Elissa Miller Rosen
Freelance writer & reporter for PEOPLE mag, Editor of Haute Living Atlanta. Focus on Atlanta and luxury. Haute Living Magazine Graduate: Grady College of JournalismBiography
Work
Ric Flair Marries Longtime Love Wendy Barlow: ‘Dreams Do Come True’
TLC’s Rozonda ‘Chilli’ Thomas Is ‘Proud’ of Cardi B for Weathering Offset Breakup Publicly
Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas has nothing but love for Cardi B.
The TLC singer spoke to PEOPLE about her “special love” for the “I Like It” rapper while launching her DAYO x Chilli collection in Atlanta on Wednesday, and she said she could especially relate to everything Cardi is going through right now with her estrangement from husband Offset.
“I have gone through a public breakup, and it is not easy,” Thomas said, referencing her split from Usher in 2003. “When strangers know your business and want to chime in while you’re still dealing with the pain yourself, it’s difficult. Breakups are hard on anyone, but can you imagine if strangers knew your business? It’s rough.”
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Wrestling Legend Ric Flair’s Fiancé: How To Look Great At 50
While you may not know her name, you have probably seen this beautiful woman on the arm of WWE legend Ric Flair in the media. Wendy Barlow, who tuned 50 in December, is the soon-to-bride of one of the most famous wrestlers in the world Ric Flair. The two met back in 1993 when the fresh-faced 25-year-old girl auditioned for a role as a wrestling valet. Just finishing college at La Sorbonne in France, she was immediately hired as Ric Flair’s valet and became known as Fifi the French Maid. But after a few years in the ring, the California native left the industry and went on to have four children and live a life out of the spotlight. Five years ago, they reconnected and Wendy Barlow, was once again back in the spotlight and media. But even after more than 20 years, she still looks fabulous and despite her fears of the big 5-0, has made the decision to “age gracefully.”
Haute Living Hosts Intimate Ludacris Birthday Celebration
On Saturday, September 2, 2017, Haute Living hosted an intimate evening to celebrate the 40th Birthday for Ludacris and the the official kickoff to the 12th Annual Ludaday Weekend. Held at a private $9 Million Buckhead Estate provided by Haute Residence Atlanta partner Debra Johnston, about 50 of Chris “Ludacris” Bridges’ closest friends and family gathered to celebrate the rapper, tv host, actor and philanthropist’s 40th birthday. Rolls Royce Motor Cars of Georgia along with Martell Cognac and Perrier Jouet joined Haute Living in hosting the intimate evening to honor the man who continues to give back to the community.
Ava Phillippe Is Going to Get the Draper James Jumpsuit of Her Dreams this Christmas
If you can barely tell Reese Witherspoon and her 18-year-old daughter Ava Phillippe apart when they pose together on the red carpet, they’re going to be pretty much indistinguishable this holiday season.
PeopleStyle caught up with Witherspoon at the opening of her new Draper James store in Atlanta, where she revealed that she and Ava, will both be sporting the same holiday party outfit this year.
Witherspoon explained that the brand’s black lace jumpsuit was inspired by her daughter, and the final design even got the teenager’s stamp of approval. “She wants it for Christmas,” Witherspoon said. So will she get it? “Probably.”
Read More at People >
Grieving Brother Completes Walk Across the Country in Honor of His Sister Who Died from Heroin Overdose
When Brett Bramble’s 28-year-old sister, Brittany Bramble-McNatt, died of a drug overdose on March 15, 2014, he decided to walk across the country to raise awareness about addiction and keep his sister’s memory alive. What he didn’t realize at the time, was that this walk would be the very thing he needed for himself to heal.
In March 2015, after 9 months of training, Bramble, 32, armed himself with a stroller (with all his supplies) and his dog Domino, and embarked on the walk, keeping fans and supporters updated along the way through his blog and Facebook posts.
And while he originally set out with statistics and information to share with the world, he found that it was his sister’s story that resonated with people the most. Ultimately, it was he himself who was the most affected.
Haute Collab: Rapper Future + Reebok Exclusive Atlanta Sneaker Launch
Monday night, Atlanta rapper Future and Reebok took over Jeffrey Atlanta at Phipps Plaza for the launch of their latest and greatest sneaker collab. Lots of people turned out for the exclusive event and much anticipated new Reebok sneaker designed by the rapper himself.
Read More at Haute Living >
Jennifer Garner Looked ‘So Happy’ on Set of New Film in Atlanta: Source
Jennifer Garner gave a passionate speech in front of members of Congress on Thursday, advocating for early childhood education.
But on Monday, the mother of three and Golden Globe-winning actress was back to work — filming a role for a new movie in Atlanta, Georgia.
Garner, 44, was spotted on set of Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda — where a source told PEOPLE the actress was in great spirits.
“I have never seen her look so happy before,” the insider said.
RELATED VIDEO: Ben Affleck Reveals He Completed Rehab for Alcohol Addiction: ‘I’m Lucky to Have the Love of My Family’
Ric Flair Is ‘a Fighter’ Amid Critical Health Battle: ‘Let’s Not Count Him Out One Second,’ Says Friend
Though Ric Flair remains in critical condition at an Atlanta-based hospital as he battles “multiple organ problems” following an emergency operation, a friend close to the wrestling legend tells PEOPLE fans should “not count him out” yet.
Cameron “Cam” Fordham, Flair’s marketing manager and co-Founder of Get Engaged Media, tells PEOPLE the 68-year-old wrestler “is a fighter.”
Fordham says, “Ric has shown that his whole life. Sixteen championship titles was not a walk in the park. Guy has been struck by lighting and survived a plane crash, so let’s not count him out one second.”
“Looking forward to hearing many more WOOOOO’s!” Fordham adds, referencing Flair’s signature “Nature Boy” catchphrase.
Wendy Williams Launches Lifestyle App
Wendy Williams, lifestyle talk show host and personality just ventured into the digital stratosphere with the launch of her new App Wendy Digital. Haute Living had the pleasure to sit down with the newest “digital diva’ during a recent visit to Atlanta and chat about her wildly popular talk show, her excitement about her foray into the digital world and introduce us to her other digital App, WenMojis.
Wendy Digital is filled with tons of wildly entertaining content. Williams takes fans and tv viewers behind the scenes and gives them a touch of everything. From shopping her outfits as well as her collection for HSN, to behind the scenes daily clips showing Wendy hanging with her friends, doing daily activities and more. The new free App promises behind the scenes footage of Williams on and off the set, E-trivia and gossip and the option to buy the latest Williams brand clothing and accessories. And from what we have seen, Wendy and her team have outdone themselves with this App.
Haute Estate: Mediterranean Masterpiece Hits the Market In Marietta
Located in an exclusive neighborhood in East Cobb, this gorgeous estate boasts almost 12,000 square-feet of pure luxury. Custom built from top-to-bottom, the house design is filled with Italian influences most notably from Rome and Florence. There are almost too many cool aspects of this masterpiece to fit into one article but the grand entrance surely sets the dramatic tone with the double sweeping staircases and huge centered chandelier.
“When you walk in everything has a way to get to the center.” the owner tells Haute Living Atlanta in an exclusive interview.” I wanted everything to be symmetrical”. And it really is. It all just makes sense. And comes together. But what does one do with 12,000 square feet of living space? Apparently, there is plenty. From the gracious entertaining elements including the kitchen with breakfast room and island along with the open porch that overlooks the stunning pool and spa to the seven spacious bedrooms and bathrooms and the Italian-style pool with pillar designs, there is no travertine left unturned. Literally. The home is filled with travertine. Even the 5000 square-foot finished part of the basement boasts the dramatic travertine. In fact, the owner sought every piece of matching travertine to bring the elements together. This extends even outside around the pool area.
Ludacris Remembers Paul Walker Shares Final Memories
As he prepares to film Fast 8 in his hometown of Atlanta at the end of May, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges is opening up about his final memories of Paul Walker.
“He was my brother. We had a shared bond over our birthdays, which are both in September,” he told PEOPLE recently while supporting Make-A-Wish Georgia at an event at the Andretti Indoor Karting & Games complex in Marietta, Georgia. “When you lose a family member, you lose a part of yourself.”
But he’s doing his best to stay positive and reflect on the happy times they shared together.
“My favorite and last memory was during the last scene we filmed together” just seven days before Walker’s death, he says. “Tyrese [Gibson], Paul and I were in a car together and we had this great long conversation because we kept shooting the scene over and over. We talked about life, evolution, getting older and wiser and what we have learned,” he says. “It was a really great final memory of him.”
Hollywood Actress Joanna Garcia Swisher Believes In Power Of Breakfast
Actress Joanna Garcia Swisher believes wholeheartedly in giving back to the community especially when it has to do with helping children. So, when Smithfield approached the busy actress and mother-of-two about a partnership for No Kid Hungry “Make Breakfast ,Share Breakfast” campaign, it felt like a natural fit.
-PICTURED: JoAnna Garcia Swisher with students
-PHOTO by: Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com
On Monday, October 2, 2017, actress and mom JoAnna Garcia Swisher joined Smithfield and No Kid Hungry to kick off the campaign at Dunleith Elementary School in Marietta, Georgia, for a “Smithfield Shares Breakfast” local community event. Throughout the event, Garcia Swisher helped provide a nutritious breakfast featuring Smithfield breakfast items and mingled with students as they started their school day. She later joined school administrators for an assembly celebrating the importance of breakfast, noting how students who eat breakfast are likely to achieve 17.5% higher scores on standardized tests, according to a study by No Kid Hungry.
Where In The World Is DJ Trauma?
DJ Trauma, is the resident DJ for comedian Dave Chappelle and has been on tour with him for the past four years. Chappelle’s current tour comes off the heels of Dave’s wildly successful comedy special on Netflix. Along with his tour dates with Dave this summer, DJ Trauma has been traveling to Kenya with Omarion, he has recently released the video for his first single “Take Me High”, and he has a record deal with Priority Records.
But the busy schedule is nothing new for the veteran DJ who has been spinning at parties for hip hop heavies like Biggie and Tupac since the 90s. But his foray into the comedy world had opened up a whole new world to this humble DJ who got his start in Atlanta. Now, traveling 8 months of the year, he is at the top of his career with even more in the pipeline. But to him, this is just part of what he does. “I was always doing cool things,” he tells Haute Living Atlanta in an exclusive interview. “Now I am just doing cooler things.” Like being the DJ at Beyoncé and Jay Z’s baby shower/push party in Los Angeles.
Haute Living caught up with DJ Trauma in Atlanta. Dave Chappelle who was sitting a few tables over came by at one point to tell his DJ that he was hitting the road and would see him at the next show.He was referring to the epic Radio City Music Hall show that is currently coming to an end. (the last sold-out show is August 24), but hype had already been building for this show months before. The NYC show, which has featured a roster of too-many-to-name celebrity guests has been a huge success and received a lot of media and celebrity attention with people clamoring to get tickets.
Ric Flair Opens Up About Alcoholism and Flirting with Death
Wrestling legend Ric Flair may have once commanded the ring – but after the cameras turned off, things “just got out of control.”
Decades of “social” drinking finally caught up with the 16-time pro wrestling world champion this year, landing him in the hospital and near death last month.
“I crashed in an airplane and broke my back, I’ve been hit by lightning,” Flair tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “But this is totally different. Anything I’ve been through before is nothing like this.”
On Aug. 11, the 68-year-old was rushed to the hospital with stomach pains. Within hours, Flair was in the early stages of kidney failure and on the verge of congestive heart failure – the result of years of alcohol abuse.
Get into Gear: Atlanta International Auto Show Gets Rolling
The 2014 Atlanta International Auto Show has officially kicked off at the Georgia World Congress Center and will continue through March 30th. Whether you are in the market for a new car or simply appreciate the art of a fine car, this year promises some great eye candy.
First there will be a selection of 400 new, 2014 import and domestic cars on display from participating lines including Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, Lamborghini, Lexus, Maserati, Lotus and McLaren. Aside from the 2014 models, you get to take a peek at 2015 pre-production concept and limited production vehicles such as the McLaren MSO 12C Concept Car, the Audi S3 sedan and the Nissan Nismo GT-R.
Game On!
by Elissa Rosen | Jezebel magazine
Girls like to play the field, too. Take Niki Noto: Decidedly not too cool for school, this girl gets down (and dirty!) with college football for a living. “I have the most amazing job in the world,” she tells JEZ. As the bubbly co-host of ESPNU’s Road Trip, the pigskin enthusiast crashes the biggest matchups around the country to chronicle all the ensuing exploits. Not only does Noto report the on-field battles—she tackles the periphery action, too, capturing everything from local traditions and tailgating hot spots to players’ post-game rituals. With a new teammate this season (co-host Ali Nejad), look for Noto to up her game even more. “This show is not just about the Xs and Os,” she explains. “It’s about the pageantry.”