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Sammy Davis Jr. Was Nearly Killed for Trying to Wed a White Actress
Actor/singer Sammy Davis Jr. was a rising star in Hollywood when he fell for white movie star Kim Novak. However, their interracial romance was enough to ruin both their careers and almost cost Davis his life. When Columbia Pictures studio chief Harry Cohn found out Davis and Novak were headed for marital bliss, he reportedly ordered a hit by the mob on the Black entertainer.
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Richard Pryor’s Drug Use May Have Caused Pam Grier’s Cervical Cancer
It was during a routine visit to her OB-GYN that 70’s actress Pam Grier found out she had cocaine on her cervix. Grier’s suspicions quickly turned to comedian and former boyfriend Richard Pryor, who frequently indulged in the drug.
If Pryor was not putting the drug directly on his member, doctors said the substance likely accumulated in his prostate and was negatively affecting Grier’s reproductive health. The actress said she’s unsure if the cocaine that entered her system contributed to her cervical cancer diagnosis years later.
