*The above photo is from the US Open, just a few weeks ago. The woman beside Latifah is allegedly named Eboni Nichols.

By most accounts, Queen Latifah was in a very solid, stable relationship with a personal trainer named Jeanette Jenkins. In the past few years, Latifah and Jeanette were even photographed together with more frequency, and there were even reports that Latifah and Jeanette wanted to start a family together. Last year, the two of them even went to Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz’s wedding, the paparazzi even got photos of Latifah and Jeanette frolicking on a yacht. Like this:

So… sad news. It seems like Latifah and Jeanette have called it quits after eight years together. Worse news: Latifah might have lined up her jumpoff before she and Jeanette were really over. The jumpoff lady is named Eboni Nichols, and Eboni and Latifah have had a close friendship for a while now. She might have been the unidentified woman in last year’s suspicious photos of Latifah in Barcelona. Here’s more from the Enquirer:

After an eight-year relationship, Queen Latifah has split with her lover and is stepping out with her choreographer, say sources. Eboni Nichols is dancing her way into Queen Latifah’s life on the heels of Latifah’s breakup with longtime galpal Jeanette Jenkins.

“Latifah and Jeanette had lots of problems,” said an insider. “Their arguments were tearing them apart. But it was the Queen’s long-time friendship and professional relationship with Eboni that eventually drove a wedge between her and Jeanette. Even though they’ve broken up and gotten back together before, this time it definitely seems like the end.”

Latifah, 41, and Eboni, 33, have been friends since 2009, when Eboni choreographed a guest appearance by the Queen on Dancing with the Stars. Even though Latifah and Jeanette were arm-in-arm at the 2010 BET Awards and the two spent time together that summer on a yacht off the Italian coast, weeks later the Queen and Eboni were together, enjoying a trip to Barcelona, Spain.

Latifah always insisted that she and Eboni were “just friends” – but personal trainer Jeanette was not buying it.

“Needless to say, Jeanette was not very happy about their relationship,” said the source. “And she let Latifah know about it in no uncertain terms.”

Jeanette and Latifah are remaining cordial in the wake of their recent breakup, say sources: “Their relationship had been rocky for a while, and during one of their ‘breaks’ Latifah spent time with Eboni… still, it was hard for her to end her relationship with Jeanette.”

[From The Enquirer, print edition]

It sounds like Latifah was stepping out whenever she and Jeanette were having problems, but I’ll also buy that Latifah and Jeanette were having problems beyond “another woman”. There’s always more to the story. Still, if this is even partially true, I feel like Latifah mistreated Jeanette to a certain extent. Sad.

Here’s a recent photo of Jeanette from a few weeks ago… she’s cute.

More of Latifah and Eboni (allegedly).

Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News, archived Bauer-Griffin photo from 2010.

The gist of this story is pretty straight-forward: Queen Latifah is awesome and she knows it. I kept reading various gossip pieces that the producers of Dancing With the Stars wanted Queen Latifah to compete this season. There were even rumors that the Queen had signed on, but when the official announcement came out, there was no Queen. What happened? According to Hollywood Life’s source, Queen Latifah thinks she’s simply too important to appear on Dancing With the Stars. You know what? She’s right.

Queen Latifah was originally slated to be competing on season 13 of ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ so what happened? HollywoodLife.com has the inside scoop!

We’re guessing Rob Kardashian, David Arquette, Elisabetta Canalis and the rest of the season 13 cast of Dancing with the Stars are all competing because they think it will help their images and their careers. However, an insider tells HollywoodLife.com Queen Latifah, 41, felt the exact opposite way about the popular ABC reality show.

“She thought it would be a career downturn,” an insider tells us about why the 41-year-old comedian didn’t end up signing on. “She didn’t believe she needs it, even though she is a fan of the show.”

Perhaps that’s true. As a performer, the Queen has won an astonishing two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe AND a Grammy Award, in addition to being nominated for an Emmy and an Academy Award, to name a few. She’s done just fine without having to strut her stuff on a prime time competition show.

That said, Queen Latifah is such a fun entertainer, we would have loved to have watched spin her way on the dance floor and if we were betting folks, probably would have put our money on her to win the Mirror Ball Trophy!

[From Hollywood Life]

Seriously! I cosign this, even if it is not a true representation of Queen Latifah’s real feelings. I would be very disappointed in the Queen if she was dancing away on the same show that featured Elisabetta Canalis and Nancy Grace. She does not need it – she’s doing fine.

I do wonder if there’s another reason she didn’t want to sign on for one of the top-rated, family-friendly shows in primetime: Queen Latifah is gay, and there’s still a chunk of her fan base that doesn’t know that yet. She keeps her personal life very quiet, and she’s not going to put herself out there for mass consumption, especially when she simply doesn’t need to.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

As we know, Queen Latifah has a girlfriend. She and Jeanette Jenkins have been together for years, and they keep their stuff pretty private. Last summer, the Queen and Jeanette did go together to Alicia Keys’ wedding, and photographers got some cute photos of the couple frolicking on a yacht. Queen never confirmed or denied anything – so that’s probably the only subdued confirmation we’re going to get about Latifah’s sexuality, which is fine. She hasn’t constructed some dumb sham romance with a dude, she’s just living her private life quietly and honestly. Anyway, The National Enquirer has a nice story about Latifah and Jeanette – apparently, they’ve decided that they want a baby together. No one is knocked up yet, but I hope it happens for them:

Queen Latifah is having a baby! After mulling over motherhood for a couple of years, the 40-year-old star and her longtime girlfriend and personal trainer Jeanette Jenkins have finally decided to raise a little one, say friends.

“Queen and Jeanette are incredibly happy with each other, and they want to start a family,” a close pal told the Enquirer. “A baby is their No. I priority and they’re considering all their options.”

Queen Latifah hasn’t ruled out getting pregnant, but since she does have some major work commitments coming up, they’re also considering having Jeanette carry the child, said the source.

“Surrogacy and adoption are two other possibilities. Neither one of them is hung up on where the baby comes from. They know they’re going to fall head over heels with their child however the baby comes to them. They both feel children are a blessing.”

Latifah comes from a close-knit family and has always wanted children, according to the source. “But it was only recently that Queen and Jeanette finally sat down and said to each other, ‘Yup, it’s time.’ As much as she loves kids, there was a time when Queen thought she’d never get to be called ‘Mommy’ – but that was a long time ago – before she blossomed into a superstar. And now with Jeanette at her side, Queen’s never been happier. The only thing left to complete their lives is a child of their own.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition]

I would like to see Latifah as a mom. You know she would be kick-ass. I wonder how old Jeanette is…? It was my understanding that Jeanette was several years younger than Latifah. I’m just saying… Jeanette might have an easier time getting pregnant. Sigh… I want them to use someone really good as the donor. Right? Like, LL Cool J. Or Denzel. Or John Legend.

The Queen and her girlfriend on a yacht on August 4, 2010. Credit: Bauer-Griffin. Additional pic courtesy of WENN.

Queen Latifah has a girlfriend. Her name is Jeanette Jenkins (it could be spelled “Jeannette” too, various sources have it spelled both ways), and she’s a personal trainer. Latifah and Jenkins have been rumored to be dating for years – and most sources have them living together in Latifah’s New Jersey mansion. Note: the woman with Latifah in these photos is not Jeanette. This is some new girl. If you want to see Jeanette, go here – Latifah and Jeanette were both on the marital yacht of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, just a few weeks ago, looking cute. So who is this new girl that Latifah is so affectionate with in Barcelona?

Bossip doesn’t know who this chick is either: “Maybe they’re just friends but that looks like a romantic dinner and stroll in the rain to us!” I don’t know… yeah, Latifah could just be affectionate with a female friend. Or Latifah could just have special ladies in every country. Day-um, Latifah.

Queen Latifah and a mystery woman in Barcelon on August 12, 2010. Credit: Bauer-Griffin.

How much fun would it be to date Queen Latifah? I think it would so, so cool. I imagine she’s a really awesome girlfriend, and that once you go Latifah, you never go back. These photos don’t really confirm anything that hasn’t already been said before – Latifah has a girlfriend. Her name is Jeannette Jenkins, she’s a personal trainer, and they live together. Latifah was one of Alicia Keys’ invited guests on her yacht wedding, and I guess Latifah’s invitation had a “plus one” so Jeannette came along to enjoy a week of sun and fun off the coast of France.

Personally, I think Latifah is one of the smartest women in the industry, and I find her to be an excellent role model for young women. Why is Latifah cosigning Alicia’s mess with Swizz? I don’t get it. Latifah should be telling Alicia some hard truths about this man, for real.

Also: I love this photo of Jeannette grabbin’ some of that ass. They’re really cute together!

The Queen and her girlfriend on a yacht on August 4, 2010. Credit: Bauer-Griffin.

Queen Latifah was one of the major early contenders for last week’s “Who?” People Magazine “I’m Gay” reveal. It ended up being country singer Chely Wright, and I swear to God I just had to look that up again because I’m still all “Who?” Anyway, when the rumor started going around that a female celebrity was “finally” going to come out of the closet, many thought of none other than Queen Latifah. Personally, while I think Queen Latifah could totally be gay, I’ve yet to really see any definitive evidence of it, like an interview admission, or a woman who has come out and claimed “Yeah, Latifah and I were lovers.”

In any case, Latifah has a new (hetero) romantic comedy coming out this week called Just Wright. Common is in it… oohh, so is Pam “Cocaine Vagina” Grier! Yay! This might be a good one. Latifah was interviewed in this week’s Parade, and she talks about glass ceilings, being a tomboy (once again, not a real admission of lesbianism in my book), and getting the hook up from Common.

“I didn’t even see the damn glass ceiling. I just pushed up through it. I was the type of girl who fell on my face early. I learned how it felt to get rejected and get back up and dust myself off. I knew what it was to give it your all and find a way to work through it,” Latifah says.

Queen Latifah loves basketball, a sport that taught her how to play the game of life. Now, in Just Wright, the die-hard New York Nets fan gets to cheer for her favorite team and fall in love with the star player (played by rapper Common, in his first leading romantic role).

Latifah remembers the downside of growing up on the court. “I didn’t even know what a ‘tomboy’ was until people started calling me that,” she says. “I was like, ‘I’m not a boy.’ But I was a fighter. So it didn’t matter what they called me, I was always gonna kick butt and take names. My mom was very supportive and she said, ‘You’re not a tomboy. You’re just sports inclined.’

Helping Common live up to his hunky image.
“There were certain scenes where I was like, ‘Man, you’re that dude. Girls throw their selves all over you. Be that dude!’ Sometimes I would just pump him up, like gas, because he’s so humble. I’m like, man, ‘F that! You can turn back to that other guy after we finish filming.’”

As for their moment of on-screen passion.
“That’s what the movie is all about. It’s all about me having the opportunity to be in bed with Common. I mean, what’s this all for if I can’t hook that up? No, I’m just kidding. But it’s not a bad day of work. I just want everybody to know that we didn’t go for an R-rating.”

Sexy is in the eye of the beholder.
“I’ve always believed it’s not always what you look like, it’s who you are on the inside. Beauty from the inside out is something that I can connect with because that’s where you get your integrity and confidence.”

[From Parade]

What’s wrong with being called a tomboy? I get that people were probably calling her that as a derogatory name, but on face value, “tomboy” isn’t a bad name for girls at all. Some girls are tomboys. I was going to go on and on about how I think Latifah is a very empowering role model for young women, and then I read the synopsis of Just Wright. It pits two women against each other as they vie for Common’s character’s affections. From Metro Spirit: “[It’s a] romantic comedy about a pro-basketball player (Common) who suffers a potentially career-ending knee injury and becomes attracted to his physical therapist. Queen Latifah plays Leslie Wright, the no-nonsense physical therapist who vies with her stick-thin-and-gorgeous friend (Paula Patton) for the athlete’s attention.” Not feminist, Latifah. Also, it sounds a lot like The Truth About Cats and Dogs.

I almost always love Queen Latifah in whatever endeavor she undertakes. I think she’s a really cool lady, and a talented actress with a great voice, and I think she’s been very smart about her career and how she manages her image. All of that being said, I think the Queen came across as a little vapid in a recent interview where she was discussing the situation in Haiti. Apparently, this happened on the Today Show. The Queen was asked about the situation in Haiti, and she said wanted to adopt “some of those babies.” Here’s more:

The multi-talented Queen Latifah stopped by The Today Show yesterday to chat about her current projects on and off the big screen.

The Chicago star discussed the latest cause that is near and dear to her: Working with Pure, a company that helps to provide clean drinking water for people who need it around the world.

When talk turned to Hollywood’s efforts to aid Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake that hit earlier this month, Queen Latifah revealed that her thoughts are with the country’s kids.

“I wanna just go down there and get some of those babies,” she said. “If you got a hook up, please get me a couple of Haitian kids. It’s time. I’m ready. I got two arms, I can handle at least two. I can take a third in a backpack, and one in the front, we could just wrap it in some swaddling cloth…give me four.”

This isn’t the first time that Latifah, 39, has talked about adopting. In 2007 she told Ellen DeGeneres, “I want to have and adopt [kids]. I always have, ever since I was 18 I wanted a baby and I wanted to have and adopt because there are a lot of kids.”

[From Celebrity Baby Scoop]

Now, I think it would be a great idea for Queen Latifah to adopt, and God knows how many orphans are now in Haiti. Someone needs to help those kids, and I do hope that many of the orphans will end up being adopted through international adoptions. But the Queen comes across as rather cavalier about the whole thing, doesn’t she? I mean, was she just like “give me some babies!” for laughs, or is she trying to be serious? If she’s serious, she needs to get on it with some lawyers and adoption agencies and a helicopter, you know?

Queen Latifah at the BET Honors in Washington, DC on January 16, 2010. Credit: WENN.

These are photos from last night’s Broadway Extravaganza event, which is Rosie O’Donnell’s charity for Broadway. The blond teenage boy is her son Parker! He’s all grown up. He’s a cutie, too. Chelsea is the little one making a “I hate you all” face, which she probably gets from Rosie. I’m so glad to see Parker, though. He really is growing up well.

Anyway, in all of the randomness and over-the-top tabloid stories coming out about Rosie O’Donnell and Kelli Carpenter’s split (two years ago), one salient detail had slipped my mind: Rosie is single now. Oh, God. She’s back on the market! When People Magazine cornered Rosie at her Broadway Extravaganza event, Rosie admitted that being single again sucked big time.

Living single is less than rosy for Rosie O’Donnell.

“I’m not [enjoying the single life],” O’Donnell told PEOPLE Monday at Rosie’s Broadway Extravaganza annual gala. “But on we grow, so to speak.”

Earlier this month, O’Donnell revealed on her SIRIUS Satellite radio show that her longtime partner Kelli Carpenter had moved out two years ago.

Accompanied at the gala by her son Parker, 15, the former View co-host side -stepped other questions regarding her personal life but says that through everything, her four kids are doing “very well.”

Her friend Judy Gold says O’Donnell waited two years to let the public know of the split because of her children. “She has the kids,” said Gold. “I think she’s entitled to her private life and that’s what it is, private.”

Although O’Donnell may not enjoy being single, Gold said that “Ro” is getting by just fine: “She seems happy and grounded. She’s in the drivers seat here.”

O’Donnell’s annual Broadway Extravaganza, held in New York City, is a fundraiser for her arts education organization, Rosie’s Kids.

[From People]

I feel for her… but I’m sure there’s someone out there for her. I’m being serious too – I’m not saying Rosie’s a catch, but I’m sure she’ll be able to find someone nice and decent. Her friend Judy Gold told OK! Magazine that Rosie isn’t ready for us to fix her up, though. Gold said: “I don’t think she’s probably ready. You have that marriage, you have the kids — it’s a long process. I have no idea. [With the split], I think it’s her choice and I think she has kids… I think she’s entitled to her private life, and that’s what it is — private. I think it’s great that she’s in the driver’s seat here.” Aw… poor Rosie. I want her to find someone nice, but quirky. Last night Natasha Lyonne and Queen Latifah were at the event… maybe they want to date Rosie?

Header photo is Rosie O’Donnell with her kids Chelsea and Parker and “a friend” at Rosie’s Broadway Extravaganza event in New York, November 23, 2009. Additional photos of Rosie with Natasha Lyonne (who has gained a lot of weight) and Queen Latifah, who looks amazing. Credit: WENN.

Of all the stories we hear about celebrities behaving badly here’s a nice one about someone looking out for her friends. Queen Latifah celebrated her 39th brithday party at a recording studio with friends. When it came time to leave at 2am The Queen made everyone take breathalyzer tests to see if they were fit to drive and the people who weren’t had to take taxis home:

Celebrating her 39th birthday, Queen Latifah and dozens of pals donner their booze goggles and danced their booties off at S.I.R. recording studio on Sunset Blvd., where you can rent rooms for private bashes – but precisely at 2 a.m., the responsible Queen made all her friends take Breathalyzer tests, and sent those who failed home in taxicabs!

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, Mike Walker's column, May 4, 2009]

Queen Latifah lost her brother in 1992 in a motorcycle accident. He was a police officer killed off duty on a bike that she had just given him as a gift. She now wears the key to her brother’s motorcycle around her neck on a chain. Latifah was also involved in a scooter accident last May while on vacation in the Virgin Islands and is said to have “went flying” when she lost control. She suffered only minor injuries but it must have been an awful scare. She has some sad experiences with accidents in her life and knows all too well the dangers of driving. Good for Latifah for making sure her friends are sober enough to drive.

Here are pictures from Queen Latifah’s birthday party at S.I.R. on 3/28/09. You can tell that many guests are less than sober. Shown are Yoyo’ Yolanda Whitaker, MC Lyte, Paris Hilton and Doug Reinhardt, Vivica A Fox, Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson, Taryn Manning and Kim Kardashian.

Photo credit: WENN.com

Queen Latifah always seemed like the type of woman who has a good head on her shoulders. There’s just something about her energy I really liked. Unfortunately I might have been off – it seems the Queen has some financial issues. Specifically in terms of paying her employees their salaries. According to two lawsuits that have been filed, Latifah owes her stylist $300,000 and her cosmetologist $700,000 in back pay.

The people who kept Queen Latifah pretty are making some ugly accusations about the CoverGirl spokeswoman. Cosmetologist Roxanna Floyd and stylist Susan Moses say they’ve been stiffed out of $1 million for their work on Queen Latifah’s CoverGirl ad campaign, as well as the star’s “Curvations” line of intimate apparel.

The Brooklyn women filed separate breach of contract suits yesterday in Manhattan Federal Court against the “Bringing Down the House” star, whose real name is Dana Owens. Moses says Latifah promised her a $50,000-a-year salary when she went to work on the Curvations line in 2005, and is due $300,000.

“Despite such demands and assurances as well as expressions of remorse for having stiffed plaintiff … defendants have completely failed to pay plaintiff for her services and …. expenses relating to Curvations,” Moses’ lawyer Carmen Giordano wrote.

Latifah spokeswoman Amanda Silverman called the suits “without merit,” but declined to discuss them further.

Floyd, known as Roxie, has used her powder puff to touch up the likes of Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston and Mary J. Blige. She says she’s owed $700,000. Until last year, she was a consultant for the CoverGirl line of cosmetic products known as the “Queen Collection,” the suit says.

[From the Daily News]

This case actually seems relatively straight-forward to me. If Queen Latifah did in fact pay her employees, she’d have records of that. If the claims are “without merit,” show the records and it’ll all be dismissed. Easy, right? I suppose the only defense the Queen can take is that the women never worked for her. Though presumably both Roxanna Floyd and Susan Moses have some sort of evidence of work product.

Somehow I’m disappointed in Queen Latifah. I know we haven’t heard her side of things, but it seems unlikely that two employees would both file lawsuits saying they didn’t get paid when they did. I know she’s a busy woman, but that’s a lot of money to a non-celeb, and they deserve to get paid.

Here’s Queen Latifah (performing with ‘Yoyo’ Yolanda Whitaker) at her birthday Party at SIR in Los Angeles on Saturday. Images thanks to WENN .