Former “Empire” stars Trai and Grace Byers, who portrayed Andre Lyon and Anika Calhoun on the show, are expecting their first child together after six years of marriage, according to Just Jared. Grace, who now plays Quinn on the Amazon Prime Video show “Harlem,” posted a photo of herself and her husband that showed her baby bump at the opening night of “The Piano Lesson” at the Barrymore Theatre in New York City. Trai makes his Broadway debut in the play which also stars Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington and Danielle Brooks. It is directed by Jackson’s wife, LaTanya Richardson Jackson.
On Oct. 11, the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation celebrated its ongoing commitment to support mental health with a cocktail fundraiser hosted by executive chairman of Saks and President of the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation Richard Baker and Saks CEO Marc Metrick at L’Avenue at Saks in New York City. The event raised $1.8 million to strengthen the Foundation’s mission to make mental health a priority in every community by increasing awareness and education, improving access to care, and promoting the tools and skills that build positive mental health for those who need it most. Guests at the fundraiser enjoyed a special performance by six-time Grammy Award-winning artist and pop culture icon, Dionne Warwick. Said Warwick, “There’s something that can be done about mental illness and it takes all of us to do that. All we have to do is care, truly care, and always try to make people smile.” The same week, Warwick received the Trailblazer award at the Fashion Group International 38th Night of Stars.
Kevin Hart, who is a long-standing friend of Audemars Piguet, co-hosted the 50th anniversary of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in Beverly Hills, California, and the launch of a book that charts the life and times of the iconic luxury sports watch, titled “Royal Oak: From Iconoclast to Icon” on Oct. 14. Guests included Hart’s wife Eniko, Audemars Piguet’s CEO for the Americas Ginny Wright, sports agent Rich Paul and his girlfriend, Grammy Award-winning singer Adele, Kenya Barris and more.
In honor of Inner Beauty Day—a time set aside to bring global awareness and provide support for survivors of human trafficking—beauty preneur Khadine Bakarat-Joseph, owner of Vedette Beauty & Skincare, in partnership with the Brooklyn district attorney’s office’s Brooklyn Human Trafficking Task Force hosted “Strength in Beauty.” The midday affair provided local high school students a behind-the-scenes look at the business of beauty while delivering an impactful, open dialogue of the dangers of human trafficking. “Growing up in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn I suffered low self-esteem and was often bullied and found myself constantly seeking the approval of my friends,” said Bakarat-Joseph, who hosted the event at her Flatbush day spa.