Paris Hilton to Head to Rwanda Next Year

miércoles, 31 de octubre de 2007 |

Her trip to Rwanda has been postponed, but Paris Hilton is still determined to use her celebrity status for good causes.

"I want to travel the world," the 26-year-old socialite says in an interview posted on the Web site of the syndicated entertainment TV show "Extra." "I feel like there's a lot I can do, and a lot I can do to help."

The Playing for Good Foundation announced last week that Hilton's philanthropic trip to Rwanda has been postponed due to restructuring of the children's charity. On her itinerary: visits to schools and health-care clinics.

Hilton told "Extra" she will now pack her bags for the African country sometime next year.

"We were supposed to be going in November, but then the charity is doing restructuring and figuring things out. It's going to be for next year," she said. "I know (Rwanda) went through a lot of traumatic experiences, and I feel like if I go there, I can help save some people's lives."

Hilton announced the mission in September, several months after serving a 23-day jail sentence for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

"I want kids to know, even if you're 15 or 16 years old, you can do something," she said in the interview.

Via Associated Press

Rehab seems to have done Lindsay Lohan some good. The actress recently cancelled her New Year’s party in a bid to remain sober.

Lohan was planning to host a New Year’s bash at Pure nightclub, but the 21-year-old pulled out of the gig to concentrate on her sobriety.

“Lindsay will no longer be hosting New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas,” said Lohan’s rep. The rep added she “continues to focus on her work and sobriety.”

Lohan seems to have her life back on track as she is currently filming another movie. She also has a new boyfriend, Riley Giles, who she met in rehab. The couple have been spotted out together numerous times.

Via transworldnews

A book billed as an unofficial encyclopedic companion to the "Harry Potter" book series infringes copyright and attempts to cash in on the successful series, author J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. said in statements announcing a lawsuit filed on Wednesday.

The 400-page book, titled the "The Harry Potter Lexicon," due to be released by RDR Books on Nov. 28 in the United States, had inappropriately referenced Rowling's fictional characters and universe, Rowling and Warner Bros. said.

"The infringing book is particularly troubling as it is in direct contravention to Ms. Rowling's repeatedly stated intention to publish her own companion books to the series and donate proceeds of such books to charity," said the lawsuit, which the plaintiff said was filed on Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan.


The suit names RDR books, a book publishing company based in Michigan, and unidentified persons as defendants and seeks damages for copyright federal trademark infringement and any profits to be gained from the book.

The company's Web site said the author of the book, Steve Vander Ark, had based the book on a Web site that Rowling herself had awarded for its excellence.

But in a statement released on Wednesday, Rowling said even though she loved Harry Potter fan sites, she said she hoped to write "the definitive Harry Potter encyclopedia, which will include all the material that never made it into the novels" and donate the proceeds to charity.

"I cannot, therefore, approve of 'companion books' or 'encyclopedias' that seek to pre-empt my definitive Potter reference book for their authors' own personal gain," she said. "The losers in such a situation would be the charities that I hope, eventually, to benefit."

Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc. (TWX.N: Quote, Profile , Research) and the distributor of the Harry Potter films, said in a statement it was seeking to protect its intellectual property rights so that "everyone can continue to enjoy Harry Potter books and films in the spirit in which they were created."

Via reuters

Designer Outs Jennifer Lopez

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With friends like these... Jennifer Lopez's rumored pregnancy has been confirmed by her friend and high-fashion designer, Roberto Cavalli—probably without her blessing.

The flamboyant fashionista is the latest person to spill the baby beans, all while gabbing to People on Tuesday about designing for his celebrity clients.

"Well Jennifer Lopez, at this moment, she requests something very special because she is waiting for the baby," said Cavalli, who is outfitting J.Lo for her current tour with Marc Anthony. "It is so complicated because every week she is getting bigger."

So far, there's been no official comment on the alleged baby bump. But that hasn't stopped everyone around Jenny from gabbing about the special blessing, including Marc's ex, Dayanara Torres, pop star Jesse McCartney, and Jennifer's ex Diddy.

Via online

Former "Prison Break" actor Lane Garrison has been sentenced to 40 months in state prison after pleading guilty to vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving in May.

The 27-year old was driving 17-year old high school student Vahagn Setian when his car jumped a curb and hit a tree on December 2nd, 2006.

Before the sentencing Garrison addressed the courtroom apologizing to the family of the victim.

"I think of you guys every night. I felt what it's like to be in prison. I want to show that my walk with sobriety will be very easy. I want to help other kids not make the same mistake I did," Garrison said. "I just want to say how sorry I am to the Setian family. I am sickened by my behavior on that night. My thoughts keep coming back to that night."

Police said at the time of the accident Garrison's blood-alcohol level was .20 percent, and there were also traces of cocaine found in his system.

Via allheadlinesnews

South African police are investigating abuse allegations at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, the talk-show host's $40 million school for disadvantaged girls near Johannesburg.

Investigators declined to provide details of the alleged abuse and said no charges have been filed. The academy's CEO, John Samuel, said in a statement earlier this month that an internal inquiry was launched based on a claim of misconduct involving a dormitory parent.

According to an article in The Cape Argus, a Cape Town newspaper, the dorm parent allegedly grabbed a pupil by the throat and threw her against a wall, the girl claimed. Girls at the school also claimed that the matron swore and screamed at the girls and assaulted them, the newspaper reported Saturday.

The newspaper said one of the pupils ran away from the school, blaming the alleged abuse.

In an emergency meeting with pupils and parents at the school, Winfrey apologized in connection with the incident. "I've disappointed you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said tearfully, according to numerous South African media reports.

Winfrey's representatives said she flew to South Africa twice in October to meet with parents of girls at the academy, although they would not specify what the meetings were about.

Previously, Winfrey -- who has spoken publicly about the abuse she suffered as a child -- issued a statement on October 17 saying, "Nothing is more serious or devastating to me than an allegation of misconduct by an adult against any girl at the academy."

In the statement, Samuel said South African child protection services were notified and that the dorm parent was removed from the campus. "We have engaged professional investigators of the highest standing from South Africa and the United States to conduct a fair and impartial inquiry into these claims," the statement said.

The school's head has agreed to take a paid leave of absence pending the results of the investigation, although she is not the subject of the allegation, Samuel said.

The national prosecuting authority is deciding whether or not criminal charges will be filed. In an October 23 statement, Samuel referred inquiries to the South African Child Protection Services Unit.

The academy opened in January with a student body made up of some of South Africa's poorest children. The academy provides its 450 students with textbooks, uniforms and meals.

Via cnn

A selfish Britney Spears barely talks to or plays with her two baby boys - and treats them like fashion accessories, a child care expert has found.

"The environment at the house ranged from chaotic to almost somber with little communication at all," parenting coach Lisa Hacker writes in a scathing evaluation that a judge cited in denying the singer's demand she get back shared custody.

"During all three of my visits, Ms. Spears rarely engaged with the children in either conversation or play," Hacker said of Spears' time with little Jayden James, 1, and Sean Preston, 2.

Judge Scott Gordon has ordered the kids to remain with their father, rapper Kevin Federline, granting Spears only two seven-hour visits a week and one overnight stay.

Judge Gordon, who last month labeled Spears a "habitual" substance abuser, ruled her random drug tests must continue.

Via nydailynews

Robert Goulet's Coda

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Camelot has lost its Lancelot.

Robert Goulet, whose precise baritone and matinee-idol looks made him a Broadway star in the defining musical of the early 1960s, died Tuesday at a Los Angeles hospital as he awaited a lung transplant.

He was 73.

Goulet, who'd been suffering from a lung disease known as Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis, was hospitalized Sept. 30 in Las Vegas, and later transferred to L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died. His condition became news last week when his wife, Vera, gave an interview to the Associated Press.

Goulet was under sedation, and unable to talk, much less ply his trade of some 50 years.

As he lay stricken, Goulet, who had survived prostate cancer in the 1990s, clung to the hope of a transplant. "Just give me a new pair of lungs," the performer said before being put on a respirator, Vera Goulet told the wire service, "and I'll hit the high notes until I'm 100."

Born Nov. 26, 1933, in Massachusetts, Goulet moved to his Canadian parents' native country as a young teen, and became a singing star there in the 1950s.

In 1960, he won the role of the strapping Lancelot in a new Alan Jay Lerner-Frederick Loewe musical about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Joining him in the cast—and in the show's love triangle—were two actors then known primarily in their native United Kingdom: Richard Burton and Julie Andrews.

Camelot opened on Broadway on Dec. 3, 1960, and made international stars of all three. A few years later, following the assassination of President Kennedy, the show became something more than the sum of its hit songs when former first lady Jackie Kennedy told an interviewer how much her late husband loved its score, especially the poignant final lines from title tune's reprise: "Don't let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot."

From that point forward, Camelot became irrevocably linked with Kennedy's Camelot.

While Burton and Andrews went onto become movie stars, Goulet found his niche as a recording artist and live performer. No matter how many shows he did, or songs he recorded, his signature hit remained Lancelot's signature song, "If Ever I Should Leave You."

Goulet once told the New York Times he had to be careful with laser-sharp baritone when recording. "There are times when I feel I'm too vocal," he said. "Sometimes I think that if you sing with a big voice, the people in the audience don't listen to the words, as they should. They just listen to the sound."

Per one oft-recounted Elvis Presley tale, the King of Rock 'n' Roll once became so annoyed with the big voice that he shot out the TV set on which Goulet was performing.

If Elvis wasn't a Goulet fan, plenty of others were. The singer won a 1962 Grammy as Best New Artist. His catalog of hits included "What Kind of Fool Am I?," His discography encompassed more than 60 albums.

An inveterate stage performer, Goulet appeared in dozens of musicals, on Broadway and parts elsewhere. He returned to Camelot again and again, including a 1993 Broadway revival, where he claimed Burton's old crown as King Arthur.

In recent years, as Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack crowd fell away, Goulet became something of the last showroom star standing, and began to embody classic Las Vegas cool. The persona, parodied by Will Ferrell on Saturday Night Live, proved enticing to the corporate likes of ESPN and Emerald Nuts, for whom the real Goulet starred in commercials.

Goulet worked in film and TV, as well, a fact to which Wheezy the Penguin owes his Toy Story 2 singing voice. Other credits included Beetlejuice, The Naked Gun 2-1/2: The Smell of Fear and the 1962 animated musical, Gay Purr-ee, in which he vocalized opposite Judy Garland.

Of late, Goulet toured with the one-man show, "The Man and His Music." What turned out to be his final performance occurred just over a month ago--on Sept. 20 in Syracuse, New York.

In an interview leading up to the date, Goulet spoke his mind to the Syracuse New Times on the state of music--"I don’t listen to Britney Spears. She has no voice at all, and she’s made $100 billion, and I’ve made 28 cents."--and his personal recipe for success.

"I stick to good lyrics and good music," Goulet said. "I don’t sing junk."

Via eonline

Britney Spears reawakens with 'Blackout'

martes, 30 de octubre de 2007 |

Just when it seemed safe to write off Britney Spears as a punch line only capable of entertaining people through tabloid escapades, she goes and gets all musically relevant on us.

Blackout, her first studio album in four years, is not only a very good album, it's her best work ever – a triumph, with not a bad song to be found among the 12 tracks.

Granted, a Spears rave should be put in its proper context – it's not like we're talking Bob Dylan here. Ms. Spears is a lightweight singer who flourishes only when she has great songs and great producers to supplement her minimal vocal talent.

But when she has that help, she's fierce. And she gets that boost on every single track on Blackout, a sizzling, well-crafted electro-pop dancefest that should return her to pop's elite.

This is a shocker, given all the lowlights Ms. Spears has given us this year. From her embarrassing MTV Video Music Awards performance to her bizarre public antics to allegations that she's an irresponsible parent, Ms. Spears has been a walking disaster. It seems amazing that she even found her way to a recording studio, let alone did anything of value while in it.

But Ms. Spears emerges on Blackout as the antithesis of her tabloid persona – confident, sensual and in control.

"I got my eye on you," she coos on one of the album's best tracks, "Radar," a sexy techno groove that you can't help but bounce to – a feeling that permeates all of Blackout's tracks. You won't find any saccharine ballads or fluffy pop on this disc – it's all about generating heat on the dance floor (and if Ms. Spears has shown us anything in the last year, it's that she knows how to party).

On the aptly titled "Freakshow," produced by Danja (who worked on Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds), Ms. Spears gets voyeuristic with a tantalizing promise to get wild in the club. The hypnotic "Get Naked (I Got a Plan)," also produced by Danja, features Ms. Spears breathlessly asking, "What I gotta do to make you move my body," before demanding, "Take it off, take it off, take it off." It's not all about grinding to the music, though. On the rock-tinged "Piece of Me," she defiantly addresses her critics: "I'm Mrs. Bad Media Karma, another day another drama ... I'm Mrs. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, I'm Mrs. 'Oh My God That Britney's Shameless.' " And on the slow-burn, Neptunes-produced "Why Should I Be Sad," the album's last track, she cops to heartbreak but refuses to let it get her down, a rare vulnerable moment.

Listening to Blackout is not only an energetic release, it's also a relief: No, Ms. Spears hasn't completely lost it, and yes, her career has a flicker of fire left – actually much, much more. But with all the damage Ms. Spears has done and continues to do to her public image, will anyone outside her core fan base (and who knows what that consists of these days) care anymore?

This album is the first, great step in making that happen.

Via dallasnews

Spanish soldier goes nude on magazine cover

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Interviú magazine tomorrow (Monday) prints the first photos of a Spanish soldier in the nude.

Pilar Pacheco tells the magazine that she goes topless on the beach and that she did not find it that difficult to pose naked. The 26 year old has worked for the past eight years in administration in the Army, based in Ceuta.

If she had not been a member of the armed forces, she said she would have liked to have been a photographic model. She says that she has a lot of respect for the military, and that is why she has posed without any military insignia.

Via typicallyspanish

Wilson Moves Back Into Public Eye

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Troubled movie star Owen Wilson has taken tentative steps back into public life this weekend, giving fans a sign of hope he is on the road to recovery.

The "Wedding Crashers" actor, who gave his first interview on Friday with pal Wes Anderson, was spotted on Saturday going to dinner with friends at celebrity haunt Mr. Chow's in Beverly Hills.

The following night he attended a party at the Museum of Contemporary Arts, also in Los Angeles.

Prior to this weekend the 38-year-old funnyman had been living a near-hermit-like existence, since an attempted suicide attempt in August.

Via sfgate

'Nip/Tuck' gets its own makeover

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"Nip/Tuck" is taking a dose of its own medicine.

Creator-executive producer Ryan Murphy looked into his mirror, applied the show's signature question -- "Tell me what you don't like about yourself" -- to his FX series, and decided it was time for some cosmetic changes. For season five, Miami's in the rearview mirror, and it's hooray for Hollywood.

Free-living plastic surgeons Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) have taken down their shingle in South Florida and relocated to Tinseltown, where it seems there are only two types of people: those who have had a lot of work done on themselves and the fabulously successful plastic surgeons who did it. Sean and Christian, minor celebrities on the East Coast, are guppies in the Pacific Ocean.

"They kind of ruled Miami as plastic surgeons," Murphy said. "I was very interested in the idea of what happens when you hit 40 and suddenly, you go from being the big fish in a small pond to the opposite. This show is really about them suddenly on Rodeo Drive, surrounded by dozens of other plastic surgeons, who have been here forever. How do they make it?"

How they eventually make it turns the dynamics of the series upside down. A hellcat of a publicist, Fiona McNeil (an effective comeback by veteran Lauren Hutton), educates them in the ways of their new hometown. It doesn't matter how good you are at your profession. Celebrity is everything.

Fiona's solution? She lands Sean and Christian
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a gig as technical advisers on a TV series about -- what else -- a womanizing, party-animal plastic surgeon. Oliver Platt flies way over the top as Freddy Prune, the frantic executive producer of "Hearts 'n Scalpels," and Bradley Cooper's Aidan Stone, the star of the drama, is almost as obnoxiously vain as Christian.

However, it's Sean who is adopted as a role model by Aidan. Sean even gets some on-camera lines, which leads to the high visibility essential in Hollywood. Christian is relegated to second banana and doesn't handle it well.

Murphy was challenged to come up with plausible story lines that would bring the rest of the familiar characters to the West Coast. "To me, the heart of the show is the family," Murphy said. The series loses something when the relationships aren't prominent, "so this year we found a way to have everybody come back for various reasons. We really do explore the temptations of L.A. and how that affects the family."

Anesthesiologist Dr. Liz Cruz was easy. She has professional ties to Sean and Christian and nothing to keep her in Miami. Luring the others west necessitated really creative writing. A crisis leads Matt McNamara, the son of both Sean and Christian (it's a long story), and his kinky wife Kimber to come seeking support. The plot twist that brings Sean's ex-wife Julia to town will generate water cooler conversation.

Joely Richardson as Julia, John Hensley as Matt, Kelly Carlson as Kimber and Roma Maffia as Liz slip back into their old roles as comfortably as if they were putting on a pair of old jeans. Rosie O'Donnell will reprise her turn as lottery-rich trailer-park trash Dawn Budge in a multi-episode arc starting in week four.

Although the setting has changed, "Nip/Tuck" will be as outrageous and racy as ever, Murphy promises. "I feel the show has always been designed to sort of push boundaries and explore things in our society that are a little bit taboo. Sexuality is certainly one of those things."

This has made "Nip/Tuck" probably TV's most protested show by self-appointed moral guardians. The angry letters and boycott threats don't faze Murphy. "The only thing you can do is say, 'Thank you, I don't agree with your opinion,' and move on," he said. "That's what we've done."

Via mercurynews

Lynne Spears Signs a Deal for a Tell-All Book

lunes, 29 de octubre de 2007 |

Britney’s Mother Writing a Tell All Book

People Magazine reported that Britney Spears’ mother, Lynne Spears, is writing a personal tell-all book about raising her two famous daughters.

In June, Lynne had a falling out with Britney after she received a disturbing letter from her daughter who had just been in rehab and had been acting out for months. They only recently reconciled.

According to Publishers Marketplace Lynne Spears has signed a deal with publisher Thomas Nelson, who also publishes Bibles, inspirational books, and some celebrities’ books including Bill Cosby.

The book is slated to be released in spring of 2008 and is described as “Lynne Spears’s personal story of raising high-profile children while coming from a low-profile Louisiana community,” describes Gawker.com, which first reported the deal. Lynne’s book should be filled with juicy details about their relationship, Britney’s rise to fame, Britney’s marriage, and her two young sons.

Via thecelebritycafe

Oprah Sorry for Abuse Scandal

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If anybody knows the healing power of public mea culpas, it's Oprah Winfrey.

The daytime queen profusely apologized to the parents of students at her all-girls school in South Africa for a sex-abuse scandal that resulted in the dismissal of one of its dormitory matrons.

"I've disappointed you. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," a tearful Winfrey told angry families who showed up for an emergency meeting at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, according to South Africa's news.24.com, a leading news site.

Allegations surfaced two weeks ago that a "dorm parent" had been accused of fondling a girl and physically and verbally abusing several others, including grabbing them about the neck, beating them and hurling them against a wall.

The talk-show host made her second visit to the school, located in the town of Henley-on-Klip, just south of Johannesburg, in as many weeks. She reportedly took full responsibility at the gathering and begged parents to forgive her for the staff member's behavior.

The accusations came to light after one of the pupils ran away, purportedly because she couldn't stand the alleged abuse any longer.

Winfrey suspended the matron and at least one other staffer. The school's principal, who the girls complained had failed to take action, was placed on paid administrative leave as detectives and Child Protection Services probe the reputed misconduct.

"I trusted her," Winfrey told the families regarding the principal. "When I appointed her, I thought she was passionate about the children of Africa. But I've been disappointed."

According to the Website, a father of one of the students tried to allay Winfrey's guilt.

"We don't blame you," he was quoted as saying. "You have more passion for the school and its existence than anyone else in this country, including us parents."

Winfrey, described as visibly distressed, promised the parents that those found to have committed wrongdoing would be punished.

Winfrey also gave the students, whom she referred to as her "daughters," her personal telephone number and email address in the U.S. so they could get in touch with her at any time.

The $46 million Leadership Academy, which aims to provide impoverished South African girls with a high quality education, opened its doors in January to much fanfare. On hand to help Winfrey celebrate the occasion were special guests like former South African President Nelson Mandela, Spike Lee, Sidney Poitier, Chris Tucker, Tina Turner and Mary J. Blige.

The school promises a "safe and structured" environment of learning and sports a 28-building campus that includes classrooms, state-of-the-art computer and science labs, a theater, wellness center, yoga center and beauty salon. Winfrey personally interviewed all applicants to the school.

Via eonline

Sarah Jessica Parker may be loved by women around the world for her unique sense of style, but it seems the 'Sex And The City' star does not appeal to men.

While celebrities like Charlize Theron and Jessica Alba often find themselves at the top of Hollywood’s sexiest women, SJP has come bottom in a list by Maxim magazine.

The list, published in the new issue of the lads mag, found Sarah Jessica as the unsexiest woman in Tinseltown, followed by beehive-loving Amy Winehouse and 'Grey’s Anatomy' star Sandra Oh.

Madonna came up fourth on the list, as Maxim dubbed the 'Material Girl' unsexy for her “self-righteous bellyaching and rapid postnuptial deterioration”.

Britney Spears was in fifth place.

Via breakingnews

David Beckham: unhappy and lonely in LA

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David Beckham is reportedly unhappy in Los Angeles and is said to have told wife Victoria Beckham that he would like to return to the UK.

The family moved to Beverly Hills in July after David signed a five year deal with the LA Galaxy soccer team but after an injury-plagued first season, David is said to be questionning the move.

A source close to the football star added that David is also unhappy with the social scene: “David basically has very few friends in LA.”

“The Beckhams haven’t seen much of the Cruises since Katie Holmes and Posh fell out, apparently after Katie saw Victoria and Eva Longoria taking the mickey out of Tom’s dancing at the Beckhams’ welcoming bash.”

“Tom and David get on, but Tom has been in Germany filming.”

And David’s father’s heart attack last month also drove home the importance of being close to his family: “There have been teary conversations with Victoria. David wants to reconnect with his family. He’s very down at the moment.”

Via famestastic

Victoria Beckham Goes Brunette

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Victoria Beckham is keeping us on our toes with her fashionable haircuts but it seems that Victoria has gone back to being a Brunette.

Victoria was seen coming out of the salon a few days ago with a new hair do and looking spectacular.

Maybe she had to change her hair for her return to the Spice Girls, as she was a brunette in the height of their popularity.

Via product-reviews

Paris Hilton’s Rwanda Trip Delayed

domingo, 28 de octubre de 2007 |

Paris Hilton’s charity trip to Rwanda, which she hoped would transform her party girl image, has been cancelled.

The organization sponsoring the heiress’ Africa trip yesterday said it was postponing the journey.

The cancellation is due to a “restructuring” in the Playing for Good organization, the group said.

“Paris has been a loyal and gracious supporter of Playing for Good, but the foundation has to regrettably reschedule this trip,” the group said in a statement.

The group said it hoped to reschedule “at a later date.”

Via eon

Lohan a snake´s belly

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A heartbroken blonde has revealed how wild star Lindsay Lohan cruelly stole her fiance - while in rehab.

Pretty Breanna Tierney said the sneaky Hollywood beauty was all friendly smiles to her face when they met for the first time.

But just days later Breanna, 22, got a text from hunky Riley Giles jilting her. He had launched into a fling with Lindsay at the rehab centre where both were being treated for addiction.

Former cocktail waitress Breanna fought back tears and said: "Lindsay Lohan wrecked my life. I loved Riley and she stole him from me."

She met the 21-year-old Mean Girls star last month at a friends-andfamily meeting at the Cirque Lodge centre in Utah.

Breanna felt something was wrong when the actress and singer introduced herself with a phoney smile and showered her with compliments.

She said: "Lindsay came into the meeting with Riley and walked over and sat next to me, being overly nice.

"Shewas complimenting me on my hair and trying to be my friend. I was very suspicious because it didn't seem sincere at all.

"A few days later I got a text message from Riley, telling me he wanted to 'take a break'. I knew instantly it was because of Lindsay."

The star, 21, checked into Cirque Lodge after spiralling out of control in a haze of drink, drugs and sex.

Riley, 25, who fancies himself as a snowboarding star, was there after being busted for drink-driving when he crashed on a Las Vegas freeway.

He had a previous driving conviction and got a one-year suspended sentence last year for forging a drug prescription.

Breanna, now a customer services rep in Salt Lake City, Utah, said: "I stuck by Riley through the good and the bad - even after the car accident when he was arrested.

"We knew he had to get help. So he went into rehab and I waited for him.

"We had lived together for three years and planned on being together forever. But when I found out about him and Lindsay that was it, we were done."

She added: "I should thank Lindsay. She ruined my life but also opened my eyes. She actually did me a favour - Riley and Lindsay are perfect for each other."

Lindsay, who dated lothario Calum Best, has gushed about her new man in interviews. "I am seeing someone," she said. "His name is Riley and I'm really happy."

But Breanna is scathing about the romance. "There's no way they are going to last," she said.

"I know Riley well enough to know that every action he takes is to benefit himself.

He's just looking for publicity.

"He's got Lindsay to get attention for his so-called snowboarding career. He's using her and she's using him - nice, huh?"

Breanna claimed bitterly that the engagement ring Riley bought her had fake diamonds.

She said: "I went to get it repaired because some of the stones fell out. The jeweller asked me if he should replace them with zirconia.

"I couldn't believe it. I wanted to scream when he told me the stones were cheap fakes."

Lindsay, dubbed Li Lo, has rarely been out of the headlines thanks to a series of career-threatening antics.

She was arrested inMay after crashing her Mercedes into a tree in Beverly Hills. Then in July she chased the mother of her former personal assistant in her car. Cops found the star yelling at the terrified woman in a Santa Monica car park.

Lindsay's arrest mugshot showed her spotty-faced and bleary-eyed.

She had just ended a stint in rehab and was wearing an alcohol monitoring ankle bracelet. On both occasions the actress was found with small amounts of cocaine.

Prosecutors gave her a deal where she spent a day in jail, agreed to community service - and returned to rehab. Lindsay said: "I just want to apologise to any of my fans that look up to me, especially my younger fans, for setting the examples that I didn't mean to set."

Lindsay is said to be hooked on sex and has been linked to some of Hollywood's hottest men including Jude Law, Joaquin Phoenix, Benicio Del Toro, Jared Leto and James Franco.

She reportedly had flings with singer James Blunt and McFly's Harry Judd, whose band appeared in her movie Just My Luck.

Her steamy affair with Calum Best, 26, playboy son of Manchester United legend George, ended in tears when both were unfaithful.

Earlier this year, video footage emerged showing Lindsay hoovering up cocaine in a club loo before boasting to pals: "I'm going to New York tomorrow to f*** Jude Law."

Lindsay blames her problems on the trauma of her parents' divorce.

She was estranged from her father Michael for three years before a tearful reunionwhile she was in rehab.

Via people

Britney Spears and ex-husband Kevin Federline faced each other in court Friday in a three-hour battle for custody of their kids that ended with no decision.

The trouble-plagued pop tart was there to argue that she had complied with court orders and deserved to regain the shared custody of sons Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, that she lost earlier this month.

But Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon said he wants to think about it over the weekend before he hands down a ruling next week.

It was Gordon who stripped Spears of even visitation rights after finding she failed to comply with some conditions for shared custody and that there was evidence she's a "habitual, frequent and continuous" user of drugs and alcohol. He later reinstated her monitored visitation privileges.

Although her lawyer said Spears "was pleased" at how the hearing went, you couldn't tell by Britney.

During the session, she left the courtroom for three bathroom breaks, emerging from one looking distraught.

Asked how she was doing at one point, Britney shouted at a reporter, "Snort it, f--- it!"

Some in the courtroom couldn't help smiling when Spears, asked to give her name, said in a soft, little-girl voice, "Britney."

She left court at the end of the day looking upset and ignored reporters' questions. She peeled out of the parking lot in her white Mercedes as a pack of paparazzi swarmed her.

Nevertheless, her lawyer, Anne Kiley, insisted her client felt "fantastic."

Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, said of the hearing, "It was a good thing."

Before Gordon lowered the boom on Spears, she and Federline had equal custody of the kids. But Federline has suggested recently that he may be looking for a 70-30 agreement.

In another eyebrow-raising development, a publisher said yesterday that the pop star's mother is writing a book about - parenting.

Religious publisher Thomas Nelson said it will publish "Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World," by Lynne Spears next spring.

Via nydailynews

Britney's Mom to Dish on Spears Family Values

sábado, 27 de octubre de 2007 |

Although Britney Spears' formative years still seem to be in full swing, fans are about to be brought up to speed on what it was like growing up as a pop princess, as seen through the eyes of her mom.

Lynne Spears has inked a deal to pen a memoir focusing on her role as showbiz family matriarch, Curt Harding, a spokesman for the Christian book publisher Thomas Nelson Inc., told E! News Friday.

Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World has been marked for a May 11, 2008—Mother's Day—release.

Harding said that he has not yet seen a manuscript so he can't say how deeply the book will delve into the Spears' private lives or, more important, whether Lynne's viewpoint will encompass the current state of her daughter's career and high-profile lifestyle, both of which are obviously attracting a different caliber of headlines than they were a few years ago.

Spears and her mother visited for the first time in months on Oct. 6, when Lynne and younger daughter Jamie Lynn flew out to California from Louisiana to spend some time at the "Gimme More" singer's Malibu home.

The family had been on the outs since June, when Spears reportedly took offense at Lynne's public displays of concern for the 25-year-old's worrisome ways and moved to limit her mom's interactions with sons Sean Preston and Jayden James. TMZ reported at the time that Spears presented Lynn with a letter from an out-of-state lawyer that asked her to stay away from the kids if she was on any medications that might impair her judgment.

Two days after letting her mother back into the inner circle, Spears had her first monitored visit with her children after losing custody to Kevin Federline the week before.

The warring exes were in court Friday afternoon for a custody hearing during which a court-ordered parent counselor was expected to present a report detailing what she's observed during the time she's spent with Spears while the singer is in mom mode.

About an hour into the proceedings, Spears told reporters during a break that "everything's great."

Via eonline

It looks as if Hollywood couple Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron are not breaking up. The pair seems to be the next Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt couple as they are constantly plagued by break up rumors. Much like the Jolie-Pitt’s, Hudgens and Efron are constantly rumored to be having problems in their relationship.


The ‘High School Musical’ stars have denied rumors of a split and have proved they are still an item after they were spotted out and about together. Hudgens and Efron attended a lingerie show together this past week. Witnesses at the event say the pair stayed close the entire time.

Via transworldnews

A white sock left with tyre marks after Britney Spears accidentally ran over a photographer's foot is going for more than $1,000 (€694) on eBay.

The item was left on the pavement after Spears, 25, drove over the photographer's foot as she left a medical centre in Los Angeles.

Now it is attracting big bucks from memorabilia-obsessed fans.

The cash raised by the TMZ.com photographer will go towards the Children's Defence Fund.

Via iol

Paris Hilton's Rwanda trip postponed

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She can get out of jail, but Paris Hilton is having a harder time getting to Rwanda.

The charitable organization sponsoring Hilton's planned trip to the African nation, part of her aim to swap partying for philanthropy, said on Thursday it was postponing the journey.

The Spanish-based group, Playing for Good, said it was cancelling the trip due to a "restructuring" in its organization.

"Paris has been a loyal and gracious supporter of Playing for Good, but the foundation has to regrettably reschedule this trip," the group said in a statement.

The group said it hoped to reschedule "at a later date."

A spokesman for Hilton was not immediately available.

Earlier this month, the millionaire hotel heiress turned TV personality said in an interview in Newsweek magazine that she hoped to shed her party-girl image and leave a mark on the world. The Rwanda trip was to be a first step on that journey.

Hilton, 26, is a member of the family that founded the Hilton Hotel chain. She gained fame as a celebrity debutante and turned her notoriety into a career as an actress, singer and pitch person for products from perfume to shoes.

But this year, Hilton ran afoul of Los Angeles law enforcement officials and in June served three weeks in jail stemming from a drunken driving incident.

She told Newsweek that "before, my life was about having fun, going to parties -- it was fantasy."

"But when I had time to reflect, I felt empty inside. I want to leave a mark on the world," Hilton said.

Playing for Good helps business and celebrities become involved in charity work. The group had hoped to videotape Hilton's trip in the hope of selling a reality TV show called "The Philanthropist" featuring various celebrities.

Via reuters

Pete Doherty Avoids Jail Yet Again

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So much for Pete Doherty's unsupervised lifestyle.

Just two days after one judge revoked the Babyshambles frontman's court-supervised drug treatment, another judge has sentenced him to 18 more months under supervision and ordered him to complete a 12-month drug treatment plan that requires him to submit to twice-weekly drug tests.

Even so, the renewed court supervision was a boon for the troubled rocker, who managed to skirt the slammer yet again.

In addition to the supervision order, Doherty was handed a four-month suspended jail sentence stemming from a series of drug- and driving-related offenses.

He was also banned from driving for six months. And he was fined $800 for driving without insurance and $154 for not having a valid inspection certificate for his car at the time of his arrest in May, after which he pleaded guilty to possession of crack cocaine, heroin, ketamine and cannabis.

"You have made strides, and I hope you will continue in doing so. I would hate to see you going backwards," District Judge Davinder Lachhar said in court.

She said she had suspended the rocker's sentence upon hearing of his positive progress—the same reason Judge Jane McIvor elected to revoke his court supervision earlier in the week.

On Wednesday, Doherty, 28, vowed he would continue his battle to stay clean.

"I think I am going to have to [give up drugs]," he said. "I have kind of had enough, really.

"It is just the beginning, you know what I mean, in their eyes. My life has changed, but I'm still a little bit wobbly. I am taking it one day at a time."

Via eonline

Owen Wilson Talks Shop, Nothing Else

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If nothing else, MySpace's "exclusive" Owen Wilson-Wes Anderson interview shed a little light on what it might be like to be a fly on the wall in the quirky duo's writing room.

The longtime pals and frequent collaborators' five-minute chat, posted Friday on the social networking site as part of its ongoing Artist on Artist feature, turned out to be nothing more than a tongue-in-cheek promo for their latest film, The Darjeeling Limited, which opened in wide release today.

Meaning, it was not the Diane Sawyer-style, revelatory, emotional interview that was suggested when outlets such as USA Today and People and Us Weekly's Websites reported that Wilson was finally opening up (meaning, on camera) for the first time since his suicide attempt in August.

Of course, no one affirmatively stated that Wilson was going to talk about the incident, or even his feelings in general, and it's unclear how the MySpace braintrust spun the big get.

But he and Anderson weren't even in the same room! Wilson was in Culver City, Calif., and the filmmaker was in New York. Anderson even marveled at one point over the technology—"the same they used in Transformers," he mused—that brought them together.

The two more or less interviewed each other, with Wilson kicking things off by asking Anderson why he chose India for The Darjeeling Limited, in which Wilson, Jason Schwartzman (who cowrote the screenplay) and Adrien Brody play brothers riding a train cross-country to visit their estranged mother, played by Anderson regular Anjelica Huston, who became a nun after their father's death.

"I wanted to learn about it, that was really my main thing," Anderson said. "But when I went, then I felt like I wanted to share it with our group of collaborators."

Wilson has appeared in all of Anderson's films, including an uncredited cameo in Rushmore, which he cowrote.

The 38-year-old actor, whose deadpan, assured-yet-wide-eyed delivery that he's had going for him in everything from Zoolander to Wedding Crashers seems to mirror his actual persona, also cowrote Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tennenbaums with Anderson, who has had a hand in all of the scripts he's directed.

The usual suspects in an Anderson production include, give or take a film, Owen and Luke Wilson, Schwartzman, Huston, Bill Murray and Indian actor Kumar Pallana, who has been in all of Anderson's films except The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

On a more personal note, Wilson said that The Darjeeling Limited may be his favorite of all of their films, and of course Anderson asks why that is.

"Because…I just like the themes it's exploring," Wilson explained, "in the way my character says, 'I want us to become brothers again, like we used to be.' I really like that line and it means a lot to me. There's a lot of stuff like that in this movie that has that feeling. There's stuff that feels exhilarating."

"This to me feels like the most personal one for all of us, like the most overtly personal," Anderson agreed.

Wilson's character, Francis Whitman, spends the whole of The Darjeeling Limited with his head wrapped in bandages as the result of a car crash that might not have entirely been an accident. Just as photo stills featuring a banged-up Wilson started making the rounds in August, he was hospitalized after what authorities said was a suicide attempt.

"I respectfully ask that the media allow me to receive care and heal in private during this difficult time," Wilson said at the time in a statement released by his publicist. Buddies such as Anderson and Ben Stiller gave the media some positive updates on his condition a few weeks later.

As far as his appearance Friday, the bearded blonde looked as healthy, relaxed and charmingly disheveled as ever, but the comments about the personal nature of the film were as deep as anyone delved.

"Where are you going next?" Wilson inquired of his friend. "You've been to Texas, to Texas, to New York, to Rome, to India."

"I was kinda thinking it might be nice to do something in space," Anderson said.

To which Wilson replied, "Why not?"

No major revelations, but vintage Owen Wilson.

Via eonline

Orlando Bloom's Hit-and-Run Case Wilts

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Orlando Bloom won't be parked in court for his motoring mishap.

The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office announced Friday that the Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings star would not face any charges stemming from a smashup earlier this month that left one of his passengers with a fractured neck.

D.A. spokeswoman Jane Robison tells E! News that, due to "insufficient evidence," Bloom will avoid a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge for the Oct. 12 incident.

According to the D.A.'s charge evaluation worksheet, Bloom was being shadowed by four paparazzo-filled cars and one car full of fans in the early morning hours. The report indicates that two of the camera-wielding pursuers attempted to cut off the black 2003 Toyota Matrix being driven by Bloom, causing him to swerve into a Porsche Cayenne parked on the side of the street.

As documented by paparazzi footage and noted in the D.A. report, Bloom walked approximately 60 feet away from the cars. However, the D.A. says Bloom wasn't attempting to flee the scene but rather sought "to avoid paparazzi's continued pursuit."

Bloom returned to the crash site within moments.

Video of the event seems to show him doing so only after a cameraman cautioned Bloom that he could be rung up on hit-and-run charges. Prosecutors were apparently uninterested in his motive for returning to the scene, only that he did.

The D.A.'s report also states that Bloom was not driving under the influence, despite him being seen leaving a bar with his two female passengers just minutes before the accident.

Instead, the report characterized him as "dazed."

The 30-year-old suffered no injuries in the incident. One of his female passengers suffered a fractured neck, but the injury was not serious; the other sustained cuts from her seat belt.

While Bloom is now in the clear, the offending shutterbugs may not be as lucky.

An investigation into the paparazzi's potentially dangerous driving tactics remains open.

Via eonline

Lawyer Says Spears' Custody Bid on Hold

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Britney Spears arrived in court giggling on Friday but was later heard swearing during a break in a closed hearing that ended with no decision on her bid for shared custody of her two young sons with Kevin Federline. The court was expected to issue a written ruling by Tuesday after extensive testimony was presented on a number of issues, lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan said.

Spears did not comment after the hearing. Earlier, she uttered an epithet when a reporter asked how the proceedings were going.

Attorney Sorrell Trope, who represents Spears, said "something has changed, but I can't say what." He said Spears was pleased, but he declined further comment.

Each parent will have a day with the boys this weekend, Kaplan said during a short news conference.

The three-hour hearing was held before Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon, who previously said there was evidence that Spears is a "habitual, frequent and continuous" user of drugs and alcohol.

He had withdrawn approval for her to even visit the children after finding she had failed to comply with some conditions for shared custody.

He later withdrew the ban and allowed her to visit Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1 - but only in the presence of a court-approved monitor.

Spears arrived at the courthouse eating cheese puffs in her white Mercedes-Benz convertible. She giggled when asked by reporters outside the courtroom if she was nervous.

She was escorted by sheriff's deputies and wore a black print dress and cowgirl boots. Her brown hair was lightly streaked with blonde highlights and she carried a large handbag.

Federline arrived a few minutes after Spears, wearing a gray pinstriped suit and an earring in his right ear.

Both were under court order to attend the proceedings.

They were asked to stand, raise their right hands and swear to tell the truth, which they did.

A few moments later, Gordon closed the hearing to the media at the request of Trope, who was expected to argue that Spears had complied with court orders and should regain the shared custody she lost earlier this month.

The previous court order by Gordon was tough and unambiguous. Spears was to undergo random drug and alcohol tests and meet weekly with a parenting coach who would report back to the court about her parenting skills.

Spears and Federline also were prohibited from making derogatory remarks about each other in their children's presence and from using "corporal punishment" to discipline them. Both parents also were ordered to complete the court's "Parenting Without Conflict" class.

As Spears attempted to regain custody of her children, her mother, Lynne Spears, announced plans to write a book about raising her family in the glare of the media spotlight.

"Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World" is set for release May 11, which is Mother's Day, said Curt Harding, a spokesman for Thomas Nelson Inc., a Christian book publisher. He did not release further details.

Via forbes

Hit-and-run charge against Britney Spears dropped

viernes, 26 de octubre de 2007 |

Britney Spears finally put her hit-and-run charge in the rearview mirror.

A judge kicked the misdemeanor count to the curb Thursday after the pop star had settled with Kim Robard-Rifkin, owner of the 1999 Mercedes Spears hit in a San Fernando Valley parking lot last August.

Spears was photographed checking for damage on her car before speeding off.

Robard-Rifkin accepted $1,000 to cover damages to her vehicle, Spears' lawyer Michael Flanagan said.

"[She] is very sympathetic toward Britney and hopes the best for her," Flanagan told People magazine.

Spears still faces a charge of driving without a license, to which Flanagan entered a plea of "not guilty" on Spears' behalf.

Outside court, Flanagan said the city had offered Spears a plea deal on the license charge.

A spokesman for the city attorney's office said no deal has been reached.

The maximum penalty is a year in jail, but first offenders usually get probation.

The "Gimme More" singer has a court date today in her custody fight with ex-hubby Kevin Federline.

Vi nydailynews

Britney Spears will not be videotaped for her pending deposition, L.A. Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon ruled Friday morning.

Thomas Dunlap, Spears's lawyer, successfully argued that a potential leak of such a video to the Internet would cause "undue embarrassment" for the pop star.

Attorneys for Spears and ex-husband Kevin Federline appeared in court ahead of their scheduled 1:30 p.m. hearing to argue the deposition matter. The ex-couple are set to face each other in court for the first time Friday afternoon for a progress-report hearing in their custody battle.

At the morning hearing, Federline's counsel, Mark Vincent Kaplan, told the court that he had asked Spears's attorneys "on four occasions" to schedule the deposition. "I ask the court to please order [Spears] to show for deposition," Kaplan said. "We've been trying for almost one year."

The commissioner told both sides to confer and set a date.

The deposition, taken under oath, is part of Kaplan's evidence-gathering to convince the court why Federline should be awarded primary physical custody.

"Britney being deposed is a routine part of a custody battle," L.A. family law attorney Joel Schwartz tells PEOPLE. "Kaplan will be asking her, and anyone else he's subpoenaed, about her past drug and alcohol use, her apparent inability to follow court orders, and anything else that reveals whether she's a fit mother."

The deposition could last up to several days.

Some depositions of Spears's associates have been completed, according to the pop star's former attorney, Laura Wasser. Among those subpoenaed include her former assistant Alli Sims, former manager Larry Rudolph, and a former bodyguard.

Spears, 25, and Federline, 29, are embroiled in an ongoing custody battle over sons Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1.

For now, Federline retains physical custody of the children, while Spears has monitored visitation rights, and one overnight per week.

The judge on Friday is not expected to reinstate the 50-50 custody arrangement that was in place before Spears was stripped of custody and allowed only visitation.

On Wednesday, Spears and Federline attended their first court-mandated Parenting Without Conflict session at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The couple are also undergoing joint co-parenting counseling. Spears is still subject to twice-weekly random drug tests.

Via people

Lost star in drink-driving arrest

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The 38-year-old, who plays tough guy Jin-Soo Kwon in the drama, was arrested in the early hours of Thursday.

Police said the South Korean-born actor, who is an original cast member, was released on bail.

He is the fourth member of the Lost cast to be arrested for a traffic offence in Hawaii, where the popular TV series is filmed.

Charges dropped

In 2005, former co-stars Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros pleaded guilty to driving while over the legal limit.

Rodriguez, who played Ana Lucia, was sentenced to five days in jail and $357 (£174) in fines.

Watros, seen on the show as the character Libby, had her driving licence suspended for 90 days and paid a $312 (£152) fine.

And last year, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, known as Mr Eko in Lost, was arrested for a traffic offence, and was accused of disobeying a police officer and driving without a licence.

The charges against him were later dropped, however.

Via bbc

Britney seen out driving with sons

miércoles, 24 de octubre de 2007 |

Troubled pop princess Britney Spears has regained temporary visitation rights to her sons, her lawyer said.

"Yes, she has visitation with the children," Anne Kiley said, without elaborating.

Spears was seen driving with sons Preston, two, and Jayden James, one, on Saturday in California, People magazine reported on its website.

A presumed court-appointed monitor was in the passenger seat, and her sons were in the back.

A court commissioner told Spears earlier that she may not visit her two children without a parenting coach present until she complied with a court order.

The ruling was the latest move in a custody battle between Spears and ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Among other things, Spears was ordered to undergo random weekly drug testing.

A hearing in the matter was scheduled for October 26.

Via ukpress

Lindsay Lohan Returns To Career

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After rehab, Lindsay Lohan has returned to Los Angeles in order to focus on her career.

Although the media stated until recently that the young actress is planning to quit the Hollywood glitter and lifestyle, Lindsay is ready to get her old fame back, the Daily Mail writes.

Lohan has a new boyfriend, Riley Giles, who was allegedly engaged before his relationship with Lindsay. She is the reason why he broke it off, and seeing how she was previously accused of destroying a harmonious marriage by the wife of a rehab friend, Lindsay was named “marriage breaker”.

Via javno

There are legions of actors who have stepped behind the camera, but few who have done so successfully. The latest, and with very favorable results, is Ben Affleck, directing his own brother, Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), in a taut and tense detective yarn.

Set in the Afflecks’ hometown of Boston, Gone Baby Gone is based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River, also made into a movie directed by an actor-turned-director, and shares some similar themes. In this outing, Lehane’s recurring private detective Patrick Kenzie (Affleck) and girlfriend/sidekick Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) reluctantly accept a job to investigate the disappearance of 6-year-old Amanda McCready, which immerses them into the sleazy world of Amanda’s heroin-addicted mother (Amy Ryan) and raises the possibility that Amanda’s abduction may not have been random.

Patrick and Angie meet creepy neighbors, drug dealers and pedophiles as their investigation is dogged by police detectives (Ed Harris and John Ashton) who either know more than Patrick and Angie, or less, all overseen by a police captain (Morgan Freeman) still haunted by the kidnapping and murder of his own daughter years before. The only thing Patrick and Angie can be sure of is that nothing is exactly what it seems.

There’s a lot of Catholic imagery and enough guilt to go around the table several times, but Affleck the director coaxes a riveting performance from his brother, indeed from all his actors. Audiences may recall that Ben co-starred with Freeman in The Sum of All Fears, and here Freeman gets a performance that makes up for the indignity he had to endure for Evan Almighty. Harris (A History of Violence) can virtually do no wrong, Ryan (Capote) is handed a breakout role as the addicted mom, and Monaghan’s character gets my award as Heroine of the Year, more than making up for the embarrassment of The Heartbreak Kid.

But what I really like is the moral ambiguity that Patrick and Angie are faced with as they try to determine if Amanda’s unknown fate is the result of a pedophilic abduction or something even more sinister. Affleck slaps them hard with an ethical decision that stuns the characters and the audience along with them. I applaud a movie, and a director, that can leave me wondering hours after the lights come up what I would have done in the same situation. I still don’t know. Maybe I don’t want to.

Via free-times

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres returned to her TV show on Tuesday after taking a long weekend to escape a national uproar over an adopted puppy, saying she hoped the drama would not discourage people from adopting pets.

DeGeneres, one of the country's best known entertainers, sobbed on TV last week as she recounted how an animal rescue group took back a puppy she had adopted but then given to her hairstylist's family without the animal agency's permission.

The on-air tears stirred an outpouring of public support, and footage of her begging for the agency to return the dog, Iggy, was replayed endlessly. DeGeneres later made a public appeal for an end to death threats that had been reported against some of those involved.

After taking a long weekend to recover from the shaggy-dog tale that went too far, DeGeneres returned to her show on Tuesday saying the reaction to her crying on air had taken her totally by surprise, making headlines from Australia to England.

"I have always cried since I was a little kid. I am a sensitive person, I cry. I cry at commercials, I cry at stories, I cry at anything sweet, I cry at babies," she said.

"You don't want to keep in a good cry because then you get bloated ... there is nothing wrong with having feelings and I think more people should cry."

DeGeneres invited various guests involved in pet adoptions onto her show, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and online pet adoption Web site petfinders.com.

"There are so many dogs and cats out there that need homes and they just need to end up in a good home," DeGeneres said. "That is all I care about .. I don't want anybody to be discouraged from this."

DeGeneres said the crew on her television show had also been left distraught over the incident.

"People on the staff are upset because we are a family," DeGeneres said as cameras panned to crew members fake-crying into their hands and tissues.

DeGeneres, host of this year's Oscar awards, said she adopted the shaggy-haired mixed breed dog in September, but the little dog did not get along well with her cats, so she gave Iggy to her hairstylist.

The agency from which she adopted the dog, Mutts and Moms, reclaimed the dog on the grounds that DeGeneres violated the adoption agreement, which required her to return the pet to the agency if she chose not to keep it.

"I've rescued so many animals over the years ... this came out of the blue," she said.

Via reuters

Foxy in the Hole

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At least Foxy Brown has been able to engage in her usual pastimes while behind bars.

The Ill Na Na rapper was relegated to 76 days of solitary confinement on Oct. 16 after scuffling with another inmate and exhibiting behavioral issues at Rikers Island, where she's currently serving a year for probation violation.

A spokesman for the New York City Department of Correction said that Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, got into a shoving match with another prisoner on Oct. 3 and had to be forcibly separated from the woman.

Sources told the New York Post, which first reported Brown's change of venue, that the inmates were on their way to the dining room in the jail's Rose M. Singer facility when the ladies got into it.

Neither woman was injured, but apparently that was only the beginning for Brown. According to the Post, a day after her mealtime meltdown, Brown refused to take a mandatory drug test and was verbally abusive toward some of the guards.

The various infractions were reviewed by the Department of Correction, which then ordered Brown's temporary transfer from Rikers' general population to punitive segregation, during which she'll spend up to 23 hours a day alone in her cell. She can spend the remaining hour meeting with her attorney and other visitors, exercising or in the jail's library.

Brown's sparring partner was sentenced to 11 days in solitary.

Meanwhile, correction officials haven't yet reviewed Brown's refusal to go to Brooklyn on Oct. 12 for her arraignment on assault charges. (She has said that she missed the first bus because she wanted to change clothes and freshen her makeup, and that she wasn't on the second bus because she wanted to eat lunch before going to court.)

Four days later Brown made the trip and pleaded not guilty to assault, attempted assault and criminal possession of a weapon for allegedly smacking her neighbor with her BlackBerry.

Brown's manager, Chaz Williams, told MTV News that he doesn't think the rapper, who suffers from hearing loss, should be isolated and that the officials at the Singer facility aren't following proper procedure when it comes to her health.

The volatile performer was sentenced to three years' probation last October after pleading guilty to assaulting two Manhattan nail salon workers during a skirmish over the bill.

After a series of violations, which included further assault accusations and leaving the state without the court's permission, Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa C. Jackson gave Brown a year in jail to think about her behavior.

"I hope you turn your life around and never again have to stand in a court of law," Jackson told the 28-year-old on Sept. 7.

Since hunkering down behind bars, Brown has used that opening in her schedule to launch a Website, freefoxybrown.com, so that her fans can keep up with her career, and to work on her new album, Brooklyn's Don Diva, which is still slated to drop Nov. 20.

Via eonline

Spears regains right to visit kids

martes, 23 de octubre de 2007 |

Britney Spears has regained visitation rights with her two sons in her bitter custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline, published reports said on Monday.

Celebrity web site TMZ on Monday quoted Spears' Los Angeles attorney Anne Kiley as saying the troubled pop star was now able to see her boys, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1.

The web site said Spears' visitation rights were suspended last week when a drug testing company could not reach her, and when she could prove she had a cell phone where she could be contacted, her rights were automatically reinstated.

Kiley was not immediately available to comment. A spokesman for Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, also was not immediately available.

Spears is due to appear at a Los Angeles hearing on Friday, where the case will be reviewed. She and Federline have been locked in a custody battle over their kids for months as Spears' life has seemed to veer out of control despite a stint in drug and alcohol rehab.

Via reuters

Paris Hilton is expected to visit Moscow during the forthcoming several days. The notorious socialite is rumored to attend the Moscow Fashion Week which starts on October 24. Paris is said to appear at the show of Russian fashion designer Kira Plastinina, who makes clothes for Fabrika-7 TV show (an analogue of the American Idol). It is worthy of note that Kira Plastinina is only a teen girl, she is only 14 years old.

Kira’s father, Sergei Plastinin, is a large shareholder of a world-famous holding. They say that the loving father can hardly turn down his daughter’s requests. Kira’s latest wish was Paris Hilton herself. The girl told his father that she adored Paris Hilton and would like to invite the notorious celebrity to Moscow for her fashion show.

Hilton will reportedly be paid two million dollars – this is the price of her mere presence in Moscow. It is rumoured that Paris Hilton will appear in a TV advert for Kira Plastinina’s line of clothing.

Paris Hilton’s sister Nicky already visited Moscow not so long ago and presented her own clothing line for the Moscow elite. Paris will probably visit Moscow’s most expensive and glamorous clubs soon too.

Via newsfromrussia

Marie Osmond, a member of the singing Osmond family, was "feeling fine" on Tuesday after fainting the night before during an appearance on the ABC television show "Dancing with the Stars," her spokeswoman said.

"She's doing much better and feeling fine and she's looking forward to appearing on tonight's (Tuesday's) show," Marleah Leslie said.

Osmond, 48, is a competitor in the celebrity ballroom dancing competition and following her performance on Monday night she collapsed onstage. The show immediately broke for a commercial and afterward Osmond reappeared for a brief segment to receive dance scores from the judges.

The effervescent singer explained that "once in a while" she loses her breath after a performance and faints. The program continued and Osmond received medical attention backstage, her spokeswoman said.

Osmond gained fame as part of the Osmond family of singers whose brothers, including Donny, formed a wholesome pop group in the 1970s. She starred on the "Donny and Marie" variety show in the same decade, and since then has acted in numerous TV specials and programs and still performs onstage.

"Dancing with the Stars" is one of U.S. TV's top-rated shows in which performers, sports stars and even businessmen compete in a variety of dances. Along with Osmond, this season's contestants include Jennie Garth, formerly of TV show "Beverly Hills 90210" and race car driver Helio Castroneves.

Via reuters

Britney Spears regains right to visit kids - reports

lunes, 22 de octubre de 2007 |

Britney Spears has regained visitation rights with her two sons in her bitter custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline, published reports said on Monday.

Celebrity web site TMZ on Monday quoted Spears' Los Angeles attorney Anne Kiley as saying the troubled pop star was now able to see her boys, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1.

The web site said Spears' visitation rights were suspended last week when a drug testing company could not reach her, and when she could prove she had a cell phone where she could be contacted, her rights were automatically reinstated.

Kiley was not immediately available to comment. A spokesman for Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, also was not immediately available.

Spears is due to appear at a Los Angeles hearing on Friday, where the case will be reviewed. She and Federline have been locked in a custody battle over their kids for months as Spears' life has seemed to veer out of control despite a stint in drug and alcohol rehab.

Via reuters

Lindsay denies engagement rumours

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Lindsay Lohan has slammed rumours that she is engaged to rehab pal Riley Giles. Denying reports, the 21-year old’s rep said that the reformed party girl was not engaged to Giles, whom she met in Cirque Lodge rehab and stated that the ‘new’ rock, which Lohan was wearing, was actually a gift from her father, Michael.

Lindsay has been living together with Riley since the two met in the rehab unit in Utah. Riley, a snowboarder, was reported to be engaged to another woman Breanna Tierney. The news of that engagement came straight from Tierney’s mother who said that seeing pictures of Lindsay and Riley had left Breanna heartbroken.

Riley just stopped calling Bree and never told her about Lindsay. She found out by seeing photos. It destroyed her, she said.

Via timesofindia

The duo will produce a series with HBO, untitled for now, and it will be written by The Bourne Ultimatum co-writer Scott Burns. The subject matter hits close to the couples’ own experiences, as it will cover the internal politics of an international aid organization, the lives of humanitarian workers in danger zones, and the people they assist.

Jolie, Pitt, and Burns, who co-produced Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, are the series’ executive producers.

The couple launched the Jolie-Pitt Foundation a year ago and have donated to many international aid organizations, including $1 million to both Doctors Without Borders and Global Action for Children.

Jolie returns to HBO for the first time since the biopic Gia, which earned the actress a Golden Globe award, a SAG award, and an Emmy nomination.

The new HBO project will be the second active one for Pitt, who is executive producing an HBO/National Geographic project Undaunted Courage with Edward Norton, currently in development. It will cover the Lewis and Clark exploration of the early 1800s.

Via dmwmedia

Copperfield's Magic Tour Goes Poof

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With the feds on his case, David Copperfield just made his upcoming tour disappear.

The master illusionist scrapped a series of engagements in Southeast Asia as the FBI investigates allegations he sexually assaulted an unidentified Seattle woman.

According to Thailand promoter RSI Dream Entertainment, Copperfield's management sent an email Sunday announcing that all dates would be indefinitely postponed.

Copperfield also called off shows in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Ariannna Teoh, director of Arianna Event Management, the Kuala Lumpur-based promoter that booked Copperfield for two shows in the Malaysian capital on Oct. 30 and 31, claimed the trickster opted to stay to "help in the investigations."

"Copperfield is not prevented from leaving the United States, but he needs time to get to the bottom of things," Teoh is quoted in the local Star newspaper.

Meanwhile, an Indonesian promoter told reporters he hopes Copperfield will either reschedule the nixed shows or compensate organizers for marketing expenses.

But the magic man's lawyer claims the cancellations had nothing to do with the investigation and the timing was purely coincidental. Instead, David Chesnoff claims that the Asian promoters had defaulted on their contracts and Copperfield had no choice but to pull the plug.

Whatever the reason, the 51-year-old Copperfield remains in the U.S. following last Wednesday's FBI search of his sprawling Las Vegas warehouse and a theater at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino where he regularly performs. Copperfield had just performed two shows at the resort prior to the FBI raid.

While Copperfield has yet to publicly address the investigation, Chesnoff has denied any wrongdoing by his client.

"An unidentified woman has made serious allegations against David Copperfield," Chesnoff said in a statement. "It is important these allegations be put into perspective. Although authorities have not revealed her identity to us, we know these allegations are false, because David Copperfield has never forced himself on anyone.

"Unfortunately false allegations are all too often made against famous individuals. But we are confident the investigation will conclude favorably."

The FBI executed search warrants for the showman's storage facility, which he has dubbed the International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts. Agents seized a computer hard drive, digital camera and nearly $2 million in cash from the building, which houses various trick apparatuses, gadgets, props and Copperfield's vast collection of memorabilia, and doubles as his office.

Copperfield's accuser claimed the sexual misconduct occurred in July in the Bahamas, but she didn't file her complaint until she returned to the States, prompting the FBI to investigate.

The bureau's Seattle office has declined to comment on the specifics of the case.

Via eonline

Kid Rock arrested after fight

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Police arrested the performer and five members of his entourage on Sunday morning after an argument with a man escalated into a fight.

The 36-year-old's tour bus was pulled over by police after it left the scene, a branch of the Waffle House chain.

He was released on Sunday evening after posting $1,000 (£490) bail and stopped to sign autographs for fans.

"Rock along with five members of his entourage were charged with one count of battery, which is a misdemeanour," said the spokeswoman for DeKalb County police .

"The victim was treated and released at a local hospital for his injuries."

Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, suffered minor cuts and bruises in the fight and was also charged with criminal damage to property after a window was punched out during the fight.

He had just scored the first number one album of his career in the US charts with Rock N Roll Jesus. He was in Atlanta for a show he had performed earlier that evening.

Via bbc

The Muggle, or non-wizard, world is agog at author J.K. Rowling's bombshell announcement that one of the main characters in the Harry Potter books was gay.

By Monday afternoon, after a weekend of gossip about Rowling's "outing" of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, there were almost 6,000 comments on the issue on two popular Harry Potter Web sites, www.leakynews.com and www.mugglenet.com.

"Mostly people are happy that she has done this," said Melissa Anelli, webmistress of the Leaky Cauldron site, admitting that the site has seen a small subset of vocal readers unhappy at the revelation.

"I think it's great, I think the way she handled it was that this was just another fact about him, the same way that he's a teacher, he likes bowling, chamber music. And if more people were like that, we'd have less of a problem today."

Rowling unveiled her news in New York's Carnegie Hall on Friday, in answer to the question of whether Dumbledore -- a believer in the prevailing power of love -- had ever fallen in love himself.

"I always thought of Dumbledore as gay," she replied, explaining that Dumbledore fell in love with his brilliant friend Gellert Grindelwald, who later became a powerful dark wizard whom Dumbledore defeated.

In the book that describes their friendship, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", one character says the two "got on like a caldron on fire."

"To have one of the coolest, most respected wizards in history and mentor of Harry Potter as gay, is the bravest move JKR has ever made. I salute her," a fan identified as "Shain" wrote on the Leaky site.

"Deathly Hallows" was the final installment of the Harry Potter series, where an orphan child wizard is pitted against the evil Lord Voldemort.

The series has already courted controversy for its themes of witchcraft, and is on many banned lists.

Dr. Solomon Shapiro, a child and adolescent psychiatrist who heads the Gender and Sexual Orientation Service at Toronto's Hincks-Dellcrest Centre said the revelation could be positive for gays.

"There's a paucity of gay characters in literature, especially in children's literature, which reinforces a belief that being gay is unusual and not normal."

"Having a positive gay role model in a popular children's series can help thousands of young people who are gay, or think they might be gay, come to fully accept themselves as they are."

Rowling, who appears in Toronto on Tuesday, said her books were a plea for tolerance.

"The Potter books in general are a prolonged argument for tolerance, a prolonged plea for an end to bigotry," Rowling said during the Carnegie event.

Via reuters