|
Hollywood Beat
Celebrity Birthdays
Michael Hayden (Murder One: Chris)-47
Jim Davis (Garfield creator)-65
Lori Loughlin (Full House: Becky)-46
Jonathan Edwards-64 Elizabeth Berkley (CSI: Miami: Julia)-38
Sally Struthers (All in the Family)-62
Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach)-34
Georgia Engel (Everybody Loves Raymond)-62 Soulja Boy-20
Celebrity News
Update: Rainn Wilson Countersues Over Website “The Office” star Rainn Wilson had countersued a Portland company in a website development dispute. Wilson is seeking at least $400,000 in damages from Think Brilliant, accusing the company in a recent federal court filing of fraud and breach of trust. Think Brilliant sued Wilson earlier this month, seeking $11.3 million, alleging the actor failed to properly compensate the company for website development work. Think Brilliant also claims Wilson hacked into its database and accessed confidential materials. Think Brilliant helped develop Wilson’s whimsical website, SoulPancake.com.
Oliver Stone Apologizes For Anti-Semitic Remarks Director Oliver Stone has apologized for remarks he made in a recent interview with Britain’s Sunday Times to promote his upcoming “Secret History of America” TV series. Stone talked about the Holocaust saying, “Hitler was a Frankenstein, but there was also a Dr. Frankenstein – German industrialists, the Americans and the British. He had a lot of support … Hitler did far more damage to the Russians than the Jewish people.” Stone also referred to “Jewish domination of the media.” After Jewish groups took offense to his remarks, Stone said, “In trying to make a broader historical point about the range of atrocities the Germans committed against many people, I made a clumsy association about the Holocaust, for which I am sorry and I regret. Jews obviously do not control media or any other industry.”
Jack Hanna Repels Bear With Pepper Spray Animal expert Jack Hanna used pepper spray to fend off a charging grizzly bear on a Montana hiking trail. Hanna was hiking late Saturday with his wife, on a narrow cliff trail in Glacier National Park with three other hikers close by when they noticed a mother grizzly and her two cubs walking toward them in the opposite direction. The bears started toward Hanna, his wife, and three other nearby hikers, and that’s when Hanna says one of the yearlings started charging. Hanna acted fast, unloading his pepper spray three times, hitting the bear in the face on the third spray. He said the animal ran away. Hanna said he has carried pepper spray while hiking for 15 years but this was the first time he used it.
Actor Maury Chaykin Dies New York-born actor Maury Chaykin died in his adopted home of Toronto yesterday, which was his 61st birthday. Chaykin, who played the sleuth in A&E’s “A Nero Wolfe Mystery” series, had been battling a kidney ailment and died in a Toronto hospital surrounded by loved ones. Chaykin appeared in more than 150 movies and TV shows since he began his career in the 1970s.
Investigators Interview Mel Gibson Los Angeles sheriff’s investigators interviewed Mel Gibson on Sunday – but they didn’t grill him about allegations he punched his ex-lover. “We did talk to Mel Gibson on Sunday. It had nothing to do with the domestic violence investigation. It only concerned the allegations of extortion,” a sheriff’s spokesman said yesterday. Gibson claims Oksana Grigorieva tried to shake him down over a series of damaging phone recordings. The actor turned over e-mails and text messages as evidence. He reportedly declined to discuss the alleged assault, citing his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Detectives have opened a criminal probe into Grigorieva’s claim that Gibson punched her in the left temple and mouth as she held their infant daughter, Lucia, at his Malibu home January 6th. Gibson’s camp denies the actor ever hurt Grigorieva or the baby.
Oprah Winfrey Taps Celebrity Friends For Documentary Series
Julia Roberts, Forest Whitaker, Goldie Hawn, Mariel Hemingway and Gabriel Byrne have signed deals with Oprah Winfrey to develop documentaries for her new network. The celebs will produce documentaries for Winfrey’s new OWN TV network, set to launch next year. The shows will be part of a monthly Documentary Film Club.
Music News
Nigel Lythgoe May Return To ‘Idol’ “So You Think You Can Dance” judge Nigel Lythgoe is in talks to come back to “American Idol” next season in the producing role he left two years ago. Fox declined comment on Lythgoe’s possible return or whether his judging role on “So You Think You Can Dance” would be affected. Lythgoe is also co-creator and an executive producer of “SYTYCD.” Meanwhile, Justin Timberlake joins Elton John, Chris Isaak and Harry Connick Jr. on the list of possible and rumored replacements for Simon Cowell on “Idol.” The new judge would join current judges Randy Jackson, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi – unless Lythgoe has his way. He said he would replace all four judges to refocus the show on the performers. Lythgoe also noted that he would select three judges rather than four, and that he would choose Paula Abdul, Elton John and Usher as the show’s ideal judges.
‘Idol’ Reject Sues For $300 Million “American Idol” reject Ian Benardo, who infamously rushed the stage during the talent search’s 2010 finale, claims producers encouraged the stunt and then discriminated against him. He’s seeking $300 million in a complaint filed with the New York State Human Rights Division that alleges the “Idol” set “was permeated with discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, insults and hostile and offensive comments.” Benardo, who is openly gay, auditioned for the show in 2007 and became a sensation after he flipped out on Simon Cowell. He claims producers invited him back for last season’s finale – then pelted him with anti-gay epithets and asked him inappropriate questions about his sexuality. He also says producers gave him the go-ahead to grab the mike from Dane Cook during the May 26th finale. Since the finale, Benardo said he has suffered panic attacks and can’t live a normal life.
Common To Star In AMC Pilot Rapper-actor Common has been cast in one of the lead roles of the drama pilot “Hell on Wheels” on AMC. The show is a western about the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. “Hell on Wheels” marks Common’s first leading role on television. Common will take on the role of Elam, a freed slave who goes west seeking work on the railroad.
Terry Gilliam To Direct Arcade Fire Webcast A former member of Monty Python will call the shots on the live webcast of Arcade Fire’s concert. Terry Gilliam will direct the concert in New York on August 5th. Gilliam most recently directed the film “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus,” and he also made the films “Brazil” and “12 Monkeys.”
Steven Page Puts Out Post-Barenaked Ladies Album Former Barenaked Ladies singer Steven Page is putting out his first album since leaving the band. “Page One” features musicians Glen Phillips of Toad The Wet Sprocket and Prince’s NPG brass section. “Page One” comes out September 28th.
Linkin Park Debuts New Song In Video Game Linkin Park tops the in-game soundtrack for EA’s “Medal Of Honor” war game with the lead song to their new album, “A Thousand Suns.” “The Catalyst” will be featured in an exclusive trailer directed by the band’s DJ, Joe Hahn. The trailer is a mix of live footage and intense modern military action from the “Medal Of Honor” game and will be released exclusively on August 1 at www.medalofhonor.com/linkinpark, one day before the song is released. “The Catalyst” is due out September 14th. “Medal Of Honor” launches on October 12th for the PlayStation3, Xbox 360 and PC.
Rihanna Hops On ‘Battleship’ Rihanna will make her first foray into movie-making with a role in director Peter Berg’s sci-fi board game adaptation, “Battleship.” Rihanna is joining a cast that already includes Taylor Kitsch and Alexander Skarsgård, who play brothers and naval officers assigned to a task force that is charged with warding off alien invaders. It is unclear how Rihanna’s character figures into the story. “Battleship” is set for release on May 25, 2012.
AC/DC Break Tour Record AC/DC’s recent worldwide “Black Ice” tour has broken the record for being the second highest-grossing concert tour in history. After playing 168 shows, the band has earned nearly $441.6 million and saw roughly 4.9 million people attend. The only band above them when it comes to concert tours is the Rolling Stones with their 2005-2007 “A Bigger Bang” tour. The run earned the Stones a gross total of $558.3 million for playing 147 shows. The “Black Ice” tour started in 2008 and wrapped on June 28th in Bilboa, Spain. Their 2008 album of the same name has appeared at No. 1 in 27 countries since its debut, selling over 1,700,000 units in its first week alone.
Demi Lovato, Jonas Brothers Rock The Summer Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers are featured on the soundtrack to “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam,” due out August 10th. The album features 15-all new songs from the movie, including three bonus songs (“Different Summers,” “Walkin’ In My Shoes” and “It’s Not Too Late”). The physical CD also features exciting special bonuses, including the full-length “It’s On” music video, exclusive interviews with Lovato and Jonas Brothers, and a movie photo gallery accessible through computer ROM drives. “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam” premieres September 3rd on Disney Channel.
Michael Jackson’s New Love Child A woman who claims to be the illegitimate child of Michael Jackson says she’s the result of a relationship between the King of Pop (who was allegedly 17-years-old at the time) and her mother – Diana Ross’ sister. Mocienne Petit Jackson also claims that when she was 9, Michael’s mother, Katherine, devised a plan to send her to Belgium so no one would know that Michael had a daughter. She says the seven people who abducted her were later murdered. In a claim filed by the woman, who lives now in Netherlands, she states that she also suffers from Vitiligo, a condition Michael had. She is asking for a DNA test to clear any doubts and is seeking to “formally claim my part of my father’s inheritance” and the custody of his kids.
|
E-Mail
Print
