After reality TV sensation Hazel-E made a bombshell statement during her recent Unwine With Tasha K interview, Fabolous ended up at the heart of controversy after she said one of his exes down in Houston died from cervical cancer caused by an undiagnosed STI. That conversation, which was quickly shared on Instagram via a widely circulated clip, was widely criticized. Some people called out Hazel-E for being insensitive and speaking on the private medical history of a deceased woman, while others questioned the legitimacy of her statement as a whole.

In either case, the online chatter was quick and heated. However, Hazel-E doubled down later in the comments, trying to redirect the focus to women’s health awareness. “Allegedly is what I heard from a veryyyyyyyy reliable source… bv, hpv… tomatoes tomatoes,” she wrote, downplaying the backlash while saying her real goal was to bring attention to important topics of women’s health. It was damage already done, and it’s safe to say Fabolous wasn’t here for that. While he hasn’t penned an epic screed about the situation, sources close to the rapper tell us that he is furious behind the scenes, saying that Hazel-E really crossed a line, including someone close to him, especially under such uncertain and intimate circumstances.

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The situation gets at a bigger conversation happening in hip-hop. Hazel-E’s effort to turn the whole thing into some PSA may have been well-motivated, but going after someone connected to Fabolous with serious health allegations finds the balance between social media’s fodder for consumption and clout chasing, and now, a conversation about respect and consent in the digital age. Although Fabolous hasn’t clapped back with the same volume as the rumor, his lack of commentary is just as loud. In an era when everyone’s business is but a click away, this latest scrap is a reminder that in hip-hop, even the touchiest of subjects are often best broached or left untouched with a little more delicacy and a lot less guesswork.

Will Smith is riding high off the release of his new album, Based On A True Story, but instead of fans discussing his music, comedian Corey Holcomb has turned the attention on himself again with a very personal and controversial allegation. When Holcomb popped on Cam Newton’s Funky Friday YouTube show a while back, he didn’t pull any punches. In the middle of a conversation about celebrity polyamory and open relationships, topics that get linked to Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Holcomb went even further, claiming Will Smith is in the closet.

“But Will is gay,” Holcomb said bluntly, leading Newton to ask whether he had any proof. Not with proof but with casserole, “I live in L.A. Does that make sense to you? I live in Los Angeles. There’s a lot of opportunities I don’t get because the guys don’t want me to be in public with their boyfriends.” I’ve suffered from that. It’s like, everyone already knows anyway.” The exchange was casual in tone but had weighty implications. Holcomb’s comments, which are not substantiated, are rooted in hearsay and subjective opinion. However, they come at a moment when speculation about Will and Jada’s unusual marriage is still trending in public. It’s a step that straddles the line between audacious opinion and invasive rumor and raises questions about the ethics of speculating on someone’s sexuality without permission.

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With Based On A True Story being a creative comeback for Smith, the re-emergence of these kinds of headlines is somewhat déjà vu for the artist, whose personal life has long been tabloid fodder. And while Will has been open about love, fame, and even his mistakes in his memoir, the relentless mining of his identity, especially in such suggestive terms, continues to eclipse his artistry. To Holcomb, the comments seemed to express annoyance with Hollywood gatekeeping above all. But during a time in which queer identity is still a deeply personal journey, flinging allegations around without explicit context is hurtful. And though Corey Holcomb might feel like “everybody knows anyway,” we’re reminded here that there’s a difference between transparency and intrusion. In this case, the latter might have spoken louder than the actual joke.