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A new mural now covers a major underpass in Flowery Branch.
The project covers two 250-foot concrete walls and is 4,988 square feet of painted surface, 47 flowers, and 910 trees.
The scale alone made it one of the more ambitious outdoor pieces done by Fox Gradin of Celestial Studios, which took to social media recently to explain the details that went into the mural.
“I’ve been doing large-scale murals for decades now, and as far as weather goes, this has been the worst summer I can remember. The number of dangerously high temperature days far exceeded anything I’ve dealt with before,” Gradin said. “Humidity was relentless for most days, even starting back in May. The storms were brutal—sudden, heavy, and disruptive. Working outdoors in Georgia summers is never easy, but this one tested endurance in new ways.”
Gradin said the design of the underpass mural itself wasn’t the hardest part. The environment under the bridges was unlike anything she’d ever worked in before.
“I’m pretty tough, but the heat got trapped in that space, and the fumes were constant. The biggest issue, though, was the noise. I don’t consider myself particularly sound-sensitive. Even with ear protection and music playing, the constant revving engines, sirens, honking, and screeching were amplified many times over by all that concrete. It messed with my brain. It made me anxious and on edge. There were times I had to close up the paint and leave immediately—I couldn’t take it anymore. I felt myself going mad. It was fascinating, in a way.”
She said the experience gave her a brand-new respect for sound-sensitive neurodivergence, for people living with tinnitus, and for service members who have ever been tortured by sound. “I get it now in a way I didn’t before.”
If you need a mural, check out Fox Gradin at Celestial Studios.
Fox Gradin at work on a related large-scale underpass mural project.
This piece, completed under challenging conditions, adds another layer of color and local character to Flowery Branch’s public spaces, part of the broader growth of murals across the region by artists like Gradin of Celestial Studios.
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Usher Raymond IV marked his 48th birthday on October 14, 2026, with a mix of relaxed, intimate moments and a high-profile New York City gathering that drew some of entertainment’s biggest names. The Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, dancer, and performer—often called the King of R&B—received tributes that blended family warmth, celebrity friendship, and recognition of a career spanning more than three decades.
Usher Turns 48: A Day of Birthday Surprises on the Golf Course and Beyond
The celebrations began with a low-key round of golf alongside NBA star LeBron James. James and members of Team LeBron surprised Usher with a square birthday cake featuring candles shaped as the number 48.
James helped light the candles after an initial attempt struggled, then encouraging the singer to make a wish as the group applauded. Usher later shared a heartwarming FaceTime call on his Instagram Stories in which two of his children sang “Happy Birthday” to him, prompting a broad smile and thanks from the singer.
The evening shifted to New York City, where Usher hosted friends at Speakeasy Magick, an intimate venue known for close-up magic performances. Guests included music icons Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige, comedian Kevin Hart (who was visibly impressed by a card trick), rappers Fabolous and Bun B, former NBA player J.R. Smith, and LeBron James. Usher’s wife, music executive Jenn Goicoechea, joined the festivities. Some observers described a piano bar atmosphere with guests singing along. The gathering came amid Usher’s ongoing touring schedule, which has included major stadium dates and a collaboration with Chris Brown on an R&B tour.
Celebrity well-wishers online included Jamie Foxx, who left birthday messages, while broader social media and media outlets highlighted Usher’s enduring status with posts noting his sales of over 100 million records worldwide and status as one of the best-selling artists of all time.
A Career of Confessions, Hits, and Milestones
Born Usher Terry Raymond IV on October 14, 1978, in Dallas, Texas, Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with his second album, My Way(1997), which delivered his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, “Nice & Slow.” His 2001 album 8701 brought further chart success and his first Grammys. The 2004 blockbuster Confessionsdefined a generation of R&B and pop, spawning four consecutive No. 1 singles including “Yeah!” (with Lil Jon and Ludacris), “Burn,” “Confessions Part II,” and “My Boo” (with Alicia Keys). The album achieved diamond status and earned multiple Grammys, helping cement Usher’s eight total Grammy wins along with numerous Billboard, Soul Train, American Music, and BET awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024). He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has performed at major events including the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show in 2024, around the time of his marriage to Goicoechea and the release of his album Coming Home.
Usher is a father of four: sons Usher “Cinco” V and Naviyd Ely with ex-wife Tameka Foster, and daughter Sovereign Bo and son Sire Castrello with Goicoechea, whom he married in 2024 shortly after his Super Bowl performance. He has also built a presence as a businessman and minority owner connected to NBA teams, while maintaining an active performance career known for high-energy choreography and powerful vocals.
As Usher enters his late 40s, the 2026 birthday honors—from LeBron’s on-course surprise and a magic-filled night with peers to widespread career retrospectives—underscore both personal joy and professional longevity. For an artist who has soundtracked decades of R&B and pop, the celebrations served as a reminder of the relationships and catalog that continue to define his place in music.
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Atlanta’s Yacht Rock Revue will take the stage for an intimate performance at Live Thrive’s annual fundraiser, A CHaRM’ing Evening, presented by Cox Enterprises, on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at The Stave Room.
The event runs from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at 199 Armour Drive NE in Atlanta.
Yacht Rock Revue to Perform at Live Thrive’s A CHaRM’ing Evening
The nationally touring Atlanta band, known for its polished covers of smooth 1970s and 1980s soft rock and yacht rock favorites, will deliver a private show that organizers describe as a rare chance to experience the group up close amid a supportive crowd of Live Thrive backers.
Proceeds support the sustainability nonprofit’s educational initiatives and the operations of its Centers for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM), Atlanta’s permanent facilities where residents and businesses can drop off household hazardous waste and other items not accepted in curbside recycling.
Guests can expect a blast-from-the-past atmosphere complete with a popular dress-in-your-favorite-decade costume contest. Attendees are encouraged to come as disco queens, neon-clad ’80s fans, grunge throwbacks, or other era-inspired looks. The evening also includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and beer and wine (with one drink ticket included per general admission ticket).
Tickets are $80 through October 21 and $90 beginning October 22 online or at the door if available (prices inclusive of service fees). Limited tables for 6–8 are also offered. VIP members can receive a $20 discount on advance tickets when purchasing through the CHaRM app with the linked account. Tickets are available via the CHaRM app (or its web version) or the event page at livethrive.org/a-charming-evening/.
Limited free parking is available at the venue and on nearby streets; rideshares and carpools are strongly encouraged to ease access.
Yacht Rock Revue, formed in Atlanta in 2007, has built a following for high-energy performances of yacht rock standards by artists such as Steely Dan, Hall & Oates, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, and Toto, alongside original material. The band tours nationally and has appeared on major stages, making this private Atlanta show a local highlight for fans of the genre.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit livethrive.org/a-charming-evening/ or contact Live Thrive at 404-600-6386 or questions@LiveThrive.org.
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Boosie Badazz knows how to generate some income. The astute businessman, who lives in Palmetto, Georgia, has put a public price list on his personalized video shoutouts, and the menu is already drawing both laughs and side-eye across hip-hop timelines.
Boosie Shares New Business Venture
The Baton Rouge-born rapper sitting in a car, diamond chains visible, laid out the rates recently for video shout-outs he says he will offer:
The full rate card shown in the video is more detailed:
- Birthday: $1,000
- Anniversary: $1,000
- Motivational: $1,250
- Roast someone: $1,500
- Graduation: $1,000
- Get well: $650
- Thank you: $1,000
- Business shoutout: $5,000
- Dispo/distro: $3,000
The clip is short—about 30 seconds—and frames the list as an open offer rather than a one-off joke. Media accounts including Daily Loud and Rap-Up quickly reposted it, with the latter asking whether fans could really be mad at the hustle.
This is not Boosie’s first time monetizing direct-to-fan messages. He has long maintained a Cameo page under Boosie Badazz, where personalized videos have recently been listed around $1,650 and up, with reviews noting quick turnaround and an enthusiastic delivery
He has also posted on social media n the past directing fans to book birthday and business drops through the platform. The Instagram menu circulating now appears to function as a more itemized version of the same service, with a roast option priced above a standard birthday wish and a business shoutout set at five times that rate.
Reaction online split along predictable lines. Some commenters treated it as another example of Boosie finding a way to get paid. Others were sharper: one reply argued that a typical Boosie fan does not have $1,000 to spend on a shoutout and accused him of being out of touch, while another dismissed the whole thing as charging for something people can already do themselves. The post drew hundreds of likes and over a hundred replies within hours, consistent with how quickly Boosie-related clips tend to travel.
Personalized celebrity videos have been a standard side revenue stream for years, from Cameo to direct Instagram bookings. What stands out here is the explicit roast tier and the way the list was presented—party hat on one side of the frame, price sheet on the other—turning a routine business update into content. Whether the $1,500 roast videos actually get ordered remains to be seen; the menu itself is already doing the rounds.
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Kandi Burruss says Todd Tucker’s new project is “drag Kandi to sell my tickets.”
Kandi Burruss has weighed in on her ex-husband Todd Tucker’s post-divorce project, ’Til Divorce Do Us Part, and she is not buying the framing. In a sit-down interview clip circulating widely among Real Housewives of Atlanta fans, the singer and former Bravo star accuses Tucker of using her name and their history to move tickets.
Kandi Burruss Says Todd Tucker’s New Project a ‘Drag Kandi To Sell My Tickets’
“It’s drag Kandi to sell my tickets. That’s basically what it is,” Burruss said.
The clip comes as Tucker promotes ticketed screenings and live Q&As around his self-produced film and series. Promotional material has positioned the project as the other side of the story after Burruss’s own “I Do. I Did. I’m Done.” tour and public comments about their split.
The project that sparked the latest round
Tucker, a former RHOA producer who left the show to date Burruss, released a trailer in September 2026 for ’Til Divorce Do Us Part. In it, he discusses the aftermath of their marriage ending, including dark moments after the split. One of the most circulated moments features fellow RHOA alum Peter Thomas asking whether Tucker and Burruss had threesomes during their marriage. Tucker replies that they did “for most of” their nearly 12-year relationship.
Burruss responded at the time in a statement to People, calling the disclosure an attempt to “sensationalize our sex life to stretch his five minutes of fame.” She did not deny that consensual threesomes happened. She objected to him putting private marital details back in public after the divorce. “What consensually happens between a husband and wife in the privacy of their marriage is exactly that—private,” she said. “His current behavior has only confirmed that I did the right thing by getting divorced. I Do, I Did, I’m Done!”
How they got here
Burruss and Tucker met in 2011 while he worked as a line producer on Season 4 of RHOA. They got engaged in 2013, married in April 2014 (the wedding was filmed for the Bravo spinoff Kandi’s Wedding), and share two children, Ace and Blaze. Each also has an adult daughter from a previous relationship.
Burruss filed for divorce in November 2025 after what she later described as a specific turning-point situation in July 2025. The split included a custody dispute before they reached a settlement in March 2026. They agreed to joint physical and legal custody. Under the deal, Burruss paid Tucker a six-figure equalization amount and he moved out of her home. Their parenting plan also requires written consent before either parent puts the children in filmed or commercial content.
Months after the divorce was finalized, the former couple still vacationed together with their kids, presenting a relatively cooperative co-parenting picture in public. The latest trailer and ticketed events have put that truce under strain again.
Can she control the story?
That is the question the clip’s poster put to viewers: Do you think Kandi can control how Todd Tucker tells his story?
Legally, the answer is mostly no. Once a marriage is over, neither spouse owns the other person’s memories or narrative. Tucker is entitled to talk about his experience, just as Burruss has talked about hers through music, a tour, interviews, and Bravo. What she can do is refuse to participate, issue statements, and remind audiences that his project is being sold, in part, on her fame.
That is exactly the line she drew in the interview. In her view, the project is not a standalone story about a man processing divorce. It is a product that needs her name on the poster to fill seats.
Fans in the replies split along familiar Housewives lines. Some called her hypocritical given how much of their marriage already played out on television and in her own stage work. Others said airing intimate details after the papers are signed is a different move than living a public marriage while it was still intact.
Either way, the pattern is clear. Their relationship started on a reality show, was documented through a wedding special, survived years of Bravo storylines, ended in a public divorce, and is now generating competing ticketed products. “Drag Kandi to sell my tickets” is Burruss’s blunt summary of the latest chapter. Tucker’s camp would likely say he is simply telling his side. Audiences will decide which version they are willing to pay for.
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Drew “Druski” Desbordes turned a Gwinnett County childhood, a college dropout year, and years of posting phone videos from his mother’s house into one of the defining comedy careers of the social-media era. The Atlanta-area creator is now a multimillion-follower sketch artist, festival headliner, BET Awards host, Super Bowl commercial star, and self-funded producer whose “Coulda Been” universe spans YouTube series, tours, and a growing entertainment company.
The latest chapter of that story arrived this week. In a lengthy Diary of a CEO conversation, Druski spoke openly about the household that shaped his humor: an abusive father, a mother and brother he tried to protect with jokes, and comedy as a tool for making a tense home feel a little lighter. That origin story is not the usual “overnight viral” narrative. It is the through-line.
Druski Interview: Suburban Atlanta roots and a house that needed a ‘funny guy’
Drew Desbordes was born September 12, 1994, in Columbia, Maryland, and raised in Gwinnett County, Georgia—Snellville and the South Gwinnett High School area north of Atlanta. His mother, Cheryl, worked in public health (CDC and later Department of State). His father, David McLain Desbordes, was a United Airlines pilot, a former Air Force captain, and National Guard major. The family was not poor. Druski has been careful to say they were not a “broke home.” They were, in his words, a broken one.
In the recent interview he described watching his father beat his brother for wetting the bed and witnessing his mother being choked and locked out of the house. He did not claim he himself was the primary target of the worst physical violence, but he watched it happen.
His response, even as a kid, was to become the person who tried to reset the room. “I would always try to be, ‘Oh, the funny guy,’ maybe at dinner after or maybe after the next day goes by, and I’m trying to lift everybody’s vibe up,” he said. “My comedy comes from that place of healing, wanting to make our situation better at home.”
He has connected his brother’s later diagnoses of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder to that trauma. He has also said he has forgiven his father and now has a good relationship with him, reframing some of the harshness as inherited intensity from his father’s own upbringing. The hypervigilance that helped a child read a dangerous room later became professional skill: noticing tiny shifts in an audience, a co-star, or a host and adjusting in real time.
The nickname “Druski” itself is local and unglamorous. In middle school, classmates started calling him that after a character on the reality show College Hill. It stuck. At home his mother put him in front of the family camcorder to practice impressions. The dinner table was his first stage. Atlanta snap-era culture—big white T-shirts, Soulja Boy, the particular mix of suburban and street energy in Gwinnett—gave him a specific observational palette he still uses. “If I grew up anywhere else, I don’t know if I would be the same person,” he has said.
Dropout, depression, and the first Instagram videos
After high school he tried college the conventional way: Georgia Gwinnett College, then Georgia Southern University as a sports-analytics major who thought he might become a sportscaster. He was depressed, stopped going to class, sat in his dorm playing NBA 2K and watching YouTube (Steve Harvey and Gary Vaynerchuk were early influences), and dropped out after two semesters.
His mother cried when he told her. He moved back home and slept on the floor at times. He worked service jobs and, by his own later account, drifted toward Atlanta’s street-scam scene before a gun-to-the-head moment convinced him there was no Plan B. He wrote the line down: “Don’t have a plan B, your plan A will work.”
On October 2, 2017, he posted his first comedy skit on Instagram as @druski2funny. Early work was raw character comedy: the entitled frat brother Kyle Rogger, an angry high-school football coach, a power-tripping TSA agent, a ruthless fake record-label executive. The videos were anthropological—specific enough to feel like people you actually know, vulgar enough to travel. His mother at one point came home, saw him rearranging the living room for a sketch, and told him he needed a real job. That embarrassment, he has said, made him get serious.
For a few years almost nothing happened. He promoted other people’s music on his story for a couple hundred dollars a day. Friends recorded him at a gas station and told him to just be himself. Consistency, not a single video, is the part of the story he now emphasizes. Most people quit in years three and four, he says, when the numbers still look like failure.
2020: hip-hop co-signs and the celebrity bubble
The pandemic accelerated everything. People were stuck inside scrolling. Druski’s sketches were already there. Then the co-signs arrived. He and Jack Harlow, who lived minutes apart in Atlanta, started working together. Lil Yachty put him in the “Oprah’s Bank Account” video.
Drake, who had seen the Kyle Rogger bits, DMed him and put him in the “Laugh Now Cry Later” video. Odell Beckham Jr. let him stay at his place. Professional athletes started quoting the sketches. The “internet comedian who hangs with rappers” lane opened, and Druski occupied it without looking like he was forcing it.
He opened for J. Cole and 21 Savage. He toured with Chris Brown and Lil Baby. Brands noticed: Beats, Google, Nike, later Dunkin’ Super Bowl work, T-Mobile. He launched the satirical label Coulda Been Records in 2019 as an Instagram Live anti-talent show. It became a franchise—Coulda Been House, Coulda Been Love, Coulda Fest at State Farm Arena in his hometown, arena tours, and the production company 4Lifers Entertainment. When streamers passed on his ideas, he financed the shows himself on YouTube. Those same platforms later came back around.
He tried Los Angeles for six months and returned to Atlanta. The city is still the center of the work.
From living-room sketches to awards stages
By the mid-2020s the résumé looked like a traditional entertainment career that had skipped the traditional gatekeepers: acting roles (Praise This, Grown-ish, the upcoming The Catch with Emma Stone and Chris Pine), commentator on The Voice, youngest BET Awards host, ESPYs presenter, Forbes top-creators list, equity in products, a sports agency. Followers sit in the tens of millions across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The numbers are large. The method stayed recognizably the same: characters pulled from real rooms, timing sharpened by years of reading a tense household, and an insistence on owning the IP.
Druski’s recent willingness to talk about the abuse and the brother’s mental-health struggles does not rewrite the jokes. It explains the reflex. The kid who tried to lift the vibe after dinner became the adult who can walk into a Super Bowl commercial, a Drake video, or a two-hour podcast and still feel like the same person his classmates called Druski. Atlanta did not just give him material. It gave him the audience that recognized the material first. The rest of the world caught up later.
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R&B singer Lloyd delivered a high-energy halftime set as the Atlanta Dream dismantled the Connecticut Sun 103-59 on September 17, 2026, at Gateway Center Arena in College Park.
The Dream returned from the FIBA World Cup break with a statement win. Angel Reese posted 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes, recording her WNBA-record 30th double-double of the season. Rhyne Howard added 10 points and set a single-season league record with her 129th three-pointer.
Lloyd Performs at Dream, Sun Game
Allisha Gray also scored 10 and broke her own franchise mark for points in a season. Atlanta outscored Connecticut 31-11 in the third quarter and 27-13 in the fourth. Olivia Nelson-Ododa led the Sun with 13 points, all in the first half.
Lloyd, the Atlanta-area R&B artist known for early-2000s hits, has performed at Dream home games before, including a June 2025 halftime appearance against the Indiana Fever at the same venue. The team has used local music talent to energize the building during timeouts and intermission, pairing the on-court product with live entertainment that fits the crowd.
Typical Lloyd sets at these events lean on familiar material—“Get It Shawty,” “You,” “Southside,” and similar tracks—that get fans on their feet without requiring a full concert production. The compact arena setting at Gateway Center suits that format: short, high-energy, and timed around the game clock rather than a standalone show.
The result on the floor was never in doubt after the first half. Atlanta improved to 27-14 and stayed in strong playoff position. Connecticut fell to 10-31. The combination of a lopsided result and a recognizable hometown performer gave the night a party atmosphere even as the Sun were held to 59 points.
Dream home games have mixed basketball with local flavor throughout the season. Pairing a record-setting individual performance from Reese with a live R&B set is consistent with how the organization has tried to fill the building and keep energy high during a long regular-season stretch.
Halftime performances aside, downtown and Midtown are excellent places to find all the cool things happening in Atlanta this weekend. That’s where some of the best restaurants are as well as where the visitors, namely tourists, are. Downtown Atlanta or Midtown Atlanta often has something cool going on! Check out these events in Atlanta today and this week and this weekend:
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T.J. Watt jumped a checkdown intended for Bijan Robinson and returned it 35 yards for the decisive score in Pittsburgh’s 20-13 Week 1 win. It could have been much worse for Robinson.
The Atlanta Falcons were down three early in the fourth quarter when Cooper Rush, starting on short notice after Tua Tagovailoa’s back issue, tried to dump the ball to his best player. Watt anticipated it, snatched the pass out of the air just after release, stumbled, popped up, and scored. That sequence was the difference in a game where Robinson produced 173 of Atlanta’s 238 total yards.
This Play Could Have Ended Bijan Robinson’s Season
“Invited on this play” is a useful way to think about it. The design asked Robinson to be the easy outlet. Watt simply declined the invitation and took the ball himself.
The Design That Put Robinson in the Flat
The Falcons used Robinson as a receiver far more than a traditional between-the-tackles back. He finished with eight catches on 10 targets for 90 yards and the team’s only touchdown—a 23-yard swing pass earlier in the game on which he split defenders.
On the pick-six, the concept was similar: a short throw to Robinson in the flat as a safety valve against pressure or a covered downfield progression. Rush had been sacked four times and was never comfortable. A quick flip to the league’s most productive running back from 2025 was the logical, low-risk answer. Robinson’s vision, elusiveness, and ability to turn short throws into chunk gains made him the obvious “invitation” target. The Falcons motioned him and used blockers (including tight end Charlie Woerner) on similar concepts throughout the afternoon.
Watt, playing his tenth season, read the dump-off immediately. He was not fooled by the protection or the initial look. He closed the throwing window, leaped, and took the ball at the Atlanta 35. The return itself was messy—he lost his footing mid-stride—but he recovered before anyone could touch him.35
Why the Invitation Failed
Two things went wrong at once. First, Rush’s throw was late and predictable against a veteran edge who had already been disruptive. Second, the Steelers’ coverage and rush timing left Robinson as the only available option rather than a true designed mismatch. Watt simply occupied the space the checkdown was supposed to occupy.
Robinson still did almost everything else asked of him. He averaged 4.7 yards after contact on 21 carries, forced 12 missed tackles, and moved past Devonta Freeman on the Falcons’ career rushing list. The offense just could not generate enough complementary production or avoid the two interceptions that became Pittsburgh touchdowns.6
Kevin Stefanski’s first game as Falcons coach showed the same pattern many teams have against elite edge rushers: when the quarterback is under duress, the star running back becomes the default outlet. That default is usually a strength. Against Watt on that snap, it became the game’s turning point.
The play was not a mystery. It was a standard hot or checkdown concept that elite defenses exist to punish. Robinson was invited into the play because he is the Falcons’ most reliable playmaker in space. Watt simply RSVP’d first.
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Kenya Moore’s appearance has been the talk of social media this September after a pair of high-profile outings left many fans doing a double take.
The former Real Housewives of Atlanta star and Miss USA 1993 winner, now 55, first drew widespread attention in late August at the Miss USA 75th Diamond Celebration in Miami. Photos
Kenya Moore’s Changed Facial Appearance Has Fans Concerned
and video from the event showed a tighter, more lifted look around the eyes and mid-face, with higher cheekbones and smoother skin than many remembered. Moore captioned her Instagram post “My legacy will always be Iconic.”
Fans immediately split. Some praised the polished result. Others said they barely recognized her. Comments ranged from “Who is that?” and “Did someone change her face?” to comparisons with Kimora Lee Simmons and jokes about an “eye lift” or a face that had been “yanked.” A few initially blamed heavy filters or FaceTune, but third-party video from the event appeared to match the photos, undercutting that theory.
The conversation picked up again in early September. On September 8, Moore walked the red carpet at the Los Angeles screening of Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Again? Reactions on YouTube and social media were often sharper than those from the Miami event. Some viewers said the look had settled poorly, calling it “extreme,” “mannish,” or reminiscent of other celebrities who had undergone significant facial work. Others maintained she still looked good and that the procedure simply needed time to settle.
Moore has not publicly addressed the speculation. She has been open about previous procedures, including a 2021 breast reduction and additional work in 2025 that she said left her “bikini ready.” In 2016 she told Dr. Oz she preferred non-surgical techniques such as eyebrow contouring to create a lifted effect “until all else fails.” A recent visit to a dermatologist for acne-scar treatment was also documented, but she has not confirmed a facelift or brow/eye lift.
A mid-September poll by The Celebrity Post found 52 percent of respondents believed she had undergone plastic surgery, based on the new photos. The sample was modest and the question remains unconfirmed.
The debate is familiar in celebrity culture: how much change is too much, whether a woman in her mid-50s “needed” anything, and the gap between Instagram presentation and unfiltered video. Moore has long cultivated a glamorous, beauty-queen image. For many longtime viewers the latest photos represent a noticeable departure from the face they associated with her RHOA years.
As of mid-September 2026 she has offered no statement. The photos and video continue to circulate, and the comments keep coming. Whether the change is surgical, skilled contouring and makeup, or a combination, the reaction itself has become the story.
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Tyler Perry Studios has launched Maxscene, a new specialty film division dedicated to expanding theatrical opportunities for filmmakers with distinctive voices.
The label, named after Perry’s late mother, Maxine, is designed as a creator-first home for independent storytellers who often struggle to get their work from festival screens to actual theaters.
Tyler Perry Studios Launches Maxscene, a New Specialty Film Division
The official Maxscene site describes the division as “creator-first, audience-focused, and beholden to no one’s blueprint.” It will develop, produce, and distribute films across genres, giving filmmakers a chance to build on existing audiences while reaching new ones.
Named for a mother’s belief
Perry has long credited his mother, Willie Maxine Perry — a New Orleans preschool teacher who died in 2009 — as the person who believed in him first. That personal history is the origin of the name.
“Everything I’ve built in my career carries my mother with it, and Maxscene is named in her honor,” Perry said. “My mother, Maxine, believed in me before anyone else did, and that belief is the reason I never stopped chasing this path. Maxscene exists to be that same source of belief for the next generation of storytellers. It’s about taking the confidence and encouragement she poured into me and paying it forward by championing filmmakers who need someone to believe in them, open the door, and help them reach the audience waiting on the other side.”
Leadership and mission
Antoinetta Stallings, Head of Development & Acquisitions at Tyler Perry Studios, will oversee Maxscene. She previously served as vice president of unscripted programming and helped launch the studio’s joint venture with Pantheon Media Group.
Stallings framed the launch as a response to a familiar industry problem: finished films that never find a path to audiences.
“I’ve spent my career working alongside filmmakers and watching incredibly talented storytellers struggle to find distribution for films that deserved to be seen,” she said. “That’s why launching Maxscene is such an exciting and necessary moment. We’re creating a home where independent filmmakers can build a career, not just release a movie. Maxscene gives creators the resources, support, and a path to distribution so their films have every opportunity to reach the audiences who may not have otherwise discovered them.”
Support is expected to vary by project. The division can acquire finished work, come in earlier during development or production, and offer access to Tyler Perry Studios’ Atlanta campus — including stages, infrastructure, and related resources.
First slate still under wraps
The first projects have been described only by genre so far: a thriller, a romantic comedy, and a coming-of-age story. Titles, casts, and release plans are expected in the coming months, with some reporting pointing to a first slate arriving in early 2027.3
Maxscene sits alongside other studio efforts to open doors for new talent, including the TPS Dreamers internship program and earlier filmmaker-development initiatives. For Perry, whose Atlanta lot has long been a production hub for his own films and series, the new label marks a clearer turn toward backing outside voices rather than only his own catalog.9
More information is available at maxscene.com and on Tyler Perry’s official site.
Because of the steady flow of movie and TV productions, Atlanta has been called the Hollywood of the South and it’s not just a label.. If you want to be an actor, the city has classes you can take as well as places that provide headshots and more. You can also audition at numerous casting calls to build your movie and TV reel.
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