Loren’s BET Diaries: The Fits, The Stars & The Surprises

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: The Latest with Loren LoRosa
Episode: Loren’s BET Diaries: The Fits, The Stars & The Surprises
Date: June 30, 2026
Host: Loren LaRosa

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Episode Overview

Loren LaRosa transports listeners behind the velvet ropes of the 2026 BET Awards, recounting her whirlwind red carpet weekend as part of the official BET pre-show. Broadcasting from an airport post-event, Loren shares candid behind-the-scenes tales from the carpet, energetic celebrity encounters, and iconic moments from the night—including the fashion highs, heartfelt speeches, and legendary surprises that defined this year’s show. The episode is a blend of personal career reflection, live event coverage, and cultural commentary, celebrated in Loren’s signature energetic and personable style.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Milestone: Loren’s Growth with BET

• Loren reflects on her journey—from humble beginnings interviewing for EURWeb in 2017 to being official red carpet talent for the BET Awards.
  • “My first BET Awards carpet was in 2017... Last year, actually, I was on, like, a style stage... This year it was all of the things... It always feels good to see the progression, but I'm exhausted, headed back.” (02:19–03:44)
• She describes living her dream and feeling fulfilled despite the exhaustion.
  • “The exhaustion never gets to a point where it’s overwhelming or too much, only because, like, I'm living my dream every single day.” (03:44)

2. Carpet Energy & Celebrity Style

• Loren sets the scene from the style stage, underscoring the electric atmosphere and fashion stakes on the carpet.
  • “The carpet may be warming up, but the energy is already electric out here.” (09:52)
• She encourages audience participation—inviting them to sound off on social about their favorite looks.
  • “Throughout the show, I'm checking out who is stepping out in style, baby... I need to find out who you think really put that ish on tonight, and we could do a vote.” (09:23–09:52)

3. Cameos, Chaos, and Candid Moments

• Fun, lively interviews with artists and influencers highlighted both style and industry camaraderie. Key guests included:

  • Travis Malloy & Madison Ryan:
    • Travis shares his fashion transformation and credits content creation for his gospel album’s success.
      • “Creating content is important. That's what sold my Album and made my album the number one gospel album on iTunes.” – Travis Malloy (11:38)
    • Madison Ryan shines in bold color, celebrating Black women’s beauty and representation.
  • Ray J & Bobby Valentino:

    • Ray J’s unplanned entrance brings humor.

    • Bobby jokes about musical “beef” and playful competition for feature spots.

    • “Are we beefing in the church right now? Are we beefing at the pulpit?” – Loren (12:54)

• Portia (Real Housewives of Atlanta):

  • Celebrates her birthday and style, and discusses stepping into the light and accepting self-worth.
    • “You gotta also accept that, too... I also take time to celebrate myself, so it’s good.” – Portia (15:12–15:41)
  • Uplifting advice for Black women:
    • “Let that man love you properly. You not by yourself. And learn to just accept compliments and love and… we deserve that, okay? As Black queens, we deserve it.” (15:53)

4. Eva Marcille—Style, Reinvention, and ‘All the Queen’s Men’

• Eva details her bold hair transformation and the emotions tied to new beginnings.
  • “I cut my hair two days ago... To see almost a decade of your life—children, love, pain—it was... I do know I feel lighter, and I feel pretty.” (17:01–17:55)
• Shares excitement for her show’s (All the Queen’s Men) continued success and highlights BET's support of Black creatives.

5. Red Carpet Wrap & Celebrity Roll Call

• The night’s festivities included a cavalcade of legends and new stars—Too Short, Swae Lee, French Montana, Yoyo, and more.
  • “We wrapped the show and then we head on into the BET Awards. Let's take a listen...” (19:30)

6. Broadcast Highlights – The Iconic Moments

• Janet Jackson Presents Award to Teyana Taylor (24:18–30:02)

  • Janet lauds Teyana’s unstoppable work ethic and creative excellence, calling her “our icon of the year.”
  • Notable moments:
    • “Your gifts are from God... Your focus and vision summon into being what most would call impossible. You carry a calling from above.” – Janet Jackson (24:43)
  • Teyana Taylor’s acceptance, an emotional tribute to Black womanhood:
    • “To my brown sisters and little brown girls watching tonight, our softness is not a liability. Our depth is not too much. Our light does not need permission to shine. We belong in every room we walk into.” – Teyana Taylor (28:28)
  • Teyana is surprised by Janet’s appearance and additional award wins:
    • “Oh, my God... The fact that you even took out the time to be here... there would be no me without you.” – Teyana Taylor (30:02)

• Lauryn Hill — Legacy Award & Speech (30:30–32:25)

  • Lauryn Hill shares reflections on her “duty” to give back and uplift community through music:
    • “I do this because I want you to have everything that I experienced... And fighting for y’all is me fighting for myself, my children, my parents, my community.” – Lauryn Hill (30:39, 32:10)

7. Host Shoutout: Drewski

• Loren tips her hat to 2026 BET Awards host Drewski for his standout comedy and sketches, suggesting listeners check Instagram for visual highlights.
  • “He did an amazing job. Shout out to Drew. I hope you guys have enjoyed this episode.” (32:25)

8. Closure and Invitation

• Loren wraps by thanking listeners (“my lowriders”), urging them to check social for vlogs, outfits, and behind-the-scenes moments, and promising more insider content on her platforms.
  • “You could be anywhere... but y’all tap in right here with me. My lowriders. I appreciate you...” (33:09)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Fashion as Culture:
  • “Throughout the show, I'm checking out who is stepping out in style, baby... We could do a vote who need to fire that stylist.” – Loren (09:23)
• Support & Growth:
  • “When you finally step into that light, you got to also accept that, too... Now I’m just living in it.” – Portia (15:12)
• On Reinvention:
  • “I put it in a bag, and it was... To see almost a decade of your life... I feel lighter, and I feel pretty.” – Eva Marcille (17:28–17:55)
• Janet’s Tribute (To Teyana Taylor):
  • “Your gifts are from God... Your focus and vision summon into being what most would call impossible.” – Janet Jackson (24:43)
• Lauryn Hill’s Legendary Speech:
  • “I do this because I love y’all... And fighting for y'all is me fighting for myself... my community.” – Lauryn Hill (30:39, 32:10)
• Empowerment for Black Women:
  • “We belong in every room we walk into. Our voices matter and our dreams deserve to be.” – Teyana Taylor (28:28)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamps | Highlights | |-----------------------------------|---------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Loren’s personal BET journey | 02:19–03:44 | Reflection on career growth, love for the work | | Style Stage Opens / Carpet Kicks Off | 09:02–09:52 | Building excitement and inviting audience participation | | Travis Malloy & Madison Ryan interview | 10:14–12:07 | Content creation, faith, and Ray J’s comic cameo | | Portia Interview | 13:57–15:53 | Self-acceptance, supportive relationships, birthday celebrations | | Eva Marcille on style & “All the Queen’s Men” | 16:41–18:48 | Hair transformation, career pivots, pride in Black creativity | | Red Carpet Wrap, celeb roll call | 19:30–23:11 | Candid behind-the-scenes at the close of the pre-show | | Janet Jackson Tributes Teyana Taylor | 24:18–30:02 | Emotional presentation, speech empowering Black girls and women | | Lauryn Hill’s legacy speech | 30:30–32:25 | Reflection on responsibility, artistic legacy, and community uplift | | Final shoutouts and closing | 32:25–33:32 | Praises for Drewski, invitation to follow Loren online, appreciation of listeners |

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Tone & Language

• Loren’s tone is effusive, genuine, and conversational, radiating pride, humor, and sincerity.
• Dialogues and live clips capture both the glitz and realness of BET Awards weekend, from playful jabs between music friends to heartfelt affirmations of Black achievement and unity.

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TL;DR

Loren LaRosa gives listeners a front-row seat to the 2026 BET Awards, filled with standout style, surprise icon appearances, and unfiltered conversations with Black culture’s leading women and entertainers. From fashion fits to deeply felt tributes by Janet Jackson and Lauryn Hill, this episode is a celebration of personal growth, cultural impact, and the power of Black womanhood, all delivered in Loren’s lively, heartfelt style.

Transcript

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Travis Malloy]

I'm the

[Lauren LaRosa]

homegirl that knows a little bit about everything.

[Ray J]

And everybody knows you don't lie about that, right?

[CarMax Advertiser]

Lauren came in hot.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Hey y', all, what's up? It's Lauren LaRosa and this is another episode of the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. This is your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment news, and all of the conversations that shake the room, baby. Now if y' all don't hear it in my background. I am literally in the airport. I am traveling back from the 2026 BET Awards weekend, where I was on the carpet just having a really great time. This year was really amazing for me with bet, because I mentioned to you guys before, and I guess we can, like, check in behind the scenes of the grind first and we can talk about it. That I've worked with BET before, but this year was so different. So let's check in behind the scenes of the grind real quick before I gotta run through tsa, because I want to get y' all some of the conversations I had on the BET Awards carpet. If you guys did not get a chance to check them out live from the BET pre show, you know, I'll bring them to you right here in the latest. So let's check in behind the scenes of the grind. So, yes, guys, this year was a lot different. We did the BET Award Awards carpet again, which I've done several years before. My first BET Awards carpet was in 2017. I worked with EUR Web Lee Bailey's EUR Web, and then have done BET a different form of fashions over the years. Last year, actually, I was on, like, a style stage that they had set up, but it wasn't a part of a fart. I'm sorry, y'.

[Lauren Hill]

All.

[Lauren LaRosa]

It's been a long weekend. It wasn't a part of their official pre show. I wasn't, like, you know, talent, name on the bill type of thing this year. It was all of the things. So it. It always feels good to see the progression, but I'm exhausted, headed back. I am so happy that I have a few days to really just, you know, only work on, like, us, like, the podcast, you know, breaking stories across social and just really get some rest before we head to the Essence Festival. But I am so full. It's like the exhaustion never gets to a point where it's, like, overwhelming or too much, only because, like, I'm living my dream every single day. Like, literally living my dream every single day. So I love what I do. So we just gonna keep doing it until we can't no more. And God willing, that that ain't never gonna happen. Y' all ain't never gonna see that. So let's get on into the latest because I want to bring you guys some of the conversations I was blessed and privileged to have on the carpet live from the Mayo style Stage during the 2026 BET Awards program pre show red carpet. Now, this was the official red carpet that took place. Literally took place right before the BET Awards and then we went on over into the show. Have some audio from that as well too. So let's get on into the moments.

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[Bobby Valentino]

Why is it always chaos when we link up?

[Ray J]

Cuz nobody plans anything bro. Good thing the rug's ready like that

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[Bobby Valentino]

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[Ray J]

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[Nissan Advertiser]

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[Bobby Valentino]

Load up we out.

[Ray J]

2026 Nissan Rogue built for all of it.

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[Kal Penn]

Hey, everyone, It's Cal Penn, host of Irsay, The Audible, and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I'm sitting down with Divergent author Veronica Roth to talk about her sprawling new novel, Seek the Traitor's Son. It's a sci fi fantasy epic about two protagonists on opposite sides of a war and a prophecy neither of them wanted.

[Veronica Roth]

My first book was Divergent, and when that came out, like, because it was so popular, I think it attracted, like, mostly positivity, but the negativity I sucked in like a sponge. And I think it was, like, critiques of things I liked when I was like, you know, I was 23, and I wrote this book, and it had all my, like, dorky little cheesy or maybe unrealistic loves in it. And I started to feel a lot of shame about those things. And so for the rest of my career, I steered away from those little things that, like, make you feel pleasure when you read. But I also was, like, saying no to these parts of myself that I then was like, screw it. Yeah, so that's this book.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

Now let's kick things off. Here is how the carpet started for me, like, coming from, like, I mean, you got Bow Wow Roxy opening the carpet, and then, boom, here I come. Let's take a listen.

[Roxy]

Bow wow and I are not by ourselves. We're also hosting this red carpet.

[Bobby Valentino]

That's right.

[Roxy]

Some other fabulous people, I believe. I'm gonna check in with my director right now. Should we talk to everybody else? Yes. Let's check out what Lauren is doing. Lauren is looking fabulous. That got that leg out, that thigh out. Looking very statuesque. Lauren, how are you doing, mama?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Thanks, Roxy. Bow Wow.

[Roxy]

Hey, y'.

[Portia]

All.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So I'm Lauren LaRosa. And listen, I'm over here. I'm gonna be holding down all things at the style stage. So throughout the show, I'm checking out who is stepping out in style, baby. And all night long, I want to hear from y'. All. If you're at home, I need to find out who you think really put that ish on tonight, and we could do a vote who need to fire that stylist. Okay, baby. Because y' all get real vocal in my comments. So let's do it. Just know if y' all want to light up the comments. I am reading them. I got them right here. I see y' all. Cardi B. Cardi b, DOA cat all the things. So the carpet may be warming up,

but the energy is already electric out here.

So right now, I'm going to toss it on over to my guy, Jason Lee.

He's at the creator studio. So here's an interview from me on the pre show carpet. I was talking to Travis Malloy and Madison Ryan, who is model, content creator, all of the things and y', all, why Ray J. Go on crash on interview and Bobby Valentino. Let's take a listen.

Blue on the Rosa here at the style stage, where all things style and fashion for the evening. Oh, no. I'm about to go to y' all because I am joined by Mr. Travis Malloy and Ms. The beautiful Madison Ryan. Baby, when I say came and ate me up, ate on down, talk to me a little bit about your inspiration for the look of the evening tonight.

[Travis Malloy]

You know what? I'm really a sweatsuit kind of guy every day, but my stylist said, I need you to put on this chevron print.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I know you wasn't trying to come here to Nike tech. I know you don't do us like that.

[Travis Malloy]

It was gonna be very much that with the classic Reeboks, but he said, no, you gotta turn it up. You're a gospel artist. You got to turn it up. So I'm here to turn it up. Did I turn it up?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Oh, yeah, it's turned up. Let me see. Do a little spin. Get the people to side profile. Give it to them. Give it. Look y. Look over pose. Yep, got it. Okay, okay, okay. Now, come on. You got to come on back over in the. Yes. In. In the shot now, Ms. Madison Ryan. Girl, the color is popping off of your skin. Beautiful black woman. Talk to me about choosing to go color today.

[Portia]

You know what?

[Lauren LaRosa]

It's the biggest night in the.

In culture right now, so, I mean, we got to bring it. Oh, it is brought, baby. It is brought. I want to talk to you guys a bit about the evening. I know that you are nominated. They told my producers told me you are one day. One day. Okay. The producers told me you were okay.

Well, maybe.

Well, look, I got it there for you. Well, we could talk about creating content, though, because I know that that is how you got here with us. So talk to me a bit about that.

[Travis Malloy]

So creating content is important. That's what sold my Album and made my album the number one gospel album on iTunes. March 20 when it dropped Travis Malloy and Urban Worship Collective. The favorite album, Listen, it's sold by me just putting the camera in front of my singer.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Lord have mercy. Yo, Ray J. It took us 20 minutes to talk, and then you came over here to interrupt. You was over there with them people doing all the craziness.

[Travis Malloy]

Speaking of gospel, Ray J is actually featured on my album on a song called Hold On.

[Veronica Roth]

Wait.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Hold on. On a gospel record? Ray J, he's producing my gospel album

[Travis Malloy]

we working on right now.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I mean, they say come as you are when you come to God, but please tell me, what, what, what? Ray J on the gospel record right now. How did this happen?

[Travis Malloy]

You know what's so funny? I was looking for a feature, and I was writing a song called hold on. No matter what you're going through, you got to hold on. He called me and said, hey, I need you to come to the house. Let's work. I said, I got a song for you. I didn't realize what he was dealing with. I didn't realize what he was dealing with, but the song was for him because after what he expressed, he was dealing with with his heart, I needed him to hold on.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Now, Ms. Madison Ryan, we got Bobby Valentino. He just walked up as well. You got to say hi to the people as well.

[Bobby Valentino]

But, hey, Bobby's doing. Hey, me and Travis got some songs together, too, but he wants to put out Ray songs instead of the one me and him got. But it's all good. I knew you before him.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Wait, are we. Are we beefing in the church right now? Are we beefing at the pulpit? What is going on right now? Ray J. What is that? Ray J. I'm about to. My hair. What are you doing, y'?

[Portia's Partner]

All?

[Lauren LaRosa]

This wind is so heavy. I appreciate it. Ray J, can you come over here? Ms. Madison Ryan may need some of that. Okay. Now, Lord. Okay, wait. Ray J. Ray J. Ray J. Okay. Yeah, you got. All right, now. Let's talk a little bit. Madison, are you okay? You good, girl? I need that fan. It's burning. All right, y', all, it's Lauren LaRosa. We're here at the Style stage. Ray J has just. I don't even know what he's doing or what he's wearing, but he's here. Madison Ryan the beautiful. I'm a wrap it. And we're going. We're going to head on back over to the BET Awards.

And, y', all, I also got to Catch up with our girl Portia. Real Housewives of Atlanta. Y' all know they are preparing, and I'm preparing. They've already shot the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion, so it was her birthday. She's outside. It's BET Awards weekend. Having a good time. Let's get into some style things with Portia.

All right, y', all, Lauren LaRosa back here at the style stage. Now, listen, we've been talking to a lot of people tonight, but I got my girl, capital P, Portia in the building. Real Housewives of Atlanta, but also the birthday girl. Yes.

[Portia]

45, baby.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Can you believe that, girl?

Hold on.

45.

[Portia]

Where?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Where under this dress is the 45 at, Portia? Let me see. Okay, okay. All right. A little something something, right? A little something something right there. So let's get into the style of everything. First, who are you wearing?

[Portia]

I believe Mark Barton.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Did you say Mark Barton Bowers. Mark Bowers.

[Portia]

Sorry, y'.

[Portia's Partner]

All.

[Portia]

I literally got my dress today. I landed, changed, came right here.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Did you tailor or alter at all?

No, baby, that body is giving.

I just own whatever goes on around me. It just did what it needed to do, you know what I'm saying?

[Portia]

For the bet for the black folks.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You know what? I love that you're wearing the best right now. This smile and this glow.

[Portia]

Thank you, boo.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Celebrating your birthday. I saw the billboards, all the things. How does it feel? And I also feel like you're getting a lot of your flowers, and people are starting to see. Not even starting, but people are understanding why Carlos King would say something like, the Kim Kardashian of reality TV is you right now. In this moment. How do you feel in this moment? Do you feel the flowers? Even though you get some of the other stuff, too? You feel the flowers?

[Portia]

Yeah. Number one, I feel the flowers from my biggest supporter, which is my partner. I love my Patrice, and, yes, she gave me a billboard, literally. But, you know, it's just the support that I get from her. And when it comes to, like, the supporters and other big names that recognize me and are speaking on me in such a positive way, it just builds me up. You know, we've been in survival mode, but when you finally step into that light, you got to also accept that, too. And so now I'm just living in it. I also take time to celebrate myself, so it's good.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, you know what? We were talking about the survival mode thing off, offline, because I. I was telling. I was telling Portia I'm learning how to get out of that survival mode and, like, hand especially, like, you getting a good. You got a good man. You in a good relationship. Like, I'm learning.

[Portia]

Yes, yes. Girl, you got to let that go. Let that man love you properly. You not by yourself. And learn to just accept compliments and love and. And showering you with all the things, baby, we deserve that, okay? As black queens, we deserve it.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Listen.

And of course, you cannot talk about style and BET without talking to the queen of all the Queen's Men, which is a really successful show on bet. I'm so happy for Eva. A lot of people don't get successful TV shows reoccurring the way all the Queen's Men has been for her. They're going into a new season. The show is one of bets, like, top. Like, they put a lot behind this show. So really successful for her and really, you know, happy to see her be able to pivot throughout these different eras of her life and her career in that way. Let's talk to eva the diva, Ms. Eva Marcel on All Things Style.

All right, now I'm standing here at the My L style stage with our BET family, our very own fashionista and the star of all the Queen's Men. Y' all know exactly who I'm talking about. Look how she pumping in right now. Ms. Eva Marcel. Okay, baby. And the cut is back. Okay. This is the OG of the cut. The girls. We use you for the inspo. Thank you.

[Eva Marcel]

So we use Holly Berry for the.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Okay. Halle Berry. You, you, you on my Pinterest.

[Eva Marcel]

Thank you.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Let's not even do that.

[Eva Marcel]

How you feeling when you cut your hair, though?

[Roxy]

It was.

[Eva Marcel]

It was a moment.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Thank you.

Thank you. So listen, let's get into it. I gotta do a fit check.

First and foremost, tell me, who are you wearing? What are you wearing?

[Eva Marcel]

We are wearing Moo Letter tonight. Black designer.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yes.

[Eva Marcel]

Why not? Culture's biggest night. I decided to take it all off to put it back on.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, I took it all off to put it back on.

You said your hair is literally in a bag, right?

[Eva Marcel]

Your hair is in a bag. I cut my hair two days ago. The amazing Terrell Mullen, who does it all, cut me. And after putting my hair, like, getting all together, I put it in a bag, and it was. To see almost a decade of your life. Children, love, pain.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Was it freeing for you?

[Eva Marcel]

I'm still figuring that out. I'm figuring out how I feel. I do know I feel lighter, and I feel pretty.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You are gorgeous, girl.

Now, look, when you put the full

fit on we got the short hair. What was the first thing that came to Eva's mind when you looked at yourself in the mirror before you stepped on out?

[Eva Marcel]

Who is she?

[Lauren LaRosa]

That girl. Now you've been lighting it up on our screens with the hit show all the Queen's Men. And this is the show's final season. We're a few episodes into it.

What can we expect as the season goes along?

[Eva Marcel]

I mean, if you have been watching this show and if you haven't, you're crazy. But all the Queens Men has taken us on a journey, introduced a world in the underbelly of life and quite crime led by a woman and female bosses. And so every season the stakes are higher. It gets grittier. In season five, it will not fail to present the same kind of explosion. Pun intended.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So what are you looking forward to? First of all, you got the comments on YouTube going crazy.

What are you looking forward to tonight

in the show in the BET Awards this year?

[Eva Marcel]

Oh my gosh, this show is going to be amazing tonight. Lauren Hill, hands down. God, she's such a goddess. So her tribute tonight, I'm super excited to see that Cardi B. I mean all the things, this show has always been such a multi generational show. And so from like young heiress out there performing to like the new girls you knew were coming up to the people that we love to sit back and just feel nostalgic about, we get all of it tonight. I'm so excited.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, I hope you get all of it tonight, baby.

Cause you've been doing it for us for some time now, miss Eva the diva.

[Nissan Advertiser]

Okay, so.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So thank you so much for hanging out with me.

[Eva Marcel]

Having me.

[Roxy]

Yes.

[Nissan Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Fire right, y'.

[Teyana Taylor]

All.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So then after this we. Then we wrapped the show, which was also pretty crazy too. I mean, you got French, Montana, Swae, lee, Max B, E40. No, it was too short. Too short. Like yo yo legends here. I'm standing next to pow wow. Roxy, Matt, like, we wrapped the show and then we head on into the BET Awards. Let's take a listen.

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[Bobby Valentino]

Bro. From the show last night to this drive. Why is it never chill?

[Ray J]

Because this is our life backstage on the road. It's loud, messy, real.

[Nissan Advertiser]

And that's the best part. Whole crew, no plan, just moving. Good thing.

[Bobby Valentino]

Nissan builds for that kind of chaos.

[Ray J]

Not just test tracks, real life scenes, late nights, road trips, all of it.

[Nissan Advertiser]

That's why it holds up. Nissan was ranked number one in initial quality among mainstream brands by J.D. power.

[Bobby Valentino]

Yeah, you can tell.

[Nissan Advertiser]

2026 Nissan Rogue. Built for what really happens for J.D.

[Ray J]

power. 2025 U.S. initial Quality Study Award information, visit jdpower.com awards awards based on 2025 model year. Newer models may be shown Think about

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[Kal Penn]

Hey everyone, it's Kal Penn. I'm the host of Hearsay, the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project, Hail Mary Massive sci fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.

[Ray Porter]

I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections. And it's like, okay, yo, yo, yo. Is this indulgent? And I really thought about it. I was like, no. At this point, it would kind of be betraying the trust the, the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that. That deeply, emotionally affected me and I left it on the mic. That's great because it served the story. People will say like, oh, my God, I cried at the end. It's like, yeah, dude, me too.

[Kal Penn]

Listen to Hearsay, the Audible and iHeart audiobook club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Roxy]

First and foremost, before we get into all the party that's happening right now, we gotta show love and to Z Will for that performance. We appreciate you guys. The carpet is officially closed, but the party is still right.

[Portia's Partner]

It's popping right. I got here.

[Ray J]

I got Mar the scientist and Yoyo right here.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Don't play with me. My boy Omari right here.

[Portia's Partner]

Too short in the building.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Bridge and Max being up

[Portia's Partner]

back bout

[Lauren LaRosa]

and we know somebody here going to

[Bobby Valentino]

blow the whistle right?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Too short dog man.

[Portia's Partner]

Come on, Sway Lee.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Come on, my boy, Sway le. Oh, this is crack.

[Portia's Partner]

Come on.

[Roxy]

This is the best selfie that we can talk about. Listen, first of all, Knicks at five French. We are so proud of everything that you've been doing. I know you about to go out there on that stage. What you gonna do?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Go deaf on the bench? And today cushion here.

[Portia's Partner]

What we doing?

[Roxy]

Thank you to our co host for holding down the other stations, Lauren LaRosa. Where you at?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Right here.

[Roxy]

You are killing it. Jason Lee, you was amazing.

[CarMax Advertiser]

Thank you.

[Roxy]

Brian McIntosh and Tiara Marsh.

[Portia]

Thank you so.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And then the awards went down. And here are some of my favorite moments. We had heard rumblings that Janet Jackson was on the carpet. And like, I saw a video, but I didn't actually see her. And here's why she was there. Teyana Taylor received an amazing icon award, and Janet Jackson presented it to her. Let's take a listen.

[T]

What a year it's been for you. It seems like only yesterday a rose from Harlem grew out of the concrete and blossomed into our icon of the year. I've enjoyed watching you, as you know over the years. You watching you defy expectations, rewrite the rules, and lead with an unstoppable work ethic. Your gifts are from God. They're God given. And as long as you remain close to God, your light will forever shine bright. You possess an unflinching perfectionism, a devotion woven into everything you touch, your focus and vision, summon into being what most would call impossible. You carry a calling from above. And the world is made more luminous with the art that you have given it. This year, it belongs to you. A Grammy nomination for your latest album, Escape Room. A host of Nominations for your layered performance in the Oscar winning film. One battle after another. New story stood toe to toe with some of major heavyweights, thespians in our industry. And you picked up a coveted Golden Globe for Best Supporting actress. All of that while raising two beautiful girls. Your greatest accomplishment. Accomplishment. And a testament to the greatest superhero the world will ever know. The Black Woman.

[Teyana Taylor]

What's an icon? It's intelligence. It's care. It's originality. It's never losing sight of your purpose, no matter what. It's where imagination meets impact. It's inspiring the dreams of everyone watching. In one year, Teyana Taylor accomplished what most do in a lifetime. Songwriter, choreographer, director, producer, mother, and now Golden Globe winning actress. There's nothing that she can't do. Tiana is ambition fueled by purpose. She's the vision and the execution.

[Portia's Partner]

Tell me more about your foster mother.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You like her.

[Teyana Taylor]

She redefines the culture.

[Portia's Partner]

Would it make you feel better if

[T]

you came to stay with me?

[Teyana Taylor]

Fashion, film, movement. Teyana Taylor is living proof that legacy is not defined by time, but by boundless creativity.

[Portia's Partner]

To my brown sisters and little brown girls watching tonight, our softness is not a liability. Our death is not too much. Our light does not need permission to shine. We belong in every room we walk into. Our voices matter and our dreams deserve to be. Thank you so much, everybody.

[T]

You keep stretching what greatness means and what it can look like, not only for young black girls, but for everyone walking the path behind you.

[Travis Malloy]

Wait.

[T]

And before you come up here, I don't know if you know this, but I want to share this with you. You have also won three additional awards. You've won Fashion Vanguard Video Director of the Year and the Best Actress. You. You deserve it all. You really do.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And of course, Tiana's speech ain't down. She been working hard for this.

[Portia's Partner]

Oh, my God, I'm gagging.

[Lauren Hill]

They did not. They did not tell me Janet was coming.

[Portia's Partner]

And it's so crazy because when Kehlani said janet here, I said, is that the surprise?

[Lauren LaRosa]

I wasn't sure.

[Portia's Partner]

Oh, my God. I love you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for always seeing me. Thank you for every text, every hug, every talk. You are my biggest inspiration. Everybody who knows me know how I feel about you. The fact that you even took out the time to be here to celebrate with me, this is. This is crazy. I love you so much. I love you so much.

[Eva Marcel]

So much.

[Portia's Partner]

Like you don't even understand. There would be no me without you.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Lauren Hill received an a legendary award as well, close the night out so much.

[Lauren Hill]

Thank you so much.

[T]

I,

[Lauren Hill]

you know, I do this because I love y'.

[Portia's Partner]

All.

[Lauren Hill]

You know, I do this because I want you to have everything that I experienced. Right. I had wonderful parents who loved on me, poured into me and protected me. And once I realized that not everybody got to have that experience, I felt like it was my duty, my responsibility to share as much love and to pour into much people as I possibly could. And music was a way for me to do that. Okay. But also, I have always cared about the expression and the representation of the dignity our people. Okay. So, you know, we put ourselves sometimes as artists, we put ourselves in places, in situations where we have to say things that aren't always comfortable, but we understand that people will understand later. You know, I fight for y'.

[Eva Marcel]

All.

[Lauren Hill]

Everybody may not know about it, but I fight for y'.

[T]

All.

[Lauren Hill]

And fighting for y' all is me fighting for myself. It's me fighting for my children. It's me fighting for my parents. It's me fighting for my grandparents. It's me fighting for my community.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Drew Ski hosted this year's awards, the 2026 BET Awards. And he was amazing as well.

I mean, I don't even know if,

like, a lot of his, like, sketches he did throughout the award show would even make sense. If you're just hearing it, I think you need to see it. So head on over to Brown girl grinding on Instagram to be able to do so. We were posting so many behind the scenes moments there, but he did an amazing job. Shout out to Drewi. I hope you guys have enjoyed this episode. I wanted to take you guys to the awards with me the best way I knew how. So make sure you guys are following me across social. I posted outfits, behind the scenes moments, all of the things there. I'm also doing a full vlog of the experience on my YouTube channel. LAUREN LAROSA, TV. Yes, it's been another year of the BET Awards. I'm Lauren LaRosa. This is the latest with Lauren LaRosa, your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment news, and all of the conversations that shake the room.

[Portia]

Baby.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I tell y' all every episode because I really mean it. I appreciate y'. All Be right here with me. Y' all could be anywhere with any old body talking about all of these things, especially the BET Awards because everybody's talking about it. But y' all tap in right here with me, my lowriders. I appreciate you and I'll catch you in my next episode.

[Kal Penn]

Hey, everyone, it's Kal Penn I'm inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with my podcast, Hearsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. Every episode, I nerd out with amazing guests and dive into the best new audiobooks available on Audible. It's the book club for your ears. Listen to Earsay the Audible and iHeart audiobook club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Orderly Meds Advertiser]

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[Odoo Advertiser]

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[Just Food for Dogs Advertiser]

Guaranteed human.