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DeVon Franklin Opens Up About Divorce, Faith, and His New Audible Original Be True

by Jasawn Pryce
written by Jasawn Pryce

There’s a moment in every hard season when you realize you can’t fake your way through it anymore. Healing doesn’t start with answers. It starts with honesty. That realization became the foundation of Be True: My Journey from Breakdown to Breakthrough, DeVon Franklin’s new Audible Original and one man stage show, created after his public divorce and a season that pushed him to explore his life, faith, and personal growth.

Rooted in storytelling and emotional honesty, Be True follows Franklin’s journey from a painful public chapter to a life shaped by authenticity and self-trust. The show offers an intimate look at what it means to sit with discomfort, confront your truth, and begin rebuilding from the inside out. Through candid moments, Franklin invites listeners to witness a man confronting loss, rediscovering his purpose, and learning to embrace his own humanity.

In our interview, Franklin opens up about vulnerability, lessons from marriage, and navigating life’s toughest moments. He shares insights, moments of clarity, and personal transformation, showing that growth does not follow a straight path and that facing yourself honestly is often the first step toward healing. Even in public scrutiny and personal heartbreak, it is possible to move forward with intention and courage.

For anyone feeling stuck in a difficult season, Be True is a comforting reminder that you are not alone. Franklin’s story encourages self-reflection, emotional honesty, and the courage to confront life as it is, not as we wish it would be. Watch our full conversation with DeVon Franklin and listen to Be True: My Journey from Breakdown to Breakthrough now on Audible to experience the moments that shaped this deeply personal journey.

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EntertainmentEventsEventsLifestyleMusicThe LatestTheater

Inside Brassroots District, LA’s Most Immersive Funk Revival

by Parris Rose
written by Parris Rose

Los Angeles has never been short on nostalgia. But every so often, a project arrives that doesn’t just reference the past—it inhabits it. Brassroots District: LA ’74, which opened on February 7 at the historic Jewel’s Catch One, isn’t asking audiences to remember 1974. It’s inviting them to step inside it.

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How the Fifteen Percent Pledge Is Building Lasting Infrastructure for Black-Owned Businesses

by Parris Rose
written by Parris Rose

What began as a single call to action in 2020 has evolved into one of the most influential economic equity movements in modern retail. On Saturday night, the Fifteen Percent Pledge returned with its annual fundraising gala at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles—marking not just another glamorous evening, but a powerful checkpoint in a long-term strategy to build sustainable infrastructure for Black-owned businesses.

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EntertainmentThe LatestTV

William Stanford Davis Talks Abbott Elementary Season 5 and Upcoming Wanda Sykes Film

by Ashley Friedman
written by Ashley Friedman

William Stanford Davis spoke exclusively to The Knockturnal about Mr. Johnson’s recent love interest on Abbott Elementary, his upcoming film Undercard, and more. You can vote for him now through February 13th for the NAACP Image Awards in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Category.

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‘The (M) Factor 2’ Pulls Perimenopause Into the Spotlight

by Nyah Davis
written by Nyah Davis

In 2026, conversations around perimenopause are finally moving into the mainstream. Tamsen Fadal, Denise Pines, and Joanne LaMarca Mathinsen push that shift forward with their documentary The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause. The film brings an informative perspective to perimenopause, the natural phase women experience leading up to menopause — a topic that still isn’t discussed enough in the medical world.

Viewers get a closer look into the realities of perimenopause with guidance from medical professionals in The (M) Factor 2. The documentary serves as a sequel to The (M) Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause, which centers on menopause and the broader conversation surrounding it.

Mathinsen told The Knockturnal that the project represents hope for change for both younger and older generations.

Expressing her sentiment for the film, she said, “This has direct impact on the longevity and the health of women around the world.”

The executive producer continued, “The earlier we recognize the symptoms of perimenopause, the better off — and healthier — we are in the long run.”

The study of perimenopause and menopause goes beyond treating symptoms and extends into women’s overall quality of life. Mathinsen explained that when perimenopausal symptoms are treated, women are happier, able to maintain their jobs, relationships, and mental health.

Women of all ages are encouraged to prepare for perimenopause by staying active and building muscle. “The more you work out in your 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s, and beyond, the better off and stronger you’ll be,” Mathinsen said. Maintaining this balance is especially important to help prevent hip fractures after age 50, which can shorten life expectancy by approximately 30 percent.

Cardiologist Dr. Jayne Morgan also shares her perspective in the documentary, telling The Knockturnal that women should begin preparing for perimenopause as early as possible. “We go through puberty and everybody talks about it — it’s beautiful, there’s this big blossoming,” she explained. “But then nobody talks about perimenopause and menopause. We should actually learn about it alongside puberty.”

While The (M) Factor 2 focuses on advocating for women’s perimenopausal health, Dr. Morgan emphasized the importance of self-advocacy. “If you think that you’re not being seen or heard, you can certainly change physicians — there’s nothing wrong with that,” she said, encouraging women to ask for specific tests and care.

It may come as a surprise to many viewers that physicians often receive little formal training on menopause. Dr. Morgan explained that this gap stems largely from the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study, which linked certain hormone replacement therapies to increased health risks. The fallout from the study led to widespread hesitation around HRT and a decline in menopause-related medical education.

“We’re still at a point where you may actually know more than your doctor about it,” Dr. Morgan told The Knockturnal.

She hopes that women who watch The (M) Factor 2 gain a better understanding of their bodies and feel empowered to have open conversations about perimenopause.

The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause premieres March 19 on PBS.

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Inside Borrowed Spotlight: A Living Tribute to Holocaust Survivors in Los Angeles

by Eliana Arian
written by Eliana Arian

On February 3,  we arrived at the Los Angeles opening of Borrowed Spotlight in West Hollywood. The exhibition unfolded across three packed gallery rooms, along with a smaller adjoining space where a short film played on loop — intimate clips of Holocaust survivors speaking directly with the celebrities paired with them, sharing their stories face to face.

At the front of the gallery lay the coffee-table book the team has been working on for nearly four years. It is remarkable, filled with striking portraits and excerpts of testimony from each survivor, thoughtfully paired with a public figure helping to amplify their story. Lining the walls were large-scale photographs of the survivors — some alone, others mid-conversation — each accompanied by a brief paragraph recounting their lives. Interspersed throughout were quotes pulled directly from their words.

While the room was filled with celebrities who participated in the project, what mattered most was that the survivors themselves were there. Many of them had come.

One woman, nearly 100 years old, stepped onto the stage wearing a sparkling cobalt blue sweater. When we spoke with her afterward, she lit up talking about her pregnant granddaughter, who was also in attendance. Overcome with excitement, she shimmied and danced in place, full of life and animated. Nearby stood another survivor, 108 years old, dressed in a bright red sweater and gold sneakers. The energy in the room was alive in a way that felt rare and deeply moving. One survivor shared that he had not spoken his story aloud for more than 90 years before finally telling it for the first time with the Borrowed Spotlight team.

South African–born photographer Bryce Thompson also spoke during the evening, reflecting on the years he spent working on the project. Though he is not Jewish, he described feeling a deep responsibility to help preserve and share these stories, many of which had never been told publicly before.

Quotes from survivors lined the gallery walls:

“If you don’t tell your story, people won’t know.” — Gabriella Karin
“When someone puts out their hand, you never let it go empty.” — Yetta Kane
“My grandchildren are my revenge.” — Elizabeth Wilf

With fewer Holocaust survivors alive each year, the urgency of preserving these stories — in their own words — felt especially present.

One of the most moving moments of the evening came when 108-year-old survivor Risa Igelfeld stood up and signed her name on the back of her portrait.  She beamed as she did it.  As Jenna Dewan, who was paired up with her, reflected, ” I left with a really life-changing moment. It blew me away that somebody that I was dancing with survived the unimaginable and has such positivity and light and life force to her still at 108. And it just changed the way I see life and I hear life, my perspective.’

The photo exhibition runs until March 1 at Hancock Park.

Risa Igelfeld, Jenna Dewan

 

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