrus. "Old Town Road" remained #1 on the cart for over 16 weeks for the first time in six decades. A viral Tic Toc meme made the song famous and he started selling like crazy. He went form sleeping on the couch in his sisters home to Ellen's couch seemingly overnight. But Lil Nas X, who is Black, was pulled from the Billboard country charts with cries of racism as some pegged the song more Hip Hop than Country as others debated it was only an issue because he was Black. He quickly bounced back with several award show nominations and appearances everywhere. The rapper also came out as gay.
8. Avengers reigns at the box office
The late Stan Lee, creator of the Marvel series, would be proud as Avengers "The End Game" became the highest grossing film of all time.
9. Kanye West goes gospel
Kanye West announced he would only do gospel music following a religious conversion. He went on tour
10. Tom Joyner retires -- Honorable mention
The "fly jock" Tom Joyner, a radio legend who paved the way for many African American careers and college education for Black students around the country, took his last flight. Joyner retired after 25 years on air.
In a year of mass shootings, border deaths and natural disasters, the presidential impeachment of Donald J. Trump rivals them all as the top story to end the second decade in the millenium, a stain on his record he will carry into the 2020 election season and beyond.