Tag Archives: New Edition

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ILOSM fam,’ allow us to familiarize y’all with yet another beef between members of one of our favorite groups, New Edition. Yep, they’re unfortunately having trouble again and this time it has everything to do with the latest revelations the NE spinoff group, RBRM, revealed in their latest interview. Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky and Mike chopped it up with “The Breakfast Club” about everything, including the current tension between them versus Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill. By the way, Johnny is HEATED over it.

What RBRM Revealed About Ralph & Johnny

During the interview, Ricky Bell had this to say when asked about the current tension between RBRM versus Johnny and Ralph:

“Man, when you’re rockin’ with…guys that you been rockin’ with most of your life, I mean it’s…a marriage. You know, it’s family and sometimes we all agree, we’re all on the same page and sometimes we’re not.”

Ricky then confessed his gratitude for the individual successes they’ve had, because had they been waiting on ALL members to get on the same accord right now, they would not be able to to take care of their families right now:

Ricky Bell: “This might be a lil’ controversial, but thank God for BBD, thank God for Bobby Brown…because if we didn’t have…these other groups, you know, I don’t know what we would do. We’d kind of just be a$$ed out.”

The co-hosts then asked the group if the tension came from the fact that Ralph and Johnny took ownership of the New Edition name, which was unbeknownst to many.

Ronnie DeVoe clarified that it was not solely due to that fact, but also due to Ralph and Johnny not wanting to capitalize off the success of their popular biopic. Mike also said the New Edition name was just “sitting out there” for the taking, because they never took the opportunity to trademark it themselves. He did not blame Ralph nor Johnny for trademarking the group’s name, he simply stated that it was an “oversight” on his and the other members’ parts.

Even though Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, and Mike didn’t blame Ralph and Johnny for trademarking the name, they all agreed that they were hurt by the two of them refusing to give fans what they want. Touring with them and capitalizing off the new younger fans they’ve now gained, as a result of the biopic, may have prevented any sort of mess.

Johnny Goes Off

Needless to say, Johnny had more than a few things to say about their interview. In a lengthy series of posts, Johnny blasted off about “discrepancies” within RBRM’s claims. Check out all it below:

Johnny Gill: “I’m just getting home from vacation and I’m…just now seeing a barrage of messages pertaining to the discrepancies surrounding the New Edition trademark. If you notice, Ralph and I have yet to respond to the accusations involving the NE trademark, as airing out internal issues can rarely be seen as integral.”

Johnny continued:

”This matter truthfully has nothing to with the trademark name. We all had a conversation regarding having all ‘ACTIVE [MEMBERS]’ of NE names on it, to protect the integrity of the group. Ralph and I suggested that we put together an agreement amongst all of us, that no one person would never use the name of the group individually, but that it would always be used by a group collectively, so as to avoid any ambiguity by having multiple variations of New Edition in use, FOR THE RECORD, the name has been available for almost 25 YEARS, the group has never owned it’s name. There was never any intention not [to] allow everyone to be a part of owning the name…it was about coming up with an agreement that protects the integrity of the group.

But wait…JG had more to say:

”Again, this is not about the name, That is a matter that could have been reconciled some time ago with an agreement, but instead of hiring an attorney to draw an agreement amongst us, it seems that they’d rather hire a lawyer to fight us over something so simple. The REAL truth behind all of this would be something so devastating to the NE fans. And thus, Ralph and I have decided to take the high road regarding this matter, while other members continue to behave in a way that’s respectful to our legacy when we all know the truth.

Read the rest of what Johnny had to say below…be sure to swipe left.

Overall, we just hope that one day we will soon get to witness a once-and-for-all ‘kum-ba-yah’ moment amongst ALL SIX New Edition members. Preferably that’ll be before their crisp choreography routines and classic performances get diminished to nothing more than just old school memories.

Now that most of us, New Edition fans, have seen their BET biopic, we’re pretty familiar with the youngin’ who portrayed Ronnie DeVoe’s brother, Roland DeVoe (played by actor, Ace Hunt) in the movie. Remember he was kid in the scene who was laughing hysterically at young Ronnie (played by actor, Myles Truitt, shown below), who was dancing in the mirror, trying to get his moves right to audition for N.E.. What some may not know though, is that Ronnie’s younger brother, Roland, is actually an identical twin to their other brother, Rob DeVoe. We were curious to see who Ronnie’s REAL twin brothers were and after doing a lil’ diggin’ on his very rarely seen twin brothers, we finally found them.

MEET RONNIE DEVOE’S TWIN BROTHERS

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Ronnie DeVoe’s twin brothers, Rob and Roland DeVoe (via Facebook)

Meet Ronnie DeVoe’s twin brothers, Rob and Roland DeVoe. The photo above is from 2007 and like we mentioned earlier, they’re identical, so we can’t decipher which one is which in that pic. But in the 2017 photo below, we know that’s Robert DeVoe. How so? Because Ronnie said it in his caption as he and Rob were giving us the classic 90’s jailhouse pose (LOL) next to the New Edition Hollywood Walk of Fame star…
ronnie devoe and bro
Make some noise if you, like a some of us here at ILOSM, are guilty of doing that Old School jailhouse pose in some of your throwback pics too, LOL. Anyways, Rob and Roland pretty much live life away from the public’s eye, so we don’t know much about them, but we have found a few more tidbits of info: They’re both married and Roland has a grown son who likes to hang out with his famous uncle Ronnie sometimes. Check him out below

RONNIE DEVOE & HIS NEPHEW ROLAND JR.

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Ronnie DeVoe and his nephew, Roland (via Instagram)

Ronnie couldn’t be more proud of his nephew, Roland DeVoe Jr., who just turned 22 years old. Roland chilled with his unc’ after N.E. got their star and as you can see, nephew is proud of his pops’ brother as well. Speaking of Ronnie’s twin brothers, see what Ronnie recently revealed about what his brother, Robert, did during a major fallout with some of the New Edition members…

RONNIE TELLS WHAT ROBERT DEVOE DID FOR N.E. DURING TENSE TIMES

As we all know by now, New Edition was and still are beefin’ like an old married couple, except their beef is on steroids. During an interview with The Breakfast Club,  Ronnie revealed what happened days before that now infamous Home Again concert where BBD had to bum-rush the stage and damn near yank Bobby Brown off it. Ronnie said he had an emergency a few days before that incident and was unable to perform. So Michael Bivins  refused to perform BBD songs without Ron, but Ricky Bell disagreed with Mike’s decision, admitting he was like, ‘F– that, I’m going make my paper.’ What ended up happening was that Ronnie’s brother, Robert (who was on the road with them), dressed up as Ronnie and went out on stage with Ricky as BBD, the duo, because Mike refused to do it! HILARIOUS! Maaaaan, I wish I would have been a fly on the wall that day! Check it out in the video above, they start talking about this at the 3:28 mark.

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Bobby Brown is only 49 years old, but if you were to ask him if it feels like he’s lived a life that’s triple that duration of time, he’d probably say ‘yes.’ He’s lived his best life, as a top selling R&B singer, who by the age of 21 was already worth $21 million and counting. He’s lived his worst nightmares after losing one his seven most precious gifts of his life- his daughter, Bobbi Kristina. Prior to his 80’s success with New Edition and his solo career, Bobby experienced what no child should have- the death of his best friend at age 11.

Bobby Details What Happened On Night Of His Childhood Friend’s Death

In 1981, Bobby Brown and his friend, James “Jimbo” Flint, were like two peas in a pod. They did everything together, during their days growing up in Boston, MA’s Orchard Park Housing Project. Their time came to a screeching halt- the day James was murdered when they were just kids.

During a prior interview with People Magazine, the “My Prerogative” hit maker, sadly recalled what went down on that tragic day:

Bobby Brown’s deceased childhood friend, James “Jimbo” Flint (Facebook)

Via People: The city [Roxbury, Boston, MA], [Bobby] Brown says matter-of-factly, “is a racist town.” But the singer downplays minor discord. “We had our hard times. You live to get past them. But,” he adds, “it was rough growing up in the streets and having to fight someone for the stupidest reasons.”

A tragic episode of that stupidity took the life of Brown’s boyhood friend James “Jimbo” Flint,
“We were 11 and we had both just gotten new bikes,” Brown says. “We went to a party. Some guys were on Jimbo’s bike when we came outside. So Jimbo and this guy started fighting. Then a girl just threw the other guy a knife, and the guy sliced him onetime.”…

That’s not all though! Bobby revealed that the initial ‘onetime slicing’ of his friend was not the stab that killed him. In fact, according to People, that particular wound “wasn’t serious” at all. BUT what happened next seemed coincidental, yet still tragic:

Bobby Brown: “A friend of ours kicked the other guy [who was holding the knife] from the back. The knife went in Jimbo, right through his heart. We carried him home and laid him in the hallway. He just lay there looking up at me. I watched his eyes as he died.”

It’s hard to imagine an 11 year old child having to carry his dying 11 year old friend home, only to watch him take his last breathe as they looked at each other one last time. To say Bobby probably experienced post traumatic stress disorder that may have very well followed him into adulthood, is an understatement. In other words, the many problems the world witnessed in Bobby throughout the decades may not be merely by choice. I’m no psychologist, but c’mon now, that’s not a farfetched assumption, given the gravity of the emotional/psychological baggage 11 year Bobby inherited in that very moment.

How Bobby’s Friend’s Passing Birthed New Edition’s Success

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James “Jimbo” Flint’s death also lit an intense fire up under Bobby, that propelled him into a high level of greatness in the years to come. Bobby admitted that the day he watched his friend die, “I knew I had to get out of there [Orchard Park Projects] for James, for myself. Or I would die in the projects.”

Just one year later, in 1982, Bobby B. formed New Edition, by recruiting his other homies from Orchard Park projects and they ALL were eventually able to ‘get out of the projects.’ Also, at the height of Bobby’s solo career, he dedicated his 1988 multiplatinum selling album, “Don’t Be Cruel,” to his late friend, James “Jimbo” Flint, which was just seven years after his passing.

Source: People Magazine, April 10, 1989 issue

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The things we learn when we do a lil’ diggin.’ Ralph Tresvant secretly ended up singing some of the lead parts  “Every Little Step” because Bobby Brown was allegedly just a little too out of it at the time, if you catch my drift. If not, we’ll explain.

When we found out what Bobby’s ex-manager, Marty Machat, revealed about this, we couldn’t believe that they managed to keep this secret on the low for decades.

Ralph and Bobby were such good friends, that according to Marty -who was there to witness this first hand- Ralph ended up finishing one of Bobby’s biggest hits off his 7-million-selling Don’t Be Cruel album. “Every Little Step” released in 1988 and Bobby could have been outed by Ralph long ago, but Ralph proved that loyalty to his “brother” was most important. Here’s how Ralph ended up secretly singing on “Every Little Step,” according to Bobby’s ex-manager:

Marty Marchat: “The beginning and last tracks of the album I did with MCA A&R Louis Silas so the album would be filled with numbers. The song ‘Don’t Be Cruel’ is on there three times! Silas begged Babyface and L.A Reid to produce it – Bobby did not show up at the studio. He only came by sometimes to try to sing. And that was an endless wait. Drugs were part of the make-up of this album. Bobby was missing from the studio when we were scheduled to finish ‘Every Little Step’. He was on a drug run and New Edition’s Ralph Tresvant was waiting for him. Babyface and L.A were about to leave, so Ralph filled in. ‘Every Little Step’ has two singers. Bobby and Ralph. Go back and listen to the lead vocals. Then listen to Ralph.” -via Dazed Digital

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That’s crazy, right? One thing is for sure: Ralph obviously was a true friend. Loyalty is everything in any relationship, so hats off to Ralph for being a good representation of that. Bobby is a great entertainer, so I’m glad he’s now past his wild days and has simmered down a bit, because he’ll probably be the first to admit that he was living life at 200 miles per hour back in the day.

Below, is the video of “Every Little Step,” just in case you want to listen closely and try to find the parts with Ralph’s voice. We listened to it over and over and couldn’t decipher Bobby’s part from Ralph’s, but that’s probably because of the light vocoder effect that appears to be on their vocals, which helps to match tone and pitch of singers’ voices. Check it out…

Bobby’s “Don’t Be Cruel” album topped the Billboard pop chart for six weeks and had R&B on FIRE! With hits like“My Prerogative,” “Roni,” “Rock Wit’cha,” and “Every Little Step,” it also gave a lot of folks good material to perform at talent shows across America…remember those days?

By the way, we thought we’d add this hilarious VIDEO rendition of “Every Little Step” by MIKE TYSON, WAYNE BRADY and your man, BOBBY B. Some of you have probably seen it, but if you want to laugh again, check it out…

Like we said, that is hilarious and Mike Tyson, really needs some SERIOUS work on his two-step…LOL.

Michael Bivins, of the legendary New Edition, returned to his hometown recently to make his momma proud. The BBD star was honored at his old stumping grounds, Belmont High School, in Belmont, Massachusetts. With tears in his eyes, Bivins was overwhelmed with emotion, because he was finally able to accomplish something that was always in the back of his mind.

Michael Bivins Proves That It’s Never Too Late To Accomplish Your Goals In Life:

Before Mike Bivins was a superstar, he had dreams of making it big as a teen growing up in Roxbury, MA.  As a teenager, Bivins was given the opportunity to participate in the METCO program. The METCO Program, Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunities, was founded in 1966. It is a voluntary integration program that provides a suburban public school education for African-American, Hispanic, and Asian students from Boston. Every day, Bivins would take the bus from Roxbury to Belmont to attend Belmont High School. However, his musical career began to take off in his sophomore year, which caused him to leave school. While the decision to leave high school to pursue music turned out to be a highly successful choice, Bivins, Thelma Burns, a former METCO coordinator, said Bivins never lost sight of his education, even after leaving the high school.

“You know, he had to leave school to do this musical thing but he always had education in the back of his mind,” Burns said to WHDH.

In the presence of his mother, his wife Teasha Bivins, their four daughters, and a high school basketball teammate, Bivins received his honorary diploma from the class of 1986. In an interview with WHDH, the new dad of his 4th daughter offered words of wisdom.

It’s never too late, don’t ever feel like you can’t go back fix something and do something again. As long as you have breath, you can go back and do the same thing and maybe it’ll have a different outcome.

Many of Bivins loved ones, including his mother, wife, kids and a high school basketball teammate, proudly cheered him on during the ceremony. After the ceremony was over, Bivins wore a great big smile as he posed with his family.

Bivins Set A Stellar Example For His Children To Follow:

With his best friend/wife by his side, Teasha Bivins shared that they didn’t get much sleep because they were up with their latest bundle of joy,  Sanaah. Despite the fact that were sleepy, they didn’t let the lack of sleep spoil their excitement. Teasha shared the memorable moment of her husband receiving his diploma on her Instagram page as she described themselves as “two high school kids”.

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So proud of her husband, Teasha Bivins penned a touching note to her husband as she praised him for being bold and vulnerable enough to share with the world that he didn’t have a high school diploma.

Mike Bivins tied the knot with his sweetheart Teasha on October 14, 2005. The pair is blessed with four lovely children whose names are Savannah Bivins, Shilah Bivins, Starlah Bivins, and baby, Sanaah. The music producer affectionately calles his daughters the Lil’ Supremes. The successful artist loves his kids so much that he wrote an article denoting the difference between a father and a daddy. Bivins proudly shared that his daughters call him, Daddy.

Congratulations again to Michael Bivins, showing his four daughters that anything is possible!

Ever since news broke that New Edition has split up, Johnny Gill is the only member who went radio silent for so long on the matter.  Now that it’s officially confirmed that he and Ralph Tresvant are not part of the new group, RBRM, which their four other New Edition brothers started, Johnny has now resurfaced on social media.

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Johnny Gill  (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018 marks Johnny’s 52nd trip around the sun and to celebrate that, he hit his fans up with a thank you message:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjINxXanjYe/

As we all know, there is currently major tension among the group members. However,  most fans assumed that the N.E. fellas would at least keep it cordial in public, by wishing ‘happy birthday’ to J.G. on social media, which is exactly what all of them (except Bobby) had just done days before, for Ralph on his b-day.

Yet, so far not the R, the B, the other R, nor M, in RBRM, have so much as even ‘liked’ Johnny’s birthday post, nor lifted a finger to shout their distanced N.E. brother. FYI: Ralph gets a pass for not sending a b-day shout out to Johnny for two reasons: 1. Because he who uses social media the least out of ALL of them, so his absence it’s out of the ordinary; and 2. Because he just had a cool conversation online with Johnny just days before. That brings us to our next point, upon further research, we think there could be a reason why Johnny hasn’t received any online b-day love from Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, and Mike….

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Ricky Bell, Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ronnie DeVoe, Michael Bivins and Ralph Tresvant of New Edition (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images )

Is This Why Gill Received No Love From N.E. Members?

A few days ago, Johnny posted a belated ‘Happy Birthday’ message to Ralph Tresvant, who celebrated his 50th b-day on May 16th. Johnny’s b-day message to Ralph seemed to take several indirect shots at their N.E. brothas and the current separation they’re going through:

realjohnnygill22: @therealralphtresvant I’m a little late but I hope you had the best birthday ever!! Man you’ve sacrifice so much of your self in so many ways, a car has many pieces from the fine interior to the fanciest wheels but without an engine it can’t go very far, you are the engine that’s carried the car for many years and I truly salute you man. Welcome to the 50 club!! Your best years are still a head of you. Live, love, enjoy, have no regrets!!! Love you man!!

Ralph received b-day wishes from all of the N.E. members (except Bobby), as well as Brooke Payne, but days later, it looks like the only member Ralph has replied back to is Johnny Gill:

As soon as we saw Johnny’s cryptic b-day message to Ralph, we knew it was only a matter of time before New Edition fans reacted. Fans either stood up for Gill, or accused him of being petty. Below are just a few of the comments that were left on Johnny’s IG page:

peachessmith011: I feel like this was Petti LaBelle type stuff, though Johnny. Why throw gasoline on an all ready active fire? I thought you were the guy that always stayed out the way of B.S. I’m a lil disappointed. @therealralphtresvant why can’t you just do it for us, man. Please. I have waiting my whole preteen and adult life to see & meet you guys. This comment is probably gonna just fall on deaf ears and blind eyes. Pride is a dream killer…. thanks guys.

seanslicksmith: Johnny and Ralph….you guys..(as well as RBRM)are losing fans man over this mess..not to mention money.Hey, y’all grown…do you..solo albums,movies,radio,solo concerts whatever,but at the end of the day,we all know the New Edition is the true moneymaker and mothership.But if y’all wanna fight,ego trip ,lose fans and money going into your 50 and 60s…Do you.#ashame #legacy

blessedone19: I thought what the others said came from the heart too! Fans just need to stop feeding in and allow them to do what they do!

Throughout it all, all six of the New Edition members are family, so hopefully they’ll reunite soon.

Amid all of the unfortunate drama currently going down between New Edition members, there are some highlights. For Mike Bivins, those highlights are that himself, Ronnie, Bobby, and Ricky are going on tour under the name of their new group, RBRM. The other one is that Mike and his wife, Teasha, have just celebrated the birth of their FOURTH daughter! Most of us didn’t even know she was pregnant, but the other day, Mike not only shared a photo of their new bundle of joy, but also showed of Teasha’s incredible snap back…

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh76gz9Aunq/

Mike Bivins New Baby & Wife 2 Weeks After Birth

Mike Bivins posted a photo of Teasha holding their baby girl, and he boasted on how beautiful they both are. Teasha also had her toned up abs on full display just two weeks after birthing their daughter and we’re giving her a hand clap and old school fist bump on her quick snapback. Check them out below..

Biv’ and his wife have been married for 12 years and also have three more daughters- Savi, Starlah, and Shi whom Mike refers to as his “Lil Supremes.”

Mike Biv’ Tells How He Learned From His Dad’s Mistakes

Mike is a true family man. A few years ago, we shared the message he gave, saluting fathers who are handling their business and raising their children. He also noted what he learned from the mistakes his Pops made:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX5oib5h78Y/

“…My father was always gone working and representing the country in the Navy and my mother, Shirley, held things down at the crib. They never married. We lived in Orchard Park Projects in the city of Boston… There were a lot of single families that lived in our building. The month of June was always exciting because it meant school was almost over. Father’s Day as a holiday didn’t hold that much weight or anticipation.

When my father would visit my sister Tanya and I, we always went to Kentucky Fried Chicken on American Legion Highway and I always got a take out box and I would wait until I got back to my projects to let my friends see my bag and smell my chicken, haaaa! I was funny like that.

Gerard, my pops, didn’t…live with us. So after we chilled for a few, he would slide us some money for our pockets and then go on about his business. Still, to this day, we still chill and receive cards with money inside. We are a lot alike in our body frames, our noses and lips and our love for sports. Now I accept that I’m short because of him. It was hard at first, but I said I might be small, but I know how to ball on that basketball court. I’m the smallest in New Edition and BBD. (haaa, whateva!)

This is my perspective on daddies and fathers! Your kids call you Daddy because of the time you spend with them and the love you share with words and moments in the same house. Fathers sometimes don’t live in the house and come around every now and again. When some kids introduce their dads, they say ‘That’s my father.’ My kids say ‘That’s my daddy.’ – Mike Bivins; via Black America Web

Well said Mike, well said indeed. Congrats to the Bivins family on their latest addition!

For the past couple of weeks, New Edition members have been giving us, N.E. fans, an ‘N.E. heartbreak.’ As most us already know, some of the members announced they were parting like the Red Sea and that Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill were not a part of the new group that the other 4 members formed. Now that it’s been confirmed that RBRM a.k.a. Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky and Mike will be going on tour together as a quartet, Ralph has finally decided to indirectly speak on some of the drama that’s been happening.

Ralph Speaks Out On 50th Birthday

Ralph turned 50 years young on May 16th. After receiving thousands of questions from concerned fans who wanted to know what was up with the group’s split, Ralph posted a lengthy  online message on his birthday. In his message, Ralph thanked fans for their b-day wishes and continued support, while simultaneously throwing shade at those he considered to be ‘family,’ for somehow doing him wrong:

“It seems like I’ve been able to depend on you guys more than (some) actual ‘supposedly’ family members,” Ralph wrote. He also thanked his fans for helping him to “keep it going throughout all of the ups and downs in this crazy business called entertainment!!!!” He then announced that he’s spending his 50th year of life focused on himself and not his group members, stating “this year is the start of Me, Myself, and Mines… “NOTHING ELSE MATTERS!!!”

Although Ralph never mentioned his N.E. brothers by name, he did insinuate that we all should know who he was referring to.  Read his full post below:

Ralph Tresvant’s message (via Instagram)

After reading Ralph’s post, it’s clear to see that just like Ricky Bell previously stated, he, too, is hurt and disappointed by the decades-long drama between all of them.

N.E.Members Respond To Ralph On His B-Day

Soon after Ralph’s tension filled birthday post, his N.E. brothers and also their longtime mentor/choreographer, Brooke Payne, sent heartfelt b-day messages to him. That is, all EXCEPT Bobby, who made it clear that he was absolutely not going to either.

Ricky Bell has always spoken honestly and direct when it came to N.E.’s drama.  So his birthday message to Ralph was no different, it was heartfelt and he addressed the elephant in the room that fans have been asking about, regarding his friendship with Ralph…

Brooke Payne also addressed the elephant in the room as well…

Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe kept their b-day wishes more politically correct and wished Ralph happy birthday, as if everything is all good amongst them…

Bobby Brown Sends B-day Wishes To Two Other Celebs, But Not Ralph

Then came time for Bobby Brown’s birthday wish. Die-hard N.E. fans waited…and waited to see what Bobby, who always keeps it real, was gonna say to Ralph on his 50th. Then the realization set in, that Bobby had no intentions on doing so. That was even more evident when Bobby went on Instagram that same day (May 16) to make sure he sent heartfelt birthday wishes to two other celebs- the two actors who portrayed him in “The New Edition Story”:

To Bobby’s credit, he did however, ‘like’ the birthday posts his other N.E. group members posted, but fans were quick to weigh in on why they felt Bobby was completely ignoring Ralph.

Overall, we just want New Edition to squash their beef and keep giving us nostalgic memories that brings us back to the days of the Jheri curls, beepers, ‘Gumby’ haircuts and rope chains. Unfortunately, their drama is still unfolding. Guess the only bright side of that, is that they probably have enough more drama filled moments to now create a second N.E. biopic.

Last year, fans were pleased to see New Edition back together last year when they worked on their BET biopic. In fact, the guys’ bond seemed stronger than ever and they’d also forged meaningful relationships with the stars of the hit biopic. But now, Mike Bivins is shedding light on what’s really goin’ on behind closed doors. Apparently, everything wasn’t as great as it seemed.

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A Message To The Fans:

The Bel Biv DeVoe star recently spoke out about the abrupt stall in the group’s plans to move forward with their reunion tour, new music, and the continuation of the film. He has confirmed that the tour has been canceled. Unfortunately, there’s some tension brewing and the guys just aren’t on the same page. Mike didn’t exactly go into detail about their differences but apparently, its bad enough to throw a wrench in their plans. On Wednesday, May 2, Mike took to Instagram with a meme with a seemingly cryptic message that read, “When God sees you doing your part, developing what He has given you, then He will do His part and open doors that no man can shut.”

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In the caption, Mike opened up about the group and the problems they’ve been facing. He admitted that he’d spent the previous day campaigning with a friend in Newark, NJ and since he was asked repeatedly about New Edition, he decided to give the fans an explanation. “Yesterday I spent a day campaigning with a good brother @doitalldu in Newark,NJ as he is running for City councilman at large on Tues may 9th.But the kids and elderly folks all asked me about New Edition. My long drive home yesterday I said God help me release all my disappointment and receive all your steps you take to fix and help those in need of a breakthrough.We all felt like the victim at times in our long career and sometimes, it rears its head at the wrong time and last year was God’s time for us to smell our roses and to do what we do [our] best [to] entertain.”

Sporty Wednesday Quote : This is my statement to all of you Family , Friends , Fans ! Yesterday I spent a day campaigning with a good brother @doitalldu in Newark,NJ as he is running for City councilman at large on Tues may 9th.But the kids and elderly folks all asked me about New Edition.My long drive home yesterday I said God help me release all my disappointment and receive all your steps you take to fix and help those in need of a breakthrough.We all felt like the victim at times in our long career and sometimes , it rears its head at the wrong time and last year was God's time for us to smell our roses and to do what we do best Entertain.Family business is family business and I know yall need answers on why ish is not going down ( the Big Tour , Part 4,5,6 of more of the movie, or anything else you do to celebrate with your fans) I'm on record this morning on behalf of Orchard Park Projects , Boston , Maurice Starr , Candy Girl and all that have participated and worked for this organization.I will do my part and talk and open up communication to get this ish back on track Ralph, Ricky , Ronnie , Bobby , Johnny & Brooke. With love and honor and respect at the table , God can do his work Good am & God Bless Michael L.Bivins #Bivfam and my big brothers

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He continued, “Family business is family business and I know yall need answers on why ish is not going down ( the Big Tour , Part 4,5,6 of more of the movie, or anything else you do to celebrate with your fans) I’m on record this morning on behalf of Orchard Park Projects, Boston, Maurice Starr, Candy Girl and all that have participated and worked for this organization.I will do my part and talk and open up communication to get this ish back on track Ralph, Ricky, Ronnie, Bobby, Johnny & Brooke. With love and honor and respect at the table, God can do his work Good am & God Bless Michael L.Bivins #Bivfam and my big brothers.”

Fans’ Reactions:

Although fans were lookin’ forward to the tour, many thanked Mike for considering them enough to keep them informed. “Thank you @617mikebiv for being so transparent and sharing your heart. #ne4life, ” one fan wrote. “We love y’all and will always support New Edition,” another fan commented. Regardless of how long it takes, the real New Edition fans ain’t goin’ nowhere.

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same:

Unfortunately, drama is nothin’ new where New Edition is concerned. For years, the members of the group have struggled to get on the same page for one reason or another. Each time they’ve attempted to reunite, the reconnections have been short-lived. There were even scenes in the biopic that captured some of the guys’ personal struggles and the group’s tension behind the scenes.

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Since the biopic was such a success, fans are definitely waiting for information about the next part of the series. Right now, BET is working on the production of “The Bobby Brown Story” set to be released sometime this September. As for the continuation of “The New Edition Story,” it is unclear when filming will begin. Despite the cancelation of the New Edition tour, Bel Biv DeVoe is still making the rounds with live performances.

The Bobby Brown Story ! He got next..God bless Sporty

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Best of luck to New Edition.


If you loved Woody McClain as Bobby Brown in “The New Edition Story,” then the fact that he will reprise his role as the star of the BET spinoff “The Bobby Brown Story” will make your heart sing! And if the project is anywhere near as great as the original, you will join us in setting your DVR the moment the air times are announced.

Why Him Again?

Deadline reported on Monday that McClain has signed on for the two-part television movie written by Abdul Williams and executive produced by Jesse Collins. Williams and Collins, who both served in the same capacities on the New Edition biopic, are hoping that lightning will strike twice as that three-part series set BET all-time records in viewership.

The project will tell Brown’s story starting from his controversial split with New Edition, through his time as a street hustler in Roxbury, to his rise as a solo artist. “The Bobby Brown Story” will cover some 30 years of the wildly successful singer’s life.

Relationships With The Many Women In His Life

Whitney and Bobby (Photo by L. Cohen/WireImage)

Brown’s relationships with women will be explored in the movie as well. The storyline will include his short-lived affair with Janet Jackson and his passionate-yet-tumultuous relationship with ex-wife Whitney Houston. Brown wrestled with Houston’s death in 2012 only to be blindsided by the loss of their only child Bobbi Kristina some three years later in 2015.

The singer’s story will be told right up until the present day as Brown has fought through his battles with addictions to drugs and alcohol, reunited with the members of New Edition after years of estrangement, remarried in 2012, and returned to the stage as a performer. Deadline said that this will be a hopeful story about Brown’s quest for redemption.

What About The Cast?

So, look for the cast to include characters who played pivotal roles in Brown’s life. The search is on for talented actors to portray Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina, Teddy Riley, Babyface, Janet Jackson, L.A. Reid, and many others. With a lineup like this, “The Bobby Brown Story” will certainly not disappoint. we’ll be watching. Will you?