K. Michelle brings up her old flame, Idris Elba; sex dolls are back, and this time with artificial intelligence; Meghan Markle's husband wants to cash in on Ms. Markle's celebrity

In this episode of What's The 411, journalist Kizzy Cox, and comedian Onika McLean are talking about:

In Quick Takes, the duo is giving a rundown of the following news stories:

• It’s official. Television producer, Kenya Barris, is following in the footsteps of Shonda Rhimes. He is leaving his overall pact at ABC, which terminates in August. Sources state that Barris will remain an executive producer on all of his shows, Black-ish on ABC; Grown-ish and the upcoming Besties on Freeform. He will continue to work on the ABC Studios projects he has in development, and his Netflix deal is expected to be substantial.

• Tamron Hall is on her way back to daytime! She has inked a deal with Disney for a new Daytime talk show, and she stated in a press release:

“I’m so thrilled to partner with Disney ABC to create a daytime television show that’s unconventional, fun, intimate and sometimes even raw. My new partners appreciate and respect the relationship I’ve built with my audience and know that if we create television worth watching, they’ll join us for the ride. I’m so grateful and excited for this next chapter. The landing makes the leap of faith so worth it."

• Actor and rapper, Will Smith, announced in a video on Instagram that he is teaming up with self-help author Mark Manson to write a book. Smith said:

• “We’re going to be meeting with five publishers… we’re gonna pick one. And if I had to take a guess, I feel very confident that we’re gonna go with the highest bidder… I’m just saying.”

• We talked about Meghan Markle’s father and sister doing everything possible to cash in on the celebrity of the Duchess of Sussex. Now, Meghan Markle’s ex-husband, Trevor Engelson, wants in, too. He’s planning to put all of their business on Front Street.

• And, in case you missed it, Beyoncé will be on the all-important September issue of Vogue magazine. Beyoncé’s photos were shot by Tyler Mitchell, the first Black man to shoot a Vogue cover.

• Singer K. Michelle fondly remembers her romance with actor Idris Elba, she told Hollywood Unlocked that “they split up because he wasn’t ready to settle down. “He told me he would never be committed to one woman. He said I would be taken care of, I would be fine, but he would never commit to one woman.”

WHAT’S POPPIN' – RACE and CULTURE

KIZZY: There is a huge debate going on right now about the unequal treatment of Black people subjected to gun violence vs. White people. Recently, actress Anne Hathaway, who is white, shaken by the death of Nia Wilson at the hands of a white man, challenged white people to wake up and pay attention. Hathaway said in part, White people DO NOT have equivalence for this fear of violence.”

Even David Hogg one of the survivors of the Parkland H.S. massacre in Florida said he would use his “white privilege” to also address the often overlooked gun violence in black and brown communities.

Q. Now, granted, Black people are not monolithic, but the response to these overtures have been mixed, ranging from it’s about time that white people are recognizing the inequality to, no I am not afraid and only Black people can help Black people. Where do you stand on this issue?

WHAT’S POPPIN' – RELATIONSHIPS

ONIKA: Recently, Meagan Good’s husband, DeVon Franklin, in an effort to separate dating from marriage posted on Instagram:

“There’s a time to act like husband and wife, but if doesn’t come until you’re actually married—until you have that indelible commitment to each other.”

Q. Do you like this idea? What happens when people choose to live together minus the marriage nuptials?

WHAT’S POPPIN' – RELATIONSHIPS

ONIKA: Speaking of marriage, ‘The Daily’ host Michael Barbaro, splits from his husband and is now dating a female producer on another show at The New York Times.

Q. I know that we live in a fluid society, but would you date man who was married to a man?

WHAT’S POPPIN – FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

KIZZY: If you are a regular viewer of What’s The 411, you know we have talked about sex dolls at least twice before. Well, sex dolls are back in the news! And, this time because the manufacturers in China are now including artificial intelligence in the dolls. So they will be able to hold short conversations.

Q. Where are we headed with this? Is this good for society?

In the midst of the Me Too movement, sex dolls are making their way to the U.S.

In a previous episode, Kizzy Cox and Onika McLean talked about Japanese men falling in love with human-sized dolls.

Now, sex dolls are making their way into the United States, some selling for as much as two-thousand dollars.

Against the backdrop of the Me Too movement, one wonders are sex dolls a fad, or will it become a multi-billion dollar industry? Will these dolls cut down on sexual molestation, or contribute to an increase?

Time will tell.

VIDEO DISCUSSION: Some Japanese men are favoring dolls over their wives

The New York Post reported about a new disturbing trend in Japan.

It seems that some Japanese men are turning to life-sized anatomically-correct dolls for companionship because they feel that their wives are neglecting them.