Hollywood Actress

Watch live Barcelona vs AC Milan Sopcast stream just online

2011-09-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Watch live Barcelona vs AC Milan Sopcast stream just online free at here. Don’t miss this game, please select channel tv link on this below. Remember just in here , share this here links with your friend with facebook, twitter or others media and don’t miss to bookmark oleole tv site. You can check some of the online sites that gives us live video online streaming like Sopcast Channels, Justin TV, Ustream and many more sites or you can visit ESPN.com for the live scores and updates between Barcelona vs AC Milan. fans and supporters around the world looking for this mach up, if you do not have enough time to visit the stadium and watch the game live. So guys, lets watch this events, you just select and click tv channel links on below:

Barcelona vs AC Milan live stream free watch online tv The UEFA Champions League 13 September, 2011. Watch live Barcelona vs AC Milan stream online free at Dailylivesports.Com. The video appear above, Here at Dailylivesports.Com we make it possible for you to watch Live Sports Broadcasts from all over the world completely free including Barcelona vs AC Milan. Share this links with your friend with facebook, twitter or others media and don’t miss to bookmark Dailylivesports tv.

Dailylivesports.Com is freely site to watching online free live streaming Barcelona vs AC Milan p2p tv feed directa en vivo channel broadcast gratis libre highlights. Barcelona vs AC Milan p2p tv feed directta en vivo channel broadcast gratis highlights watch live streaming online free just here and you on right place now just in Sportwebz dot com. In this site you can select your tv broadcast and select link video with HD quality.

Barcelona vs AC Milan from Justintv, Ustreamtv, Atdhenet, Fromsport, Firstrow, Freedocast, Vshare, Veetle and other P2P media just here. Remember, Barcelona vs AC Milan Sopcast, TVAnts, Vexcast, Veemi, Veedocast, Veetle, Freedocast, Castamp, Mips, Vshare, Meevos, Aliez, Boxlive, Espa, Limev, Makeitlive, Webcaston, Bambuser, Directon, SeeOn, Wii-Cast, YYCast, Zonein, PPLive, PPStream, PPMate, StreamTorrent, UUSee, TVU and more P2P app.

Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem are married

2010-07-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

We've been duped! Again! It seems Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem were married something like two weeks ago at a friend's house in the Bahamas. The ceremony was only attended by close family members, which means it couldn't have been any fun because we weren't there. At least that's what we'll say.

Penelope wore a gown by designer/friend, John Galliano, and presumably, Bardem wore a suit made of disgruntled women from around the world.

The two of them are notoriously private and keep their relationships and their hands to themselves, which makes it understandable that we're only hearing about this two weeks later. But with the Twitter and the Facebook and the Google. why are we still experiencing such a time delay with these weddings? We have no trouble finding out the things we don't care about, like how Lindsay Lohan is prepping to make jailhouse meatloaf for 23 days...but the things we're desperate for (like weddings, most obviously) are harder to keep track of than it is to diagnose yourself on WebMD.com. And THAT'S INSANELY HARD.

In any case, they're married now. As is Megan Fox, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Martin Lawrence, Chelsea Clinton, Carrie Underwood, and for all we know, Katy Perry. But I have a feeling if it hasn't already happened, we won't be hearing about her wedding two weeks after the fact because Neil Armstrong-types will mistake her dress for an entire parade.
From:www.hollywood.com

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, who fulfilled her dream of playing

2010-07-19T01:31:00.000-07:00

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, who fulfilled her dream of playing a secret agent like James Bond with "Salt", says there is a whole world out there of lovely, sweet women "that you can't imagine being put in a dangerous situation, but they really are".

Jolie has gone de-glam for her role as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent in the film.

Known for her research, the 35-year-old star left no stone unturned for this one either.

"We talked to a lot of women in the CIA. One after the other, they are just these lovely, sweet women that you can't imagine being put in a dangerous situation, but they really are," the stunning Jolie, who flies planes and rides bikes in real life, said in an e-mail interaction with the media.

Jolie found that the job takes a toll on the personal lives of women secret agents.

"I talked to a woman. She was a former operative. She said it was such a relief when she left the agency as her whole relationship with her husband changed after years of not being able to communicate anything (to her family), what she did or where she was going. She didn't realise how much it had kept them apart and how difficult it had been until she had a new life," added the Academy award winner.

After interacting with real spies, Jolie feels enlightened

"When we first approached the idea, we thought it was a bit of a fantasy.

But as we got more information, we discovered it was more real than we could have guessed. Truth really is stranger than fiction," said the actress.

She played an athletic-adventurer in the "Lara Croft" series and a secret assassin in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith".

"It ('Salt') is a bit like the 'Bond' and 'Bourne' (series). I was in a meeting with (Sony Pictures co-chairman) Amy Pascal a few years ago when it came up in conversation that she was getting ready to make one of the new James Bond films. I playfully said, 'I want to be Bond'. That was our little joke, and then she found this project," she said.

Jolie, who will be seen jumping from roof tops, locomotives and kicking people, also has a penchant for action.

"I happen to like heights; so we found these moments where I can use that. Because I'm a girl and I'm light on my feet, we naturally went to styles like Muay Thai (a martial art form), which is very long and beautiful.

"Salt fights aggressively in face-to-face combat. In some action movies that I've done, there's been a temptation to make the action nice because I'm female...(In 'Salt') my character doesn't use her sexuality to get anything. It's the roughest I've looked," she said.

Distributed by Columbia Pictures, the action thriller has been directed by Phillip Noyce, who has teamed up with Jolie again after "The Bone Collector".

Interestingly, she was not the first choice to play the lead in "Salt". Tom Cruise had initially signed for the role but dropped out at the last minute. The script was altered for Jolie.

Her future projects include "The Tourist", "Cleopatra" and a voiceover for Master Tigress in "Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom".

Also starring Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor, "Salt" releases worldwide July 23. It will hit the Indian screens in four languages - English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
From:timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz Loves Her Shape

2010-07-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

The Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz admits that even though she does not have a curvy figure like other stars, she is quite satisfied with her bum.
“Most booties that propel girls are usually the bigger booties. I have a little tiny one but it is, nonetheless, juicy,” says Diaz.

The leggy 37-year old, who has and had many Hollywood lovers including Justin Timberlake, 29, and Matt Dillon, 46, said that she is a great girlfriend.

“I don’t get hung up on what boys do. I don’t have a nagging nature. I feel like I can be a woman but also relate to a man,” she added

Cameron Diaz is happy for what she is and don't bother for comments when it comes to her shape or looks.
From:http:living.oneindia.in

Watch Germany Vs Spain Live Streaming Online 2nd Semi Final Direct On Pc

2010-07-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

Watch and Enjoy Germany Vs Spain Live Online.Live Streaming Online Germany Vs Spain On Your Pc.Watch Now Live Online Semi final Germany Vs Spain.Germany Vs Spain 2nd Semi final World Cup 2010.Spain Vs Germany Live Streaming Online Direct On Pc.

Fifa World Cup 2010 South Africa Live

Here is the best tv link coverage on internet and now watch the live directly on your pc. Germany Vs Spain Live streaming FIFA World Cup 2010 by on PC.You can enjoy this game on your PC,So why you miss this exciting race? Just follow live TV link and start watching with 100%HD quality... Germany Vs Spain Live TV Link

Germany Vs Spain Live
Germany Vs Spain Live
Germany Vs Spain Live
Germany Vs Spain Live
Germany Vs Spain Live

Live Sign Up Tv Channels

Live Tv Link
World Cup 2010 South Africa
South Africa
The World Cup 2010 being held in South Africa, from the 11th June untill the 11th July. The best football once every four years. Don't miss the great action!

Germany Vs Spain Live Link

Live Online Streaminng Link

Match scheduled:
Last updated: 07-07-2010 from 18:30 until 21:00
03-07-2010 on 22:29
Semi Final #2 :: Fifa World Cup South Africa 2010 :: Durban, South Africa

Joan Collins make-up to look their best at all times

2010-06-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

Joan Collins believes all women should wear make-up to look their best at all times.

Joan Collins believes make-up is essential for women to look their best.

The 77-year-old actress claims she has never had Botox and avoids plastic surgery because make-up helps her look good.

She said: "Botox, I think, is poison, I would never put it into my face, and I'm needle-phobic .

"I spend a lot of time keeping my face out of the sun and taking care of my skin and wearing make-up. I'm appalled at the amount of women who don't bother to take care of their skin.

"I was at Ascot, and there are these women in beautiful hats, very nice clothes, and they haven't got a shred of make-up on their faces."

The 'Dynasty' star also reveals she is not keen on the look of extremely thin Hollywood actresses.

She told the Daily Telegraph: "I'm not a fan of that look, are you? In Hollywood, the girls are forced by the studios to look extremely thin. I don't know why. When I first went to Hollywood years and years ago, I was 126 lbs and they made me go down to 119. Now 119 lbs is considered fat."From:contactmusic.com

American Idol – Top Ten Performance Show Season 9 Episode 26 Airdate

2010-03-31T04:55:00.000-07:00

Full Episode Courtesy of: cli.gs American Idol – Top Ten Performance Show Season 9 Episode 26 Airdate: March 30, 2010 Theme:R&B/Soul Full Episode Courtesy of: cli.gs Mentor: Usher. We get a video package on the five-time Grammy winner. He promises to be a tough and serious mentor. Live in the studio with Ryan he’s says they’re all incredible and hard workers and wanted to boost their confidence. Siobhan Magnus “Through the Fire” (Chaka Khan) Casey James “Hold On, I’m Comin’” (Sam and Dave) Michael Lynche “Ready for Love” (India.Arie) Didi Benami “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” (Jimmy Ruffin) Tim Urban “Sweet Love” (Anita Baker) Andrew Garcia “Forever” (Chris Brown) Katie Stevens “Chain of Fools” (Aretha Franklin) Lee dewyze “Treat Her Like a Lady” (Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose) Crystal Bowersox “Midnight Train to Georgia” (Gladys Knight & the Pips) Aaron Kelly “Ain’t No Sunshine” (Bill Withers) Full Episode Courtesy of: cli.gs American idol R&B/Soul “top 10″ top 10 grammy winner “Season 9″ “episode 26″ “top 11″ top judge Ellen degeneres Simon Cowell Randy Jackson Kara dioguardi fox ryan seacrest results show final semi-final “part 1″ “part 2″ “part 3″ “part 4″ “part 5″ “part 6″ part 01 HD HQ top Andrew Garcia Katie Stevens Siobhan Magnus Lacey Brown Katelyn Epperly Didi Benami Paige Miles Crystal Bowersox Lilly Scott theme rolling stones night week hits March 30 2010 usher “Make a Wave”
From:newstrendstoday.com

Katherine Heigl, the Hollywood actress, suffered an embarrassing

2010-03-22T03:46:00.001-07:00

Katherine Heigl, the Hollywood actress, suffered an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction during an awards ceremony in America.

In the ultimate fashion nightmare, the former Grey’s Anatomy star was on stage at the ShoWest awards ceremony in Las Vegas, when the strap on her red dress broke.

The American actress, 31, had been accepting the Female Star of the Year award at Thursday's ceremony, which is the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners.

But as she started to thank the large audience, one of her straps broke, leaving the shocked actress struggling to hold up the dress and cover her modesty.

She continued undeterred, managing to say her thanks, but asking the host, Billy Bush to help hold up the strap.

Heigl, who has recently left the hit TV show to concentrate on movies such as The Ugly Truth, with Gerard Butler, Knocked Up and 27 dresses, later managed to smile and laugh off the incident.

Earlier judges praised her for her charm and talent in giving her the award.

"Her ever-present charm and innate talent have made Heigl's transition from TV screen to silver screen seemingly effortless," said Robert Sunshine, the event’s managing director.

"Her comedic timing and flair for acting are showcased in each of her roles and have captivated audiences around the globe.”

ShoWest's male star of the year, was Australian actor Sam Worthington, star of Avatar, James Cameron’s smash 3-D hit, which has become the highest grossing film ever.

Attracting delegates from all over the world, attendees saw sneak previews of anticipated summer hits as "Toy Story 3" and the "Karate Kid" remake featuring Jaden Smith, Will Smith’s son.

Heigl is due to star with Ashton Kutcher in a new romantic comedy, titled Killers, which is a mixture of movies Mr and Mrs Smith, starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and What Happens in Vegas, starring Kutcher and Cameron Diaz.

The plot features Heigl and Kutcher's characters rushing to the altar before suddenly realising their neighbours are assassins who have contracted to kill them.From:www.telegraph.co.uk

19-year-old Emma Watson banked the most money in 2009

2010-02-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

Hollywood's leading ladies were honored with Oscar nominations this week, and accomplished and time-tested actresses like Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock both earned nominations. While credibility and experience is always a valued commodity, it's youth that topped the earning list among females in Hollywood this year, as 19-year-old Emma Watson banked the most money in 2009, signaling a major shift in the showbiz landscape.
For years, industry stalwarts like Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston topped the actress earnings list. While they're certainly not Hollywood's most elder crowd, they brought to the table seasoned and respected filmographies along with their good looks. Watson's topping of the Vanity Fair earning chart signifies a shift away from this.

At just 19, Watson's career has infinite possibilities. Her earnings are based largely on her work in the 'Harry Potter' series as Hermione, and the fact that the series' finale is coming in two parts -- for which Watson pulled in $15 million per film. That put her annual bankroll for 2009 at $30 million, edging out Cameron Diaz by 10 percent, as the lanky blonde pulled in $27 million.Fron:www.popeater.com

Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore says she is not afraid of wrinkles

2010-02-07T20:34:00.000-08:00

Ageing is one inevitable problem which stars have to deal with, but Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore says she is not afraid of wrinkles.

The Charlie's Angels star loves her life at the moment and is not bothered about growing old, Contactmusic reported."It's the best time of my life. It's not traumatic at all. I don't think I've ever been happier. It's like the older I get, the better I get," the website quoted her telling Cosmopolitan magazine.

The 34-year-old actress, who recently made her directorial debut with Whip It!, plans to stay behind the camera if age starts taking a toll on her looks. "Gravity and wrinkles are fine with me. They're a small price to pay for the new wisdom inside my head and my heart. If everything becomes hideous and gross, I won't worry.

I'll just stop appearing in front of the camera. That's fine with me because I love producing and directing," said arrymore.From:www.hindustantimes.com

Katie Price has married boyfriend Alex Reid

2010-02-03T23:53:00.000-08:00

Katie Price has married boyfriend Alex Reid in a "private" wedding service in Las Vegas, a spokesman for the couple has confirmed.

The glamour model, who divorced singer Peter Andre last year, tied the knot with Celebrity Big Brother winner Reid at the Wynn Hotel wedding chapel in

front of family and friends.

The newlyweds said in a statement: "We are very much in love and look forward to the future together. We can't wait to get back and celebrate our marriage with our friends and family who we know fully support our wishes."

A guest told The Mirror: "Kate was incredibly excited. She had the idea while Alex was in the Celebrity Big Brother house and just decided to run with it. She loves Alex and he is great with her three kids, so she thought she'd go for it.

"They may have secured a lucrative [magazine] deal for the rights to their wedding, but their love is genuine. Alex worships the ground she walks on and Kate fancies the pants off him."

After being pronounced man and wife, it is thought that the pair were snapped by a magazine photographer before returning to their penthouse suite at the five-star Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

From:www.chinadaily.com.cn

Heidi Montag is changing her tune about her mother’s reaction to her plastic surgery

2010-02-03T23:30:00.000-08:00

Heidi Montag is changing her tune about her mother’s reaction to her plastic surgery.

Just two weeks after telling Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush that her mother, Darlene, thought her post-plastic surgery debut on the cover of People magazine was “beautiful,” “The Hills” reality star is now claiming that her mom’s reaction was intense. Heidi claims in this week’s issue of People magazine that her mother looked at her like she was a “circus freak” after the 23-year-old recently flew back home to Colorado to see her family.

“She was looking at me almost like a zoo animal,” Heidi told the mag of their first post-surgery meeting, which was reportedly filmed for “The Hills.” “It wasn’t like I was her daughter anymore. She was looking at me like I was a circus freak.”

But that wasn’t the story she told Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush just weeks ago.

“She said the cover looked beautiful,” Heidi told Billy of her mom’s reaction to her People post-surgery debut.

“She did?” Billy asked.

“Mmmhmm. She said obviously she loved me the way I was and she would never tell me to do anything, but that she always supports whatever my decision is,” Heidi said.

However, on Wednesday, People magazine Senior Writer Joey Bartolomeo offered more information about what Heidi has to say now.

“Heidi says her mom is heartbroken over her new face and body,” Joey told Access. “Heidi said her mom says her confidence is gone.”

But coming to Heidi’s defense is Joan Rivers, who knows a thing or two about surgery scrutiny.

“I feel very sorry [for her] because she tried to come out and be honest about it,” Joan told Access. “And when you really looked at the 10 procedures, it was nonsense, it was a little Botox and a little this, a little that, and a couple of bigger things and it’s a business of beauty.”From:www.chinadaily.com.cn

Women always want to look and feel beautiful

2010-02-03T23:15:00.000-08:00

Plastic surgery has always been a hot button topic in Hollywood. At least once a month, tabloids publish issues with stories speculating which celebrities had work done and where. Most recently, Heidi Montag, a ditzy reality television star, admitted to having 10 plastic surgery procedures. She’s only 23!

As we all know, plastic surgery isn’t just confined to the youngest and hottest of Hollywood. Women of all age groups and ethnicities go under the knife every year according to 2008 statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Ninety-three percent of the surgeries were performed on women.

Breast augmentation and Botox seem to be the most popular; perky breasts and wrinkle-free faces are in. Why is that?

The bombardment of media images of what is beautiful coupled with low self-esteem is usually the cause. Women always want to look and feel beautiful. If we have a weak moment, we’ll readily buy into what the media says.

It’s sad really. Hollywood is full of celebrities who have gone under procedures, and the exposure makes it seem as if plastic surgery is the norm.

The train of thought follows as this: ‘If celebrity A is going under the knife, and she’s my role model, maybe I should go under the knife too. She’s already pretty, she’s just enhancing what she has. There’s nothing wrong with being beautiful.’

All these stories twist reality and people’s perceptions of what is normal in the looks department. Plastic surgery stories populate tabloids and magazines alongside model ads and horror cellulite stories, forcing women to re-evaluate their own looks and contemplate forking over thousands for an enhancement.

Although most procedures are permanent, I think a person’s happiness is more at stake. What if you don’t like what the doctor did to your face, stomach or butt? Will you go back unsatisfied, hoping that a second attempt will give you the desired results? If someone is unhappy with how they look now, plastic surgery will only give them temporary happiness.

Women should focus on other aspects of life; it’s the things we do that make us happy. Looks only get you so far. Besides, when you die, you’ll decay into dust, and all that plastic surgery will have been for naught.

I have a friend who at 18 got rhinoplasty done because she felt insecure about her nose. She’s trying to make it in the music industry, and was definitely pressured by the high-class people around her. But she was more beautiful before the procedure.

I can only hope that girls and women alike will learn to love themselves from the inside out and recognize that beauty takes on many different forms. We don’t all need to look the same. We should celebrate our individual shapes, imperfections and assets. They make us special, and that individuality is worth much more than the price of a procedure.

From:fairfieldmirror.com

Celebrated a different aspect of movie super stardom

2010-01-26T22:51:00.000-08:00

Watch More Picture

A Hollywood themed birthday party this week in Salem celebrated a different aspect of movie super stardom.

The grand red carpet was laid out for the 70th birthday party of Patricia Naas of West Salem, who is known for her role with the Salem Library Foundation..

Patricia's daughter is Susan Hartwick, wife of Joe Hartwick, President of feature film production for 20th Century Fox.

Susan grew up in the Salem area, and graduated from McNary High School. When asked her thoughts, Susan said, "My mom is as active as a teenager. She golfs, dances and enjoys the Pentacle & Elsinore Theatres as well as First Wednesday. She makes 70 the new 50!"

Rebecca Maitland of the Reed Opera House in Salem, says the event celebrating this mother carried, "A really powerful message" - and one that you don't hear often enough.

"It was a fantastic, fun night with spotlights, strobes and original paintings of famous actors."

In fact, she described the evening as mainstream Hollywood in reverse.

"You could feel the celebration for all mothers, it was fun treating her like a rock star".

The party for Patricia Naas was held at the classic Reed Opera House in Salem which Maitland oversees.

"Organizers of this special event say a round of thanks to Susan's siblings Randy Naas of West Salem, and Kimberly Herr of Wilsonville.From:www.salem-news.com

Simon Cowell already has helped launch quite a few musical careers

2010-01-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

Simon Cowell already has helped launch quite a few musical careers -- from Susan Boyle to Leona Lewis to pretty much anyone on "American Idol" to an extent -- but now, he is setting his sights on a certain "Twilight" star by the name of Robert Pattinson.

Pattinson certainly does have some musical talent (he plays both the piano and guitar), but he is also is a little wary of taking the first offer out there from a big-name producer. A source told British publication The Sun that "Robert is reluctant to be turned into a pop star - and takes his music very seriously...He is a bit wary of signing up with Cowell who is, of course, associated with 'X Factor' and pop."

The paper also reports that, thanks to Cowell's involvement, there is now a bidding war breaking out over who gets to produce Pattinson's music. The kicker? These are all just offers, since the actor has yet to show that he's really that into going out on tour. Many big-name stars have attempted a musical career in the past, and while some (Jamie Foxx) found success others (Scarlett Johansson) floundered.

Do you think Robert Pattinson could be both a great singer and actor? Let me know your thoughts with a comment and stay tuned for more news.From:www.examiner.com

Thinks Jessica Biel is too boring to be considered as a great actress

2010-01-19T13:48:00.000-08:00

Hollywood actress Jessica Biel, whose relationship with Justin Timberlake has been under recent scrutiny, thinks she is too boring to be considered as a great actress.

The "Illusionist" star believes she is too grounded and leads too much of a normal life for people to have a high professional opinion of her.

"I might just be way too boring to ever be a really great actress," Jessica said.From:movies.indiatimes.com

Angelina won't be featured in the fashion house's ads any longer

2010-01-13T07:03:00.000-08:00

Angelina Jolie will be having a little less face time in magazines and on billboards now that fashion label St. John is changing direction.

Angelina won't be featured in the fashion house's ads any longer, but despite reports, she has not been dropped.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Brangelina's Family Album

In fact, a source told Access Hollywood that Angelina's contract with the brand ended "years ago." It ran from 2005 until 2008 and the actress and brand are "all on good terms."

She might not be working for St. John anymore, but Angelina will stay busy in 2010 with the release of her next movie, "Salt," which hits theaters in July.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie

As for St. John, the brand will now feature Manchester, England, bred model Karen Elson, the wife of rocker Jack White, in their new ads.

From:omg.yahoo.com/news

Brittany Murphy died December 20, 2009 at her home in Los Angeles

2009-12-29T06:44:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. BRITTANY MURPHY

Brittany Murphy died December 20, 2009 at her home in Los Angeles, California. She was 32 years old at the time of her death.

According to reports from TMZ, Murphy's husband made a 911 call in the early hours of the morning. Brittany suffered a massive heart attack; the coronary led to her nearly immediate passing.

WHO WAS BRITTANY MURPHY

The blonde starlet was most famous for her acting work in the movies "Clueless" with green celebrity Alicia Silverstone and with rap music star Eminem and legendary blonde bombshell Kim Bassinger in "8 Mile".

She began her acting career in community theaters at the age of 9 and has appeared in MAXIM magazine.From:www.examiner.com

Robert Pattinson skyrocketed into fame this year

2009-12-29T04:39:00.000-08:00

Robert Pattinson skyrocketed into fame this year, scoring the number one spot on the PopSugar 100 for his first time on the list! The Harry Potter alum quickly became an international heartthrob as Twilight's Edward Cullen, with his charming good looks and casual demeanor. He turned heads at Cannes and had us captivated at the MTV Movie Awards, and his flirtatious relationship with Kristen Stewart has hearts everywhere aflutter. We're so happy to welcome Rob to the PopSugar 100 as this year's number one! Congrats!From:www.popsugar.com

Jennifer Aniston's year was marked by professional triumph

2009-12-29T04:33:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Aniston's year was marked by professional triumph and personal landmarks.Aniston film Marley and Me broke records at the holiday box office, while HJNTIY also debuted at the top of its game. Aniston was back on TV for a guest-starring role on 30 Rock, and Jen also made headlines onstage at the Oscars. Unfortunately shortly after that big night, her high-profile relationship with John Mayer ended yet again, making her the second most commented celeb this year and taking the coveted number one spot on the pop factor ranking!From:www.popsugar.com

Hollywood actress Minnie Driver wore a red dress

2009-12-26T07:54:00.000-08:00

Hollywood actress Minnie Driver wore a red dress to her father's funeral as she did not want to disappoint him.The Good Will Hunting star's father, Ronnie, breathed his last at the age of 87 in London on December 14 after suffering a heart attack, Daily Express reported.

The star turned out with her family on Wednesday for the London funeral wearing a bright red dress and broke down in tears as she read the eulogy during the service.

"I am not being disrespectful. I am wearing red because my father always used to tell me that I was the kind of girl who would a wear a red dress to a funeral. So I wouldn't want to disappoint you, Dad."

The 39-year-old actress, who has been filming a movie in Scotland, put the production on hold to fly to London when her father fell ill.

Ronnie is survived by the actress and her elder sister, Kate, and their mother, Gaynor Millington, as well as his widow Misty, and two more children.From:www.hindustantimes.com

Actress Brittany Murphy, known for her breakthrough role in “Clueless”

2009-12-20T23:09:00.000-08:00

Actress Brittany Murphy, known for her breakthrough role in “Clueless” and dozens of other films, mysteriously died yesterday after collapsing in her Los Angeles home, investigators confirmed.

An autopsy could be performed as early as today to determine how the 32-year-old starlet died. Preliminary reports indicated she went into cardiac arrest at the home she shared with her husband, burly British screenwriter Simon Monjack.

L.A. firefighters responded to a 911 call from the home at about 8 a.m. yesterday. It was Murphy’s mother, Sharon, who discovered her unconscious in the shower, according to TMZ.com, which first reported the celebrity death shocker.

She was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center shortly after 10 a.m., a hospital spokeswoman confirmed. TMZ reported that Murphy’s husband didn’t want an autopsy performed on her. The Web site also said some prescription drugs were found in her house and foul play is not suspected in her death. Her mom reportedly told authorities Murphy had a history of diabetes.

Murphy starred in such films as “8 mile,” “Don’t Say a Word” and “Uptown Girl.” Her first big break came in the 1995 comedy “Clueless,” in which she played Tai, an outsider befriended by a cooler clique of girls.

In 2004, Murphy made a cameo in the Hub, where she filmed scenes for the flick “Little Black Book” outside the South End’s Metropolis restaurant. The film also starred Vineyard songbird Carly Simon.

Murphy’s father, Angelo Bertolotti, told The Associated Press he learned of her death from his son, the actress’ brother.

“She was just an absolute doll since she was born,” Bertolotti said from his Branford, Fla., home. “Her personality was always outward. Everybody loved her - people that made movies with her, people on a cruise - they all loved her. She was just a regular gal.”

However, Murphy’s career seemed to nosedive in recent months. She was reportedly fired from one recent film, “The Caller,” for being “problematic on the set,” according to TMZ. She had three films in post-production, according to the New York Daily News.

The actress dabbled in music, releasing the dance club single “Faster Kill Pussycat” in 2006.

But physically, she appeared to be withering away, becoming painfully underweight in recent months.

In October, Murphy’s neighbors reported to cops that she was frantically screaming about gunshots on her balcony, according to the Daily News. The noise turned out to be a nearby generator.

Former beau Ashton Kutcher, who in 2003 starred with Murphy in “Just Married,” posted on his Twitter: “See you on the other side kid ... 2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine. My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany’s family, her husband, & her amazing mother Sharon.”

From:news.bostonherald.com

Miley Cyrus adds to the number of Hollywood actresses

2009-12-06T00:06:00.000-08:00

Miley Cyrus adds to the number of Hollywood actresses like Lindsay Lohan in getting what is called a “Just Breathe” tattoo. Lindsay got the same tattoo earlier than Miley which is located on her wrist. As for Miley who’s sporting the latest tattoo, she was spotted sipping her drink by the pool of the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach, where she recently wrapped her Wonder World tour. She then revealed what it seems a new ink just under hear breasts in a hot pink bathing suit top.

From:www.showbizgossips.com

Adam Lambert may be unsafe for Good Morning America and Jimmy Kimmel Live show

2009-12-05T23:57:00.000-08:00

Adam Lambert may be unsafe for Good Morning America and Jimmy Kimmel Live show, but the ladies of The View can handle him. At least that was the message ABC seemed to be sending when they announced Friday that the American Idol runner-up will appear on the talk show on Dec. 10 in a taped interview and performance. The appearance will air the morning after Barbara Walters includes Lambert as one of the year’s “Most Fascinating People” in her special airing the evening of Dec. 9.
From:news-briefs.ew.com

Back for new season Jan. 12:'American Idol'

2009-12-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

"American Idol" will kick off its ninth year with a two-night season premiere in January.

Fox announced Tuesday that the hit singing contest, which last year produced a battle between winner Kris Allen and runner-up Adam Lambert, will return Tuesday, Jan. 12, and Wednesday, Jan. 13.

This year's big change: Paula Abdul is out as judge and Ellen DeGeneres is in.

Fox also announced that the drama "24" will return with a pair of two-hour episodes airing Jan. 17 and 18, and that "Glee" will take a break after its Dec. 9 episode, returning April 13 to follow "American Idol."

Before that, the coveted post-"Idol" spot will go "Our Little Genius," a new series that tests the knowledge of gifted children and debuts Jan. 13.

From:www.google.com

I've never heard a Jay-Z song:Miley Cyrus

2009-11-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

Calif. -- Miley Cyrus may sing about her favorite Jay-Z song coming on in her No. 1 hit "Party In The U.S.A.," but the star has revealed that she's never heard a song by the hip-hop icon.

"I've never heard a Jay-Z song," she said in a video posted to her official site, MileyWorld.com.

Unlike past Miley hits, she explained, the track wasn't hers.

"I don't know, I didn't write the song - I picked that song because I needed something to go with my clothing line," she explained of her collaboration with Wal-Mart and designer Max Azaria, adding she didn't realize the track would take off. "It turned out for the best. It was really unexpected."

The young rocker said the pop track was a curveball from her usual style.

"I don't listen to pop music, that's not my style of music," Miley said of the track. "I'm really blessed for it to have done as well as it has."

While she may not be a Jay-Z buff, Miley also weighed in on an artist she has heard - dad Billy Ray Cyrus.Asked if she would ever cover his hit "Achy Breaky Heart," she said no."That's like covering a Jay-Z song," she said.

From:omg.yahoo.com

It's not easy being Britney -- just ask Rihanna

2009-11-04T03:23:00.001-08:00

It's not easy being Britney -- just ask Rihanna.

The media frenzy that swirled around the singer right after she was viciously beaten by then-boyfriend Chris Brown left her feeling like the beleaguered pop tart.

"I felt like I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears," the singer told Glamour magazine. "That was the level of media chaos that happened the next day. It was like, what, there are helicopters circling my house? There are 100 people in my cul-de-sac? What do you mean I can't go back home?"

The 21-year-old beauty said the "positive thing" to come out of her experience that February night is that she's able to send a message to young women."Domestic violence is a big secret. No kid goes around and lets people know their parents fight. Teenage girls can't tell their parents that their boyfriend beat them up," she told the magazine.

"It's one of the things we [women] will hide, because it's embarrassing. My story was broadcast all over the world for people to see, and they have followed every step of my recovery. The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that," Rihanna said.

She said that her friends and family were supportive. "But at some point, you are there alone. It's a lonely place to be -- no one can understand. That's when you get close to God."

Rihanna also called it a "humiliating" slap when a photo of her battered face was leaked. "I felt completely taken advantage of," she told Glamour. "I felt like people were making it into a fun topic on the Internet, and it's my life."

From:www.nypost.com

Embattled Reality Star Jon Gosselin Consulting With a Rabbi to "Reconnect More Altruistic Self.

2009-10-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

Embattled reality star Jon Gosselin admits he got "carried away by the challenges of fame" and is consulting with a rabbi to "reconnect with my deeper, more spiritual, more altruistic self."In a statement, the 32-year-old father of eight (who has said he's "half Jewish and half Korean") tells Usmagazine.com:"I am troubled to learn that the media has accepted as true the scurrilous rumor that I would appear in a reality television program with Nadya Suleman. This is utterly false."I do, however, accept that some of my previous actions have in some way lent credence to such outrageous stories.I am well aware that my behavior over the past few months has not always reflected my personal and religious values. I further accept that I have allowed myself to become somewhat severed from my own moral anchor and be carried away by the challenges of fame.

From:www.omg.yahoo.com

Nicole Kidman:Hollywood has probably contributed to violence against women

2009-10-27T00:28:00.000-07:00

Nicole Kidman conceded Wednesday that Hollywood has probably contributed to violence against women by portraying them as weak sex objects.

The Oscar-winning actress said she is not interested in those kinds of demeaning roles, adding that the movie industry also has made an effort to contribute to solutions for ending the violence.

Kidman testified before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee that is considering legislation to address violence against women overseas through humanitarian relief efforts and grants to local organizations working on the problem.

Asked by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., if the movie industry has "played a bad role," Kidman said "probably," but quickly added that she herself doesn't.

"I can't be responsible for all of Hollywood but I can certainly be responsible for my own career," she said.

Kidman appeared before the committee in her role as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. Development Fund for Women, known as UNIFEM, to promote the International Violence Against Women Act.

"In the real world, the laws go unenforced and impunity is the norm," she said.

The legislation has stalled in the past, but a sponsor, Rep. Bill Delahunt, D-Mass., said he and others plan to reintroduce it soon.

The Australian star told Congress that the U.N. women's fund needs more resources. "We need the money," she said.

Before the hearing began, a crowd of people lined the hall and around the corner to hear her speak.From:money.aol.com

Hollywood actress Sienna Miller's Broadway debut

2009-10-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

Hollywood actress Sienna Miller's Broadway debut in "After Miss Julie" has been hit by a string of bad reviews with critics mauling her performance.The actress stars in Patrick Marber's adaptation of the August Strindberg classic "Miss Julie". On the opening night Thursday Miller's performance came under the spotlight, with critics labelling her "second rate", reports contactmusic.com."Ms. Miller registers as a healthy, sane young woman with good diction, good posture and great legs. Commendable as these attributes are, they are of limited use in portraying a tautly wound, death-courting neurotic who is eaten alive by her own demons," wrote Ben Brantley, of the New York Times."If Julie is written as clashing chords of conflicted impulses, Ms. Miller plays them like a novice at a piano, plunking down each note loudly and individually," he addedAdded Wall Street Journal theatre critic Terry Teachout: "A model turned second-tier movie star, all she does is stalk around the stage striking vampy poses... she has no more business playing a classic stage role than I have posing for the cover of Vogue."
from:entertainment.expressbuzz.com

Sexy Salma Hayek Vampire Role

2009-10-08T00:24:00.000-07:00

The Anne Frank House museum in Amsterdam has begun airing the only known video of a teen Frank and the rare footage is a YouTube hit. You can see her about nine seconds into the short 21-second video. Hollywood actress and rare beauty Salma Hayek did what many Hollywood actresses never do - she took a reduced role for her little baby girl. More on both items follow.

One - Hollywood actress Salma Hayek has revealed she backed out of a movie shortly after her daughter was born. Salma, 43, gave birth to her daughter Valentina Paloma in September 21 2007. She now has a small part in Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant.

She said: "This was very important for me because I hadn't worked in some time. "I was supposed to do a movie right after Valentina [was born] and it was the first time in my career that I backed out of something because I just couldn't. I couldn't." However, Salma admitted that it was easier to get back to work after Valentina's birth because she could bring her to work along with other family members. She said: "She did great [on the set]. She's a pro."

Two - Social Vibe has the short film clip and a still photo here of Anne Frank, "A legendary figure in history, best known for her iconic diary chronicling two years spent in hiding from Nazis with her family during World War II."From:www.nationalledger.com

Angelina Jolie spent some special time

2009-09-03T23:20:00.000-07:00

Angelina Jolie spent some special time with just Shiloh shopping in Ajaccio, France, yesterday. Last week Angelina and Brad brought Maddox and Pax to get some new pet gerbils, but this time Shi choose a toy doggie, not a real one. Shiloh's blond hair is so long these days, but she is still a spitting image of her mother.It's weekend number two for Inglourious Basterds, so we'll see if it's record-breaking opening can hold steady at the box office while the Jolie-Pitts are off in France living the relaxing life at their chateau.From:www.popsugar.com

Jennifer Garner and Violet Affleck put their shades on earlier today

2009-09-03T23:12:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Garner and Violet Affleck put their shades on earlier today for a walk around Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA. The girls took off from LAX earlier this week, with little sister Seraphina, on their way to visit with Ben Affleck as he keeps on working on The Town. The Garner-Afflecks are all familiar with Ben's hometown after their extended stay when he worked on The Company Men, and Jennifer and Violet appear to be starting to fit in just like locals.
From:popsugar.com

John Krasinski will walk down the aisle both on- and off-screen

2009-08-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

Krasinski and British actress Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) are engaged, according to People. They have been dating since November 2008.

The couple kept their relationship quiet, attending the 2009 SAG Awards separately and only going on low-key dates, according to the magazine.
Krasinski was previously linked to his Office co-star Rashida Jones, while Blunt ended her three-year relationship with singer Michael Bubl in 2008.From:www.Omg.com

Reps for the superprivate pair tell E! News: "We can confirm that John and Emily are engaged."

The couple began dating in November 2008 and have kept much of their romance under wraps, arriving separately to awards shows and spending down-low downtime together in Los Angeles.

Before finding each other, The Devil Wears Prada star dated crooner Michael Bublé for three years, while Krasinski was linked to former Office costar Rashida Jones.

All right, Dunder Mifflin, who's next? If Ryan and Kelly hook up again, are we going to hear about Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak engagements, too?From:www.eonline.com

Kim Kardashian is allowing the art of the sitcom

2009-08-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

Kim Kardashian is allowing the art of the sitcom to imitate life.

According to People, the reality star, who split from football star Reggie Bush last month, will make a guest appearance in the new FOX sitcom, "Brothers." In the episode, she'll be involved with another football star.

Kim will reportedly play herself confronting former football star Michael Trainor (played by ex-New York Giant Michael Strahan) about rumors that they're involved.
From:omg.yahoo.com

Kim will reportedly play herself confronting former football star Michael Trainor (played by ex-New York Giant Michael Strahan) about rumors that they’re involved.

Access Hollywood’s own Nancy O’Dell will make a cameo in the episode, as she tries to get to the bottom of the alleged romance.

Kim’s episode of “Brothers” is scheduled to shoot in the next few weeks and is set to air in October.Kim's episode of "Brothers" is scheduled to shoot in the next few weeks and is set to air in October.

From:popsugar.com

Happy 51st birthday to Madonna and a personal statement

2009-08-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

Happy 51st birthday to Madonna, you look amazing and are still breaking records with your tour de force concerts. How ironic and wonderful that your concert last night went off without a hitch and the religious zealots were unable to do a thing to stop you. Thousands of Polish fans cheered you on as you rocked the stage. Hundreds of clubs and millions of your fans will have you in mind today as we go about our day. Congratulations and keep up the good work, not that we ever thought for a moment you wouldn't.

Poland (AP) -- Polish fans joined together in song to wish Madonna a happy birthday at a concert in Warsaw Saturday evening — just hours before she turned 51.
In a break between two songs, a fan held up a sign wishing her a happy birthday and audience members sang, "may you live a hundred years," a traditional Polish birthday song.
"I feel your love!" Madonna told the crowd of tens of thousands gathered on a large green field for the latest stop in her Sticky & Sweet tour.Many of the fans near the stage also held up paper

hearts. One said: "Adopt Me."

Her stop in Warsaw fell not only a day before her birthday, but also on the August 15, the Roman Catholic holiday celebrating the heavenly assumption of the Virgin Mary — timing that angered some Catholics.Several people who objected to Madonna held up banners outside the concert venue, and a Catholic group tried to spearhead protests in past weeks hoping to force the Material Girl to change the date of the concert. It failed, however, to win support from the official church or the public. Though Poland,

Kourtney Kardashian is pregnant.

2009-08-12T22:08:00.000-07:00

Kourtney Kardashian is pregnant.

The E! reality star, 30, is not revealing the father's identity or how far along she is, E! News reports.

Speaking with E! Tuesday, she refused to say if she and ex-boyfriend Scott Disick were back together.

"You're going to have to see on the show," she said, referring to her new reality show with her sister Khloe, "Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami," which debuts Sunday.

In April, Kourtney's stepdad, Bruce Jenner, hinted a baby could be on the way.

"Kourtney is turning the big 3-0 this year and I'm wondering how she's going to handle that," he told Usmagazine.com at the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

Added Bruce, "Women have a lot more issues to deal with [than men]. They have ticking maternal time clocks to deal with and they have all these different sorts of things going on in their heads. The good news about all three girls [Kourtney's two famous sisters are Kim and Khloe] is that they're very busy.

From:wonderwall.msn.com

Tom Cruise's son is getting ready to for battle.

2009-08-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

Tom Cruise's son is getting ready to for battle.

Connor Cruise will star in the remake of the 1984 film "Red Dawn," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Jennifer Lopez Sexy Photo Gallery

Also joining the 14-year-old Cruise as soldier-fighting Wolverines in the remake are Isabel Lucas, Josh Hutcherson and Edwin Hodge.

The foursome joins the previously announced Chris Hemsworth, Adrianne Palicki and Josh Peck in the film, which follows a group of small-town teenagers who rise up to battle invading Russian (and in the remake, Chinese) soldiers.

Angelina Jolie New Sexy Wallpapers

Cruise - who made his big screen debut in 2008 as the young Will Smith in "Seven Pounds" -- will play Daryl, the son of the town's mayor.

Hutcherson ("Journey to the Center of the Earth;" "Bridge to Terabithia") will play Robert, the role originally played by C. Thomas Howell.Lucas will step into the role of Erica, the head cheerleader and girlfriend of Matt Eckert (played by Peck).

Sexy Supermodel Heidi Klum Fashion Show

Hodge (best known for his recurring roles on FOX's "Mental" and "Bones") will play Danny, the town's BMOC who helps start up the fight against the soldiers.Filming is slated to begin next month in Detroit, after the group of young actors undergoes first military training in the coming weeks.The "Red Dawn" remake is scheduled to hit theaters on September 24, 2010.

From:omg.yahoo.com

Miley Cyrus rode a wave at the Teen Choice Awards.

2009-08-10T01:34:00.000-07:00

Miley Cyrus rode a wave at the Teen Choice Awards.

The teen queen sailed away with six surfboard-shaped trophies at Sunday's ceremony. Cyrus won for comedy TV actress and comedy TV show for "Hannah Montana," music/dance movie actress and hissy fit for the "Hannah Montana" movie, music single for "The Climb" and summer song for "Before the Storm." She also presented Britney Spears with the ultimate choice award.

"I'm a huge fans of hers," Cyrus said before a subdued Spears accepted her own surfboard.

Cyrus was among several multiple award winners at the 11th annual ceremony at Universal Studios Hollywood's Gibson Amphitheatre.

Show hosts the Jonas Brothers kicked off the ceremony by performing "Much Better" on a tiny stage that moved through the audience. They won five awards, including choice male red carpet icons and breakout TV show for "Jonas."

The biggest winner of the night was vampire drama "Twilight," which sucked up nine movie awards:From:wonderwall.msn.com

"Brutal Legend" will rock out with a lengthy list of metal legends.

2009-08-10T00:25:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Brutal Legend" will rock out with a lengthy list of metal legends.

Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Megadeath and Motorhead are among the 75 bands that will be featured in the video game starring Jack Black as a roadie who fights evil in a mythical metal-themed world. Over 100 songs — such as Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood," Kiss' "God of Thunder" and Ratt's "Lay It Down" — will be included in the game.

Game creator Tim Schafer (SHAY'-fer) said the "Brutal Legend" tunes will encompass the various sub-genres of metal — hair, British, new wave, goth, industrial

and death, just to name a few.

The songs will play in the background during cutscenes or via "The Mouth of Metal," the in-game radio station found inside the hot rod of Black's character.

From:wonderwall.msn.com

Sienna Miller took a break from PDA time with Balthazar

2009-08-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sienna Miller slipped into a tiny white bikini to sunbathe in Positano, Italy yesterday. She took a break from PDA time with Balthazar, enjoying an afternoon by the pool with her book while he went out jet skiing. They seem to be going strong despite what anyone else may think, but she'll have to wrap up their Mediterranean vacation soon to start promoting
From:www.popsugar.com

Michael Jackson's mother lawyer opens up

2009-08-09T02:50:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - It wasn't just a victory. It was finally a moment of relief for Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, 79, when she won custody of her three grandchildren, Prince, 12, Paris, 11 and Blanket, 7.

And helping make this possible was New York lawyer L. Londell McMillan, whose longtime ties to the Jackson family are as personal as they are professional, giving him a uniquely intimate perspective on Katherine's ordeal.

"After last Monday, it was like a load was taken off of her, and she's kicking her heels a little bit," McMillan tells PEOPLE. "She's got her grandchildren,” they're set. She's starting to rock and roll. She's getting her grandma swagger back."

The kids have been her saving grace amidst her son's tragedy. "It's been very painful for her," says McMillan. "But she has been busy trying to make sure that these children will be provided for."

Bonding with Jacksons
McMillan, who got his law degree at New York University after majoring in collective bargaining at Cornell, began working with Michael about four years ago, when Jackson was faced with a breach of contract lawsuit filed by the Prince of Bahrain. "My relationship with Michael was one of trust," he explains.

He also represented Katherine in a couple matters, and built a connection with her. "I lost my mom almost 20 years ago, but [she and Katherine] were similar in being selfless, loving to laugh and being the most loyal person in the room," says McMillan. "Katherine is a wonderful lady."

His other credentials include helping Michael refinance his Beatles catalog, liberating the artist known as Prince from a Warner Bros. recording contract he was famously unhappy with, and founding the non-profit Artist Empowerment Coalition.

As for Michael's children, the lawyer says: "They're in a great spot. They love their grandma. She is a very vibrant and youthful 79-year-old woman. Mrs. Jackson will be the matriarch of love that she has always been for this family."From:www.msnbc.msn.com

‘Dancing with Stars’ role for Paula Abdul?

2009-08-09T02:27:00.000-07:00

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- ABC is joining the chorus of those seeking to hire Paula Abdul, who said she's quitting "American Idol."

ABC programming chief Stephen McPherson told the Television Critics Association on Saturday that he was "stunned" to hear she'd decided to leave the top-rated Fox series and that he's contacted Abdul, whom he called an old friend.

McPherson told Abdul he'd love to see her at ABC, home of "Dancing with the Stars."

Abdul announced last Tuesday she was leaving as an "Idol" judge following stalemated contract talks with Fox and the show's producers. She said she quickly started receiving "wonderful" offers.

From:wonderwall.msn.com

Katherine Heigl has hurt herself while shooting

2009-08-08T06:18:00.001-07:00

Hollywood actress Katherine Heigl has hurt herself while shooting for the action scenes in her forthcoming movie, Five Killers. This movie is about a woman who marries an assassin which is played by Ashton Kutcher.

According to her, Katherine Heigl has suffered from injuries many times during the filming. So she feels that she should be a part of action films any more.

Katherine Heigl has admitted that it is very clumsy as he had bruised herself on several occasions. Katherine Heigl feels that she would be looking stupid even if she tried to look serious while doing a sequence that involves a car chasing her. But, she plans to try it again, but only after she gets in shape.
From:www.india-server.com

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler,61, fell backwards off the stage

2009-08-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

In the latest injury to befall Aerosmith's star-crossed summer tour, lead singer Steven Tyler, 61, fell backwards off the stage on Wednesday night during the band's show in Rapid City, South Dakota, and was airlifted to a hospital for treatment.

According to The Associated Press, Tyler was dancing around in an attempt to entertain the crowd at the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally after the sound system failed during the song "Love in an Elevator" when he fell backwards off the stage.

"He does a lot of dancing on the stage and he does a lot of stuff with his mic stand. He put his stand down and twirled around and stepped backwards off the stage," said Mike Sanborn, spokesman for the Buffalo Chip Campground, which hosted the outdoor concert. About halfway through the show, Tyler reportedly stepped backward off the stage's catwalk and fell onto a couple of fans.

Security guards rushed in to help the singer, and the fans cheered when Tyler got back up. Though Sanborn said he was in good spirits and was joking with a physician when he was loaded onto a helicopter bound for Rapid City Regional Hospital, Tyler suffered minor head and neck injuries and a shoulder injury in the fall. The AP said it was not known how serious the injuries were. Shortly after the incident, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry came out to inform the crowd that Tyler had been airlifted to a hospital and that the show was over.

The Tyler tumble is the latest injury to befall the veteran hard rockers on the road. In February, the international kickoff in Venezuela was canceled because of an infection sustained by Perry that required emergency surgery related to a knee replacement he underwent in 2008.

Last month, the band was forced to cancel seven shows due to an unspecified injury, rumored to be a pulled leg muscle, sustained by Tyler onstage. That was followed by bassist Tom Hamilton's departure for a handful of dates in order to recuperate from unspecified "non-invasive surgery." Earlier in the trek, guitarist Brad Whitford was forced to sit out the initial dates due to a head injury, which required surgery, sustained when he was getting out of his Ferrari.

Several months before the tour, Tyler checked into rehab to recuperate from foot surgery. In March he contracted pneumonia, which pushed back sessions for the group's new album.

A spokesperson for the group could not be reached for comment at press time, and the hospital, citing privacy rules, would not comment for this story
From:www.mtv.com

American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert for this piece in today's paper.

2009-08-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Sun writer Sam Sessa interviewed American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert for this piece in today's paper.

Lambert and several of the other Idol contestants will perform at 1st Mariner Arena Wednesday as part of the American Idols Live tour.

Here are some bits and pieces from the interview that didn't make it into the article:

Adam, did you ever go back and watch clips of your "Idol" performances?

I actually bought them on iTunes so they were high quality. It was a really good learning tool -- to go back and review my performances. Performing on TV was definitely a new thing for me. I tried to learn as much as I could by reviewing those videos.

There's a rumor going around that Queen asked you to be their lead singer. Is that true?

It's pretty much a rumor. Basically what happened was, [Queen's guitarist] Brian May expressed an interest in possible future collaborations. That's really as vague as it was. The press decided to run with it. Of course, I'd be honored to sing with him any time. Queen is one of my all-time favorite bands, and Freddie Mercury was a huge influence on me musically.

Did you hear from any of the bands you covered on the show?

I heard in a roundabout way that the lead singer from Tears For Fears was really into what we did. I heard that Muse was happy with what I did. Ii'm also performing one of [Muse's] songs on the tour. That's pretty much it. I haven't heard from a lot of people.

What do you think about Ju'Not Joyner's allegations that "Idol" was rigged?

I guess everybody's entitled to their opinion.From:weblogs.baltimoresun.com

Paula Abdul will not return to American Idol for another season

2009-08-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

Paula Abdul has announced on her Twitter feed, and Fox has confirmed to EW, that she will not return to American Idol for another season. Below is the full statement from Abdul:

“With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to IDOL. I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon. What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me. It truly has been breathtaking, especially over the past month. I do without any doubt have the BEST fans in the entire world and I love you all.”

The full statement from Fox:

“Paula Abdul has been an important part of the American Idol family over the last eight seasons and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show. While Paula will not be continuing with us, she’s a tremendous talent and we wish her the best.”From:news-briefs.ew.com

Kim Kardashian Join 'America's Next Top Model'

2009-08-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

she's making her way back to both arenas as a guest judge on "America's Next Top Model."

In addition to Conrad, Kim Kardashian — star of her own reality show, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" — will also be making a cameo for the 13th cycle of the show, E! Online reports. Both LC and Kardashian are signed on for one episode each. LC will be on the September 16 episode, with Kardashian making her appearance October 21.

Conrad recently told MTV News that she wouldn't rule out returning to TV, but she did warn that when or if she did, she'd want to do it in a hosting capacity. "I wouldn't do a show like 'The Hills,' " she said in June. "Nothing with my personal life, but possibly something hosting. I think I have a little bit of time to figure out what I'm going to do next."

Now that we'll be seeing LC on TV again, is there any chance we can catch her on the upcoming season of "The Hills," starting in September? "I'm not planning on it," she said. "I'm happy with the time I walked away, and I think that from now on, they're going to pick it up and do a great show. But I think that my time on it is done."

From:www.mtv.com

A U.S. reality television show "Jon & Kate Plus 8,"

2009-08-03T22:52:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK, Aug 3 (Reuters) - A U.S. reality television show about a family with eight children was back on air on Monday -- despite the parents splitting up.

The show "Jon & Kate Plus 8," aired by cable channel TLC, resumed after a six-week hiatus spawned by the break-up of parents Jon and Kate Gosselin which sent ratings soaring.

As the series resumed its fifth season, the parents now living apart and taking turns looking after their 5-year-old sextuplets and twin girls.

For despite the split, the pair decided their lives and the lives of their children would continue to be led in the public spotlight and the show would go on.

The resumed series lacked the hostility between the couple of earlier shows and was dominated by mundane domestic issues such as renovations and recreation.

More Picture

"This is a very, very difficult time right now ... but my main goal is to make this transition as easy and painless, if that's possible, for the kids as possible," said Kate Gosselin during one of two 30 minute episodes that resumed the series.

One notable change in the show, which is expected to continue with each parent taking turns staying in the home with the children, was greater commentary from the toddlers addressing the cameras directly.

Razzing their mother's dubious outdoorsmanship in a second episode during which Kate and the children camped out in the backyard, they variously opined:

"She did a terrible job" trying to pitch a tent, and "We'd probably die if we lived in the nature with her" after she struggled to start a fire using a lighter.

"I am going to do things that I have never done before," Kate vowed. "I have to. It is not their fault that what has transpired has transpired."

The Gosselins are famous for having twins and sextuplets, which made for a crowded house, and the show documented the family's trials and triumphs as the children grew up.

But the couple announced they were ending their 10-year marriage during a one-hour episode in June, ending months of speculation and reports about their deteriorating relationship and allegations of affairs, which created a tabloid media frenzy.From:www.reuters.com

Katherine Jackson will appear in a Los Angeles courtroom

2009-08-03T04:26:00.000-07:00

Katherine Jackson will appear in a Los Angeles courtroom today in the hopes of becoming a co-executor of Michael Jackson's multimillion-dollar estate, an attempt to wrest control of her son's fortune from the two men he handpicked to oversee his legacy.

Rather than contest the will outright -- a risky maneuver that if unsuccessful would cost Katherine, 79, the money she already is assured -- the family is instead trying to raise questions about the legitimacy of the executors Jackson named in his will.

Aside from Jackson's children, Katherine Jackson was the only member of the family named in Jackson's will.

From:www.abcnews.go.com

Giving the judges veto power on "American Idol"

2009-08-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

As a person who loves watching solid strategy and gameplay on reality TV, hearing about the coup d'etat on Thursday night's "Big Brother" made me cringe. In theory the coup sounds like a great idea in that it gives America a chance to impact the "Big Brother" household; yet, at the same time, it completely disrespects anyone who has worked their butts off to get into a secure alliance. Now the show is put into the hands of America, and obviously they will want to give more power to underdogs or those with a positive edit.

However, put up against some of the other bad twists in reality TV history, maybe the coup isn't quite so bad. There are some twists out there so bad they make watching a chore.

5. Giving the judges veto power on "American Idol"

All right, we all know that sometimes America messes up on the voting and the wrong person goes home (see Chris Daughtry for evidence); but isn't the controversy really part of the fun? If Daughtry hadn't left the show at the final four, no one would've been talking. Giving the judges the power to "save" a contestant from elimination is silly, especially since we all know that, at the end of the day, record sales will determine how successful a singer really is.

4. "Big Brother 8"

The only thing possibly worse than the coup d'etat was the idea for this season: to randomly put three sets of "enemies" into the house along with "America's Player," who would act on the nation's behalf. Both ideas were actually pretty cool, but CBS only went halfway with casting the enemies and should've made a whole cast about them. This season also introduced us to Dick Donato (which may actually be a good thing to some people). It was too confusing and far too random to be fun.

3. "The Amazing Race: Family Edition"

This season almost killed "The Amazing Race," mainly because it took away from the point of the show: to be amazing. It was a glorified road trip across America (and I guess Panama) with families that were difficult to remember and challenges that included "find a giant rocking chair." Plus it wasn't exactly a fair competition; the teams with small children lost early, and the Linz Family, made up of four adult siblings, ended up winning the grand prize. (Plus, the Weaver Family lasted too long and they were quite frankly frightening at times--who stops on the final leg of the race for fast food?)

2. "Celebrity Mole"

Okay, these two seasons did pretty much kill "The Mole" for a while. The show gained a fan following for being witty and intelligent, and then decided to cast Dennis Rodman and Stephen Baldwin and make the challenges far easier. Nobody asked for a celebrity season of this show--thankfully, ABC redeemed itself by making a new edition last summer with some really great contestants and ideas. However, poor ratings ultimately sent the show to the grave.

1. The Outcast Tribe on "Survivor: Pearl Islands"

Unless they are voting on a winner or coming back for an All-Star season, bringing back previously-eliminated contestants is never a good idea. It's happened on "Big Brother" and "American Idol" before, but nothing will ever top "Survivor" allowing six previously-eliminated contestants the chance to come back into a tribe. Two contestants (Burton and Lil) managed to re-join the game after winning at a challenge, throwing all strategy out the window and angering the cast. The worst part? Lil beat out popular players like Rupert and infamous players like Johnny Fairplay to finish second.From:www.examiner.com

Dr. Conrad Murray has become increasingly grim:Michael Jackson's death

2009-08-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

Since Michael Jackson's death, the picture emerging of Dr. Conrad Murray has become increasingly grim.

Strapped for cash, the physician left his low-income patients and signed on as Jackson's personal physician for $150,000 a month, only to become a target of a manslaughter investigation amid reports he injected the pop icon with a powerful anesthesia the night before his death.

But to those who have long known him and been his patients in Texas and Nevada, the 56-year-old doctor from Grenada is no Hollywood Dr. Feelgood. He's a hero, a lifesaver. For these people, the drumbeat of news reports has been met with bafflement and anger. In one section of Houston, Murray is credited with bringing a medical facility where others dared not go. He volunteered to teach elementary school and cared so much about his patients that he offered to do video conferences with them when he couldn't personally attend to them.

In 2000, Murray opened Global Cardiovascular Associates in Las Vegas just east of the Strip, where his clientele spanned the Vegas caste system from the less fortunate to, patients say, several unidentified officials in Vegas government.

"I looked forward to going to see him because he was very warm, very good-hearted," Las Vegas patient Donna Digiacomo told PEOPLE just days after discovering her doctor was the man in the middle of the Jackson media circus. "He's not getting a fair shake at this. He's the most beautiful man you would ever know."

Humble Beginnings

Although his name will forever be associated with the King of Pop, it wasn't always glitz and glamour for Murray. Until the age of 7, he was raised by his grandparents, both of whom were farmers in Grenada. He later moved to Trinidad and Tobago to be with his mother. A hard worker, Murray bought his first house at 19, a home he would later sell and use the profits from to put himself through college. It wasn't until he was 25 when he finally met his father, who was also a doctor.

Following in his father's footsteps, Murray headed for medical school, at predominantly African-American Meharry Medical College in Nashville. Murray eventually opened a practice in Houston, the Acres Homes Heart and Vascular Institute.

"We have been so lucky to have Dr. Murray and that clinic in this community," Houston patient Ruby Mosley told PEOPLE. "There are many, many patients that thank God this man was here for them." Mosely said there are even prayer rituals for Murray in the community.
From:www.people.com

'Cheeta' writer could be top banana

2009-07-29T03:10:00.000-07:00

The Booker Prize, one of Britain's most prestigious literary awards, this year might go to a - chimpanzee. Organizers announced yesterday the long list of 13 Booker contenders, which includes Me Cheeta, the purported memoirs of the chimp who starred in the 1930s Tarzan flicks.

Alas, the book, which was initially published anonymously, was penned by a human, James Lever. Others in the running for the $82,000 prize include A.S. Byatt, J.M. Coetzee, Sarah Hall, Hilary Mantel, Simon Mawer, Sarah Waters, and William Trevor. The winner will be announced Oct. 6.

Breathing soul into clay

No, I'm afraid the latest monumental tribute to Michael Jackson is not made of butter. Nor is it homegrown. (It's in Paris, France.)

French artist Jean-Baptiste Seckler, 33, is honoring the late, great King of Pop, by fashioning a sculpture of him in public in front of Paris' famed Pompidou Center.

Seckler, who was out there yesterday, shaping MJ's nose and lips, said he wanted to do his creationing away from "the silence and the concentration" he would otherwise enjoy in his no doubt very chic garret, because MJ's death "affected everyone, whether you like him or not."

The artist, who began his labors Saturday, is working in clay - we mortals do, after all, have feet of clay.

Red hot dancer in hot spot

Katie Holmes, who delighted audiences with her sexy Judy Garland turn on So You Think You Can Dance, last weekend barely escaped an (almost) burning vehicular inferno on the Australian set of her horror flick, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. A BMW in which she was being filmed began emitting big billows of smoke from under the bonnet, but luckily, it didn't erupt into flames. An anon source tells Britain's Daily Mail that Katie, 30, "was very shaken by the ordeal. She took the rest of the day off."

The problem was caused by the car's apparently faulty battery.

Postliterate era continues

Here's a godsend for illiterate celeb fans: SubMensa author Lauren Conrad, whose claim to fame is looking very thin and very blond on The Hills, is considering offers for a film version of her debut novel, L.A. Candy, which we suspect will become part of the standard high school lit curriculum before long.

The good news: Lauren says she wants to produce the film, not star in it. The bad news? Lauren is following up the roman à clef with a second and a third tome.

Barton back to work

Mischa Barton, who's been getting some work done on her soul, psyche, and emotions under the guidance of psychiatrists, will be out of her little pit stop Friday, in time to film The Beautiful Life, a reality show that will purportedly take a critical look at the beauty industry and the pressures it creates for young women. (It'll probably just end up promoting zillions of beauty products.)

"She's back to business as usual," her rep tells People, while show creator Ashton Kutcher tells Reuters that M.B. "is doing great."

Sci-fi treat at Franklin Institute

Star Trek actor and Rutgers prof Avery Brooks of Deep Space Nine fame and legendary novelist and Temple prof Samuel Delany will chat about issues of race and culture Friday at 7 p.m. at the Franklin Institute. Information: 215-448-1254 or www2.fi.edu.

George, R.I.P

USAToday.com reveals that Grey's Anatomy spent its first week of production for the new season filming a funeral. And since T.R. Knight has left the show, this leads us to conclude that the services are for his George O'Malley. Don't worry - Katherine Heigl (big-mouth) and Ellen Pompeo (sickly cute cutie-pie) are back.From:www.philly.com

"The war is over," Linda Bollea told

2009-07-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

After nearly two years of contentious court dates and bitter feuding, Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) and his wife Linda settled their divorce Tuesday morning.

"The war is over," Linda Bollea told The Tampa Tribune after a hearing in downtown Clearwater, Fla. In a sign of peace, she even kissed her ex on the cheek in the courtroom. "I still love him. He's the father of my children," Bollea added.

Hogan, echoing his wife's surprisingly soft sentiment, told the paper, "When you're married to someone for 23 years ... you hope for the best .... We just got torn apart."

In a statement released Tuesday, the wrestler's rep said, "Hulk is looking forward to moving on with his life and is very hopeful that he and Linda can maintain a friendship and work together as parents to their two children."

Bollea filed for divorce from her husband in November of 2007, just three months after the couple's teenage son, Nick, was involved in a car crash that critically injured his best friend.

While terms of the divorce agreement were not made public, a source tells PEOPLE that Bollea now plans to move to Los Angeles, while Hogan will likely move back into the family home in Clearwater.From:www.people.com

James Cameron is hoping fans will be wowed

2009-07-26T23:01:00.000-07:00

James Cameron is hoping fans will be wowed by his upcoming 3-D epic Avatar. But don't expect him to reveal any secrets from his $240 million, computer-generated opus.

"You're not going to find 'behind the scenes' extras on the DVD," Cameron says. "I think the movies aren't the big, wonderful mysteries they used to be. I don't want to see some guy in a black leotard and dots showing me how he made himself look like an animal."

ALSO AT COMIC-CON: One final disaster film for Roland Emmerich

He may be Hollywood's most gifted tailor of cinema and technology, but Cameron remains a pretty old-fashioned guy. Until today, the director has kept his film as secret as a birthday gift — one he plans to present with 20 minutes of footage at Comic-Con.

For a filmmaker who hasn't made a commercial feature since 1997's Titanic, Cameron doesn't sound too worried about selling his tale of war between mankind and an indigenous species on the exotic planet Pandora.

FIND MORE STORIES IN:

"I think for this type of film, presenting it to a concentrated mass of passionate fans, it's perfect," Cameron says. "I've spent four years of my life on this project. We've got the (goods)."

That is big news for the 7,000 fans who managed a ticket for Thursday's scheduled presentation. Cameron's return has generated the kind of fan reverence normally reserved for George Lucas.

"Iron Man 2 has everyone excited, but there's not a person at Comic-Con who isn't dying to know what James Cameron is bringing," says Blair Butler of the G4 cable network, which caters to gamers and fanboys and plans live coverage of the event.

"He changed film with Terminator and Aliens," she says. "Everyone is wondering if he can do it again."

If he can't, it won't be for lack of trying. Just as he pushed the envelope with his previous hits, Cameron used a new technology for Avatar that allowed him to see computer-generated creatures on his camera while filming live actors.

"It's a different experience for me now," he says. "It was familiar in bursts, like shooting actors. Then we'd shoot for 50 days standing out in a big empty warehouse."

Cameron says that one pressure he doesn't face: having to stay true to the source material.

"We can't screw up a 40-year-old tradition like a comic book," he says. "We created this world from scratch. I've felt like a lawyer preparing for a major case. You spend all this time, rehearsing, rewriting. I'm ready to make my case."From:www.usatoday.com

No. 1 spot from boy wizard Harry Potter

2009-07-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES — An elite squad of guinea pigs has worked its own brand of magic at the box office, taking the No. 1 spot from boy wizard Harry Potter.

The 3-D animated "G-Force" was the top movie at the box office this weekend, opening with $32.2 million.Last week's No. 1 film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," came in a close second with an estimated $30 million. That's a whopping 61 percent drop from its huge opening last weekend of $79.5 million.The sixth installment in the Harry Potter franchise has now made $222 million total.www.google.com

The Ugly Truth:Judd Apatow movie, Raunch, By Kurt Loder

2009-07-24T04:54:00.000-07:00

The Ugly Truth" is an attempted Judd Apatow movie — a raunchy romance — that fails not only to raise the bar, but even to reach it. Apatow, both as a director ("Knocked Up") and as a producer working with directors in his orbit ("Superbad," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") understands the liberating power of boldly scabrous dialogue and boundary-nudging sexual situations, and he embraces them. The makers of "The Ugly Truth" are reticent by comparison, which is the kiss of tedium

The actors are superior to the trite material. Katherine Heigl plays Abby, a Sacramento TV producer who's so hard-up for dates that she has to troll the Internet in search of Mr. Right. (Again: Katherine Heigl.) The happy-talk news show she produces, hosted by a bickering married couple (Cheryl Hines and John Michael Higgins), is dead last in the ratings. In desperation, management decides to bring in Mike (Gerard Butler), the burly host of a man-centric public-access program called "The Ugly Truth," on which he derides love as a female scam and advises lonely bachelorettes to "get some trashy lingerie — all we care about is looks."

Abby is appalled when Mike is inserted into the mix on her news show. (After his first appearance she runs to her office and cowers in a closet.) Soon this unevolved clod is staging segments with Jell-O-wrestling bikini babes, and he and Abby begin butting heads in earnest. But wait — could these two in fact, somehow, be right for each other? Romantically? To ask is to answer.

Since Heigl's character — a professional woman of some accomplishment — is depicted as basically a love-starved ditz (she does an idiot dance of joy when she finally meets a hot male prospect), it's surprising to learn that the script was written by three women, and that two of them were Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah Lutz, the ace team behind such far-better films as "The House Bunny" and "Legally Blonde" (the latter also directed, like this one, by Robert Luketic). The movie does have some lively moments (mostly Butler's doing) and some actual laughs. But there are also a number of lines that land with a near-audible thud (as when Abby tells an aggressive colleague that he has "balls the size of a Volkswagen.

What really derails the film, though, is its forced comic situations. For example: Abby climbs a tree to retrieve her runaway cat. Through a neighboring window she spots a hunky guy toweling off after a shower. The branch on which she's standing breaks, leaving her dangling upside down from the tree (and giving us a glimpse of her underwear). When shower guy comes out to help, wearing only his towel ... well, what follows has the form of funny, but the setup is so strained that the humor is hobbled. Even more awkward is an orgasm scene in a restaurant, which demonstrates that the filmmakers have watched "When Harry Met Sally" and had no idea how to improve upon it.

Heigl and Butler have an appealing chemistry in this movie (he's a surprisingly agile comic performer), and the supporting actors — especially Higgins, and Bree Turner as Abby's droll assistant — round out a sharp ensemble that would've done credit to a smart carnal comedy. Despite what the trailer might seem to promise, though, "The Ugly Truth" isn't it.

From:www.mtv.com

International Mozarteum Foundation ,works composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

2009-07-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

The International Mozarteum Foundation said Thursday it has discovered two more works composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The previously unknown works are piano pieces composed by a young Mozart, the Salzburg-based foundation said in a brief e-mail statement.

The Web site of the organization said its department of research had identified the works, long in the foundation's possession, as Mozart compositions.

Mozart, who was born in Salzburg, lived from 1756 to 1791. He played piano from an early age, began composing music when he was 5, and eventually created more than 600 works, ranging from operas to chamber music, choral pieces and piano concertos.

The foundation declined to provide more details Thursday, saying specifics would be made public during a presentation in Salzburg on Aug. 2.

During the event, Austrian musician Florian Birsak will perform the pieces on an original Mozart piano.

The foundation, established in 1880 and a prime source for Mozart-related matters, seeks to preserve the composer's heritage and find new approaches for analyzing him.

Discoveries such as the one announced Thursday are rare but not unheard of.

In September, Ulrich Leisinger, Mozarteum's head of research, said that a French library had found another previously unknown piece of music handwritten by Mozart.

The work, described as the preliminary draft of a musical composition, was found in Nantes in western France as library staff members were going through its archives. Leisinger says the library contacted his foundation for help authenticating the work.

There have been up to 10 Mozart discoveries of such importance over the past 50 years, Leisinger said at the time.

From:www.google.com

Katherine Jackson has hired an attorney

2009-07-21T00:37:00.000-07:00

Jackson family sources tell us there's a bitter dispute over who will call the shots in probating Michael Jackson's will.

Katherine Jackson has hired an attorney -- Londell McMillan -- and we're told it's a done deal that McMillan will challenge the co-executors Michael selected. We're told most of the brothers -- Randy the notable exception -- are angry that McMillan has asserted himself by challenging co-executors John Branca and John McClain, both long time advisors and friends of M.J.

Ultimately, Joe Jackson has asserted his influence over Katherine to hire McMillan for the dirty work. We're told Katherine is really being manipulated and doesn't even have real objections to Branca and McMillan.

Randy is coy on who Joe and McMillan wants as executor instead, but the family is worried Joe and McMillan wants someone who will do anything but look out for the best interests of the estate -- especially since Joe is cut out of the will like a bad cancer.

Frank McCourt: books captivated millions of readers around the world

2009-07-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

While his books captivated millions of readers around the world, Frank McCourt, who died Sunday after a recent health battle, spent the earlier part of his life enthralling a smaller but no less impressionable group of people: his students in the New York City public school system, where he taught for 30 years.

It was when the Brooklyn-born, Ireland-raised McCourt reached his 60s that he decided to put memories of his impossibly impoverished childhood in Limerick – and his mother Angela – to paper, and the result was Angela's Ashes, published in 1996 to acclaim and awards, including the Pulitzer and the National Book Award. In 2005, his Teacher Man affectionately chronicled his hurdles and triumphs as a teacher.

Now, his former pupils are returning the favor, remembering McCourt as "a legend in the halls," according to a woman who identifies herself only as Nicole on a New York Times blog dedicated exclusively to remembering the 78-year-old author.

"I still remember the first day of English class, and the only time Mr. McCourt assigned us a book to read for the entire term," recalls another graduate of McCourt's, Agatha Ariola. " 'You will read, Thomas Wolfe's You Can't Go Home Again,' he had said in a melodic accent that I, a sheltered, first-generation Asian-American, found so refreshing from the harsh Queens accent I often heard on the 45-minute subway commute to Stuyvesant HS."

As Ariola further recalls, "Class was 40 minutes of storytelling by this wonderfully gifted and engaging author, and I was encouraged to write from my own voice as a child of immigrant parents. Although my creative writing is now mostly kept in my journals for personal reading, Mr. McCourt left me with the legacy and appreciation of family, and the desire to go out into the world and seek the experiences that create memories."

Public Memorial Planned

In terms of his teaching style, McCourt "laughed and sneered, entertained and enthralled me and 30 other kids, says "Diane," from the class of 1986. "We read You Can't Go Home Again and My Papa's Waltz, wrote children's stories, sang songs and assigned ourselves our own grades (0-100). His writings truly capture the magic of his classroom. He was a good soul and will be missed."

As another legend, veteran New York newspaper columnist Jimmy Breslin, put it to the Daily News for its Monday editions: ""He never hurt another human being that I know of. This guy was real from the go. And so he's a real loss to the city because there's nobody with his backbone to replace him."

McCourt's students – and his other fans – will have a chance to pay him tribute at a pubic memorial, being planned for September, says younger brother Malachy McCourt.
From:www.people.com

Paul Abdul going to be back on American Idol

2009-07-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

Paul Abdul may have a new manager — but she may find herself without her old job on American Idol.

“Very sadly, it does not appear that she’s going to be back on Idol,” David Sonenberg, Abdul’s manager, told the Los Angeles Times, which also reports that a grassroots campaign took shape this weekend to keep Abdul on the show — along with other judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and recent addition Kara DioGuardi — for its ninth season, auditions for which are underway.

Though Abdul recently said she’d been invited back and FOX said earlier this year that Abdul, 47, was “an integral part of the show,” Sonenberg says there is no contract on the table.

“I find it under these circumstances particularly unusual; I think unnecessarily hurtful,” he said of the delay. “I find it kind of unconscionable and certainly rude and disrespectful that they haven’t stepped up and said what they want to do.” – Stephen M. Silverman

From:tvwatch.people.com

Walter Cronkite, America's anchor

2009-07-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

I heard this story from a CBS producer who claims to have witnessed it.
Walter and Betsy, his wife of many years, had just taken their seats aboard a commercial airliner. The flight attendant came over and asked Walter what his name was. "Cronkite," he said with that little smile of his that was also meant to convey: "Look, you're going to feel a little silly in a moment when it hits you." "Cronkite," the flight attendant repeated. "Can you spell that for me?" Walter turned to Betsy and grumped: "You're just loving this, aren't you?" (Betsy probably put the flight attendant up to it in the first place!) The fact is that there was a time when nobody in this country didn't know who Walter Cronkite was. He was our national town crier, the 20th century equivalent of the fellow in medieval times who walked the streets and yelled: "Seven o'clock and all's well." Or, who explained what had gone wrong if all wasn't well.

What's more, you had the feeling that absent television or radio, Walter would've been perfectly happy distributing the news door-to-door. Walter Cronkite was the man for whom the term "anchor" was created. Really. It was during the run-up to the political conventions in 1952, and (there's some debate over who gets the credit) someone on the production team decided that there had to be a title to describe the fellow sitting at the desk; pulling it all together, holding it all in place. And isn't that, after all, what Walter did all those years? Pulled it all together . . . held it all in place. Walter Cronkite, America's anchor. From:stories.ballybunioncountryclub.com

Janet Jackson and music producer Jermaine Dupri have reportedly called it quits

2009-07-17T11:14:00.001-07:00

After almost seven years of dating, Janet Jackson and music producer Jermaine Dupri have reportedly called it quits, according to Us Weekly.

“His friends are telling people it’s over,” according to an Us Weekly source.

Another source said the split had been looming on the horizon for the couple for some time.

“They have been moving in different directions for a while,” the source said.

Dupri, who was noticeably absent from Michael Jackson’s memorial on July 7, produced several of Jackson’s recent tracks on her last two albums — which could have contributed to the split, according to the mag.

“You shouldn’t mix business with pleasure,” a friend of the former couple told the mag. “Janet felt their lives were too crossed and they should have kept things separate.”

In addition to her break-up, another source said Jackson is still in the midst of mourning for her brother.

“She’s devastated,” another insider said. “She’s busy caring for Michael’s kids. Janet’s the family’s backbone.” Jackson was previously married to Rene Elizondo. They divorced in 2000.

From:www.msnbc.msn.com

one of the stars of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

This was one time Tom Felton, one of the stars of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," could have really used a spell of protection.

Chauffeured to a recent appearance at a store opening, the 21-year-old actor found a throng of jubilant admirers waiting for him.

"We felt like the Beatles because there were people cheering," says Felton, who is still sporting his dyed blond locks from his turn as the dastardly Draco Malfoy. "We thought we would put the window down and be like, 'Hi, it's nice to see you.'

"We put the window down, this woman reached right in and grabbed my hair," he says, reenacting his squirming under the fan's grasp. "'Pull the window up, pull the window up!'"

Welcome to life for a student of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the young actors are learning the pressures of a franchise that has earned almost $4.5 billion at the box office worldwide.

But with the sixth installment of the franchise hitting theaters and the last two movies currently being filmed simultaneously, a major crossroads is looming for the franchise's young actors. Will there be enough magic left in their careers after Harry Potter?

"The success that they've had in the eight years would make an entire career for most people, but they've turned into really good actors over the course of the last few years and hopefully that ability will help them transcend these roles," says Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com.

But the movie industry is littered with the wreckage of the careers of former child actors that couldn't make the transition into adult roles. For every Jodie Foster, there are a dozen Lindsay Lohans and Macaulay Culkins.

"They're waiting for you to become the stereotypical child actor and go off the wheels a bit," says "Potter" veteran Rupert Grint, 20. "But I'm not planning on it. We're too busy to go too crazy, anyway, because we're filming most of the year."

The films' young stars also have one major advantage over child actors past: They're working with a cast heavy on award-winning British veterans like Alan Rickman and Dame Maggie Smith. Harry himself, Daniel Radcliffe, said he agreed to take on his gutsy role in "Equus" on castmate Kenneth Branagh's recommendation.From:www.nydailynews.com

Jennifer Aniston was spotted getting cozy with co-star Gerard Butler

2009-07-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

Actress Jennifer Aniston was spotted getting cozy with co-star Gerard Butler on the set of their new movie The Bounty.

The former ‘Friends’ star had one arm wrapped tightly around Gerard’s back and a palm pressed flat against his chest - the exact same pose she struck for public cuddles with former hubby Brad Pitt, old flame Vince Vaughn and ex-boyfriend John Mayer.

According to on-set sources, Gerard has been making Jennifer giggle a lot, and put a smile back on her face.

“There’s a definite chemistry between Jennifer and Gerard,” the Mirror quoted the source as saying.

“They seem to be spending a lot of time together, even when they are not working,” the source added. (ANI)

From:blog.taragana.com

Diane Dimond on Michael Jackson's Drug Use

2009-07-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

ET special correspondent Diane Dimond, who has been covering Michael Jackson news since 1993, talks about the accident that she claims led to Michael's drug use.

It was a TV spot that went bad. The King of Pop was filming a Pepsi commercial when, during the sixth take, Michael's hair caught on fire. He was rushed to the hospital with burns to his scalp and face.

"That was a horrific accident, and that is the point at which Michael Jackson was introduced to the world of painkillers," Diane says. "After that, and all the cosmetic surgeries, he became hopelessly addicted."

Diane also addresses reports that the LAPD is treating the Gloved One's death as a homicide. A spokesperson for the police tells the ET newsdesk that it is not true, saying, "This is an ongoing investigation."

Diane says, "The LAPD does not label an investigation as a homicide until after they've completed gathering all of the evidence. My sources tell me law enforcement is looking at the illegal distribution of narcotic drugs and the possibilities of homicide or even suicide."

In his first interview since Michael's death, Tito Jackson says he and his siblings talked about [the possibility of Michael's using drugs] again and again for hours, but they just couldn't get through to him. He adds that they tried many times, but his team of people shut them out.

Diane's reaction to that is: "What I have learned from various sources over the years is this: Michael's addiction was a constant source of concern and conversation among the Jackson family. They truly loved him and worried about him, but Michael felt they were interfering with his life. In his mind, he felt they wanted him back on stage to help them earn money."

There is also a new report that the rented mansion where Michael went into cardiac arrest was outfitted with a sophisticated security camera system, and that there is missing surveillance footage from the day that Michael died.

"What I have learned over the course of my years investigating Michael Jackson is that he had a strong 'dislike' for security cameras inside his homes, and he did not want a video record of what he did behind closed doors. If there were cameras at his Los Angeles home, they were probably at the gates and outside, rather than in the bedrooms," Diane says.

For more on the Michael Jackson investigation, tune in to tonight's ET, and keep checking back here for all the latest updates.From:www.etonline.com

Oscar-winning director Robert Redford married his German partner

2009-07-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

BERLIN (Reuters) - Oscar-winning director Robert Redford married his long-term German partner Sibylle Szaggars in the northern port city of Hamburg last weekend, a church spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Redford, 72, and Szaggars, a 51-year-old artist, have been together for more than a decade, according to media reports.

The ceremony, in Szaggars's home town, took place at the five-star Louis C. Jacob Hotel on Saturday afternoon, Renate Massfeller of St. Catherine's Church said. She declined to give any further details.

Hotel officials declined to comment. Newspaper Bild has offered 10,000-euro ($14,000) for the first picture of the wedding and said it would publish it on its front page.

Redford's New York representative could not be reached immediately for comment.

About 30 friends and family members attended the ceremony, according to Hamburger Abendblatt. The newspaper said the bride wore a champagne-colored dress and Redford wore a white suit.

Redford, an actor, director and environmentalist, founded the non-profit arts organization Sundance Institute and launched the Sundance Festival that has become the premiere event for U.S. independent films.

Redford has starred in more than 40 films in a career spanning five decades. He won an Academy Award for best director for the 1980 film "Ordinary People."

From:www.reuters.com

“All three want Janet to read to them at night,” a Jackson family friend says.

2009-07-14T23:38:00.000-07:00

While Michael Jackson’s mom, Katherine Jackson continues to fend off Debbie Rowe over the issue of custody for the late King of Pop’s kids, it’s Michael’s sister Janet Jackson who has emerged in the eyes of many as the favored caregiver for the three children. And, sources tell OK!, that appears to be just what Prince, Paris and Blanket want most.“All three want Janet to read to them at night,” a Jackson family friend says. “They just melt into her arms when she walks into the house.”

The feeling is mutual, adds the insider.

“Janet has completely bonded with those children in the last two weeks,” the friend continues. “She has been their rock. It’s clear to everyone that they are looking to her for comfort and guidance.”

Michael’s will names his mother, Katherine as the children’s guardian, but Debbie, the biological mother of the eldest kids, has expressed interest in raising them. All three currently live at Katherine’s Encino, Calif. home.

Janet Sexy Picture

“[They] are doing great. Mom and Janet are taking care of them,” Michael’s brother Jackie tells OK!.

One concern raised is that at 79, caring for three kids might be too much for Katherine, a problem eased by Janet’s presence.

“Janet is not only willing to raise those children, she is also the only relative who knows how to protect them,” the insider tells OK!. “Janet knows the value of a private life and knows how to keep her personal life out of the news. She is determined to do that for Michael’s children. She is saying that he would want no less for them, pointing out how far he went to shelter them.”

For more on Paris, Prince and Blanket’s relationship with Janet and their future, pick up the new issue of OK! — on sale everywhere Thursday!

From:www.okmagazine.com

Talk about performance anxiety "Harry Potter"

2009-07-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Talk about performance anxiety.

If ever there was a film release almost certain to turn a tidy profit, it would be any Harry Potter movie, and Warner Bros. executives can rest assured that Wednesday's debut of the franchise's sixth installment will pile the grosses high through Sunday. But to understand just how fervently studio insiders will be hoping for a muscular box-office bow by "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," consider that this time last year Warners launched a little film called "The Dark Knight" to rather good effect.

No pressure there.

"The reviews are great," Warners domestic distribution president Dan Fellman said with a what-me-worry nonchalance. "I think it's the best Harry Potter picture so far. Certainly, as the cast matures, they keep getting better."

"Potter" movies have carried PG or PG-13 ratings, with "Prince" toting the less-restrictive former designation. As the cast and their book-based characters age, Warners hopes to attract new, younger patrons while continuing to draw older fans of the series.

"Half-Blood Prince" is set for 4,275 U.S. and Canadian locations Wednesday and 50 more beginning Friday, and its screen count runs north of 8,000. A consensus estimate for its first five days in domestic release has it pulling in $140 million or more, with about $100 million of that sum likely to be rung up during the Friday-Sunday span.

Previous Potter pics have posted cumulative domestic grosses ranging upward from the $249.5 million fetched by 2004's "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," with 2001 franchise launcher "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" enjoying the series' best domestic take to date: $317.6 million.

'PRINCE' OVER 'PHOENIX'

The most recent release, 2007's "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," registered $292 million domestically and another $646.2 million internationally. "Phoenix" fetched $44 million on its first day and $139.7 million during its first five days. There is broad consensus that "Prince" can best those numbers.

It already has surpassed the franchise-best tally of $12 million in midnight box office posted by "Phoenix." By late afternoon Tuesday, exhibition sources made it clear that advance sales of "Prince" tickets for 12:01 a.m. Wednesday performances were outpacing the witching-hour numbers for its immediate predecessor.

In a sign of just how hot tickets sales have been for "Prince," industryites are whispering that the "Potter" pic has an outside shot at besting the record $18 million midnight box office registered by "The Dark Knight" last July 18. All signs are certainly auspicious, with Fandango and MovieTickets reporting that thousands of performances have already sold out.

"I think they're beatable," Fellman said of the "Phoenix" grosses. "Ticket prices have gone up, and the last time we had the first 'Transformers' opening just five days before us."

That picture's sequel, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," enters its fourth frame this weekend. No other film opens wide domestically this session, and the most prominent second-weekend holdover -- Universal's R-rated comedy "Bruno" -- couldn't have a more distinct target audience from that of "Prince."From:www.reuters.com

Michael Jackson's 50-date, concert series at the O2 Arena in London

2009-07-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

Monday was supposed to be the triumphant kickoff of Michael Jackson's 50-date This Is It concert series at the O2 Arena in London. Instead, a few hundred fans gathered outside the venue to honor Jackson, who died suddenly on June 25, leaving 750,000 fans with tickets to a comeback that is not to be.

The supporters, some dressed in Jackson drag, lit candles, danced, left flowers, wrote messages and watched classic clips of Jackson performances on a big screen outside the venue, where a makeshift memorial had been set up. Reuters reported that some of the fans, presumably among the nearly three-quarters of a million who purchased tickets to the shows, sat under the screen that read "Michael Jackson 1958-2009," while others led sing-a-longs of his greatest hits.

"This was going to be the best summer of my life," said one fan named Michael. "I was going to go to five shows altogether; it would have been fantastic. I can't believe rather than coming here to see him perform, I'm here to mourn. ... It's devastating, it really is."

Another fan named Will told the news service that he and his friends came to the arena on Monday night "even if there's no gig tonight. We're making our own gig, our own carnival atmosphere; we're making this what it would have been if Michael had been here."

The promoter of the shows, Los Angeles-based AEG Live, has offered fans a full refund for their tickets or the opportunity to hold onto the commemorative ticket. So far, around 40 percent have chosen the latter option, which could help AEG recoup some of the tens of millions it had invested in the sold-out run of shows.

BBC News reported that Jackson supporters from all over the world congregated outside the 23,000-seat arena, some drawn by messages on fan sites and Facebook encouraging them to bring flowers and candles for the vigil. In all, around 600 visited on Monday night, observing a moment of silence around 6:30 local time, the hour when the doors to the venue would have opened.

"We should have been going to the concert, but we're standing here instead," said Jesper Hauton, 31, who had tickets to the shows. "It doesn't make any sense."

Joe Jackson told ABC News earlier this week that he believes his son was not healthy enough to perform 50 concerts, and was pushed to agree to the schedule. AEG Live boss Randy Phillips released a statement countering that it was Michael who asked to up the shows from the original 10 to 50.

For now, no shows have been announced to replace the Jackson run at the O2, but AEG Live boss Randy Phillips has said that the company is in discussions with Jackson's family about possibly mounting a tribute show in late August that could use some of the staging and performers who were to appear in the This Is It shows.

From:www.mtv.com

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.Part humor and part horror with a healthy dose of hormones,

2009-07-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

It's been eight years since Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint first hopped on the Hogwarts Express, and the three have done little else since.Now that the ride will soon come to an end, the cast is trying to fathom a life without the Harry Potter films -- an understandable difficulty, considering that they've grown up along with their characters.

The other item showing its age is the storyline of the sixth installment, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Part humor and part horror with a healthy dose of hormones, "Half-Blood Prince" is clearly more attuned for an audience who, like the cast, are no longer in grade school.

"On the one hand, we have all this light romance and snogging, and on the other hand, people are getting killed, and bridges are being blown up," director David Yates said. Heavy stuff, certainly, but it's a challenge on par with the stars' blossoming careers. Hear, see and read how the characters have grown.
One can only imagine that by now, the Potter series feels like home to Daniel Radcliffe, who landed the title role at 11 after playing supporting roles in the BBC's "David Copperfield" and the 2001 film "The Tailor in Panama."Without it to be honest, I don't know what I would've done," said Radcliffe, who turns 20 on July 23. "I had 'Copperfield,' but at that point I wasn't even dreaming about actin being a career then."

Since then, Radcliffe has grown into international stardom, reportedly earning $25 million per Potter film. Indeed, the actor has gotten raves away from the movie theater: In London and on Broadway, Radcliffe took on the role of Alan Strang, the mentally disturbed stable boy in Peter Shaffer's "Equus," which required him to strip naked in the play's final scene.Radcliffe has also taken on roles in "December Boys" and the TV movie "My Boy Jack," and he is eager to keep at it long after the Potter series wraps.

So what about directing, then? Only time will tell, Radcliffe said.

"For now, I want to keep acting," the actor said. "I don't think I know enough about the technical sides yet to even consider directing. It would be something that I'm interested in, but it would be a long, long way off."As for Watson, when she's not occupied with filming, she can be found in the pages of fashion magazines -- including the advertisements.

Having landed covers for both Teen Vogue and the UK version of Elle within the past few months, it's no wonder that the 19-year-old was chosen to be the face of Burberry's autumn line. Going from tween wizard to fashion icon is quite a leap, but it's one that appears to fit Watson well; how many other Hogwarts students can count Karl Lagerfeld among their friends?

Like her co-star Rupert Grint (Ron), Watson didn't have any acting experience when she auditioned for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" at age 9. She managed to beat out thousands of other girls for the role of Hermione, a part she's said was "life or death" for her.

Now that the series is close to its end, the actress is eager to try new things.

"I would've told myself not to take it so seriously and to try to have as much fun as you can," Watson said she would've advised her younger self.But similar to her Potter character, Hermione, Watson is eager to hit the books after the series concludes. The actress confirmed that she plans to start college in the United States this fall.

For Grint, the future is a bit more unclear.

"I don't know what I'm going to be doing, really," the actor told the Los Angeles Times. "I'm going to miss it, I think, because I've been doing this my whole life."Despite his start as an unknown -- Grint reportedly submitted hip-hop lyrics describing his character to snag the part of Ron Weasley -- he's arguably been the most adventurous of his co-stars, having played opposite Paul Giamatti in the 2002 family comedy "Thunderpants" and starring in 2009's sexually charged thriller "Cherrybomb."

His third film outside the Potter series will be the indie "Wild Target," co-starring another British sensation, Emily Blunt. iReport.com: Share your reviews of the latest "Potter"

Whatever their plans, all three have a few years to go before they hang up their magic wands; the last installment of "Harry Potter" is being filmed in two parts, and the final film won't premiere until 2011.

And, Radcliffe said, they've helped each other cope with fame over the years.

He said that on the red carpet, "[the fans are] cheering for a kind of person they see in newspapers and in interviews and in films, and that's a different person to you. You have to keep that -- that persona -- and the person you actually are as separate as you possibly can, and then you will avoid becoming arrogant."

from:www.cnn.com

Romo/Simpson Split:Jessica and Papa Joe

2009-07-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

Romo/Simpson Split: Tony Was Bored With Jessica and Papa Joe? | Suddenly Skinny Stephanie Pratt Steps Out While Lindsay Lohan Lunches on Cigarettes | Heidi Montag to Perform For Donald Trump and His Beauty Queens?

Romo/Simpson Split: Tony Was Bored With Jessica and Papa Joe?

Pop diva Jessica Simpson told Pop Tarts last year that she had the same dreams as "every normal person" to make records, babies and "hopefully get married soon." But it looks like that won't be happening any time soon with her now ex-boyfriend Tony Romo.

Simpson was undoubtedly suffering the 29th birthday blues on Friday having been dumped just the night before by longtime lover Romo, but a source close to Simpson told Tarts that the "sudden" split wasn’t so sudden after all.

It was a long time coming, he hasn't really been into her and the relationship for awhile, but stayed together because he didn't want to look like a jerk for not having a better reason to break it off," said our source. "And she's trying to save face by saying that it's because of their busy schedules."

Another inside source said that Jessica’s manager/father Joe Simpson’s meddling ways most likely took its toll on the relationship, which is the reason why they split the first time fourteen months ago. We’re told Joe promised he’d take a step back when the couple reunited but he was still too involved in his daughter’s private life.

PHOTOS: Click here to see photos of Jessica Simpson.

"At one point Joe was even giving Tony football advice which doesn’t go down well," said an insider. "Tony was a football superstar before he got mixed up in Hollywood, this move will be probably be good at least for his career."

And not to mention the pop princess/country crooner was eager to tie-the-knot again, something Romo apparently wasn’t ready to do.

So while Miss Simpson sought solace and spent the special birthday weekend with her folks, Romo partied like a rockstar at Hollywood hotspot MyHouse on Friday night with a pack of (mostly male) pals. According to an eyewitness, Romo and his entourage drank GreyGoose and took over the dance floor until the club closed and when some hot ladies approached their table Romo certainly didn’t shy away and happily chatted until the early hours.

Reps for Romo and Simpson declined to comment.

Suddenly Skinny Stephanie Pratt Steps Out While Lindsay Lohan Lunches On Cigarettes

Stephanie Pratt recently revealed that the pressure to be a bag of bones in Hollywood had driven her to an eating disorder; however "The Hills" star looked skinnier than ever as she stepped out to the Lia Sophia Jewelry Clambake in Malibu on Saturday afternoon.

And could it be possible that Miss Pratt is two-faced?

While talking to reporters Pratt said that she had "nothing but nice things to say" about "The Hills" alum Lauren Conrad, claiming that the two recently had lunch together and were still good friends. However Pop Tarts spies later overheard Pratt telling friends that LC "was not missed" and the show was "much better without her." Ouch.

Speaking of itty bitty Tinseltowners, Lindsay Lohan also spent a day in the sunshine picking up a truck load of free swag (she even asked the jewelry designers if she could create a signature piece to debut in the next collection). But not surprisingly LiLo skipped out on the delicious lobster lunch, opting for a packet of cigs instead.

Later that afternoon Linds headed down the road to the Pirate’s Booty Beach House and despite being showered with more goodies she acted less-than-impressed with all the attention. The troubled Tinseltowner refused to come out of a private room until all the cameras were put away, and after another half hour had rolled by she made a cameo with a Jack Lalanne Juicer Express pineapple tangerine cocktail in hand (back on the drink!) and took it upon herself to tell everyone to leave because "the party was over."

The weekend before Lohan hit up the Silver Spoon Beach House in Malibu where she pretty much cleaned up the freebies that were supposed to be display-only. Goodness, times must be tough being a lady of leisure -- although we did overhear her going on about how she is focusing purely on her career from here in and made a quick mention of working with Robert De Niro.

Heidi Montag to Perform for Donald Trump and His Beauty Queens?

It looks as though the wannabe pop princess Heidi Montag might very well be performing in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant in the Bahamas, co-owned by Donald Trump and NBC. (Yes, the network still might have her back despite the disastrous "I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!")

On Monday morning, proud sis Holly Montag twittered that she was "so excited" that Heidi would be taking the stage at the international pageant, however the tweet was promptly removed.

A rep for Montag did not respond for comment and the spokeswoman for Miss Universe said that they expect to announce their celebrity judges and performers shortly

From:www.foxnews.com

Michael Jackson was preparing for 50 London performances

2009-07-13T09:41:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson was preparing for 50 London performances at the time of his June 25 death. But the star's father Joe Jackson claims that his son would not have been able to complete the lengthy set – and was pushed into the commitment by promoters.

"Michael told me himself [that] he agreed to 10 shows. But they went and added all these other shows," the elder Jackson tells ABC News. "I was worried about his health. No artist can do those many shows back to back like that, and so I knew Michael couldn't do all those shows."

Another Jackson associate, former financial advisor Leonard Rowe (no relation to Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of two of Michael's children) agreed that in spite of recently released video of Jackson's final rehearsal, the 50-year-old King of Pop was sickly and far from top form.

According to Rowe, Jackson "was not ready. He was not fit, [only] if you can call weighing 110, 115 pounds fit."

Producers of the show counter Joe Jackson's claims, saying that Michael himself was responsible for the show's extension. AEG CEO Randy Phillips says he tried to change the singer's mind about the set, but was rebuffed. "He told me to shove off," said Phillips.

Jackson's manager Frank DiLeo says that Jackson was not being pushed in the preparation for London. "He built up his stamina. There would have been no problems, I don't think, with him doing this tour. Nobody was pushing him into it. Nobody was overworking him."
From:www.people.com

The cynical music lover will argue that comparing "American Idol"

2009-07-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

The cynical music lover will argue that comparing "American Idol" lineups is like discussing the merits of different bottles of pink zinfandel.

But from a fan's perspective, Season 8 was a really good year for the juggernaut reality television show. The producers got over their addiction to intentionally bad distractions (Sanjaya!) and seemed to be honestly looking for the most talented performers. Both the fifth and third-place finishers - Matt Giraud and Danny Gokey - could have won in a lesser year.

The latest American Idols Live concert reflected the new philosophy, offering a gimmick-free showcase for the ten singers who rolled through the Oracle Arena in Oakland on Saturday night. (And then at HP Pavilion in San Jose on Sunday.)

The not-quite-sold-out crowd seemed more subdued than previous shows, with one 15-minute exception. The audience made it clear that in the Bay Area, second-place finisher Adam Lambert was the majority choice. The androgynous, Bjork-like power singer didn't disappoint, giving the most memorable performance - justifying the crowd's decision to stand for every one of his songs, while sitting through most of Season 8 winner Kris Allen's performance.

Lambert came out dressed like he should have been in a dune buggy chasing Mel Gibson across the Australian Outback, and followed Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" with a medley of David Bowie songs - complete with a fake British accent. But it was still the low-key Allen who flirted with self-parody. As he tinkled the piano to Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," it sounded instead as if he might be trying to cover Dana Carvey's "Choppin' Broccoli." (Look that one up on YouTube, kids.)

Previous Idol traveling shows have tried too hard, relying on awkward group pairings and too-obvious attempts to wedge each singer into their stereotype (the rocker girl, the diva, the piano man ...). For this concert, the performers were simply trotted out from last to first, with each singing between two and five abbreviated covers. The night ended with a group version of "Don't Stop Believing."

Giraud was a standout in the pre-intermission set. The charismatic singer had a populist Rowlf-from-"The Muppet Show" thing going, following a rousing Black Crowes-y version of "Hard to Handle" with "Georgia on my Mind."

"I can't believe I was doing this in a hotel lobby a year and a half ago," Giraud gushed.

With a little luck, he won't be back there a year and a half from now

From:www.sfgate.com

Ryan Seacrest is Fox's 45-Million-Dollar Man:American Idol

2009-07-13T04:25:00.000-07:00

Ryan Seacrest is Fox's 45-Million-Dollar Man.

The "American Idol" host has closed a major new three-year deal with CKX, parent of "Idol" producer 19 Entertainment, worth $15 million per year.

Under the pact, which is believed to be the richest ever for a reality host, Seacrest will be exclusive to CKX in broadcast TV primetime to host "Idol" or any CKX-produced show that might succeed it.

The pact, which had been in the works for the past several weeks, more than triples his previous salary of slightly less than $5 million per season.

"Idol" producers 19, FremantleMedia North America and Fox all declined to comment on Seacrest's new deal, as did his attorneys. The pact is expected to be announced Monday.

Seacrest has a separate cable deal with Comcast and is E! Entertainment's lead anchor. He also produces such shows as E!'s "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and ABC's upcoming Jamie Oliver reality series.

With Seacrest's renegotiation out of the way, the "Idol" producers will focus on securing the show's judges for next season.

Uber judge Simon Cowell has made statements that he might leave the singing competition when his contract is up at the end of next season. The British media have pegged his salary demands at more than $100 million per year.

The other judges -- Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Kara DioGuardi -- all have said they hope to close deals to return next season.

While the ratings for the reality juggernaut have slipped in the past couple of years, "Idol" remains the highest-rated series on television by a mile and is a windfall for its producers.

From:www.reuters.com

Inside Rihanna's New Song Album Comeback

2009-07-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

If the rumors are true, Princess RiRi's upcoming album is going to belegendary

Unknowsources over at Def Jam.are talking up Rihanna's latest musical venture, remaining pretty hush hush over the specifics but tickling the world's balls with some killer info about the album.Ri's working with a whole gang of collaborators: Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, Soulja Boy.Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams, just to name a few!

Major talent, bbs!

The album will reportedly be a complete change in sound for the Princess, with more rock and pop notes than the last album. Ri's apparently been extremely particular about song choice for the album and has been slaving over the lyrics and melodies, those of which sources at Def Jam are saying will "mark the spirits forever."

Intense!

There are also said to be a number of duets on the album, one of which was apparently to be with Chris Brown but was quickly canned after, well.. you know.The album name will be kept under wraps until the "last moment," but Def Jam insiders say the album will highlight a more mature, original Rihanna than we've seen in thepast.

TV drama Parenthood has been delayed by eight weeks

2009-07-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

New TV drama Parenthood has been delayed by eight weeks after one of its stars, Maura Tierney, fell ill.The series, based on the 1989 movie, was due to start later this month , but TV bosses have been forced to move the launch to the end of September due to "medical evaluation" Tierney is undergoing.

Tierney is best known for playing Dr Abby Lockhart in hit medical series E.R. for ten years, for which she received an Emmy nomination.

It is the second time Parenthood's filming schedule has been pushed back - in April the pilot was put on hold for two days after NBC's vice president Nora O'Brien died unexpectedly on the set of the show in California.

From:www.cbs47.tv

Theron is recovering at home from an unknown stomach virus

2009-07-12T03:24:00.000-07:00

Top Hollywood actress Charlize Theron is recovering at home from an unknown stomach virus following a spell in hospital.

News24 reports her partner, Stuart Townshend, got worried that something was seriously wrong with the Oscar-winning star after she complained of serious stomach pains and took her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles. Townshend said:

I was scared to death. I had no idea what was happening to her, but this is a woman who never complains, so I knew it had to be serious.

Doctors believed Theron contracted the virus while on a trip overseas. According to online sources, Theron was born in South Africa and began a modelling career at the age of 16. She later moved to the U.S., where she planned to become a dancer. After moving to California, she got into the film industry and rose to prominence in the late 1990s with films like Mighty Joe Young. Theron won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2004 for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster.From:www.digitaljournal.com/

Hollywood actor and director Antonio Banderas independent film-makers

2009-07-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

Hollywood actor and director Antonio Banderas said Saturday the financial crisis had dealt a heavy blow to independent film-makers."The crisis has taken us by surprise and it is stabbing us in the back," said the Spaniard, who starred in hit films including Desperado and Evita.

"It is very difficult to get a penny from a bank now, we are in a difficult situation," he added, speaking at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, where he was presenting the first film he has directed, "El Camino de los Ingleses" ("Summer Rain").

Banderas, 49, who started his career under Spanish director Pedro Almodovar before conquering Hollywood, has returned to his roots by founding a production company in his hometown of Malaga, Spain.

He said he was also working on a film with US director Woody Allen and was involved in efforts to raise funding for a script he had written.

"I wrote a script about the last king of the Arabs in the ninth century", he said, adding the film was a representation of the modern relationship between Arab countries and the rest of the world.

Banderas is also set to return to theatre in the coming months, with a new production of "Zorba the Greek."

"I want to go back to theatre because it is my main source, I'm more a theatre actor than a film actor," he said.

He said in Hollywood "they put a label on you: you are this or that, you are a "Latin Lover", they all have drawers in which they put you."

Banderas received the President's Prize at the film festival, held in the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary, for his contribution to cinema.

From:www.google.com

Information About Angelina Jolie

2009-07-11T09:22:00.001-07:00

Whenever a child of a Hollywood figure enters the world of entertainment, charges of nepotism and hand-holding always rear their ugly heads. Well, though the definitely beautiful head of Angelina Jolie owes its genes to actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, the three Golden Globes on her mantle are due to her talent alone. For three years in a row, Angelina took home a Globe. At the 55th Globes it was for her supporting role in George Wallace and at the 56th it was for her starring role in Gia. The year 2000 was her year too. Her third Globe was for her performance in Girl, Interrupted, a role that also landed the actress her first Oscar.

Angelina started studying acting at the famous Lee Strasberg Theater Institute when she was only 11. She moved into the world of professional modelling, acted in music videos, and appeared in five student films directed by her brother, James Haven Voight.

While a part of the Met Theater in Los Angeles, Angelina worked alongside Holly Hunter, Ed Harris and Amy Madigan. Playing a hybrid creature, Jolie landed her commercial picture debut in 1993’s Cyborg II: Glass Shadows. She received some critical attention for her role in Hackers (1993), and also recieved the attention of the film’s star, Jonny Lee Miller. Romance blossomed and the two married in March 1996, only to divorce in February 1999.

Other film credits included Without Evidence, Mojave Moon, Love Is All There Is, her Globe-winning roles in George Wallace and Gia, and 1999’s Pushing Tin, which co-starred John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, and fellow Globe winner Cate Blanchett. Also in 1999 she starred opposite Denzel Washington in The Bone Collector and with Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted.

Jolie married Billy Bob Thornton on May 5th, 2000. That same year she starred in Gone in 60 Seconds. In 2001, she worked opposite Antonio Banderas in Original Sin and brought life to a video game character in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

In 2002, Jolie appeared opposite Ed Burns in the critically-slammed Life or Something Like It. She filed for divorce from Thornton on July 18, 2002.

After reprising her action role in 2003’s Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, Angelina went on to appear in Beyond Borders.

Angelina was on the screens several times in 2004. She lent her voice to the sexy Lola in Shark Tale, worked with Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and played opposite Colin Farrell in Oliver Stone’s Alexander.

In 2005, Angelina was in the tabloids far more than she was in the theatres. Her Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-star, Brad Pitt was ending his marriage to Jennifer Aniston and Pitt and Jolie denied that they were involved. Paparazzi cameras followed them around the planet. They shot Pitt hanging out with Jolie and her adopted son, Maddox, and they shot the couple going to Ethiopia to pick up her newly-adopted daughter, Zahara. By the end of 2005, Pitt had filed adoption papers to adopt Angelina’s children, while Jolie sought to have their legal names changed to Zahara Jolie-Pitt and Maddox Jolie-Pitt. In January of 2006, Pitt’s publicist announced that Angelina was expecting Brad’s child. They welcomed their daughter, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, on May 27th, 2006.

2006 also saw Angelina work with Matt Damon and Robert De Niro in the De Niro-directed The Good Shepherd. In 2007, she played Mariane Pearl in the true life story of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, A Mighty Heart. She also lent her voice to the computer animated Beowulf.From:www.digitalhit.com

A custody hearing for singer Michael Jackson's children

2009-07-11T05:58:00.000-07:00

A custody hearing for singer Michael Jackson's children scheduled for Monday has been pushed back for a second time.

The hearing, which was originally scheduled for July 6, has been rescheduled for July 20 at the request of Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, and Jackson's former wife Debbie Rowe.

Rowe is the biological mother of two of Jackson's children -- 12-year-old Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., also known as Prince Michael, and 11-year-old Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson. Jackson's third child, Prince Michael "Blanket" Jackson II, was carried by a surrogate mother, whose name has not yet been released.

Katherine Jackson was given temporary guardianship of the children by a judge several days after her son's death.

According to Michael Jackson's will filed in 2002, he wanted his children to be cared for by his mother. If Katherine Jackson, 79, is not living, Jackson said in the will, "I nominate Diana Ross as guardian."

Ross, star of the Motown singing group the Supremes, met Jackson when he was a 9-year-old sensation. The two performed together over the years and Jackson told an interviewer in 1982 he considered Ross to be one of his true personal friends.

Jackson specifically left Rowe out of his will.Rowe reportedly signed away her parental rights to the children after she and Jackson divorced in 1999, but an appeals court re-established her parental status in 2006.Rowe has not publicly indicated whether she will challenge Jackson for custody.From:edition.cnn.com

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

Back at the turn of the millennium, they were just a bunch of kids — some with a bit of professional acting experience, most completely raw — that were fortunate and talented enough to be cast in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." The film conjured up almost $1 billion at the worldwide box office, and as "Potter" movie after "Potter" movie went into production over the years, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and the rest of the core cast essentially grew up together.

Almost a decade after their first witch-and-wizard adventure, the child actors have morphed into young adults — and the story lines have matured along with them. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (in theaters July 15), the sixth film in the franchise, presents all manner of love triangles, broken hearts and blossoming relationships. The difficult trick for the cast, though, was jumping lips-first into these romantic scenes with co-stars who had become like family.

"The snogging snuff is always a bit challenging, because they've grown up together, so when you get Bonnie [Wright, who plays Ginny Weasley] and Dan having that first snog together, it's a bit like brother and sister," director David Yates told MTV News at the movie's New York premiere on Thursday. "You've got to just encourage them to think about their characters."

"I've known her since she was 9 and I was 11," the 19-year-old Radcliffe said, adding that Wright looked gorgeous making her way down the red carpet. "So, that was kind of weird at first. But we got used to it. We got over it pretty quickly."

Wright herself saw both the good and the ugly in making out with her childhood friend. "It helps, because you've known each other and it's not just a stranger," she said. "But then it's really weird when you're having to look at someone in a different way in a scene when they're that close."

The actors won't escape the task of playing kissy-face on set just yet. The final two films — the two parts of "Deathly Hallows" — will keep the romantic elements front and center.

"I did the kiss with Emma a couple weeks ago, and it was quite strange," said Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley. "I've known Emma since she was 9 years old, and it felt a little bit wrong being that way with her. But it was over quite quickly."

While Watson also called the kiss scene "really awkward," she did compliment her partner. "He's a gentleman, and he was a great kisser," she told us.

For Yates, who's worked on the series for years, watching the actors grow up together has been one of the most captivating aspects of the entire experience. "You're seeing them develop and evolve," the director said. "In their own lives, outside the film set, they're obviously having their own experience of love and love life. I encourage them to bring that into Hogwarts and share it, to help their acting have a basis in reality."From:www.mtv.com

Kate Beckinsale accepted £20,000 libel damages

2009-07-09T23:02:00.000-07:00

Kate Beckinsale accepted £20,000 libel damages over a newspaper claim that she was going to miss out on her dream role as "sexy heroine Barbarella".

The 35-year-old Pearl Harbor star wasn't at London's High Court for the settlement of her action against Express Newspapers.

The actress's solicitor, Graham Atkins, said the story in the Daily Express last month was false and had caused considerable embarrassment and harm, and added that Kate was never in discussions about the film role and there was never a possibility she would be part of the project.

It followed that she hadn't been passed over in favour of Hollywood actress Rose McGowan, as the story claimed.

The newspaper's counsel, Ian Helme, offered its sincere apology and said it was happy to pay damages and the star's legal fees.

Mr Atkins said the article alleged that Kate - whose latest film Everybody's Fine is released in November - was facing "heartbreak" over the role.

The article, also published on the newspaper's website, stated that the Barbarella remake was "expected to be a big commercial hit so it will be a real blow to Kate".

Mr Atkins added: "The film industry, particularly at the highest level in Hollywood, values actresses on the basis of them being successful and in-demand - one may say, being 'hot property'.

"This article wrongly gave the impression that the claimant's career is in decline which would undoubtedly have a knock-on effect on those who would be casting film roles, as well as the industry as a whole."

Mr Helme said the newspaper, which acknowledged that the false allegations should never have been published, hoped that the record had been set straight and Kate's reputation restored.

From:www.google.com

Warehouse 13 centers on their paranormal investigations:Joanne Kelly and Eddie McClintock

2009-07-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

Though it sounds difficult to obtain information from two Secret Service Agents, the actors who play them are more than happy to divulge bits and pieces about Sy Fy's latest show Warehouse 13. Playing the lead roles, Joannne Kelly and Eddie McClintock recently spoke to The Deadbolt about the small screen mystery they found themselves involved in.

Joanne Kelly portrays agent Myka Bering, someone who lives by the rules, while her partner, McClintock's Peter Lattimer, is someone who lives to break them. Warehouse 13 centers on their paranormal investigations, as well as their amusing banter.

Talking about her character, Kelly pointed out how difficult the job was for Myka. She isn't exactly enthusiastic about being assigned to the government facility, but she tries to make it work.

"I think when anyone is thrust into a situation where they're not given the facts or the whole truth behind it, there is a bit of apprehension or reticence," Joanne Kelly revealed. "But I think that in life when we are given a situation that is strange, and at this point almost inconceivable - I mean, it's pretty wild. It's pretty out there. This is somebody who thinks in black and white and she's proven wrong by the warehouse, by the very existence of it."From:www.buddytv.com

Michael Jackson's Last Dance Video

2009-07-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson 6/23/09 2 days before his death a rare exclusive clip of Michael Jackson rehearsing at the Los Angeles Staples Center... CNN Exclusive

Michael Jackson London concert Final rehearsal Video

2009-07-07T21:39:00.000-07:00

CNN has broadcast a video Michael Jackson in rehearsal at Staples. The video, exclusive to CNN, showed the rehearsal with Jackson singing and dancing on Tuesday, June 23.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:Romantic comedy meets

2009-07-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

Romantic comedy meets the wizarding world in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment in the hit movie franchise in which hormones, as well as hexes, are on the loose at Hogwarts school.

And with filming on the final two pictures due to wrap up in 2010, the young actors who spent much of their teen years on set and coping with the superstardom their success has brought are finally looking ahead to life after Potter."It was nice to be back and to know that this film is, to me, more of a romantic comedy than ever before and that we would have a chance to focus more on that side of things," said Emma Watson, who plays the feisty bookworm Hermione in the films.

"Sometimes I have to bring myself back with Hermione, because she is so innocent and so naive and she really is very vulnerable in this film," the 19-year-old actress told reporters on Monday at a press conference to publicize the movie."She really does get her heart broken by Ron and Lavender and that whole situation."Director David Yates, who also made the fifth movie "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," added: "Our cast are just getting that little bit older now and the hormones are starting to fly and for me it marks a real transition point between our cast as children and our cast as adults."

In Half-Blood Prince, out in theatres on July 15, Hogwarts is increasingly vulnerable to attack from Lord Voldemort, wizard Potter's nemesis.Professor Slughorn, played by Jim Broadbent, joins the cast, and Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore places more and more trust in his star pupil Potter, determined to prepare him for his inevitable showdown with Voldemort.Meanwhile, love blossoms, with Harry drawn to Ginny and Ron attracting the attention of Lavender Brown as a heartbroken Hermione looks on jealously.

END IN SIGHT

The films, the first five of which have earned an impressive $4.5 billion at the box office, are based on British author J.K. Rowling's seven-book Harry Potter series, which has sold an estimated 400 million copies worldwide.There will be eight films in all, with the final volume, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," divided into two."We're working at the moment on Deathly Hallows, and I think we're all aware that this great juggernaut is reaching the end of its journey in a way," said Yates, who is also directing Deathly Hallows Parts One and Two.

"We finish shooting next spring and everybody comes to work ... with that knowledge in the back of their mind."According to Hollywood studio Warner Bros., the seventh film is scheduled to hit cinemas in November, 2010 and the eighth in the summer of 2011.

From:www.reuters.com

Canadian actress Smulders, co-star of the U.S

2009-07-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

Canadian actress Cobie Smulders, co-star of the U.S. TV series "How I Met Your Mother," is a mother, People.com reports.

People.com said Friday the 27-year-old actress, who plays Robin Scherbatsky on the CBS comedy, gave birth to daughter Shaelyn Cado Killam on May 16.

Smulders and her fiance, actor Taran Killam, announced the actress was pregnant with the couple's first child in November.

Smulders said during a January event the fact her "Mother" co-star Alyson Hannigan was also pregnant meant babies became a significant part of their conversations.

"You really can't help it, because you have babies on the brain, and you can't help but talk about it a lot," she told People magazine at the time. "From creams, doctors, birth methods, dilation ... you talk about everything."

"It's nice because we can just talk about babies all day long, and not be like, 'OK, this person has to be sick of this,' because you know that she's just as excited as I am," Hannigan offered regarding those discussions.From:www.upi.com

Tickets to Jackson's memorial service will be free

2009-07-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

Tickets to Jackson's memorial service will be free. They can be obtained by registering at Staplescenter.com. There will be 11,000 tickets for seats inside Staples Center and 6,500 for seats in the adjacent Nokia Theatre, where fans can watch a simulcast. On Saturday night, 8,750 names will be randomly selected to receive two tickets each.

No details about the memorial service itself were released.Jackson was known to have suffered from severe insomnia. In the weeks before his death, Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse who was working with the singer, said Jackson pleaded for Diprivan amid the stress of preparing for a massive series of comeback concerts.Lee said she repeatedly rejected his demands because the drug was unsafe.

Told Friday that Diprivan had been found at Jackson's house, she said, "I did everything I could to warn him against it."

From:abcnews.go.com

Michael Jackson, a publicist for the Jackson family

2009-07-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Staples Center will be the site of a public memorial service on Tuesday for Michael Jackson, a publicist for the Jackson family said Thursday, but it is unclear who will pay for the massive law enforcement deployment necessary for the event.

Ken Sunshine, a Jackson family representative, said the service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the downtown arena, site of the singer's final rehearsal.Further details will be announced at a news conference Friday morning, including how people may register for the 11,000 tickets that will be distributed to the public. All tickets to the event will be free, according to a news release from Sunshine's firm.

Earlier in the day, Sunshine had asked for the public's patience as the family sorted through details of the service. "There's a lot of sensitivities, and everyone should respect that," Sunshine said.Randy Phillips, chief executive of AEG Live, the promoter of the 50 Jackson concerts that had been planned for London, said the ultimate decision about the date and format of a memorial lay with Jackson's mother, Katherine.

But even before plans had been finalized Thursday, city leaders were raising questions about who would pay for the city resources needed to pull off a memorial to the singer. The law enforcement deployment would involve thousands of officers -- more than were present for last month's Lakers victory parade, according to sources familiar with the planning, who were not authorized to speak publicly.

City officials debated whether taxpayers should pay all or part of the $2-million cost of the Lakers' parade from Staples Center to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and various business leaders, mindful that the city was weighing layoffs and furloughs, raised enough money privately to pay that tab.

City officials are unclear on just how large the turnout might be for Jackson's memorial service -- or whether it would spill into nearby L.A. Live or surrounding parking lots.There's no precedent for this," said Councilwoman Jan Perry, who represents downtown and is serving as acting mayor because Villaraigosa is on vacation in Africa and City Council President Eric Garcetti is in Japan.

Councilman Dennis Zine said he was concerned about whether the LAPD would have time to plan for an event of that scale, particularly since many officers will also be working overtime during the Fourth of July weekend.

"You don't have a lot of time to work up a tactical plan and notify the officers," Zine said.

Also Thursday, an attorney for Debbie Rowe, the mother of Michael Jackson's two elder children, said she had not decided whether to seek custody, despite telling a television reporter that was her intention.

Eric George, Rowe's lawyer, did not dispute that Rowe told an NBC-TV Channel 4 reporter by telephone that she wanted custody of Prince Michael Jr., 12, and Paris Michael Katherine, 11, the children she bore when she was married to Jackson.

But her lawyer said it would be a "distortion of the truth" to interpret Rowe's comments to the television reporter as her final decision in the custody case.

He described the custody proceedings as "the most private and the most sensitive of matters as they impact the lives and fates of young children."

As the biological parent, Rowe, 50, would be in line to obtain the children unless a judge determined that would not be in their best interests. Rowe appears to have had little contact with the children over the years, though she does have visitation rights.

Katherine Jackson has temporary custody of the children. A custody hearing scheduled for Monday has been postponed until July 13 at the request of attorneys for Katherine Jackson and Rowe.From:www.latimes.com

Top-earning Australian actress in Hollywood:NICOLE Kidman

2009-07-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

NICOLE Kidman has been named as the top-earning Australian actress in Hollywood, after a big lift from the Baz Luhrmann epic Australia.Kidman has been placed eighth -- but was the highest ranked Aussie -- in a list of Tinseltown's top female earners complied by Forbes magazine.

The list is set to further the bitter rivalry between Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston, with Jolie just pipping Aniston as the top female earner.Jolie earned $33.6 million last year, ahead of Aniston, who took home $31.2 million, according to the magazine.Kidman's take-home pay was $15 million, putting her in equal eighth spot with Drew Barrymore.Kidman made much of her income after staring in the Baz Luhrmann epic Australia.She is filming Rabbit Hole in New York.

Fellow Aussie Cate Blanchett was just out of the top 10, coming in at No. 11 after making a cool $10 million in the past year.Blanchett is working on the Ridley Scott adaptation of Robin Hood, as damsel-in-distress Maid Marian.

Third on the list was Meryl Streep, $29.8 million, ahead of Sarah Jessica Parker, Cameron Diaz, Sandra Bullock, Reese Witherspoon, Kidman, Barrymore, Renee Zellweger, Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Halle Berry and Scarlett Johansson, with Kate Winslet rounding out the top 15.
Forbes arrived at the estimated earnings for the 2008-09 financial year by talking to agents, managers, producers and lawyers to determine what the stars received for the movies they are currently shooting, as well as back-end pay earned after a movie hit the theatres.

They also took into account money earned through endorsements.But it's no surprise the women couldn't come close to their male counterparts, with Harrison Ford named as the top-earning actor, making a jaw-dropping $81 million.From:www.news.com.au

Angelina Jolie is Hollywood's top earning actress

2009-07-01T22:09:00.000-07:00

Angelina Jolie is Hollywood's top earning actress, banking $27 million in the past year to beat out her partner Brad Pitt's ex-wife Jennifer Aniston, who raked in $25 million, a Forbes.com study showed on Wednesday.Most of Jolie's income came from her share of the profits from her action film "Wanted," but she was also paid a large upfront sum for her role in "Salt," the study said. Jolie and Pitt have six children.

Aniston, who was married to Pitt before he became involved with Jolie, earned most of her millions from the romantic comedy "Marley and Me" and her upcoming film "The Baster.""Aniston also still earns money from (reruns of TV series) Friends and she gets a nice paycheck shilling for Glaceau's SmartWater," Forbes.com said.

Meryl Streep came in at No. 3 with $24 million, most of which came from her role in "Mamma Mia," while Sarah Jessica Parker was ranked fourth with $23 million in earnings following the movie version of TV series "Sex and the City."Cameron Diaz rounds out the top five, banking $20 million between June 2008 and June 2009.

Forbes.com said it spoke to agents, managers, producers and lawyers to work out what actresses were paid upfront for movies they are currently shooting and what pay they might have earned after a movie hit the theaters. Money earned from perfume or clothing lines was also taken into account.

"As is still typical for Hollywood, our actresses earned significantly less than their male counterparts," Forbes.com said, pointing out that the top earning male actor, Harrison Ford, made $65 million.From:www.reuters.com

Academy Award-winning actor died Wednesday

2009-07-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

Karl Malden, the Academy Award-winning actor whose intelligent characterizations on stage, screen and television made him a star despite his plain looks, died Wednesday, his family said. He was 97.Malden died of natural causes surrounded by his family at his Brentwood home, they told the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. He served as the academy's president from 1989-92.

"Karl lived a rich, full life," Academy president Sid Ganis said. "He has the greatest and most loving family; a career that has spanned the spectrum of the arts from theater to film and television, to some very famous commercial work."While he tackled a variety of characters over the years, he was often seen in working-class garb or military uniform. His authenticity in grittier roles came naturally: He was the son of a Czech mother and a Serbian father, and worked for a time in the steel mills of Gary, Ind., after dropping out of college.

Malden said he got his celebrated bulbous nose when he broke it a couple of times playing basketball or football, joking that he was "the only actor in Hollywood whose nose qualifies him for handicapped parking." He liked to say he had "an open-hearth face."Malden won a supporting actor Oscar in 1951 for his role as Blanche DuBois' naive suitor Mitch in "A Streetcar Named Desire" — a role he also played on Broadway.

He was nominated again as best supporting actor in 1954 for his performance as Father Corrigan, a fearless, friend-of-the-workingman priest in "On the Waterfront." In both movies, he costarred with Marlon Brando."When you worked with him, he was the character," said Eva Marie Saint, who garnered a supporting actress Oscar for her role in "Waterfront." "He was the consummate actor and he loved acting. He was dear and smart. Whatever he did he enjoyed life."

Among his other memorable roles were: "Birdman of Alcatraz" opposite Burt Lancaster; "I Confess" with Montgomery Clift; "How the West Was Won;" and "The Cincinnati Kid" opposite Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson.His more than 50 credits included "Patton," in which he played Gen. Omar Bradley, "Pollyanna," "Fear Strikes Out," "The Sting II," "Bombers B-52," "Cheyenne Autumn," and "All Fall Down."

One of his most controversial films was "Baby Doll" in 1956, in which he played a dullard husband whose child bride is exploited by a businessman. It was condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency for what was termed its "carnal suggestiveness." The story was by "Streetcar" author Tennessee Williams.Malden gained perhaps his greatest fame as Lt. Mike Stone in the 1970s television show "The Streets of San Francisco," in which Michael Douglas played the veteran detective's junior partner.

Douglas was 28 when he earned his first major break on the detective series with Malden, who was 60. Douglas saluted Malden last month as a key mentor when the older actor received the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award, an event to be televised July 19 on the TV Land channel."He was fantastic. He just had a tremendous discipline, tremendous ethics," Douglas told AP Television News about a month before the ceremony. "He insisted that next's week's script would be there when we were shooting that week's script. Every time between setups, between breaks, we'd go in the trailer and run lines for the next's week's show. That's the kind of discipline, training I got from Karl."

In the '70s, Malden gained a lucrative 21-year sideline and a place in pop culture with his "Don't leave home without them" ads for American Express travelers checks."The Streets of San Francisco" earned him five Emmy nominations. He won one for his role as a murder victim's father out to bring his former son-in-law to justice in the 1985 miniseries "Fatal Vision." He and Saint played husband and wife.

Malden played Barbra Streisand's stepfather in the 1987 film "Nuts;" Adm. Elmo Zumwalt Jr. in the 1988 TV film "My Father, My Son;" and Leon Klinghoffer, the cruise ship passenger murdered by terrorists in 1985, in the 1989 TV film "The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro."He acted sparingly in recent years, appearing in 2000 in a small role on TV's "The West Wing."In 2004, Malden received the Screen Actors Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award, telling the group in his acceptance speech that "this is the peak for me." He served on the acting union's national board from 1963-72.

"We will remember the many indelible characters he created, and his screen legacy will continue to move us, educate us and enrich our lives," SAG president Alan Rosenberg said Wednesday.Malden first gained prominence on Broadway in the late 1930s, making his debut in "Golden Boy" by Clifford Odets. It was during this time that he met Elia Kazan, who later was to direct him in "Streetcar" and "Waterfront."He steadily gained more prominent roles, with time out for service in the Army in World War II (and a role in an Army show, "Winged Victory.")From:news.yahoo.com

Michael Jackson's mother Katherine on Monday won temporary guardianship

2009-06-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

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

Michael Jackson was fatally stricken last week

2009-06-29T23:19:00.000-07:00

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"

2009-06-29T05:06:00.000-07:00

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

Transformers have discovered a new creation

2009-06-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

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

Michael Jackson's family wants a private autopsy

2009-06-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

"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