Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Michael Jackson's mother Katherine on Monday won temporary guardianship


Michael Jackson's mother Katherine on Monday won temporary guardianship of the late singer's children and control of his estate as a legal battle over his kids, money and belongings began to take shape. Katherine Jackson won the first round in what could become a protracted fight over an estate estimated to be valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.U2 launch world tour in Barcelona on giant stage

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Irish rock group U2 kick off their first tour in three years on Tuesday, playing to 90,000 fans in Barcelona on one of the biggest concert stages ever built. Over the next four months U2 will perform to an estimated three million fans in 31 cities across Europe and North America, with more dates expected to be announced next year. TV "pitchman" Mays had heart disease, no trauma

TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) - Billy Mays, well known for pitching a variety of products in U.S. television commercials, had heart disease but did not appear to have suffered head trauma in a rough airplane landing prior to dying in his sleep on Sunday, a medical examiner in Florida said on Monday. The bearded, black-haired Mays, 50, who gained fame as an enthusiastic TV "pitchman" advertising an array of commercial products, was found dead by his wife at their home in Tampa, Florida.

"No Clothes" brings together comics, politicos

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - "The News Has No Clothes," a stage show mixing politics and comedy and featuring comedian Lewis Black and former White House press secretary Dana Perino, might be the next late-night television format. Veteran comedy producers and masterminds of the defunct U.S. Comedy Arts Festival (USCAF) in Aspen, Colorado, are returning to the mountain resort as part of this week's Aspen Ideas Festival to try out their idea. If the stage show works, its producers hope to pitch the concept -- described as "The View" and "Politically Incorrect" meet the vintage BBC show "That Was the Week That Was" -- to TV networks for a possible late-night slot.

From:www.washingtonpost.com

Monday, June 29, 2009

Michael Jackson was fatally stricken last week



Investigators on Monday retrieved medications from the rented mansion where pop star Michael Jackson was fatally stricken last week, a coroner's official said.Two coroner's investigators and two police detectives spent several hours inside the three-story estate home and then emerged with two large red bags filled with evidence.

The coroner's office performed an autopsy on the 50-year-old entertainer's body on Friday but deferred a decision on the cause of death, citing the need for further tests. A second, private autopsy has been requested by the family, according to Jackson's father, Joe Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter told reporters outside the home that authorities returned to the home to gather additional items, which he identified as "some medications."

Winter cited "information that was obtained by the Los Angeles Police Department along with some questions we had involving some of the medications," but he did not elaborate.He would not say what type of medications were picked up. He also did not say how much medication there was or where in the home it was found.

A police official close to the investigation said detectives had used a search warrant to enter the house. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case and asked not to be named, declined to specify what was removed from the home but said investigators would be speaking to any doctors who were determined to have prescribed medications to Jackson.

Investigators have already interviewed Jackson's primary physician, Conrad Murray, and said he was cooperating fully.The investigation will possibly continue for another four or five weeks, "with extensive testing," Winter said.Winter said Jackson's family was being "extremely cooperative."Jackson was pronounced dead Thursday at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he was taken by paramedics.

The police official said the case remains a standard death investigation, and nothing suggests wrongdoing at this time.Two days after Jackson's death, moving vans were spotted arriving at his home. It wasn't known what was being taken out but one expert wondered about the ramifications of investigators returning to the house several days after the death.

Generally, if a case turns into a criminal investigation, taking evidence from a home days after a death creates the potential for a defense lawyer to claim evidence was tainted, University of Southern California law professor Jean Rosenbluth said."As soon as law enforcement gets information that there might be some kind of criminal activity, they go back," she said. "Any good defense attorney can make a claim that the evidence might have been tainted somehow because all sorts of people had access to it before the crime scene was secured."

Messages left for Los Angeles police Commander Patrick Gannon, the designated police spokesman on the Jackson case, were not immediately returned.

From:www.google.com

Michael Jackson, millions danced to "Billie Jean," "Beat It"


In the brief, electric prime of Michael Jackson, millions danced to "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and other songs so propulsive it almost didn't matter what they actually said.

But the lyrics - whether Jackson's or others' - could be as disturbing as the music was liberating. Sealed in the grooves were tales of deceit, paranoia, violence and victimization. Even before his life broke apart and the tabloids bore down, Jackson sang like a boy-man under attack.

"You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it," he warns on "Thriller," the title track to his all-time selling album and written by Rod Temperton. "You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes/You're paralyzed."

Jackson was almost 21 when his first "adult" record, "Off the Wall," came out in 1979. He had survived the childhood beatings and insults by his father and had already lived at least one life in show business, as the smiling, spinning prodigy fronting his brothers in the Jackson Five.

"Off the Wall" sold millions and shed the catchy, but impersonal persona of his child star youth. The title track, written by Temperton, was a lighthearted introduction to what would become Jackson's truest subjects: his strange life and the stolen innocence he wanted back. "The world is on your shoulder," the song advises, but "life ain't so bad it all/If you live it off the wall."

From:www.washingtonpost.com

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Transformers have discovered a new creation


Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen shattered box office records this weekend, raking in $201.2 million since its release Wednesday, according to studio estimates from Nielsen EDI.Despite pulverizing reviews — only a fifth of the nation's critics recommended the film, according to RottenTomatoes.com —Transformers was a juggernaut from opening day, when it did a record $60.6 million.

From there, it scaled near the top of every box office record. It grossed $126 million in its first three days, making it the fourth highest-opening film of all time. Transformers' five-day gross was behind only The Dark Knight's $203.8 million. For the weekend, Transformers did $112 million.The film, which opened on a Wednesday to have as many competition-free days as possible before Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince arrives July 15, gave Hollywood the shot in the arm it needed. Ticket sales soared 38% over the same weekend last year, and many films enjoyed spillover crowds from Transformers' sold-out shows.

The Sandra Bullock comedy The Proposal held strongly to take second place and $18.5 million.The raunchy comedy The Hangover continues to chug along, dropping just 36% to take third place with $17.2 million. Since its release last month, The Hangover has done $183 million.

The animated comedy Up also continues to sail skyward, doing $13 million and lifting its five-week total to $250.2 million.The only other major newcomer, the Cameron Diaz drama My Sister's Keeper, met most analysts' expectations with $12 million. The critically hailed drama The Hurt Locker opened well in limited release, doing $144,000 in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles. The film expands July 10.Final figures are due Monday.

From:www.usatoday.com

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Michael Jackson's family wants a private autopsy


Michael Jackson's family wants a private autopsy of the pop icon because of unanswered questions about how he died and the doctor who was with him, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said Saturday."It's abnormal," he told The Associated Press from Chicago a day after visiting the Jackson family. "We don't know what happened. Was he injected and with what? All reasonable doubt should be addressed."

People close to Jackson have said since his death that they were concerned about the superstar's use of painkillers. Los Angeles County medical examiners completed an autopsy Friday and said Jackson had taken prescription medication.Medical officials also said there was no indication of trauma or foul play. An official cause of death could take weeks.

The coroner's office released the body to Jackson's family Friday night. There was no immediate word on whether the second autopsy was being performed right away. Jesse Jackson described the family as grief-stricken.

"They're hurt because they lost a son. But the wound is now being kept open by the mystery and unanswered questions of the cause of death," he said.Two days after Jackson died at a Los Angeles hospital, sisters Janet and La Toya arrived at the mansion Jackson had been renting. They left without addressing reporters.

Moving vans also showed up at the Jackson home, leaving about an hour later. There was no indication what they might have taken away.The Jackson family issued a statement Saturday expressing its grief over the death and thanking his supporters.

"In one of the darkest moments of our lives we find it hard to find the words appropriate to this sudden tragedy we all had to encounter," said the statement made through People magazine. "We miss Michael endlessly."The Jackson family did not respond to a request for comment from the AP.There was also no word from the family on funeral plans. Many of Jackson's relatives have gathered at the family's Encino compound, caring there for Jackson's three children.

A person close to the family told the AP they feel upset and angry about a lack of information about those who were around the pop superstar in his final days. The person requested anonymity because of the delicate nature of the situation.Jackson had been rehearsing for 50 London concerts aimed at restoring his crown as the King of Pop. He died Thursday at age 50 after what his family said appeared to be cardiac arrest.

A 911 call from Jackson's rented home reported that his personal doctor was trying to revive him without success. Police have talked to Dr. Conrad Murray and have said they intend to speak with him again but have stressed he is not a criminal suspect.Murray has yet to speak publicly since Jackson's death. Police towed his car from Jackson's home hours after Jackson died and said later it could contain medication or other evidence. Coroner's officials also said Jackson was taking prescription medication but declined to elaborate.

A lawyer at a Houston firm, William M. Stradley, confirmed Murray had hired his firm and said one of its partners was meeting with Los Angeles police on Saturday. Stradley said Murray accompanied Michael Jackson to the hospital.

"He was there from the beginning and he's been cooperating with police from the very beginning," Stradley said. "Dr. Murray has never left L.A. since Mr. Jackson's death, and he remains there."

Murray lives in Las Vegas but apparently left his practice and moved in with Jackson about two weeks ago. No one answered the door Saturday at his Las Vegas home, which property records show Murray bought five years ago for $1.1 million.The promoter of the series of London concerts that Jackson was to begin next month has said Jackson personally insisted Murray be on the payroll.

Also Saturday, spiritual teacher Dr. Deepak Chopra said he had been concerned since 2005 that Jackson was abusing prescription painkillers and most recently spoke to the pop star about suspected drug use six months ago.

Chopra said Jackson, a longtime friend, asked him for painkillers in 2005 when the singer was staying with him following his trial on sex abuse allegations. Chopra said he refused. He also said the nanny of Jackson's children repeatedly contacted him with concerns about Jackson's drug use over the next four years.He said she told him a number of doctors would visit Jackson's homes in Santa Barbara County, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. Whenever the subject came up, Jackson would avoid his calls, Chopra said.

Associated Press writers Sophia Tareen in Chicago, Juan A. Lozano in Houston, and Gillian Flaccus, Brooke Donald, Beth Harris and Mike Blood and AP Global Media Services Production Manager Nico Maounis in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

From:news.yahoo.com

Jackson's famous friends reacted with shock and grief


"We're trying to pump him, he's not breathing," the caller is heard saying on the tape, released by Los Angeles fire officials Friday. "He's not responding to CPR, he's not responding to anything. Please hurry."

"We're on our way," the dispatcher responds, who then asks the caller, "Did the doctor see what happened?"

The caller can be heard asking the doctor what happened but gets no answer, and tells the dispatcher again to hurry.

Los Angeles police say they are looking for the doctor, who they hope will help in the investigation of Jackson's mysterious death. Los Angeles police spokeswoman Karen Rayner said police towed from Jackson's house a physician's BMW "because it may contain medications or other evidence that may assist the coroner."

Rayner did not know the physician's identity but said he was not the subject of a criminal investigation. The Los Angeles Times and The Associated Press reported the doctor is Dr. Conrad C. Murray, a cardiologist who practices in California, Nevada and Texas.

The autopsy on the body was completed by 1 pm local time. The results won't be final until more tests are completed.

Brian Oxman, a former attorney of Jackson's family and a family friend, said on NBC's Today show that he was concerned about Jackson's use of painkillers and he warned the singer's family about possible abuse.

"I said one day, we're going to have this experience. And when Anna Nicole Smith passed away, I said we cannot have this kind of thing with Michael Jackson," Oxman said.

"I don't know what caused his death. But I feared this day, and here we are."

Oxman claimed Jackson had prescription drugs at his disposal to help with pain suffered when he broke his leg after he fell off a stage and for broken vertebrae in his back.

Meanwhile, Jackson's famous friends reacted with shock and grief. "I can't stop crying. This is too sudden and shocking," said Supremes superstar Diana Ross, who helped launch Jackson's career. "I am unable to imagine this. My heart is hurting."

"When the autopsy comes, all hell's going to break loose, so thank God we're celebrating him now," Liza Minnelli told CBS' The Early Show by telephone.

Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presley's only child and Jackson's ex-wife, issued a sorrowful statement. "I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible," she said in a statement. "I am heartbroken for his children who I know were everything to him and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me."

In an emotional post on her MySpace blog, Presley denied that her marriage to Jackson was a sham, as many have suggested, lamented that she had failed to save him from his fate, and recounted how Jackson himself predicted years ago that he would end up dying tragically like Elvis.

"The hardest decision I have ever had to make, which was to walk away and let his fate have him, even though I desperately loved him and tried to stop or reverse it somehow," Presley wrote in her blog. "All of my indifference and detachment that I worked so hard to achieve over the years has just gone into the bowels of hell and right now I am gutted."

Debbie Rowe, Jackson's second ex-wife and a former nurse for his dermatologist who bore two of his children, was said to be inconsolable. Her attorney, Iris Finsilver, released a prepared statement in which Rowe calls Jackson "a beautiful and loving soul."

(Rowe and Jackson married in 1996 and divorced in 1999, after Rowe gave birth to Prince Michael, 12, and Paris-Michael, 11. Jackson's youngest child, Prince Michael II, 7, nicknamed "Blanket," was born to a surrogate mother in Europe. He was the baby Jackson dangled from the fourth-floor balcony of a Berlin hotel, prompting criticism of Jackson's parenting around the world. The three children, who were at the hospital where Jackson was declared dead, are said to be staying with Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson.)

President Obama was more restrained in his reaction to the death. After saying nothing about Jackson on Thursday, Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, on Friday did not mention Jackson until asked about him at his regular White House briefing. Gibbs said the president saw Jackson as a spectacular performer and music icon whose life nonetheless had sad and tragic aspects. Gibbs said Obama sends his condolences to the late singer's family and fans.

Congress also reacted: The House of Representatives paused for a moment of silence Friday to mark Jackson's passing.

Jackson, 50, died Thursday at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles after becoming ill at his nearby Holmby Hills rented home. He had been preparing for a series of 50 concerts starting July 13 at London's O2 arena.

The cause of death was unclear, but his brother Jermaine Jackson said Thursday that he appeared to have suffered cardiac arrest. The official cause won't be known until after the autopsy.

Jackson's personal physician was with him when he was taken ill and attempted to resuscitate him, as did arriving paramedics, Jermaine Jackson said. He was unconscious when the ambulance delivered him to the hospital.

As word of his death spread, MTV switched its programming to play Jackson videos. Radio stations began playing marathons of his hits. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital. In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cellphone.

Jackson, gifted from birth, famous since childhood and a figure of equal parts tragedy and success, had long demonstrated physical and mental frailty. But he was said to be working out and rehearsing at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in preparation for yet another comeback. The shows were to feature the elements that made him such a sensational performer — fabulous choreography, elaborate staging, and irresistible dance beats.

From:www.usatoday.com

Friday, June 26, 2009

Fans of Michael Jackson flocked to Hollywood Boulevard


- Fans of Michael Jackson flocked to Hollywood Boulevard on Thursday as they learned of the singer's tragic death - only to find they couldn't leave tributes on his sidewalk star.

Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was blocked off by scaffolding set up for a movie premiere, Sacha Baron Cohen's "Bruno."

Extra security guards were brought in to keep distraught fans with candles and flowers away from the sidewalk star.

"I grew up with Michael Jackson," said Suzette Jones, 45, a Virginia woman who was in Los Angeles visiting her son at the University of Southern California.

"I saw the Jackson 5 in concert. Who cares about Bruno?"

"I think it's disrespectful."

Jones and her son, Erik Douglas, 26, wandered around Hollywood Boulevard for an hour, dazed by the news and searching for the star to leave flowers before they realized it was under the scaffolding.

"He's a pop icon," she said tearfully. "If anyone should be remembered in Hollywood, it should be him. How come we can't honor him?"

Some fans gathered on Vine Street at a star labeled "Michael Jackson" - apparently unaware that it was named for the radio personality of the same name.

Rafael Landa, 46, of Hollywood, was struck by the two celebrity deaths Thursday, Jackson's and actress Farrah Fawcett's.

"Hollywood was struck twice today," said Landa, who left a candle at Fawcett's star.

From;www.contracostatimes.com

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Michael Jackson was taking a cocktail of up to seven prescription drugs


Life & Style reports that Michael Jackson was taking a cocktail of up to seven prescription drugs in the months before his death.

The star had been taking prescription painkillers including anti-anxiety drugs Xanax, Zoloft and painkiller Demerol in recent months, sources close to Jackson told Life & Style. The insider close to the star said he took a suspected overdose of drugs on Thursday morning, which caused respiratory and cardiac arrest.

And a Jackson family lawyer told CNN he "feared" the drugs could kill the pop star. CNN's interview with the source follows the jump.

ackson family lawyer Brian Oxman confirmed Jackson may have had trouble with prescription drugs as he prepared for his London show.

"This was something which I feared and something which I warned about," Oxman said on CNN. "I can tell you for sure that this is something I warned about. Where there is smoke there is fire."

Mr Oxman compared Michael to Anna Nicole Smith, alleging that Michael had 'enablers' just like her.

CNN details Jackson's long history of medical problems here. At a news conference, brother Jermaine Jackson said doctors and family tried "for an hour" to resuscitate the performer. TMZ's video of the conference is here.

Meanwhile, Hollyscoop reports that doctors visited Jackson "daily." THe site's latest update:

While news of Michael Jackson's death came as a shock to many, inside sources tell Hollyscoop exclusively that the King of Pop "had doctors visiting him daily."

Michael went into cardiac arrest Thursday afternoon and was rushed to UCLA Medical Center around 1pm. His personal physician was with him at the time and accompanied him to the hospital.

At approximately 1:14pm when he arrived at the hospital, doctors and emergency personnel performed CPR and tried to resuscitate him, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 2:26pm.

The cause of his death is still unknown, but an autopsy is scheduled for this coming Friday afternoon. Michael was transferred from UCLA Medical Center to the coroner’s office via a Los Angeles Sheriff's helicopter shortly after 6pm.
From:www.kansascity.com

Farrah’s Story,” actress Farrah Fawcett has died at age 62


Six weeks after revealing her battle with cancer to more than nine million viewers in the primetime TV broadcast of the independently produced documentary “Farrah’s Story,” actress Farrah Fawcett has died at age 62.

The two-hour documentary, produced by Alana Stewart, reveals Ms. Fawcett’s diagnosis with rectal cancer three years ago, glimpses of hope after traditional and alternative treatments in the U.S. and Germany, and her rapidly declining health in recent months.

Ms. Fawcett reportedly began documenting her treatment with a small video camera in May 2007.

A Hollywood actress and spokesmodel, Ms. Fawcett is most well known for her role as Jill Munroe in the televison series, Charlie's Angels.
From:www.examiner.com

Oscars expand best film category


The best picture shortlist at the 2010 Oscars will be 10 films instead of the customary five, it has been announced.

Official organisers have said the move will recognise a wider range of films and include "more populist movies".

It is the first time since 1943 that 10 films will be in the running and has been called "a return to the past".

At this year's ceremony, a 10-strong shortlist would likely have featured box office smash The Dark Knight and Ben Stiller comedy Tropic Thunder.

'Singular honour'

Audiences and many critics felt that the latest Batman epic, which won a posthumous best supporting actor award for Heath Ledger, should have been included among this year's best picture nominees.

But Academy president Sid Ganis said the film "did not come up" in discussions about expanding the category.

Following last year's ceremony, the show's producers advised the Academy that efforts were needed to bring the show to a wider audience.

It is believed that if the best picture category were to feature more box office hits, television ratings would improve in 2010.

However the idea of splitting the 10 films into dramas and comedies - in a move similar to the Golden Globes - was rejected.

"It's about the best picture, not the best something picture. It's a singular honour," said Mr Ganis.

But he added that comedies could eventually benefit from the broadening of the best picture list.

Assurances have been made that the 2010 Academy Awards ceremony, which takes place on 7 March, will not be longer due to 10 shortlisted films.

The contenders will be revealed when the Oscar nominations are announced on 2 February.

From:news.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Demand Online trial will involve about 5,000 customers,Time Warner


Time Warner Inc. said it has paired up with Comcast Corp. to distribute some of its television shows online for cable-TV subscribers, while making it harder for non-subscribers to get shows free.

The deal between Time Warner and Comcast will make it possible for Comcast customers to access Turner Broadcasting programming. Meanwhile, Comcast also said it will begin a nationwide technical trial of its On Demand Online service in July carrying programming from Time Warner's TNT and TBS networks.

The On Demand Online trial will involve about 5,000 customers and will test the new authentication technology that will allow secured access to the content.

Comcast said it expects other networks to participate as the trial expands, and Time Warner said it expects to announce similar trials with other distributors.

Executives from major cable networks and distributors have been finding common ground around a plan designed to protect their subscription business from the rise of free online TV.

"TV Everywhere," a collaboration for the TV industry led by Time Warner Chief Executive Jeff Bewkes, aims to offer access to popular TV shows on demand over the Web as long as viewers can demonstrate they subscribe to a pay TV service, like cable or satellite.

Earlier this year, Comcast began working on Web services that would stream cable-TV shows, often not available online. Last year, Time Warner Cable began an experiment in Milwaukee where subscribers to its cable and Internet services and HBO could go to an HBO Web site and download content. These services would be available only to cable subscribers.

From:online.wsj.com

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Chris Brown pleaded guilty Monday to assaulting Rihanna


Chris Brown pleaded guilty Monday to assaulting Rihanna and the two were ordered to stay away from each other, in a deal that keeps the singer out of prison but requires him to clean up graffiti or roadside trash.

Brown's plea to a felony charge will subject him to substantial scrutiny by probation officials, and the judge's order puts the kibosh on any short-term prospects for reconciliation with his pop diva girlfriend as well.

The guilty plea came before a preliminary hearing was scheduled to start. The hearing had been billed for weeks as a public face-off between the pair, with Rihanna set to testify against her one-time boyfriend.

Instead, Brown averted the potentially damaging meeting by entering a plea that will subject him to probation for the next five years as well as force him to perform six months of community service.

Mark Geragos, Brown's lawyer, said the plea represented the singer taking responsibility for his actions — which included beating, choking and biting Rihanna during a fight early Feb. 8, according to police.

After Brown left the courtroom, Rihanna entered and was addressed by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg, who explained to the Barbados-born singer that she had issued a stay-away order.

Rihanna had not been seeking such an order, but the judge imposed one anyway. The order requires that Brown and Rihanna stay at least 50 yards from each, except at industry events when the distance is reduced to 10 yards.

The judge also told Rihanna it's not a one-way order — and that she, too, shouldn't get any closer to Brown than the order allows.

"This is a kid who's never been in trouble before," Geragos said after the hearing. "He embraces this as chance to get the message out that domestic violence will not be tolerated. He wants to get his life back on track."

From:www.startribune.com

Monday, June 22, 2009

"Recently, we've made some life-changing decisions:Jon and Kate Gosselin


After months of unfavorable tabloid coverage and speculation about the state of their marriage, Jon and Kate Gosselin are set to make an announcement tonight on their popular reality series, "Jon and Kate Plus 8,," about their family's future.

"Recently, we've made some life-changing decisions, decisions that will affect every member of our family, ones that we hope will bring each of us some peace," Kate Gosselin said in the episode airing tonight.

A promotion for the hour-long special episode, which airs on TLC, has captions like "a family in turmoil," "a relationship at a crossroads," and "Where do they go from here?" while showing images of a once happy Gosselin clan.

"If you're a betting, man, you're betting there is either going to be a divorce or at least a separation," said Entertainment Weekly television critic Ken Tucker.

The statement comes just 10 days after the couple's 10-year wedding anniversary. The Gosselins, who are parents to a set of twins and sextuplets, have become the country's most discussed couple after allegations of extramarital affairs arose.

"Doesn't matter where Jon and I are in our relationship. My kids still matter the most to me. We haven't really known where we were going, but we've been dealing with this for a long time. A slow progression that has not popped up one day, it's not been like a secret," Kate Gosselin said.

From:www.abcnews.go.com

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Juneteenth is the celebration of the end of slavery in the United States


The threat of bad weather and a slight wind Saturday couldn't keep community members from celebrating Juneteenth at Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

They were there to celebrate an event that occurred 144 years ago on June 19 in Galveston, Texas, in which the Union Army told a group of slaves they had been freed with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation two years prior.

More than 50 people were at MLK Jr. Park listening to music, visiting booths, enjoying barbecue and playing basketball.

Attendees said attendance was down slightly this year.

The celebration began with a prayer led by the Rev. Ernest Fitzhugh of the Unity Missionary Baptist Church.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal and Mayor Rick Kaysen then read proclamations for Juneteenth.

Short and sweet, then they broke for barbecue.

Thomas Rudolph, president of the Cheyenne branch of the NAACP, said every nationality is invited to the Juneteenth celebration.

"The diversity part of this is the important part," Rudolph said. "People need to stop being scared of each other."

After several years of moving around town, Cheyenne's Juneteenth celebration settled into an annual event eight years ago at MLK Jr. Park.

"We felt like this was a better place to have it, because it's more family oriented," Rudolph said.

Continuing to celebrate Juneteenth is important, Rudolph said.

Mary Tyler, an NAACP member and longtime Cheyenne resident, said the celebration promotes peaceful coexistence in the community.

"It's not just for black people," said Tyler, who has lived in Cheyenne since 1952.

Ever since Gen. Gordon Granger declared slavery dead in Galveston on June 19, 1865, there have been celebrations spreading across the country, Tyler said.

Eventually, June 19 was shortened into the colloquial saying "Juneteenth," she said.

Throughout the 15 years there has been a Juneteenth celebration in Cheyenne, the local NAACP has been the main organizing group, but others have joined during that time, Tyler said.

"We'd like to have the community know that we'll be doing it every year," she said.
From:www.wyomingnews.com

The Proposal:15 minutes into a romantic comedy


Chemistry: It's difficult to define, but when it comes to acting, I think it means trusting that your costar will be as committed as you are, will follow you however far you go. Ryan Reynolds, EW's current cover boy and "Must Leading Man", and Sandra Bullock, our "Must Physical Marvel", have it in their new romantic comedy The Proposal. It comes with a sort of confidence. You can feel it when they stand toe-to-toe and he tells her that if they're going to make his family (and an immigration officer) believe that they're in love -- she's a Canadian devil who wears pencil skirts and he's her assistant who agrees to marry her for a promotion to book editor -- it'll require her to "stop snacking on children while they dream." It emanates into the audience: You have faith that Bullock's chanting scene with Betty White will eventually be as funny as her drunken "twisty bobcat pretzel" in Two Weeks Notice (and it is, when she busts out with the chorus of "Get Low").

For me, there really is no better feeling than being 15 minutes into a romantic comedy and knowing that the inevitable happy ending will actually be worth the ride. Did you feel it with The Proposal? (EW's Lisa Schwarzbaum did. Read her review here.) Are you ready to see Ryan Reynolds as a leading man and welcome back Sandra Bullock, who should be looking at her first No. 1 opening weekend since 1999's Forces of Nature? (Sometimes Reynolds' mug is still a little boyish for me, but I'm warming to him...enough to finally watch that copy of Definitely, Maybe I'd grabbed from the giveaway table when it came out on DVD.) And -- SPOILER ALERT! -- how great was Betty White's helicopter fake-out?

From:popwatch.ew.com

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Hollywood stars,Prince Azim of Brunei birthday party .


Prince Azim of Brunei with his sisters Princess Fadzilah, Princess Azemah and brother Prince Mateen Photo: STEVE DENT / SENSIBLE MUSIC

His uncle earned himself an unwanted reputation as a billionaire international playboy as a result of his lavish parties and wild excesses.

Now Prince Azim of Brunei has shown he is no slouch at entertaining either after hosting what is being hailed as the party of the year.

A joint birthday bash for the 26-year-old Prince and three of his siblings had it all: Hollywood stars, celebrity singers, one of England's finest stately homes and 6,000 white roses.

According to the local florist, the bill for flowers alone came to £70,000 – a claim disputed by aides to the Brunei Royal family.

What is not in dispute, however, is the A-list celebrities who came last weekend to Stapleford Park country house hotel in Leicestershire, which is owned by Prince Azim's mother, Mariam Aziz, the former wife of the billionaire Sultan of Brunei.

Neither singer performed at the dinner dance, which was attended by some 230 guests. That role was left to Chaka Khan, the American singer songwriter, and Incognito, the British jazz, funk and soul band.

Younger members of the Hollywood set were also present at the party, including actors Adam Gregory, Robert Buckley and Sean Faris. "Adam Gregory was particularly popular with the some of the girls," said one source.

Vass, a Nottingham florist, said last week that 12 staff had been needed to prepare and deliver the £70,000 worth of flowers – its largest ever order – for the event. It said the order was for 6,000 white roses, as well as hundreds of pink and red roses with mint, white peonies, purple delphiniums and hydrangeas. "Everyone was walking around in their finery," said Keith Murphy, who runs the florist.

New celebrity trend seems to be developing


From Victoria Beckham to Leighton Meester, a new celebrity trend seems to be developing: nakedness. Okay, maybe the trend is not entirely new; there is that notorious, ever-inspiring quote: sex sells. Nonetheless, it is a common dominator in a slew of recent celebrity news.

Starting off, The Sun and The Daily Mail are reporting Victoria Beckham recently underwent her third breast surgery last month – to reduce her breast size to a B-cup, and that she is currently at home recovering. The news is predictably unconfirmed, so take it with a grain of salt. If the reports are true, there should be visual evidence soon enough. In any case, are three procedures totally necessary? This isn’t the type of thing someone should be fickle about. Can someone please tell Posh that breasts are not meant to be tossed away like last season’s leather boots?

Apparently, an explicit tape of Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester is floating around on the Internet, and it includes a kinky act involving her feet. Sounds like this mess could use some Chuck Bass-esque cleanup.

Anna Paquin had some racy love scenes in the second season premier of True Blood, which pulled in an impressive 3.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched program on HBO since The Sopranos' finale in 2007. And she promises more to come, telling Eonline.com that she will “get more naked this season...We have a really great crew and everyone's really respectful. It's not an issue for me.” Good for her for being so comfortable. Check out the next episode of True Blood on Sunday to see if she makes good on her promise.

In some embarrassing news, James Archuleta, father to the ever-innocent puppy-eyed David, was charged for soliciting a prostitute in Utah. The incident actually took place back in January, when police raided a massage parlor and found Mr. Archuleta receiving sexual favors from a “masseuse”. He pleaded no contest and paid a fine. His lawyer claims he was just getting a back massage, of course.

And finally, speculation continues on whether Gisele Bundchen is pregnant, fueled by recent pictures of her in Brazil with a possible baby bump. Her new husband, Tom Brady, has denied the rumors, saying, "One [kid] is enough! I’ve got dogs. That’s all I need." Maybe for now, Tom, but you cannot deny the world of the beauty that will be a Brady/Bundchen offspring forever.

From:www.examiner.com

Cameron Diaz is happy to admit,,an accidental actress


Cameron Diaz is happy to admit she’s an accidental actress. Fifteen years ago, as a 21-year-old model with no acting experience, she auditioned for her first movie, The Mask, pretty much on a lark. Cut to Hollywood, 2009. Cameron Diaz is the top-earning actress in the world, regularly banking $15m a movie. According to Forbes magazine, she made more than $50m last year. That’s a hell of an accident.

You don’t, however, remain one of Hollywood’s biggest stars for more than a decade by accident. Diaz has done fabulously well in films as diverse as The Sweetest Thing, Charlie’s Angels, Being John Malkovich and Shrek, where she is the voice of Fiona, by trading on her innate winning appeal. As the 36-year-old actress settles into a chair just a few feet away from me in the skinniest blue jeans and a loose, half-sleeved blue silk top, thin gold hoops dangling from her ears, sipping from a huge coffee Thermos, nibbling at sliced avocado and rice crackers, I feel like I’m inhaling purified essence of Diaz. It’s making me dizzy.

She’s beautiful without being too pretty: her huge blue eyes are set into a face that’s almost too wide, above a smile that’s almost too cavernous, the whole engaging kit and caboodle offset by a nose that’s been battered and bent like an East End pugilist’s. Sure, she’s a babe, and she looks effortlessly fabulous in anything from a rubber wetsuit, when she’s surfing, to a strapless John Galliano Dior dress, when she’s presenting an Oscar. But Cameron Diaz is, above all, a great broad. She can beat you at pool, down tequila shots, burp, swear worse than Jonathan Ross, laugh uproariously at your bad jokes and, for good mea­sure, openly acknowledge that “Sex is the best!”. Which has endeared her to a never-ending posse of famous and equally good-looking boyfriends, including Matt Dillon, Justin Timberlake, whom she dated for four years, John Mayer, the surfer Kelly Slater and, most recently, the British model Paul Sculfor, from whom she has reportedly now split. Oh, and she’s a tireless fighter for the environment. What’s not to love?

A few years ago, not long after she’d starred in There’s Something About Mary — the quintessential Cameron Diaz role — The New York Times dissected her appeal with rather more historical, cinematographic precision. “Ms Diaz is a great American type, a game, outdoorsy girl in the tradition of Carole Lombard, Jean Arthur, Jane Russell and Angie Dickinson.” The writer noted that all these actresses had been discovered by the director Howard Hawks. “Ms Diaz would have fit marvellously into the tradition of Hawksian woman, with her sense of fun, camaraderie and forthright sexuality.” Not that any of Hawks’s actresses were required to sport the unorthodox gel that adorned Diaz’s hair in There’s Something About Mary.

From:entertainment.timesonline.co.uk

The hot young British soul singer is, by her own account, "pretty mouthy


Adele can't contain herself. Nothing new there. The hot young British soul singer is, by her own account, "pretty mouthy." But learning that she will share the bill with her idol, Etta James, at the Hollywood Bowl next Sunday has sent her over the moon.

"It blew my mind," she gushes on the phone from London. "She's the reason I started. The first time I heard her voice, it sucked me in. Made me believe, and made me cry."

James will join Adele thanks to the Bowl's one-up, one-off style of "creative packaging" -- an ambitious, arduous, occasionally nerve-racking attempt to put on shows that go beyond the usual summer fare.

"It's a constant balancing act," says Arvind Manocha, chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Assn., which oversees the Bowl's programming. "Can we find the right pairings? Can we help an artist do something differently? We want concerts that only exist at the Bowl."

That can mean uniting two performers who otherwise might not work together. "Here's a new British artist who loves a legend that we've got a long history with," says Manocha. "We can make it happen for them."

It also means embracing what senior programming manager Johanna Rees calls "our synergistic philosophy -- you know, one plus one equals five," in which genres and generations cross over in hopes of sparking some creative combustion, and big names help new or niche acts fill the 17,000 seats.

Rees already had booked flamboyant, frenetic indie popsters Of Montreal when she heard that eternally flamboyant, chic Grace Jones (who's been emerging from a decades-long hiatus) might be coming to America. To complement this July 26 double bill, she's added Dengue Fever, an L.A.-based hybrid band fronted by Cambodian pop singer Chhom Nimol. "What we always hope for when we put these shows together is a special moment," says Rees. "Artists inspiring each other. Or maybe an artist inspired to do what they don't usually do."

In recent seasons, the Bowl has been pairing the Philharmonic with indie bands. The latest is Death Cab for Cutie, which will arrive July 5 for an evening that includes two Canadian outfits: Tegan and Sara, and the New Pornographers. "Playing at the Hollywood Bowl is an event in itself," says Death Cab's leader, Ben Gibbard. "Being on tour, you're doing the same stuff every night. But you expect a kind of magic to happen in a place like that."

Gibbard adds that he's "a bit intimidated by playing with the Philharmonic." However, he says, "we've got the chance to show what we're made of. We're excited to meet them. We hope they feel the same."

Over the years, even old pros such as James Brown have been persuaded to try something new. In 2006, a few months before he died, Brown agreed to perform music he hadn't sung since he recorded his 1970 jazz/big-band album, "Soul on Top." "Many times, he was quoted about wanting to go back to that chapter in his musical life," says Manocha. "But he never did. So we made an offer: 'We'll hire the big-band musicians. We'll make the charts.' "

Watching the 73-year-old Brown rehearse was memorable, says Laura Connelly, the Philharmonic's director of presentations. "He sang these songs as if they had never left him, with such emotion and clarity. He was thrilled to be back with his jazz roots."

The next day, however, things changed. "James Brown has this persona," says Connelly. "Once he went on, that persona took over. It was a really good show, but not quite as good as the rehearsal. I think he lost his nerve a little. Being onstage took him out of what he'd been doing."

Such surprises aren't that surprising to the Phil's bookers, who list "being prepared for anything" and patience among lessons learned after years of adventures in programming.

Performers may need reassurance about working outside their comfort zones. Music may need to be created, or re-created, on short notice. Producing any event at the Bowl involves a scramble to get everything together in time for the rehearsal -- often, there's only one -- at which conductor, artists and technical staff may be seeing and hearing one another for the first time. (Mixing sound outdoors for a rock band and an orchestra of a hundred is an art in itself.)
From:www.latimes.com

"American Idol" runner-up and his label bosses


Adam Lambert pre-"Idol" album due this summer

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Good news for Adam Lambert fans. But possibly not as good for the "American Idol" runner-up and his label bosses. A small indie label will release Lambert's debut album this summer, months before Lambert's "official" debut on 19 Recordings/RCA Records is expected to reach stores.

Bruno opens Amsterdam "pink light" brothel

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, in his latest incarnation as a gay Austrian fashion reporter, jet skied through a canal into Amsterdam's red light district on Friday to open a brothel full of men in thongs ahead of the Dutch premiere of 'Bruno'. "For too long, guys coming here from around the world have been forced to have sex with women," Cohen said, standing in front of a pink-lit brothel building in the Dutch capital as surprised tourists and stag party goers looked on.

T.R. Knight leaving "Grey's Anatomy"

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Television network ABC on Friday said popular actor T.R. Knight will not return to hit hospital drama "Grey's Anatomy" when new episodes hit U.S. airwaves this coming season. "Leaving 'Grey's Anatomy' was not an easy decision for me to make," Knight said in a statement. "I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to play this character and will miss my fellow cast and crew very much.

From:www.washingtonpost.com

It all has to do with second chances:Ryan and Lindsay Lohan


So we know exactly why Ryan Seacrest and Lindsay Lohan have been hanging out together -- it all has to do with second chances.

Our sources say Ryan wants Lindsay to do a show he's producing with this premise -- a million bucks will be doled out to people who are on the wrong track and are looking for a second chance.

There will be a panel which decides who gets the dough. Contestants will tell their sob stories. No, Lindsay won't be a contestant -- she's on the panel. Sounds kinda like "Queen for a Day."

He told us he was just giving her "guidance" in her singing career -- but anyone who's ever listened to LiLo's Grammy-worthy "Confessions of a Broken Heart" clearly knows she doesn't need that.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Gisele Bundchen is pregnant


People.com is reporting Gisele Bundchen is pregnant. Citing two anonymous sources, the report says Tom Brady's wife is due early next year.

Brady's mother, Galynn, told the Associated Press on Friday that she had no comment on the report. The supermodel's agent at IMG, Anne Nelson, told the AP that she doesn't comment on the personal lives of her clients.

Brady has a son, Jack, with actress Bridget Moynahan.

Late last month, the New England Patriots quarterback said Bundchen was not pregnant. "One is enough," Brady said on May 28. "I have dogs, and that's all I need."

RadarOnline.com previously had reported that Bundchen was telling friends she's pregnant.

From:www.google.com

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The knuckle-dragging comedy about a pair of primitive hunter


"Year One," to paraphrase the Geico car insurance ads, is humor so simple even a caveman will appreciate it. Correction: Make that only a caveman.

The knuckle-dragging comedy about a pair of primitive hunter-gatherers (Jack Black and Michael Cera) who somehow find themselves wandering through the biblical book of Genesis never rises above, oh, about crotch level. It's unevolved, unapologetic and mostly unfunny.

When the id-driven hunter Zed (Black) and the more sensitive gatherer Oh (Cera) first emerge from the forest primeval, after being expelled from their village for accidentally torching it, whom should they meet but brothers Cain (David Cross) and Abel (Paul Rudd). At that point, it actually looked like this thing might be going somewhere, if only as a loosey-goosey satire of the Old Testament, seen through the eyes of two witnesses who appear to have been born several millenniums before Adam and Eve. But then Rudd, one of the most charming actors working in comedy today, gets his adorable face bashed in.

That's only the first miscalculation from writer-director Harold Ramis, who, with co-writers Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, has fashioned a movie with grade-school intellectual aspirations, but one that is far too vulgar for all but the oldest teens. One of the crudest PG-13 movies in recent memory, "Year One" had to be edited down from its original R rating, but it's hard to imagine what was trimmed. The film is still full of so many jokes about excretory functions, erections, circumcision, the loss of virginity and sodomy -- yes, our heroes soon find themselves in the city that gave deviant sex a bad name -- that it boggles the mind to think what will be restored when the inevitable uncut version comes out on DVD.

None of this is particularly surprising, considering that "Year One" comes courtesy of Apatow Productions, the company that brought you "Pineapple Express" and other raunch-fests. But what's missing is the sweetness that characterizes the best of those Judd Apatow-sanctioned comedies. For much of the film, Cera looks genuinely embarrassed to be caught on camera subjecting himself -- and us -- to what the script calls for (including a scene in which, chained upside down to a dungeon wall, Oh urinates profusely on his own face). Of this first-century odd couple, only Black throws himself wholeheartedly into the work. Even in a gross-out scene where, in an effort to prove himself the consummate hunter, he analyzes the contents of a lump of feces he finds on the ground the old-fashioned way: by eating it.

From:www.washingtonpost.com

Angelina Jolie Celebrates World Refugee Day


Standing ovations underscored an emotional ceremony Thursday marking World Refugee Day – with some of them led by Angelina Jolie. The star, along with the rest of the audience, was visibly as they heard firsthand stories from refugees who have been relocated to the United States. They were also able to cheer, via Internet camera, along with students from a school in a Chad refugee camp.

Due to unexpected circumstances, some expected guests were not able to make the Washington, D.C., event. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had broken her elbow in an accident, while scheduled host Anderson Cooper suffered flight problems, leaving Ann Curry to fill in.

Jolie, obviously choked up with emotion, said of the refugees, "Most of all they are survivors ... They are the most impressive people I have ever met."

Tales of Survival
Recalling a 2001 trip for the United Nations Refugee Agency to Afghanistan, during which she talked with an expectant mother of two, Jolie recalled, "Before we said goodbye to the pregnant lady, she pointed to her young boy with such a sad look and she said, 'He's always asking for more food, and it hurts me to say, "We have none.'' ' A few weeks later the war in Afghanistan began."

Later in the hour-plus program, Jolie and the rest of the audience sat captivated as honoree Rose Mapendo, a single mother held captive in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for 16 months during that country's civil war, recounted being forced to witness the torture and execution of her husband, and giving birth to twin sons on the cement floor of her cell.

After the presentation, Mapendo, Jolie and the head of the U.N. Refugee Agency, Antonio Guterres, joined other American and international dignitaries for lunch. Thursday evening, all three will reunite for a gala celebration for UNHCR – before Jolie and her children leave D.C. to head back to Los Angeles, where Brad Pitt is filming Moneyball.
From:www.people.com

State Hillary Clinton injured her elbow


Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton injured her elbow late Wednesday on her way to to the White House. She was briefly treated at a hospital and will be undergoing surgery next week.

The 61-year-old former first lady was on her way to the White House when she fell and fractured her right elbow, according to a statement from Clinton chief of staff Cheryl Mills to ABC. The secretary was released from the George Washington University Hospital but will have to undergo surgery.,

Clinton's Wednesday schedule was hectic as in other days, and included a keynote before the U.S.-India Business Council in Washington, private talks with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman, a swearing-in ceremony for Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Robert Blake and a meeting with National Italian American Foundation.

Her schedule for Thursday has not been announced. Her only upcoming overseas trip is a visit to India in July.

From:www.allheadlinenews.com

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Actress Michelle Pfeiffer 51, tells InStyle


The actress, 51, tells InStyle: "I so hate that term! Colette wrote these novels [about older women with younger men] so long ago, but even today they're ahead of their time in the way we perceive women's power and sexuality."

As for her take on plastic surgery, she says, "Well, I think your face should still move. And you should be recognizable to your friends. One actress I knew years ago, a really lovely person, had some stuff done, and literally, every time I run into her now I don't recognize her. Every time!"

From:www.foxnews.com

'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' Season Finale: Food Fight!


The short season of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” ended with a bang.

Since Teresa’s marble and onyx palace still wasn’t completely decorated, she decided to have the housewarming party at her favorite restaurant. Using the kind of reasoning typical among people who sign on to appear in reality shows, she invited nearly everyone’s best enemy, Danielle, who proceeded to ruin the party by plopping on the table a copy of “Cop Without a Badge,” the book that for most of the season had inspired gossip about Danielle’s allegedly shady past life.

The ensuing catfight/train wreck was just as painfully enjoyable to watch as the countless previews had made it seem. But the producers made us wait a while for the good stuff.

The season finale started with Dina’s visit to Teresa’s new house. “I feel like I’m visiting Oz,” Dina said, as she approached a door that looked like the entrance to the Wizard’s audience room. “You’ve got onyx coming out of you’re a—,” she told Teresa.

In an interview, Dina confided that she had been worried the house might not be tasteful, but then said that Teresa has great style. “I love the way she dresses,” she said, before the producers cut to a shot of Teresa in her cutoff shorts and “Jersey Girl” T-shirt (“where you wish you came from”).

Dina had presented Teresa with the traditional housewarming gift of bread and salt—the former so that she would never go hungry, the latter to keep “evil people” away. Speaking of which, Teresa told Dina of her plans to invite Danielle to her housewarming party. “I figured I’d give Danielle the benefit of the doubt,” Teresa said in an interview. “Do I want to be friends with her? No. But I’m not a rude person.”

Cut to Danielle’s house, where she had decided to show her daughters—Jillian, 10, and Christine, 14—photos from her days as a model and actress. The photos were blurred out for us viewers, but something about them made the girls’ jaws drop. Doing damage control because of “the book,” Danielle then told them that modeling is a potentially dangerous field, saying, “I did fall victim to a lot of things.”

From:www.foxnews.com


Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Lindsay Lohan and the case of the missing jewels


Poor, troubled Lindsay Lohan, she can't seem to catch a break (or maybe she's not really trying?). Anyway, there was a shocking jewelry theft at a London photo shoot a few weeks ago — $400,000 worth of diamonds — and some observers seem to think Linds had something to do with it. Why? Well, because she was there.

But there were reportedly 20 other people there, you say, so isn't it a little unfair to simply point the finger at a struggling straight-to-cable film actress?

Yes and No. Yes, because, sure, anyone could have snatched the jewels. No, because this isn't the first time Lohan has been at the center of such nefarious accusations.

British media said the jewels were made by Dior and loaned to Elle magazine for the shoot in north London on June 6. The theft was reported to police a couple of days later. Police have made no arrests, and are interviewing several people in connection with their inquiry. A representative for Lohan said she was not being investigated personally and she had not yet been questioned by police. "No one has contacted us" about it, said the spokeswoman.

On the shoot, according to an insider quoted by a gossip site who may or may not have made up this quote, "She kept going on about the jewels, asking if she could have them. We all thought she was joking."

But now, the pattern: In April of '07, Linds was accused of taking more than $10,000 worth of clothes and jewelry from model

Lauren Hastings while Hastings was working in Europe and a mutual friend was house sitting, according to Star magazine. In August of that same year, she kept some clothes on loan from Louis Vuitton for an Elle magazine photo shoot. Seven months later, she was photographed leaving a party wearing an $11,000 fur coat that didn't belong to her. (She later quietly returned it.)/www.mercurynews.com

Did Lindsay Lohan Swipe Bling From a Photo Shoot?


Lindsay Lohan has been cast in yet another personal scandal, this time the case of the missing jewels.

Lohan's name has been linked with the mysterious disappearance of nearly half a million dollars of jewels from the set of her London photo shoot for a spread in Elle magazine.

London's Metropolitan police confirmed to the Associated Press that a necklace and a pair of earrings worth around $411,315 went missing after the early June shoot.

The young starlet's involvement in the apparent jewelry heist has not yet been confirmed, according to a police spokesman who refused to say whether Lohan had been questioned in regard to the case.

Elle magazine said in a statement that it "did not believe Lohan was in any way linked to the alleged theft."

Messages left with Lohan's publicist by ABCNews.com were not immediately returned, but the star's rep told People magazine that the actress hopes the jewels are found.

"We inquired and everyone from the shoot is being questioned," Lohan's rep told the magazine. "Hair, make up, stylist ... even photographers. Lindsay hopes they find the jewels. She is happy to cooperate."

This is just the most recent of several incidents that have left Lohan's family convinced she needs help -- and fast.

Her family and people close to her think she could benefit from an intervention by Hollywood's most popular healer: Dr. Drew Pinsky.

From:abcnews.go.com

Monday, June 15, 2009

Twilight, Gossip Girl, Brad Pitt and More Score Teen Choice Nominations


Fox's annual Teen Choice Awards announced the nominees for this summer's honors, with a mix of tween staples and adult fare in the running to win the surfboard trophies.

Twilight leads with 12 nominations, in categories including Choice Movie: Romance and Choice Movie: Drama. Stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson were nominated as a pair for Choice Movie: Liplock, as well as in individual acting categories.

Gossip Girl, High School Musical 3: Senior Year and Miley Cyrus bit at Twilight's heels with ten nominations each, including nods for cast members. The Jonas Brothers, who host the awards this year, scored nine, including Choice Move: Music/Dance and Choice TV: Breakout Show. American Idol trails close behind, with seven nominations.

Joining Gossip among small-screen nominees are 90210, House, Lost, Grey's Anatomy and Secret Life of the American Teenager.From:www.seattlepi.com

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie scored nods for their roles in Benjamin Button and Changeling, respectively, while both were nominated for Choice Celebrity Activist.

Which of your favorites were nominated, and which are missing from the roster? Will you tune in?

The Teen Choice Awards airs Monday, August 10.

Jennifer Aniston: How Does She Feel About Being the Most Talked About Woman in Hollywood


Jennifer Aniston: How Does She Feel About Being the Most Talked About Woman in Hollywood? | Chelsea Handler Reveals 'Fat' Past, Mark Wahlberg Excited to be Tom Brady’s Neighbor | Shannon Elizabeth Defends 'Terrorist' Misconception | Pop Tarts Scene & Herd

Jennifer Aniston: How Does She Feel About Being the Most Talked About Woman in Hollywood?

It was Jennifer Aniston’s night to shine as she received Women in Film’s prestigious Crystal Award for expanding the role of women in the entertainment industry on Friday evening.

For a change the stunning actress, who looked particularly pleasing in a form-forming Prada strapless dress, was in the spotlight for her professional life rather than her personal life.

But how does Aniston feel about being the most talked about starlet in Tinseltown?

"I'm really not bothered by it. They aren't talking to me," she told Tarts before the sit-down dinner, adding that she takes time "everyday" to be thankful for her life and career.

But even despite her success (at least when it comes to her "reel" life), it's comforting to know that even the Jennifer Aniston struggles to see herself on the silver screen.

"I have to be self-critical," she added."I think it’s good to sort of go, ‘Well yeah don’t do that next time’ or ‘not a great choice.’ You’ve always got to keep trying things but sometimes not everything’s going to work."

Speaking of criticism, Aniston got quite the surprise during the show when host Chelsea Handler decided to raise the issue of her ruptured romance in front of the star-studded audience.

"You also stopped expanding the visibility of John Mayer, and we all thank you for that," Handler joked, motivating Aniston to bury her head in her hands followed by a look of embarrassed disbelief.

But all in good humor, the 40-year-old took aim at her own lousy love life while accepting the honor.

"I'm trying to be more careful than I have been in the past about the titles of movies that I choose to be in. It's funny -- I kind of noticed something a couple years ago that there seemed to be this strange parallel to the movies I was doing and my life off screen," Aniston explained. "It started with 'The Good Girl,'" she explained. "Then that evolved into 'Rumor Has It,' followed by 'Derailed,' and then there was 'The Break-Up.' And then on the lighter side was 'Friends with Money,' which I felt was a bit on the nose. So if any of you have a project titled 'Everlasting Love with an Adult, Stable Male …'"

From:www.foxnews.com

Harrison Ford has become the top earning Hollywood actor


Harrison Ford has become the top earning Hollywood actor over the past 12 months by raking in more than 43.3 million pounds.

The veteran actor earned his huge pay cheque for his Indiana Jones comeback role in The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, reported the sun.co.uk.

The 66-year-old was lured out of semi-retirement by director Steven Spielberg to play the archaeologist. The fourth movie in the series earned more than 500 million pounds worldwide.

From:www.hindustantimes.com

Sunday, June 14, 2009

soft ticket sales for “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3”:Box office


It was an unusually quiet weekend at the box office because of soft ticket sales for “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” and a disastrous showing for “Imagine That,” a comedy starring Eddie Murphy, right with Yara Shahidi. “Pelham” opened in third place with an estimated $25 million in ticket sales at North American theaters, according to box-office tracking companies. After “Meet Dave” last year, “Imagine That” was Mr. Murphy’s second consecutive bomb, selling about $5.7 million in tickets and opening outside of the Top 5. “The Hangover” repeated as the weekend’s No. 1 film, with an estimated $33.4 million in sales (and a new total of $105.4 million). “Up” was second, showing remarkable strength in its third weekend with about $30.5 million ($187.2 million total). Rounding out the Top 5 were “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” with about $9.6 million ($143.4 million) and “Land of the Lost,” with about $9.2 million ($35 million).
From:www.nytimes.com

Russia has turned to the traffic-stopping good looks of Brad Pitt


Cardboard cutouts of actor Brad Pitt are being used to slow speeding in Siberia.

Russia has turned to the traffic-stopping good looks of Brad Pitt to reduce speeding, according to Entertainment Weekly. While a naked Brad Pitt might have a more immediate affect, Russian law enforcement has chosen to decorate a cardboard cutout of the Hollywood hunk as a traffic cop for safety’s sake and place him amid the streets of Siberia.

Pitt’s likeness, which was only reserved for the most dangerous streets of the city of Omsk, in Siberia, seems to have had a positive effect on slowing traffic so far. The idea was reportedly that of Omsk official Dmitry Ziryanov, who said that the use of Pitt’s image to help his city was okay with him, saying Pitt is “kind of like a colleague for us.”

According to the Associated Press, once haphazard drivers are actually slowing down in a starstruck gaze at the sight of Pitt, even if he is just a cutout.

Sourse:www.thecelebritycafe.com